October 2026 General Conference › Lessons › Elder Gary E. Stevenson › Children

30-minute lesson · Children · Ages 3–11: Primary or home

Three Sweet Fruits

From “Fruit to Make One Happy,” by Elder Gary E. Stevenson · Sunday afternoon session, October 2026 General Conference

Watch the talkRead the full talk

The big idea

The gospel of Jesus Christ makes me happy, and I can share it.

Objective

Children will name three gospel truths that make them happy and choose one person to share a paper fruit with this week.

Before you teach

  • Draw a large tree with bare branches on the board or on a big sheet of paper.
  • Cut out three large paper fruits. Label them: I am a child of God. Jesus Christ and the plan of happiness. The Holy Ghost. Bring tape.
  • Cut out one small paper fruit for each child, and bring crayons.
  • Bring a soft ball, a blanket and a picture of the Savior.
  • Use paper fruit and pictures only. Do not bring real fruit or any food.

Lesson plan

Thirty minutes in 7 parts. Times are a guide; let the Spirit and the learners set the pace.

3 min0–3

Pick a fruit

  1. After the prayer, have the children stand, reach up high and pretend to pick fruit from a tall tree, then bend low and set it in a basket. Do it three times.
  2. Let each child name a favorite fruit. Point out that we can look at a fruit and smell it, but we know how good it is when we taste it.
  3. Tell them that at general conference Elder Stevenson, an Apostle of Jesus Christ, spoke especially to Primary children. He said he loved fruit when he was a boy, and he told us about fruit that makes us happy.
5 min3–8

Lehi's tree

  1. Point to the tree you drew. Tell the story from 1 Nephi 8:10–12 in simple words: the prophet Lehi saw a beautiful tree. He ate its fruit. It was sweeter than anything he had ever tasted, and it filled him with joy. Then he wanted his family to have some too.
  2. Act it out together: walk in place to the tree, reach up, pretend to taste, put hands on hearts for joy, then wave for the family to come.
  3. Explain that the tree reminds us of the love of God and of Jesus Christ. The fruit is like the blessings and truths of the gospel.
  4. Teach the one truth with actions and repeat it three times: The gospel makes me happy (hands on heart), and I can share it (hands out).
Ask
  • How do you think Lehi felt when he tasted the fruit?
  • Why did he call his family to come?
5 min8–13

Fruit one: I am a child of God

  1. Let a child tape the first paper fruit on the tree. Say: Heavenly Father knows you and loves you. You are His child.
  2. Tell the story: Elder Stevenson was at a meeting with people who were having a very hard time. He asked the Primary children to stand and everyone to sing I Am a Child of God. A very young boy ran right up to the front, and Elder Stevenson picked him up. The boy sang every word in his sweet, loud voice, and the Spirit comforted the people.
  3. Stand and sing I Am a Child of God the way that boy did.
  4. Read Elder Fale's words from this conference (T14.01) and have the children say them with you.
Ask
  • How do you feel when you sing that you are a child of God?
5 min13–18

Fruit two: Jesus Christ and the plan of happiness

  1. Let a child tape the second fruit on the tree. Hold up the picture of the Savior.
  2. Say: Heavenly Father has a plan to help us be happy. It is called the great plan of happiness. Jesus Christ is at the center of it. When we make mistakes, Jesus helps us try again.
  3. Sit in a circle and roll the ball. The child who catches it says: Jesus loves me, and names one thing they know about Jesus or one way He helps them. Roll until everyone has had a turn.
  4. Tell them Elder Stevenson loves hearing Primary children sing about Jesus. If your children know Gethsemane, sing it together.
4 min18–22

Fruit three: the Holy Ghost

  1. Let a child tape the third fruit on the tree. Ask everyone to be very still. Whisper from across the room: Heavenly Father loves you. Ask what they needed to do to hear it.
  2. Say: Elder Stevenson taught that the Holy Ghost warns, comforts and testifies. After we are baptized, we receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
  3. Wrap the blanket around a helper's shoulders, then let each child feel it. Say: The Holy Ghost comforts us, like a warm blanket.
  4. Sing I Know My Father Lives. Ask them to listen for what the Spirit whispers.
6 min22–28

A fruit to share

  1. Read Elder Stevenson's invitation (T34.20). Say the three words together with actions: love (hug yourself), share (hands out), invite (wave someone over).
  2. Give each child a small paper fruit and crayons. Ask them to color it and draw on it one of the three truths: themselves as a child of God, Jesus, or a quiet heart for the Holy Ghost.
  3. While they draw, ask each child whom they will give it to: anyone they love, at home or anywhere else.
  4. Check understanding: point to each fruit on the tree and let the children tell you what it is.
  5. Tell them Elder Stevenson's promise in simple words: when we share the gospel with people we love, we feel even more joy.
2 min28–30

Say it and close

  1. Stand and say the truth with actions one more time: The gospel makes me happy, and I can share it.
  2. Bear a short testimony that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ know and love each child.
  3. Tell them that next week you will ask who received their paper fruit and what they said when they gave it. Close with prayer.

Key passages from the talk

“You are some of the most valued and faithful members of the whole Church.”

Elder Stevenson’s talk, paragraph 3

“We are His children. Heavenly Father knows us personally.”

Elder Stevenson’s talk, paragraph 8

“They become sweet to us as we live them, bringing us happiness and joy.”

Elder Stevenson’s talk, paragraph 7

“As you do so, I promise that you will not only feel joy and happiness that comes as you partake of fruit of the gospel but even greater joy as loved ones around you partake as well.”

Elder Stevenson’s talk, paragraph 20

The speaker’s direct invitation

“I invite you to do something that is as simple as gospel fruit is delicious: love, share, and invite.”

Elder Stevenson’s talk, paragraph 20

Scriptures

  • 1 Nephi 8:10–12 Tell it as a story in simple words while the children act it out; an older child may read verse 12 aloud.
  • Romans 8:16 Before singing I Am a Child of God, an older child reads it aloud; ask what the Spirit tells us about who we are.

Other voices that agree

“I am a child of God and He loves me.”

Elder Fale · I Am a Child of God, paragraph 1

Three things to remember

  • I am a child of God, and He loves me.
  • Jesus Christ helps me be happy.
  • I can share the gospel by loving, sharing and inviting.

Ways to act this week

  • Give your paper fruit to someone you love and tell them what you drew.
  • Sing I Am a Child of God for someone this week.
  • Do one kind thing for someone without being asked.
  • Invite someone to sing, pray or read a scripture story with you.

Suggestions written for this lesson, not the speaker’s words.

Music

  • I Am a Child of God
  • I Know My Father Lives

Adapting the lesson

  • Ages 3–7. Keep the story to four sentences and act it out twice. Use helpers to tape the fruit and hold the blanket. Repeat the one truth with actions after every fruit, sing more and talk less, and let them simply color the paper fruit while you write the name of the person they choose.
  • Ages 8–11. Have a child read 1 Nephi 8:12 and Romans 8:16 aloud and another lead the ball activity. Ask a harder question: How is living a gospel truth like tasting a fruit, not just looking at it? Have them write on the back of the paper fruit one sentence about why that truth makes them happy.

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.