Sharing Time Idea from the 2012 Primary Outline
ENCOURAGE UNDERSTANDING (singing songs): Briefly discuss the
following concepts, and then sing the corresponding songs with the children:
- Before I came to earth I lived in heaven ("I lived in Heaven" [CS,
4])
- I chose to come to earth and receive a body ("I am a Child of God" [CS,
2-3]; The Lord Gave Me a Temple" [CS, 153])
- I will be baptized and receive
the gift of the Holy Ghost ("When I Am Baptized" [CS, 103]; "The Holy Ghost"
[CS, 105])
- I can prepare to go to the temple ("I Love to see the Temple"
[CS, 95]; "Families Can Be Together Forever" [CS, 188])
- I will be
resurrected ("He Sent His Son" [CS, 34-35])
Sharing Time Idea from Little LDS Ideas
Happy New Year!!! I hope you didn't stay up too late. :) I stayed up late, but not to celebrate the New Year....I had to teach Relief Society. Sorry I missed ideas for the first week, but here are a few for next week.
Idea #1: Here is an idea from 'The Friend'. This would work great for a smaller Primary. I'm thinking it wouldn't work so well if you have a large Primary.
Help the children memorize
Moses 1:39 (see
TNGC, pp.
171–72). Teach the plan of salvation by using stations that represent each phase of our existence: premortal, earth life, spirit world, and degrees of glory. (This will need to be taught chronologically. If your Primary is small, move to each station as a group. With many children, select small groups to represent the whole group and have them move from station to station at the front of the room.) As children move from premortal to earth life, they will pass through the “veil” representing birth. As they move from earth to the spirit world, they will pass through the “veil” representing death. As they move from the spirit world to the degrees of glory, help them understand the concepts of resurrection and judgment. With scriptures, stories, and songs (see suggestions below), teach what we have done and what we are expected to do in each phase of our existence.
Idea #2: Another idea from 'The Friend' (February 1999). I really like this idea, and it would work great for a large Primary.
1. Plan with the music leader to teach the children about the plan of salvation with a “Sing-a-Story.” Assemble the following visual aids:
signs: Premortal Existence (or, Pre-earth Life), Spirit, Celestial Kingdom, Terrestrial Kingdom, and Telestial Kingdom;
Gobe or picture of earth
a baby doll;
4 pictures of Jesus—alone, teaching, the Crucifixion, resurrected;
2 labeled partitions (these could be posterboards, drapes, scarves, or screens)—Birth and Death;
and “name” tags, Spirit Body and Physical Body.
Have one child represent all the children and move through the “plan.”
In the premortal existence, the child wears the Spirit Body sign. Sing verse 1 of “I Lived in Heaven” (CS, p. 4). Then ask, “How many of us were there?” [we all were], and tell briefly about that Council in Heaven and our choosing to follow Heavenly Father’s plan. Sing verse 2 and hold up the picture of Jesus alone. Tell the children that when Jesus volunteered to be our Savior and give His life so that we could return to live with Heavenly Father, we were so glad that we shouted for joy.
Explain that the next step for us was to be born into this life. Have the child pass through the partition marked Birth. Explain that all of us come into this earth life as babies (show the globe or picture of earth, and the doll) and get a physical body (add the Physical Body sign on the child). Sing “I Will Follow God’s Plan” (CS, pp. 164–165). Ask, “What does this song tell us that we must do while we are on earth?” [Seek God’s light, obey His commandments, etc.]
(For younger children: sing one or two action songs about bodies.
Sing verse 3 of “I Lived in Heaven” and hold up the pictures of Christ teaching and the Crucifixion. Explain that because Jesus taught us the gospel and overcame death through the
Resurrection and gave us the gift of the Atonement, we can return to live with Heavenly Father and Him again by living the gospel.
Sing “I Want to Live the Gospel” (CS, p. 148). Have the child pass through the Death partition. Explain that although we don’t know if we will be old or young when we die, we do know that our spirit leaves our body for a while (take the Physical Body sign off the child) and lives in the spirit world (hold up the Spirit World sign).
After Christ’s Second Coming (show the Resurrected Christ picture), we will all be resurrected and receive our physical body again (return the Physical Body sign to the child) and we will find a new home in one of the three degrees of glory (show the 3 Kingdom signs). Emphasize that we are aiming for the Celestial Kingdom. Sing “I Am a Child of God,” verse 4 (
CS, pp. 2–3). Bear your testimony of the Savior and your
gratitude for the plan that allows us to return to Him.
Idea #3: I had an idea after reading the one above. Here it is:
You will need signs, pictures, or objects to represent each part of the Plan of Salvation. You can use the examples from Idea #2 (baby doll, globe, etc.) Have the items in bags or boxes and number each one. Inside each box you could also add a song that the children can sing after opening. You can use the songs and questions from above or the songs from the Sharing Time Outline.
On a poster-board or chalkboard have the plan of salvation drawn but don't label each area. I thought it might be kind of fun to have a 'veil'. Hang up a sheet in a doorway or somewhere in the Primary room to represent the veil.
Begin by having a child come to the front and find the box/bag labeled #1- Pre-Mortal Life, have a sign or a picture or an object to represent Pre-Mortal Life. Ask the child which part of the 'Plan' this is, Pre-Mortal Existence, then have them find the paper with the Song on it. If you have a question you could ask the question and have the children listen while they sing for the answer.
After you have discussed the part of the Plan, label that part.
Then move on to box/bag #2 and do the same thing as before. Continue until you have gone over the whole Plan of Salvation.
You could find some clip-art to use for the Plan of Salvation and as you talk about each part have the child tape it to your poster-board/chalkboar where it goes.
More ideas from Little LDS Ideas:
Ok, I hope some of these ideas can help you out. I hope you have a wonderful week and a great Sharing Time!
Thanks for the replies about Birthday ideas for this year!! Keep 'em coming! :)
