LDS Sharing Time September 2014 Week 1: I show my gratitude by offering thanks for all my blessings.

September 2014 Sharing Time Topic: Living the Gospel Blesses My Family

September 2014 Scripture:  “We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul—We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things” (Articles of Faith 1:13).

September 2014  Week 1 Topic: I show my gratitude by offering thanks for all my blessings. 

Free Printables: (Printing Tip: Click on image to open and then save image to your computer.  You can then print the image from your computer.

Preparation:
Prayerfully study and think about what the specific needs of your primary are and how you can teach them this doctrine.  

Items to gather: Video or Scripture story of "The Ten Lepers". Print Week 1 Theme Printable. Chalk and eraser. Music to, "Thanks to Our Father".

**NEW** PDF Printable Download: September 2014 LDS Sharing Time Ideas Week 1

Sharing Time Instruction:

Begin sharing time by playing this short scripture video about the ten lepers: Chapter 37: The Ten Lepers Video. If you do not have access to playing the video you can simply retell the story to the children, here is a link to the story and picture: The Ten Lepers Scripture Story

After the movie, ask the children how many lepers Jesus had healed? Draw 10 little stick people on the board. Then ask them how many of the lepers Jesus healed returned to thank Jesus? Draw one person on the board.  

Show the children, September Week 1 Theme Poster. Invite the children to repeat with you, "I show my gratitude by offering thanks for all my blessings."

Ask the primary children how they give thanks to Heavenly Father?  Explain that we give thanks to Heavenly Father by praying to him and expressing gratitude for the things he has blessed us with. We also show gratitude by living a righteous life.  

Ask the children, how it makes them feel when they are shown gratitude when they do something for someone? It makes us feel appreciated. Explain the importance of giving thanks to our Heavenly Father for all things.

Invite the children to play a game of pictionary. Invite one child to come up and draw a picture of something they are grateful for, invite the rest of the primary to guess what the primary child is drawing. When they guess correctly, ask the primary children how they can show gratitude for that blessing Heavenly Father has given them. Then invite another child to come up to draw a picture and continue with the game as long as time allows.

Invite the children to sing or listen to the song, "Thanks to Our Father". Ask them to pay close attention to the many things it says Heavenly Father has blessed us with.

Close by sharing your testimony on the week's topic.

Click this link for past Sharing Time post: LDS Primary Sharing Time Ideas 

***Basic ideas for this sharing time came from the 2014 Sharing Time Outline, you can find a link here: 2014 Sharing Time Outline.