Printable Patriotic Song Crossword Puzzle for Kids

Two quick things....

1.   I make the ward bulletins for our ward now and include a children's activity sheet each week.    This crossword puzzle is one I created myself and thought would be fun to share with all of you.  It uses the hymn book and would make for a good activity during sacrament meeting or for a family home evening around Independence Day.

2.  Also....I figured out how to post a PDF without using Scribd!  Let me know if this format works for you.   If it's easy to use,  I think I'm going make my way through all the family home evening lessons on here and see if I can post them the same way.  It might take me a while, but if it makes them easier to use it will be worth it!       

Let me know what you think?   Do you want me to post more of these activity sheets?    Does this format work for you?  Would you like the FHE lessons to be published this same way?    Please give me feedback...I'm trying to figure out if this is worth my time and need to know what resources people are using and appreciating.

     

Happy Independence Day!

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How a New Prophet is Called Lesson

Today I taught a class to new members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.   We had a lesson prepared from the manual, but after President Monson's death, we decided to switch the lesson plan over to talk about prophets and how new ones are called.    Later on, we used this same information as a FHE lesson for our family.    

First, we talked about what happens when a prophet dies.    I took a picture that was published in the April 2016, Friend magazine and made it into a pictorial explanation of what happens:

Then we discussed the information about the process  from the church website .   You can click on the link to read more, or read a summary below:  

"When the president of the Church passes away, the following events take place:

1. The First Presidency is automatically dissolved.

2. The two counselors in the First Presidency revert to their places of seniority in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Seniority is determined by the date on which a person was ordained to the Twelve, not by age.

3. The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, now numbering 14 {or in our case, numbering 13 now, since both Elder Hales and President Monson have passed away} and headed by the senior apostle {that senior apostle currently is President Russell M. Nelson} assumes Church leadership.

4. The senior apostle {President Russell M. Nelson} presides at a meeting of the Quorum of the Twelve to consider two alternative propositions:

     i. Should the First Presidency be reorganized at this time?

     ii. Should the Church continue to function with the Quorum of the Twelve presiding?

5. After discussion, a formal motion is made and accepted by the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

6. If a motion to reorganize the First Presidency is passed, the Quorum of the Twelve unanimously selects the new president of the Church. The new president chooses two counselors and the three of them become the new First Presidency. Throughout the history of the Church, the longest-serving apostle has always become the president of the Church when the First Presidency has been reorganized.

7. Following the reorganization of the First Presidency, the apostle who has served the second longest {Right now, that is Elder Dallin H. Oaks} is sustained as the president of the Quorum of the Twelve. When the second-longest-serving apostle has also been called into the First Presidency as a counselor, the third-longest-serving apostle becomes acting president of the Twelve.

8. The president of the Quorum of the Twelve, along with the rest of the apostles, sets apart* the new president of the Church through a formal laying on of hands."

And lastly,  click on  the link to watch a video about President Monson's life .    It was wonderful to see a glimpse of what kind of wonderful man we've had leading the church for the last several years and what a blessing it is to live in a day and a time when we have a prophet on the earth!  

Meanwhile, here is a quote from President Monson to inspire you this week:  

Have a wonderful week!

Napoleon Dynamite Mutual Activity

When you've been helping plan youth activities for almost five years, sometimes it's hard to come up with new and creative ideas.   We were in charge of the combined activity this month and couldn't come up with any ideas we all liked.  We've done a few meaningful combined activities lately, so wanted to make this a fun one.   We were planning on it being a game night of some kind, but had trouble focusing in on which games to do and how to structure it for the 50-60 youth that would come.    Finally, my counselor mentioned potentially making it a Napoleon Dynamite activity and suddenly it all clicked together.  We planned and pulled it together in a weekend, spent little money, and everyone had a fantastic time.

First off, I sent this email (linked in a google doc) to tell everyone about the activity and invite them to dress the part.      We offered prizes (chapstick) for the best costumes.  :)

We started the night by showing some favorite clips of the movie, then went to the gym and explained each of the stations, then let them go to it. :)   We thought about assigning them groups and making it more structured, but worried that each station would take a different amount of time, so we just let them do it at their own pace.  

You'll want a table and a little sign for each station explaining what it is, along with a leader to instruct what to do (and to garner enthusiasm).    Not every station will need a separate leader, but you'll want some oversight to keep it from getting too crazy, especially if you have a large group like we do.

