The past couple of weeks we have talked about the loss of many of God’s truths on the earth.  We’ve done a great job remembering many of those things like baptism by immersion, the priesthood, missionary work and the gift of [...]]]>

Restoration of the Priesthood and the Translation of the Book of Mormon

The past couple of weeks we have talked about the loss of many of God’s truths on the earth.  We’ve done a great job remembering many of those things like baptism by immersion, the priesthood, missionary work and the gift of the Holy Ghost to name a few.  Last week we talked about when Joseph Smith had his first vision.

Which church did Heavenly Father tell him he should join?

If he wasn’t supposed to join any of the churches, what was he supposed to do?

Joseph Smith was patient and he waited for further instruction from Heavenly Father.  Eventually he was shown the Golden Plates.  But he wasn’t allowed to take them.  For 4 years he had to return each year to see them and receive more instruction.  Finally he was given the plates.

There was a problem though.  The plates were not in English!!

What is English?

I’d like to read you something.

Read the first line of the introduction of the Book of Mormon in Russian…

Книга Мормона — это собрание Священных Писаний, которое можно сравнить с Библией. Это летопись дел Бога с древними жителями Америки, и она содержит, как и Библия, полноту Вечного Евангелия.

Even those in this room who speak Russian may not have understood my poor Russian.  (A sure sign I need to practice more).

Who could tell me exactly what I just read?

Here is what I said, now in a language we will all understand…

For Joseph Smith, I’m sure he felt very similar to the way you just felt listening to me.  Joseph needed some very important things to be able to translate the Golden Plates.

Hand out a puzzle piece to each class and have them discuss the item on the back.  Have one representative come up and share with the group what the item is and why it was important and put the puzzle piece on the board. (The Puzzle should say “Joseph Smith Translated the Book of Mormon and restored gospel truths”)

(For junior primary have a short description of the item.  For senior primary just list the item and have them discuss or locate in the Joseph Smith History why it is important).

Not only did Joseph Smith translate the Book of Mormon but through him the power to act in God’s name was also restored.

I want to help you understand that there are many powers but only one power of God.  For example, here is a car key.  Out in the parking lot there are dozens of cars but this key only opens one of them.

The Priesthood is just like the car.  There is only one key to the priesthood and that key was restored to Joseph Smith

While Joseph Smith was translating the Book of Mormon, he learned about baptism for the remission of sins.  He wanted to know more about that so he and Oliver Cowdery went into the woods to pray.  A messenger came and blessed them and gave them the Aaronic Priesthood.

Who was that messenger?  John the Baptist

What can you do with the Aaronic Priesthood?  Bless the sacrament.  Pass the sacrament.  Baptism.

Baptism is what they went to the woods to pray about and John the Baptist gave them that power.  He also told them to do something.  Based on who gave them the priesthood and what you can do with the Aaronic priesthood.  What were they asked to do?

Joseph Smith baptized Oliver Cowdery and then Oliver baptized Joseph.

They were told they needed to wait for a time before they would be given the next priesthood power.

The other one is called the Melchizedek.  It restored the power to bless the sick and also give the gift of the Holy Ghost.

The Melchizedek Priesthood was given to Joseph Smith not by one messenger like the Aaronic but by three.  They were Peter, James and John.

Who were Peter, James and John?  They were given the priesthood by Jesus Christ and then in turn gave it to Joseph Smith.

In closing I would like to say that I am grateful for each of the prayers that Joseph Smith was thoughtful enough to say.  That he was prompted by the Spirit and listened so that today we can have the truths restored that we are in need of.  I know that John the Baptist blessed him with the Aaronic Priesthood and that Peter, James and John returned to give him the Melchizedek Priesthood when he was ready.  I know that God lives and loves us and wants us to know all of His truths.

Link to the puzzle and the words to put on the back

Last week we talked about when Christ died that eventually many of the gospel truths that He taught died too.  Some of the teachings that were lost were the priesthood, temples, baptism by immersion, and some of the scriptures.

