current prophet

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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.

Documents

current prophet