New Sing-Along Video
July 31, 2015
A new video has just been posted to our sing-along song collection. Click here to learn “Dare to Do Right,” or go to friend.ChurchofJesusChrist.org and click on “Videos.” Then look for the sing-along videos!
You can read along with the sheet music on page 29 of this month’s Friend magazine.
Pressing Play
By Jenna Koford
July 24, 2015
Too often we think that all online activities are harmful or time wasting. But there can be wonderful ways to learn and grow online. Press play on the uplifting tools you can find on ChurchofJesusChrist.org. For example, under the “Inspiration and News” tab, click Inspiring Media. Find videos or messages that your family would like to hear. You can also share messages on your social media pages!
Temple Section
By Marissa Widdison
July 17, 2015
Did you know that pages 21–37 of this month’s Friend magazine are all about temples? There are stories, activities, answers to common questions, and stories from children about visiting the temple for the first time. You could download a PDF of this special section, print it out, and make it into a booklet for your kids! Or print individual items from this table of contents page. I took the photo article on pages 24–25 and cut it into pieces to make an family home evening lesson. As we put the puzzle together, we can talk about what we learn from each piece!
Singing Doctrine
By Joy Jones, Primary general board
July 10, 2015
While visiting a Primary recently I watched the music leader teach the simple one-verse Primary song, “Seek the Lord Early” (Children’s Songbook, 108). She asked the children if they could identify the commandments they were singing about. After doing so, they sang the song again searching for the blessings that come from keeping the commandments.
Teaching children the doctrines of the gospel with music can happen so naturally in Primary and in our homes. Referring to music, Elder Dallin H. Oaks reminds us, “I wonder if we are making enough use of this heaven-sent resource in our meetings, in our classes, and in our homes” (Teaching, No Greater Call, page 172).
As we look for ways to teach the gospel to children, we might ask ourselves these questions: How can I use music to answer my children’s gospel questions? In what ways can I use music to invite the Spirit?
The beauty of music is that it will stay in your children’s hearts forever, so let’s sing! For more ideas see Teaching, No Greater Call, pages 172-174.
Family Proclamation Art
By Jocelyn Christensen
July 3, 2015
We are studying The Family: A Proclamation to the World as a family. This week, we focused on this paragraph in particular: “All human beings—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose.”
We made silhouette “self portraits” to help the children look inward into what makes them special. First, I took pictures of each child from the side, enlarged them digitally, and printed them out. Then I cut the pictures out carefully and traced the profiles onto cardstock using pencil first, then marker. Finally, I encouraged each child to fill the inside of their silhouettes with pictures of things that they love. It was really fun to see them go to work! The result is as colorful and unique as each child. As we drew, we enjoyed talking about our favorite things and pointing out the eternal characteristics that make up each one of us.