STATION #1: HELP PEDRO ASK SUMMER TO THE DANCE (CUPCAKE DECORATING)--

They got to design their own "cake" to help Pedro ask Summer to the dance and then eat it or save it for when we served the snacks later. Most people ate it on the spot...hahah!

Materials needed: unfrosted cupcakes, a big bowl of white frosting, sprinkles, red gel decorating frosting, and a picture of the cake Pedro made for Summer.

STATION #2: SKETCH A FRIEND  (based on the sketch Napoleon did for Trisha)--

At the beginning of the activity when we were all still gathered we had everyone put their name in a bowl. Then when you arrive to the station you draw a name, write that person's name on the back of the paper, then sketch them. After the sketches were done, we hung them up, so everyone could guess who was who. This was probably their favorite activity of the night!

Materials needed: blank sheets of paper, pencils, and maybe a picture of the sketch Napoleon did for Trisha

STATION #3: FEED TINA THE CASSEROLE

Essentially instead of "pin the tail on the donkey", people were trying to feed Tina the casserole while blindfolded.

Materials needed: a large picture or drawing of a llama, a proportionately sized picture of a casserole, blindfold, tape

STATION #4: GLAMOUR SHOTS BY DEB

We had one of our leaders dressed like Deb and would take pictures of people with the tablecloth as the backdrop. She talked like Deb and had them do the awkward glamour shot poses. We will show the pictures at a later activity.

Materials needed: tablecloth (hung over a portable chalkboard), camera, props (if desired).

My counselor has all the official glamour shots on her computer, but this shows the general set-up of what we did.   The pictures were HILARIOUS! 

STATION #5: NAPOLEON TRIVIA:

Materials needed: Copies of a fill in the blank Napoleon quote page (HERE IS THE LINK), pens

STATION #6: HAPPY HANDS CLUB:

Materials needed: An enthusiastic leader and a video of the Happy Hands club performing, "Love is a Rose"

OR you could have someone teaching the Napoleon dance

STATION #7:  MAKE A SIGN FOR PRESIDENT WHEATLEY--

This wouldn't work for most wards, but our stake president happens to be President Wheatley, so we had everyone make a sign and write nice notes to President Wheatley (instead of mean ones to Summer Wheatley).

STATION #8:   TETHERBALL

Unsurprisingly, this was a big hit!!!

STATION #9:   SNACKS: tots, quesadillas, and cupcakes served on lunch trays!

Super Short General Conference Summaries (October 2016)

It's become a bit of a tradition now, that I write up these super short summaries of the General Conference talks for each session.  It gives me a purpose to my note-taking and provides a good exercise for me to really try to understand the main message of each talk, in addition to being a helpful summary for looking back.    The titles  listed are my own, however when the written versions of the talks are released I will add in the actual titles and links.  Hope these are helpful to someone else besides me.   Enjoy the rest of Conference weekend and check back to this post tomorrow for the remaining sessions to be added.     

Saturday Morning

Dieter F. Uchtdorf
THE BEAUTY OF THE PLAN OF HAPPINESS WILL CHANGE LIVES
We have been surrounded by so much light and truth.   Think of the joy at understanding that you are truly a child of God and that Christ's atonement is for you individually.    We should be enthusiastic about the gospel.  Don't be distracted by the imperfections of our fellow members; look to the perfection of our Master, Jesus Christ.  We are eternal beings, without beginning or end.   What shall we give, for the flood of light and truth that the Father has poured out to us?   Let us share, in word and deed, the beautiful plan of happiness with others.

Robert D. Hales
COME, FOLLOW ME
Following the Savior does not relieve us from trial and tribulations, but we will suffer less spiritually and be strengthened with peace in our trials when we rely on the Savior.  Bring love to your family and listen to the spirit as you teach your children.   By loving and serving others, we are God's disciples.   We must support others on their journeys.

Carol F. McConkie
BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD 
We need to sincerely pray to open the way to blessings from God.   Salvation comes through Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray.  We pray to the Father, with the power of the Holy Ghost, in Christ's name; meaning that our prayers involve all three members of the Godhead.  Through the Holy Ghost we can align our wills with God's.

Craig C. Christensen
JOSEPH SMITH WAS A TRUE PROPHET OF GOD
When you lack wisdom, exercise simple faith and listen to the Holy Ghost.   There is much false, misleading, and out-of-context information about Joseph Smith.  Don't trust erroneous sources.  Look at his fruits.   Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God.

