Gospel Haiku

By JaNeal B. Freeman

A haiku (pronounced “hy-koo”) is a type of short poem from Japan. You can use it to tell a story, express an idea, or show how you feel. To write a haiku, just listen to the beat. The first line has five beats (or syllables), the second line has seven, and the third line has five.

This haiku is marked to show the number of beats in each line. You can clap along with the beats to help you hear and count them. Words like “reading” and “scriptures” have two beats because they have two syllables.

Here are some more haikus:

Forgiving others
can be hard when I am hurt.
I can pray for help.

Paying my tithing
means giving back ten percent
to God, who gives all.

Loving and serving
help me see other people
like Jesus sees them.

Now it’s your turn to make a gospel haiku!

You can write your poem on these lines to help you count the beats. Write a syllable on each line. You can print more copies of this page online at friend.lds.org.

Here are some first lines you could use, or write some of your own:

I will choose the right …

When I go to church …

When I am baptized …