Stories
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Elizabeth has a hard day, but finds comfort in music.
- “An Angel Came to Joseph Smith” (April 2007 Liahona and Friend)
- “Better than Lullabies” (October 2012 Friend)
Six-year-old Payson shares how listening to Primary songs makes him happy. - “Birthday Standards” (August 2010 Friend)
Lisa wants to leave a birthday party when some music with bad words is played. - “Bonnie’s Song” (August 2017 Friend)
Even though she is young, Bonnie wants to sing in her ward choir. - “A Calling for a Convert” (April 2012 Liahona and Ensign)
A member shares her story how as a young girl she sacrificed so she could learn to play the piano. - “Chrissy’s Song” (August 1998 Liahona and January 1998 Friend)
A young girl learns from Emma Smith and Doctrine and Covenants section 25 after she doesn’t want to sing in Primary anymore. - “Comforting Lucy” (September 2009 Liahona and Friend)
A young girl is comforted after the death of her grandmother by singing Primary songs. - “A Comforting Song” (April 2019 Friend)
Mia is feeling sad, but she feels the Holy Ghost and cheers up after singing a Primary song. - “Courage and a Kind Word” (July 2004 Liahona and Friend)
Evan Stephens was a poor farm boy who was too ashamed of his clothes to sing for President Brigham Young. But the prophet’s kind words comforted Evan, and he later directed the Tabernacle Choir. - “Daddy’s Song” (November 2015 Friend)
Carlan is comforted by her dad singing Primary songs after she has a bad dream. - “A Family in Tune” (May 2009 Friend)
Learn about Emeline and William, a brother and sister from Texas who love singing Primary songs. - “Gabriel’s Cello” (December 2017 Friend)
Gabriel uses his musical talent to help people by performing and donating the money earned. - “A Gift of Music” (December 2005 Liahona and Friend)
President David O. McKay (1873–1970) loved music. When his adult son sold his prized violin to pay bills, President McKay bought it back and gave it to his son as a gift. - “Grace’s Song” (May 2010 Friend)
A young girl is nervous about singing in sacrament meeting but she is happy she can sing about Jesus. - “In Tune” (September 2012 Friend)
Two sisters discover that listening to worldly music on Sunday morning affects their mood as they get ready for church and causes them to argue. - “Keep It Up, Jenna!” (November 2009 Friend)
Jenna is glad that she has kept up her piano lessons so that she can play the songs she loves for Heavenly Father. - “Learning to Sing” (July 2004 Liahona and Friend)
President Heber J. Grant (1856–1945) couldn’t sing as young boy, but he practiced hard and shared his love of music with others. - “Lightning Strikes” (February 2008 Friend)
Kent shares his talent by playing the piano for a musical number in sacrament meeting. - “Music for the Heart” (August 2011 Friend)
Elder Yoon Hwan Choi shares an experience of how his young son appreciated sacred music. - “Playing the Hymns” (May 2009 Friend)
Elder Lowell M. Snow shares how he learned to play the piano as a boy and how that gave him opportunities to serve throughout his life. - “Playing the Piano” (April 2007 Friend)
President Spencer W. Kimball (1895–1985) didn’t want to learn the piano, but this skill helped him as a student, a missionary, and an Apostle. - “Praying and Singing to Heavenly Father” (July 2009 Liahona and Friend)
Elder Michael John U. Teh shares how he learned as a young boy to love Primary songs. - “Primary Pianists” (April 2010 Liahona and Friend)
Children talk about playing the piano for their ward’s Primary sacrament meeting program presentation. - “Service with a Song” (May 2002 Friend)
Three-year-old Dallin helps make some older women happy by visiting them and sharing music with them. - “A Singing Chain” (November 2013 Friend)
Learn about a group of girls who love to sing in their ward choir. - “Singing with Angels” (December 2015 Friend)
President Henry B. Eyring tells about singing Christmas carols with his family when he was a boy. Includes a matching activity. - “A Song for Grandma” (May 2013 Friend)
Lily’s grandma is sick so she sings a song to help her feel better. - “The Song of the Heart” (October 2012 Friend)
A boy sings Primary songs in his mind when he can’t get away from bad language on the school bus. - “Special Witness: Does It Really Matter What Kind of Music I Listen to?” (May 2008 Friend)
President Boyd K. Packer shares how important it is to listen to appropriate music. - “The Spirit of God” (June 2015 Friend)
Elder LeGrand R. Curtis Jr. of the Seventy shares experiences that helped him gain a testimony as a youth. Includes an application page. - “Stirling’s Great Idea” (June 2013 Friend)
Stirling says a prayer and sings primary songs with his family to help them finish a hard hike. - “Tara’s Music” (July 1994 Friend)
A 10-year-old girl who was recently baptized finds a way to share the gospel with her family when she tells her mom how singing Primary songs makes her happy. - “A True Pearl” (March 2016 Liahona and Friend)
Jetta has to leave her family to learn to play the piano, but she is later able to use her talent to serve Heavenly Father. - “The Two Secrets” (March 2012 Friend)
Heather learns the two secrets of music performance while learning to play the violin. - “Words of Warning” (February 2005 Friend)
Zach and Adam learn that music with bad words is junk.
Activities
- “Choose the Right Media” (April 2012 Friend)
This activity provides children with a checklist of what they can do to choose good media, including music. - Coloring Page: “Family members have important responsibilities.” (March 2009 Liahona and Friend)
A coloring page of a family singing together. - Coloring Page: “Music Makes Me Happy” (October 2016 Friend)
- Family Home Evening Idea: Hymns and Good Music
President Heber J. Grant (1856–1945) understood the importance of good music. Read “Learning to Sing” (July 2004 Liahona and Friend). Then, to learn more about the Mormon Tabernacle Choir radio broadcast he helped establish, read “Seventy-Fifth Anniversary ofMusic and the Spoken Word” (July 2004 Liahona and Friend). Have each family member choose a favorite hymn to sing and, if possible, take turns practicing leading the music (see the back of the hymnbook to learn the beat patterns). - Family Home Evening Idea: Listening to Good Music
Start by naming some of your favorite songs and types of music. What do you like about music? Then read “Words of Warning” (February 2005 Friend) and discuss why some songs and types of music are bad for us to listen to. Sing or play a verse from each family member’s favorite hymn or Primary song. (If family members play musical instruments, they may wish to prepare a musical number in advance.) Notice the spirit that good music brings! - “For Little Friends: Music” (November 1995 Friend)
A poem about music that includes actions to go with the words. - “Hymn Scramble” (November 2010 Friend)
Unscramble the titles of these hymns about Jesus Christ. - “Listen, Listen” (May 2011 Friend)
Sound out these phrases to figure out which Primary song they are from. - “A Musical Picnic” (July 2007 Friend)
Read musical notes to finish this story about a picnic. - “Primary Songs” (March 2009 Friend)
Use the pictures to figure out these Primary song titles. - “Sharing Time: The Songs of the Gospel Bring Peace” (July 1994 Friend)
Tells how David enjoyed music and an activity for children to write their own psalm of things they are grateful for.
