Primary Program 2008: “I Am a Child of God”
Prelude Music: Primary children begin playing songs on the piano ten minutes before sacrament begins. They take turns playing the prelude music as the congregation enters the chapel.
Sacrament Meeting Opening Song: “I Know my Father Lives” p. 302 -Primary and Congregation
There will be ten children of different ages lined up on the left side of the podium. One by one they will stand at the microphone and say “I am (their name). I am a (soccer player, pianist, gymnast, etc)” After each child’s part, he or she quickly moves to the right side of the podium until all ten children are standing in a line facing the audience.
The tenth child will say into the microphone:
“I am (their first name). I am a (dancer, football player, etc). But most importantly…”
This child stands next to the other children in line and all of the children sing the first verse of “I am a Child of God” without musical accompaniment.
Primary President: “Each of these children, each one of us here today is a child of God. In fact, each person who is living or who has ever lived on the earth, is a child of God. No matter what else we do in our lives, we are and always will be children of a divine Heavenly Father. Before we came to earth, we lived with our Father in Heaven. In heaven we learned what we need to do to return to live with him one day.”
Setting: A teacher and three children of different ages in heaven together. They are discussing earth and what it will be like.
Child #1: “I cannot wait until it is my turn to go to earth. I wonder what it will be like.”
Teacher: There are many beautiful places on earth. Heavenly Father and Jesus have created an earth with land, water, trees, animals, and vegetation for us to enjoy.
Child #2: “I am so glad Heavenly Father has provided a plan in which I can go to earth to receive a mortal body and be tested.”
Child at pulpit: “Satan told us he wanted to force everyone to do right, which meant we wouldn’t think or act for ourselves. He said, “I will redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost, and surely I will do it; wherefore give me thine honor.” (Moses 4:1)
Child at pulpit: “Jesus said he would come to earth to be our example. He wanted us to have freedom to think and choose for ourselves. He said, “Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever.” (Moses 4:2)
Child at pulpit: “In our premortal life, Heavenly Father let us choose for ourselves which plan we wanted to follow. Everyone who came to earth wanted to follow Jesus’s plan.”
Child #3 in heaven: “Once we get to earth, how will we know about Jesus so that we can follow His example?”
Teacher: “You can learn about Jesus and Heavenly Father from the scriptures. Both the Bible and the Book of Mormon will teach you about Heavenly Father and Jesus and tell you what you need to do to return to live with them. You can read the scriptures on your own or your teachers and parents can tell you the stories of Jesus.”
Song “Tell Me the Stories of Jesus” All three verses: entire primary
Child #1 in Heaven: “I will definitely read and learn from the scriptures so that I will know about Jesus and how I can be more like Him.”
Primary Class at pulpit:
Teacher: This year in primary we have learned how we can be more like Jesus. Here are some of the ways our class is trying to be like Jesus.
Class members each tell one way they are trying to be like Jesus. “I am trying to be like Jesus by…”
Last child says “We are trying to be more like Jesus and live each day as if the Savior was standing beside us.”
Song “If the Savior Stood Beside Me”
Child #2 in Heaven: “Are there other things that will help me to make the right decisions while I am on earth?”
Teacher: “Yes. Heavenly Father has called and ordained living prophets to give us guidance and direction.”
Primary Class recites Amos 3:7: “Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.”
Child #3 in Heaven: “So the prophet’s voice is like the voice of the Lord’s?”
Teacher: “Exactly. And each prophet has given specific counsel and commandments which will help to guide you throughout your life. This counsel will not only help you to return to live with our Heavenly Father again, but it will also help you to choose the right and be happy.”
Children hold up a picture of a prophet and tell something that that prophet taught. They return to their seat when finished speaking and then hold up the picture again during the song.
Child #1: “President Joseph Smith said, ‘I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book”’ (Book of Mormon introduction; see also History of the Church, 4:461).
Child #2: President Harold B. Lee declared: “Happiness comes from unselfish service. And happy homes are only those where there is a daily striving to make sacrifices for each other’s happiness” (“Chapter 14: Love at Home,” Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Harold B. Lee,129).
Child #3: “President Gordon B. Hinckley said, ‘Try a little harder to be a little better’" (Ensign, May 1995, 88).
