I've always been intrigued by the Gold Plates.  From the story of Nephi getting Brass plates from the wicked king, Laban, to Moroni burying them, and ending with Joseph Smith being led to them and translating the words.

Having said that, thinking of ideas for my cute Primary was fun this week as they are learning about the Book of Mormon and starting with it's introductory.


So today we will be sharing ideas that might help inspire you with your Book of Mormon Singing Times :)





1-Write on the Gold Plates.


Have you ever wanted to be like a prophet of old and WRITE ON the gold plates?????  Right on!  Me too!!!


Today we get to!






Before Primary, write down 5-6 songs on slips of paper and put them in a bag.    Bring tin foil (spray painted gold), and have a small nail nearby.  (You could also bring yellow pieces of posterboard/carstock/paper).

Tape these one sheet at a time on the chalkboard.







For Singing Time, have a child come up, pull a song title from the bag, and start to draw a depiction of the song on the "golden plates".


Some examples of easy songs to draw: I Love to See the Temple, I'll Walk with You, Scripture Power, Once there was a Snowman, etc.

Pictured in our example is Keep the Commandments.



The other children in the Primary try to guess the song that is being drawn.  The correct guesser gets to come lead the song (or draw the next one)!  Then have the whole Primary sing that song :)







2-The Book of Mormon - Another testament of JESUS CHRIST.

This Singing Time is to help the children understand that the purpose of the Book of Mormon is to bear testimony of Jesus Christ.


Before Primary, randomly put 5-6 small pictures of Christ inserted into the pages of a Book of Mormon.  Each having a song about Jesus Christ on the back.




(Some examples of possible songs are:  He Sent His Son, When Jesus Christ was Baptized, This is My Beloved Son, To Think about Jesus, When He Comes Again, If The Savior Stood Beside Me, I Lived in Heaven, He Died that we Might live Again).



Explain that the Book of Mormon is Another Testament of Jesus Christ, as is the Bible.  Also explain that the Book of Mormon is Christ centered, it's purpose to bring souls to Christ, and is about Christ.

Call up a child to come flip through the pages of the Book of Mormon and find a picture of Jesus.  Then sing the song that is written on the back.




Show pictures of Christ as you sing.


I believe there are 3,925 references to Christ in the Book of Mormon.  There literally is not a more Christ-centered book in the world!






3-Build a Key-Stone as you Sing.

Have some paper stones that build an arch on the primary table with a song title on the back (the ones pictured are cut out of a cereal box).  Have a child come up, pick a stone and stick it on the chalkboard.  Sing a song after each is placed.  Leave the keystone as the last piece. 




In the Come Follow Me-for Primary manual it reads:



Pass out one of these handouts for them to take home and mark of with their family!  (found HERE on lds.org)







4-Pages of the Gold Plates.

The prophet, Joseph Smith, translated the words on the Gold Plates through the power of God.  Let's turn our Primary Gold Plates and read the songs for Singing Time Today!

Turn the pages of a play Gold Plates to reveal the next song to sing!!!



These simple plates were made from wood, hangers, and gold paint!







5-Music Translation.


Print out the hieroglyphic printouts  HERE AND HERE from iheartprimarymusic.  Display the "key" for all Primary children to see.

Each symbol represents a number, so before Primary, choose what songs you'd like to sing and write down the page number from the Children's Songbook.






At the beginning of Primary, explain that the Prophet, Joseph Smith, TRANSLATED the words on the plates into English through the power of God.  It may be helpful to hold a representation of the plates as well as a Book of Mormon.






During Singing Time, call up one child to be the "TRANSLATOR" (this child will be one who looks in the Children's Songbook for the song title translation).



Put up the corresponding numbers to represent a song on the chalkboard. (For example, if you wanted to sing, I'm Trying to be Like Jesus, you would put up these representing the numbers seven and eight:   




Let the children shout out the page number, and then the "TRANSLATOR" finds the song title in the Songbook.  Then, sing that song.






Do any of these ideas help inspire you this week?  We'd LOVE to hear from YOU!!!  Good luck with your Singing Time!!!




-iheartprimarymusic