2016 LDS Sharing Time Ideas for January Week 1: The Scriptures Are the Word of God

2016 Sharing Time Outline Theme: "I Know the Scriptures Are True"

January 2016 Sharing Time Topic: The Scriptures Are the Word of God

January 2016 Scripture: “Feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do” (2 Nephi 32:3).

January Week 1 Topic: The scriptures are the word of God.

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Preparation:

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

Sharing Time Instruction:

Before primary place a set of scriptures in a bag (like a gift bag).  Explain to the children that you are going to play 20 questions with them. They can ask you yes/no questions to try to figure out what is in the bag. But they only get 20 questions to ask. So for instance they could ask, "Is it edible?" or they could ask "Is is soft?"  If they think they know what it is it could be one of they 20 questions they would say, "Is it (what ever they believe it is)?"  If they have not guessed it after the 20 questions. Then give them some hints until they do guess it. Such as "In the sack is something given to us by Heavenly Father." "In the sack is something that gives us instructions." "In the sack is something that can help us know how to return to Heavenly Father." "In this sack are things written by Prophets of God." etc.

After they have guessed pull the scriptures out of the bag. Place them on the table and ask the primary children how the scriptures differ from other books? (They are written by prophets of God)

Show the primary children the week's theme poster and invite them to repeat, "The Scriptures are the Word of God."

Place the posters of the 4 standard works on the board. Explain to the children that the scriptures are called the Standard Works.  Further explain that the scripture are actually 4 books, The Book of Mormon, The Bible, The Doctrine and Covenants and The Pearl of Great Price. Point to the Book of Mormon and invite the primary children to share with you what they know about the Book of Mormon, such as where the it was originally written, who translated it, etc. (It took place in the Americas. Written by prophets such as Nephi, Jacob, Mormon and Moroni. Joseph Smith translated it by the power of God) For more about the Book of Mormon click HERE.

Next point to the Bible, invite the primary children to tell you what they know about the Bible. Such as that there are two parts to the bible. The Old Testament which is before Christ's birth. The Old Testament contains stories of Moses, Joshua and Daniel to name a few. The New Testament is during Christ life and after. Some prophets who wrote in the New Testament are Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. For more about the Bible click HERE.

Next point to Doctrine and Covenants, invite the primary children to share what they know about the Doctrine and Covenants. Explain that it contains revelations given to the Prophet Joseph Smith and some other latter-day prophets from Heavenly Father. For more about the Doctrine and Covenants click HERE.

Lastly, point to the Pearl of Great Price. Invite the primary children to share what they know about this book.  Explain that the Pearl of Great Price includes some of Joseph Smith's Translations of the Bible as well as the Articles of Faith, writings of the prophet Abraham and some history of Joseph Smith. For more about the Pearl of Great Price click HERE.

Invite a primary child to come up. Give him a fly swatter. Explain that you are going to say a prophets name and a little story about the prophet and you want them to swat onto the picture of which book the story and prophet could be found in. For example, if you said, "Nephi had broken his bow and his family was agree with him. He made a new bow out of wood and went and asked his father where he should go to find food for their family."  The primary child would then swat The Book of Mormon picture. If they don't know they can see if one of the other primary children knows.  Invite another child to come up and tell of another prophet.

Here are some ideas you could use:

• God commanded Noah to build an arch. He built it as God commanded. Two of each kind of animal were on the arch. A great flood came and flooded the earth. Those on the arch were kept safe.  {Old Testament: Bible}
• God commands Abraham to sacrifice his son Issac. When God sees Abraham's obedience he sends an Angel to save Issac from being sacrificed. {Old Testament: Bible}
• Young boy David went with courage and faith to fight the Philistine giant Goliath. He place a stone in his sling shot, swung it around and the stone flew and hit the giant on the forehead, sending him crashing to the ground. {Old Testament: Bible}
• The Savior was born in a stable and placed in a manger. {New Testament: Bible}
• Jesus and his disciples were on a ship there became a terrible storm around them. They awoke Jesus, he calmed the winds and the waves of the storm. {New Testament: Bible}
• Samuel the Lamanite stood high on a wall teaching repentance and prophesying that within 5 years the Savior would be born. The arrows could not hit him as he stood there, because he had the power of God with him. {Book of Mormon}
• 2000 stripling warriors went into battle. They did so with faith and courage explaining that their mothers had taught them. Although injured none of the 2000 young men lost their lives. {Book of Mormon}
• Lehi took his family, left all of their processions behind and traveled into the wilderness. {Book of Mormon}
• Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery are ordained with the Aaronic Priesthood by John the Baptist. {Doctrine and Covenants}
• Joseph Smith receives revelation about the ordinance of Baptisms for the Dead. {Doctrine and Covenants}
• "We Believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost." {1st Article of Faith: Pearl of Great Price}
• Joseph Smith a young 14 year old boy, decides to seek guidance from God on which church he should join. {Pearl of Great Price (could also be Doctrine in Covenants)}

Close by sharing your testimony of the scriptures.

What other Sharing Times Ideas could work for this week:

• LDS Sharing Time August 2014 Week 3: Scripture study gives me and my family spiritual 
• LDS Sharing Time Ideas for September 2015 Week 4: My love for Jesus Christ grows when I study the scriptures.
• LDS Sharing Time May 2014 Week 2: The prophets in the scriptures are examples to my family.

Other Sharing Time Ideas for this Month (click picture):

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

***Basic ideas for this sharing time came from the 2016 Outline for Sharing Time, you can find a link here: 2016 Outline for Sharing Time