Sunday Morning with the kids

The last few weeks or so I have been working with the children's chorister and the President of the Primary (children's church) in our ward (congregation) helping them prepare to sing and sign a song for their program next Sunday. This program is called "The Children's Sacrament Meeting Presentation" and then followed by the yearly theme. Most of us call it: "The Best Sunday of the Year".

Each year the children learn Gospel principles and in the last quarter of the year they get to present what they have learned in the Sacrament Meeting (the main worship meeting on Sundays for LDS people). Their program is filled with music and, usually, each child has a speaking part explaining in a sentence or two, what they personally have learned. There are no scripts. The children are asked certain questions and their answers are what is presented. Children, being unpredictable no matter how well rehearsed or practiced, are still the best teachers and the most entertaining.

Our grand son, Mogli, was in his first presentation a month ago. He is 4 years old and went up to the pulpit and almost sang his 'part' in a roller coaster voice of excitement as he proclaimed very clearly and loudly into the microphone: "I am HAAAAAPPY because I get to GOOOOO to CHURCH!" He wasn't too keen on vocally singing, although when I asked him, he replied: "I said my talk gramma and then I sang in my head."

This morning was my last visit in to the Primary room, and it was so lovely and Spirit filled I left in tears. The words they sang were beautiful. They sing about 12 or so songs and they all just gave me goose bumps. The children sang with much expression and joy. I am really blessed that get to help them out with one song. The words to the song we get to sign are:

If you don't walk as most people do, some people walk away from you.
But I won't. I won't.

If you don't talk as most people do, some people talk and laugh at you.
But I won't. I won't.

I'll walk with you. I'll talk with you. That's how I'll sow my love for you.

Jesus walked away from none. He gave His love to everyone.
So I will. I will.

Jesus blessed all He could see, then turn and said, "Come follow Me."
So I will. I will.
I will. I will.

I'll walk with you, I'll talk with you.
That's how I'll show my love for you.

The English to this song is awesome enough, but when you see the ASL and read it literally the words have even more meaning:

If you walk different, some people walk away from you.
I won't. I won't.

If you talk different, some people gossip and mock you.
I won't. I won't.

I will go to you, walk with you side by side. I will approach you for conversation.
My actions will show I love you.

Jesus walked away from none. He gave His love to everyone.
I will. I will be the same as God Jesus.

Jesus blessed everyone. Then He God said, Come, follow me.
I will. I will follow Him. I will be the same as God Jesus. I will.

I will go to you, walk with you side by side. I will approach you for conversation.
My actions will show I love you.

These little kids, 3 years old to 12, were so amazingly beautiful with their expression as they learned to sign this song. And today as they stood to practice one last time before their presentation next Sunday, wow, they blew me away. You could really feel the Holy Spirit in the room and their sweet dedication to do as they had learned. What a Sunday lesson.

Sunday

If you're going to read my blog you may as well know now that on Sundays I will more than likely talk about what went on during church. So if you don't want to know - skip Sundays.

The theme for today must have been "repentance" because the 2 main speakers, the hymns and pretty much even the ePrimary Sharing Time all taught the principles of repentance.

I love the scripture in Isaiah 1:18 "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red as crimson, they shall be as wool."

It's great to know that I have a loving Heavenly Father who from the beginning understood me. He has granted us this "knot in the string" ato prove [us] herewith, to see if [we] will do all things which the Lord [our] God shall command [us]. We are here to grow and learn but He knew we would mess up, make mistakes, even sin and therefore bcould not stand in His presence until we were sanctified. Christ makes repentance possible through His atoning sacrifice. I LOVE that we teach this to c"our children [so that they] may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins."

In Primary Sharing Time the instructor taught the children an easy way to remember the steps of true repentance A-B-C-D: Admit you made a mistake. Be truly sorry and repent to Heavenly Father and the other person(s). Correct what you did and try to make it right again. Don't do it again! I had never heard this before, but thought it was a way for the children to remember.

After her lesson, the instructor asked the children why God would forgive us. One child said, "Just because He loves us and wants us back." Out of the mouths of babes! One other child said, "He tries harder than we do, because he knows we are gonna mess up all the time." and one of my favorite answers: "Because if Jesus was the only one who is perfect then Heavenly Father would get real lonely with only Jesus to talk to." I am glad Heavenly Father has a plan for us and that my Saviour loves me enough to atone for my sins - which are many!

In the dSacrament Meeting one of the speakers brought up commandments, and the fact that we break a lot of them! Commandments! Things we never get to do or the things we have to do- right? gGordon B. Hinckley was interviewed by Larry King a few years back and this same question about too many hard commandments came up. Gordon Hinckley's reply was (paraphrasing) "Aren't they great?! All those commandments help keep us away from all the things that would bring us unhappiness! We have a Heavenly Father who truly loves us!" This same sentiment was reflected in the words of the speaker this morning. God understood we needed to be perfect to live with Him again. This wasn't going to happen in a world with agency and LOTS of tempting things to get us off track. All the commandments are there to help us keep focused on what the goal is: Eternal Life with God. Cool things these commandments. Now if I can only do what is required to f"make [those] weak things become strong..."

a: Abraham 3:25 b: Alma 13:12 c: 2 Nephi 25:26 d. Sacrament Meeting is a sacred Sunday meeting in the LDS church where we gather to worship the Saviour and partake of His sacrament to renew the covenants we made at our baptism e. Primary is the 'Sunday School' for the 18 month through 12 year old children. They are taught 45 minutes of lesson time in age specific classrooms and then another 45 minutes of 'Sharing Time' with lessons being taught by the leaders of the organization and through Music. f. Ether 12:27 g. Gordon B. Hinckley is President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints