Faith

The song Faith in the Primary Children’s Songbook Pg 96-97 is a wonderful song exploring the ideas of things your primary children may already believe in. Of course, the analogy of the seed is a perfect way to describe faith, but there are many other simple things that you could also talk about to help them understand this faith process.

If possible, you could start singing time with the lights off. You could ask the children what will happen when you flip the switch. (lights will come on). How do you know this will happen? Can you see electricity?

You could show a picture of a pregnant woman and ask what is going to happen to this lady in a few months. (She is going to have a baby). How do you know this will happen? Can you see the baby?

Show a picture of a birthday cake. You could ask, What is this? (A birthday cake) When do you get a birthday cake? (on my birthday) Is your birthday every day? (no) How do you know when it is time for your birthday? (We use a calendar, when I’m a year older, etc.) Are you sure you are going to have a birthday? (yes) Can you see your birthday? (no)

These are good examples of trusting and believing. We have learned by experiences in our lives that lights will work, babies are born and birthdays come over and over. Another word for trusting and believing is FAITH.

We are here on this earth to trust and believe and have FAITH in our Heavenly Father and our Savior. They have a plan for us. They know you and they know me. We will have many experiences to help us grow in FAITH and become like Them.

Now is a great time to introduce the FAITH Flipchart. Place the first page which says, FAITH IS at the top of your board. These are repeated words at the beginning of each phrase. To prepare the flipchart, tape together the two phrases that complete the sentence, so that you can lift the front page and expose the rest of the sentence underneath. The children have to exercise a little faith in you as the music leader that there will be help under the first picture to teach them the song. You could flip the pages yourself, or have a child help you. I have a magnetic board in my primary room, so I plan on using a small magnet to hold up the first page. Tape would also work.

Phrase 1: What is your FAITH that the sun will do every day? (raise) Then lift the page and expose the rest of the sentence, lighting each new day.

Phrase 2: Who do you have FAITH in that listens to our prayers? (Heavenly Father and Jesus) Then lift the page and expose the rest of the sentence, my prayers each time I pray.

Phrase 3: What are these? (seeds) What does your FAITH say will happen when these seeds are planted? Then lift the page and expose the rest of the sentence, it will grow.

Phrase 4: How can we feel our FAITH beginning to grow? (by doing what is right and seeing how that feels) Then lift the page and expose the rest of the sentence, when I do right I know.

This might be a great time to chat for just a minute about how they feel in their heart when they do the right things. You might contrast that with a time they remember feeling different when they choose to do a wrong thing. Please help your children to know that Heavenly Father knew that we would sometimes do wrong things, but He has prepared a way to say I’m sorry and repent. Wrong choices can be fixed.

Verse 2

Phrase 1: We all lived together with our Heavenly Father. What did you have FAITH to do? (Come to this earth) That must have taken a lot of FAITH! Way to go! Lift the page to expose the rest of the sentence, before my mortal birth.

Phrase 2: Where does your FAITH say we will live again? (in heaven with our Heavenly Father and Jesus) Lift the page to expose the rest of the sentence, when my life ends on earth.

Phrase 3: Who do you have FAITH in that we can always trust? (Heavenly Father and Jesus) Lift the page to expose the rest of the sentence, in Christ who showed the way.

Phrase 4: How can we strengthen and grow our FAITH? (by experiences in our life, asking for help, listening to parents, following the Prophet, etc) Lift the page to expose the rest of the sentence, whenever I obey.

Another option for teaching FAITH:

You might want to teach a deeper meaning of FAITH to your Senior Primary Children. Here is an option for your teaching.

FAITH is more than just hoping and believing. Hang up a paper that says Hope and Believe. That is the very beginning step. Let’s look at the first line of the song. FAITH is knowing the sun will rise. Every day you hope and believe that will happen, but then what do you do? Do you wait in your bed to see if it happens? No! You plan on going to school, meeting your friend, or going places. Hang up a paper that says Make plans and move forward. Each day your FAITH in the sun grows because you see it happen and you (hang a paper saying) Witness and remember and record that memory. FAITH grows! Eventually, it can become Knowledge!

Let’s look at our second sentence. FAITH is knowing the Lord will hear. I know each of you hope and believe that Heavenly Father and Jesus are in heaven. You hope and believe that they know you and watch over you. Do you wait on your bed at bedtime for them to show up in your room? No! You move forward and get on your knees and say your prayers and thank Them and ask Them for blessings. When blessings come, and answers to your prayer come, you witness and remember and record that memory. FAITH grows!

Continue this exercise on the remaining sentences as time permits.

Download a copy of the FAITH Flipchart here