Kevin's First Primary Talk

In our church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (otherwise known as the Mormon church), they have what is called Primary. Primary is where the kids go during two of the three hours of church.

My calling (the job I was asked to do) in the church is to be a primary chorister. I teach the children songs about the Savior and the gospel. I really enjoy my calling. The primary is separated into three groups, nursery, junior, and senior. The nursery has children from 18 months to 2 years. Junior primary has children from 3-7, and senior primary has children from 8-11.

Junior primary meets together first during the first hour (which is when the primary presidency teaches them lessons for half the time and I teach them music for half the time), and then they go to individual age classes for the second hour. During the first hour, the senior primary meets in their individual classes, and then they come into one group for the second hour.

Every week at the beginning of primary, three kids sit up at the front. As the meeting starts, one kid gives the opening prayer, one child reads a scripture, and one child gives a prepared talk.

This week it was the sunbeams (the three-year-olds) turn to do the opening exercises. We received a call thirty minutes before church started asking us if Kevin could give the talk. We immediately accepted and I was pretty excited about it. It would be his first time giving the talk.

He and I sat down at the computer and we wrote and typed up his talk together. Here is the typed talk. We took turns typing.

Kevin’s talk

Jesus is my Savior and Redeemer.

One time, I lost my play-dough lid. I prayed to Heavenly Father, and I found it! I know that Jesus found my play-dough lid.

My favorite stories about Jesus, are when Jesus walked on water and calmed the storm. Jesus said, “Peace, be still.”  jgmfkfk

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I know that Jesus died and came back to life. I know that Jesus loves me. 

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Jesus saved the world.

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Kevin can now write his name on the computer all by himself. He's a pretty smart kid, and so he wrote his name at the top.

When we got to primary, his daddy helped him read the talk. He did such a good job! At first, when he started repeated what his dad whispered to him, the kids were kind of chatty, but as Kevin continued a quietness fell over the room and everyone started listening to him. It was really nice. I was so proud, I nearly cried. He spoke clearly and loudly, and did his very best.

I love my son.

I am so grateful for our church and for the gospel of Jesus Christ. I am grateful for the peace it brings into our lives. I love being able to serve in the primary. The children's simple testimonies are some of the strongest that I have ever heard, and I feel privileged to be able to teach them and share my testimony with them.

Mormon Monday: My Testimony of Thomas S. Monson

During my scripture study this morning, I was thinking about the truths that I know, and I felt impressed to share the story of how I came to know that President Thomas S. Monson is the Lord's prophet today.

In January of 2008, President Gordon B. Hinckley passed away. He had been the prophet for much of my youth, and he was a great hero to me. Even now, when I listen to talks that he gave, he makes me smile. I had never doubted that he was a prophet, and so his death came as a bit of a shock to me. It was difficult for me to accept President Monson as a prophet right away.

Logically, my mind told me that if I believed President Hinckley was a prophet, I should believe that President Monson was a prophet as well, but I didn't know for sure.

So, I decided to pray and ask my Heavenly Father. If there were indeed prophets on the earth today, only He could tell me for sure.

My answer didn't come right away. In fact, it seemed to take forever. At times, I became a bit discouraged. I wanted to know immediately, and it seemed that no matter how much I prayed or read my scriptures, I was in the dark.

However, I knew that the Lord would tell me one way or the other, so I kept praying.

Finally, in February 2008 (a mere month later, but it seemed like so much longer), I had the opportunity to attend a temple dedication for the Rexburg temple. It was President Monson's first dedication after he became the prophet, and I went to the dedication with this prayer in my heart.

I wanted to know the truth. I had read and fasted and prayed, and I was prepared.

My answer didn't come as I had expected. I thought that while President Monson was giving a talk, it would hit me, and I would know that he was a prophet.

It didn't happen that way. Instead, as I watched President Monson interact with children to place the last bit of cement in the temple before the dedication, my answer came. As I watched the love which he had for the children that he spoke to, I was hit with the overwhelming sense that this man was a prophet. The feeling was intense and undeniable. I KNEW that President Monson was the Lord's prophet on earth today.

Since then, I have frequently felt the spirit as this man has spoken and taught me, and I have come to love him as much as I loved President Hinckley.

One of the great things about our church, is that we can always ask questions and receive answers. There is no cap on personal revelation. If there is something that a prophet, apostle, bishop, or stake president has said that is bothering me, or that I have questions about, I am not expected to blindly follow.

Instead, we are encouraged to ask questions of the only source of all truth.

I have asked my Heavenly Father many questions. Some answers didn't come right away, and some answers told me that I didn't need to know that right now, but I know the Lord is listening and will always give me an answer, even if it's not an answer I want.

I testify that President Monson is a prophet. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is Christ's church restored in all its truth to the earth today. I know these things because I have prayed and asked my Heavenly Father, and He has told me they were true.

I know it is possible for everyone to know these things for themselves. Moroni 10:4-5 says:

 4 And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.

 5 And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.

I know that when we ask with a sincere heart and real intent, that we will receive the answers that we are searching for.

I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Mormon Monday: Primary Program

At one point, I thought, perhaps comically, that once Kevin went to nursery, that I would be able to hear the Relief Society lessons. This is another sign that the Lord has a sense of humor. As soon as Kevin was put into nursery with the other 18 months - 3 years, I was called to work with the children.

My current calling (thing that the Lord has asked me to help with in the church) is the 2nd councilor in the primary. I absolutely LOVE my calling. I love working with the children and I love teaching. I do sometimes miss going to Relief Society, but it is worth the sacrifice.

This last Sunday (yesterday), was the primary program. That is when the children perform the songs that they have learned and teach the rest of the congregation what they have been taught the whole year. This year our theme has been families.

One thing that I really love about primary is how simple everything is. Sometimes in classes like Sunday school, priesthood, and relief society, the basic truths of the gospel are not discussed because we are busy focusing on the little things. In primary, all we talk about is the basic truths. You have to keep it simple because the children are still learning to feel the spirit and don't know everything yet.

Often though, they know and understand more than I think they do.

The program went really well yesterday. The kids were adorable and they did a great job. Most of the things that they said were easy to understand, and the microphone only squeaked a few times.

The spirit that was there was beautiful as well. I really enjoyed seeing the kids share their testimonies.

There was a baby blessing yesterday as well, so our chapel was packed! That was exciting. We love it when our brothers and sisters come to church.

The primary helps remind me to keep things simple. There are aspects of the gospel that I don't fully understand yet, and that can be challenging. However there are some things that I know. I know these things because the Spirit has testified that they are true to me. It doesn't matter what anyone else says. When God has told you something is true, fallible opinions from humans don't matter as much.

I know that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ live and appeared to Joseph Smith. I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord's church on the earth today, and that He speaks through his prophet, President Thomas S. Monson. The words from the prophet are for everyone on the earth, not just for Mormons, and I know that if we listen and heed his council we will be protected and find peace on this earth.

I know that Jesus Christ lives today. I know that God still cares what is happening on this earth, and He loves His children. I also know that the Lord chastens us because He loves us. It is difficult to grow and become more like our Father in Heaven if we already think we're perfect.

I know that we are all children of God. I want all my brothers and sisters to return to heaven, and the only way that they are going to do so, is if they keep the commandments of God. God's commandments don't change. They never will. People that wait for God to change are going to be waiting a long time, and then they're going to realize that they have wasted a lot of time.

Simplicity is important. Truths can anchor us when doubt threatens to pull us away.

I know these things to be true, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Mormon Monday: What is the Book of Mormon?

Officially, our church is known as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  So why does everyone call us Mormons?

It is because of The Book of Mormon.  The Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ.

We believe that God loves ALL of his children.  He doesn't just love the Jews or the Israelites, the Catholics or the Protestants, the Christians or the Muslims.  He loves everyone, including those who don't believe in him.

After Christ was resurrected, we believe, and I know this to be true for myself, that Christ also visited his other children in other parts of the world.  He had saved everyone, not just his followers in Jerusalem, so wouldn't He want to show himself to more than just one continent?

The Book of Mormon is an ancient record from the people on the American continent.  It also testifies that Christ is the Savior of the world.  God has said that by "two or three witnesses every word may be established."  Matthew 18:16

The Bible is a marvelous and wonderful book that could never be replaced.  It is the testimony of Jesus Christ's life, and his workings while He was alive on the Earth.  However, it is only one book.  People have translated the same scripture to mean a million different things.  If you have a board and you put a single nail through it, you can spin the board in any number of different directions.  However, if you have a second nail, and you put it through the board, the board cannot go anywhere.  With two sets of scriptures, the scriptures can only have the meaning that God intended for them to have. 

The Book of Mormon is the record of the seed of Joseph of Egypt.  Ezekiel 37: 16-17 They were his descendents that came from Jerusalem to the American continent.  It is their lives, their testimonies, their prophesies, and their accounts of our Savior and his ministry among them.

When their last prophet died, he buried the record in a hill.

Joseph Smith was guided by the Lord to find this record and translated it by the power of God.  He was an unlearned farm boy.  The messages in this book have guided me throughout my life to do good things for others, to improve myself, and to draw closer to God.  As I've read the Book of Mormon and the Bible together, my understanding of the doctrine of Christ has become clearer, and my testimony that Christ was the son of God and did indeed live become stronger. If the Book of Mormon was something evil, I don't think it would bring me closer to God. I think it would drive me further away from him.

There is a promise at the end of the Book of Mormon.  It says: (Moroni 10:4-5)

4 And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.

 5 And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.

In this promise, we are told that if we read the Book of Mormon and pray with all the sincerity of our hearts to know if it is really a book of scripture and from God, that He will tell you in your heart whether or not it is true.

I have done this experiment.  I have prayed to ask God if The Book of Mormon is from Him.  I testify that I know it is another testament of Jesus Christ.  I have felt the peace of His Spirit as I have read it, and I cannot deny my testimony that this book was translated through the power of God.  I know if you read it, you can find that same testimony.  This book, along with the restored church of God, has brought peace and certainty into my life during these tumultuous days.  I know what my path is, and if I follow it I will be protected no matter what comes.

I wish the same happiness and certainty for you.  That is what the Book of Mormon is and that is what it has brought me.