January 2017 LDS Primary Sharing Time Helps & Ideas

Image NASA Hubble Crab Nebula

"This supernova remnant contains a strong pulsar wind nebula that is not visible to the naked eye but it can be viewed by using binoculars on a clear night. The pulsar situated at the center of the nebula is the celestial object that remains after the supernova, spinning at a rate of around 30 times per second."

Monthly Theme: Agency is the Gift to Choose for Ourselves
Monthly Scripture: “Wherefore, men are free … to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men” 2 Nephi 2:27

Weeks 1 and 2 Agency is the gift to choose for ourselves.

* "Consider how we use our time in the choices we make." Elder Dallin H. Oaks Good, Better, Best Bring in a portable clock with an alarm. Invite a primary friend to leave the room while you set the alarm for two minutes and have someone hide it. The friend will then come in and try to answer a question about agency and find the clock before the alarm goes off!!

* HERE is a really great video to show the children. I could definitely see some younger children getting scared, so pray about it. You could even just bring in a picture of a scorpion and tell the story. Have a pair of shoes and a pair of flip flops up front. Have some different case scenarios. Invite a primary friend up front to hear the scenario and then stand by the pair of shoes depending on the choice made in the scenario- good at shoes, bad at flip flops.
   Some examples of case scenarios could be:
   John was watching TV. A show came on that was not appropriate and had swearing. He shut it off and decided to go write in his journal.
   Kate was skating outside. She was not supposed go past her neighbor's house. Since there wasn't anyone on the street she went to the end of the block. No one saw her.
    Mike broke his mom's lamp. He didn't want to get in trouble, so when she asked if he knew what happened, he shook his head.

* HERE is a Friend article that talks about a basketball player who made a good choice. "Decide right NOW!" says President Monson! We can make the choice beforehand to do what's right ALWAYS!! Have a basked and 3 balls. Mark 3 spots on the carpet each getting closer to the basket. N for the first spot. O for the second. W for the third. A child will come up front and answer a question or read a scripture about agency, then get 3 balls to throw at each spot. What if a child doesn't get the ball in? That's OK. It's a tricky game!! Just get up nice and close and toss 'em in!! Try to do this at home and see how your family does!!

* Have 7 small wrapped boxes with a letter in each box- F R E E D O M. Mix them up. Divide the primary into 7 groups and have talk about an experiences where they made a good choices. Have one person speak for the group and share a story about where good agency was used. Have that person unwrap a box. Once all the groups have shared and the letters up front, invite the primary to try to figure out the word. Agency is the gift to choose for ourselves!
     2 Nephi 2:27 "Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself."

* "Your choices are the mirror of your self-control. They will lead you to your eternal destination if they are made with divine direction and control."
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf On The Wings of Eagles Liahona July 2006
    Have everyone find a partner. Have one child do some simple actions and the primary friend sits across from them and tries to mirror what they do!! Have them imagine a mirror in between their hands and try to move as the other person does.
    Like President Uctdorf said, our choices are the mirror of our self control.... what our hearts are made of! Today we are going to talk about agency but during the lesson I'm going to repeat that quote and when I do, you have 10 seconds to find a partner and mirror each other!! If we do this quickly and reverently, we can play the game many times!!
   Have some quotes, scriptures, and questions prepared about agency. Can anyone recite the quote by memory at the end of sharing time and who said it??

Week 3 In the premortal life, I chose to follow God’s plan.

* HERE is an awesome video about a scientist who believes in the premortal existence! Excellent visuals and scriptures!!
    Have children design artwork about what they picture the premortal life to have been like. Ask some to share their work and details about what did happen during the premortal existence.

* Today we have some very special guests in primary. They have some very big questions and I told them I know the most brilliant children who can answer those questions. Introduce the children to 5 stuffed animals who have a question attached to them.
   We are going to divide into 5 groups and pass 1 stuffed animal to each group. Someone will read the question and then you can all take turns to answer the special guest's question. After a minute or so we will rotate the guests between the groups.
     The questions each stuffed animal has is:
Who is Heavenly Father?
Where did we come from?
What is the meaning/purpose of life?
What am I supposed to do with my life?
What is the plan of salvation? (This stuffed animal comes with a dry erase board and marker for anyone who would like to draw it out!)
     It may seem silly that stuffed animals would ask these questions, but in real life, many people don't know the answers. They ask these questions and it's up to us to help spread knowledge and truth!

* Arrange children as parts of the plan of salvation up front. Have large signs (with pictures if possible) to label the different parts and invite primary friends to figure out who represents what in the plan of salvation. Once one is figured out, hand that child his/her sign... what do we know about the premortal world? Earth life? Paradise and Prison? The final judgment... etc. You can line up 11 kids like this picture.

Week 4 Jesus Christ created the earth as a place where I can learn to choose the right.

* Have 10 different places from all over the world. Make 2 of each picture and turn it into a matching game. Invite a primary friend to come up and try to find a match. Jesus Christ organized/created the earth as a place where I can learn to choose the right. If they make a match they can share an example of a time when they chose the right or a story of another person who chose the right!

* Creation Charades
Adam & Eve, Tree of Life, Water, Land, Mountains, River, flowers, sun and moon, elephant, wolf
   Invite 1 child to pick a creation charade to act out and have the primary guess. Before they choose the charade though, they can tell the primary something that is a good choice to make or do. Some children might even want to do their own ideas for creation charades... just have them whisper it to you first to make sure it's appropriate.

* Bring in a large cardboard box with a top. Ask your primary pianist to come sit inside it and shut the top. Ask her if she thinks this would be a good place to learn to choose the right. Could she make a lot of choices in there? Probably not. Aren't we glad Jesus didn't create  boxes for us to live and dwell in!!! He created this beautiful earth as a place where we can learn to choose the right!! Have everyone offer a round of reverent applause for our stunning demonstration from our stunning primary pianist.
    Have 15 different questions/scriptures about the creation and agency written on the box. Invite a child to choose one question and answer it, or scripture and read it, then they can take a marker and make a checkmark by it! (Choose a different color for junior primary and senior primary)
     Boxes?? Boring!! Earth?? We are so blessed!! Let's make good choices always to show our appreciation for all The Lord has given us!

