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ProphetsScripturePrint off a picture of the current prophet or point to a picture on the wall.Get some scriptures and give them to your child. Explain to your child how God calls each and every prophet togive counsel to the people. Print out, cut out and laminate the prophet flannel board figures below. Talk abouteach prophet and how God calls them for their people and how they were obedient to Gods commandments. Haveyour child flip open to any book in the scriptures and talk about that prophet.
Talk about general conference and how we have the opportunity to listen and obey our prophet that God haschosen for us. Talk about sustaining our current prophet every general conference by using the hand out below.Print off the I can sustain the Prophet handout. Cut out the square pictures on the left of the handoutthen laminate. Place Velcro on the colored, plain squares and have your child place the correct picture tocomplete the sentence.
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StoryPrint off the two stories and laminate them. Share the two stories with your child and talk about how wecan follow the prophet. Explain that Sundays are set-aside during the week so that we can spend the wholeday obeying the prophets counsel. It is our day of physical rest but we need to always be working on our
testimonies. Have your child write down all the different station ideas they have and come up with a plan fortheir Sunday stations. Provide suggestions:-Read scriptures-Watch scripture movie-Write in journal-Write letters to family or friends-Have a father interview-Serve someone-Read the friend-Drive to the temple
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Gordon B. Hinckley shows the way. We hear and follow his
words today. (Childrens Songbook, page 134.)
A TRUE STORY
Jenelle heard her best friend, Michelle, ask Rebec-
ca to her birthday party on Sunday. Michelles
parents had planned a swimming party to cele-
brate her eleventh birthday.
Michelle had already invited Jenelle, but Jenelle
2 T H E F R I E N D
WHO IS TH I S PROP H E T? By Jane McBride Choate
had told Michelle that shed have to let her know.
Jenelle knew that she wouldnt be going to the par-
ty, but she didnt want to say that in front of the
other girls.
The two girls had been friends since they were
six years old. But after Jenelles family had become
members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-
day Saints nine months ago, things had changed
between them. Jenelle wanted Michelle to under-
stand that becom-
ing a Latter-day
Saint didnt change
what Jenelle felt
for her friend,
but Michelle washaving a hard time
accepting that.
After school,
Jenelle trudged
home more dis-
couraged than ever
because Michelle
had announced
that everyone else
shed invited to
her party would
come.At least
Mom will be home,
Jenelle thought.
Shell know what
I can do. I always
feel better after
talking things over
with her.
At home, she
quickly found her
mother in the
kitchen. What am
I going to do? she
asked once shed
told her mother
the whole story.
Mom put her
arm around
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Jenelles shoulders. You have to decide whats
more important to yougoing to your friends par-
ty or obeying the commandments.
Jenelle sighed. She knew what she should do.
That didnt make it any easier, though. She didnt
want to hurt her friends feelings. And more than
anything, she wanted to go to the party.Almost
more than anything, she thought. She couldnt
break one of the commandments, especially when
the prophet had spoken about the importance of
keeping the Sabbath Day holy in a general confer-
ence talk.
She knew what she had to do. After school the
next day, she hurried home and wrapped the pres-
ent shed made for Michelle, then walked to her
friends house.
I made you something special for your birthday.
Im sorry I cant come to your birthday party. Its
because its on a Sunday.
Michelle tore open the paper and held up a
birdhouse. This is great! You made this all by
yourself?
Jenelle nodded. At Primary activity day. She
told Michelle about Primary and the activity days
for girls her age.
Michelle showed Jenelle the bathing suit she
had bought for the party.
Jenelle looked at the pretty aqua suit and smiled.
She had looked at the same one last week while
shopping with her mother.
So whats the big deal about your going swim-
ming on Sunday? Michelle asked after putting the
suit away. Well be going in the afternoon, after
your church lets out.
JANUARY 2001 3
ILLUSTRATED BY TAIA MORLEY
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The prophet said that we need to keep the
Sabbath Day holy.
What does that mean? Michelle asked.
It means we dont shop on Sunday or go swim-
ming or to ball gamesstuff like that.
What doyou do?
We go to church, spend time with our families,
listen to music. Read the scriptures. She smiled,
remembering last Sun-
day.Sometimes mymom and dad take a
nap.
Michelle frowned.
Who is this prophet?
Why do you have to
do what he says?
Hes the President
of the Church.
So hes like the
boss?
Jenelle smiled again.
Shed never heard the
prophet described as
a boss, but she sup-
posed it made sense to
people who werentmembers of the
Church.
What makes the
prophet so special?
Michelle asked.
He teaches us
things Heavenly Father
wants us to know.
You mean he talks
with God?
Yes, Jenelle an-
swered firmly. She
knew that a lot of peo-
ple had a hard time
understanding that.