Last child: “President Thomas S. Monson has counseled us to study diligently, pray earnestly, and serve willingly” (Thomas S. Monson, “Three Goals to Guide You,” Liahona, Nov 2007, 118–21.)
Song: The Primary and the congregation sing “We Thank Thee Oh God for a Prophet.” The congregation stays seated as Manuel leads them. During the song, all Primary children stand and sixteen children hold up the pictures of the prophets in order.
Child #2 in Heaven: “What else should I expect when I go to earth?”
Teacher: “Heavenly Father has planned for you to go to a family. You will be able to strengthen your family by showing them love. You will also be able to build strong relationships and lasting memories as you participate in wholesome activities with your family.”
Primary Class at Pulpit:
Teacher: The members of our class love to spend time with their families. Here are a few of their favorite things that they like to do with their families.
Class members each tell one activity they love to do with their family.
Last child says “I love to be at home with my family.”
Song: “Home” sung by a family (we are using a guitar as the accompaniment)
Child #3: A family sounds wonderful. But will I only be with my family while I am on earth?
Teacher: “No. Heavenly Father has told the world in the Proclamation for the Family that when sealed in a temple of the Lord, a family unit has the potential to be eternal—to endure beyond mortal life. Temple ordinances make it possible for children to be sealed to their parents forever.”
Song: “I Love to See the Temple” sung by Valiant 11-12 girls and boys.
Teacher: “There is something I must tell you. Although everyone who goes down to earth is a child of God, not everyone will know about the Gospel.”
Child #1: “Really? But is there a way for them to find out about the Gospel?”
Teacher: “Yes. There is a missionary program. Last year alone there were 53,143 missionaries. They served in 157 nations and territories and taught the Gospel in 164 different languages around the world.”
Child #2: “Wow. Does this missionary program really work?”
Teacher: “Yes. Just listen.”
Two children give one minute talks each about family members or ancestors who were introduced to the Gospel and maybe how many of posterity are now members.
Teacher: “The other great part about missionary work is that it is not just ordained missionaries who can teach about the Gospel, but every member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, no matter his or her age, can be a missionary now.”
All children put on missionary tags with tape.
Primary Class at Pulpit:
Child 1: “I can be a missionary now by praying and reading the scriptures daily.”
Child 2: “I can be a missionary now by being faithful and obedient.”
Child 3: “I can be a missionary now by living the gospel standards.”
Child 4: “We can all be missionaries now.”
Song: “Called to Serve” by all children with missionary tags on.
Child #3: “How can someone who hears about the Gospel and knows that it is true become a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?”
Teacher: “They can get baptized. Anyone who believes the Gospel to be true and who is over eight years old can be baptized.”
A child gives a one minute talk on baptism. Last line of talk “I am glad I could be baptized just like Jesus.”
Song: “When Jesus Christ was Baptized” Entire Primary sings the first verse; Senior Primary will sit down and Junior Primary will sing second verse
Child #4: “This all sounds so great. I can’t wait to go to earth, read the scriptures, learn about Jesus, follow the prophets, have a family, attend the temple, be a missionary, and get baptized.
Teacher: “I am excited for you.”
Adult in our ward begins playing “I Am a Child of God” on the guitar while teacher is speaking.
Teacher continues: “But remember, and this is the most important thing for you to know and remember while you are on earth. You are a child of God. He is your Heavenly Father. He loves you. He watches over you from above. He wants you to return to live with him again one day.”
“In fact, every child in every country is a child of God.
Children will be standing on the left side of pulpit with a picture of their country’s flag. When the teacher says his/her country, the child holds up the flag and says in that country’s language “I Am a Child” into the microphone at the pulpit. Once the child says his/her part, he/she quickly moves to the right side of the pulpit and the next child stands at the pulpit.
In Germany they say, Child #1: “Ich bin ein kind von Gott.”
In Argentina they say: Child #2: In Spanish
In sign language they say: Child #3: Signs “I am a Child of God”
In Denmark they say: Child #4: In Danish
In the Philippines they say: Child #5: In Tagalog
Teacher: “Everyone, everywhere can say:”
All of the children stand and say in unison “I Am a Child of God.” Guitar player finishes playing the song.
Bishop gives closing remarks.
Closing Song: Special version of “I Am a Child of God.” Congregation joins in on the third verse only; Children sing all verses including fourth.
This program is approximately 42 minutes long. It would be different depending on the sizes of your classes.