October 2017 LDS Primary Sharing Time Ideas and Helps

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Monthly Theme: Blessings of the priesthood are available to all.
Monthly Scripture: “And also all they who receive this priesthood receive me, saith the Lord” D&C 84:35

Week 1 Worthy young men receive the priesthood when they are 12 years old.

* "To be worthy does not mean to be perfect. Heavenly Father’s plan of happiness invites us to be humbly at peace on our life’s journey to someday become perfected in Christ, not constantly worried, frustrated, or unhappy in our imperfections today. Remember, He knows all the things we don’t want anyone else to know about us—and loves us still." Elder Gerrit Wong Always Remember Him April 2016 Conference

     Have 9 envelopes with one word on each envelope- to be worthy does not mean to be perfect. Have 9 scriptures about the priesthood and a couple questions regarding the scripture in each envelope. Pass out the envelopes to 9 different groups and have them look up the scripture and answer the questions. Invite each group to share and place their word envelope up front to make the sentence from Elder Wong.
     Do you ever feel like you are not good enough? You are!! Remember, to be worthy does NOT MEAN TO BE PERFECT!!! We don't have to put ourselves down, we just have to try our best and keep going!! The priesthood is such a blessing and we are so grateful for it and the 12 year old boys who live the best they can!!

* HERE is an AWESOME!! story about a 12 year old who received the priesthood. Briefly tell the primary children the story and show them the pictures. Really stress the quote, "Robert's eyes widened. It was hard to find a word special enough to say how he felt. "That's so... awesome."
     Have a bouquet of 10-12 AWESOME BLOSSOMS (fake flowers from the $1 store) up front on a table. Invite a reverent primary friend to come up front and choose an awesome blossom about the priesthood. Have questions, scriptures or songs having to do with the priesthood attached to them for them to answer or the primary to sing.
   The priesthood is awesome because Heavenly Father is awesome!!

* I'm publishing this before the Oct. 2017 women's broadcast is in text form. So it's not exact, but from Sister Joy Jones, " Worth and worthiness are not the same. God's love is infinite and will endure forever. Worthiness is based on obedience. Sin makes us less worthy, but NEVER WORTHLESS. Strive to be like Jesus with our worth intact. We always have worth in the eyes of Heavenly Father."
      What is special about you? What do you do to be worthy? D&C 18:10, "Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God."
       Worthy young men are obedient young men. Have 2 bowls with labels. WORTH and WORTHY. Have children write down (or teachers can help too) something they'd like to share that is of great worth to them and something they can to do be worthy or obedient on 2 small seperate pieces of paper. Have them put each paper in the respective bowl. Prepare some questions about the priesthood. Invite a reverent primary child up front to answer the question and then pick a piece of paper out of each bowl to share with the primary. Can they guess who wrote it??
     Wasn't Women's Conference amazing?? I watched it at home and every single talk spoke to my soul. So needed.

Week 2 We receive the ordinances of salvation through the priesthood.

* What are the ordinances of salvation?? Bring in some paper and crayons. Invite the beautiful primary children to draw a picture to represent an ordinance they are excited about- baptism, confirmation, ordination to Melchizedek priesthood, temple endowment, and temple marriage sealing. (You can write/list the ordinances on the chalk board) Could we draw our pictures without crayons or pencils today?? No. And it's the same with the ordinances of salvation. We couldn't receive them without the priesthood!! Make sure to draw a background and fill up your entire paper!!!

* HERE is an excellent matching activity and story from The Friend. Some of the matches aren't "saving" ordinances, but ordinances that give us peace and happiness. I also like the idea on the side of bringing in a string and tying knots in it each time you can tell when the priesthood has blessed your life.

* HERE is a lesson from the Primary 3 Manual. Such a great visual idea with the pinwheel!!! An excellent material to help you prepare for this week's theme.

Week 3 I can receive strengthening power through priesthood blessings.

* HERE !!! This is where it's at for preparation this week. Looks like the church updated it's topics pages and it's phenomenal.

* Priesthood Puppet Pals. Invite the children to create some paper bag puppets of men they know that hold the priesthood. Invite anyone who would like to share their puppet and a time they were blessed by the priesthood. Did they feel happy? Did they feel the spirit? We are very blessed by the priesthood and those who are worthy and hold it.

