{Sharing Time} Prophets prophesied about the birth of Jesus Christ

Last month I was asked to create the weekly theme posters a little more in advance to able to use in both Primary and at home so I will be continuing it because so many of you emailed. So thank you for taking the time, you're the best readers a girl could ask for!

DOWNLOAD ALL 4 POSTERS HERE

For this week you'll just need to raid the Primary Manual pictures. I've included links for an easy download if you'd rather just print them.

You will need:

Nativity (Primary 6-50)

Isaiah (Primary 6-49)

Nephi (Primary 4-18)

King Benjamin (Primary 4-21)

Alma (Primary 4-23)

Samuel the Lamanite (Primary 4-42)

You'll also need a box (big enough so the pictures aren't scrunched)

If you can't find one from your holiday shopping to borrow, the Post Office has flat rate boxes that don't cost anything that will fit these perfectly. 

And some wrapping paper. Put the picture of the Nativity inside the box and tape it. (The Savior is a gift to each of us) Wrap the box. Loosely tape one of the pictures of the prophets to the top of the wrapped box. Wrap around the picture. Loosely tape, wrap, loosely tape, wrap until all of the prophets are used and you can't see any of them and it just looks like a wrapped box.
(You could also just do 5 separate boxes for each of the 5 prophets but for sanity and arm sake I like this idea better)

Have a child come up and unwrap each layer then discuss the scriptures with each.

(Sorry no printables for this week, next week though!)

Here's a couple other ideas from last year and a few years past both work great and just give you more ideas.

For this week I really wanted to get the kids thinking about Jesus and about His birth. And about the prophets that prophesied that He would be born. Included in this lesson are the prophets-- Isaiah, Nephi, King Benjamin, Abinadi, and Samuel the Lamanite. Each prophet has 2 poster puzzles. One is about the prophesy and the other is just a "pondering/journal" question to get them thinking and sharing what they know and believe.

I'm sure that there are a lot of ways to use these poster puzzles (each puzzle is about 8x10) but here's what I was thinking. Each puzzle piece has a question/answer style to the pieces so you could 
1) put one piece of each puzzle on the board then go through and discuss the one side and then have the kids either look for the other piece because you've hidden it or bring out your sticky darts and have all the pieces on board. 
2) pull out your hamster ball/gift box/bag and while playing a Christmas song, the kids each take out a puzzle piece (10 puzzles = 20 pieces) then when everyone has a piece, let them find their match.
Then letting them read their scriptures and see if they know the answer.

GO HERE FOR THE REMAINDER OF THIS IDEA AND TO GET THE PUZZLES

Materials Needed:

-Beanbag

-Printouts

-Scissors

- Tape/Sticky Tack

I love what's in the manual, using the scriptures to learn about prophesies of the birth of Jesus, but I wanted to add in a little something fun!

Cut out the pieces of the nativity puzzle. On the back of each piece write a scripture reference in the manual.

1) Isaiah 7:14; 9:6

2) 1 Nephi 11:14-15, 20-21

3) Mosiah 3:5-8

4) Mosiah 15:1

5) Alma 7:10-12

6) Helaman 14:1-3

Lay out the puzzle out on the floor (with space between each) with the picture side down. Divide up the classes into 6 groups, have one child from each group come up and toss a beanbag to see what scripture each group gets.

Let each group have some time discuss/share what the prophesies were and explain/share anything that you want to about each prophet. (how long before Christ's birth did they prophesy? - printout below the puzzle) Then come hang their piece onto the board.

GO HERE FOR THE REMAINDER OF THIS IDEA AND TO DOWNLOAD THE NATIVITY AND COLORING PAGE.

December Editable Newsletter

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November Sharing Time Week 2

DOWNLOAD ALL 4 POSTERS HERE

This month is seriously a favorite of mine and this week is no exception. I am in an institute class learning about the Savior and His life, it's amazing and I'm learning SO much. This picture is one that I will always remember and love.

This week's outline is such an amazing idea and I love it so much and so for this week I am sharing a bookmark that you can handout to help the kids remember why we partake of the sacrament.

