2 Nephi 26:33
“For none of these iniquities come of the Lord; for he doeth that which is good among the children of men; and he doeth nothing save it be plain unto the children on men; and he inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female, and he remembereth the heathen; and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile.”
Purpose: To teach children that God is no respector of men (or women).
For the Preparer(s): This lesson is part of a series of lessons aimed at teaching the history of race relations in America and how it impacts the different experiences of our brothers and sisters today.
Preparation:
This preparation takes time and thought. Prayerfully consider which family members would be best suited to be in each part of this lesson.
At dinner, allow only certain members of the family to sit and eat at the table, others are to eat dinner apart from the family. You may also decide to serve the treat at the beginning of the lesson and give it to the few chosen and the others go without.
Petition off the area where you are delivering the lesson. Allow the biggest and nicest area to be for just certain members of the family. The others are assigned to sit on the floor in a corner of the room.
Start the lesson with everyone in thier assigned areas.
Review “I Have a Dream” speech from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Select certain quotes for family members to read.
Suggested Lesson:
Ask the “chosen” group:
How did it feel to be in this group?
How did it feel to see other family members without your same privileges?
Why do you suppose they were separated?
For the isolated group:
How did it feel to be in this group?
Why do you suppose you were in this group?
How did it feel to see others allowed to have privileges you were denied?
After slavery, African Americans were still treated differently from Caucasians or white Americans. There were laws in place that were designed to keep black people away from white people. These laws and practices used to separate people is called segregation. Also, black people were not allowed to vote, they had to drink at different water fountains, use different bathrooms, and weren’t allowed to eat in certain restaurants.
Have members of the family read highlights from “I Have a Dream.”
Explain Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was one person who worked hard to see that Americans with brown and black skin would be treated the same as Americans with white skin. He gave numerous speeches. Here is part of one of his most famous speeches where he talks about his dream.
Excerpts:
I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.”
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.
I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
I have a dream today.
A lot of people thought this treatment of people with brown or black skin were not right. Many people, of all skin colors, fought to make sure that everyone was treated the same and had the same rights. While things are better today, there are still situations today where people are treated equally. People are still working hard to make sure all of God’s children are treated the same.
God loves all his children. We are all children of a kind Heavenly Father. All of God’s children deserves to be treated with respect.
Discuss 1 Samuel 16:7
Suggested Hymn and Song:
Jesus Said Love Everyone (Children’s Songbook, p. 61)
Put Your Shoulder to the Wheel, (LDS Hymn 252)

Fatimah Salleh

I am a stay-at-home Mom to three sons and one daughter. I am married to a self-professed Viking and the love of my life. I graduated from Utah State University with a degree in History. I received a Master's degree from Syracuse University in Newspaper Journalism and a Ph.D. from UNC-Chapel Hill in Mass Communication. I start Duke Divinity School in the Fall. I served a mission in Campinas, Brazil. I like to steal time for naps, the giggle of my babies, and I absolutely loathe laundry.

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