When I Go to Church

By Laurel Rohlfing

For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them (Matt. 18:20).

If you wanted to strengthen your testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ, where would be a good place to go? A baseball game? An amusement park? A circus? Would you go hiking or fishing or to a concert? Of course not. You would go to church!

When you are in church, you can feel closer to Heavenly Father and Jesus. Jesus said: “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matt. 18:20). Your testimony can be strengthened in church as you learn about the gospel. When you pray, sing, and hear talks and lessons, the Holy Ghost can give you a warm, happy feeling that helps you to know that the gospel is true. When you take the sacrament, you can remember Jesus and feel His Spirit as you renew the promises that you made at baptism. Being with your friends at church and feeling their support can help you want to live as Jesus did and to choose the right.

Attending church can help you to know that Jesus Christ is Heavenly Father’s Son and our Savior, that Joseph Smith was a prophet, that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the only true Church, and that we are led by a prophet today. Church is an important place to be each Sunday if you want to know that the gospel is true!

Instructions

Color the pictures, mount them on heavy paper, and cut them out. Punch holes where indicated. Thread the pages together with yarn or string, and tie a bow or knot. Flip the pages over one by one as you read or sing the poem to your family or friends. It will remind you how your testimonies can be strengthened at church.

Illustrated by Virginia Sargeant

Sharing Time Ideas

Draw a simple outline of a church building with several windows. Have children draw pictures showing things they do in church to strengthen their testimonies. Have them paste their pictures in the window openings.
Let younger children pantomime actions they might do in church as you recite the poem or sing the song.
Have the children name songs that help them learn about Heavenly Father and Jesus, then tell what important truth each song teaches. Sing the songs, including “When I Go to Church” (Children’s Songbook, page 157).
Using a separate bag for each story, put simple props and references to scripture stories you have chosen into bags. Divide the children into groups, give each group a bag, and have them decide what story the props remind them of, then dramatize it. After each dramatization, have the group tell what they learn from the story that strengthens their testimonies.
Divide older children into groups. Give each group a copy of a recent conference talk with a few important paragraphs underlined, including the speaker’s testimony (usually at the end). Have them read the underlined paragraphs and the testimony. Discuss what the testimony adds to the talk. Have each group tell what they think to the entire group.
Discuss how children can know when they are feeling the Spirit of the Holy Ghost. Help them recognize the Spirit when it is present by calling their attention to the special way they are feeling. This can be done throughout the entire year.

I Can Gain a Testimony at Church
When I Go to Church

By Faye Glover Peterson

1. I always have a happy feeling

When I go to church.

2. The organ plays so soft and sweet;

I tiptoe softly to my seat.

3. My teachers and my friends I greet

When I go to church.

4. I like to raise my voice in singing

When I go to church.

5. I fold my arms and bow my head,

Then listen while the prayer is said;

6. I do not talk but think instead

When I go to church.

7. I learn about my Heav’nly Father

When I go to church,

8. I thank him for each flow’r and tree,
For home and friends and family,
For all the lovely things I see
When I go to church.

(“When I Go to Church,” Children’s Songbook, page 157.)