LDS Primary 2009 Sharing Time February Week 3
The Priesthood Blesses My Family
Week 3: The priesthood blesses my family
References: James 5:14-15; D&C 121:36; GP, chapter 13; Priesthood, TTF, 124-28
Note to leaders: Remember that not all children have the priesthood in their homes. This sharing time will address that issue, but be careful as you teach not to act as if all children have a priesthood holder living in the home or that all fathers hold the priesthood.
Singing Time:
Review this month’s song.
Sing: The Priesthood is Restored
A friend of mine, Nanette O’Neal, once introduced the song you’ll sing now by bringing in a large blanket. She had the children sit under it as the adults held it up. She told them the blanket was like the priesthood, it makes us feel safe and cozy in our homes. You might like to try this. If your Primary is large, only invite a few of the youngest classes to go underneath, with some older children holding the blanket.
Sing: Love is Spoken Here. Return the children to their seats.
Sharing Time:
Put up a word strip with this line from the song just sung: “Mine is a home where every hour is blessed by the strength of priesthood power.” Ask the children what they think that means. How does the priesthood protect us?
Ask the children who they know who has the priesthood. Answers might include fathers, bishop, home teachers. Tell the children that every child in the room has a home that is blessed by priesthood power, even if there is no one in the home who has the priesthood.
Tell the following story to the children, showing a picture of a boy as you do: Eric was almost eight years old. Whenever someone in his class got baptized, his teacher, Sister West, had the child tell about the baptism and who baptized them. Eric didn’t like those days. All the children were baptized by their fathers, and Eric’s father didn’t have the priesthood and lived far away. One day, Sister West told the class that Eric was going to be the next child to be baptized. She asked him if he was excited to be baptized. He said, “Sort of, I guess.” Sister West said, “You don’t sound very excited. Are you worried about something?”
Eric said, “Sister West, my daddy can’t baptize me. I guess I can’t get baptized.”
Ask the children if that’s true. Can Eric get baptized even though his dad can’t do the baptism? Ask them to suggest people who could baptize Eric. (Other relatives, home teacher, a grown-up friend at church…) Tell the children Eric decided to ask his home teacher to baptize him.
Show a picture of Jesus getting baptized. Ask the children who is baptizing Jesus in the picture. It’s John the Baptist. Is John the Baptist Jesus’ father? No, he was Jesus’ cousin. Jesus was baptized by His cousin, not His Father in Heaven, and not by Joseph. So any child who can’t be baptized by his father can remember that Jesus wasn’t baptized by His Father, either.
Just as Jesus asked a cousin to baptize Him, we can ask any priesthood holder to help us when we need priesthood blessings.
Help children learn who might have the priesthood by showing several pictures of people and asking the children which of these people might have the priesthood. Place those who might under a wordstrip that says “Priesthood.” Children who don’t have priesthood in the home may not know who can hold it.
Show: Several men. (Be sure to include men of various races.) A few women. Pictures of teenaged boys and girls. Pictures of boy and girl children. When you show a man, tell the children that he might hold the priesthood or he might not. If the children want to know if the man they want to ask for help has the priesthood, they can ask whoever takes care of them, or ask the man himself if their parents give them permission.
Show a picture of a child being baptized. Ask the children why we get baptized. Invite a few children who have been baptized, if there are any in the room, to talk about their baptism. If you are teaching Junior Primary and no one has been baptized, invite teachers to share about their baptisms.
Singing Time:
Sing: I Like My Birthdays Every One.
Teach “The Fifth Article of Faith”
Sharing Time:
With the bishop’s approval, ask an adult priesthood holder to talk about his priesthood. He should talk about what he does with it, how he uses it to help others, and how he needs to stay worthy. Have him share his testimony about having the priesthood.
You might also ask a deacon to talk about being a deacon, if you know of one who would do this well, particularly during Senior Primary’s sharing time.
If there is more time, have the children color a picture of the priesthood. You can find one in the Friend, in the Coloring Page index under baptism.
What would you like to do?
Return to Sharing Time List
Go to week 4: God's Creations Bless Us (Class presentation)