* Bring in the following and set down on a small table up front: small baby doll, white towel, box of matches, piece of bread torn into small pieces, small oil vial, cardboard cutout of a tombstone, school backpack, bag of top ramen. (Things that represent the different priesthood blessings- baby name blessing, baptism, confirmation, sacrament, consecrated oil, dedicating graves of deceased loved ones, school blessings, blessings when we are sick). Bring in a large blanket to cover everything.
     We're going to play a game today as we learn about the priesthood. We receive strengthening power through priesthood blessings! Everyone look very carefully at the table. No invite a primary friend who has a very lovely smile up front to come choose an object, but they have to do it secretly while you hold the blanket up. They will put it behind their back. When you put the blanket down, have members of the primary raise their hand to guess what is missing!!!
      When the item is guessed, have a couple questions or a scripture that has to do with that type of priesthood blessing. For example, how do you feel when you see a baby blessed in church? Why do you think names are important? Why do babies get blessings if they aren't going to remember the words? Don't shy away from hard questions, children are smart!!

Week 4 I can go to the temple to receive ordinances for my ancestors when I am older.

* Temple match!!! Start off by singing, I love to see the temple. HERE is a temple match game with stained glass windows from The Friend, or you could just use the following. All images are found off lds.org. When a match is made, have a question pertaining to temple work that the children can answer.

* Have pictures of different temples and tape them to the back of children as they walk in. For other children, hand them the names of the temples that will match up with the pictures. For 3 minutes, have the children walk around the room and try to match up the name with the picture they think.
     Invite the pairs of children up, 1 pair at a time, and go over what temple that is. After 3 pairs, go over a few questions about temple work or sing a song about temples. Continue on with 3 more pairs. Read a couple scriptures about temple work.
    Everyone did a wonderful job!! Thank you for your help!! Bear testimony that temples are a sacred place where we can be blessed and where our ancestors can be blessed!!

* Invite the ward family historian in to tell a fun family history story (5 minutes max!) and bear their testimony of the importance of temple work.

It's been on my mind....

  

Many of you, I'm sure are familiar with the whole "Ordain Women" movement.

There have been numerous bloggers that are supportive of this.
I saw a list of bloggers who affiliate themselves with this and have signed petitions, they even made the huffpost news.

I just wanted it to be known that I do NOT affiliate or support IN ANY way the "Ordain Women" movement.

This is what The First Presidency and the Quorum of the 12 have to say:

“In God’s plan for the happiness and eternal progression of His children, the blessings of His priesthood are equally available to men and women. Only men are ordained to serve in priesthood offices. All service in the Church has equal merit in the eyes of God. We express profound gratitude for the millions of Latter-day Saint women and men who willingly and effectively serve God and His children. Because of their faith and service, they have discovered that the Church is a place of spiritual nourishment and growth.

“We understand that from time to time Church members will have questions about Church doctrine, history, or practice. Members are always free to ask such questions and earnestly seek greater understanding. We feel special concern, however, for members who distance themselves from Church doctrine or practice and, by advocacy, encourage others to follow them.

“Simply asking questions has never constituted apostasy. Apostasy is repeatedly acting in clear, open, and deliberate public opposition to the Church or its faithful leaders, or persisting, after receiving counsel, in teaching false doctrine.” (HERE is the link back to lds.org newsroom)

I had a bit of a rant that I published, but have decided to hold my tongue and delete those comments I made. I don't think this blog is the place to court controversy. But at the same time I want it completely clear that my blog is a place that observes and follows the words of our Prophet!!

For more information:

* President Hinckley offers some thoughts HERE as well as some people who are better at expressing themselves than I am... NMCCCT?? Really Sofia?

* Nice and clear from our most recent General Conference, Elder Oak's Talk HERE The Keys and Authority of The Priesthood

* Elder Holland's wife is a rock, just like her husband HERE are some of her thoughts from June 1982 Ensign.

* HERE and HERE church manual reading.

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.

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?

April 2013 LDS Primary Sharing Time Helps & Ideas

I love this book!!

Monthly Theme: Jesus Christ Restored His Church in the Latter Days.
Monthly Scripture: "I have sent forth the fullness of my gospel by the hand of my servant Joseph"
D&C 35:17

Week 1 After Jesus Christ and His Apostles died, gospel truths were lost.

