Additional Sharing Time Ideas, June 2007

The following are additional ideas Primary leaders may use with the Sharing Time printed in the June 2007 Liahona. For the lesson, instructions, and activity that correspond with these ideas, see “Remember” on pages F4 and F5 of the children’s section in this issue.

1. Pretend to be a journalist. Show the children Gospel Art Picture Kit 208 (John the Baptist Baptizing Jesus). Ask them to help you find out what is happening in the picture. Explain that a journalist needs to find out six things. Write the words what, where, when, who, how, and why on wordstrips, and display them. Ask the children to discover the answer to each of these words. You might direct them to Matthew 3:13–17. For example, the answer to who is “Jesus was baptized by John.” The answer to where is “in the Jordan River.”

   After you have answered all of the questions, put the answers together to form a story. Invite the music leader to lead the children in “Baptism” (Children’s Songbook, 100–101), and point out that the first five questions are answered in the first verse of the song and that the why question is answered in the second verse.

   Explain that Jesus set an example for us and that each of us needs to be baptized. Bear your testimony that Jesus is the Son of God.

2. Display a loaf of bread and a pitcher of water. Also display Gospel Art Picture Kit 604 (Passing the Sacrament). Ask the children what the difference is between plain bread and water and sacrament bread and water. Explain that the sacrament is sacred because it has been blessed by priesthood authority. It reminds us of Jesus’s body and blood.

   Use the True to the Faith section on the sacrament and chapter 23 of Gospel Principles to help you create questions such as “Who introduced the sacrament?” (Christ), “Who passes the sacrament?” (priesthood holders, usually the deacons), and “What should we think of while the sacrament is being passed?” (Christ and His Atonement). Ask enough questions to help the children understand the sacrament. Use a picture of the sacrament to create a puzzle. Cut the picture into puzzle pieces, making the same number of pieces as questions. Each time a question is answered correctly, invite the child to tape a puzzle piece to the chalkboard. When the puzzle is complete, sing a song or hymn about the Savior. Although the sacrament is a time to be very quiet, it is also a time to be happy as we think of what Jesus has done for us. Bear testimony of His love for us and of the importance of the sacrament.

3. Song presentation: “I Want to Live the Gospel” (Children’s Songbook, 148). Ask the children, “What do you want?” Give many children an opportunity to respond so that there is a broad assortment of ideas. List them on the board. Tell the children that you are going to tell them what you want. Sing the first verse of “I Want to Live the Gospel.” Ask them what you want (to live the gospel). Teach the first verse of the song. Ask the children how likely it will be that they get the things listed on the board. Tell them that it is very likely that they will live the gospel if they do what the chorus of the song says. Sing the chorus. Explain that it is a statement of commitment and that it is repeated. Point out the words do and say. Ask the children to think of things that they can do and things that they can say to live the gospel. For example, a child might respond, “Something I can do is read the scriptures,” or, “I can say thank you to show that I’m grateful.” Ask the children to think of one thing they can do or say this week “to live the gospel more each day.” Tell them that living the gospel begins with trying to do what is right. Commit that you will do something specific this week to live the gospel more. Testify of the truth of the gospel and the joy it brings.