February 2016 LDS Primary Sharing Time Helps and Ideas

 

Monthly Theme: The scriptures teach of Heavenly Father's plan.
Monthly Scripture: “For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” Moses 1:39

Week 1 Heavenly Father has a plan for me.

* HERE is a great video ever to teach about Heavenly Father's plan!!

* Wrap 5 tissue boxes and put words or pictures to represent the following parts of Heavenly Father's plan:
Premortal World, Earth Life, Spirit Paradise/Prison, 2nd Coming & Resurrection, Final Judgement- Sun/Moon/Stars
Bring in a ball and set up the boxes on the other side of the room. Invite a primary friend to come up front and roll the ball to knock down the boxes. (If you do it in a tower formation, one on top of each other, you could really work on sequencing and  memorizing the different parts to the plan... have a different child fix it in the right order!) Before they get a chance to bowl, ask a question or have them read a scripture having to do with the plan of salvation.

* Pin the plan! Yes. Have an outline of the plan of salvation and cut outs/pictures of the different parts. Blind fold a child, spin them, and have them try to pin it on the right part! Have questions about each part:
What do you think it was like in the premortal world?
What happened in the premortal world?
Why is earth life important?
What happens at the end of earth life?
What is the difference between spirit paradise and the celestial kingdom?
How do it make you feel knowing Jesus will come to earth again?
What do you look forward to, if you should make it to the celestial kingdom?
Who made the plan of salvation possible?
What is another name for the plan of salvation?

* HERE is an excellent article from The Ensign. I really like the idea of teaching a "journey" through the plan. In different parts of the room you could have set up what it might be like at each part of the plan and invite a primary friend to come journey to each part.

* Bring in paper bags with 4-5 random items. Divide the primary into groups and give them a certain part of the plan of salvation. They have to use those items in the bag to teach the rest of the primary about that part of the plan. They can act out scenes or use the objects as demonstrations.... let's see what we can come up with!!

Week 2 Jesus Christ created the earth for me.

* Bring in some of your favorite pictures from when you've been camping or vacationing or of your backyard. Share them with the children. What are some things about the earth that you are grateful for? Bear testimony to the children you know that God and Jesus created and organized the earth for us!
   Bring in your camera (only if it's digital and you can show what picture was taken) and invite a primary friend (weather permitting) to go outside WITH a female teacher and take a picture of something outside they are grateful for. 1 picture and they have about 1 minute! They can come in and share with the primary after. In the meantime, primary children can color pictures of things they are grateful for about the earth- plants, flowers, animals, family, food, etc. Primary Photographers (the ones who go outside) will only be chosen if they are working reverently and doing their best work!!

* Create a "Nature Scavenger Hunt" together! Write down on a piece of paper things you might see outside in your area. Have the children raise their hands to share as you write neatly! Number each item and draw a little line after where the children can put an X if they find it. After you make it, send someone to the library to get copies. Have children take it home to do with their family!
    Do we give thanks every day for the beautiful earth Jesus Christ created/organized for us? What can we do to make the earth a better place?

* Make a simple bird feeder. You can bring in small apples wrapped in a string to hang from a tree, put peanut butter (watch our for allergies!), and bird seed. If you use a bin for the bird seed and plastic bags to put the feeder in, it shouldn't get too messy!

   While 1 or 2 primary friends are making a feeder with an adult leader, have the rest of the primary do a bird matching game. To be able to make a match they have to answer a question or read a scripture that you have prepared beforehand on the week's theme.
   Isaiah 31:5, "As birds flying, so will the Lord of hosts defend Jerusalem; defending also he will deliver it; and passing over he will preserve it."
     Jesus created/organized the earth and all the beautiful things in it. As you go home today, look for the birds in the sky and say a prayer of thanks!

* Break into groups and give each group a bag of legos. Have them create something that has to do with our earth and come up with clues to have the rest of the primary guess what it is! Does it take a while to create something? What is easier, creating or destroying? What are some things you've created with your hands? What about your minds?
John 1:3 "All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made."

* Go over the creation by having the children hold up pictures of each day. Read some scriptures and ask the children why they are grateful for the earth. Then play an adaptation of 4 corners. You will need a blindfold. Invite 1 primary friend to the front to be blindfolded. Here is a sample question to ask:
What is your favorite animal of the 4- dolphin, lion, dog, or giraffe? You have to choose one and then go to the corner I point. Dolphins (point to a corner) Lion (point to a corner) Dog (point to a corner) Giraffe (point to a corner) Without a sound the rest of the primary chooses their corner. Using name sticks, draw a child's name out. The blindfolded child has 2 guesses to guess where that primary friend is and what animal they chose.
Some other questions could be (I'd have about 12 ready):
What insect do you think is the most interesting- butterfly, worm, spider, or centipede?
Where would you want to travel to most- the ocean, the forest, the desert, or the polar icecaps?
What is your favorite plant- apple tree, cactus, rose bush, or dandelion?

Week 3 Families are central to Heavenly Father's plan.

* If there is someone in the ward who has been blessed to be able to adopt, have them come in and share their testimony! If they have a family picture album, invite them to bring it in and share a little with the primary. Families can be made in different ways!! Not every family is the same and THAT IS OK!!!!! The most important thing about a family is that there is love.
   Invite the primary children to create a family picture album. They can draw a family member on each page and write something special about that person. Sunbeams might not be able to concentrate, so you can have cut outs of magazine people that they glue stick for dad, mom, grandpa, grandma, sister, brother... etc.

* How well do you know your family??? This will take some preparation. Call up 10-12 family members of children in primary. Have them tell you something interesting about them that others may not know.
     Read scriptures and have a couple questions prepared about families and their part in Heavenly Father's plan. After each question or scripture, have that interesting fact about a family member and see if they can figure out who it is!

* Have 6 chairs up front with pictures or signs for a dad, mom, pet cat, grandpa, sister, and brother. It's our happy family!!! Invite 6 children up front to walk around the chairs while the primary pianist plays a song about families. When the music stops, they have to quickly- and reverently- find a chair. Once they are seated, have some case scenarios that they have to answer what they would do as that member of that happy family.
For example:
It's family home evening and time for treat. What can you do to help?
Vacation time to Disneyland, 10 hour road trip- what do you do in the car?
Mornings can get busy- what do we do at breakfast time?
Watching the news, there was flooding in the town where Aunt Lupe lives- what will we do?
Time to get ready for the temple- what will everyone do to get ready?
Mom is busy running errands and we are going to the store with her- what will everyone do to help?
     If any of the kids get stumped, have them ask primary friends for ideas or suggestions!

* Not necessarily for primary, but as a family home evening idea, you could play a game of family history charades!! Like traditional charades but with only memories you have as a family or stories you could act out from your ancestors? Challenge the children to go home and play this with their families!

Week 4 I will follow God's plan.