*   Bring in a plastic bag with a few tiny pieces of bread, a water bottle with only a little left and A Friend Magazine with only the front and back cover. On the board have 3 words written- famine, drought, apostasy. Invite 3 children to come up front and choose an item, then stand by the word on the board it matches. Have them explain the meanings of the words. What do all 3 words have to do with each other?
     Amos 8:11-12 "Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord: And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it."
    Draw a simple picture of a person with a big belly. We are commanded to nourish our spirits, so let's pretend this is our spirit. What are things we can do to feed our spirit? What are some gospel principles that help our spirit grow? Write the children's answers in the belly. Does this spirit look like it's been through a famine or a drought? But if we take all these things away (erase all the words in the belly), that's what the apostasy was, then what do we get? Draw a stick figure. Who's glad The Church was restored?!?!

*   Invite a primary friend up front and blindfold them. Make sure they can't see! Would it be OK to leave them blindfolded the rest of primary? What about the rest of the day? What about the rest of their lives? Ask the friend how they feel... or how they would feel to be blind for a long time? Darkness is not fun. I still sleep with a night light!!! Did you know that the earth was covered in darkness for a really long time? Does that mean that there wasn't sunshine?
     "The Holy Priesthood had been withdrawn from the earth. The power of godliness was no longer present in the Christian Church. Thus there was a complete falling away from the gospel which had been established by the Son of Man. The Church lay in darkness, and the darkness enveloped the earth. This spiritual darkness continued for hundreds and hundreds of years” (Milton R. Hunter, “The Missionary Assignment,” Improvement Era, Dec. 1951, 920).
     Have a mini-white board/ dry erase board. Invite primary friends to come up front, one at a time, and share a gospel principle, something that Jesus taught. Have them write down the principle or you write it for them, then have them cover the word with a black cloth. The black cloth is what the apostasy was. When Joseph Smith restored Christ's church, there was light again! Have the child take off the cloth. Repeat a few times with different children and the principles they come up with.

* Come up to the front of the room really frazzled. Tell the children that you have lost something. This is just horrible!!! Pull your hair, sigh, put your hand on your head... you are so sad! You are so confused... you just don't know what to do. See if anyone will volunteer to help you. If not, ask if there is anyone who thinks they can help. Invite one primary friend up. Have a small picture of Joseph Smith on some string they can wear around their neck. In the room, have a small shoe box with a picture of a church building on the outside. On the inside have things that represent gospel principles, or things Christ taught while on earth. Once the primary friend has found the item, give them a big hug!! Hooray!!! It's no longer lost!!!
      “This is not a continuous church, nor is it one that has been reformed or redeemed. It has been restored after it was lost. It was lost—the gospel with its powers and blessings—sometime after the Savior’s crucifixion and the loss of his apostles. The laws were changed, the ordinances were changed, and the everlasting covenant was broken that the Lord Jesus Christ gave to his people in those days. There was a long period of centuries when the gospel was not available to people on this earth, because it had been changed” (Spencer W. Kimball, The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, 423).
     Invite friends to come up and pick an item from the box and talk about what it might mean. After you go through all the items write APOSTASY on the board and ask the children to tell their neighbors what they learned today about that word. Tell them they get 100 points if they go home and tell their family what the word means!!!! (If they ask you what points will get them, tell them it's knowledge points and the more knowledge points you have the more awesome a missionary you'll be!!!)

* Who here likes to do puzzles? Have a simple 10 piece puzzle for someone to do... except have 3 pieces missing. Is the puzzle complete?
       "In many ways the gospel of Jesus Christ is like a 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle. When Joseph Smith came on the scene, perhaps 100 pieces were in place. Then Joseph Smith came along and put many of the other 900 pieces in place so that people could say, “Oh, now I understand where I came from, why I am here, and where I am going.” As for Joseph Smith’s role in the Restoration, the Lord defined it clearly: “This generation shall have my word through you” (D&C 5:10)." Tad R. Callister Ensign October 2009 Joseph Smith- Prophet of the Restoration
    Invite the children to draw a picture of a gospel truth restored. Have them cut it into a few pieces to take home and work with a family member to put it back together again. See if they can trick the family member and have a missing piece! Then they can explain to their family member how it's like the restoration of the gospel!!

Week 2 Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph Smith.

* HERE is a great video!! It's a little long though... 20 minutes. At the 10 minute mark it starts with James 1:5, so if you wanted to show the kids, that might be a good place to start!!