Juan Uceda 
ARE YOU REALLY PRAYING?  OR JUST SAYING PRAYERS?
Story when he was a missionary visiting Machu Picchu and did not hearken to the voice of the spirit. When we pray, are we sincerely praying and feeling a connection with heaven?   Or just saying prayers to say them?   He wants to shower us with His love and mercy.

J. Devn Cornish
GOD LOVES US AND WANTS US TO SUCCEED
Am I good enough for the Lord?  Don't be discouraged, try to improve.   Don't compare ourselves to others, only to where we have been in the past.   God wants us to succeed; it is His work and His glory.   Premeditated sin is a solemn mockery and sin always has consequences.

Neil Andersen
SHARE OUR LOVE OF THE SAVIOR WITH OTHERS
We need to work together--missionaries and members--to put the pieces of the puzzle together.   When we share our love of the Savior with others, we always get an A+.   A car battery is not sufficient to power a car, it also needs fuel.
battery=guilt, fuel=standing as a witness at all times and places



Saturday Afternoon 

Quentin L. Cook
BEWARE STUMBLING BLOCKS AND THE PHILOSOPHIES OF MEN
We are in a great sifting time.  Beware the philosophies of men being valued over God's ways.  Acknowledge that sin is sin and repent.   Beware of gospel extremism and looking beyond the mark of what's important.   Stumbling blocks can become stepping stones when we stay focused on the Savior.  

Gary Stevenson
MAKE THE BOOK OF MORMON THE KEYSTONE OF YOUR TESTIMONY
You are never too young to seek and receive a testimony of the Book of Mormon.   Book of Mormon is written for us in this day/time.   Young people spend an average of 7+ hours looking at screens each day.  We can replace part of that time with reading the Book of Mormon.  Make the Book of Mormon the keystone of your testimony.


D. Todd Christofferson
ABIDE IN GOD'S LOVE
God's love is there for you, whether you feel worthy of it or not.   Don't confuse the term "unconditional love" with love without expectations.    God does bless all, but he saves he greater blessings for those who are obedient.  Divine love can transform a willing soul.

W. Mark Bassett
TREASURE THE PLAIN AND PRECIOUS TRUTHS
Don't focus on the unknowns and seeking out the "mysteries", cling to the plain and precious truths.   We need to choose faith over having a perfect understanding.   God reveals his truths in His own time and  by the power of the Holy Ghost.

Kuzuhiko Yamashita
BE AMBITIOUS FOR CHRIST
Put your faith/trust in God and you will be supported in your trials.   Serve faithfully, accept humbly, endure nobly, pray fervently, partake worthily.   Missionaries and members can be ambitious for Christ!

Dallin H. Oaks
SHARE THE GOSPEL WITH ALL THE WORLD
We have so many resources in this day and time--let's use them wisely to share the gospel.  Sharing the gospel is our lifelong Christian duty.    1.  Pray for the desire to share the gospel 2.  Keep the commandments and live the gospel  3.  Pray for specific inspiration about what we can do, then be prepared to act on that inspiration.

With my daughter on a mission now, the MTC choir singing in the second session completely  melted my heart.   They sang, "Called to Serve," "I'll Go Where You Want Me to Go," and "Hope of Israel".    I was especially touched by them singing, "Hope of Israel."  Something about them singing about being "Zion's army" really touched me and made me think all the more of my daughter and the work she and her fellow missionaries doing there in France and all around the world.   

Hope of Israel, Zion’s army,

Children of the promised day,

See, the Chieftain signals onward,

And the battle’s in array!

(Chorus)

Hope of Israel, rise in might

With the sword of truth and right;

Sound the war-cry, “Watch and pray!”

Vanquish ev’ry foe today.

2. See the foe in countless numbers,

Marshaled in the ranks of sin.

Hope of Israel, on to battle;

Now the vict’ry we must win!

3. Strike for Zion, down with error;

Flash the sword above the foe!

Ev’ry stroke disarms a foeman;

Ev’ry step we conq’ring go.

4. Soon the battle will be over;

Ev’ry foe of truth be down.

Onward, onward, youth of Zion;

Thy reward the victor’s crown.