November Sharing Time Week 1

I've had a lot of requests for the posters of each week in advance so that they can be used as reminders at both home on the fridge and up on the board at Primary so I've made all 4 this week just in case I don't have time to make them later on.
                               

DOWNLOAD ALL 4 POSTERS OF THIS MONTH HERE

I'm so excited to be able to find the time to get a sharing time in for this week! I'm sharing one of my favorite stories of all time from the Friend all about reverence and butterflies. I see a lot of questions and a lot of suggestions for helps with reverence in Primary.

We ALL have this problem ladies never fear, children are children and we must take that into consideration. May I give one piece of advice to you as a Primary teacher to a Primary Presidency ( I have also been in the Presidency), if you want more reverence in your Primary, be reverent yourself. The kids watch you and see your example. If you are sitting in the back chatting about the teachers that are missing or who has a birthday (SEE! I know what you talk about back there, I was there too!) they will also be more apt to chat with their neighbors. However if they see that you are involved in the lesson and the singing you will see a difference in their reaction. Now this won't solve everything with the reverence of your Primary but I know from personal experience it will help. This article has helped me SO much when facing reverence concerns both in my family and with those pesky boys. "Respect and Reverence".


I love this story and share it often with my own boys and they each have butterfly in their Sunday bag/scriptures to remember. And now I want to share with you some ideas to use when sharing this beautiful story.

 PRINT THE STORY "TO CATCH A BUTTERFLY" FROM THE FRIEND HERE

1) Create hanging butterflies with the cut-outs provided below. Using an embroidery hoop/coat hanger/ceiling, ribbon (this is a LOT easier) or fishing line, cardstock, and a small hole punch (If using fishing line, a pin is easier to work with so you don't have a big hole).

Hang these up at the front of the room at different intervals so they look like they are flying. This can be just a visual aid or you can also put them on shorter ribbons making them into necklaces- laminate them for durability- and let the kids pick one as you see them being reverent

2) Cut-outs/laminating sheets, clothespins, and hot glue gun
For this one, cut and laminate the butterflies. Attach clothespin to them using the hot glue. As you see children being reverent clip a butterfly onto their shoulder

3) A one inch circle paper puncher, blank sticker sheets, 48-1 inch butterfly sticker sheet. 
This one is my favorite because it's so easy and if you share the story and it's meaning the butterfly stickers are a great reminder and a small thank you to the kids for being reverent.

Did something else with the printouts or stickers? Share your idea by commenting below!

Download includes:

-6 large butterflies

- sheet of 1 inch circle stickers

- Weekly Poster

November Editable Newsletter

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October Editable Newsletter

Please excuse the absence. I have begun my journey again in the land of college! WAHOO!! I am so excited for this journey and to see how it will take me and also my family. I will continue posting as much as I can without letting my family suffer. Thank you so much for all your support!

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Editable September Newsletter

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{Sharing Time} Reading, Watching, & Listening to wholesome things keeps my mind clean

Introduce the doctrine: Show the children two glasses, one with dirty water and one with clean water. Ask the children which one they would rather drink and why. Tell the children that our minds are like the glasses, and we should put only clean and good things in them. Write the following sentence on the board, and have the children say it with you: “Reading, watching, and listening to wholesome things keeps my mind clean.” Consider teaching the children simple hand actions to help them remember the sentence. For example, for the word reading, put your hands out like you are holding a book; for the word watching, point to your eye; for listening, cup your hand around your ear; and for mind, point to your forehead. Repeat the sentence several times, substituting the actions for the words.
Encourage understanding: Show the children a picture of Jesus Christ with children, and ask them to look at it for a few seconds. Cover the picture and ask the children to tell you details they remember about it. Help the children understand that we remember the things we see. Explain that when we fill our minds with good things we also think of good things. Show the picture again, and have the children sing “I Feel My Savior’s Love” (CS, 74–75). Ask the children to share how the song makes them feel. Explain that listening to good music helps us feel the Spirit and keeps our minds clean.

I LOVE the part about having them sing the song and I've created a poster with one of my favorite paintings of the Savior and I have included the lyrics underneath because let's face it, it's an AMAZING song!