*   Sing the song Hinges. (CS page 277) What happens if we didn't have hinges? Have the children look at a door. What would happen to the door if it didn't have it's hinges? It'd fall down and crash right?!?
    President Gordon B. Hinckley taught: “This glorious First Vision … was the parting of the curtain to open this, the dispensation of the fulness of times. Nothing on which we base our doctrine, nothing we teach, nothing we live by is of greater importance than this initial declaration. I submit that if Joseph Smith talked with God the Father and His Beloved Son, then all else of which he spoke is true. This is the hinge on which turns the gate that leads to the path of salvation and eternal life.”
(Ensign, Nov. 1998, p. 71)
     A hinge holds things together and helps it move along. Having a testimony of Joseph Smith's First Vision is very important!! Without it, we might crack!! Without it, we might fall down like a door without hinges for support!!
    If possible, bring in a hinge. Have the primary children pass it around to Restoration piano music. When it stops, the person can answer a question or read a scripture having to do with the restoration.
Reverence tip: I might be nuts, but it seems to me that children don't sing while passing along items. Also, the way chairs are set up, there is confusion on the ends of the aisles. Solution? Possibly. Invite about 6-8 primary friends up front to stand in a circle. Primary friends who are willing to pass reverently and respectfully while everyone sings. That way you are losing fewer voices. You're getting lots of children out of their chairs and everyone is less confused.

From Previous Posts:
* HERE is a link to the lds.org where you can find different artistic depictions of The First Vision. (Make sure to scroll down) They are beautiful!  Have the children draw their own artwork of that glorious event and share!

* HERE is a link for cutouts that children can color to retell for Family Home Evening about Joseph Smith's First Vision.

* President Uchtdorf shares his testimony of Joseph Smith and personal story when he was a boy. Click Here to read. (Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “The First Vision,” Friend, Jun 2008, 2–3) Share the story and take the above picture from the Nursery Manual. With a pen, draw slanted lines to make it into a mosaic like stained glass. Make a copy for each child and have them color with lots of different colors and answer the questions in the magazine article.

* 3 cheers for Diane Nichols!! She shares Grrrrrrrrrrrreat activities found here!!! (Diane Nichols, “Sharing Time: Joseph Smith—Prophet of the Restoration,” Friend, Jul 2001, 14) Especially love this quote/idea from her, "Display a bouquet of four artificial flowers and one real flower. Ask how the flowers are different from one another. Point out that the main difference is that only one is a true flower. Explain that though there are many churches in the world today, only one of them is the true Church of Jesus Christ."

Week 3 Priesthood authority was restored by heavenly messengers.

* THIS is a really good link to read. We often talk about the Keys of the Priesthood, but we need to know how to explain them. The first 2 paragraphs do that wonderfully!

* Have everyone hold up their hands. What are some things we do with hands? When children say ideas, have everyone act out with their hands. Tell them you are going to recite the 5th article of faith and leave out a word (leave out HANDS). By the raise of hand, someone can tell you what word is missing. Show them pictures of Joseph Smith receiving the Aaronic & Melchizedek... where are there hands placed? Have the children trace outlines of their hands and write or draw pictures of ways the priesthood blesses their lives. Have a few share afterwards.
 

* Has anyone ever gotten a special package before? Ask the children, "What does Heavenly Father use as His FedEx or UPS truck? If He wants to send something really special, how will He do it?" There are a myriad of answers, praise the children for whatever answers they give. Tell them, one way is by sending Heavenly Messengers.    “The keys have to be brought from heaven whenever the Gospel is sent.” Teachings of the Prophet Joseph
Smith, 157
        Here are some "heavenly" UPS trucks. Fold them in half so only the truck is showing. Ask what Heavenly Messenger brought the Aaronic Priesthood? Flip it to show the Gospel Art Book Image.
Ask questions and read scriptures about each Priesthood. If there is time remaining, get a UPS box (are they even free? if not, just make one) and invite children to write down ways The Priesthood blesses them. Read a few afterwards and share your testimony.

Priesthood by Heavenly Messengers by chulbakera

Week 4 Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon and restored gospel truths.

