January 2010 LDS Primary Sharing Time Helps and Ideas

(One of the greatest "proofs" that Heavenly Father and Jesus love me is this good looking(understatement) guy pictured above. And yes. That is MC Hammer's original Can't Touch This outfit circa 1990. Long story, friend of a friend, yada yada. The day before we were to be married, I lost my purse at a casino buffet. This purse had my temple recommend and I was going to get my endowments out within the next 5 hours. I thought it was a sign from above that we were just not meant to be. I was heart broken, devastated and confined to utter agony as I sat crying in the car. We had searched all over, my bishop was gone... it had all just stacked up. But not to what I thought, to a miracle! Something sweet to remind me that God had a big hand in our being together. For you see, my sweetheart didn't panic or give up. He went back to the casino, checked the buffet who didn't have the purse, checked the lost and found who DID happen to have the purse - which is absolutely nothing but a miracle, because if you lose something in a casino, it's gone, hasta luego man - and voila, there was my temple recommend with 1 hour to spare. Does God love me? I know so. Does He live? Absolutely. Can you see His miracles in your life?)

Monthly Theme: We Believe in God the Eternal Father and in His Son, Jesus Christ.
Monthly Scripture: "We Believe in God the Eternal Father and in His Son, Jesus Christ." (Articles of Faith 1:1)

* Before you teach anything this month, I HIGHLY recommend you read THIS!! It is modern day revelation having to do with this month's theme.

* Here is a simple experiment/demonstration. I think it can easily show that when we fill our jars with faith and knowledge that Heavenly Father, Jesus and the Holy Ghost are there, then do our very best to live how they have shown us.... we won't fall down!

Week 1 God is the Father of my spirit.

* Pass out a piece of white paper and have the children fold it into fourths. Give them each a pencil. Sing O My Father (Hymns pg. 292) and have them draw what they hear for each verse in each section of the paper. Older children can write down words that stick out to them as they listen. Have the children share what they heard or felt.

* Is it a good idea to listen to your father? What are some things your fathers ask you to do?
Did Laman and Lemuel obey their father Lehi? What about the Father of their spirits?

Hebrews 12:9 "Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?"

* Ask the children to turn to the topical guide in the Bible and look under "Man, A Spirit Child of Heavenly Father" Count as a primary how many different scriptures tell about this truth. Have a couple children volunteer to look up whatever scripture they like from this list in the topical guide and read to the primary.

* Brigham Young said, "I want to tell you, each and every one of you, that you are well acquainted with God our Heavenly Father, or the great Elohim. You are all well acquainted with him, for there is not a soul of you but what has lived in his house and dwelt with him year after year; and yet you are seeking to become acquainted with him, when the fact is, you have merely forgotten what you did know. There is not a person here today but what is a son or a daughter of that Being. In the spirit world their spirits were first begotten and brought forth, and they lived there with their parents for ages before they came here."(Brigham Young, Discourses of Brigham Young, 50)

Have a large poster board of an outline of a house. Have cut outs of things like stairs, chairs, furniture, family members for the children to tape on the house. Have questions, songs and scriptures that have to do with God as the father of our spirits attached to the back of the cut outs for the children to answer before they put them on.

Repeat the emphasized part of the Brigham Young quote and bear testimony that you shall return one day again to the home of our Father who so lovingly created our spirits!

* "All of you are children of the most High." Psalm 82:6

Pass out little paper crowns. Have the children write down a name of a primary friend and what makes that friend so special. (A faith in God requirement under service could be filled by doing this • "Make a list of the qualities you like in a person. Choose one quality to develop in yourself. Discuss how showing respect and kindness strengthens you, your family, and others") Teachers will have to help little ones. Let them bring it up and put in a jar. Throughout your lesson pull out crowns and read what was written. This would be a great way to help encourage reverence... for example you could say, "Everyone is singing so nicely, I'm going to pull out 2 crowns to read!" or " This little sunbeam has kept his legs so still, I'm so proud of him I'm going to read another crown!" Also, repeat the scripture frequently and see if they can learn it by heart! Leave out certain words and motion for them to fill in the blank.