"Consider how we use our time in the choices we are making in viewing television, playing video games, surfing the internet, or reading book or magazines.... Some things are better, and others are best,"
Elder Dallin H. Oaks



This handout -- in my opinion- is worth to print for each child or family to 1) remember the lesson 2) have something tangible to decide what is good/bad. Everything on this handout word-wise has been taken from THIS Friend article, I just wanted to make it more towards the game with the ice cream and be more friendly to the printer.






This week takes me back to my own youth and a Mormon ad that was in the New Era. Do you remember it?  Awe... 2002..... (back to reality)

Even after 15 years, I still remember this ad and I wanted to create a game/printables around this ad.


Would you eat a bowl of ice cream if you knew that there was a bug in it? Would you keep eating the ice cream if you discover a bug in your ice cream after you've already started eating?

Probably not! Why? It's still ice cream!

(write responses onto the board)
We don't eat bugs
Bugs are gross
etc

Today there are many good things to watch, read, and listen to, but there are also many bad choices. We must be careful about what images and thoughts we allow into our minds because we remember the things that we see. When we fill our minds with good things we have good uplifting thoughts.

How to play the game:
Printouts (print on sturdy cardstock)
White crayon
Permanent Marker
Acrylic Paint
Dish Soap
Paint brush
Coin

After printing and assembling the game board (16x16 when assembled) using the white crayon cover each ice cream heavily with the crayon. Mix 2 parts paint to 1 part dish soap (1:1 is fine too). Paint over the ice creams. Dry completely. Mark each ice cream 1-10 with your marker in order or scramble them up.

Please note that this game will take some of your own creativeness in creating the scenarios. I have included 7 of them. There are 4 "bugged" ice cream and 6 good ice cream. The bugged can be scenarios of things that we shouldn't be doing. I have numbered them in order but you can easily scramble the numbers all over the board.

GO HERE TO PURCHASE THE GAME

I think it's really important to touch on pornography (please don't delve into it, as it's the parents that need to fully explain. Here's some Friend articles that can give you ideas on how to go over it .
Crash and Tell -- this Friend article has some great internet safety tips that would be perfect to go over,
Finding Help -- talks about talking with parents after seeing things on the tv
Oh No! Now what? -- seeing inappropriate images, gives things to do now.

Staying Media Smart

1. Always ask a parent for permission before you use the Internet or watch TV, and use computers or televisions only in an open area of your home, within the view of your parents.
2. Go only to Web sites that you and your parents know are good for children. Ask your parents to set your TV and Web browser to block bad content.
3. Don’t be afraid to leave the room or ask someone to turn off movies, video games, or music that makes you feel uncomfortable.
4. If you have a page on a social-networking Web site, ask your parents to help you make sure that people you don’t know can’t see your page.
5. When you are on the Internet, don’t give someone you don’t know personal information like your name, address, or phone number.
6. Don’t send someone you don’t know a photograph of yourself.
7. Never agree to meet in person someone you “met” on the Internet. If someone asks to meet you, tell your parents.
8. Don’t give anyone your passwords.
9. Don’t open an e-mail from someone you don’t know. If you get an e-mail you’re unsure about, check with your parents.

Included in the download:

-Weekly Theme Poster

-Savior Picture/Song

- Ice cream and bug checklist

For your reference and study:

Let Our Voices be Heard

Leave it Alone

{Sharing Time} Living the Word of Wisdom shows respect for my body

Encourage understanding: On one side of the board write “Commandments” and the following scripture reference: D&C 89:7–9, 12, 14, 16. On the other side, write “Promises” and the following reference: D&C 89:18–21. Have half of the children read the first set of scriptures and look for commandments the Lord has given us in the Word of Wisdom. Have the other children read the remaining scriptures and look for blessings He has promised us if we obey. Discuss what the commandments and blessings mean.

Encourage application: Invite one child to say, “I will live the Word of Wisdom by ______” and fill in the blank with something he or she will do to live the Word of Wisdom. Then invite another child to repeat the phrase and the first child’s response and then add his or her own response. Ask a third child to repeat the phrase and both of the other children’s responses and then add another response. Repeat as time allows, with each child adding a response.


