Activity

Remove page 10 and paste it to heavier paper. Cut out the puzzle pieces. On the blank pieces, write ways you can share the gospel.

Note: If you do not wish to remove pages from the magazine, this activity may be copied, traced, or printed from the Internet at www.lds.org. Click on Gospel Library.

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Illustrated by Thomas S. Child

be kind read the Book of Mormon dress modestly keep the Sabbath day holy invite a friend to activity day write letters to missionaries be a good friend watch, read, and listen to things that are pleasing to Heavenly Father pray be honest choose the right honor your parents listen to the Holy Ghost

Sharing Time Ideas

(Note: All songs are from Children’s Songbook unless otherwise noted; GAK = Gospel Art Picture Kit, TNGC = Teaching, No Greater Call.)

1. Sing “Tell Me the Stories of Jesus” (p. 57). When the Savior was on the earth, He taught the people how they should live so that they could be happy and someday return to live with Heavenly Father. We can learn about the teachings of Jesus in the scriptures. Divide the children into groups. Write one of the Savior’s teachings and the scripture reference on pieces of paper and give one to each group (for example: service, Matt. 25:35–46; love one another, John 13:34; honor our parents, John 19:25–27; keep the commandments, Matt. 7:21, 24–27; kindness, Luke 10:25–37; and respect others and their property, Matt. 19:18). Invite them to read the scripture(s). Ask the children to make simple puppets (see TNGC, pp. 176–77) and prepare to use them to show how we can apply the Savior’s teachings in our lives. After each puppet presentation, invite each group to sing a song that reminds them of the Savior’s teachings.

2. Use an object lesson to teach about the Apostasy. Before Primary place on a table objects that represent things lost in the Apostasy, such as GAK 208 (baptism), a sacrament cup (the sacrament), tithing envelope (tithing), miniature temple or temple picture (temples and church buildings), necktie (bishop and other priesthood holders), scriptures (understanding of scriptures), backpack (missionary work), flashlight (revelation), and a vial of consecrated oil (priesthood blessings). Cover the table with a cloth. Review the events leading to the Apostasy. Let the children look at the items on the table, and ask them to try to remember all of the items. While the children sing “The Church of Jesus Christ” (p. 77) or “The Sixth Article of Faith” (p. 126), use the cloth as a visual barrier and remove some of the items listed above. Invite the children to look at the table and try to remember which items are missing. As each item is mentioned, ask the children what they think it might represent in terms of the Apostasy. Discuss how that ordinance or blessing was lost. Ask about the remaining items. Express gratitude for the restoration of all these things.

For younger children: Give each class a puzzle made from a picture representing each of the ordinances or blessings mentioned above. Before giving the children the puzzle, remove one piece. Explain how missing a piece from a puzzle is like what happened at the time of the Apostasy: gospel teachings were not complete, and people couldn’t see the entire picture. Give the classes the missing puzzle pieces as they sing a Primary song that goes with each picture, such as “When I Am Baptized” (p. 103) or a song about the Restoration of the gospel, such as “The Golden Plates” (p. 86).

3. Before Primary, gather these pictures: GAK 403 (The First Vision), GAK 404 (Moroni Appears to Joseph Smith in His Room), GAK 406 (Joseph Receives the Gold Plates), GAK 407 (John the Baptist Conferring the Aaronic Priesthood), GAK 408 (Melchizedek Priesthood Restoration), GAK 416 (Translating the Book of Mormon), Primary picture 5-19 (printing the Book of Mormon), and Primary picture 5-20 (organization of the Church). Prepare eight numbered pieces of paper. Write the title of each picture on one of the eight papers. Cover the pictures and titles and place them on a bulletin board or on the floor in random order, four rows with four items each. Play a matching game with the children. Explain that Heavenly Father restored the gospel and the priesthood through Joseph Smith. Behind the papers are pictures of events from the Restoration and papers with descriptions of the pictures. Have the children take turns choosing two pieces of paper. If they match, remove them from the others. If they don’t match, cover them again and allow the next child to choose two papers. When all of the pictures and descriptions have been matched, put them in the order that they happened. Briefly tell or have the children tell what happened in each picture. Sing “The Church of Jesus Christ” (p. 77). For younger children who do not read, put a colored border on matching pictures and titles. Testify of the Restoration of the gospel.

4. Ahead of time, make small booklets for each child by cutting one sheet of paper in half, placing one half on top of the other half, and folding in the center. Secure the pages together with a staple or string tied through punched holes. Each booklet should have four pages. Prepare 13 pieces of paper with the first 10 words of each article of faith. The scriptures teach us the gospel. The Articles of Faith are part of the scriptures and are found in the Pearl of Great Price. Invite the children to locate them in the scriptures and read one or more of them. Ask, “How can the Articles of Faith help us learn the gospel and share it with others?” From Primary 5, p. 209, find the key words of the Articles of Faith and write them on the board. Discuss briefly what we learn about the gospel from the key words of the Articles of Faith. Play a game by having the children sing “I Want to Live the Gospel” (p. 148) as they pass two or three of the papers you prepared with the first 10 words of each article of faith. Stop the music at any point. Ask the children with the papers to stand and finish the article of faith they are holding, or ask another child for help. When the article of faith is completed, take that paper away and add another. Continue as time allows. Pass out the booklets and tell each child to write “The Articles of Faith” on the cover. Have them write key words for two articles of faith on each page, and invite them to look for these principles in the scriptures as they study on their own or with their families. When they find a scripture reference that teaches each principle, they can write it in their booklet under the key word.

5. Song Presentation: “Holding Hands Around the World” (Friend, July 2002, 44–45). Teach the chorus first. Divide the children into four groups. Tell the first group to join hands and echo the first phrase back to you after you sing it: “We are children holding hands around the world.” Tell the second group to march in place and extend their arms as if they were holding a large flag and echo, “Like an army with the gospel flag unfurled.” Tell the third group to gesture with their arms toward heaven as they echo, “We are led by His light,” and place their hands on their hearts as they echo, “And we love truth and right.” Ask the fourth group to think of something they do to build the kingdom—help others, bring friends to Primary, pay tithing, etc. Choose one action to mimic as they echo back to you, “We are building the kingdom of God.” Sing the chorus by groups, then exchange phrases and sing again. Sing the first verse for them in phrases and clap the rhythm. Have them repeat each phrase, clapping and singing with you. Gather or draw simple pictures to illustrate the words: for example, Primary picture 3-65 (children singing in Primary), GAK 600 (The World), a smiley face, a bell, a flashlight. Have one child demonstrate “standing tall,” another child “walking strong,” and another holding a CTR shield for “choosing right.” Or have all the children stand for “standing tall,” march in place for “walking strong,” and hold up their CTR rings for “choosing right.” Have them sit down on the two rest beats. Follow the same approach to teach the second half of the verse.

6. Friend references: “Other Teachings at the Last Supper,” Feb. 2003, 13–14; “Believing in Jesus Christ,” Apr. 2003, 16–17; “I Belong to the Church of Jesus Christ,” Jan. 2003, 32–34; “The Restoration of the Priesthood,” May 2003, 39; “The Life of Joseph Smith,” June 2003, 24–25; “The Book of Mormon,” Mar. 2004, 43; “Scriptures in a Suitcase,” June 2004, 28–30; “Book of Mormon Scripture Pictures,” July 2004, 23.