* Bring in a copy of the Book of Mormon in a different language. To go from English to a different language takes a lot of work!!
     "The Church contracts capable, experienced member translators who are fluent in English as well as their native tongue who possess integrity and high moral character so that the spirit of inspiration will guide their work.as in Joseph Smith’s day, the ability to translate holy writ today is a spiritual gift from God. Unlike Joseph’s day, however, many of our modern translators utilize computers and word processors, lexicons and encyclopedias to help and guide them in their sacred assignment. The modern work is extensive, and each step must be critically analyzed by Church translation experts. Yet, even with the most competent member translators and advanced technology available, the entire process, from beginning to publication, requires approximately four years.
     Now contrast the translation of the Book of Mormon by young Joseph Smith."
The Translation Miracle of The Book of Mormon by Robert K. Dellenbach Ensign April 1995... A MUST READ FOR THIS WEEK!!!!!
    The time for Joseph translating— was at an estimated average rate of eight of our printed pages per day! The total translation time was about 65 working days. (See “How long did it take Joseph Smith to translate the Book of Mormon?” Ensign, Jan. 1988, 47.)
    In your special Book of Mormon, that's in a different language, have bookmarks that the children can choose. On the bookmarks have questions, scriptures and songs have to do with Joseph Smith and the translation of the week's theme.

* Did Joseph Smith write the Book of Mormon? Who wrote the Book of Mormon? It's important to understand the meaning of translate. Invite a member of the ward to come in and share their testimony in a different language. Have another person translate what they said. The Book of Mormon was translated from reformed Egyptian to English. We don't know exactly "how" the translation happened, but that is not nearly as important as that it happened!

* Who here can read a chapter book, stop somewhere in the middle and know exactly where they left off without reading a little before or after on the page? It's pretty hard to do!!
   "Emma Smith said of the inspired process: “After meals, or after interruptions, [Joseph] would at once begin where he had left off, without either seeing the manuscript or having any portion of it read to him” (“Last Testimony of Sister Emma,” Saints’ Herald, 1 Oct. 1879, 290). One who has dictated and been interrupted must usually resume by inquiring, “Now, where were we?” Not so with the Prophet! " (By The Gift and Power of God by Elder Neal A. Maxwell Ensign January 1997)
    The translation was definitely a marvelous work and wonder!

* HERE is a great link with pictures from the history of the translation and printing of the Book of Mormon. Not to mention a good read.

October 2012 LDS Primary Sharing Time Helps and Ideas

Priesthood Image courtesy creative commons license flickr.com by Photo Dean March 2012

Monthly Theme: Blessings of the Priesthood are available to all.
Monthly Scripture: "And also all they who receive this priesthood receive me, saith the Lord" D&C 84:35

* Really great tip from the outline: Be sensitive to the family situations of the children. Emphasize that the priesthood blesses everyone, regardless of gender, and that children who do not have a priest-hood holder in their home can be blessed through home teachers, extended family, and Church leaders.

Week 1 Worthy young men receive the priesthood when they are 12.

* Have a small panel of some worthy priesthood holders for a question & answer session. Let the children ask them questions having to do with the priesthood. Have a small basket with questions and let children draw out questions to ask, in case they can't think of any on their own.

Questions could include:
What is the Priesthood?

What do you have to do to be worthy of the Priesthood?

How does the Priesthood make you feel?

Why do you need the Priesthood?

Who can hold the Priesthood?

Where can you use the Priesthood?

When has the Priesthood blessed your life?

 

* Briefly have the children act out the following stories about the Priesthood:

1. "As the Prophet Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon, he found mention of baptism for the remission of sins. On May 15, 1829, he and his scribe Oliver Cowdery went into the woods to inquire of the Lord concerning baptism. As they prayed, “a messenger from heaven descended in a cloud of light.” This messenger was John the Baptist, the prophet who had baptized Jesus Christ centuries earlier. John the Baptist, now a resurrected being, laid his hands on Joseph and on Oliver and conferred upon each of them the Aaronic Priesthood, which had been taken from the earth during the Great Apostasy. With this authority, Joseph and Oliver were able to baptize one another. (See Joseph Smith—History 1:68-72.)"

2. Acts8:14-20

3. From General Conference (April 2012) President Monson told this story, " During World War II, in the early part of 1944, an experience involving the priesthood took place as United States marines were taking Kwajalein Atoll, part of the Marshall Islands and located in the Pacific Ocean about midway between Australia and Hawaii. What took place in this regard was related by a correspondent—not a member of the Church—who worked for a newspaper in Hawaii. In the 1944 newspaper article he wrote following the experience, he explained that he and other correspondents were in the second wave behind the marines at Kwajalein Atoll. As they advanced, they noticed a young marine floating face down in the water, obviously badly wounded. The shallow water around him was red with his blood. And then they noticed another marine moving toward his wounded comrade. The second marine was also wounded, with his left arm hanging helplessly by his side. He lifted up the head of the one who was floating in the water in order to keep him from drowning. In a panicky voice he called for help. The correspondents looked again at the boy he was supporting and called back, “Son, there is nothing we can do for this boy.”

