October 2026 General Conference › Lessons › Elder Paul H. Sinclair › Children

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

Quick Helping Hands

From “Quick to Help, Slow to Judge,” by Elder Paul H. Sinclair · Sunday afternoon session, October 2026 General Conference

Watch the talkRead the full talk

The big idea

Jesus is kind and quick to help, and I can be quick to help too.

Objective

Children will say that Jesus helps people kindly and will choose one way to use their helping hands this week.

Before you teach

  • Read Elder Sinclair's story of James and the buttons (the first part of his talk).
  • Bring a jacket, sweater or shirt with a button, if you have one.
  • Bring a clear cup of water for showing only, not for drinking.
  • Bring paper and crayons for each child.
  • Practice the saying with actions: Quick to help (hands reach out fast), slow to judge (shake head slowly, then stop and smile).

Lesson plan

Thirty minutes in 6 parts. Times are a guide; let the Spirit and the learners set the pace.

3 min0–3

Sing and say

  1. After the prayer, sing one verse of I'm Trying to Be like Jesus.
  2. Teach the saying with its actions: Quick to help, slow to judge. Explain slow to judge in simple words: when someone makes a mistake, I do not get grumpy or decide they are bad. I look for a way to help.
  3. Say it together three times: soft, medium, then strong.
6 min3–9

James and the buttons

  1. Show the button on the jacket. Tell the children that Elder Sinclair told a story in general conference about a boy named James in a Primary program.
  2. Tell it simply: James had a new suit. He buttoned his sleeve to the front of his jacket, and his arm got stuck. Invite everyone to hold a wrist against the opposite shoulder and try to wiggle free without letting go.
  3. Say that a grown-up watching felt grumpy. Have the children make a grumpy face and shake their heads. Ask: Did that help James? Let them answer no.
  4. Say that a little girl sitting by James reached up with her fingers and undid the button. On the count of three, everyone says pop and lets their arm go free.
  5. Tell them the grown-up was Elder Sinclair, and he said the little girl taught him to be more like Jesus.
Ask
  • How do you think James felt when his arm was stuck?
  • How do you think he felt when the girl helped him?
5 min9–14

Helping hands game

  1. Have the children stand. Tell them that when you describe someone who needs help, they stretch out their hands fast and say, Quick to help.
  2. Call out simple pretend situations one at a time: someone dropped their crayons; a new child does not know where to sit; a little one cannot zip a coat; someone spilled water; a friend made a mistake in a game.
  3. After each one, choose a child to say or show what their helping hands could do.
  4. Finish with the full saying and actions once more.
6 min14–20

Jesus at the well

  1. Have the children sit. Hold up the cup of water. Ask where people got water long ago, and explain what a well is.
  2. Tell the story from John 4 simply: Jesus was tired from walking and sat by a well. A woman came by herself to get water. Jesus asked her for a drink.
  3. Say that Jesus was kind to her. He listened to her questions and taught her. He told her He could give her “living water.” Elder Sinclair said Jesus offered her grace and help that could change her life.
  4. Tell them she was so glad that she hurried to tell other people about Jesus.
  5. Ask the questions, then repeat together: Jesus is quick to help.
Ask
  • How did Jesus treat the woman at the well?
  • How does Jesus help you?
6 min20–26

Draw my helping hand

  1. Give each child paper and a crayon. Help them trace one hand.
  2. Inside the hand, each child draws one way to help someone quickly this week at home, at church or at school.
  3. Walk around and ask each child to tell you about the drawing. Write a few words on it for those who want help.
  4. Let two or three children show their hands to the group.
4 min26–30

Promise and testify

  1. Tell the children that Elder Sinclair said a true disciple of Jesus Christ is quick to help and slow to judge. A disciple is someone who follows Jesus.
  2. Check understanding: ask, What can you do when someone makes a mistake or gets stuck? Let several children answer, then do the saying with actions one last time.
  3. Invite each child to take the paper hand home, put it where they will see it, and do what they drew.
  4. Tell them that next week you will ask who used their helping hands. Bear a short testimony that Jesus loves them and helps them, and that they are like Him when they help.

Key passages from the talk

“But instead of being aggravated, she wanted to help.”

Elder Sinclair’s talk, paragraph 5

“a true disciple of Jesus Christ is quick to help and slow to judge”

Elder Sinclair’s talk, paragraph 6

“‘And a little child shall lead them.’”

Elder Sinclair’s talk, paragraph 1

Scriptures

  • John 4:7 Read or tell it as you hold up the cup of water: Jesus asked the woman at the well for a drink and was kind to her.
  • Isaiah 11:6 Elder Sinclair began with the last phrase of this verse. Tell the children that they can show grown-ups how to help, just as the little girl did.
  • John 13:34–35 Older children read it aloud at the end; ask how people will know we follow Jesus.

Other voices that agree

“Let us put compassion into action and minister to the person in front of us.”

President Farnes · Divine Appointments, paragraph 39

Three things to remember

  • Jesus is kind and quick to help.
  • I can be quick to help and slow to judge.
  • When I help someone, I am following Jesus.

Ways to act this week

  • Do the helping act you drew inside your paper hand.
  • When someone makes a mistake this week, ask, Can I help you?
  • Say hello to a child at church or school who is new or alone.

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

Music

  • I'm Trying to Be like Jesus
  • Kindness Begins with Me

Adapting the lesson

  • Ages 3–7. Keep the stories to a few sentences each and act them twice. Use only three situations in the game. Let a helper trace hands. Shorten the saying to Quick to help and repeat it often with the reaching action. Sing Kindness Begins with Me if the children need to move again.
  • Ages 8–11. Have a child read John 4:7 and another read John 13:34–35 aloud. Ask the harder question: Why is it sometimes easier to be grumpy with someone than to help? Let an older child lead the helping hands game by making up the situations, and have them write a sentence in the paper hand as well as draw.

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.