12 Quotes About Testimony

1.  “I get concerned when it appears that strong emotion or free-flowing tears are equated with the presence of the Spirit. Certainly the Spirit of the Lord can bring strong emotional feelings, including tears, but that outward manifestation ought not to be confused with the presence of the Spirit itself.”3  Howard W. Hunter

2.  “Those who diligently seek to learn of Christ eventually will come to know Him. They will personally receive a divine portrait of the Master, although it most often comes in the form of a puzzle—one piece at a time. Each individual piece may not be easily recognizable by itself; it may not be clear how it relates to the whole. Each piece helps us to see the big picture a little more clearly. Eventually, after enough pieces have been put together, we recognize the grand beauty of it all. Then, looking back on our experience, we see that the Savior had indeed come to be with us—not all at once but quietly, gently, almost unnoticed.”  Dieter F. Uchtdorf

3.  3.  “Let us acknowledge that most often gaining a testimony is not a task of a minute, an hour, or a day. It is not once and done. The process of gathering spiritual light is the quest of a lifetime.” Dieter F. Uchtdorf

4.  “If you do not yet have a firmly rooted testimony and conviction that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the kingdom of God on the earth, now is the time to do what it takes to gain that conviction. To delay making the effort required to earn that kind of conviction can be dangerous to your soul.”  Bonnie Oscarson

5.  “True conversion is more than merely having a knowledge of gospel principles and implies even more than just having a testimony of those principles. It is possible to have a testimony of the gospel without living it. Being truly converted means we are acting upon what we believe and allowing it to create “a mighty change in us, or in our hearts.”3 In the booklet True to the Faith, we learn that “conversion is a process, not an event. You become converted as a result of … righteous efforts to follow the Savior.”4 It takes time, effort, and work.”   Bonnie Oscarson

6.  “When problems come and questions arise, do not start your quest for faith by saying how much you do not have, leading as it were with your “unbelief.” That is like trying to stuff a turkey through the beak! Let me be clear on this point: I am not asking you to pretend to faith you do not have. I am asking you to be true to the faith you do have. Sometimes we act as if an honest declaration of doubt is a higher manifestation of moral courage than is an honest declaration of faith. It is not! So let us all remember the clear message of this scriptural account: Be as candid about your questions as you need to be; life is full of them on one subject or another. But if you and your family want to be healed, don’t let those questions stand in the way of faith working its miracle.”  Jeffrey R. Holland

7.  “Is there a way to safety? Is there an escape from threatened destruction? The answer is a resounding yes! I counsel you to look to the lighthouse of the Lord. I have said it before; I will say it again: there is no fog so dense, no night so dark, no gale so strong, no mariner so lost but what the lighthouse of the Lord can rescue. It beckons through the storms of life. It calls, “This way to safety. This way to home.” It sends forth signals of light easily seen and never failing. If followed, those signals will guide you back to your heavenly home.”   President Thomas S. Monson

8. “I wish to talk with you tonight about three essential signals from the Lord’s lighthouse which will help you to return to that Father who eagerly awaits your triumphant homecoming. Those three signals are believe, obey, and endure.”   President Thomas S. Monson

9. “Some people speak of a testimony as if it were a light switch—it’s either on or off; you either have a testimony, or you do not. In reality, a testimony is more like a tree that passes through various stages of growth and development.”  Elder Craig C. Christensen  

10.   “The more we incline our hearts and minds toward God, the more heavenly light distills upon our souls. And each time we willingly and earnestly seek that light, we indicate to God our readiness to receive more light. Gradually, things that before seemed hazy, dark, and remote become clear, bright, and familiar to us.   By the same token, if we remove ourselves from the light of the gospel, our own light begins to dim—not in a day or a week but gradually over time—until we look back and can’t quite understand why we had ever believed the gospel was true. Our previous knowledge might even seem foolish to us because what once was so clear has again become blurred, hazy, and distant.”  Dieter F. Uchtdorf

11. “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a place for people with all kinds of testimonies. There are some members of the Church whose testimony is sure and burns brightly within them. Others are still striving to know for themselves. The Church is a home for all to come together, regardless of the depth or the height of our testimony. I know of no sign on the doors of our meetinghouses that says, “Your testimony must be this tall to enter.”  Dieter F. Uchtdorf

12.  “There will be times when you will face challenges which might jeopardize your testimony, or you may neglect it as you pursue other interests. I plead with you to keep it strong. It is your responsibility, and yours alone, to keep its flame burning brightly. Effort is required, but it is effort you will never, ever regret.”  President Thomas S. Monson