October 2026 General Conference › Lessons › President Dallin H. Oaks › Children

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

Jesus Invites Everyone

From “The Gospel of Jesus Christ Is for All,” by President Dallin H. Oaks · Sunday morning session, October 2026 General Conference

Watch the talkRead the full talk

The big idea

Jesus Christ loves all people everywhere and invites everyone to come to Him.

Objective

Children will be able to say that Jesus loves and invites everyone, and will name one way they can come closer to Him this week.

Before you teach

  • Read President Oaks's talk, especially where he teaches that the Lord loves all people and reaches out to all, everywhere.
  • Bring a picture of the Savior, a copy of the Book of Mormon and the Bible, a soft ball, paper and crayons.
  • Clear a space so children can walk across the room safely.
  • Mark 2 Nephi 26:33 and John 10:16.

Lesson plan

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

3 min0–3

Welcome and song

  1. Invite a child to pray. Sing Jesus Said Love Everyone.
  2. Show the picture of the Savior. Tell the children that President Oaks, our prophet, taught that the Lord loves all people everywhere.
  3. Say together twice, slowly, with arms open wide: Jesus loves everyone. Everyone can come to Him.
5 min3–8

Come over game

  1. Stand at one side of the room holding the picture of the Savior. The children stand at the other side.
  2. Call groups to walk over a few at a time: everyone wearing something blue, everyone who likes to jump, everyone who has ever felt sleepy. Use only fun things like clothing colors and favorite activities.
  3. Last, call: everyone who is a child of God. Wait until every child has come.
  4. Explain: Jesus does not invite only some people. He invites all of us. Say the truth together again with arms open wide.
Ask
  • How did it feel to wait for your turn to be called?
  • How does it feel to know Jesus invites everyone?
5 min8–13

What the Book of Mormon says

  1. Hold up the Book of Mormon. Tell the children President Oaks said it is a great witness that the Lord loves all people.
  2. Read from 2 Nephi 26:33 the words President Oaks shared: the Savior invites “all to come unto him” and “he denieth none that come unto him.”
  3. Explain that this means He does not turn anyone away. Have the children show it with their bodies: arms folded tight for turning someone away, then arms open wide for the way Jesus welcomes.
  4. Read the phrase once more and let the children open their arms each time they hear the word all.
Ask
  • Who does Jesus invite to come to Him?
6 min13–19

The Shepherd visits His sheep

  1. Tell the children that in the scriptures Jesus calls the people who follow Him His sheep. Read John 10:16 aloud.
  2. Divide the children into three groups of sheep in three corners of the room. Name the corners: the land of Jerusalem, the Nephites, and others who had not yet heard His voice.
  3. Carry the picture of the Savior to the first corner and tell, in simple words, that Jesus taught the people in the land of Jerusalem. Walk to the second corner: the Book of Mormon tells how He came and taught the Nephites. Walk to the third: He said He would visit others too.
  4. At each corner, the sheep there say together: Jesus remembers us.
  5. Gather all the children in the middle. Say: Jesus did not forget anyone. He reaches out to all.
Ask
  • How do you think the people felt when Jesus came to them?
3 min19–22

All around the world ball

  1. Sit in a circle. Hold up the ball and say it is like the earth. President Oaks read a scripture where the Lord says He created all people and brings His word to all the nations of the earth.
  2. Roll the ball to a child. The child names a place, near or far, and everyone says: Jesus loves the people there.
  3. Keep rolling until each child has had a turn.
4 min22–26

One step at a time

  1. Place the picture of the Savior at one side of the room and line the children up at the other side.
  2. Explain that President Oaks said faith means “daily trying, one step at a time,” with prayer and learning from the scriptures.
  3. Ask the children to name ways to come closer to Jesus. For each one, everyone takes one step toward the picture. Help them think of: pray, read or listen to the scriptures, take the sacrament reverently, keep the commandments, tell someone about Jesus.
  4. When all arrive, ask each child to tell you one step they liked best. This is your check that they understood.
Ask
  • Which step can you take today?
4 min26–30

Draw and share

  1. Give each child paper and crayons. Ask them to draw themselves taking one step toward Jesus this week, such as praying or listening to a scripture story.
  2. While they draw, tell them President Oaks asked all of us to share these truths with others so that we can all come closer to Jesus Christ.
  3. Invite the children to show their drawing to someone they love and tell them: Jesus loves everyone.
  4. Tell them that next week you will ask who they showed it to and what step they took. Bear your testimony that Jesus loves each of them, and close with prayer.

Key passages from the talk

“The Book of Mormon is a great witness that the Lord loves all people and reaches out to all, everywhere.”

President Oaks’s talk, paragraph 13

“His grace is for all.”

President Oaks’s talk, paragraph 15

“It means daily trying, one step at a time, with prayer and scriptural learning.”

President Oaks’s talk, paragraph 5

The speaker’s direct invitation

“I call upon all to act on these truths and to share them with others that we may all draw closer to Jesus Christ, our Savior.”

President Oaks’s talk, paragraph 18

Scriptures

  • 2 Nephi 26:33 Read only the phrases President Oaks quoted about the Savior inviting all; children open their arms each time they hear the word all.
  • John 10:16 Read aloud before the shepherd activity; ask the children to listen for the word sheep.
  • 3 Nephi 16:1 Older children read it aloud at the third corner to hear the Savior say He has other sheep to visit.

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

  • Jesus loves everyone, everywhere.
  • Jesus invites me to come to Him and He will not turn me away.
  • I can come closer to Jesus one step at a time.

Ways to act this week

  • Say a prayer each morning and night this week.
  • Listen to or read one Book of Mormon story about Jesus.
  • Show your drawing to someone you love and tell them Jesus loves everyone.

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

Music

  • Jesus Said Love Everyone
  • I Feel My Savior's Love

Adapting the lesson

  • Ages 3–7. Keep each part short and repeat the truth with open arms after every activity. Use two corners instead of three in the shepherd activity and walk with the children. In the ball circle, let a helper whisper a place name to a child who is unsure. After the come over game, have the children repeat after you Elder Fale's words from this conference: I am a child of God and He loves me.
  • Ages 8–11. Ask an older child to read John 10:16 and another to read 3 Nephi 16:1 aloud, and let one lead the come over game by choosing the fun categories. Ask a harder question: President Oaks said faith takes daily trying. Why do you think coming to Jesus takes a step every day and not just one big step? Invite them to write their step under their drawing.

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.