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??

February 2014 LDS Primary Sharing Time Helps and Ideas

This Plan of Salvation Chart is by Rich Allred. He also has a detailed scripture list to accompany the parts of the plan found HERE. This chart is my go to with my own kids because it's specific yet simple!!

 

Monthly Theme: Heavenly Father Has a Plan for His Children.

Monthly Scripture: "O how great the plan of our God!" 2 Nephi 9:13

 

Week 1 Heavenly Father has a plan for His children.

* Have signs labeled: Premortal World, Earth Life, Spirit World, 2nd Coming/Resurrection, Millennium, Final Judgement, Celestial, Terrestial, Telestial. Each sign can have a picture on it to correspond. Invite students to hold the signs and see if they can get into the right order. Have clues (about 15-20... always have more than not enough!) about the different parts of the plan and invite a primary friend to come up front and stand by the person holding the sign they think is the right part for the clue. Have sign holders hold their signs for about 3 clues, then they can switch with another friend who hasn't had a turn. Each time they'll need to get in the right order!! Have primary children say the parts of the plan each time!!
Some possible clues could include:
The highest kingdom of Glory, compared to what? (Celestial... the sun)
We might be able to ride T-Rex's during this time because animals will NOT hurt each other (Millennium)
Our time of testing (Earth Life)
1/3 of Heavenly Father's children rejected His plan here (Premortal World)
This place is where we go RIGHT after we die (Spirit World)
Jesus is in charge of this event, hope we made some good choices!!! (Final Judgement)
Here we experience sickness, pain, and suffering (Earth Life)
This place is compared to the stars, and even though it's nice we don't want to end up there (Telestial Kingdom)

* “Some of us at one time or another let the pressures of life or the false teachings of men cloud our vision, but when we see with clarity, the difference between the plan of God and that of Satan is unmistakable” (Richard G. Scott, Ensign, Nov. 1981, 11).
    Bring in a large piece of wax paper, a piece of foil, and a piece of very CLEAR saran wrap. Which one is easier to see through? God's plan is very clear and when we follow it we will have happiness!! Have the primary divide into groups and come up with 5 things they know about the plan of salvation. Have them share with the primary.
     Satan presented his plan. What did he want? Hold up the foil!! That plan would have been complete darkness. Sometimes men come up with ideas, "Eat, drink & be merry!"... yes, it's good to have happiness, but true happiness comes in following Jesus. Hold up the wax paper! Once again, hold up the saran wrap and repeat the quote by Elder Scott. Bear testimony of how the Plan of Salvation helps us see clearly.

* If you wanted to go on a special picnic, what would you have to do? Would you just go to the park and eat berries on the bushes? You'd have to carefully plan and prepare! You want enough food, drinks, napkins... you'd have to decide the best time to go. Do you need a blanket? And that's just for a picnic!!
"The worth of souls is great in the sight of God." D&C 18:10
     Heavenly Father loves us. He didn't just toss us into a park and say, have a great picnic. He carefully planned a way for us to have happiness and return to Him!
     Have a picnic basket with different picnic items and attach scriptures, questions, and songs to sing about the plan of salvation to these items- for children to come up, pick, and then answer.

* HERE is a sharing time by Margaret Lifferth with a booklet for children to make. Full of EXCELLENT ideas for teaching this week's theme.

* HERE is a sharing time link by Vicki Matsumori with a cool Plan of Happiness viewer. You could easily have the tube, point it at a blank wall and ask children what they see. Not much? Fortunately, the plan of happiness helps us to see our purpose and meaning in life. Pop in the pictures and have the children discuss the parts of the plan they see.

Week 2 Heavenly Father commanded Jesus Christ to create the earth as a home for His children.

* CS pg. 92 "Home" is a wonderful song! It's an easy and catchy melody and the words are simple and full of truth. Punch Boards are really fun!

This is a punch board in the shape of a heart. You can have cups behind also, if you want a flat front. Now to tie the 2 together. Make a home with windows/doors to punch into. Sing the song Home and then invite a child to come learn about the home that Jesus created for us. Have in each window/door that a primary friend punches into, a picture of the creation! Have the children put the pictures in order of the creation. Because you probably don't want to make 2 boards, bring in extra tissue paper to glue during break for the 3rd hour.

 

* Play a game of I spy!! Have a bunch of pictures about earth and the creation taped around the primary room. Demonstrate how to play first. You will give 3 clues and then you will call on someone who is raising their hand to answer. "I spy something Jesus created/organized. I spy something that is the color yellow. I spy something that is very far away." Take a couple guesses... need a few more hints? " I spy something in the sky. I spy something in the dark." That's right, STARS!!! How do we feel when we look into the night sky? Aren't we grateful that Heavenly Father loves us so much that he would give us earth for home! Invite primary children to come up and give hints about something they see in the room. Be prepared to help them!!! They can whisper in your ear and you can whisper back to them clues!

* Your music leader has appropriately decided to sing Heavenly Father Loves Me (CS 228). Of course, you are always going to have "the one" child who notices things... e.g. my quick, beautiful, sharp as a needle daughter, "Why does the song say Heavenly Father created for me but then our lesson is Jesus created the earth?" Aren't you glad you came prepared! Just turn to the scriptures... Ephesians 3:9 " And to make all men see... which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ".  We also have "God the Father is the Supreme Being in whom we believe and whom we worship. He is the ultimate Creator, Ruler, and Preserver of all things." (True to The Faith Manual 74-76) Heavenly Father is our ultimate creator and He had Jesus create too! All that wouldn't fit into the rhythm of the song, so that's probably why. :)

