1. Tell some interesting facts about John the Baptist
--ate locusts & honey
--lived in wilderness
--was Jesus' cousin
--baptized Jesus
--was later beheaded
2. Show some pictures from Gospel Art Book
--#35 John the Baptist Baptizing Jesus
--#76 Alma Baptizing in the Waters of Mormon
--#103 Young Man Being Baptized
--#104 Girl Being Baptized
3. Have other family members share remembrances of their baptisms.
4. Activity:
Baptism is the first ordinance that gets us on our way back to our heavenly home. This can be demonstrated using a ball of yarn. Before FHE designate a spot in your house as the final destination of Heavenly Home (you can make a sign saying so). Take a ball of yarn and create a trail throughout many rooms of your home. Leave one end at the heavenly home and one end for the starting point. When you do this activity, each person should follow the yarn trail until they reach their heavenly home. Along the way, talk about other ordinances or things that we need to do to keep following our way back home.
5. Ask some questions:
Why was Jesus baptized?
By what authority was Jesus baptized?
Why are we baptized?
How was Jesus baptized?
What does Immersion mean?
What is a covenant?
What are the promises made by Heavenly Father at baptism? (D&C33:11, D&C 20:37, 3 Ne 11:33)
What promises do we make?
What does born again mean?
What does the sacrament have to do with baptism?
What does it mean to stand as a witness?
When we take upon His name, what are we doing?
How many witnesses are needed at a baptism? Do they need any special qualifications?
Can a twelve year old baptize someone? What level of priesthood is needed to baptize?
6. Activity: How can we get ready for baptism?
Cut out two giant steps from construction paper. Hold up the first one and ask, "What is the first thing that happens to us on earth?" The answer, of course, is birth.
Write birth on one giant footstep. Now write baptism on the other giant footstep. Place the two steps too far apart for someone to actually step from one to the other. Let family members take turns trying to get from one to the other. It isn't possible.
We need to take some more steps to make it from birth to baptism. Have family members name things that we can do to prepare. Have 8 (baptism age), or as many as you want, small footsteps cut out and write down the things that are named. After you write them down, place each small footstep between the two giant footsteps and then let each person take all the steps from birth to baptism and explain how it works much better with all the little steps in between.
Examples of steps to take between birth and baptism:
1. Pray about being baptized
2. Read scriptures daily
3. Have faith
4. Be honest
5. Go to church
6. Serve others
7. Learn Primary and other good songs
8. Know the law of tithing
7. Have a child nearing baptism age share a favorite story he/she read about baptism from the friend. My child chose this article by Mark E. Petersen.
8. For a John the Baptist FHE treat, serve honey stix--can often find them at farmers markets and health food stores. It simply looks like a straw that is sealed at both ends and is filled with honey. Sometimes you can find flavored ones. If you can't find this, fix a treat that has honey as a main ingredient.
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