Skip to main content

Primary Is First

Primary means "1. first or highest in rank or importance; chief; principal; 2. first in order in any series, sequence, etc; 3. first in time; earliest; primitive." When we think of the Church Primary program, we think it so named because of definitions 2 and 3. But I believe the first definition is most accurate of the Primary program.

Primary children, including those in Nursery, are building the foundation of their testimonies now. The experiences they have at church while young will affect their attitude toward church when they are older. The Nursery manual states,
The purpose of the nursery class is to help children learn the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and live it. The nursery class should help the children increase their understanding of and love for Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, have positive experiences in a Church setting, and grow in feelings of self-worth.
This statement applies to all ages of Primary. The other Primary manuals also share the goals and purpose for their age groups (preparing for baptism for CTR classes and keeping covenants and preparing for Young Men/Women for Valiant classes). Each stage of Primary is a step leading toward the ultimate goal: the temple.

We Primary leaders and teachers must recognize the absolute importance of our callings. We are teaching the future leaders of the Church. We are guiding future priesthood holders, missionaries, teachers, mothers, and fathers. We have so much influence over these children's growth in the gospel and their testimonies. Let us treat our callings as such, especially Nursery leaders. Nursery is not a daycare, but an optional Sunday school to prepare children for Primary. Once we truly understand the purpose of Primary, we will be able to magnify our callings.

Challenge: Be a better Primary teacher or leader by loving and praying for your children. If you are a parent, support and appreciate the people involved with your children. If you are not associated with Primary in any way, do not belittle those who are.
Labels:

Comments

Anonymous said…
Mom and I are both grateful for the primary service we just were released from- we went to 3 baptisms in the last two Saturdays for kids of our class. -DAD
February 13, 2012 at 12:42 AM
Anonymous said…
I substituted in our former class on Sunday. I still miss the children and primary.
Mom
March 26, 2012 at 11:39 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Holy Grail

lds.org Ever wonder how the story of the Holy Grail began? Why people believed there was a cup from which they could drink and live forever? I did, and here is the answer. One day when Jesus was teaching the people, He said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. . . . I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and that bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat? Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. ( John 6:47, 51-54 ) The Jews' response shows they did not understand what Jesus meant. Then, before Jesus was crucified, He dined
4 comments
Read more

Family Home Evening for Babies

ldsclipart.com Family home evening can sometimes be a challenge because we don't know what to do. This is especially true for those of us with only a baby. There are plenty of ideas for single members, couples, and families, but I have yet to find good suggestions for planning a family home evening lesson for a baby (not yet in Nursery). So I compiled my own list: Read gospel-related board books. They are short and introduce common scripture stories in a very simple manner. Read the scriptures. Elder Bednar said , "Youth of all ages, even infants, can and do respond to the distinctive spirit of the Book of Mormon. Children may not understand all of the words and stories, but they certainly can feel the 'familiar spirit' described by Isaiah ( Isaiah 29:4 ; see also 2 Nephi 26:16 )." Sing Primary songs together. There is no better way to invite the Spirit, teach basic gospel principles, and prepare your baby for Nursery and Primary. Sing inte
6 comments
Read more

"Far above Rubies"

Certain TV shows and previews reminded me of a quote from Sister Margaret Nagauld : "Women of God can never be like women of the world. The world has enough women who are tough; we need women who are tender. There are enough women who are coarse; we need women who are kind. There are enough women who are rude; we need women who are refined. We have enough women of fame and fortune; we need more women of faith. We have enough greed; we need more goodness. We have enough vanity; we need more virtue. We have enough popularity; we need more purity." We need to be classy women--women with manners, discipline, integrity, virtue, sincerity, and charity. Sister Nagauld isn't the only one to have said this: 1. "It is, unfortunately, all too easy to illustrate the confusion and distortion of womanhood in contemporary society. Immodest, immoral, intemperate women jam the airwaves, monopolize magazines, and slink across movie screens—all while being celebrated by the world
5 comments
Read more