The Lord Gave Me a Temple

Just as Temples are sacred, our bodies are temples for our spirits and should be respected, protected and cared for.  The Lord Gave Me a Temple p. 153, teaches just that.

1st Verse:

• The ordinances that we do in temples are very sacred.  Temples protect what is done in the temple.  We keep the temples clean and treat them with respect.
• Our bodies are the "temple" of our spirits.  Our spirits lived with Heavenly Father before we were born.  When we came to earth, Heavenly Father provided a body for our spirits.
• We must keep our bodies clean, protect them and respect them.
• Sing the first phrase. Ask the children to sing it with you 2 or 3 times.
• Continue with each phrase singing it first for the children then have them join you and sing each phrase a few times before moving to the next phrase.
• Sing from the beginning before teaching the next phrase so the children "put the song together" as they are learning it.

If time permits, review one of the songs for the program.

Pioneer Review

The 24th of July is a day of celebration for all members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  We celebrate the ability to worship without persecution.  Today, there are "pioneers" around the world who have been instrumental in spreading the gospel.

Celebrate with the children by singing some of the pioneer songs as well as reviewing the songs we have learned this year up to this point.

Here are some ideas for this activity:

• Cut out several covered wagons or handcarts.  Print a song title on the back. Ask a child to put a wagon up and then sing the song.  Continue until you have sung all the songs and you have a line of wagons on the board representing the trek across the plains.
• Find several baseball sized rocks.  Print a song title on a paper and tape it to the rock.  Lay them hap-hazard on the ground or table. Tell the children that there were many rocks along the way.  Often times the children would move rocks to the side of the trail in a line to mark the path for pioneers who came after them.  Ask a child to move the a rock so it is in a line forming a path. Sing the song.  Continue until all the rocks create a path to follow and all the song have been sung.
• Have a list of songs that you want to sing/review.  After each song, ask 1 or 2 children to tell something about the early pioneers, such as: sacrifices, things they might have brought with them, what they might have done along the way (sing, played tag, helped push the handcarts, etc.)

To Be a Pioneer

There are many of us who don't have Utah pioneer heritage.  To Be a Pioneer, p. 218, is a great song that includes all of us and it has a fun descant.

Verse 1:

• picture or cutout of a handcart
• picture of a family
• mile sign - 1000 miles to Utah, or just a sign with a number of miles

Verse 2: word strips of:

• great courage
• Faith to conquer
• work with might
• cause that's right

Descant:

    The descant is very easy because of the repetitive words.  Singing it a few times will help them learn it.

When you put it together, ask another adult to sing one part with half of the children while you sing the second part with the other half of the children.  The piano can be a big help by playing only the descant and the melody of the verse. Note that the descant is the same for both verses.

Little Pioneer Children

The songs about the pioneers in the Children's Songbook are fun to sing as well as teaching about the sacrifices made to be able to worship as Latter Day Saints.

"Little Pioneer Children" p. 216, is a fun one to sing as a round.

You will need pictures of:

• berries
• chips (dried cattle manure) or wood
• children helping each other or pioneer children

Second verse: word strips of - 

• Singing all the day
• There's still time to play
• Often singing and dancing

Sing the first verse using the pictures.  Have the children sing with you. Let come children hold the pictures and sing it again.

Sing the second verse using the word strips. Have the children sing with you. Let come children point to the word strips or hold them and sing it again. 

Use younger children to hold the pictures and older ones to hold or point to the words.  Have the younger children sing the first and then the older children sing the second verse. Try singing it in a round.  Ask an older child or teacher to sing with half of the children while you sing with the other half.  This will take a little practice but the children will enjoy singing in a round once they know the song well.  Don't give up!  There is always next week.

I Love to See the Temple

The song for this month is I Love to See the Temple, p.95.  Most children know this song so helping them understand the purpose of temples is the goal for this month.  There are 9 keep points to learn and/or remember about the temple.

The first verse teaches that you go to the temple to:

• feel the Holy spirit
• listen
• pray

The second verse teaches that we:

• covenant with the Father
• promise to obey
• are sealed together forever

We also learn that:

• the temple is a house of God
• it's a place of love and beauty
• It's a holy place

Use building blocks (9 blocks including one triangle for the top) or use a  large picture of the temple in your area and cut it into nine strips.  As you sing place the pieces or blocks on the table or board.  Begin from the bottom up.  Save the top piece for last representing sealing families forever.

I choose not to write the phrases on each piece so I can use is again and again.   You can also build it by asking the children about what they know about the temple - you wear white clothing, you are baptized and confirmed for the dead, you can seal ancestors that have died (husband and wife) together, seal children to parents, pray for those who need special help, learn, etc.  As thoughts are given, you can build the temple and then sing the song.

You write the 9 phrases on the board in mixed-up order so the children can see and unscramble them, also.