Marriage and Eternal Families

Marriage and Eternal Families

Opening Song: "Families Can Be Together Forever" (Children’s Songbook #188)

Opening Prayer: Child

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 11:11

Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord.

Lesson: Mommy (adapted from Sharing Time: My Family, The Friend February 2004)

Show The Family: A Proclamation to the World. Explain that the prophet and apostles wrote this so we would know what Heavenly Father and Jesus want us to know about families. Read the first two lines of paragraph s even, “The family is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan.” Help the children understand that “ordained of God” means Heavenly Father designed marriage and family not just as an earthly union, but one that will endure forever.

Display a picture of the temple.(or use #501 or #502 from Gospel Art Picture Kit) Explain that we get married in the temple for eternity. Emphasize the importance of marriage being between MAN and WOMAN and that they become Daddies and Mommies.

Show pictures from your wedding day and explain that you were married in the temple (or talk about your family goal to be sealed in the temple if you haven’t been yet). Or display #609 from GAPK. Tell your children of your desires for them to one day get married in the temple. Bear testimony of Jesus and his sacrifice making eternal life and temple marriage possible.

Activities:

• Finger puppets from Behold your Little Ones: Nursery Manua l: Print this worksheet have children color page, then cut out and tape finger puppets of family. (The fact that they became finger puppets was what made this magic) Then recite the following activity verse and invite the children to join you:

This is Mother. (hold up hand; point to thumb)
This is Father. (point to index finger)
This is Brother tall. (point to middle finger)
This is Sister. (point to ring finger)
This is Baby. (point to little finger)
Oh, how we love them all. (hold both hands to chest)

• Build a temple with blocks. Pretend that stuffed animals are going to go get married there. (This one was a big hit)
• Play the Families are Forever (to the tune of the Farmer in the Dell):Can be adapted to family size (The kids liked this one too)

In a circle or line sing:

(Daddy stands in the middle with picture of temple) Fam'lies are forever, Fam'lies are forever, hi-ho the temple-o, Fam'lies are forever

(Daddy takes Mommy’s hand) The husband takes a wife, the husband takes a wife, hi-ho the marry-o the husband takes a wife.

(Parents take child’s hand) Then they have a child, then they have a child, hi- ho A fam’ly-o, then they have a child.

(Parents take next child’s hand) And baby makes four, and baby makes four, hi-ho A fam'ly-o, and baby makes four.

Closing Song: "A Happy Family" (Children’s songbook #198a)

Closing Prayer: Daddy

Treat Ideas:

• Gingerbread man and woman. Make gingerbread or sugar cookie men and women, have children pair them up. Then frost white for wearing white in the temple. If you don't have time for cookies, use cookie cutters to make men and women out of toast. Have children pair them up. Then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
• Marshmallow temples. Just make a temple with your marshmallows. Big marshmallows might work better: