October 2026 General Conference › Lessons › Elder Michael A. Dunn › Children

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

Jesus Helps Me Keep Going

From “The Ninety and Ten,” by Elder Michael A. Dunn · Saturday afternoon session, October 2026 General Conference

Watch the talkRead the full talk

The big idea

Jesus Christ helps me keep going when things are hard.

Objective

Children will be able to say that Jesus helps them keep going, and will choose to pray when something is hard and to help one person this week.

Before you teach

  • Read the race story in Elder Dunn's talk so you can tell it in simple words.
  • Bring a small backpack or bag with three or four books in it (heavy enough to notice, light enough for a small child), a blanket, a soft ball, paper and crayons.
  • Bring a picture of Jesus Christ.
  • Lay a strip of paper or a jump rope on the floor at one side of the room for a finish line.
  • Write on the board or a paper: Jesus helps me keep going.

Lesson plan

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

3 min0–3

Sing and say

  1. Sing one verse of I Feel My Savior's Love and invite a child to pray.
  2. Show the picture of Jesus. Teach today's truth with actions: Jesus (point to the picture) helps me (lift both hands up) keep going (march in place).
  3. Say it together three times: slowly, quickly, then in a whisper.
6 min3–9

The long, long race

  1. Tell the children that Elder Dunn, a leader in the Church, once ran a very, very long race. It lasted all day, all night, and into the next morning. Have everyone stand and run in place.
  2. Say: He ran in the hot afternoon (wipe your forehead). He ran in the dark (hands over eyes, peek out). His friend Ted came to run with him (wave to a friend). He got slower and slower (run in slow motion).
  3. Hold the blanket up like a shady tree and have the children sit down under it. Say: He was so tired that he sat down under a tree. He was almost done, but he said, “I give up.”
  4. Kneel down as Ted did. Say: Ted knelt down, looked at him and said he knew he could do it and would get him there. Ask the first question below.
  5. Have the children get up as Elder Dunn did: first walk, then hobble, then shuffle to the finish line on the floor. Cheer quietly when everyone has crossed.
Ask
  • How do you think he felt when his friend said that?
  • What helped him get up again?
5 min9–14

The secret in the picture

  1. Sit in a circle. Let each child lift the backpack for a moment. Ask one child to carry it across the room and back.
  2. Ask the same child to walk across again. This time, walk beside the child and hold the backpack up by its top handle so it feels light. Ask the first question below.
  3. Tell the secret: After the race, someone sent Elder Dunn a picture. In the picture he saw something he had not noticed. Ted had been carrying his pack and two of his water bottles the whole last part of the race. Ted never said a word about it.
  4. Hold up the picture of Jesus. Say: When Elder Dunn saw that picture, he thought about Jesus. Jesus is our best helper. He helps us even when we do not see Him. Say the truth together with the actions.
Ask
  • What felt different the second time?
  • Who helps us even when we cannot see Him?
5 min14–19

When it is hard, I can pray

  1. Tell the children that Elder Dunn said silent prayers all through the race. A silent prayer is one we say to Heavenly Father in our hearts.
  2. Open your scriptures to Psalm 55:22 and read it aloud, or let an older child read it. Ask what the verse says we can do with something heavy. Explain in simple words: we can give our heavy things to the Lord, and He will help us.
  3. Play a ball game. Sit in a circle. Roll the ball to a child and name something hard (learning something new, feeling scared at night, feeling sad, being left out, a long chore). The child folds their arms and says: I can pray. Everyone answers with the actions: Jesus helps me keep going. The child rolls the ball back.
  4. Give every child a turn. Let older children name the hard thing for the next child.
Ask
  • When could you say a silent prayer in your heart?
6 min19–25

Draw the trail

  1. Give each child paper and crayons. Ask them to draw a long path across the paper, then draw themselves on the path doing something that is hard for them.
  2. Ask them to add a helper on the path: Jesus beside them, or someone Heavenly Father sent to help, like a parent, a teacher or a friend.
  3. Walk around and ask each child to tell you about the picture. Help them write or say today's truth: Jesus helps me keep going.
  4. Invite two or three children to show their pictures to the class.
Ask
  • Who is helping you in your picture?
3 min25–28

I can be a helper like Ted

  1. Say: Elder Dunn taught that sometimes Heavenly Father sends us a helper like Ted. We can be that helper for someone else.
  2. Act it out. One child pretends to be tired and sits down. Another child kneels beside them and says kind words, such as: I know you can do this. I will help you. Then they walk to the finish line together. Trade places and repeat with new children.
  3. Ask the question below and take several answers.
Ask
  • What is one kind thing you could do this week for someone who is having a hard time?
2 min28–30

Choose and close

  1. Say the truth one more time with the actions. Tell the children in a sentence that you know Jesus loves them and will help them.
  2. Invite them to do two things this week: pray when something is hard, and help one person the way Ted did. Ask each child to whisper to a neighbor who they might help.
  3. Send the drawings home. Next week, begin by asking: When did Jesus help you keep going? Who did you help?

Key passages from the talk

“I know you can do this, Mike, and I’m going to get you there.”

Elder Dunn’s talk, paragraph 8

“Anytime we turn to Christ, we turn a corner.”

Elder Dunn’s talk, paragraph 17

“Other times He simply sends us a Ted.”

Elder Dunn’s talk, paragraph 22

Scriptures

  • Psalm 55:22 Read aloud in the prayer segment (an older child may read). Ask what the verse says we can do with something heavy.
  • Matthew 19:26 For older children: read it aloud after the race story and ask what Jesus said is possible with God. Connect it to Elder Dunn finishing the race.

Other voices that agree

“Our Saviour constantly sought out the most desperate souls sinking into darkness and dread and lifted them up. And He wants to lift you!”

Elder Kearon · Jesus Lives to Lift, paragraph 14

Three things to remember

  • Jesus helps me keep going.
  • When something is hard, I can pray.
  • I can be a helper like Ted.

Ways to act this week

  • When something feels hard this week, stop and say a prayer, out loud or in your heart.
  • Help one person the way Ted did: carry something, sit by someone, or say kind words.
  • Show your drawing to your family and tell them the story of the long race.

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

Music

  • I Feel My Savior's Love
  • If the Savior Stood Beside Me

Adapting the lesson

  • Ages 3–7. Keep the story to a few sentences and let the acting do the teaching. Run, sit under the blanket tree and shuffle to the finish line twice if they enjoy it. In the ball game, you name every hard thing and say the answer with them. Skip the role play and simply ask each child to show you helping hands. Repeat the truth with actions after every activity.
  • Ages 8–11. Let a child read Psalm 55:22 and another read Matthew 19:26. Read them Elder Kearon's words in the aligned quotes and ask whom Jesus wants to lift. Ask a harder question: Jesus did not make Elder Dunn's race shorter, so how did He help? Let older children play Ted in the story, lead the ball game and help younger children with their drawings.

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.