* Chores!! Why do we need to take care of our homes?? After you've gone over the creation, talk about the home we all have in common now... our beautiful earth!! In our personal homes we have certain responsibilities! Have the children come up and act out some chores we do at home for other children to guess. What are some chores we could do for our home, mother earth? Children can out things like : pick up trash, plant trees and flowers, bicycle/walk instead of driving so much, turn off lights, save water, take care of animals. Challenge the children to remember to thank Heavenly Father for 3 things about the earth they are grateful for in their prayers this week.
     “It is expedient that I, the Lord, should make every man accountable, as a steward over earthly blessings, which I have made and prepared for my creatures. I, the Lord, stretched out the heavens, and built the earth, my very handiwork; and all things therein are mine. And it is my purpose to provide for my saints, for all things are mine” D&C 104:13–15

* HERE is an excellent general conference talk, The Creation by Elder Russel M. Nelson. (April 2000)
I LOVE his quote, "Without our grateful awareness of God’s hand in the Creation, we would be just as oblivious to our provider as are goldfish swimming in a bowl." You could easily have a bowl full of goldfish crackers and small cups. As you do an activity to learn about the creation, scoop out cups of goldfish to give to the children to eat. We are NOT like goldfish! We know who created us and our beautiful earth and we are grateful!!!! You could also have a real goldfish (if you are a super star and want the kids to remember!!) named "Swimmy" who the children could teach the different parts of the creation! They hold up a picture and tell Swimmy all about it! Watch your reverence level soar as you remind the children those who want to teach Swimmy have to be extra well mannered. If someone doesn't get a chance to say hello to Swimmy, they can come after church and look!!!

 

Week 3 My body is created in the Image of God.

* THIS is a beautiful story and a must read by President Monson. You can paraphrase the story to the children in your own words and end with this quote:
"The world is filled with yellow canaries with gray on their wings. The pity is that so precious few of them have learned to sing...We are sons and daughters of a living God, in whose image we have been created. Think of that truth: “Created in the image of God.” We cannot sincerely hold this conviction without experiencing a profound new sense of strength and power, even the strength to live the commandments of God..."

Draw a large tree on your chalkboard and have about 10 paper yellow canaries in it's branches. On the back of the pictures have scriptures, questions, and songs about how we are created in God's image. Have children choose canaries!
    Like President Monson said, the world is full of canaries with gray on their wings. People are all created differently, but no matter what.... we can be who God wants us to be!! We were created in His image.

* Break out the art supplies. Let children draw self portraits and write why they are special. Our bodies are created in the image of Heavenly Father!! This can fulfill a Faith in God Activity under Developing Talents. My recommendation- for good art results- is to use heavy construction paper, pencils, sharpies to trace pencil lines and crayons. The contrast between the color and black really defines the work. They can do just face or whole body, but make sure they use the WHOLE space of the paper. Children tend to draw small/microscopic scale unless they are directed otherwise!

* Invite a child up front and stand behind them. Hold up a picture of an appropriate body part or you could even point to something on your body. Tell the primary children who see the picture to NOT SHOUT OUT. The child up front will call on Primary friends who are raising their hand reverently and who can give them a clue to help them guess the picture/part they didn't see. Our bodies are created in Heavenly Father's image. Now when you hold up pictures, children need to give clues that involve ways they can use that body part to serve and help others!! Make sure you have plenty of pictures!!!

* FYI- In the last session of General Conference, Elder Russel M. Nelson gave a talk Decisions for Eternity. He talked about the blessings of having a body and asked 2 important questions. Have we taken the time to really ponder these questions? Now might be the time to do so and write down our thoughts!! It could even be a challenge for children to go home and talk with their families.
       1. How will you choose to care for and use your body?
       2.What spiritual attributes will you choose to develop?

Week 4 Agency is the gift to choose for myself.

* "My dear brothers and sisters, each day is a day of decision, and our decisions determine our destiny. One day each of us will stand before the Lord in judgment. We will each have a personal interview with Jesus Christ. We will account for decisions that we made..." Elder Russel M. Nelson Decisions for Eternity, General Conference Oct. 2013 (linked in the idea above)
      Sometimes we need to take time to really reflect. Often days go by and we don't consider/account what we've done to really honor the gift of agency. Can you imagine what it would be like to meet with Jesus and talk about all we've done? Have paper for the children with the title "Decisions Determine our Destiny!" What is a decision? Have the paper divided into 4 sections.Think about yesterday.... have children draw choices they made, or write down, that were good in one section. Were there any choices made that could have been better? What is a good choice they can make tomorrow? 10 years from now?? What is a good choice they can make today!??!! Have children share their work.

* President Harold B. Lee said, “Next to life itself, free agency is God’s greatest gift to mankind.”
Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Harold B. Lee (2000), 4
     Since Heavenly Father has given us this great gift... among many.... how can we use our agency as a gift to Him?? Have a large wrapped box and invite children come up to draw out case scenarios from it. Have them think of the best way to use the gift of their agency in that situation.
Some case scenarios could include:
     You are in the car and a song with questionable lyrics comes on.
     You are at school and there are people using bad language.
     Your brother keeps taking your toys.
     Someone asks you why you go to church.
     You broke something valuable at home, no one saw.
     A bully at school keeps picking on someone.
     You have a sporting event on Sunday.
If time permits you could have envelopes for children to write a choice they will make this week as a gift to Heavenly Father. Let them color and add a fancy bow!

* "Men and women receive their agency as a gift from God, but their liberty and, in turn, their eternal happiness come from obedience to His laws." Elder Perry April 2013 General Conference Obedience to the Law is Liberty
     Sing Choose the Right Way (CS pg. 160) Our freedom to choose is a gift from Heavenly Father. What we do with our choices will either make us eternally happy or unhappy!
    Have some gum for the children!! Woah... back up... did I just say gum? Let me rephrase that. VERY CLEARLY STATE YOUR EXPECTATIONS that you have some gum for our lesson today, but if the gum comes out of our mouth, it GOES IN THE TRASH. We're not going to mess around with our gum because we are in The Lord's House and we want to show respect. After sharing time, ALL GUM WILL GO IN THE GARBAGE. All who are willing to do so can raise their hand and we can begin. And gage your primary! Are they good listeners? Will this enhance the spirit or take away from it? Pray about it!!
     Today we are going to talk about "Chews"ing the Right and Agency!!! Invite a child up front to blow a bubble. Have a posterboard of a large drawing of a child's head. Have a pink balloon blown up and taped to the mouth. Have questions, scriptures, and songs in envelops on the posterboard. Let the child who just blew a bubble "chews" an envelope.
     End with repeating Elder Perry's quote. We can choose to be happy by choosing the right! Bear Testimony!! Before children leave the room, they will throw out their gum in the garbage that a teacher is holding.

