Bethanyology

I know I already posted something on April Sharing Times, but I found out that I’m in charge of Sharing Time this week, and that’s a little different.  So, here’s my plan for this week:

The theme this month (again) is: 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 figure I could choose from the plan for either week one or week two in the outline (since week one was General Conference).  Here is what the outline suggests for both weeks.

1. The prophet holds all priesthood keys and leads the Church as directed by the Lord (D&C 21:1–5; 107:64–67; GP, chapters 9 and 17). Have two children throw and catch a ball. Explain that if the children don’t pay attention, they won’t catch the ball. Compare catching a ball to listening to the prophet. (See  “Comparisons,” TNGC, 163–64.) Read D&C 21:5. Ask, “What can we do to be ready to receive the words of the prophet?” Divide into small groups. Let each group select a picture of a latter-day prophet (GAK 400, 507–20) and read the information on the back. Ask each group to share something they learned about that prophet. Testify that we are led by a living prophet today. Sing “We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet” (Hymns, no. 19; GP, 344).
2. The prophet teaches me that I should love and forgive others (Alma 23–24; Gordon B. Hinckley, “Forgiveness,” Ensign, Nov. 2005, 81–84). Teach the story of the Anti-Nephi-Lehies. Emphasize their repentance. Display GAK 311. Read Alma 24:6–13, 17–18. Have the children act out the story. (See “Dramatizations,” TNGC, 165–66.) Ask, “What happened when the Anti-Nephi-Lehies would not fight back?” Read Alma 24:23–26. Teach that part of receiving forgiveness from the Lord is loving and forgiving others. Ask, “What can we do to show love and forgiveness for others?” Sing “Jesus Said Love Everyone” (CS, 61).

I’ve already spoken quite a bit with the kids about the listening to the prophet and about how he leads the Church under the direction of the Lord, so I think I’ll probably go on to week two.  However, if I were going to do the suggestion for Week 1, I think I’d add something at the beginning about Priesthood Keys.  I like the idea of throwing a ball (I think my kids would LOVE it), but it doesn’t explain that the prophet holds keys.  So, I’d probably bring my own key ring and show it to the children and ask them to pretend that they are the “Keys of the Kingdom” and ask them to figure out what they do and who holds all the real ones as I read Matthew 16:19.  Then we could briefly discuss how the prophet hold the keys and that means that he has the right to control the administration of the ordinances (GP ch. 9) because the Lord gives them to him.  Then I’d go on to the part about listening to the prophet.

I’m actually planning to do the idea for week 2, “the prophet teaches me that I should love and forgive others.”  The idea in the Friend for how to do this is:

Show GAK 520 (Gordon B. Hinckley), and share the story told by President Hinckley (1910–2008) of a woman who forgave a teenager for making a wrong choice that changed her life forever (see “Be More Forgiving,” Friend, Mar. 2007, 2–3). Explain that prophets have taught us to be forgiving.

Hum or play “Help Me, Dear Father” (p. 99), and ask the children if they recognize the song. If they do, sing it together. If not, help the children learn and sing the phrase “Help me, dear Father, to freely forgive.”

Use dramatizations to involve the children in learning scripture stories about forgiveness (see “Dramatizations,”TNGC, 165–66). For example: Genesis 42–45—Joseph forgives his brothers; 1 Nephi 7—Nephi forgives his brothers. Sing the phrase “Help me, dear Father, to freely forgive” after each dramatization.

Show GAK 240 (Jesus the Christ), and share your testimony of the Savior’s Atonement. Help the children understand how He made it possible for us to repent and be forgiven of our mistakes and sins so that we can return to live with Heavenly Father again. Conclude by singing the phrase “Help me, dear Father, to freely forgive.”

Okay, so here’s my combo version:

Show GAK 520 (Gordon B. Hinckley), and share the story told by President Hinckley (1910–2008) of a woman who forgave a teenager for making a wrong choice that changed her life forever (see “Be More Forgiving,” Friend, Mar. 2007, 2–3). Explain that prophets have taught us to be forgiving.

Teach the story of the Anti-Nephi-Lehies. Emphasize their repentance. Display GAK 311. Read Alma 24:6–13, 17–18. Have the children act out the story. (See “Dramatizations,” TNGC, 165–66.) Ask, “What happened when the Anti-Nephi-Lehies would not fight back?” Read Alma 24:23–26.

Teach that part of receiving forgiveness from the Lord is loving and forgiving others. Show GAK 240 (Jesus the Christ), and share your testimony of the Savior’s Atonement. Help the children understand how He made it possible for us to repent and be forgiven of our mistakes and sins so that we can return to live with Heavenly Father again. Ask, “What can we do to show love and forgiveness for others?” Sing “Jesus Said Love Everyone” (CS, 61).