Additional Sharing Time Ideas, October 2007

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

1. Before Primary, make pictures of lambs (for a pattern, see the Primary 2 manual, lesson 23, or Primary 1 picture 1-8). Make two lambs for every child, one blank and one with the child’s name written on it. Attach the lambs to the walls of the Primary room.

   Read John 10:14. Help the children understand the comparison that Jesus is making. Tell them that each child is like a lamb and Jesus is the shepherd or leader (see “Comparisons,” Teaching, No Greater Call [1999], 163–64). Cheryl Lant, Primary general president, has said: “Jesus knew each one of the children that He blessed in the New Testament account. He knew each of the Nephite children, and He knows each child today. He desires for each one of them to feel His love. He desires for each one of them to learn His word and gain a testimony. He desires for each one of them to receive the blessings of heaven that come through righteous living” (“Feed My Lambs,” Primary open house address, Sept. 2006).

   Post Gospel Art Picture Kit 240 (Jesus the Christ) at the front of the room. Invite the children to find their own lambs and bring them to the Good Shepherd. Ask the pianist to play softly while the children, row by row, find their lambs and take them to the front. When all the children have had a chance, remind them that there are many lambs that haven’t yet entered into the fold by coming to Primary. Read Luke 15:4. Have the pianist play again, and invite each child to choose one of the lambs without a name on it. Invite them to think of someone whom they could invite to come into the fold. Have them write the person’s name on the lamb and take it home to remind them to invite this “lamb” to follow the Good Shepherd.

   Testify that Jesus is the Good Shepherd and that He gave His life for us, His sheep.

2. Invite an active member of the Church to come to Primary pretending to be an investigator—someone whom the missionaries are teaching. Have the guest write a large question mark on a piece of paper and attach it to his or her shirt. Have the guest take several question marks out of a pocket or bag. Explain that this person is full of questions. Ask the children if they think they know the gospel well enough to answer the investigator’s questions. Explain that you are going to play a question-and-answer game. The tricky part is that the children must sing all of their answers.

   Have the guest begin by asking the children, “Who are you?” Have the pianist quietly play the introduction to “I Am a Child of God” (Children’s Songbook, 2–3), and then have the children answer the question by singing the song. Repeat with additional questions and songs. After each song, have the guest repeat the question and the answer. For example, “Oh, I see. We are all children of God and have been sent here because He loves us.” Other questions with musical answers might include: “Where did I live before I was born?” “What is faith?” “Where did Joseph Smith get the Book of Mormon?” Let the children decide what songs to sing to answer each question, and give a hint only if the children need one.

   Help the children understand that they learn the gospel through Primary songs. Bear testimony of the gospel and of the value of music in learning and teaching the gospel.