* THIS talk is a MUST READ for the week!!! by Wolfgang H. Paul (April 2006 General Conference)
     "Some time ago, as I was driving, I had to stop at a red light. The vehicle in front of me caught my attention. A sticker read, “I do what I want.”

     I wondered why someone would choose to place such a statement on his vehicle. What was the message he wanted to send? Perhaps the driver of this vehicle wanted to express publicly that he has achieved total freedom by just doing what he likes to do. As I thought about this, I realized that our world would be quite chaotic if everyone would just do what he or she wants to do."

     Have some scriptures on agency for the children to look up in groups and discuss. Have a child come up front from that group and talk about the scripture. It could even be scripture stories of people who have wisely or unwisely used their gift of agency!

     Give the children a picture of a car and have them make up a bumper sticker that is better than "I do what I want". Bear testimony that agency is a gift and we should treat it as such!!

If anyone would like a copy of the above picture, just email me and I'll get it to you as quick as I can.

 

January 2013 LDS Primary Sharing Time Helps & Ideas

Christina, a child of God. One of the most beautiful He ever created!

Of course, I am pretty partial!

  

Monthly Theme: I Am a Child of God, and He Has a Plan for Me
Monthly Scripture:  "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God" Romans 8:16

Week 1 God is my Heavenly Father. He knows and loves me.

* Have a child pick up a stick at one end and lift it in the air. Did the other end lift up too? It sure did! Flip it and lift up the other end.

“We are the children of God. That doctrine is not hidden away in an obscure verse. It is taught over and over again in scripture. These clear examples are from the Bible:

“‘All of you are children of the most High’ (Psalm 82:6).
“And: ‘We are the offspring of God’ (Acts 17:29).

Doctrinal truths are interrelated. There is an old saying that if you pick up one end of a stick, you pick up the other end as well. If you concede that we are His children, you must allow that God is our Father” (President Boyd K. Packer, in Conference Report, Oct. 1984, 82; or Ensign, Nov. 1984, 66–67).

* Have a volunteer come up front and start counting the number of hairs they have on their head.
Ok. If they can't count how many they have, at least tell us how many they have. They don't know?
Yet Heavenly Father knows!

D&C 29:25 "And not one hair, neither mote, shall be lost, for it is the workmanship of mine hand."
Matthew 10: 30 "30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered."

He knows us better than we know ourselves!!! Isn't that love... He wont even let a single hair of ours be lost!! Have a basket of things we use to do our hair- brush, comb, blow dryer, mousse, hair spray, bows, pins, gel.... Invite children to come up and choose an item. On it have questions, scriptures & songs about Heavenly Father for them to answer.

* Have some pictures of space. Ask the children if they have ever been star gazing. Invite a few to share their experiences. How did they feel? What was it like? Where did they go?

President Uchtdorf wrote a fabulous talk found HERE.
This quote especially applies:
"My dear brothers and sisters, it may be true that man is nothing in comparison to the greatness of the universe. At times we may even feel insignificant, invisible, alone, or forgotten. But always remember—you matter to Him! Brothers and sisters, the most powerful Being in the universe is the Father of your spirit. He knows you. He loves you with a perfect love.

God sees you not only as a mortal being on a small planet who lives for a brief season—He sees you as His child. He sees you as the being you are capable and designed to become. He wants you to know that you matter to Him. "

Invite children to draw pictures of themselves with Heavenly Father. Invite older children to write down things they would like to do with Heavenly Father or things they would like to talk with Him face to face. Remind the children that while we might not see Him face to face in this life, He will surely answer our questions we bring to Him in prayer!

* Write the following numbers on the board:

7,056,966,724

311,591,917

91,195

Does anyone have any clue why I'd write these on the board? What do you think these LARGE numbers might mean?
Well, according to google, the first number is how many people live on earth right now.
The second number is how many people live in America.
The third number is how many people live in Sparks, NV. (You can easily replace this number with how many people live in your city)

Is that a lot of people? If everyone in the world had a bottle of root beer and we sang that song backwards- 7,056,966,724 bottles of root beer on the wall... how long would it take for us to sing until we hit 1 bottle of root beer on the wall?? Probably a gazillion years!!!!! It's a huge amount of people on earth!!! And yet Heavenly Father knows EVERY SINGLE one of His children. Not to mention all those that have passed away before us!!!

Alma 26:37 "Now my brethren, we see that God is mindful of every people, whatsoever land they may be in; yea, he numbereth his people, and his bowels of mercy are over all the earth. Now this is my joy, and my great thanksgiving; yea, and I will give thanks unto my God forever. Amen."

Week 2 & 3 Heavenly Father’s plan is a plan of happiness.

* What is the purpose of life? You can adapt THIS IDEA by taking a life cereal box, filling it with certain colored pom-poms and then having the children choose one from the box and talk about that part of the plan of salvation.
Blue- Pre Mortal World
Red- Earth Life & Repeat John 17:3
Orange- Spirit World
Green- Judgement & Kingdoms of Glory

* Here is a great video. It is pretty fast paced, but the visuals are really fun and neat!

* HERE is a lesson from The Friend with visuals. I like the way it talks about maps. I would have a treasure map up front marked with hidden clues to the plan of salvation. I would cut up the pictures provided there for the clues. When they use the map and find the picture, we’d read the scripture and decide what part of the plan it is. Put all the pictures in order on the chalk board up front. What is the treasure? Our knowledge of the truth of the plan of happiness!

* HERE is another lesson from The Friend. It has a plan of happiness booklet the children can put together. Also a great idea of having stations to demonstrate the plan of salvation.