* Do a demonstration. Invite 10 children up front. Each child chooses a simple dance move. But before they do their move, they must do the dance moves of the previous primary friends in line. The entire primary can do it as well by their chairs. By the end can anyone remember everything without any help?
     What does it take to follow someone? Good listening, careful watching, doing the action, thinking clearly, paying attention!!! Do we need to do all these things to follow God's plan? Yes!!
      Invite 6 more children up to play again. Ask each child to say 1 word that has to do with God's plan. We'll have to remember that word and action now!! Repeat as many times with more children as you have time. Make sure the entire primary is following along and repeating the words and actions too!

* Sing Come Follow Me, Hymns 116. Have pictures from the life of Christ and blank footprints on pieces of paper, already cut out. Heavenly Father's plan is a plan of happiness. We can follow that plan by following The Savior. Hold up a picture and ask the children what it is about. What is something that Christ did in this picture that we can follow?
(Even if it's a picture of the nativity, there is an answer!! We can be born and receive a body, right?? We can love our families!!)
Write down what we can do to follow on a foot print. Make a path leading to a picture of Jesus. At the end, invite a primary child to follow the plan and path, then share your testimony! (Not the child, you!!)
    "Down through the generations of time, the message from Jesus has been the same. To Peter and Andrew by the shores of the beautiful Sea of Galilee, He said, “Follow me.”To Philip of old came the call, “Follow me.”To the Levite who sat at receipt of customs came the instruction, “Follow me.”And to you and to me, if we but listen, will come that same beckoning invitation, “Follow me.”" President Monson Models to Follow Oct. 2002

* Have a map to find something special in the primary room... was the map important?
      "Not all will follow the map [Heavenly Father has given us]. They may look at it. They may think it is reasonable, perhaps even true. But they do not follow the divine directions. Many believe that any road will take them to a 'happily ever after.' Some may even become angry when others who know the way try to help and tell them. They suppose that such advice is outdated, irrelevant, out of touch with modern life. Sisters, they suppose wrong." Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "Your Happily Ever After," Ensign, May 2010, 127 
     Have the children make a map that leads to happiness! What can they draw or write on their map? How about going to church, reading scriptures, praying and preparing for the temple? What else can we think of??

Parents: The Primary Gospel Teachers of Their Children, By Elder Tad R. Callister FHE idea

I really loved THIS talk. I could just picture a little Granny walking out ready to serve "the elderly".

For family home evening, have 4 (or more depending on your family size) plastic cups and a small paper granny. Read the quote about what an example his mother was as a great gospel teacher/parent... even at age 90!

What does it take to be a good parent who teaches the gospel in the home?

Elder Callister gives some great ideas.

After you go over a question or quote on the sheet, take turns putting the granny under a cup and mixing up the cups. Each family member gets a turn trying to find which cup the good example granny is under!

The example he gave of the mother who helped her boy achieve success was very powerful (#3). Let family members talk about how they feel after reading this. Be open to see how the spirit directs the conversation.

Some possible songs to include:
Love is Spoken Here (CS #190)
Families Can Be Together Forever ( CS #188)

Bear testimony that parents have a sacred responsibility to their children. We have the ultimate example of a loving Heavenly Father who has given us so much. He provided a perfect plan and sacrificed so much for us to return to Him. We need to strive for that unconditional patience, love, and diligence as a parent.

Parents the Prime Gospel Teachers of Their Children

June 2014 LDS Primary Sharing Time Helps and Ideas

For more pictures with quotes from General Conference click HERE

Monthly Theme: Priesthood Ordinances and Temple Work Bless My Family
Monthly Scripture: "Whatsoever shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven" Matthew 18:18

Week 1 Priesthood ordinances bless and strengthen my family.

*HERE is a lovely and simple felt board story (from The Friend, by Karen Lofgreen) about the priesthood and how it blessed the life of one family.

* Write in large letters on the chalkboard, "MINE IS A HOME WHERE EVERY HOUR, IS BLESSED BY THE STRENGTH OF PRIESTHOOD POWER". (CS 190 Love is Spoken Here)
Have a 8-10 paper clocks hidden throughout the room. Choose a reverent child to look for a clock while your pianist reverently plays that song. Have different stories, scriptures, and questions about priesthood ordinances for each clock. After they answer the question or share the story, they get to play a game to see if they can beat the clock! Have about 10 plastic cups and see if a child can stack them in a pyramid in less than a minute. For older children, try 30 seconds.
Some questions could include:
What are some examples of priesthood ordinances?
Why do you think Heavenly Father gave men the priesthood?
Can you remember a family in the scriptures who were blessed by the priesthood?
How does it make you feel knowing that one day you might have the priesthood?(For a boy)
How does it make you feel knowing that you can ask any righteous man in our ward to give you a blessing from heaven? (For a girl)

* President Brigham Young taught, “The Priesthood … is [the] perfect order and system of government, and this alone can deliver the human family from all the evils which now afflict its members, and insure them happiness and felicity hereafter.” Discourses of Brigham Young, sel. John A. Widtsoe (1954), 130.
Have about 6 children come up front and make a line. Then have them mix their order and sit down. Talk about a priesthood ordinance, show a picture, ask a few questions to the children. After, have another child come up front and try to put the 6 children in the original order they were in! Do this several times!!
Priesthood Ordinances to talk about:          

Baptism & Conferring of the gift of the Holy Ghost; also called confirmation

Conferring of the priesthood (for male members)

Temple endowment

Temple marriage and sealing for time and eternity

Blessing of the Sacrament          

Blessing and naming of children          

Blessing of the sick          

Special blessings          

Patriarchal blessing

D&C 132:8 "Behold, mine house is a house of order, saith the Lord God, and not a house of confusion." The Priesthood helps make sure our homes have order and happiness! Priesthood ordinances bless and strengthen families!

* Invite a few different people in to Primary to share "short" stories of how priesthood ordinances have blessed or strengthened their family! You could even invite the Elders Quorum President in to talk to the children about Home Teachers. Sometimes there is no priesthood in the home, and Heavenly Father knows that! But He always will provide a way for His beloved children to be blessed by the priesthood.

* HERE is one of the most beautiful stories ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's called The Right Key by Doris Monson (The Friend March 2000)
I LOVE LOVE LOVE this story because it makes a great point at the end!!! Do you have children in your primary who don't have the priesthood in their home?? We want to be sensitive and make sure they feel good at church. This story can do that!!
Share the story and then divide the primary into groups. Give each group a picture of a key with a priesthood ordinance written on it and a scripture to look up. Have them come up with a time where someone in the group or their family has been blessed by that priesthood ordinance. After 5 minutes, have someone from each group come to the front to share what they talked about in their group.

Week 2 Temples make it possible for families to be together forever.

* This was such a fun story from Conference:
        " Later, as I was about to graduate from the university, I fell in love with a beautiful young woman named Jeanene Watkins. I thought she was beginning to have some deep feelings for me also. One night when we were talking about the future, she carefully wove into the discussion a statement that changed my life forever. She said, “When I marry, it will be to a faithful returned missionary in the temple.”

         I hadn’t thought much about a mission before then. That night my motivation to consider missionary service changed dramatically. I went home, and I could think of nothing else. I was awake all night long. I was completely distracted from my studies the next day. After many prayers I made the decision to meet with my bishop and begin my missionary application.