“Then,” wrote the correspondent, “I saw something that I had never seen before.” This boy, badly wounded himself, made his way to the shore with the seemingly lifeless body of his fellow marine. He “put the head of his companion on his knee. … What a picture that was—these two mortally wounded boys—both … clean, wonderful-looking young men, even in their distressing situation. And the one boy bowed his head over the other and said, ‘I command you, in the name of Jesus Christ and by the power of the priesthood, to remain alive until I can get medical help.’” The correspondent concluded his article: “The three of us [the two marines and I] are here in the hospital. The doctors don’t know [how they made it alive], but I know.” (From Willing and Worthy to Serve)

End with your testimony and this quote, again from President Monson from the above article, "Miracles are everywhere to be found when the priesthood is understood, its power is honored and used properly, and faith is exerted."

* Sister Esplin writes, "Have the children look up “Priesthood, Qualifying for” in the Topical Guide. Ask them to work in pairs to choose a scripture and find qualities that men need to qualify for the priesthood. Have them or their teachers write each quality on a piece of paper. Have the children choose a quality and tell what a Primary boy could do now to work on that quality." (Friend Feb. 2009)

Week 2 We receive the ordinances of salvation through the priesthood.

* Divide the primary into groups. Give each group 3 minutes to look up a scripture and come up with a way to act it out for the primary. Let them come up front, friends raising their hand can guess what ordinance they are acting out!
Ordinances include:
administration to the sick (James 5:14–15)
blessing the sacrament (D&C 20:77, 79)
baptism by immersion (Matt. 3:16; D&C 20:72–74)
blessing of children (D&C 20:70)
conferring the Holy Ghost (D&C 20:68; 33:15)
conferring the priesthood (D&C 84:6–16; 107:41–52)
temple ordinances (D&C 124:39)
marriage in the new and everlasting covenant (D&C 132:19–20).

* Have 8 numbered index cards on the ground in a circle. Have the wonderful primary pianist play A Young Man Prepared (pg. 166 of Children's Songbook) Invite 8 children to come up front and walk around the circle of cards while the music plays. When it stops, have them stop on the number they are closest to. Invite another primary friend to draw a number from a bag that has an ordinance (just look at the above idea for the 8 ordinances) on it. Whoever is on that number can talk about what that ordinance is or a special experience they have had with that ordinance. Have the children sit down, take out the number pulled and invite 7 more children to come up front. It will get a little funny by the time you are down to 2 numbers and then 1!

* “… He never will institute an ordinance or give a commandment to His people that is not calculated in its nature to promote that happiness which He has designed” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, sel. Joseph Fielding Smith [1976], 255–56).
Have the children draw a picture of a time an ordinance helped them to be happy or perhaps a picture of an ordinance in the future that might give them happiness! Have a few children come up afterwards and share!

Week 3 I can receive strengthening power through priesthood blessings.

* This is a great lesson on Elijah, found HERE. He was an excellent example of strength and power through the Priesthood.

* This is another GREAT lesson about Priesthood Blessings found HERE. (Primary 3: Choose the Right B)

* This is a great idea from the Primary 6 Manual:

Make the room as dark as possible. Then tell the children the story of a group of tourists who went into a deep, dark cave. Once inside the cave the guide turned off the lights, waited for a few minutes, and then asked each person to point in the direction of the exit. When the lights came back on, people were pointing in all different directions.
Make your classroom light again, and share the following quotation from Elder Robert D. Hales: “If the power of the priesthood were not upon the earth, the adversary would have freedom to roam and reign without restraint. There would be no gift of the Holy Ghost to direct and enlighten us; no prophets to speak in the name of the Lord; no temples where we could make sacred, eternal covenants; no authority to bless or baptize, to heal or comfort. … There would be no light, no hope—only darkness” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1995, p. 40; or Ensign, Nov. 1995, p. 32).

* "The priesthood is the eternal power and authority of God. Through the priesthood He created and governs the heavens and the earth. By this power the universe is kept in perfect order."
Gospel Principles Manual Chapter 13

Have pictures of space and the universe. If Heavenly Father uses the Priesthood to keep the universe in perfect order, how important is the Priesthood? Have a small spaceship of 4 chairs up front. Invite 4 primary friends to fly through space with you as we learn about the Priesthood and how we can be strengthened by priesthood blessings. Come up with questions, stories, scriptures or short quotes about priesthood blessings. Rotate each group of space cadets after each thing you teach. Keep on referring back to the fact that through the Priesthood Heavenly Father keeps the universe in perfect order.