* HERE is a very simple diagram of the plan of salvation from The Friend. I really think children are capable though of understand a little bit more about the plan. For senior primary, a more in depth version of the plan can be found at scripturecompanion.com.
I really like it because it’s thorough, especially the scriptures on the bottom!! I feel like it’s important to teach children exactly what happens when they die. One thing to note is that the spirit world is actually located on the same world as mortality.
(President Brigham Young said: “Where is the spirit world? It is right here” (Discourses of Brigham Young, p. 376). And another tid-bit I added a box for the words partial judgement before spirit world. (Alma taught that when we die our spirits are assigned to a state of happiness or of misery (see Alma 40:11–15).)

I created a quiz version for children to fill out based on the scripturecompanion.com:

 Some recycled ideas from previous posts:

* HERE is an Ensign Article on how the Apostles suggest we teach our children about the plan of salvation. Definitely suggest you read it and pray over what they suggest to do!
 
* Have a small box of Lincoln logs. Invite a child to come up and build a house. Ask them questions like, why don’t you put the green roof sticks on the bottom? Why do you put long logs on the bottom and shorter ones on the side? How will you make room for windows? How long will it take you to finish? Thank the child and ask if anyone has ever built a real home or knows what goes into building a real home? Show a picture of a real house. Do they just stop by home depot with $100 and window shop for things that look good or do you think they make a list of supplies they need? When you build a real home do you need a plan? What is a plan? What is Heavenly Father’s plan for me?At the end of the lesson, come back to the idea that you are grateful Heavenly Father took the time to carefully think out each piece of our lives (hold up Lincoln logs). He didn’t throw us together and hope for the best, but He perfectly designed (hold up a picture of the real home) a plan that would bring us happiness.
There are actually a bunch more, all you have to do is click on plan of salvation on the left under labels.

Week 4 I have agency, and I am responsible for my choices.

 
* "There is a story told of an old Cherokee teaching his grandson about life. “A fight is going on inside me,” he said to the boy. "It is a terrible fight, and it is between two wolves. One is evil: he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.”

He continued, “The other is good: he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you—and inside every other person too.”

Illustration by Allen Garns

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, “Which wolf will win?” The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.”By Elder Shayne M. Bowen (From the Sept. 2012 New Era)
 
Have 2 baskets. Put a picture of the wolf on each one, but label one “BAD” and the other “GOOD”. Have about 30 strips of paper cut individually. On them write things that would be either feeding the “bad” or the “good”. Pass out the strips of paper and let the children come up, one at a time, and share where they think it should go. A couple examples could include: “Dressing immodestly.” Or “Going to the temple often”

End with the question the grandson asked his grandfather, “Which wolf will win?” and bear testimony we need to make choices that will always feed the good and help us return to Heavenly Father!!

*HERE is a crossword puzzle for the 2^nd article of faith. You could easily break into groups to do.

 

*HERE is a Sharing Time from The Friend on choices and accountability. I like the idea for younger children where they draw a picture of a smiley and frowny face. You then give them situations and they have to hold up what feeling you’d get in consequence to the choice.

*Take a piece of masking tape and make a road from the door to the front. At the front of the room, make a fork in the road with one piece of tape leading to one side and another piece leading to the trash can.

2 Nephi 2:27 "Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself.”

Using examples from the scriptures, let children walk the path and determine whether that example from the scriptures chose the path of liberty & eternal life, or the path of captivity and death. Examples could include:

Nephi gets the brass plates

Laman & Lemuel tie up Nephi on the ship to America
Enos prays for forgiveness and to know how to help his people
King Noah refuses to listen to Abinadi
The Nephites shoot arrows at Samuel the Lamanite

Invite the children to share an example from the scriptures you haven’t mentioned and then walk the path! What about in our own lives? Make up some scenarios and let the children follow the path. This could include:
I refuse to help out with family home evening

extra chores to help out my mother
I cheat on tests at school to get the best grade
I read my scriptures and pray daily

*Have a candle that is NOT lit. Ask a child to come up front. IF the candle was lit and they put their finger by the flame, what would happen? They would get burned!! Our choices always have consequences!! And we don’t want our choices to hurt us, we want them to help us!

FHE: LIFE

What you will need:
Empty LIFE cereal box, bowl and spoon

Pictures of happy moments in life

Blue, Green, Orange and Red pom poms (3-4 of each color, 12-16 total)

Print out of John 17:3 & Questions

Opening Prayer

Attention Activity:

Show pictures of your happy moments in life. Read 2nd Nephi 2:25. Why are we here in life according to that scripture?

Activity:

1. Put the pom poms in the cereal box.

2. Have a family member draw out a pom pom and put it in the cereal bowl. Whatever color they drew out, they need to follow the question sheet and answer or do what it says.

3. Next person draws out a pom pom and does the same until there are no more!

Sing:

 I Lived In Heaven (All verses! CS pg. 4)

Final question:

What is life all about?

Bear Testimonies

Closing Prayer

Treat

LIFE cereal?? Perhaps LIFE cereal crispie bars??

Questions

Blue- What is the purpose/reasons of life?

Green- What are some good choices you can do with your life?

Orange- Read John 17:3 and see if you can do it by memory!

Red- Name something you like about the life of a person from the scriptures.

John 17:3

"And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent."

February 2011 LDS Primary Sharing Time Helps and Ideas

(Gospel Art Book)

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 llife of man” Moses 1:39

Week 1 Heavenly Father has a plan for me.

* HERE is an Ensign Article on how the Apostles suggest we teach our children about the plan of salvation. Definitely suggest you read it and pray over what they suggest to do!

* Divide into groups and use play dough to form different parts of the plan of salvation, then have everyone share.

* Have the children make their own "life map". It's great to set goals and visualize our future. They can illustrate what they would like to do in 10-20 years! Will they get married in the temple? Where will they serve a mission? What would they like to have as a job? Will life turn out exactly like we plan?
2 Samuel 22:31 "As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is tried...."