Jeanene never asked me to serve a mission for her. She loved me enough to share her conviction and then gave me the opportunity to work out the direction of my own life. We both served missions and later were sealed in the temple. Jeanene’s courage and commitment to her faith have made all the difference in our lives together. I am certain we would not have found the happiness we enjoy without her strong faith in the principle" Elder Richard G. Scott (HERE is the full talk, April 2014)

        Have a picture of a temple on the chalkboard. Draw about 8-10 steps leading up to the temple. We need to set the worthy goal of going to the temple so that our families can be forever!! Have the children come up with steps/things we need to do to get to the temple. Have pictures and scriptures to go along with those steps too!

* In the October 2000 Friend (HERE is the link) Rachelle F.A. Dow writes a beautiful poem entitled What Lasts?:

 

"Ice cream melts,

Flowers wilt,

The leaves of autumn fall.

Sunsets fade,

Seasons change,

And children don’t stay small.

Balloons pop,

Snowfalls stop—

Do summers last? Never!

Weekends fly,

Today will die,

But …

FAMILIES

ARE

FOREVER!"

 

I would gather pictures to illustrate this WONDERFUL poem (ice cream, flower, leaves, sunset... etc.) and then have a picture of a temple on the back. Let a child pick one picture from the poem, then turn over the picture and answer a question or read a scripture or have the primary sing a song- having to do with temples and forever families.

Some examples of questions might include:
Has The Lord commanded that temples be built always, or just in latter days? Can you name some people that built temples in ancient times? (Nephi, Solomon, Children of Israel)

What do we need to do in our families to be worthy to go to the temple?

How can we prepare now to go to the temple?
What are some feelings you have when you are at the temple grounds?

Why do you think people wear white inside the temple?

What is something you would like to do with your forever family in the resurrection?

 

* HERE is THE BEST story!! LOVE LOVE LOVE!!! Definitely a good one for sharing time or family home evening!!! Before reading the story (with lots of enthusiasm), have a canning jar to show the children. Have a bunch of red pom poms too. Ask the children, what does jam have to do with the temple? This story has some great ideas to answer that question!!
     After you read the story, play a game of toss the berry into the jar- the pom poms being the berries. Different jars could be worth different points. Work together and see how many points you can get!! But in order to toss a berry, you have to answer a question or read a scripture about temples and/or families.

* HERE (July 2011 The Temple is a House of God) is a fun look and find about families that are getting ready to go to the temple. Make copies and divide the children into pairs or groups of 3. Have them do the activity and come up with 1 thing they'd like to share with the primary about temples.

* I have a HUGE list of ideas under the label to the left - Temples. It's a lot of scrolling, but there are plenty of ideas if you are willing to look. The one with the fake camera picture made me chuckle. 10 points for you if you can find that idea!!

Week 3 I can prepare now to be worthy to enter the temple.

* HERE is a bingo like game from The Friend. If it had visuals it'd be perfect. It might just be my browser, but I don't see pictures. However, that doesn't mean you can't make your own version on power point. How do you play bingo with 100 kids? Give each class a board and have them take turns putting on a marker.

* HERE is a beautiful temple box children can make!! It also has ways they can prepare to go to the temple to put inside their creation.

* HERE is another game from The Friend. Excellent for Junior Primary! I like how in the story it talks about even if your family isn't sealed, someday you can go to the temple!

* HERE is a story about a preparing for the temple by being kind in our family. Share the story with the children. Sometimes telling it in your own words will help the children pay better attention. In the story the little girl decides to share her crayons and help her brother with a puzzle. Have hidden crayons and puzzle pieces throughout the room and invite children to find one while you sing I love to See the Temple. When they find one, have them share a way they can prepare to be worthy to go to the temple.

Week 4 Family history work connects me to my ancestors.

 

* Invite your ward Family History specialist to come in and talk with the children! Or even a Young Woman or Young Man who like to do family file work. Have them talk a little about why they enjoy it and share their testimony.

 

* HERE is a Family History ABC game. AWESOME!!!! The Friend really does make life so easy!! GOD BLESS YOU ALL WHO DO WHAT YOU DO FOR THE FRIEND MAGAZINE!!!!!!!
HERE are the pictures to go along with the game, just look on the left for Family History ABC's... click, and then since it's a PDF file, you'll have to click the arrow on the bar to 25 to get that page also. The bar at the top will look like this

 

 

* HERE is another blessed link from The Friend with a Family History Scripture Word Find. I bet the Senior Primary would love to do this!! You could have them race and see who could find the most words in 2 minutes!! Then have another sheet of paper (graphing paper works nicely so it's neat and tidy) where they make a word find with names from their own family history!!

* HERE Elder Bednar talks about WHY family history is important. Have a pair of silly glasses that the children can wear to "seek after" (as Joseph Smith said!!!) the reasons that Elder Bednar gives. There are 8 after you read the first one to the children, although one is technically an invitation. You can put his sentences on hearts and hide them throughout the room.

May 2014 LDS Primary Sharing Time Helps and Ideas

This picture is from The Friend October 2012 by the talented Oakley.

HERE is the talk by Elder Scott, it's one of my all time favorites.

Monthly Theme: Families are Blessed When They Follow The Prophet
Monthly Scripture: "Be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets."
2 Peter 3:2

 

Week 1 God speaks to us through prophets.

*Grab an erasable white board and marker, a Gospel Art Book, and get ready for a game! A reverent child will be called on to come up front. They can choose any ancient or modern day prophet they can think of! They will whisper the name to you and you will write down the name of the prophet on the white board and then the primary children have to guess who the prophet is by asking YES or NO questions. They can't guess the prophet's name until AT LEAST 4 questions ABOUT the prophet have been asked!! After the prophet is guessed, see if anyone can tell us what that prophet taught!

* HERE is a link from the Liahonna (by Sandra Tanner and Cristina Franco). It has pictures of prophets and scriptures to match. You could print this off for small groups to match!!

* Beat the Teachers!! Using the chalkboard, draw 6 short lines to a picture of Jesus and then 6 lines on the other side of the picture. The primary children will get a question about the week's theme and if they get it right they can make an X on the line. Then the teacher's turn and on the other side if they get it right, they can make an X on the line. Basically it's a race to the middle, The Savior!! And of course the children can get help from other children, teachers from other teachers.
       Some questions for the kiddos could include:
Name 5 prophets from the Book of Mormon.
Name 2 things that were taught, in detail, at General Conference.
If a prophet speaks as a prophet, is it the same as The Lord saying it?
Who is your favorite prophet and why?
How do you feel knowing that God still speaks to us today? Can you name 3 ancient prophets that haven't been mentioned and 3 modern day apostles/prophets?
What does it mean to sustain the prophet?
      Some questions for the teachers could include (remember to make them a little harder!!):
What is the scripture reference for this scripture: "Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets." (Amos 3:7)
Can you say the 5th Article of Faith out loud from memory? What does that AOF have to do with Prophets?
What President of the Church said, "I say to Israel, the Lord will never permit me or any other man who stands as president of this Church to lead you astray. It is not in the program. It is not in the mind of God. If I were to attempt that the Lord would remove me out of my place, and so he will any other man who attempts to lead the children of men astray from the oracles of God and from their duty.” (Wilford Woodruff)
Can you name all the current apostles/prophets?
What is one of your favorite teachings from the prophets?
What is something Hababkkuk taught?

