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This month’s Primary theme is as follows:

I will follow the prophet. “Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets” (Amos 3:7).

I’m actually not sure which weeks I’m doing this month because I don’t have my schedule in front of me.  Plus, it’s a mixed up month with General Conference last week and one of my counselors on a trip for the rest of the month.  I’m guessing that I’m doing week three, but I’ll put down some ideas that will work for any week.

First of all, there’s a great coloring page with a picture of President Monson in the April Friend magazine here:

I think that coloring page could be used in any of the April Sharing Times. The Sharing Time page in the Friend is here. There’s a great printable color portrait of President Monson with lines below for writing down what the child can do to follow the prophet.  This month there are six different sharing time outlines, even though we only have three weeks, so there’s plenty to choose from!

The Sharing Time idea in the Outline is as follows:

“The prophet teaches me to read and pray about the Book of Mormon (Moroni 10:3–4; Gordon B. Hinckley, “A Testimony Vibrant and True,” Ensign, Aug. 2005, 2–6; GP, chapters 8, 10)”.

I don’t remember right now whether Pres. Monson mentioned the Book of Mormon or prayer specifically in his talks this weekend, but I’m guessing he did.  You will be able to find archives of his (and everyone else who spoke) talks here.

So, for the third week, here is a lesson plan of my own:

Hold up a picture of President Hinckley, say he was our prophet, and remind everyone of when he challenged us to all read the Book of Mormon.  Quote his talk (linked to above) saying “I offer a challenge to members of the Church throughout the world and to our friends everywhere to read or reread the Book of Mormon….Without reservation I promise you that if each of you will observe this simple program, regardless of how many times you previously may have read the Book of Mormon, there will come into your lives and into your homes an added measure of the Spirit of the Lord, a strengthened resolution to walk in obedience to His commandments, and a stronger testimony of the living reality of the Son of God.”  Ask the children if they remember that challenge.  Ask if anyone would like to share their experience with the group.  Share my own participation in the challenge and the blessings that came to me because of it.

Hold up a picture of President Monson and tell the children that he wants us to read and pray about the Book of Mormon, too.  Quote his talk from Nov 2007 General Relief Society Meeting here saying that he asked them to “Study diligently.  Pray earnestly.”

Ask the children what they think “study diligently” means.  Let them answer, then ask what “pray earnestly” means.  Have them repeat the two phrases a couple of times.

Hold up GAK picture #320 and tell the children that there was a prophet named Moroni who wrote them a message about reading and praying about the Book of Mormon.  Then have a child read Moroni 10:3-5.  Repeat the part that says “ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.”  Bear testimony that this promise is true, and that all the children can know for themselves through the Holy Ghost that the Book of Mormon is true and that we have a prophet today.

If there is time, have the children color the picture above of President Monson speaking and the little boy giving a talk in Primary.

Tags: april, book of mormon, LDS, prayer, Primary, prophet, sharing time