As we have learned the last couple of weeks, this week is no different. We are given our bodies as a precious gift from a loving Heavenly Father. Heavenly Father wants us to take care of our bodies.
Each day though we are faced with temptations that could harm our bodies so Heavenly Father has given us some information to help us make good choices in what we eat and put into our bodies. This is called the Word of Wisdom.

I have included printables for the ENCOURAGE UNDERSTANDING section so you can have the kids come up and write on the board the different things that they find for each section.


What has the Lord commanded us not to take into our bodies?

The Lord has commanded us to not use wine and strong drinks, meaning those that contain alcohol.
The Lord has also told us that tobacco is harmful to our bodies and our spirits. These are found in things like cigarettes and chewing tabacco.
We have also been told not to use hot drink. The leaders of the Church have told us that this means coffee and tea which both contain harmful ingredients.
We should not use drugs unless they are prescribed by a doctor. Many drugs when not used correctly can do more harm that even alcohol and tobacco.


For this game you'll be playing a "guess what it is" type of game with different clues. Bring in a fly swatter/ sticky darts/ bean bags etc so the kids can guess what the clue matches!
I have included image links for each of the clues. You will need to save/print each. You can also easily create your own clues and cut out images from magazines/grocery ads.
Scatter them on the floor face up (if you would like to talk about the food pyramid you can make one using painter's tape on the floor then put your pictures where they go on the pyramid then play your game.

1) A baked good make from dough. Most of us buy this at the store already sliced and ready to use. Typically used to make a sandwich. (Bread)
2) A fruit that grows in bunches on a vine. Can be used to make a juice. These are used to make raisins when they are dried. (Grapes)
3) This dairy product is made using the milk of animals. There are lots of kinds and many of us put it on a lot of things, like pizza! (Cheese)
4) A vegetable that grows in the ground and is the color orange. It has green leaves at the top. It's a favorite food of rabbits! (Carrots)
5) A dessert sometimes used for birthdays. A treat usually just for one person. They are sometimes decorated with frosting and sprinkles. (Cupcakes)
6) This protein comes from a bird and is used in many things. We sometimes eat these at breakfast or decorate them for Easter. (Eggs)
7) This fruit is a favorite during the summer. You can find them with black and white seeds in them and they are VERY juicy. You eat the red part but not the green! (Watermelon)
8) This vegetable grows on a stalk and is a bright yellow when it's ready to be picked but you can't see the yellow because it's covered by a green husk. Sometimes in the fall, farmers create mazes with them to go through. (Corn)
9) This meat is from big bird that can't fly. We usually have it during the month of November. It's a common lunch meat to find on your sandwich. (Turkey)
10) This is a popular breakfast food. Sometimes people add yummy fruits to it. We can either eat with a bowl and some milk or eat it for a tasty snack. (Cereal)

The activity above I think is more geared towards Sr. Primary but I'm sure some of the clues you could use in Jr. But I've made up a fun little printable you can use in Jr. Primary.

Bring in some crayons and let the children color the things that are good for their bodies. I have included some "junk" food so you can talk about that a little bit.

Another thing that you can talk about it the food pyramid. Talk about each section and why each of these are important for our bodies (here's a great article about why it's important)



As I was looking on LDS.org for different articles for this week. I found this BEAUTY of a quote by President Monson. And I created a poster for you!

Included in the download:

Weekly Theme Poster

Fun activity for Jr Primary

President Monson Quote

Here's another game I made for the Word of Wisdom!

For your reference and study:

D&C -- Word of Wisdom
Word of Wisdom
Word of Wisdom (Topics)

{Sharing Time} Dressing modestly shows respect for Heavenly Father and myself

This week is going to a tough one and I wish you the best of luck dear sisters! I think that this week is so hard to teach because you really just don't want to call out kids that you deem immodest. So what I wanted to do for this week it to share the WHY behind modesty.


I love what Elder Hales has said and I believe (doctrine according to me) that this is the reason we strive to be modest:
"Modesty is at the center of being pure and chaste, both in thought and deed. Thus, because it guides and influences our thoughts, behavior, and decisions, modesty is at the core of our character. Our clothing is more than just covering our bodies; it reflects who we are and what we want to be."

