Monday, September 15, 2008

TotD: Everything I Know I Learned in Primary

I'll make this short, since it's late . . . but today I was sitting in singing time during Jr. Primary. We're practicing for Primary Program in two weeks - and the kids were singing great with extra motivation (stickers) and I just started thinking about these kids. Christian and kids like him in particular . . . and how much he loves Church and he soaks it all up (he loves primary, wants his own set of scriptures, asked when he can get baptized, etc).

Last summer when I worked @ ISU (without foster kids) I worked next to an inactive Muslim from Pakistan. Other than finding out the Koran and Book of Mormon & Muslim and Mormon beliefs have a lot more in common than either of us ever thought . . . we had a view child-raising conversations. He is a firm believer in not teaching your kid anything religious and then just always letting them choose if they ever become so interested to do so.

Well, I looked around that primary room with kids ages 4-7 and looked at their little faces belting out "If the Savior Stood Beside Me" and I almost just completely broke down. I'm usually not at all teary when it comes to churchy or spiritual matters so this took me by surprise. Of course children should always be free to choose how and where to worship, but how can you neglect to build a foundation for these kids?? Teach them the way they should go and then allow them to govern themselves (eventually by a slow transfer of power throughout their first 18 years :-) Anyways, what difference does it make in their lives if they don't know "I Am a Child of God" or "Tell Me the Stories of Jesus" or (Christian's Favorite) "Scripture Power". I know that Ellie knows Jesus loves her and he loves us and definitely that she is a Child of God (that's her #1 requested lullaby).

So I just wanted to share with how my testimony has grown -- not in AP Gospel Doctrine . . . but more than I ever could have imagined by learning how to have childlike enthusiasm for the gospel and for basic principles, and most of all for the awesome primary songs!

If the Savior stood beside me,
Would I do the things I do?
Would I think of his commandments
and try harder to be true?
Would I follow his example?
Would I live more righteously
If I could see the Savior standing nigh,
watching over me?

4 comments:

  1. I am in Primary right now, too, and I love that song. I love how spiritually sensitive little kids are. How could you in good conscious deny them to opportunity to learn to recognize the spirit?

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  2. You know, it's funny, I subbed in nursery yesterday and probably had more of a spiritual experience in there then I had in a long time. The lessons are so simple, but I think the simplicity in them is what makes them so powerful. Sometimes I think it's those experiences like teaching primary etc, that help us build our testimonies more then anything. Great blog!

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  3. Wow, thank you for sharing that. I know, I can't believe that you could just not teach your child any beliefs hoping that they'll just figure it all out on their own. I look at my kids, Audrey especially, and think how they're just sponges at this age and they're ready to soak up anything we teach them. So, yeah Primary!! Yeah FHE!! Hurray!!!

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