All of those truths are very important to the foundation of His True [...]]]> Senior Primary –

Last week we talked about when Christ died that eventually many of the gospel truths that He taught died too.  Some of the teachings that were lost were the priesthood, temples, baptism by immersion, and some of the scriptures.

All of those truths are very important to the foundation of His True and Living church.

In order for us to have these truths, something wonderful had to happen.

Today there are hundreds, maybe even thousands of different churches all around the world.  Nearly 200 years ago, there weren’t nearly as many but there were still a lot.  In fact, when Joseph Smith was a young boy there was a corner not far from his house were there were 4 different churches.  Joseph’s family wanted to attend a church together.  But as they started looking into each of the churches, some of his family wanted to join one while others wanted to join another.

Joseph wanted to make sure he made the right decision.  The best decision.  A forever decision.

One day while thinking about what church to join, he read a scripture from the Bible.  It was James 1:5 and it said, If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

[Hang up Sign]

I have highlighted the points that motivated Joseph Smith to something that has forever changed our lives.

Who can tell me what this scripture means?

What did Joseph decide to do because of this scripture?

Joseph knew that this was not just any old prayer.  He knew that this one was super important to him and maybe to his family.  He had no idea how important it would be for the rest of us.

Joseph Smith went to a nearby grove of trees where he knew it would be quiet and he knew he wouldn’t be interrupted to do chores or get teased by one of his siblings.

Let’s listen to what happened.

[Joseph Smith’s First Vision]

I want each of you to sit quietly for a moment and think about how you would feel if that were to happen to you.  Think about the joy, maybe the fear, maybe the excitement or just complete peace.

Joseph Smith was a very special person with a unique mission in this life.  A mission that is very different than each of ours.  Because of his prayer and the answer he received we are all able to have the full gospel truths.  We can go to the temple, receive priesthood blessings, receive the gift of the Holy Ghost and many more wonderful things.

I’ve asked a couple of you to come up and tell us how you feel when you hear the story of Joseph Smith.  Tell us what Joseph Smith’s first vision means to you.  And also tell us how you know that this is a true story.

[Have two or three kids share their testimony.  Make sure you call on them ahead of time and if there is still time you can open it up to others that may want to share as well]

Thank you so much for sharing your testimony with us today.  I’d like to add mine that I know Joseph Smith saw Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ that beautiful morning in the Sacred Grove.  Although I will likely never have a vision like Joseph’s, I know that my prayers will be answered and I too can know what is right and what is wrong.

All of the teachings that were [...]]]> Last week we talked about the apostasy.  As a reminder, the apostasy took place when we lost many of the truths that Jesus Christ taught while He walked the earth.  Some of the teachings that were lost were the priesthood, temples, baptism by immersion, and some of the scriptures.

All of the teachings that were lost were very important to have the whole truth.

Joseph Smith lived in a time when there was a lot of excitement about going to church.  Each church was trying to get everyone to attend his or her church.  Joseph Smith was very interested in going to church but he didn’t want to go to the wrong church.

Raise your hand if you have ever had to make a tough decision.

How did you make up your mind about what you should do?

Sometimes when I have a big decision to make, I’ll talk to my mom or dad.  Other times the decision is really difficult to make so I have to do more than talk to my parents about it.

Joseph Smith visited many churches.  They all had certain things that he liked.  They were all churches that talked about Jesus Christ.  But they all interpreted the scriptures differently.  As his family was looking into the different churches, some family members joined one church and other family members joined another.  It was all very confusing to this young 14-year-old boy.

One day, while reading in the Bible, Joseph read a scripture that has changed all of our lives.  That scripture was James 1:5 – If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

It’s sometimes kind of hard to understand scriptures.  So can someone help the rest of us know what that scripture means?

Let’s take a look at the scripture and see if we can figure out what it means.

What does it mean to “lack wisdom”?