A couple Recycled ideas from previous posts:

* We have a little girl in our primary who wants to become a movie director. Bring in a church film. Has anyone seen this movie? What are the credits at the end? Does anyone know the difference between a movie producer and a movie director? Basically, a movie producer is in charge of and directs EVERYTHING but will always need help dealing with the actors/people. That's where the director comes in. A movie director guides the actors under the producers supervision.
How does this compare to Jesus Christ and prophets? Make a paper action sign and have the children act out charades of different things or stories that were taught during our last conference!

* Have a list of cleaning chores around the home. Dusting, washing dishes, vacuuming, laundry, etc. Can mom do these all by herself? Sure! Would it be better if she had helpers? Heavenly Father could clean the world all by Himself, but He has prophets as His special helpers.

Have a bucket full of cleaning supplies. Invite children to come up and choose items. On the cleaning items have questions, scriptures and songs having to do with Prophets speak for Heavenly Father.
D&C 88:74 "...Yea, purify your hearts, and cleanse your hands and your feet before me, that I may make you clean"

* Debate time! Have 2 children come up front and explain what a debate is. They have 30 seconds each to tell their side... what is the best flavor of ice cream and why? Who in the primary agrees and why? What about when it comes to Gospel topics? Is there a debate over those?

Sister Elaine A. Cannon, who has devoted much of her life to guiding and teaching young people, bore this witness of the living prophet: “Now, as he speaks to us … it is as if the Lord Jesus Christ himself were addressing us. … Christ made this very clear when he said to others of his children a time ago, ‘Blessed are ye if ye shall give heed unto the words of these … whom I have chosen from among you to minister unto you’ (3 Nephi 12:1). … Your course should become clear, your priorities ought to be known to you. … Personal opinions vary. Eternal principles never do. When the prophet speaks … the debate is over” (“If We Want to Go Up, We Have to Go On,” New Era, Jan.–Feb. 1979, pp. 40–41).

Week 2 The prophets in the scriptures are examples to my family.

* Have some "special guests" come to primary! Invite a few adults to dress up as certain prophets in the scriptures and share their story. Ask the children how these prophets are examples to each of us and our families?

* President Harold B. Lee taught, “The most important of the Lord’s work you will ever do will be within the walls of your own homes” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Harold B. Lee [2000], 134). Draw a large home on the chalkboard. Get about 10 different color paint sample cards from Wal-Mart. Ooooo, pretty! Have different scripture references of different prophets on the back of each of the cards. Divide into groups and hand out the paint cards. Give the groups a few questions about the prophet too. Let them discuss 3-4 minutes.  An extra attentive primary child can have the reverent stick (a free paint stick/stirrer) and call on children to come share what they discussed in groups. Just like paint makes our walls at home beautiful, the prophets in the scriptures make our families and homes a more lovely place because of their examples and teachings.

* James 5:10 "Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience."
     Families are NEVER perfect!!! We all make mistakes, and fortunately because of Jesus, we can repent!!
     Dioramas are mentioned in Teaching, No Greater Call HERE. However, I don't think I've ever seen them utilized. This would be a great week to make 3-4 dioramas. I would choose Job, Lehi, and Jacob/Israel and his 12 sons to really hit home the mentioned scripture. Family life requires patience and the life of the prophets in the scriptures are wonderful examples for us!!

* Grab your sunglasses and feather boa. Put them on dramatically and introduce yourself as the latest and greatest movie star/rock star/athlete. Crumple a piece of paper and throw it in the garbage can... to demonstrate your great athletic ability. You are super famous and everyone in the world knows your name. Because so many people know who you are.... you must be a good example right? You are a super star!!!!! Nothing you do could be wrong!!! Wait and see what the children say. There are a lot of nice people in the world who are famous for different talents they have, but it doesn't mean they are good examples. Remember, we are not "worldly" people.
      1 John 2:15 "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him."
    Have a picture of a magazine, a TV, a movie screen, a book, a basketball, a football... etc, things to represent where the world might look for an example. Have large red X's to cover those pictures. Have scripture stories of the prophets for each picture. Have a child choose a picture (let's say it's the magazine one, and of course they can feel free to wear your boa or sunglasses) and briefly explain how that prophet set a good example for our families. Have them X out the magazine picture and put a picture of the prophet above it. And of course, people in church magazines we can look to for a good example... but not really the magazines we see by the grocery check out!
     And of course, make sure to say that THERE ARE A LOT of good famous people out there!! A person doesn't have to be a member of The Church to be a good example!! Look at Abraham Lincoln or Mother Theresa or Martin Luther King Jr. We just need to be careful who we look to for examples. Ultimately, our greatest example is Our Savior!!

* Family Home Run Evening!!! Tell the children that what you do today in sharing time, they can easily do at home!!! Grab a roll of wrapping paper and a balloon, or some sort of soft ball. You, the pitcher, are going to have some questions about prophets and the examples they set for families. A child is at bat at the front of the room and can throw the balloon themselves and try to hit it, then they reverently walk to a corner of the room. If they give a really good answer they can go to 2nd base. Super good answer, 3rd base. WOW!!! Can't believe you know that... home reverent walk/run! Anyone in the primary can steal the base if they catch the balloon.... SITTING DOWN. If they are standing at all or jump up, it's not a steal. Stealing the base means switching corners with the child that is there. See how many home runs/ reverent walks you can get as a primary!!!
    Clarification: So if a child answers a question they go to first base, next child comes up and answers a question and the first child moves to second base, second child moves to first base. Basically, just move the kiddos along!!

Week 3 My family will be blessed as we follow the prophet.

* Multiple Choice Quiz Time!! The week before, choose 4 families from the ward that the children know well. Ask them for some examples in their life (about 3-4 short stories each) how following the prophet has blessed them. For sharing time, write A B C D on the board and under each letter the name of one of the families you got stories from. Tell the children you are going to have a multiple choice quiz!! Invite 3 children  up at a time, read them a story and have them stand under the letter/family they think the story is about. Have your primary pianist announce the correct answer!!

* Have a picture of a prophet. Have a picture of a family. Let a child pick a spot, any spot to put the picture of the prophet. See if the children can remember some of the stories from General Conference. Share some brief stories from Conference then ask the children what the message is of that story and how your family can be blessed by that principle. Whoever answers can take the picture of the family and put it by the prophet. Then another child comes up and moves the picture of the prophet. Share a conference story, move family.... continue on!! :)

* HERE is a great example of how President Hinckley's family was blessed by following the prophet. After reading it and going over the questions with the children. Have a few highlighted conference talks for the children to read in groups... the highlighted parts. Have them brainstorm ideas for a Family Home Evening based off following the teachings of that prophet/apostle, then share with the primary.

Week 4 The prophet speaks to us at General Conference.

* HERE is a must read to prepare for this week's topic. In October 2014, Elder Robert D. Hales spoke extensively on the topic of General Conference.

