More Helps for Teaching Children in the 2016 Friend Magazine
Contributed By Camille West, ChurchofJesusChrist.org Church News
With any 2016 issue of the Friend magazine, flip the magazine upside down and you’ll find Friend Junior—10 pages of content especially for younger children. It’s like having two magazines in one!
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Whether you teach children at home or at church, you’ll want to check out some of the features the Friend magazine is adding for 2016.
According to Primary general president Sister Rosemary M. Wixom, “Some parents may not realize that the Friend is more than a magazine for children; it’s also a wonderful teaching resource.” Here are some of the new resources in the 2016 Friend:
New Friend Junior for younger children
When the January 2016 issue of the Friend comes, flip the magazine upside down and you’ll find Friend Junior—10 pages of content especially for younger children. It’s like having two magazines in one! To learn more, read “Friend Magazine Adds New Section for Younger Children.”
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Book of Mormon helps
Parents and children will be studying the Book of Mormon at church this year. Help your children learn to love this inspired book with a new Book of Mormon hero card, a reading challenge chart to color, and a simplified Book of Mormon story in each issue. This content will also be published monthly in the Liahona.
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Easy family home evening ideas
Family nights are easy to plan using the Family Night Fun suggestions for activities, recipes, and other ideas—all based on stories and articles from the magazine.
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Primary Connection
Diamond symbols in the table of contents highlight content that supports what children are learning in Primary this year.
Look for the diamond-shaped “Primary Connection” icon in the table of contents to find articles, stories, and activities that support what children are learning during sharing time and Primary lessons each month.
The Friend supports gospel teaching in the family
Children get more out of the Friend magazine when they share the experience with an older sibling, parent, grandparent, or teacher.
Sister Wixom notes that children will get more out of the magazine when they share it with an older sibling, parent, grandparent, or teacher. In fact, one of the magazine’s goals is to provide content that helps families have conversations about issues children face. For example, one recent article addressed what children can do when they encounter pornography or other inappropriate content (see “Oh No! Now What?”).
“Now parents have such wonderful resources available to help them make family time more meaningful, on the Sabbath and other days as well,” said President Russell M. Nelson, President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. He then listed several resources, including the Friend magazine.
“These resources are so very helpful to parents in discharging their sacred duty to teach their children,” he added. “No other work transcends that of righteous, intentional parenting!” (“The Sabbath Is a Delight,” Apr. 2015 general conference).
