3rd Article of Faith: What can the Atonement Do? Concentration Game

Prepare two copies each of some pictures that depict the different ways the Atonement helps people:

• comfort,

• overcoming trials,

• support with hard things,

• resurrection,

• renewal of the body,

• understanding pain,

etc.  

Here's an example...

• Because of the Atonement, Jesus knows what I feel like when I'm sick.

Concentration Match Up Game

If you have a young Primary, use only 4 or 5 matches.  If you have an older Primary, use 6 or 7 matches.

Place the pictures in a grid up at the front of the room. Cover each picture with a darker color of paper. Tell the children

• "While I sing this song, I'm going to tap someone on the shoulder to uncover two of these pictures.  If they are a match, we'll leave them uncovered.  If they are NOT a match, we will cover them back up again.  Work together to find all of the matches."

Start singing.  "We Believe that through the atonement of Christ..."

Tap a child on the shoulder to come up.  Continue tapping children on the shoulder (or pointing to them) as you sing in order to find the matching pictures.  

When all of the pictures are matched, ask the children,

• "What does this picture have to do with the atonement?" (Point to a specific picture.)  Receive their answers.  

Do the same thing for some or each of the different pictures.  Ask them to sing this song about the atonement with you. 

This activity helps to give visual images to the power of the atonement.  The children are focused on the concentration game while hearing the song sung over and over again.  The words to the song slip in the back door of the brain.

Suggestions of pictures to use:

Here are some suggestions.  These pictures are from the lds.org images.

• Jesus with woman taken in adultry = Because of the atonement, I can forgive.

• Father holding son = Because of the atonement, I can be comforted.

• Families together forever = Because of the atonement, I can be with my family again.

• Wheelchair initiative = Because of the atonement, I can someday walk.

• Missionaries in Ghana = Because of the atonement, people all over the world can hear the gospel.

• Christ at the tomb = Because of the atonement, I can live after I die.

• Blessing the Sacrament = Because of the atonement, I can repent and try again every week with the Sacrament.

• Girls clapping = Because of the atonement, I can live with my family forever.