* HERE is a conference center tour found off LDS.org. If you are able to download, it's a short video about the conference center and what happens behind the scenes at conference! It's really wonderful and interesting!! It is about 2 1/2 minutes in length. HERE is the written message if you can't get the video... but the video is really awesome.

* HERE are some conference hidden pictures. My children LOVE these types of things. Why not turn it into a sharing time or Family Home Evening? Have strips of paper with scriptures, songs, and questions having to do with General Conference folded in a paper bag. A child comes up front and picks from the bag. Once the answer or read the scripture or lead the song, they get to see if they can color/find something from the look and find. Just have the look and find on the blackboard. If they need help, have them call on another primary friend to come up. Make copies for the primary children to take home after the lesson.

* LDS.org makes life so much easier!!! HERE are conference squares. Print off a sheet for each child or for small groups. Have 10-20 short quotes from Conference. Have them play conference squares as you or another good reader reads the quote.

* Sometimes we might think that Conference is a little long or that it's just for adults... but it's not!! The prophet speaks to US at General Conference. HERE is a story of a little girl who could testify to that truth!! Read the story, then have the children write their name on a post it and put it on the chalkboard, all seperate. Have them think of something they like to hear about during conference... whether it's faith or stories from the Book of Mormon or talks about the temple or even the singing!! Invite a child up front, blindfold them or have them close their eyes and choose a post it or 2  from the chalkboard. Whoever has their name chosen can say what they like to hear about at General Conference or one of their favorite messages from the last conference... Heavenly Father knows us each by name. He knows us better than we know ourselves and at Conference time, He speaks to us through His holy prophet!!

April 2014 LDS Primary Sharing Time Helps and Ideas

Our newest family member!! Sweet Ella. Almost 1 month old!!

Photo by my good friend Alicia Lyman.

 

Monthly Theme: The Family is Central to God's Plan
Monthly Scripture: "Marriage between a man and woman is ordained of God and... the family is central to the Creator's plan for the eternal destiny of His children." The Family: A Proclamation to the World

Week 1 The family is central to God's plan.

* Play a game of PLASTIC darts! (Or some type of game where there is a bull's-eye! You could even have a taped circle on the ground with the word family in the middle... and have children throw a bean bag to see how close they can get to the central point!) Divide the primary into groups and give them different examples of families from the scriptures. Have them discuss the stories of these families, what they did to be happy or unhappy families, and what we can do to make sure our families are eternal! After a few minutes, invite 3 members of the group to share what they talked about and throw the dart!

* “The family unit is fundamental … to our hope for eternal life. We begin to practice in the family, the smaller unit, what will spread to the Church and to the society in which we live in this world"
President Eyring "The Family" Ensign, Feb. 1998, 18
     Have a bowl of water and a small stone. What is a ripple effect? Have a child drop the pebble in and show that at the start of the pebble dropping, waves and ripples spread out to the end of the bowl.
    What we do in our family is like that pebble and spreads out into the world as President Eyring said! In fact, it even spreads into eternity if we work hard enough!!
     Have a bucket full of pebbles, have some painted a different color with a number on it. Invite a child to pick a pebble. Have questions, songs, or scriptures having to do with family that correspond with the number. 10 should be about right. After they answer the question or you sing the song as a primary, have them drop it in the bowl of water to see the ripple effect!!

* "Carefully observing and.... living in accordance with righteous family patterns on earth is at the core of our quest to know the Father. Heavenly Father and family are inseparably connected."
Elder Quentin L Cook The Doctrine of The Father Ensign Feb. 2012 Such a great talk! Highly recommend reading it!
     Bring in a stuffed animal and about 10 paper apple cores. We have a little friend today who wants to know all about families! Hasselhoff the horse! What is the central part of an apple? Or it's middle part? The core!! Like Elder Cook said, the core to knowing the father is understanding families!! Families are central to Heavenly Father's plan!!
     Hide the cores throughout the room and invite a primary friend to take Hasselhoff (or whoever your stuffed animal friend is) to find a core. Have scriptures, songs, and questions having to do with families on the cores! Make your questions GOOD questions!! Too simple of questions like- are families important? or Should we be good in our family? are a waste. These sweet children are smart!! Yes or No answers can sometimes be too easy and create boredom.
     What are 3 things you should do in your family to make sure you can be an eternal family?
     Name 4 different places you can go to start an eternal family. (They'll have to name 4 different   
     temple sites)
     Was there family in the premortal world? How do we know? (Yes, because we have a Heavenly
     Father and a Heavenly Mother and the scriptures say we are His children.)
If children get stuck, have them call on another primary friend to help them!
    
* "The family is the primary support structure in God’s plan to help us resist evil, overcome weakness, and work out our salvation. For this reason we should do all we can to strengthen the family..." From the Dec. 2004 Liahona Article "Strengthening the Family: The Family is Central to the Creator's Plan found HERE
     Bring in some legos!! If you have quite a few legos , divide into bags for groups. Can we build things if we don't have a good base? A good base is what gives the tower good support so it doesn't fall over!! Have the children brainstorm in their groups experiences when they have felt the importance of family. When have they had happy family memories? What can they do to make sure their family is eternal? Have them build something with their legos in their group as they share. Make sure there is a strong base!! After a few minutes, have a couple children from the group come up front and share something they discussed as well as the thing they built!!

Week 2 Parents have important responsibilities in the family.

* Mothers! Fathers! LIVE!! Welcome the Primary children to our live taping of the TV Show Mothers! Fathers! LIVE!! Today we will be having future successful mothers and fathers sharing with us what we need to know about the important responsibilities parents have in the family!!! (You could even have a little fancy hat and shawl for the mother and a suit jacket for the dad if they'd like) Delegate a child to be the camera man (a box made to look like a video camera) and have a microphone (toilet paper tube with foil on the end in the shape of a ball). Have 3 chairs up front.
Have a bag of topics for the children to draw out and talk about. For example, some topics could include education, family home evening, work, chores, church, bed time, etc. What are some ways you as a future dad can help at bed time if they are home? Read a book and tell everyone to gather for family prayer! Great answer! What about you as a future mom? Tuck us in and sing a primary song! Good thinking! Remember there is no set in stone answer because every family is different!!
     This idea focuses on the children drawing from their own experiences at home but ultimately putting the answer of what they will personally do when they are parents! Thus, if their home life isn't the traditional mother/father, they don't have to feel bad.

* HERE is a lesson from Teachings of Brigham Young. In it, he says, "Parents should never drive their children, but lead them along, giving them knowledge as their minds are prepared to receive it."
     Have a simple path drawn on the chalk board with spaces. Have a picture of a family holding hands with their child. Add a magnet to the back of the family so it can move easily on the chalk board. Parents don't push their children around!! We hold hands and parents lead us along, just like in the song I am a Child of God. (Which you could then sing!)
     Let children roll a dice. Whatever number they roll they can move, but they also have to name that many responsibilities parents have in the family!! Make sure you make your own list so you can help "prompt" answers.
     For example, a child gets stuck... you respond, What about school? How can parents help you when you are at school all day? (Possible answers, they give us rides or walk us to school, they help with homework, they read to us and teach us the importance of reading and math, maybe parents are students themselves and set a good example with the education they have received)
    For the end, have a picture of Jesus. Parents have important things they need to do to help families be eternal!!!