How do you “Ask of God”?

What will happen when you do ask Heavenly Father?

Joseph Smith decided to do what he read about.

Because he knew that this was such an important prayer, he didn’t want to do it at the side of his bed.  He didn’t want to be interrupted – he had a really big family and not a lot of places to be alone.

Here’s a picture of the place where Joseph Smith went to pray.  It is called the Sacred Grove.  It is just a forest of trees not far from where his home was.

While Joseph was there, he knelt down to pray.

What do you think he asked for in his prayer?

Let’s listen to the story of what happened when Joseph Smith went to the Sacred Grove to pray.  [Joseph Smith’s First Vision]

I have several pictures that need to be put in the right order.  As we put them in the right order, let’s see if you can tell me the story we just learned.

[Cut out the pictures from the Doctrine and Covenants children’s book.  Downloaded from the church site] and display them on the blackboard.  Ask 3 children to come up and work together to put them in the right order.  Ask another child to come up and summarize the story.

In closing, I’d like to bear my testimony that Joseph Smith did indeed see God the Father and Jesus Christ.  I know it is the truth and I am grateful that he was curious enough to ask which church was the right one to join.  Had he not, he would not have been trusted with the restoration of the true and living church today.

Scott was taking Jade on a snowmobiling ride on Saturday [...]]]> I didn’t think I talked about Pinterest very often.  Although, Pinterest is where I have found several tasty treats the past few months (including Jade’s birthday breakfast).   And from that, I guess Ivy has gathered that Pinterest has some really cool things on it.

Scott was taking Jade on a snowmobiling ride on Saturday so I asked Ivy what she wanted to do for fun while they were gone.  Her answer was that she wanted to do something from Pinterest.

So something from Pinterest we did.

I let her go through my Pinterest Dessert Board to find something she wanted to make.  She picked “Funfetti Scones”

They turned out really yummy, although not exactly the scone texture I expected.  I wouldn’t dip them in hot chocolate like I do the scones from Starbucks.  But I will definitely make them again.  I love that you can make them with holiday sprinkles or no sprinkles at all.  What I really want to do is try them with raspberries or blueberries.  And I’d sprinkle them with raw sugar before cooking them.

She also picked out a craft, which we didn’t get to.  Yet.  I’ll be sure and share when we finish them.

Sharing Time

January 6, 2013

Preparation:

So much has happened this year.  Much of it has been wonderful but part of this year has been filled with sorrow.

January - Ivy turned 6 and had an adorable monkey themed party with many of her closest friends.  Scott had to have back surgery which now serves as a reminder that he is [...]]]>

So much has happened this year.  Much of it has been wonderful but part of this year has been filled with sorrow.

January - Ivy turned 6 and had an adorable monkey themed party with many of her closest friends.  Scott had to have back surgery which now serves as a reminder that he is not as young as we often think.

February - Jade turned 9 and I turned the big 4-0!  I welcomed in the 40′s at the hospital but was glad it didn’t end up being appendicitis.  Scott went up to Bear Lake for a weekend of snowmobiling with Mark.

March - The dance competition season was underway for both girls.  We played in the backyard in snow and swimsuits during the month of spring.  Scott fit in a sand dunes day trip on the quads.

April - Anne’s cancer came back so we all headed down to spend Easter with Anne, Tom and the kids.  Can’t begin to tell you how grateful I am that we were able to make that trip happen.  Dance competition season continued through April with our first overnight convention for Jade.

May -  We welcomed in the final grand baby into the family – Sam is a happy and healthy boy that brings a lot of joy into the whole family.  On Mother’s Day, dad was rushed to the hospital with a massive infection and we nearly lost him.  On a happier note, The family went to Lagoon for Ivy’s dance competition.   We saw the “Super Moon” and loved it.  Jade danced at a Utah Blaze game.  The girls both had their spring dance recital, the school dance festival and Ivy finished kindergarten.