 

Week 4 I can go to the temple to receive ordinances for my ancestors when I am older.

* HERE is a great talk by President Uchtdorf. It talks about foundation stones of temples. There is a very nice handout. You could also have the children fold a piece of paper like a fan and attach a temple at the top. On the steps (folds) you can have them write things they can do to get to the temple when they are older.

* HERE is a great search and find on preparing to go to the temple. Have a list of about 15 (total) songs, scriptures and questions having to do with the temple. When a primary friend answers a question, they can come up front and find one hidden item in the picture. Let's see if we can find all the hidden items before sharing time is over!!

* HERE is a really nice video on temples. It has beautiful images on the inside of a temple and very straightforward information. It's a little long, so you might have to cut it short. It comes from THIS site which is really educational.

* Make up a news report for the children to fill out about one of their ancestors and send it home with them to interview their family. Questions on the report could be:
1. What is an ancestor?
2. Who is an ancestor that needs temple work done?
3. What do we know about that ancestor's life?
4. Draw a picture of a temple you would like to do work for ancestors in.

May LDS Primary Sharing Time Helps and Ideas

Image Courtesy Creative Commons License Flickr.com by themanfromutah June 2006

Monthly Theme: The Church of Jesus Christ Has Been Restored.
Monthly Scripture: “I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other— This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him! ”  Joseph Smith—History 1:17

Week 1 The Church of Jesus Christ has been restored.

* What does the dictionary define restored as? Ask a child to come and help you demonstrate. Give them a book or a toy. Now have them give it back and return it to you. Key words: "Give back and Return". Now have the child hold a picture of the earth. Have a sign that says "TRUTH". Have the child with the earth picture hold the truth sign, then you take it away. (Apostasy!!) Return the truth or restore it back.

* Have a large basket of rocks. On the rocks attach questions, songs, and scriptures having to do with Joseph Smith, the 6th Article of Faith and the Restoration. Try to have the children come up and choose rocks that get bigger in size.

"The restored gospel is the kingdom of God on earth, the stone cut out of the mountain without hands that would become a great mountain and fill the whole earth, as seen by Daniel (Daniel 2:34-35, 44-45). It is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, which was organized 6 April 1830 in preparation for the Second Coming of the Savior." (Doctrines of the Gospel Student Manuel pg. 61)

* Have a few guests come to sharing time dressed up as ancient apostles who prophesied and foretold of the Restoration of the gospel in the dispensation of the fulness of times. (Such examples could include Isaiah 29:14, Peter Acts 3, Micah 4:2, Daniel 2:44, Paul Ephesians 1:10)

* "God knows the end from the beginning and is the author of the grand design of human history. He directed the affairs of history so that America was appropriately fertile soil for the seed of the restored gospel to be planted and tended by His chosen seer, Joseph Smith." (Church History in the Fulness of Times Student Manuel pg. 12)

Go through the events that led up to the Restoration backwards!!! God knows everything whether its the beginning or the end. Have a piece of tape from the back of the room to the front. Have envelopes evenly spaced on the side of the tape. Choose a child to start from the back of the room and walk backwards to the front, but they stop at an envelope. Have them open the envelope which has different events that led up to the Restoration. Of course have pictures also to correspond with the envelopes.

A timeline could include the following: (Again taken from the Church History in the Fulness of Times Student Manuel pg.1)
34-100 Apostles lead New Testament Church
60-70 Peter and Paul Martyred
1300-1500 European Renaissance (Exploration/Sailing, Religious Art, Martin Luther translates Bible into German making it easier for more people to read)
1438 Gutenberg refined movable type
1492 Columbus made first voyage to Americas
1620 Pilgrims arrived in Plymouth
1775 American Revolutionary War (Freedom of Worship!)
1789 American Constitution established
1790-1830 2nd Great Awakening (A religious revival in America that was big on missionary work!)
April 6, 1830 The Church is Restored!!

* Here is a roller box idea from the Friend.

Week 2 Joseph Smith is the prophet of the Restoration.