* Do you need some specific examples of what moms and dads are supposed to do? HERE is the Gospel Principles Chapter: Family Responsibilities with plenty of those specifics. I really like the quote "....Fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners” The Family: A Proclamation to the World
    A good demonstration would be to have a couple heavy books. Is it fair to have one person carry all the books all the time? Give one book to one child and another book to another child. It's easier when we share the load!!

* Have a few guests come in (with the bishop's approval)!! You can divide into groups and rotate through the guests (2 moms, 2 dads... each separate). At each "station" that adult talks about some of the important responsibilities they have and maybe a funny story (with a visual) having to do with responsibility. Have each adult share a favorite scripture about parenting with the children. If you have 4 adults, you'll need to rotate every 2-3 minutes.
     At the end, thank the guests and bear testimony.

Week 3 Children have the responsibility to obey their parents.

* HERE is an interview for children to ask their parents from The Friend. (It would be a good handout to take home) The article also says, "In 1974, the First Presidency stated: “Honoring your parents by living a good life and by showing them that you love and appreciate them are gifts that last forever. To your earthly mother and father and to your Heavenly Parents, you are their most valuable treasure. Their love and concern for you never ends” (Friend, Dec. 1974, 3).
      Have the children make "YES!! I will!!!" bags. (Brown paper bags are just fine!) The  children take squares of paper and draw or write things that they can do this week to be obedient to parents! Have them add a bow as a gift they can give to parents!!  

* "The commandment to honor our parents has strands that run through the entire fabric of the gospel." Elder Dallin H. Oaks "Honor They Father and Thy Mother" April 1991 Ensign HERE
     Make a simple paper weaving together!! Cut the paper and then have a child come up front to weave a strand in. (Younger children will have to have another adult or older child help them while you continue with the lesson)

On the single strands of paper that you weave in together, have questions, scriptures, and songs having to do with obedience to parents on them! When you finish, bear testimony that the gospel is a beautiful pattern and design in our life! Obedience is an important and very necessary strand in the gospel!

* HERE is a story about a little boy who decides NOT to be obedient to his mom. There really is no point in me sharing this other than the fact that I would be the mom who laughs (instead of having tears in her eyes, unless they are tears from laughing)... then tells my kid to suck it up because you never know where you'll serve your mission.

* Demonstrate the importance of following a recipe. For example, if you have some lemonade mix you need to add sugar... not salt. If you decide not to follow the recipe what happens? Is there a brave soul who would like to try the salt lemonade?
     Obedience, following the Savior, will bring sweet happy results. Not obeying will bring bitterness and unhappiness. We have been commanded to obey our parents. Christ showed us the way as He obeyed Heavenly Father. Sometimes obeying our parents is hard, even Christ said, "Let this bitter cup pass" but He knew the importance of following Father and said, "Not my will, but thine be done." Sometimes things are hard, but Heavenly Father will make it all worth it if we are obedient because He loves us very much.
     Invite the children to make a recipe for obedience and share!! Here is an example I made on power point. You can take a blank paper and have them draw a picture of something they can do to be obedient at home. Please be aware of your children. If they don't have a mother or father at home, parents means whoever is taking care of them and loving them.

Week 4 I can show love to each member of my family.

* Secret Service Spies!!! Bring in a spy kit: magnifying glass, binoculars, trench coat, hat, flashlight, watch, sunglasses, compass, feather duster, envelopes with paper....
     Times are tough and there are many who want families to be unhappy! It was the same in the Book of Mormon, Zeniff and his people were not safe from the hatred of the Lamanites "But I had sent my spies out round about the land of Shemlon, that I might discover their preparations, that I might guard against them, that they might not come upon my people and destroy them." Mosiah 10:7
      We need modern day spies too!! Boys and girls who are brave and willing to spy out opportunities to serve within the family!! In doing so, families will be strong and eternal!!
     Let children come up front and choose spy gear and discuss:
     Magnifying glass- We need to look really closely at family members. We need to do small things to help each other. What are some small things we can do for others?
     Binoculars- We need to constantly/always be looking for opportunities to make each other happy!! Am I looking carefully to see the needs of others before my own, or am I too busy playing video games? What is something I can do less of this week to make more time for service to my family?
     Trench Coat- We put on our coat and hide in the shadows. Does service always have to go noticed? Do we need to make a big fuss about it, or can we be sneaky? Matthew 6:4 says, "That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly."
      Hat- A spy hat always helps our minds think!! Sometimes service can be something that happens or sometimes we can think about and plan out a service idea! What would be a BIG service for your family that you might have to plan out?
      Flashlight- John 5:35 "He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light." Who is the ultimate light? Jesus! What were some things He did in His family to show love?
     Watch- No matter what time of the day or night, we can show love and service. Aha! You say! What if we're sleeping? Well what if a little brother needs a hug and is scared of the dark. What if you are tired and annoyed that he is crying and you can't sleep? How could you show love! What about at breakfast time or family home evening time?
     Sunglasses- Be prepared. Once service has started in a home, the happiness can become very bright and you'll need sunglasses to see through all the brightness to keep on finding ways to serve.
     Compass- Do you need directions to find your way? The scriptures are our compass. One of the greatest ways to show love in a family, is to sit down together and read our scriptures! Can the children find a way to fit in an extra 10 verses of scriptures this week with families?
     Feather Duster- Dusting for fingerprints and finding clues is important to spy work. A big way to show love is to help clean up. You might find a clue that your sister dumped out the box of barbies... it would be easy to ignore or make your sister feel bad... however, a secret service spy would do what?
      Envelopes with Paper- If there is time, have children draw or write out a secret service mission plan for the week! Have them come up with ideas for ways to show love at home and then of course do it!


* Write or draw thank you notes to members of our family!

* Have children cut out hearts and write nice things about family members on them. Have them hide the hearts throughout the week where family members can find!

* One of my favorite singing times is when I had a garage sale for good singing. I just went through junk in my house and brought it to primary and the children could choose 1 thing to take home. We have allergies in our primary, so we don't do treats. Teachers had a great time and said to let them know so they could clear out some things in their homes too! I know that you can never have too much singing! If you sings some songs about families, love, and service... after each song you can reverently invite a couple children to come up and get something to GIVE to a family member!! Have another adult help with paper bags to wrap/stuff the item in. I always tell the children that they have to choose quickly, because at a garage sale if you take your time, someone else will swipe up the bargain! If someone chooses something you were looking at, remember it's not a big deal! There are other fun things to give! Have them raise their hands if they can agree that it's not a big deal if someone else chooses something you were looking at. OK! All hands are raised and we're ready to show some love for our family!

Happy Grandparents Day!

By Christina age 8 "In Hawaii"

 

We LOVE LOVE LOVE our grandparents!! We are so blessed to have a great Yaya and Papa who we play with often and enjoy good times together. We also have our Yaya Sofia, my grandmother, who in all my life, has always bought us toilet paper and laundry soap.