June  - Anne lost her two-year battle with appendix cancer the morning of the summer solstice.  We headed down to California to celebrate her life and embrace all that she had left behind.  We cried, laughed, enjoyed telling stories of her and looking through pictures and we cried even more.

July - Jade, Ivy and I headed back down to California for Jade’s first National Dance Competition.  We celebrated the 4th of July on the beach but really missed our family at home.   The remainder of July was filled with as much time on the boat as we could manage.  Finally on the 24th of July Dad was able to come home from the hospital.

August - Ivy gave waterskiing a try but hasn’t yet fallen in love with it.  We continued to enjoy the boat, despite the smoke-filled skies from the many brush fires we had in Utah.  Jade started 4th grade and Ivy started 1st grade in a Chinese Immersion program.

September - We filled the month with fun!  We went to Lake Powell, the Barnum and Bailey Circus, hiked up at Cascade Springs, fit in more boating and the girls went to the Brigham City Temple open house.

October - Scott thought it was time for us to do another Yellowstone trip so we put together a spur of the moment trip with my parents the weekend before the season ended.  It was beautiful and we had a wonderful time.

November - We enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving at my aunt and uncle’s home and then hid in Park City for the rest of the weekend.  It was fantastic and very restful!

December - We had a wonderful Christmas season filled with family and fun.  I was surprised by the wide range of emotions I felt from absolute joy for our extended family to sobbing and missing Anne.  We ended the year sending off beautiful colored lanterns in her honor.

And now we dive head first into the new year and pray for the continued joy and love that we have felt this past year and also hope for better health for each member of our family.  (3 years in a row we have lost someone and I’m ready for that trend to stop!)

Looking forward to a bit more blogging this year as well.  No promises on how often, but do expect to hear from me.

My husband very obviously [...]]]> There are only 4 of us in our little family.  To me, 4 is a perfect number.  But we don’t have any sons.  I was afraid of getting a boy.  Silly huh?   I’ve never felt like I would be a good mom to a boy.  And I can’t explain why.

My husband very obviously would have loved a boy.  He would love a boy to throw a football with, go fishing with or go duck hunting with.  Instead he has a house full of pink, dance clothes, pony tail holders (which are somehow hidden in places throughout the house) and long hair.

When we were younger I wondered if we should try for one more and maybe get that little boy.  But after being on bed rest with Ivy from week 26 on and getting through her seizures and periodic fever syndrome, I didn’t have it in me.  The time came and went and we are happy with our family of four.

So when Scott encourages the girls to participate in activities that are traditionally “boy” activities, I embrace it.  In fact, I pray that the girls will have fun doing it.

The other day was one of those days.

Scott has great memories of going hunting with his dad and his grandpa.  He remembers sitting on the duck blind shooting at fence posts with his pellet gun.  Back then it was okay to sit in the bed of a truck while you rode out to the marshes, and he loves those memories.  (I grew up in a family that did not hunt at all – I always remember telling friends the story of the one time my dad went hunting.  He shot at a rabbit (I think) and it crushed my big 6 foot 6 inch professional football player of a dad to tears.  He never hunted again).

When Scott and I were dating, he took me duck hunting.  I loved being out in the marshes – it was so pretty and so peaceful.  So I decided it was pretty okay with me.  We bought me a pair of waders and I took hunter’s safety.  My waders got stolen and we never replaced them.  But he still goes.

Scott came home one day and said that we were heading to Cabela’s to look at pellet guns.  We did more than look.  We came home with one and spent our family night out in a field shooting at targets.

This Saturday Scott is taking Jade out to the bird refuge in her own little waders, her camera and her pellet gun to experience duck hunting first hand. They are going to go with a good friend of ours and his son.

I’ll be honest, I’m nervous about it.  But Scott is also the MOST conscientious person I know and he’s extremely protective of his little girls, so I’m sure she’s going to come home with a big smile and some great pictures.  (And hopefully no ducks).

