Fear Factor: Fear Not, Only Believe

FILES FOR THIS ACTIVITY ARE AVAILABLE IN MY ETSY SHOP: Freshaire Designs
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If you haven't done an activity like this one...  this would go perfectly with this year's (2011) Mutual Theme.
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I love the theme for Mutual this year (2010): "Be strong and of good courage, be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee withersoever thou goest" Joshua 1:9.
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I created the following Fear Factor activity for the YW in our ward in Lehi, Utah a few years ago and thought it would be a great activity which would support the new Mutual theme. It is based on an article written by President Gordon B Hinckley, "Fear not, only believe", which can be found in the New Era, January 2000.

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Believe in God.
Believe in God, the Father of us all. You are His child and He loves you. He is interested in you. He is concerned about you. He wants you to be the very best you can be. He wants you to make something of your life. He wants you to be upright and true and honest and straightforward and clean and decent. He desires to bless you. If you live your life in such a way as to be worthy of His blessings, He will bless you and you will not be troubled by the evil of the world.

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Believe in Christ.
Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God who condescended to come into the world to save mankind. He is your Savior and your Redeemer. He was the Son of a mortal mother and a divine, Eternal Father. In His name you pray. Through His atoning sacrifice you obtain forgiveness for your sins. You have the assurance of the Resurrection, and if you walk in His ways after His pattern, you will have the opportunity of exaltation.
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Believe in yourselves.
Believe in yourselves and in your capacity to do something worthwhile. God has given you a mind and a spirit and a body with which to do your work. You have tremendous capacity. You do not have to be a genius to do something worthwhile in the world. The major work of the world is done by ordinary people who have learned to work in an extraordinary way. This is what makes the difference. Stand tall and look sharp and bright with a smile on your face, and you will find that people will love and honor and respect you. “To thine own self be true,” wrote William Shakespeare, “And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man” (Hamlet, act 1, scene 3).
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Believe in the power of prayer.
Believe in the power and majesty of prayer. The Lord answers your prayers. Prayer brings you into partnership with God. It offers you an opportunity to speak with Him, to thank Him for His magnificent blessings, and to ask Him for guidance and protection as you walk the paths of life. This great work, which is spreading over the earth, found its roots in the prayer of a boy. He had read in the family Bible, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed” (James 1:5–6). That is the promise. Is there any greater promise anywhere in the world than that promise?
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Believe in goodness.
Believe in goodness, my dear young friends. There is so much of evil in this world. It seems to be everywhere—in television, in books, in magazines, in videos. Do not sit around watching videos of a sleazy nature. Do not do it. They will not help you. They will hurt you. You can become addicted to those things, and they will destroy you. Believe in goodness. In the midst of great evil, there is so much of good to be found in the world. It is your responsibility to follow the right. “Choose the right when a choice is placed before you” (Hymns, no. 239). There is something wonderful and uplifting that comes from believing in goodness and beauty and truth.
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Believe in education.
Believe in education. A mandate has been given you by the Lord Himself. He has said: “Seek learning, even by study and also by faith” (D&C 88:118). You are not expect to earn college degrees. But you are urged to take advantage of learning to equip yourselves to do worthwhile things in the world. The world will compensate you for your skills. If you are an honest and skilled workman, you will bring honor to yourself and to the Church. This is the great day of preparation for each of you. This is the season to train yourself for the highly competitive world that lies ahead.
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The Invitation:

The Arrival:

As they arrived they each choose a piece of bubble gum.  The color they choose determined the team they were placed on...  the Yellow Team or the Black Team.

"Guess How Many are in the Jar?"
Whoever came closest, got the jar filled with gummy worms and spiders.

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"What is it?"

The table was filled with edible items.  They took a guess as to what each item was.  Taste testing was optional.
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Here is a list of a few of the items we have used for "What Is It?" in the past:

- dried mushrooms

- anchovies

- mini octopus (purchased at a local restaurant)

- duck heads

- canned spinach

- seaweed wrapped crackers

- pigs feet

- cow pies

- sauerkraut

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"The Challenges"

Just like the popular television show, the youth were asked to complete a number of Challenges. They each received a red flag upon completion of each Challenge, 6 flags in all. These can be redeemed for a reward at the end of the night.

After each Challenge, one of the youth read aloud the correlating paragraph from President Hinkley's talk.  Then it was opened to their ideas on how the "Challenge" backed up the Prophet's counsel.  I love a good analogy! And they came up with some good ones.

Believe in Goodness: Food Challenge

Do I really have to drink that?

Needed Supplies:

McDonald’s Happy Meal(s), Cups, Blender

Instructions:

Prepare the concoction by placing all the items from a McDonald’s Happy Meal(s) into a blender (hamburger, fries, soft drink).

Place a tray of cups – already filled with the concoction – on a table. Have each youth drink the whole thing before the count of 30.

Believe in Prayer: Physical Challenge

Obstacle Course

Needed Supplies:

Blindfolds, 2x4, children’s bike, mini trampoline, tires, (use you imagination)

Instructions:

Use your imagination in creating an obstacle course for the youth. Time them as they take turns running the obstacle course while blindfolded, being lead by their leader’s voices.

Believe in Education: Mental Challenge

Origami

Needed Supplies:

Origami instructions, paper, timer

Instructions:

While being timed, the youth are to create the designated Origami using the instructions given.

Believe in Yourself: Endurance Challenge

Sit-Up Competition

Needed Supplies:

None

Instructions:

Have the youth do sit-ups for 2 minutes straight. This can be done in two groups, if the youth need someone to hold their feet down as they do their sit-ups. Lend encouragement as the youth become weak and want to give up.

Believe in God: Scripture Challenge

Find 7 scriptures where the Lord tells us not to be afraid
Needed Supplies:
Scriptures, Pencils
Instructions:
Have the youth use the scriptures to find passages where the Lord tells us to not be afraid.

Believe in Christ: Group Challenge

Willow in the Wind Trust Fall

Needed Supplies:

None

Instructions:

Choose one person to be "The Willow", have them stand in the middle with their feet together, eyes closed, arms crossed and hands on shoulders, keeping body straight. The rest of the group sits in a circle around the willow - heels to the ground, toes pointing up, and feet pressing gently, yet firmly, just above the ankles of the willow.

The group will sit with arms outstretched, elbows locked, and fingers loose, ready and alert. The willow will do a "trust lean" and allow them self to be "passed around" the group.

Important: Ensure the group is tight, should-to-shoulder, arms outstretched. In this position, hands should almost touch the person standing in the middle. This ensures that the initial fall will be gentle. Gradually the group can ease back. Distribute large and small people evenly, to avoid weak points.

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The files for this activity have been updated and are available in my Etsy shop: Freshaire Designs. The files are available in both full-color and in black and white.

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