I know, pure awesomeness.

We really do have the best grandparents EVER!

 

 To celebrate this very fine day, we made some art! But wait, you might say, I'm not an artist!

That's fine!!!

But you are destined to create, so you might as well practice now!!!

 

Children draw a convertible, then a background of somewhere they'd love to go to or have been... with their grandparents! You then attach a picture to the convertible and write a note. I found the picture below on Pinterest with a bad link... so I'm sorry I don't know the source of this convertible drawing how to.

By Maria age 6 "In Yosemite"

I love my daughters' notes. To get their very best writing, I often ask questions or ask for descriptive words or phrases. Here are a couple excerpts of what they wrote-

Maria wrote: " In this picture we're riding to Yosemite. Yosemite is the place where there is a fire, but don't worry because our magical rainbow car will keep us safe. At the hotel we will make our own waffles for breakfast. They taste good but not as good as your salad dressing."

Christina wrote: " In this picture we are at beautiful fun Hawaii. It is fun because you get to go swimming all day long in the big ocean with dolphins! We are about to drive in the parking lot, next to a small fluffy palm tree. We are staying at the Hut Hotel which is orange like the sun when it's smokey! By the way, a volcano is about to explode! We better get out of Hawaii soon, maybe we can ask the dolphins to take us home."

We ended with- I'm so grateful to have you as my grandparent. No matter where we are, we will always have love and happiness together! Happy Grandparents Day!!

July 2013 LDS Primary Sharing Time Helps & Ideas

One of my greatest blessings is knowing that my family can be eternal!!

 

Monthly Theme: Families are part of Heavenly Father's plan.
Monthly Scripture: “The family is ordained of God” The Family: A Proclamation to the World, paragraph 7

Week 1 Heavenly Father planned for me to come to a family.

* “The Lord organized the whole program in the beginning with a father who... provides, and loves and directs, and a mother who... nurtures and feeds and trains. The Lord could have organized it otherwise but chose to have a unit with responsibility and purposeful associations where children train and discipline each other and come to love, honor, and appreciate each other. The family is the great plan of life, as conceived and organized by our Father in Heaven” (Spencer W. Kimball, The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, 324).
       Preface that not all families are perfect and no one needs to worry about it. God will make everything right in the end! No one should feel bad for things that they have no control over!! Draw a large square on the blackboard. Invite children to come up and draw different members of a family. We're making a visual of this great family plan!! We have moms, dads, grandparents, cousins, pets. After they have drawn pictures, brainstorm the different roles/jobs of each member.
Repeat the quote, "The family is the great plan of life!! Organized by our Father in Heaven." We all have our different roles to make sure the family is happy! One member that might be forgotten is The Savior, make sure to put up His picture in the end. What is His role in our families?

* Pass out wordstrips with the following words, one per strip - ALONE, ADAM, HELP MEET, WOMAN
You are going to read a scripture and when the children with the words hear their word, they need to come up front.
      Read Genesis 2:18, 21, 22 "And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man."
Why was it not good for man to be alone? What is a help meet? Who became Adam's wife?
From the beginning of time we see the importance of family!!
In the Garden of Eden, a family grew! What can we do in the garden of our homes to help our families grow? Have a bunch of fake flowers arranged like a garden. Invite children to come up front and pick a flower. On the flowers you can have scriptures, questions, songs all having to do with families.
      In the middle of the lesson, have a pesky little bee that stings a few children. There will always be someone or something that tries to destroy our home and families, but with Heavenly Father's help good will always win! Invite a child to whack the bee with a fly swatter.
      Bear testimony that it is not good for man to be alone. We must all help our families grow and bring forth good fruit!!

* Write the word SACRED on the chalk board. What does this word mean? Have some primary friends come up front and hold pictures of temples, church meeting houses and a couple pictures of homes. Have the children take a vote as to which is the most sacred picture up front.
     Read the following quote, "I invoke the blessings of the Lord upon you, all of you here, with reference to your home and your families. It is the choicest of all life’s experiences. I urge you to put it first. The center core of the Church is not the stake house; it is not the chapel; that is not the center of Mormonism. And, strangely enough, the most sacred place on earth may not be the temple, necessarily. The chapel, the stake house, and the temple are sacred as they contribute to the building of the most sacred institution in the Church—the home—and to the blessing of the most sacred relationships in the Church, the family” (Boyd K. Packer, Family Togetherness—the Core of the Church, Brigham Young University Speeches of the Year [13 June 1963], 10)
     Have the children share experiences where they have felt sacred and peaceful feelings in their homes. Give each child a piece of paper and ask them to draw (if younger) or write (if older) things they can do to make their homes sacred places. Have them share.

*Bring in a couple family photo albums. Show the kids some fun vacations you've taken. Who here has also had fun family times? Families can be awesome!! Heavenly Father planned for all of us to come into families. Pass out some squares of paper to the children. Invite them to draw pictures and write thank you notes to some of their family members. The happiness and joy we have each day in families is only possible through The Savior. We have our families here on earth and love them so much, but even greater is the love of The Savior and The Father. We can't really send Them thank you notes like the ones we just made, but we sure can give thanks in our prayers!!

Week 2 Family prayer, family scripture study, and family home evening can strengthen my family.

*How many of the primary children have family members that serve in the military? Would we ever want those family members to have to fight without armor?
     Alma 43:19-21 "And when the armies of the Lamanites saw that the people of Nephi, or that Moroni, had prepared his people with breastplates and with arm-shields, yea, and also shields to defend their heads, and also they were dressed with thick clothing— Now the army of Zerahemnah was not prepared with any such thing; they had only their swords and their cimeters, their bows and their arrows, their stones and their slings; and they were naked, save it were a skin which was girded about their loins; yea, all were naked, save it were the Zoramites and the Amalekites; But they were not armed with breastplates, nor shields—therefore, they were exceedingly afraid of the armies of the Nephites because of their armor, notwithstanding their number being so much greater than the Nephites."
    Our families are at battle against evil in the world. We need armor to protect our family! Special armor like family prayer, family scripture study and family home evening!

* Have 3 priesthood holders come into primary. Have one do a few push ups. Have another do some sit ups. Have another do a few jumping jacks. All these things help make our bodies strong. But what are some things that can help make our families strong? Have the priesthood holder briefly testify how family prayer helps strengthen his family. Have the sit up man briefly testify how family scripture study strengthens his family. And have jumping jack man briefly testify how family home evening strengthens his family.
     Have a jar with physical things for the kids to do and a question or scripture or song about the weeks theme on it too. Invite one friend to draw a paper and have the whole primary do the movement. Just as we need to do things to strengthen our body, we need to do things to strengthen our family!
    For example- do 2 lunges! When should we pray as a family and what are some of the things we can pray for together?
    Or do 5 air push ups (since girls are in dresses! They push the air as hard as they can, arms squared, really using their muscles... just be careful of friends around you!!) What can we do to make sure Family Home Evening is a time when the spirit is felt?

