Talk - Follow the Prophet

One of my favorite characters in the Harry Potter series is Dumbledore. He is wise, calm and often times can be found encouraging and counseling the Hogwarts students, especially Harry. On one occasion he says, “dark and difficult times lie ahead, soon we must all face the choice, between what is right and what is easy.”

We know and have seen many dark and difficult times during our life. Perhaps it was last week with terror acts, perhaps it was yesterday with a family member, perhaps it was over the past few years with wars and natural disasters. And what Dumbledore said was key, because we all have the choice to choose between what is right and what is easy.

It has never been entirely easy to follow the Prophet but we know it is right. Let’s take for example a few stories from the scriptures. Noah, a Prophet called of God to preach repentance to the people was met with ridicule, death threats and mockery. God, using his Prophet tried to preserve not only the temporal life but spiritual life of the people, but they would not listen. Why? Was it just plain easier to follow the crowd rather than follow the right? And, I have to wonder if there were times when Noah thought that too? But rather than giving into the easy, he put his complete trust in God and built the ark and gathered the animals and provisions even on the driest of days. And this is the best part – he and his family were blessed because they put their trust in God and in the Prophet. President Eyring teaches, “The failure to take prophetic counsel lessens our power to take inspired counsel in the future. The best time to have decided to help Noah build the ark was the first time he asked. Each time he asked after that, each failure to respond would have lessened sensitivity to the Spirit. And so each time his request would have seemed more foolish, until the rain came. And then it was too late.

Thought of the Day - Allow Consequences

“…we may teach them that they can choose their actions but not the consequences of those actions. We can also gently help them understand what the consequences of their actions may be in their own lives.

Sometimes when our teachings aren’t heeded and when our expectations are not met, we need to remind ourselves to leave the door to our hearts open.

 

In the parable of the prodigal son, we find a powerful lesson for families and especially parents. After the younger son “came to himself,” he decided to go home.

 

Elder Robert D. Hales

Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles  Ensign, May 2004

Primary - Captain Righteousness

The second counselor in our bishopric is a great sport.  He dresses up as CAPTAIN RIGHTEOUSNESS and pops in to surprise our Primary group during singing/sharing time about once a month.  Before he comes in, the lights are all suddenly turned off and a flashlight is turned on and focused on a small CTR sign on the chalkboard.  Then the kids get excited because they know a special visitor is coming.

He calls one class up to the front of the room and asks each child to tell something that they have done to Choose the Right recently.  Then he gives them a CTR ring to remind them to continue to choose the right.  The kids LOVE it and I must admit it makes me giggle too.

What a great tradition that kids (and teachers) will surely remember.

Talk - Agency

We had wonderful talks in our Sacrament Meeting this past Sunday and I asked my friend, Thomas, for a copy of his talk to share on my blog. Enjoy!

Agency(direct comments or questions to: thwicke@gmail.com)

Introduction
Social Scientists should probably not be allowed to have children. To us children are a readily available source of subjects and the material for perpetual experiments:
-FHE Lesson: put ice cream on two tables, tie children together (Thomas explained that when his kids were younger, he was trying to teach them a lesson on cooperation. He placed a bowl of ice cream on two tables. He put the kids between the two tables, and he tied a rope around each of their waists so that they would, in theory, need to cooperate to move to either table. He told the kids that if they could reach both bowls of ice cream, they could each eat a bowl, but if they only reached one bowl, no one could have ice cream. Needless to say, the social experiment was a complete flop... the younger son ended up with the rope around his neck... the older daughter was in pain from the weight of her brother tightening the rope on her waist as she dragged him. Thomas' wife was laughing hysterically... Everyone at church was laughing as they heard the tale and my kids are still talking about the story).

Primary Sharing Time - Choosing Good Friends

Here is a Primary Sharing Time that can also be adapted to use for Family Home Evening.

Subject: “I will choose good friends and treat others kindly.”

I’m thinking of one of My Gospel Standards. It has less than 11 words in it. It has a word in it that means to search for or try to find. It talks about how we should act toward others. Who can guess which Gospel Standard it is?

I WILL SEEK GOOD FRIENDS AND TREAT OTHERS KINDLY.

Ask someone to pass out CTR signs and explain the role play activity. If you don't have CTR signs, you can just have kids do a thumbs up or thumbs down for good and bad choices.

Role Play Activity: We are going to have a role-playing activity now. If you think they made a good choice hold up CTR. If they made a bad choice do not put up your sign. If they make a bad choice, help them decide what the right choice would have been.

· 3 PEOPLE - Two of you are playing ball. Another friend walks up and asks if they can join you. You say “no.”
· 2 PEOPLE - You are on a class field trip on a bus and your friend dares you to hold your hand out the window with a jawbreaker in it. You do it and another kid hits your arm and the jawbreaker falls and almost hits a car on the freeway.
· 2 PEOPLE - You are at recess at school and see a new kid who is playing all alone and looks sad. You go over and ask them if they want to hang out with you.
· 2 PEOPLE - Someone at school comes up and pushes you. You punch him.
· 2 PEOPLE - You see a homeless person who looks sad and hungry. You give him a big smile and a granola bar and a bottle of water.
· 2 PEOPLE - You invite a neighbor to come to a church activity.
· 2 PEOPLE - You are at a friend’s house and they ask you if you want to watch a movie. The movie they pick is rated PG-13. You know you shouldn’t watch it, but you are embarrassed so you watch it anyway.
· 4 PEOPLE - You see one of the kids in your class being teased by some of your friends. You join in and tease them too.
· 2 PEOPLE - You see a person at school who uses a wheelchair. You go up and talk to them and offer to push them around in their wheelchair.
· 2 PEOPLE - You go to a friend’s house and make a big mess playing with their stuff. When it is time to leave, you run home and leave the big mess for your friend to clean up alone.
· 4 PEOPLE - You are playing a game at family night. You help your younger sister to learn how to play the game instead of getting impatient and frustrated with her.
· 2 PEOPLE - You are at a friend’s house and he asks you to play a video game that is rated M. You tell him “No thanks, I can’t play games with that rating.” You pick a rated E game instead.
· 3 PEOPLE - Your friend’s parents are driving you home from an activity. Instead of driving you home directly they decide to go get pizza instead. You call your parent and tell them where you are going.

Q. How do you feel when your friends are kind to you?
Q. How do you think they feel when you are kind to them?
Q. How important is it for you to choose good friends?
Q. Do you think being around friends who make bad choices can hurt you?
Q. Do you think being around friends who choose the right can help you make good choices too?

Song: “Kindness Begins with Me” (Children’s Songbook, p. 145).
I want to be kind to everyone,For that is right, you see.So I say to myself, “Remember this:Kindness begins with me.”

Chocolate Object Lesson: Bring chocolates to share with the Primary children. Place the treat where the children can see it. Mention how good it looks and ask the children if they would like you to share it with them. Ask the children how they would feel if you shared the treat with only some of them. Discuss how others feel when they are not included. Share the treat with the children.