2017 LDS Sharing Time Ideas for August Week 2: I should read, listen to, and look at things that are pleasing to Heavenly Father.

Ideas for August Week 2 LDS Primary Sharing Time, 

2017 Sharing Time Outline Theme: Choose the Right

August 2017 Sharing Time Topic: I Choose to Fill My Life with Things That Invite the Spirit

August 2017 Scripture: “If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things” (Articles of Faith 1:13)

August 2017 Song: Song: “I’m Trying to Be like Jesus” (CS, 78–79)

August Week 2 Topic: I should read, listen to, and look at things that are pleasing to Heavenly Father.

Preparation:

Prayerfully study and think about what the specific needs of your primary are and how you can teach them this doctrine. The most important thing is to love those you teach and to teach them by the Spirit!! Focus on building their testimonies and helping them come unto Christ!

Sharing Time Instruction:

Begin sharing time by showing the children the week's theme poster and inviting the to repeat, "I should read, listen to, and look at things that are pleasing to Heavenly Father."

Ask the primary children why do they think that we should read, listen to and look at things that are pleasing to Heavenly Father???

Show the primary children a sponge. Explain that our minds are like a sponge, they soak up the the things that we see, hear, and read. If we watch clean things, things that are pleasing to Heavenly Father, then we will be soaking up the things that are good for us and invites the spirit to be with us.

But, if we don't and allow our minds to soak up the things that are not good for us, then we are offending our Heavenly Father and the spirit can not be with us.

Invite the primary children to listen as you read what it says in the For The Strength of Youth Pamphlet under Entertainment and Media:

"You live in a day of marvelous technologies that give you easy access to a wide variety of media, including the Internet, mobile devices, video games, television, movies, music, books, and magazines. The information and entertainment provided through these media can increase your ability to learn, communicate, and become a force for good in the world. However, some information and entertainment can lead you away from righteous living. Choose wisely when using media because whatever you read, listen to, or look at has an effect on you. Select only media that uplifts you."

Explain that the Holy Ghost can help us know if something is pleasing to our Heavenly Father or not. If we are feeling uneasy, or don't feel like it would be something that Heavenly Father would want us to be listening to, or looking at or reading, then we probably shouldn't.

(IF YOU HAVE BIG GROCERY SIZE PAPER BAGS YOU WILL USE THE LARGER PRINTABLE LABELS, IF YOU ARE USING LITTLE BROWN LUNCH BAGS THEN YOU'LL NEED TO USE THE SMALLER PRINTABLE, BOTH ARE IN THE DOWNLOAD BELOW)

Explain to the primary children that you are going to play a little activity. In the front of the room have three big paper bags, on the front of the bags have the word strips, "Read", "Listen to" and "Look at". (see free download below)

Inside of the bags have the following items:

Read:

Book of Mormon “I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.” (Prophet Joseph Smith)

Friend Magazine "Josh showed Calvin his car. It was really cool! When Josh left the table, Calvin put the car in his pocket. Josh came back and frowned. “Where’s my car?” Calvin was quiet. The car felt heavy in Calvin’s pocket. At recess, Calvin didn’t feel like playing. He felt bad for taking the car. Calvin gave the car to Josh. “I’m sorry I took it,” Calvin said. Josh smiled. “That’s OK. Do you want to come to my house and play cars?” Calvin smiled. “Sure!”"  (August 2017 Children's Friend)

Children's Book (a good one ;)) "How marvelous a thing is a good book!" (President Gordon B. Hinckley)

General Conference talks (Ensign) "I implore each of us to prayerfully study and ponder the Book of Mormon each day." (President Thomas S. Monson)

Listen To:

Word Strips with names of songs from the Children's Song Book:

We'll Bring the World His Truth, Children's Songbook 172

Dare to Do Right, Children's Songbook 158
Stand for the Right, Children's Songbook 159
Families Can Be Together Forever, Children's Songbook pg 188

Look At:

Picture or statue of the Savior

A tablet with a Mormon Message

Picture of the Temple

Picture of the First Vision

To do the activity invite a primary child to come up and pick an item out of one of the bags. If it is an item in the read bag, show it to the primary children and read the little quote on it. Ask the primary children how they felt as they listened to what was read. Did it make them feel good, did they feel the spirit testifying that it was good?

If they choose something from the Listen to bag, either play the song for them on a device, or invite the primary pianist and chorister to have the children sing that song. Then ask the primary children how they felt as they listened to or sang the song. Did it make them feel good, did they feel the spirit testifying that it was good?

If it was from the Look At Bag, then show them the picture or play for them the message. Ask the primary children how they felt as looked at the picture or watched the video. Did it make them feel good, did they feel the spirit testifying that it was good? 

Continue as time allows, make sure that items are choose from each of the bags.

Close by sharing your testimony that as we choose to read, listen to, and look at things that are pleasing to Heavenly Father we will be blessed and be able to have the spirit with us in our lives.

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Thank you so much for stopping by! I hope that these ideas were helpful. Below are the other topics for the months as well as more ideas and resources.  I'd love for you to check out my Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest pages and see if there's anything on there you like!

What else have the primary children learned this month? Here are links to this month's past sharing times:

ULTIMATE LIST OF SHARING TIME IDEAS

1. 2017 LDS Sharing Time Ideas for August Week 1: Having good friends will help me choose the right.

Want more ideas:

• 2016 LDS Sharing Time Ideas for August Week 4: Reading, watching, and listening to wholesome things keeps my mind clean.
• Family Home Evening on Seeking Media that Uplifts You...
• Choose the Right Media
• Media

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

***Basic ideas for this sharing time came from the 2017 Outline for Sharing Time, you can find a link here: 2017 Outline for Sharing Time