* Joseph Smith and Restoration Jeopardy!!
Categories and ?'s :
He was  a child too!!
100 When Joseph was small (7 years old) he had to have surgery on this part of his body. He wouldn't drink alcohol to ease the pain and held his father's hand while enduring the hurt. His leg
200 What month was Joseph Smith born? December (right before Christmas, the 23rd!)
300 How many brothers and sisters did Joseph have? 10
400 What was the name of Joseph's mother? Lucy
500 True or False: Joseph had to work hard as a child on the family farm. True!

The Early Church
100 Sing the 6th Article of Faith Song
200 After the church was organized on April 6, a miracle happened! The Prophet Joseph met a man named Newel who was possessed of a devil. Acting on Newel's faith as well as his own, Joseph cast out the devil in this name? Jesus Christ
300 At the first conference of the church, the sustained leaders by doing what we do today. What do we do? We raise our right hand to the square in support.
400 Emma Smith, Joseph's wife was called "An Elect Lady" of the Lord. She was commanded to do something special and put together this book. A hint: It's often green! The first hymn book.
500 True or False: When Brigham Young was introduced to the church he immediately joined. False!! He studied and pondered the church for 2 years before joining.

Truth Restored!100 Read 2 Nephi 3:24
200 True or False: The church started in 1830. False!! The church started with Adam and was restored many times, including the last dispensation with Joseph Smith.
300 Sing the Priesthood is Restored (CS pg. 89)
400 Name a witness of the Book of Mormon. Answers can include the 8 witnesses from the beginning of the Book of Mormon, to prophets to even children who have a testimony it's true.
500 True or False: All truth has been revealed!! False: Much truth has been revealed, but there is a lot more that is yet to come!

Final Jeopardy Question: What is something you've learned about Joseph Smith or the Restoration?

* A good talk to read and personally study in preparation for this week's sharing time is Joseph Smith- Prophet of the Restoration by Tad Callister.

* Who was the greatest prophet sent to earth?  
"The scriptures record that throughout history, on occasions of exceptional importance, God the Father’s voice has been heard. On repeated occasions Jesus Christ has personally appeared to select individuals. Yet there is only one supernal, singular instance of which we have knowledge that God the Father Himself appeared in person. This was done with His precious Holy Son, Jesus Christ, to an audience of one. That one was young Joseph Smith Jr., an extraordinary spirit prepared before the foundation of the earth. He would become the greatest prophet sent to earth." Truth Restored, Richard G. Scott, October 2005 General Conference

* Divide into small groups. Give each group a story about Joseph Smith (a teacher can read it to them) and have them draw a picture to share with the primary along with a brief summary of the story.

* Here is an idea from the Friend with an early church for the children to make.

Week 3 The Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ.

* Click HERE for a Reader's Theater.

Week 4 The Priesthood has been restored.



* Here is an awesome sharing time from the Friend. You could easily attach questions, scriptures and songs about the priesthood to the puzzle pictures and have the children come to the front to answer and put together.

* Here is an awesome diorama idea from the Friend. You'd need lots of shoe boxes!! But it would be fun and memorable for the children!

* Here is a crossword puzzle about the priesthood. (Scroll past the bug search and find)

* Here is a sharing time on how the priesthood blesses our lives with a flannel board story.
* In my humble opinion, a lot of children don't understand what the priesthood is. Let every child draw a short fact about the priesthood from a brown paper bag. Have the room set up with 2 lines of chairs facing each other. Have younger children sit on one side and older children on the other. Each child may tell his/her fact to his/her partner and talk about it for 30 seconds. Then the younger children get up and move one chair to the right while the older ones stay seated. Repeat! Have pictures to go along with some of the facts. For senior sharing time, see if they can come up with their own facts to share about the priesthood! A good reference is HERE, Doctrines of the Gospel Student Manual Chapter 25.

* Play musical chairs reverently. Have them in a circle with #'s taped to the back. It's actually more like a cake walk where you draw numbers and whoever is sitting on that number gets to answer a question or read a scripture about the priesthood.... don't take away chairs! Have them sing songs about the priesthood as they walk around the circle.

* Good scripture to know in case you're ever in the Bible belt and some "friend" wants to tell you there is absolutely no biblical scriptural fact to support the concept of the Melchizedek priesthood. Psalms 110:4, "The Lord has sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek" Am I in any way suggesting you argue back and be cantankerous? Absolutely not. I'm not even saying to stress the words FOR EVER, hence why I didn't use bold or italics on those extremely obvious words. A simple "Boo-Yah" will do.