Does he have a
name?
Right now the
prophet is Gordon
B. Hinckley.
Do you have to do everything he says?
We dont have to. We choose to, Jenelle said,
hoping Michelle understood.
Could you come to my birthday party next year
if it was on Saturday?
Jenelle hugged her friend. Im already counting
the days till then!
4 T H E F R I E N D
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B Y M A R C I C O L E(Based on a true story)
Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy(Exodus 20:8).
homas woke up one sunny morning to the sounds
of his big brothers, Jonathan and Matthew, talk-
ing quietly. He smiled as he realized it was Sunday.
Thomas loved Sundays. He loved looking handsome in his
Sunday clothes. He loved singing Primary songs. And he
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ILLUSTRATIONS BY CARLOS AVALONE
especially loved his Primary teacher, Sister Brandon. He
couldnt wait to go to church!
Then Thomas frowned. He remembered that church
didnt start until after lunch. Sunday mornings seemed
to drag on forever. What could he do until it was time to
get ready for church?
After breakfast, Mom came into Thomass room.
Thomas, hurry and put away your toys, she said,
smiling. Were going to do something new that I think
you will like.
Thomas quickly picked up his toys and went intothe living room, where his brothers and sisters
were waiting. Today were going to do Sunday
stations, Mom announced.
Thomas had never heard of Sunday stations
before. He hoped he would like them.
One station will be at the table, Mom explained.
Two will be on the couches, and one will be at the
computer. You will have 10 minutes at each station.
Now Thomas was really curious. Usually he wasnt
allowed to use the computer on Sundays. Mom gave a
few more instructions and then let each child go to a
different station.
FRIEND MARCH 2009 19
Who knew Sundayscould be so fun?
Lets ask Mom and Dadif we can try this.
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Thomas headed straight for the computer, but
his sister Katrina had beat him to it. So Thomas sat
down at the table instead. There he saw theFaith
in GodandDuty to Godbooklets that belonged to
his sisters and brothers. What can I do here? he asked
Mom. Im not old enough to have aFaith in Godbook.
Mom pointed to a sheet of paper and a box of
markers. You dont have aFaith in Godbook yet, but
you do have faith, and you can make a goal to help it
get stronger, she said.
How? Thomas asked.
Well, just think of something you can do this week
to follow Jesus, Mom suggested. Then write yourgoal on this paper so you can remember it. Mom
patted Thomas on the back and set the kitchen timer
for 10 minutes.
Thomas thought hard about how he could follow
Jesus. He watched Mom helping his brothers and
sisters with their stations. I know, he thought. Mom
is like Jesus because she is nice. He smiled as he
carefully wrote the wordsI will be niceon his paper.
Mom came over and gave Thomas a hug. Then
she showed him where his sister Miriam had glued
her picture inside the cover of her booklet. Mom
drew a square on his paper, and Thomas drew a
picture of himself in his Sunday clothes and colored
it with markers. He was admiring his picture whenthe timer went off.
The next station was the computer. Mom
explained that Thomas could send an e-mail to
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FRIEND MARCH 2009 21
This is the season of opportunity for families to
stand tall and be counted among the faithful who
obey the fourth great commandment: Remember the
sabbath day, to keep it holy. 3
Bishop H. David Burton, Presiding Bishop
someone he loved. He decided to send a message
to his cousin Moroni, who had been sick. Hi,
Moroni, he wrote. How are you? I hope you
are feeling better.
Just then the timer went off. Time sure
goes by fast when Im doing stations, Thomas
thought. Then he typed his name, clicked on
send, and hurried to the couch.
At the next station, Thomas found a phone.
I know what this is for, he thought. Mom
helped him dial Grandpas phone number. Thomas
was surprised to learn that Grandpa didnt know
about Sunday stations. Usually, Thomas was the onewho had a question, and Grandpa had the answer.
So Thomas explained about Sunday stations. He and
Grandpa had a great time talking. When he heard the
timer, Thomas said, I love you, Grandpa! and handed
the phone to Mom.
The reading station on the couch was Thomass last
station. Mom listened to Thomas read the story of Captain
Moroni and the title of liberty. Then they had just enough
time for Mom to read a letter in the Friend.
When the timer went off for the last time, everyone
stood up and stretched. Lets pick up and make lunch
now, Mom said. Wow! It was lunchtime already. Then it
would be time to get dressed for church.
As Thomas gathered the magazines and scripturestorybooks from the couch, he had a happy feeling
inside. Mom, he asked, can we do Sunday stations
again next week? He could tell by Moms smile that
they would.
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ActivityWrite a letter to the prophet and eat his favorite food for lunch or go out and get his favorite dessert.