As I was studying for this lesson, I ran across this talk by Elder Hales and here's a part that he said:
"The next time you approach the temple, pause to look at the temple grounds. Have you ever considered why the temple is surrounded by beautiful plates, reflecting pools, and architecture? They give an outward presence and feeling that prepares the patron for the sacred ordinances that await inside the temple...Our clothing is equally important. It is the "landscaping" for presenting our bodies as temples. Just as the temple grounds portray the sacredness and reverence for what takes place inside the temple, our clothing portrays the beauty and purity of our inner selves."

I really just want to print Elder Hales talk and just blow it up and put it up everywhere so that we cam always remember why it's so important to be modest. Now when he said 'landscaping' it got me thinking that maybe just maybe we can use that to help these precious children WHY we dress modestly.

Now due to copyrights and me not wanting to me sued, you will need to do a Google search for two pictures. A house with a messy, unkempt yard and another of a clean, manicured yard. Below are  links to a couple pictures I think would be just perfect comparisons for the lesson.

Print these out onto full sheets and at the beginning of your lesson ask "which looks more inviting?" "which would you rather spend time playing in?" "Why is it more inviting/do you want to play there?

Write the children's responses and add your own if you like.

 ~ it's clean/ it's dirty 

~ it's taken care of and loved by the owner

~ there's garbage everywhere

~it wouldn't be easy/fun to play in the grass

~ it's relaxing

~ pretty plants

Messy Yard

Manicured Yard

By just looking at this picture -hold up the manicured lawn- we know that this owner loves their home and wants to take care of it.

Just like this lawn, we can show Heavenly Father that we love and are grateful for our bodies by taking care of it. One way we can take care of our bodies is by dressing modestly. As we dress modestly we invite the Spirit to be with us. When we choose to dress modestly we send a message to those around us that we know who we are, sons and daughters of God.

I also found this article in the Friend that I think talks about modesty beautifully without getting into the clothing too terribly much.

To add a bit more to your lesson you can bring in items to represent each point and have the kids pick the items then discuss.
(I will not go further into this topic as I believe that it is you dear sisters that knows exactly what your Primary needs to hear about why we are modest)

For your reference and study:

Modesty: Reverence for the Lord (Elder Hales talk from above)

Courage to Choose Modesty - this talk is AMAZING and clearly goes over the doctrine, many of this is more for parents than children but I think you can add and incorporate it's teachings.

August Editable Newsletter

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{Sharing Time} My Body is a Temple

2016 Sharing Time Outline: August

Introduce the doctrine: Before Primary, write the phrase “Ye are the temple of God” (1 Corinthians 3:16) on the board. Show the children pictures of temples, and ask them what makes a temple so special (it is a house of the Lord, clean, well cared for, and a place where the Holy Ghost can come). Write their responses on the board. Explain that our bodies, like temples, are sacred and need to be treated with respect by ourself and others.

Encourage understanding and application: Copy the picture on page 47 of the nursery manual, Behold Your Little Ones. Cut out the circles in the picture, and put them in a container. Ask a child to choose one of the circles. Ask the children how the picture reminds them to treat their bodies like temples. Give each child a copy of the picture, and invite them to color it. Invite older children to write one thing under each circle that they will do this week to treat their bodies like temples. Invite the children to take their pictures home to teach their family how they can treat their bodies like temples.

Encourage application: Display a copy of “My Gospel Standards.” Ask the children to identify which gospel standards teach them how to treat their bodies like temples. Invite the children to turn to someone sitting nearby and share one way they are treating their body like a temple. Then ask them to think about one way they can improve. Invite a few of the children to share their thoughts with everyone.

I have based my ideas off of this article in the Friend.
(included in the download is this to print out on LEGAL paper-8.5x14)

In this article, the author poses 5 questions and they are just so good and perfect for what we need to get across that I didn't want to change them. They are:
What's great about having a body?
Why do we have bodies?
What if there are things I don't like about my body? (I love this one!)
Why doesn't everyone look alike?
How should I treat my body?


I have created board size printouts with these questions and an "answer" box for each that are all color coded. You can play different variations with these.