* Very similar is this wonderful idea by Margaret Lifferth, “Sharing Time: I Am a Child of God,” Friend, Feb 2005, 16

Week 2 Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

* Here is a resource for this week from the Primary 1 manual.

* Pass out envelopes to the children. Have them think about one of the most precious things they have in life and write it on the envelope. Have a mailbox in front. Tell the children you are going to tap the shoulders of those singing nicely to come up and deliver their envelope while singing He Sent His Son (Children's Songbook pg.34). Would it be hard to send away one of the things you love most in life? Yet that is what Heavenly Father did, He sent His Son. And He did this because he loves us. We must love Him too.

* Ask the children this simple question: Who is Jesus Christ?

Show a picture of Peter and share his response to that same question, found in Matthew 16:13-16, "When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God."

Hand out paper (BLANK!!!) for the children to make a picture of their Savior . Help them write down their testimony of who Christ is.

* Hand out pass along cards to the children and encourage them to give these to friends. Have a computer set up and show them THIS video off of Mormon.org . Many friends do not know who Jesus Christ is. We can help by testifying and giving out pass along cards so they can go to that website and find out! Invite the missionaries in to bear their testimony's of who Christ is.

* Shrink a bunch of GAK pictures from the life of Christ to the size of an index card. Print out and tape on the children's back. Have them go around and ask questions to other Primary children to find out what picture they have. The life of Jesus is amazing and perfect - and that's because He is the Son of God!

Weeks 3 and 4 Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love me.

* Have the children divide into small groups. Give them each a small bag with simple objects in them. Have them create a skit using those objects to teach how Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love me.

* “The eternal truth that our Heavenly Father loves all his children is an immensely powerful idea... Love is the most powerful force in the world.” (Dallin H. Oaks,"Powerful Ideas," Ensign, Nov. 1995, 25)

Bring in 2 really strong magnets. Show how hard it is to pull apart. What happens if you put them close together again? Just like the magnets, Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love us and when we love them too, few things can separate us!!!

* John 15: 9 "As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love."

Make a circle and pass around 2 bean bags (let's say they are green and blue). Ask, does a circle have an end? No! And neither should love! Have the pianist play songs that have to do with love. When she stops the music whoever is holding the blue bean bag answers How do I know Heavenly Father and Jesus love me? and the child holding the green bean bag must answer How can I show love for my Heavenly Father and Jesus? Continue playing on!

* Pass out some small paper hearts. Read 1 John 4:7-12, 16-21 and ask them to hold up their heart every time they hear the word love.

Ask the children to write or draw on their hearts how they know Heavenly Father and Jesus love us. Have them make as many as they like! Give the hearts to the activity day girls, or a couple volunteers, to go heart attack (tape hearts all over their house door) the Bishop or an Elderly Friend in the ward!

* Have a few adults come dressed up as Alma, Ammon and the sons of Mosiah. Have them talk about their life story and how through the Love of God and Jesus, they were able to turn their lives around and help convert thousands! Perhaps they can even quote Alma 26:15 emphasizing "the matchless bounty of His love".

* Here is a lesson from Primary 1: I Am a Child of God, Here is a lesson from Primary 2: Choose the Right A, Here is a lesson from Primary 3: Choose the Right B, (1994), all having to do with this week's theme.

* Have a stick figure drawn on the board... Sad Sammy. Explain that Sad Sammy is a great friend of yours, but he is utterly sad. He has asked you a question and you were hoping the Primary could help him by answering. Write this statement and question on the board, "Heavenly Father and Jesus love me. Why do bad things still happen though to make me so sad?" Let the primary children SHARE their thoughts.

Invite one child up to be Job. Here is a very readable narrative of the story of Job. Have simple props and a costume for Job. I love putting fruit-by-the-foot (the chewy fruit rolls) on Job "making boils" and then nibbling a little.

Did Heavenly Father and Jesus love Job? How do you know this? How do you know that they love you too? Make sure to tell the primary children thanks, they have really helped out Sad Sammy. Now that they've answered his question and he knows that Heavenly Father and Jesus love him - he's Satisfied Sammy!