* Show the children this picture of a bridge. Does it look pretty safe to go across? We have a big word we need to find the meaning of. It's the word CORROSIVE. The dictionary says, " to eat away by degrees as if by gnawing; especially : to wear away gradually usually by chemical action" Repeat the definition one more time. Have the children think about this bridge as you read a quote,
    "The First Presidency taught that by teaching and rearing children in gospel principles, parents can protect their families from corrosive elements. They further counseled parents and children to give highest priority to family prayer, family home evening, gospel study and instruction, and wholesome family activities." Elder Robert D. Hales General Conference April 1999 Strengthening Families: Our Sacred Duty
     Do we want our families to be like this bridge? Chewed away, brittle and just plain yucky? What did Elder Hales say we have to do to protect families from corrosion?
     Have a little picture of a family. Have a blue piece of paper to represent a lake. Maybe even have a little shark in the water! Then have a piece of paper that says Strong Family! Invite the children to come make a bridge of popsicle sticks across the lake, but in order to do so they have to answer questions, read scriptures or sing songs about the week's theme.

 

Week 3 The Priesthood can bless and strengthen my family.

* I'd like to clarify why I think the following story is a good opportunity to talk with children. In the Book of Mormon we have the story of Alma the younger and how he persecuted the church. Wicked children are a common theme within our scriptures. This story shows that even a prophet's son had a heart that was not Christ like. This story shows that our wonderful country made terrible mistakes. This story shows that President Kimball knew the Lamanites/Native Americans were precious and important. Here lies the question, should we ignore hatred or honor the lives of those gone before us? Many children do not know the rich heritage of Native Americans. Many children do not know that their land was stolen from them. Now obviously we don't have to go into great detail but during certain times in this story there is opportunity to ask the children how does that feel? Does that feel right? Does that feel wrong? The spirit can guide a beautiful discussion if we are willing to pray for help. Also, it's important for children to realize that sometimes even the wicked are blessed. The sons were "full of fight and eager to smell gunpowder"... yet the priesthood blessing was fulfilled. Ask the children, with all the bad things that happened to Native Americans, do you think God will bless them and make everything right? How can we do our part to make sure our hearts love all of God's children?

Tell the children the following story:

      "In the spring of 1866, during what is called the Black Hawk War, our pioneers were struggling to beat back deadly Indian attacks on many settlements in southern Utah. Two of President Heber C. Kimball’s sons were called into military service for a three-month expedition against the Indians. Before they left he gave them a priesthood blessing. Apparently concerned that his sons might shed the blood of their Lamanite brothers, he first counseled them about the great promises God has made to this branch of the house of Israel. He then blessed his sons and promised them they would not see a single Indian on their campaign. His sons, full of fight and eager to smell gunpowder, were disappointed at this promise, but the blessing was fulfilled. When they returned three months later, they reported:

“We … rode hundreds of miles, following the tracks of different bands of hostile Indians, and were close upon them a great many times. They were attacking settlements all around us, killing the settlers and driving off stock.” But the company did not see a single Indian. (Orson F. Whitney, Life of Heber C. Kimball, an Apostle, 2d ed., Salt Lake City: Stevens and Wallis, 1945, p. 429).

    How did the priesthood bless and strengthen their family? We are modern day pioneers whose lives can be blessed and strengthened by the Priesthood! Break into groups and tell them that a wagon is going to be coming along. Have them discuss what is on the wagon and any personal experiences they'd like to share. Any scripture stories they can think of that involve it too! How does it strengthen family?

Other wagon topics could include: Patriarchal blessings, Blessings for the healing of the sick, Blessings of Comfort, Blessings of Counsel, Priesthood Ordination, Temple Sealings, Baptism, Sacrament (For more information you can read THIS wonderful talk by Elder Oaks)
Rotate the wagons between groups!! Have children share some interesting things they learned at the end! Bear testimony that you know the Priesthood can bless and strengthen our families!!

*This is a longer quote, but a GREAT one!!! From President Faust, full talk HERE:
     "Priesthood blessings can help us in the small and great decisions of our lives. If, through our priesthood blessings, we could perceive [see] only a small part of the person God intends us to be, we would lose our fear and never doubt again.

       As a small boy, I remember being intrigued [interested] by my grandmother’s magnifying glass which she used in her old age to read and do needlework. When the glass was in focus, everything I looked at was greatly magnified [made larger]. But I was most intrigued by what happened when the lens concentrated the sunlight on an object. When it passed through the magnifying glass, the sunlight’s power was absolutely amazing.

       Blessings strengthen and magnify us. In the Church, blessings are available to all who are worthy through those authorized to give priesthood blessings. Worthy fathers and grandfathers, as well as other Melchizedek Priesthood holders, may give blessings to members in times of sickness and when important events occur. Such individual blessings are part of the continuous revelation that we claim as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

       Like the images in my grandmother’s magnifying glass, [through priesthood blessings] we can become stronger, our talents and ability can be magnified and multiplied, our understanding can be greatly enlarged, and our spirituality can flower."

     Play a game of hide the magnifying glass. Bring in a magnifying glass and invite someone to answer a question or read a scripture about the priesthood. After have another person go outside. When they come back in, sing a song about the priesthood and when they are close to it, sing louder. When they are far away sing it softer. Repeat!!

* HERE is a wonderful video about how Priesthood strengthens the family. It's from the 2013 Worldwide Leadership Training. Some of the language would definitely be harder for the little children to understand, but there are so many beautiful images. You could easily stop the video along the way to ask children where they see examples of the Priesthood blessing families! Count how many examples you see!

Week 4 Heavenly Father wants me to marry in the temple and have an eternal family.

* One of the most fun singing times we had was when I gathered some "love" stories for the Sunday before Valentine's Day. I briefly read the story and the children had to guess who's family it might be. I got pictures emailed to me of their wedding day and then showed the children. In my email to people in the ward I asked them to answer 2 things:

1. Why did you choose to be married in the temple?

2. How did you meet and fall in love?

I did preface the activity though that not all friends have moms and dads and that's OK. Not all friends have moms and dads that were married in the temple. No one here should ever feel bad!! God is good and we don't need to worry about things that we can't control!! But we will have control about the choices WE make!! And we should make the choice to get married in the temple like the stories I'm about to share!!
In between stories we sang songs about the temple and families! I think we had time for about 4-5 stories.

* Have a bunch of temple pictures throughout the room. Invite a child to come up front and stand by a temple they might like to get married at. Discuss the location of that temple. There are currently around 140 temples!! HERE is a gallery of all the pictures of all the temples. That's a lot of different places you can go to get married! HERE are some questions about the Temple and answers.

* HERE is some good information about why we build temples and the history of temples throughout the ages.

* Read D&C 131:1-4 "In the celestial glory there are three heavens or degrees; And in order to obtain the highest, a man must enter into this order of the priesthood [meaning the new and everlasting covenant of marriage]; And if he does not, he cannot obtain it. He may enter into the other, but that is the end of his kingdom; he cannot have an increase."
Sketch out the plan of salvation. Many children might not know that the Celestial Kingdom has 3 degrees in it! Ask the children to listen very carefully one more time to the scripture and then answer How does a man or woman enter the highest degree of the Celestial Kingdom?