1) Bring in some sticky darts and see if the kids can "dart" the pairs then discuss. Bean bags are also great for this (with the ground rules of no throwing)
These sticky darts are the ones I always have on hand but you can typically find them at party supply stores.

2) Create key words for each of the answer boxes and  have the kids try to match the key word (write or print on the back of the answer boxes) to the question.

3) Have all the questions up on the board, scatter the answer boxes around the room on walls, under chairs, etc. Have the kids find the answer box that goes with the question, then discuss.




I have also included some illustrations from different Friend magazines about some things we can do with our bodies. You can put these up with the temple pictures from the "Introduce the doctrine" and ask the kids how are our bodies the same as temples?
There are 5 in all for the illustrations.





I wanted you to be able to send the kids home with something to summarize the lesson and I just loved this illustration from Susan Fitch and knew that it'd be perfect for this handout.
(download includes 8x10 and sheet of 4x6)

Here's a Sharing Time from a few years ago!

{Sharing Time} God has commanded His people to build temples

So I think I've gone a little overkill for this sharing time with a whole bunch of information but I hope that you can pick and choose and you can find some help. For this lesson, I really wanted to show that even when there were temples in biblical times, the Lord was behind each one and that each is built by the direction of Jesus Christ. I've included links for the Tabernacle during the time of Moses, Solomon's Temple, Nephi's temple in Bountiful, and the Kirtland Temple. You can also add your own area's temple with facts about it.

Moses Tabernacle

Read more about the Tabernacle

*text from the Old Testament Stories

Exodus 25:1-2, 8-9, 16, 22; Exodus 31:18; 1 Kings 8:9

1 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

 2 Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering.

8 And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.

 9 According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.

16 And thou shalt put into the ark the testimony which I shall give thee.

22 And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.

Ex 31:18 ¶And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.

Kings 8:9 There was nothing in the ark save the two tables of stone, which Moses put there at Horeb, when the Lord made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt.

Jesus Christ talked to Moses on Mount Sinai. Jesus said the Israelites should build a tabernacle. A tabernacle is a place to learn about God. Jesus would come to the tabernacle.
Jesus showed Moses what the tabernacle should look like. He told Moses how to build it. Jesus told Moses which men should build the tabernacle. Jesus blessed the men so they could do good work.
The Israelites obeyed Jesus. They gave gold and silver for the tabernacle. They gave animal skins for the roof. The women made beautiful cloth for the walls.
The Israelites built the tabernacle the way Jesus told them. The tabernacle was like a tent. It had a wall of curtains. There was a yard inside the wall. An altar for sacrifices was in the yard.
A small building was in the yard. It was also like a tent. It had two rooms. A gold altar was in one room.
A beautiful, big box was in the other room. It was called the ark of the covenant. The stones with the commandments written on them were kept in the ark of the covenant.
Moses was happy because the Israelites obeyed Jesus. Moses blessed the people. He blessed the tabernacle. He blessed Aaron and his sons and gave them the priesthood. Jesus chose other men to help them. Aaron and his sons burned sacrifices for the people. The other men helped take care of the tabernacle.
The tabernacle was a holy place like a temple. Jesus came there. The people went there to learn about God and to do his work. They made sacrifices there.
Jesus put a cloud above the tabernacle in the day. He put a fire above the tabernacle at night. The fire and the cloud showed the Israelites that Jesus was there.
When the cloud moved, the Israelites took down the tabernacle. They carried it with them in the wilderness. They followed the cloud.

      King Solomon  Temple

Read more about the Temple of Solomon

*text from the Old Testament Stories

1 Chronicles 22:6-11

6 Then he called for Solomon his son, and charged him to build an house for the Lord God of Israel.

 7 And David said to Solomon, My son, as for me, it was in my mind to build an house unto the name of the Lord my God:

 8 But the word of the Lord came to me, saying, Thou hast shed blood abundantly, and hast made great wars: thou shalt not build an house unto my name, because thou hast shed much blood upon the earth in my sight.

 9 Behold, a son shall be born to thee, who shall be a man of rest; and I will give him rest from all his enemies round about: for his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quietness unto Israel in his days.

