The Lord Gave Me a Temple

This month, August 2019, the theme in The Friend, as well as The New Era and Ensign, is the importance of our mortal body.  In the song,"The Lord Gave Me a Temple," p. 153, it compares our body to the temple.  Use theses publications as a resource in teaching the song.

Choose a picture of a Temple - line drawing or of a temple near you.
Use a picture of children or a boy and a girl or a child dressed in white before baptism.  A bride and groom in front of a temple could also be used.

Display the pictures that you have chosen.

Tell the children that inside the temple everything is clean and beautiful and there is a reverent atmosphere there as well.  Our bodies are the "temple" of our spirit.  Heavenly Father wanted our bodies to be clean so our spirits could live there- both our minds and physical bodies.

How can we keep our bodies healthy, clean and pure for our spirits?
(Let the children give suggestions on keeping their bodies clean and healthy.)

Sing "The Lord Gave Me a Temple" or use a recording of it.  Ask them to listen for rhymes in the song.

• Sing the first 2 1/2 lines.
• point out the rhyming words
• Ask the children to sing with you (3 times)
• Where did we live before our birth?  Heaven
• Why do we call our body a "temple?"
• Sing the last 2 1/2 lines
• Ask the children to sing with you (3 times)
• What can we do to keep our bodies "bright?"
• sing the whole first verse

Second verse - Sing the second verse.

• What ways can we protect our bodies?  Listen to the second verse. (keep it clean, pure and habit-free)
• sing the last 2 1/2 lines
• What does heavenly father promise us if we keep our bodies clean and pure? (I'll live in celestial glory and live in heaven.)
• Sing the last 2 1/2 lines - 3 times with the children

Review this song again next week.

The Holy Ghost

"The Holy Ghost," p. 105, introduces and explains the Holy Ghost in simple and meaningful way.  The rhyming words are helpful in teaching this song.

First verse - sing it for the children. (If some children know it, invite them to sing along.)  Tell the children that Jesus promised to send "the comforter" or Holy Ghost after Christ was crucified.  The Holy Ghost would be a comforter to us and guide us to do what is right.

• Sing the 1st two lines
• Ask the children to sing it with you
• What words rhyme? (send and friend)
• Sing it with the children 3 times
• Sing the last two lines
• To add emphasis to the 3rd line, sing it softly.
• What words rhyme? (voice and rejoice)  

Follow the same pattern for the second verse.  Be sure to sing each section at least 3 times.  Challenge the children to sing it at home.


*Check out other posts of this song for more ideas.

When I Am Baptized

"When I Am Baptized," p, 103, was written by a friend of mine.  She played the piano beautifully and always willing to share her talent.  I'm so gald that she shared this beautiful song with us.

Use pictures to help teach this song to the children.  I like to ask the children, ahead of time, to draw the pictures for me.  You can always find and/or draw your own.

First verse:

• rainbow
• rain (raindrops or clouds with drops falling from them)
• the earth

Second verse:

• a child being baptized
• picture of a child

Chorus:

• show or point to the rain and earth
• show or point to the child and a picture of Jesus

Sing each verse several times then add the chorus.  Repetition is the key to learning and remembering the words.  Encourage the children to teach these songs to their family.

I Know My Father Lives

The last song for July 2019 is "I Know My Father Lives," p. 5.  This is a powerful song that teaches the children (actually, all of us) that our Heavenly father loves each of us and "whispers" to us through the Holy Ghost.  Help the children understand that "the Spirit" is the Holy Ghost.

Sing the first verse for the children.

• What do we know about Heavenly Father?
• He lives
• He loves me
• How do we know this?
• The Holy Ghost whispers this
• He tells us it is true

Sing each phrase and then have the children sing it a few times until they know the entire verse.

Sing the second verse.

• Why did Heavenly Father send us here to earth?
• to learn faith
• to live His plan

How do we know this?

• The Holy Ghost whispers this
• He tells us that we can follow His plan

Sing each phrase and then have the children sing it a few times until they know the entire verse.

Our Heritage

This time of year I think it is important to remember those who sacrificed so The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints could spread throughout the world.  Regardless of whether you have ancestors who crossed the plains or where among the first branches all over the world, we thank them for their sacrifices.

Choose a few songs from the "Heritage" section of the Primary Children's Songbook, p.214 - 223.

Ask the children, and teachers if they know of any stories about their ancestors becoming members of the church.

Read the words of the songs and ask what sacrifices the pioneer children made to leave their homes and walk hundreds of miles.

Sing some of the songs.
Remember to review the songs that you have been teaching.

I'll Walk with You

I'll Walk with You, p.140, teaches us that Jesus loves everyone. We are all different. Ask the children what makes them different than someone else.

• different hair color
• like/dislike sports
• dancer, musician
• likes animals
• loves to read

Sometimes children are born without arms, legs, blind or deaf.  Sometimes there is an accident and a child will be in a wheel chair the rest of his life.  Jesus loves us no matter what and we must love others as Jesus does.

Sing each phrase and then have the children sing it with you a few times, then sing the next phrase, etc.

You could make word strips of "I won't" and "I will" to hold up when it is sung.

conclude by telling the children that no mater what, Jesus love each of us.

Stand for the Right

This song will be a favorite for the children.  Sing it often to remind them of the importance of being true.  The following are some visualize that will help as you teach the song.

• picture of our prophet
• picture of someone working (at the office, in the yard, etc.)
• picture of children playing
• "Be true" written on a word strip

Sing the song.

Sing the first line and a half.  Have the children sing it with you a few times.

Sing the last line and a half.  Have the children sing it with you a few times.

Ask the following questions:

• What are the words that the prophet has for us?
• How many times do we sing Be true?
• What is the last phrase that we sing?

Sing the song again if the children need help answering the questions.