And I've specifically been pondering on how I can be a tool in teaching the Primary children through music and Singing Time to help them feel the Spirit about this special person and the importance and significance of his life and service.
As with most my prayers and spiritual thoughts; answers come slowly and step by step. And then when the timing is right, things seem to fall into place. I believe I have been led in a good direction in presenting a meaningful Singing Time for Primary to prepare the sweet children for April's 2020 General Conference. Hopefully these plans and songs will direct their minds towards thinking about our Latter-Day Prophet, the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon and bear testimony to them of Jesus Christ's Gospel.
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At the start of Singing Time, tell the children you're going to have a Picture Singing Story today about the Prophet Joseph Smith and THEY just might be in it!!!!!
It's only 3 chapters so listen close and we'll sing along!
Turn off the lights and read the words with a flashlight. You can shine the light at the kids to make sure they're ready and still.
Ahem, CHAPTER ONE:
Show the children this picture and read:
After Jesus Christ and all His Apostles died, His true church and Priesthood were not on the earth anymore. (So there was no Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints when Joseph Smith was a boy.) Joseph wanted to go to church and desired to know which church was true and which to join, so he went into a field near his home and prayed to God. Heavenly Father and Jesus appeared to him and told him to join none of the churches, but to restore Jesus's true gospel: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
Next page: We too can pray to Heavenly Father about anything we need, or questions, or just when we want to say thanks or tell Him we had a good or bad day.
Today we're going to sing a song about PRAYER. Just as Joseph prayed to God, WE CAN TOO!!! and He will answer our prayers TOO!!!
Turn the lights back on and sing: A CHILD'S PRAYER (The Sacred Grove, Can a Little Child Like Me, I Pray in Faith and If with all your Hearts are other great options to sing).
Ok shhhhhhh, turn off lights and continue on with the special story:
CHAPTER TWO:
Read to the children: Angel Moroni appeared to Joseph many times and told him where to find the gold plates that the ancient prophets had written on. They had been buried by Moroni on a Hill named Cumorah.
Next page: Do you think YOU would be a good FINDER of the Gold Plates???
Turn on lights and say today in Primary, we are going to see if we can find the "Gold Plates"!
Play 'Hot and Cold' while singing a selected Primary Song. An Angel Came to Joseph Smith or The Golden Plates would be a fitting songs, but any song you're working on would work too :)
So for this activity, send a child out in the hall, they are the "finder". Have another child hide the plates somewhere in the Primary room. These could be a paper print out or another version of them. Call the "finder" back in the room and have the children start singing. When the finder is far from where the plates are hidden, sing SOFTLY, when they are warmer, sing more LOUD. You get the idea :)
CHAPTER THREE: (turn off lights)
Read to the children: Through the power of God and using special tools, Joseph Smith translated the ancient writings on the Gold Plates into English. One of the special tools he used was called the Urim and Thummim. His translations are what we know as the Book of Mormon.
Next page: Today, we get to translate the song number for our closing song using our Urim and "THUMB"mims.
Next, I plan to use our translation activity FOUND HERE on one of our earlier posts this year (listed under idea number 5).
I'd like the children to sing, When I Am Baptized (one of this month's suggested songs), so I'll put up the corresponding hieroglyphics and let them TRANSLATE to the real number. (giving a thumbs up when I point to the right number translation). Then, look up 103 in the Primary Children's Songbook and sing the song.
(Other songs that would work great for this activity are Search Ponder and Pray, or Faith.)
At the end, make sure to bear your testimony of Joseph Smith. This story really happened 200 years ago!!!! And they too can pray, have faith and read the Book of Mormon :)
(If there was more time, I would go into Joseph restoring the Priesthood/Baptism/Temples/Modern Revelation and Prophets, etc. But since I really only seem to get 10-15 minutes of singing, maybe we could save that for another week.)
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Did you know the Book of Mormon has now been translated into 97 different languages????? To send them home, hand them all this paper and give them a challenge to find the right language for each child from different countries.
For Senior, you may want to pass out one that is a little more advanced:
I bear my testimony of Joseph Smith. He was a true Prophet, who saw God and Jesus. He translated the Book of Mormon and restored Christ's church. I am so grateful for him, and studying his life makes me want to improve each day. I know that we can pray to Heavenly Father, that He hears us, and will answer our prayers.
The children love you and your efforts in Primary will last with their sweet memories and minds throughout their lives. Keep up your efforts!!!!!
...when church resumes ;)
-iheartprimarymusic
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