Recycled ideas from a  previous post:
* Have a small box of Lincoln logs. Invite a child to come up and build a house. Ask them questions like, why don’t you put the green roof sticks on the bottom? Why do you put long logs on the bottom and shorter ones on the side? How will you make room for windows? How long will it take you to finish? Thank the child and ask if anyone has ever built a real home or knows what goes into building a real home? Show a picture of a real house. Do they just stop by home depot with $100 and window shop for things that look good or do you think they make a list of supplies they need? When you build a real home do you need a plan? What is a plan? What is Heavenly Father’s plan for me?At the end of the lesson, come back to the idea that you are grateful Heavenly Father took the time to carefully think out each piece of our lives (hold up Lincoln logs). He didn’t throw us together and hope for the best, but He perfectly designed (hold up a picture of the real home) a plan that would bring us happiness.

* Invite a child to come up that can read. Have 6 strips of paper of things they need to do. For example brush teeth, do homework, help neighbor mow lawn, play a board game with my sister, put away dishes/finish chores, spend time with Fish the family dog. Ask them how they would plan their day and to put the paper in the order they would feel is best for the day. Why wouldn’t they help their neighbor mow the lawn at the end of the day when it’s dark? Why would they do homework before playing? Is it good to have a plan for your day, why? What about having a plan for life? What might that include? Hold up a diagram of the plan of salvation and ask, who’s plan do you think this could be?

At the end of the lesson, come back to the idea that we can make plans to help our day go smoother. Heavenly Father has created the ultimate plan that gives happiness to each day and we should follow it with all our hearts.

*Bring in a 3-D book and pair of 3-D glasses. Ask a child to come up and look at the book and tell them what they see. Now put on the glasses. Is that pretty cool?
President Eyring has said:
“You can think of the plan of salvation as a set of eyes (hold up the 3-D glasses) that allow you to see what the natural eye does not see” (Mission Presidents’ Seminar, June 2000, 2). Is it pretty exciting to know where we have come from, where we are going and what our purpose here on earth is? The plan of salvation helps us see life as the happy and wonderful thing it is!

On the same note, with a little variation: Bring in a pair of glasses. Have a child come up and put them on for 5 seconds. Can they see? Is it blurry? Is it clear?“Some of us at one time or another let the pressures of life or the false teachings of men cloud our vision, but when we see with clarity, the difference between the plan of God and that of Satan is unmistakable” (Richard G. Scott, Ensign, Nov. 1981, 11)

Week 2 Jesus Christ created the earth for me.

* If possible, go outside with the children and have them write down or draw all the things they see. Let them share with each other what they wrote/drew once you return inside. How do they feel knowing that Jesus created the earth for them?

* Invite 4 different return missionaries or members of the ward who have lived in different places to come to primary. Have them bring items from that place and let the children ask them any questions. The earth is huge, full of lots of different places and people. Have the children share about any places they've been with a partner and where on earth they'd like to visit someday.
Psalms 115:16 "The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord’s: but the earth hath he given to the children of men."

* Have a bag of blocks. If you shake the bag of blocks will it turn into a tower? Many people believe that the earth just kind of shook a lot and was created. We know that doesn't make sense and isn't possible. Jesus created the earth for us because He loves us! Make a rollerbox of the creation. Click HERE to see how to make a roller box.

* Do a simple acting out of Moses 1. Remember, children shouldn't play Deity, but they can hold a picture while you quote what exactly the Lord says. Most children probably do not know this story!! While it can be a little scary thinking about Satan, we need to especially remember that God protected Moses - as verse 26 says, "And lo, I am with thee, even unto the end of thy days". You can make large circle worlds for children to hold, because we know the earth isn't the only place Jesus created. Have a simple costume for Moses. Quote as much as possible from the scriptures as you tell the story!

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

* “We, the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, solemnly proclaim that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children.” From The Proclamation
Have a "safe" "kid-friendly "dart board.Invite the children up to answer questions and read scriptures on the family. Then they can take a turn throwing a "safe" dart and see how close to the center they get on the dart board.

* Take a piece of chalk and some string and attach one end to a small stick and the other end to the chalk. (Like you're making a make-shift compass) Use the stick to make a strong center and pull the string tight and go around on the black board to make a nice even circle. Invite a child to come up and draw the same size circle but without the firm and steady center. What's the difference? What is the difference in life when we have strong families as opposed to nothing?

*President Henry B. Eyring, “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, which will then be what we practice in families bound together forever by covenants and by faithfulness. We can start now to ‘promote those measures designed to maintain and strengthen the family.’ I pray that we will. I pray that you will ask, ‘Father, how can I prepare?’ Tell him how much you want what he desires to give you. You will receive impressions, and if you act on them, I promise you the help of the powers of heaven” (“The Family,” Liahona, Oct. 1998, 23; Ensign, Feb. 1998, 18).

Have a tub of water and let a child drop in something. Watch the ripples. What we do in our families spreads, just like a ripple to the world as President Eyring talks about.

* Ask the children what the center core of the church is? To demonstrate, you can hold up an apple and ask if the church was an apple, what would be it's core?
"The center core of the Church is not the stake [center]; it is not the chapel. … The most sacred place on earth may not be the temple, necessarily. The chapel, the stake [center], 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” ( Elder Boyd K. Packer "That All May Be Edified” [1982], 234–35). (I HEART Boyd!!)

* Have the primary children do a simple dramatization of Adam and Eve and the first family. Have GAK 119 showing and you can even read the back if you need help coming up with the specifics of the story.

* HERE is an old Reader's Theatre on Nephi and His family.

Week 4 I will follow God's plan.

Here are a few recycled ideas from a previous post:
* Have a small box of Lincoln logs. Invite a child to come up and build a house. Ask them questions like, why don’t you put the green roof sticks on the bottom? Why do you put long logs on the bottom and shorter ones on the side? How will you make room for windows? How long will it take you to finish? Thank the child and ask if anyone has ever built a real home or knows what goes into building a real home? Show a picture of a real house. Do they just stop by home depot with $100 and window shop for things that look good or do you think they make a list of supplies they need? When you build a real home do you need a plan? What is a plan? What is Heavenly Father’s plan for me?At the end of the lesson, come back to the idea that you are grateful Heavenly Father took the time to carefully think out each piece of our lives (hold up Lincoln logs). He didn’t throw us together and hope for the best, but He perfectly designed (hold up a picture of the real home) a plan that would bring us happiness.

