LDS Children Presented Their Own Primary Program

Each year the children’s organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, called the church’s Primary, presents a Primary Program for a Sunday Sacrament Meeting.

This year the universal theme of study was “I’ll Follow Him in Faith.” The Primary General Presidency, based out of Salt Lake City, Utah, wanted the children to be taught a basic principle of the church: faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. The intent for this year was to give the children experiences that will allow them to become converted, find their own faith and testimony, and make commitments to follow the Savior and live His gospel.

This theme of study is worldwide, thus all the Primary organizations throughout the world prepare and present their theme to their designated general congregations. Each month the children were taught a different theme. Among the themes were “I Have Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ,” “My faith in Jesus Christ grows when I follow his example and keep His commandments,” and “My family can follow Jesus Christ in faith.”

The Primary Organization of the Newtown Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints presented its program on Sunday, September 30. The children who participated in the ranged from age 3 to 11. The Newtown Ward Primary Organization has 40 children.

The children of the Newtown Ward prepared their own talks and shared with the congregation their testimony of Jesus Christ. Madison Woodard, age 11, shared her testimony of the Savior by likening it to planting a seed. She said that if she kept her testimony to herself, and not share it, it will not grow.

She used the example of a seed that was planted at the beginning of the year. Once the seed was planted in a vase, it was watered, but was put away in a dark room. It did not reap the benefits of sunlight. Through time, the plant sprouted, but remained very small and weak. She said that so it would be the same with us and our faith. If it is not shared with others, it will not grow and remain dormant.

The Children’s Sacrament Meeting program this year consisted of several musical numbers that the children learned and sang throughout this year’s course of study. For the September 30 presentation a few of the children offered special musical numbers. A quartet made up of Tucker Arend, age 9; Nathan Wutzke, 9; Charlotte Nelson, 9; and Melanie Sutton, 10, sang the song “I’ll Follow Him in Faith” by Janice Kapp Perry.

Sophia Chariandini, 7, prepared a violin solo titled “My Redeemer Lives.” The Kevin and Sarah Funk family sang “Love is Spoken Here,” while the concluding song was sung by all the primary children. This concluding song was titled “I’m Trying to Be Like Jesus,” and while the children sang the song, they also did it in sign language.