October 2026 General Conference › Lessons › Elder Christian C. Chigbundu › Children
Little Things Make Me Strong
From “Spiritual Immunity,” by Elder Christian C. Chigbundu · Saturday afternoon session, October 2026 General Conference
The big idea
Small and simple things, like reading the scriptures and praying every day, help me stay close to Jesus and be strong.
Objective
Children will say that small and simple things make them strong and will choose one small thing to do each day this week.
Before you teach
- Read Elder Christian C. Chigbundu's talk, Spiritual Immunity, especially the story of the new missionary.
- Bring building blocks (or small boxes or books that stack safely).
- Bring paper and crayons for each child, and a copy of the Book of Mormon.
- Practice the four actions in the third segment so you can lead them without notes.
Lesson plan
Thirty minutes in 6 parts. Times are a guide; let the Spirit and the learners set the pace.
Sing and pray
- Sing Scripture Power or A Child's Prayer together. Invite a child to pray.
- Tell the children that today they will learn one sentence, and say it with them twice, slowly: Small and simple things make me strong.
One block at a time
- Hold up one block. Ask if one block is a tall tower. Set it down.
- Let the children take turns adding one block each. Each time a block goes on, everyone says: Small and simple.
- When the tower is tall, ask how it got that way. Help them see it grew one small block at a time.
- Explain that Elder Chigbundu, a leader in the Church, taught that small and simple things done every day help us be strong and brave when things are hard. Show Alma 37:6 in the Book of Mormon and read it aloud.
- What is something small you do every day that helps your body grow strong?
Four strong things
- Teach four actions for the four things Elder Chigbundu named. Scriptures: hold hands open like a book. Prayer: fold arms and bow head. The sacrament: sit down quietly with a hand on the heart, thinking of Jesus. Covenants, which are promises with Heavenly Father: stand tall with arms at your sides.
- Practice each one once, saying its name together.
- Play the game: call out the four names in mixed order, slowly at first and then faster, while the children do the actions.
- End with everyone standing tall. Say the sentence together: Small and simple things make me strong.
The missionary and the scriptures
- Tell the story simply: Elder Chigbundu was a mission leader. A new missionary came. He was so sad that he cried, and he asked to go home.
- Continue: Elder Chigbundu told him he knew the Book of Mormon is true and asked him to study the scriptures. The missionary and his companion made a plan to study every day. Later the missionary wrote a letter. Read his words from the first key quote (T11.13).
- Act it out together: make a sad face; open pretend scriptures and read while counting seven days aloud, marching in place; pretend to write a letter; show a happy face.
- Ask the questions below.
- What small thing did the missionary do every day?
- How did he feel after he kept doing it?
Draw my small and simple thing
- Tell the children that Elder Chigbundu also taught that when we pray, we come close to Heavenly Father. He met a sister who was sick. She told him that as she prayed every day, she knew that the Savior loves her.
- Give each child paper and crayons. Ask them to draw themselves doing one small and simple thing: reading the scriptures, praying, thinking of Jesus during the sacrament, or keeping a promise to Heavenly Father.
- Walk around and ask each child to tell you about the drawing. Write the child's words at the bottom if they would like.
Choose and share
- Sit in a circle. Each child holds up the drawing and finishes this sentence: This week, every day, I will…
- Explain that Elder Chigbundu invited everyone to always remember scriptures, prayers, the sacrament, and covenants, and taught that these help us be strong and brave.
- Say the sentence together one last time, starting in a whisper and ending in a clear, happy voice.
- Share your testimony in two or three sentences that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love each child.
- Send the drawings home. Next week, begin by asking who did their small thing and how it felt.
Key passages from the talk
“I am happy now and do not want to be sent home any longer.”
“By small and simple things are great things brought to pass”
“When we pray to our Heavenly Father, we draw near to Him and seek His help, guidance, and blessings.”
The speaker’s direct invitation
“I invite you to always remember scriptures, prayers, the sacrament, and covenants.”
Scriptures
- Alma 37:6 Show the verse in the Book of Mormon after the block tower and read it aloud; the words appear in the talk.
- Doctrine and Covenants 88:63 With older children, read it before drawing and ask what Jesus promises when we come close to Him.
Other voices that agree
“No time or effort is ever wasted in reading the Book of Mormon.”
Three things to remember
- Small and simple things make me strong.
- When I pray, I come close to Heavenly Father.
- Jesus loves me and helps me.
Ways to act this week
- Do the small thing in your drawing every day this week.
- Put your drawing where you will see it each morning.
- Tell someone at home the sentence you learned and show them the four actions.
Suggestions written for this lesson, not the speaker’s words.
Music
- Scripture Power
- A Child's Prayer
Adapting the lesson
- Ages 3–7. Keep the story to four sentences and act it out twice. Use only two actions, scriptures and prayer, in the game. Let each child place a block with a helper and repeat the sentence after every activity. They may draw only themselves praying.
- Ages 8–11. Have a child read Alma 37:6 and another read Doctrine and Covenants 88:63 aloud. Let an older child lead the four-actions game. Ask a harder question: Why do you think Heavenly Father helps us through small things we do every day instead of one big thing? You may share Elder Morgan's sentence about reading the Book of Mormon.
This lesson is an independent study aid written for this site. It is not an official lesson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Quotations are word for word from the official talk; paragraph numbers count the paragraphs of the talk as published at churchofjesuschrist.org, not counting headings or picture captions. The activities, questions and ideas for acting are suggestions; follow the Spirit and adapt them to those you teach.