* Invite a child to come up that can read. Have 6 strips of paper of things they need to do. For example brush teeth, do homework, help neighbor mow lawn, play a board game with my sister, put away dishes/finish chores, spend time with Fish the family dog. Ask them how they would plan their day and to put the paper in the order they would feel is best for the day. Why wouldn’t they help their neighbor mow the lawn at the end of the day when it’s dark? Why would they do homework before playing? Is it good to have a plan for your day, why? What about having a plan for life? What might that include? Hold up a diagram of the plan of salvation and ask, who’s plan do you think this could be?

At the end of the lesson, come back to the idea that we can make plans to help our day go smoother. Heavenly Father has created the ultimate plan that gives happiness to each day and we should follow it with all our hearts.

*Bring in a 3-D book and pair of 3-D glasses. Ask a child to come up and look at the book and tell them what they see. Now put on the glasses. Is that pretty cool?

President Eyring has said: “You can think of the plan of salvation as a set of eyes (hold up the 3-D glasses) that allow you to see what the natural eye does not see” (Mission Presidents’ Seminar, June 2000, 2). Is it pretty exciting to know where we have come from, where we are going and what our purpose here on earth is? The plan of salvation helps us see life as the happy and wonderful thing it is!

On the same note, with a little variation: Bring in a pair of glasses. Have a child come up and put them on for 5 seconds. Can they see? Is it blurry? Is it clear?“Some of us at one time or another let the pressures of life or the false teachings of men cloud our vision, but when we see with clarity, the difference between the plan of God and that of Satan is unmistakable” (Richard G. Scott, Ensign, Nov. 1981, 11)

A couple new ideas:
* Write on the board the following words, Maybe, We'll see, I don't know, I guess, Uh- I'm really not sure if I want to. These are all words that are weak. Have the children come up to the board, erase a weak word and replace it with a strong word or phrase. Yes! I will! Of course!!
When it comes to following God's plan should we use weak words or strong words?

* 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

More Primary Sharing Time Helps and Ideas January 2009

Image courtesy creative commons license flickr.com by artmakesmesmile July 2008

Week 2 I lived with heavenly Father before I came to earth.

* What did heaven look like before we came to earth? Give the children 5-7 minutes to quickly draw what they think the pre existence was like. Invite some children up to share their ideas.

"In a premortal council at which we were all present, [the Savior] led the forces of good against those of Satan and his followers in a battle for the souls of men that began before this world was formed. That conflict continues today. We were all on the side of Jesus then. We are on the side of Jesus today." Joseph B. Wirthlin, "Christians in Belief and Action," Ensign, Nov. 1996, 71

* Gather together some of the primary children's baby pictures. Read D&C 138:55-56. These are pictures of God's noble and great ones. Can you remember the premortal existence? Can you remember being a baby? Just because we can't remember doesn't mean it didn't happen. Invite children to come up and choose pictures. Have questions prepared on the pre exsitence for them to answer as they come up, then they can guess who the baby picture is of! End with Jeremiah 1:5. Bear testimony that we did indeed live with Heavenly Father before we came to earth. We were great then and we need to do our best to be great now!!

* Number off the children in your primary 1-2-3. Ask all the 1's to go in the corner. Is that a pretty big chunk of the primary? How would you feel if you never got to see these primary friends again? Please be careful who YOU ask this question to. We want to keep it positive. Satan himself was our brother, yet he chose to rebel against Father. How do you feel about that? We know that all the people in primary chose to follow Jesus Christ's plan, but how do we know this? Ask all the 1's, 2's and 3's to raise their hand... we all have hands! We all have bodies!

* Have different words written on the chalkboard having to do with our premortal existence (e.g. Christ, Lucifer, Plan, War, Spirits, Heavenly Father, choice, angels - include pictures for younger children to visualize by the words) Ask the children to come up with sentences including these words from the board and share with the primary. You could even divide into groups and divvy out the words.

Week 3 I am created in the image of God. My body is a temple.

If I was teaching week 3 I'd stick straight to the outline idea! It's really fantastic!

*Have a picture of a hamster. Has anyone ever had a class pet before? Who does the pet belong to? How do you take care of it? Would you ever feed the hamster something rotten that would make him sick? Would you ever take a pen and draw on it? Why? Have a coat. This is your best friends coat and they are going to let you borrow it. How would you treat it? Now hold up a mirror. We have something even more precious that Heavenly Father has created and given us. How do we take care of what we see in the mirror?

David Bednar has said, "Interestingly, I have heard many people, both outside and inside the Church, declare, “It’s my body and I can do to it what I want.” The correct doctrinal response to such a statement is quite simple. No, your body is not your own; it is on loan from God. As we read in 1 Corinthians 3:16–17 [1 Cor. 3:16–17]:
“Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
“If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.”
The choices we make about the use of our personal temples will affect us throughout all eternity." “ 'Ye Are the Temple of God’,” Ensign, Sep 2001, 14

* Have a picture of a temple and a boy and girl displayed at the top of the board. On the left hand side a little lower have the following words written "What We Take into Our Temple", "What We Put on Our Temple", "What We Do to Our Temple" and " What We Do with Our Temple". These quotes are from Eldar Bednar's talk 'Ye Are the Temple of God’,” Ensign, Sep 2001, 14. Have the children fill in the blanks under the pictures (kind of like you're making a chart). (E.G. We take into the temple white clothes, temple recommend, reverence, a humble spirit ready to learn. We take into our body temples good food, clean music and ideas from books, sunshine, vitamins, exercise, happy movies. We put the finest materials on our temples, beautiful plants and trees...etc. Review the talk to get more specifics!!) I would also have a picture of Elder Bednar to show the children where the material for the lesson came from.

* For this idea, think the game "concentration". Have a large poster board of an outline of a body cut into different pieces. Underneath a picture of the temple and the words I was created in the image of God. My body is a temple. Children can come up and choose a piece of the body and answer a question, read a scripture or sing a song all pertaining to the theme. As the pieces come off they can guess what is underneath.

