My Life Has a Plan

By Linda Magleby

And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life (1 Jn. 2:25).

Carlos was a 10-year-old who liked to run, jump, and play. He also liked to ask lots of questions. His Primary teacher loved him. She would often say to him, “It is very important for you to learn the things we are teaching in Primary. Someday you will grow up to be a priesthood holder, a father, and a leader in the Church, and you will need to know these things.” Carlos thought that his teacher was telling him that just so he would be reverent. However, he began to listen and learn. When Carlos grew up, he did receive the priesthood, he became a father, and he was called to be a leader in the Church. He remembered what his Primary teacher had said to him, and he was glad that he had listened and learned.

Heavenly Father has a plan for us. He told us about His plan when we lived with Him before we came to earth. When we learned of His plan, we were so happy we shouted for joy! His plan includes being part of a family. He also planned that we would be able to choose between right and wrong. He planned for Jesus to come to earth and show us how to choose the right. If we have faith in Jesus and follow Him, Heavenly Father has promised us that we will be happy and live with our families, Heavenly Father, and Jesus eternally.

I Will Follow Heavenly Father’s Plan for Me Poster

Color the poster on page 14; then mount it on heavy paper. Hang it up where it can remind you to follow Heavenly Father’s plan for you.

Image

Coloring activity

Illustrated by Crystal Fronk

Note: If you do not wish to remove pages from the magazine, this activity may be copied, traced, or printed from the Internet at www.lds.org. Click on Gospel Library.

Sharing Time Ideas

(Note: All songs are from Children’s Songbook unless otherwise noted; GAK = Gospel Art Picture Kit, TNGC = Teaching, No Greater Call.)

1. Place GAK 239 (The Resurrected Jesus Christ) at the front of the Primary room. Prepare six large paper circles. Cut each circle in half. On six of the half-circles, write one covenant (tithing, baptism, sacrament, Sabbath day, Word of Wisdom, temple marriage). On each of the other half-circles, write one scripture reference that tells a way to keep a covenant (Mal. 3:10; Mosiah 18:10; Moro. 4:3; D&C 59:9–13; D&C 89:5–21; D&C 131:2). Place the half-circles in two columns on the chalkboard or bulletin board. Have the children take turns looking up one of the scriptures and reading it aloud. Then ask the group to identify the covenant it matches. Choose a child to represent all of us when we come to earth. Have the child stand at the back of the Primary room. As a match is made, connect the two halves of the circle and place it on the floor, making a pathway for the child to walk on. The path leads back to the Savior. As we make and keep our covenants, we can return to live with Him. If time permits, sing songs to reinforce each covenant.

2. Arrange well in advance for three or four adult members of the ward or branch to help in sharing time. Give each of them a copy of My Gospel Standards, and ask them to think of experiences they can share with the children, demonstrating when living the standards blessed their lives. Note which standards they plan to speak on. In sharing time post a copy of My Gospel Standards. Pick songs from the Children’s Songbook that will give musical clues to the standards chosen. Play one musical clue for the children until they guess the appropriate gospel standard. Invite the child who guesses correctly to read the gospel standard. Invite one of the adult members to share an experience about how living that standard blessed his or her life. Occasionally have the children sing the musical clue song. Continue the game as time permits. Bear testimony of the happiness that can come as we live My Gospel Standards.

3. Explain that we lived with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ before we came to earth. We chose Heavenly Father’s plan, and we must continue to choose to follow Him here. Divide the children into four or five stations. Give each adult leader of a station a picture of a person from the scriptures. For example, use GAK 240 (Jesus the Christ), GAK 303 (Nephi Subdues His Rebellious Brothers), GAK 319 (Mormon Bids Farewell to a Once Great Nation), GAK 400 (Joseph Smith), GAK 117 (Daniel in the Lions’ Den), GAK 124 (Ruth Gleaning in the Fields), GAK 314 (Samuel the Lamanite on the Wall). Tell how each person chose and followed Heavenly Father’s plan. Give each child an opportunity to pantomime one way he or she follows Heavenly Father’s plan, and ask the group to guess what it is. Sing one of the suggested songs as they move from station to station: “I Am a Child of God” (pp. 2–3), “I Will Follow God’s Plan” (pp. 164–65), “Keep the Commandments” (pp. 146–47), “Choose the Right Way” (pp. 160–61).

4. Use puzzles and songs to help children understand that “to help us prepare ourselves for life with Him, our Heavenly Father has organized us into families” (Family Guidebook [2001], 3). Give each class a picture of an animal family that has been cut into puzzle pieces. Have the class put the puzzle together. Discuss that many creatures live in families. As each class shares its puzzle, you could sing songs about that group of animals. For example, birds, “Birds in the Tree” (p. 241); insects, “I Think the World Is Glorious” (p. 230); small animals, “The World Is So Big” (p. 235); and big animals, “All Things Bright and Beautiful,” refrain (p. 231).

Before Primary, cut up a picture of a family into puzzle pieces. On the reverse side, list songs about the family, such as “A Happy Family” (p. 198), “Mother Dear” (p. 206), “My Dad” (p. 211), “Grandmother” (p. 200), “When Grandpa Comes” (p. 201), and “Love Is Spoken Here” (pp. 190–91). Have the children take turns choosing a puzzle piece, singing the song with the other children, and suggesting ways to strengthen their family.

5. Song presentation: Teach the song “I Know My Father Lives” (p. 5) by first bearing your testimony of Heavenly Father’s love for you. Then have four helpers hold the words Lives, Loves, Spirit, and True, printed on separate papers. Ask them to stand in different corners of the room (out of order) and repeat their word. Instruct the children to stand, and as they listen to you sing the phrases in the first verse, turn to face the word you’re singing about, and echo the phrase. Repeat, having them sing each phrase with you as the helpers hold their signs up high. Let the children tell the helpers where to stand up front, in order, and sing the verse again. Repeat the process with the second verse using the words Sent, Faith, Spirit, and Can.

For younger children: Assign helpers a word to say rather than having them hold the printed word.

6. Friend references: “Heavenly Father’s Plan,” June 2003, 7; “I Know God’s Plan,” June 2003, 32–34; “Heavenly Father’s Plan,” June 2003, 46; “Preserving Jam (and Families),” July 2004, 4–6; “Covenants,” Jan. 2003, 2–3; “Baptism,” Jan. 2003, 7; “Following the Crowd,” Aug. 2004, 2–3; “Appearances,” Nov. 2002, 46–48. These references and others can be found at www.lds.org. Click on Gospel Library.

Illustrated by Crystal Fronk