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.