Well, I recently received a new calling in our church.  I am not the first counselor in the Primary Presidency.  (The children’s organization of our church).

This is a calling that stresses me out more than most any other calling.  But, I know I was called to this position for a reason (even if [...]]]>

Well, I recently received a new calling in our church.  I am not the first counselor in the Primary Presidency.  (The children’s organization of our church).

This is a calling that stresses me out more than most any other calling.  But, I know I was called to this position for a reason (even if I don’t know what it is).  Since I have always posted my lessons from either Sunday School or Primary, I’ve decided to continue by posting my Sharing Time lessons.

Each time I teach there will be two sections to the post- one for Junior Primary and one for Senior Primary.  The topic will always be the same, and they will be fairly similar but just geared more toward the different age groups.  The problem is that it will make the post very long, so I will use headers to distinguish the two.

________________

Show a picture of a Temple

What is this a picture of

Have any of you been to see a Temple

Why do we go to the Temple

What happens in the Temple?

I have always loved the song written by Janice Kapp Perry about the Temple.  It is called “I love to see the Temple

Sing the song “I love to see the Temple”

Now that we have sung the song, let’s talk a little bit more about what we do in the temple.  From the song we learned that we can  …  (Hang word strips on the board for each of these three things from the song)

LISTEN AND PRAY

COVENANT WITH HEAVENLY FATHER

SEALED TO OUR FAMILY

Last week we talked about the helping hands of the priesthood and the blessings that we can receive through the priesthood.  In the Temple we also receive priesthood blessings.   And these blessings are ones that are so very important.   These blessings are so important that they are called ordinances

Your baptism is a very important ordinance and each one of you can be baptized when you turn 8 because you are alive.  By being baptized you promise Heavenly Father that you we always do your best to be like Him and His Son, Jesus Christ

But did you know that not everyone will have the opportunity to be baptized?

That is one of the reasons that we have Temples today.  In the Temple, we can get baptized for our family members that died before they were able to get baptized

This week’s theme is “I can go to the temple to receive ordinances for my ancestors when I am older.

What is an ancestor?

Let’s have a quick scavenger hunt to find out a couple of things that we can do for our ancestors if they did not have the opportunity to get baptized while they were alive.

Have 3 clues that you will read from the podium.  At the hiding space have a folded up word strip that a child can bring to you and read from the podium.  Also have a picture of each item, if you can.

Clue #1 – You can see through me from the inside looking out or the outside looking in.  (Window) – BAPTISM – Have a picture of a Temple baptismal font.

Baptism – This is the first of the ordinances that need to happen for your ancestors.  When you get a little bit older you will be able to go to the temple and do baptisms for wonderful people that have already died.  Just like when you will get baptized for your self, you will wear white and a priesthood holder will offer the baptismal prayer and you will go all the way under water.  ALL of it will be just like when you get baptized.

Clue #2 – I make beautiful music when someone tickles me and loud noise when someone bangs on me.  (Piano) – ENDOWMENT – Have a picture of an endowment room.

Endowment -  An endowment is when we make even more promises to our Heavenly Father than we do when we get baptized.  It is a very important promise and our ancestors need to have the opportunity to make the same promise.   So when your mom and dad go to the Temple, they are probably helping one of your ancestors or someone else’s ancestor make the same promises they did when they went through the Temple the first time.

Clue #3 – You can write on me or you can hang things from me, but I don’t like to be scratched.  (Whiteboard or Chalkboard) – SEALING – Have a picture of a sealing room.

Sealing – In the temple you can be sealed to your family forever and ever.  But if you did get to do it when you were alive, someone else can do it for you.  My husband’s grandparents were married outside of the Temple.  After they died, we got to be sealed for them.  That way they can be together with their famiies forever and ever!

I know that the Temple is a sacred place.  It is a place where we can feel Heavenly Father’s love.  It is also the only place where we can help our family members that have died be with Heavenly Father and their families forever.

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