Blog Tag: Primary
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As a Little Child
At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, 'Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?' And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, and said, 'Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.'Matthew 18:1-3
We're told often that we should become as little children. Usually this means to sit down, be quiet, and take whatever comes our way. Anyone who uses those qualities to describe children hasn't spent much time around them.
I've spent...
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We Teach Two Different Versions of the Baptismal Covenant at Primary
Several years ago, one of my first assignments as a new Primary Presidency member was to create a certificate for newly baptized children to hang on their wall. It would be a meaningful reminder of a sacred covenant. Also, it would be a $1 gift. Always resourceful and efficient (i.e., a bit lazy), my first act was to search the web for a memento someone else had already made that I could print. But I wasn't finding what I needed. Other people had made them, but the covenant was wrong. Well, technically it was correct, but it was summarized...
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Guest Post: I am a Child of God
by Christina Taber-Kewene
Today our congregation held its Primary presentation, a program for the children ages 3-11 to perform the songs they have been learning all year and to share their fledgling testimonies about Jesus. I know the program was a labor of great love and effort this year especially, because my friend Jill was left alone as Primary president for the previous several weeks when her counselors were unexpectedly placed into new callings. Many of us volunteered our efforts to help her, but in the end, the direction was on her, and she spent countless hours preparing the children...
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Learning and Teaching Self-Worth
Last week, I realized that I sound like a jerk when someone asks me about my classes. Friends have been supportive and encouraging about my decision to go back to school. When asked, I usually say, “Okay,” with a pained expression on my face that says that maybe it’s not going okay.
This is because I know it is socially-unacceptable for me to say the rest of the sentence outloud. “School is okay, but not great because my A’s aren’t very high percentages.”
As the semester has continued, I struggle to keep up, those A’s are dropping, and I...
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Does a Primary President Have Any Real Authority?
Earlier this year, my ward got a new bishopric. Not long after that, the former bishop and his first counselor were called as primary teachers. Not long after that, my husband was asked to substitute teach in our daughter's primary class. He came home that night very happy to share with me his observations from the day. Not only is our junior primary now dominated by male teachers, but ⅔ of the recently released bishopric now answered to the authority of the primary president - a woman. He said, "Wow! Isn’t it kind of amazing that people switch roles...
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A Talk for Baptism
I've been thinking about baptism lately and just remembered that I have saved the talk I gave at my oldest's baptism 3 years ago. I thought I'd share it here.
When you were 4 years old, you were learning the song, When I am Baptized for the primary program. It's the one that starts, "I like to look for rainbows, whenever there is rain." The second verse starts with "I know when I am baptized, my wrongs are washed away." You came to me crying because it made you sad and you didn't want your wrongs washed away. Do you...
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Notes from a Mormon Pianist
I've been playing piano for about as long as I've been a member of the Church- right about the age of 8 is when I started.By the time I was a teenager, I could play most Primary songs and hymns without having to do a lot of practice. My mom had taken organ lessons as a teenager, so she was often pegged as a ward organist or the Primary pianist. I knew my fate would be similar.
As a teenager, I often played the opening song in Young Women's. I also played the opening song for seminary when we had...
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Masculine and Feminine Verbiage in the Children’s Songbook
A friend of mine has feminist leanings, but when it comes to gender issues in the church, she can have a bit of a blind spot. I remember discussing some items she’d read on an “LDS feminist agenda” several years ago, and she got a bit scoffy at a couple things on the wishlist.
“They want equal mentions of men and women in stories and equal numbers of men and women in pictures in manuals and promotional materials,” she said incredulously. “I mean, how nit-picky can you get? It just seems so petty to go through and count like...
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R-Rated Scripture
Through a little skit, Mormon children were learning a Book of Mormon story. In the scripture story, a missionary named Ammon gains favor with a king by cutting thieves' arms off. The young girl portraying Ammon passed a bunch of paper arms to the person playing King Lamoni. “Thank you,” ad-libbed the King. “But I don’t like arms.”
I don’t either, at least, not bloody disembodied arms that have been amputated by force. I don’t like gruesome stories in general, especially those in which the protagonist happens to be the perpetrator. These stories make me squirm even when presented in scripture...
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IWD Series 2018: Seeing Women and Girls in Primary
Guest post by Carrie Sillito
Eve. Jarius’s Daughter. Mary Magdalene. Mary, Mother of Jesus. Sarah. Sariah. Ten virgins. The Widow of Zarephath. Mary Jones. Emily Fulmer. The Mother of Heber J Grant. "Mrs. James". “Annie”. “Jane”. “Mary.” “Sarah”.
17 girls and women.
This list is inclusive of every single girl and woman mentioned in sharing time outlines from 2014 through 2018. At least four of them are fictional (the jury is out on whether “Mrs. James” is fictional or real). Let’s assume “Mrs. James” is real. Only because my heart aches to learn the stories of real women.
Over 5 years, and 240...
What is Exponent II?
Exponent II provides Mormon feminist forums for women and gender minorities across the Mormon spectrum to share their diverse life experiences in an atmosphere of trust and acceptance. Through these exchanges, we strive to create a community to better understand and support each other.
Exponent II was founded in 1974 by a group of Mormon women in Cambridge, Massachusetts. These women were inspired by the original periodical, “The Woman’s Exponent,” to create a forum “posed on the dual platforms of Mormonism and Feminism.”
For 50+ years, Exponent II has shared women’s voices in its quarterly magazine, and members of the community have convened at an annual retreat. Our reach has expanded as technology has advanced: the blog, founded in January 2006, has reached millions. As we look to the future, we are focused on growth and building a more inclusive community.