Week 4 The family is ordained of God and is central to His plan.

Reader's Theatre HERE

Primary Sharing Time Helps and Ideas for January 2009

Diagram from Lesson 1: The Temple Teaches about the Great Plan of Salvation,” Endowed from on High: Temple Preparation Seminar Teacher’s Manual, 1

I am a spirit child of Heavenly Father.
“All of you are children of the most High” (Psalm 82:6).

Week 1 Heavenly Father loves me and has a plan for me.

* Have a small box of Lincoln logs. Invite a child to come up and build a house. Ask them questions like, why don’t you put the green roof sticks on the bottom? Why do you put long logs on the bottom and shorter ones on the side? How will you make room for windows? How long will it take you to finish? Thank the child and ask if anyone has ever built a real home or knows what goes into building a real home? Show a picture of a real house. Do they just stop by home depot with $100 and window shop for things that look good or do you think they make a list of supplies they need? When you build a real home do you need a plan? What is a plan? What is Heavenly Father’s plan for me?At the end of the lesson, come back to the idea that you are grateful Heavenly Father took the time to carefully think out each piece of our lives (hold up Lincoln logs). He didn’t throw us together and hope for the best, but He perfectly designed (hold up a picture of the real home) a plan that would bring us happiness.

* Invite a child to come up that can read. Have 6 strips of paper of things they need to do. For example brush teeth, do homework, help neighbor mow lawn, play a board game with my sister, put away dishes/finish chores, spend time with Fish the family dog. Ask them how they would plan their day and to put the paper in the order they would feel is best for the day. Why wouldn’t they help their neighbor mow the lawn at the end of the day when it’s dark? Why would they do homework before playing? Is it good to have a plan for your day, why? What about having a plan for life? What might that include? Hold up a diagram of the plan of salvation and ask, who’s plan do you think this could be?
At the end of the lesson, come back to the idea that we can make plans to help our day go smoother. Heavenly Father has created the ultimate plan that gives happiness to each day and we should follow it with all our hearts.

*Bring in a 3-D book and pair of 3-D glasses. Ask a child to come up and look at the book and tell them what they see. Now put on the glasses. Is that pretty cool?
President Eyring has said:
“You can think of the plan of salvation as a set of eyes (hold up the 3-D glasses) that allow you to see what the natural eye does not see” (Mission Presidents’ Seminar, June 2000, 2). Is it pretty exciting to know where we have come from, where we are going and what our purpose here on earth is? The plan of salvation helps us see life as the happy and wonderful thing it is!
On the same note, with a little variation: Bring in a pair of glasses. Have a child come up and put them on for 5 seconds. Can they see? Is it blurry? Is it clear?“Some of us at one time or another let the pressures of life or the false teachings of men cloud our vision, but when we see with clarity, the difference between the plan of God and that of Satan is unmistakable” (Richard G. Scott, Ensign, Nov. 1981, 11)

*Margaret Lifferth in the January 2005 Friend had a wonderful sharing time idea. There is a visual with key words about Heavenly Fathers plan. You can cut these out and put on the black board. Write the scriptures on the board also. Start by looking up Moses 1:39. Then look up the scriptures and match them to the key words of the different parts of Heavenly Father’s plan.

“We lived in heaven with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ before we were born.

(See Abr. 3:22–26)

An earth was created.

(See Moses 2:1–3:3)

Adam and Eve and the Fall were a part of Heavenly Father’s plan.

(See Moses 4:6–5:12)

Jesus Christ came to earth. He is our Savior; He overcame the Fall. Because of Him, we can live again.

(See Abr. 3:27–28)

Coming to a family is part of Heavenly Father’s plan.

(See paragraphs 1–4 of “The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” Ensign, Nov. 1995, 102.)

I would just put up the whole proclamation, they should have these in the library.

We will all die, and because of Jesus Christ, we will all be resurrected.

(See Alma 11:42–45)

When we follow the example of Jesus Christ, we can inherit the celestial kingdom.

(See D&C 76:50–70)”

* Thomas S. Monson, “Which Road Will You Travel?,” Ensign, Mar 1991, 2

Have copies of this talk for the SENIOR sharing time. Divide them into groups. Highlight different parts of the talk for them to read and discuss. Then have 1 child come up to summarize what they read or read a quote that the group enjoyed.

* From the D&C and Church History Gospel Doctrine Teacher’s Manual, 19: The Plan of Salvation, Purpose, 105

" Display the small pieces of the picture that you have brought to class, but do not display the picture.Tell class members that these small pieces are part of a bigger picture. Invite them to briefly guess what is in the picture. Then display the picture, putting the small pieces in place.
Point out that although the small pieces are important, they would have little meaning if they were not part of the big picture. Explain that experiences we have, decisions we make, and truths we learn are like small pieces of a big picture. They have less meaning if they are not put in the context of a bigger picture: the plan of salvation. A knowledge of the plan of salvation can help us make righteous decisions, find joy in mortality, and prepare for eternal life. This lesson discusses the plan of salvation.

The plan of salvation is “one of heaven’s best gifts to mankind.”
Write on the chalkboard Heavenly Father’s Plan of ___________________.

Ask class members to complete the phrase. Encourage them to think of as many answers from the scriptures as they can. Write their responses on the chalkboard. After a minute or two, share any of the following answers that they have not mentioned:
Salvation (Alma 24:14; Alma 42:5; Moses 6:62)
Restoration (Alma 41:2)
Happiness (Alma 42:8, Alma 42:16)
Mercy (Alma 42:15, Alma 42:31)
Redemption (Jacob 6:8; Alma 12:25–33)

• What do these words teach about Heavenly Father’s plan?
• The prophet Alma referred to Heavenly Father’s plan as “the great plan of happiness” (Alma 42:8). How can the plan of salvation bring us happiness?

The Prophet Joseph Smith taught, “The great plan of salvation…be regarded as one of heaven’s best gifts to mankind” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, sel. Joseph Fielding Smith [1976], 68). What can we do to give the plan of salvation “our strict attention”?"