 10 He shall build an house for my name; and he shall be my son, and I will be his father; and I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel for ever.

 11 Now, my son, the Lord be with thee; and prosper thou, and build the house of the Lord thy God, as he hath said of thee.

There was peace in the land of Israel. God said King Solomon should build a temple in Jerusalem. It would be the house of God. The ark of the covenant would be in the temple. The people would not need the tabernacle anymore because they would have the temple.

Thousands of people helped build the temple. It was made of stone and wood. Men brought the best wood from far away. They cut large stones for the walls of the temple.

Another room had a pool filled with water. The pool was on the backs of twelve oxen. The oxen were made of brass.

It took seven years to build the temple. At last it was finished. Then Solomon put beautiful gold and silver bowls in the temple.

The priests brought the ark of the covenant from the tabernacle. They put the ark in the temple. The two stones with the commandments written on them were in the ark.

The priests of Israel came to the temple. They sang songs and thanked God for the temple. The cloud that had been over the tabernacle filled the temple. The temple was the house of God.

Solomon spoke to the Israelites. He told them to obey God’s commandments. Then Solomon prayed to God. He asked God to forgive the people when they had repented.

Solomon made sacrifices to God. Fire from heaven came down to the altar. The fire burned the sacrifices.

The people worshiped God. They thanked him for the temple.

God spoke to Solomon. He said Solomon and the Israelites should be righteous. Then he would bless them forever.

Nephi Temple in Bountiful

2 Nephi 5:16
 16 And I, Nephi, did build a temple; and I did construct it after the manner of the temple of Solomon save it were not built of so many precious things; for they were not to be found upon the land, wherefore, it could not be built like unto Solomon’s temple. But the manner of the construction was like unto the temple of Solomon; and the workmanship thereof was exceedingly fine.

After Nephi and his family reached the promised they built a temple.The temple they built resembled the temple that King Solomon built. King Solomon's temple was the temple that Nephi and his family knew before they left Jerusalem. There were many blessings that the Nephites enjoyed because of the temple. King Benjamin's address from the tower so all could hear him and the Savior appeared to the Nephites who were gathered at the temple.

Kirtland Temple

D&C 42:36 

That my covenant people may be gathered in one in that day when I shall come to my temple. And this I do for the salvation of my people.

God commanded Joseph Smith in December 1832 to build a temple in Kirtland, Ohio. The Prophet and several others saw the Kirtland Temple in a vision, which provided its design. Construction began in June 1833, at a time of great poverty in the Church. Work slowed in 1834 because many brethren were absent with Zion's Camp. When they returned, Joseph Smith labored with others in the sandstone quarry, and vigorous efforts to build the temple resumed. The Prophet Joseph dedicated the Kirtland Temple on March 27, 1836... Many church members witnessed heavenly manifestations during this glorious season, culminating in Jesus Christ's appearance to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery to accept the temple. Moses, Elias, and Elijah also appeared to Joseph and Oliver to restore priesthood keys for the salvation of all mankind. (source)
The Saints moved from Kirtland and the temple fell into the hands of another Church.



Both modern and biblical temples were built under the direction of Jesus Christ but there is a difference between the two.

The law of Moses temples were operated by men born to the Aaronic or Levitical Priesthood and were led by a high priest, who was a literal descendant of Aaron. That high priest was the only person who entered the most sacred room on only one day a year—the Day of Atonement. It was just outside of the temple on an altar that sacrifices prescribed in the law of Moses were offered.

Modern temples operate under the direction of a living prophet who holds the keys of the Melchizedek Priesthood that were first restored to Joseph Smith. All worthy men, women, and children over the age of 12 are able to enter on a regular basis. (source)


Here's a really awesome video that is well worth the time to at least watch if not to share with your Primary.

I love this scripture and wanted to share a poster for it.
Why do we build temples?
After all the ordinance work, because it is a place for the spirit to dwell, I just love to be there and pray of things that are troubling and really get an eye opening experience and help to face the troubles.




Other resources:
A History of Temples
Temples-The Gates of Heaven
Ancient Temples and Their Functions

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