1. 1.

   It was Sunday morning, and Lissa was nervous. Her ward boundaries had been changed. That meant she would be going to a new ward today. Dad and Mom saw that Lissa was worried.

   What’s wrong?

   I won’t know anyone in the new ward. Why did they have to change our old ward?

   It’s actually a good thing. The Church is growing. That means more people have accepted the gospel.

2. 2.

   Will I ever see my friends from the old ward again?

   We will make sure you do. You can invite them to our house for your birthday.

3. 3.

   At church Lissa walked into the Primary room. She saw some of her friends from her old ward, but there were a lot of new faces too. In class Lissa and the other children played a game to help them learn each other’s names. The new children seemed nice.

4. 4.

   After class Lissa found her parents and little brother waiting for her in the hall.

   Mom, do you think I can invite the new children to our house on my birthday too?

   That’s a great idea.

5. 5.

   That week Lissa and Mom made invitations for children in their old ward and for children in their new ward.

6. 6.

   On Lissa’s birthday, all the children arrived. They played the game she played in Primary so everyone could learn the names of everybody else.

7. 7.

   Did you have a good time?

   Yes! Now I have old friends and new friends!

Helps for Parents

“Be a friend, and you will have a friend,” said President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910–2008). ¹ You can use the activities in this section to help children understand how they can make friends.

After reading the story “New Friends, Old Friends” (pages 68–69), help your child complete the activity on this page. Ask your child what are some ways he or she can make new friends. Share a story about a time you worked to make a new friend.

In some cases, your child may need a little extra help to make friends. You can talk to other parents and invite children to your home to play games with your child. One fun game is hide-and-seek. This game involves one child closing his or her eyes and counting to 20 while other children hide nearby. Once the child is finished counting, he or she tries to find the hiding children.

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“And it was so, when the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, that she obtained favour in his sight: and the king held out to Esther the golden sceptre that was in his hand” (Esther 5:2).