Both of our boys had the opportunity to give talks in Primary the last two weeks, first Peter, then Cooper. Bryan and I brainstormed about the subject with Peter, then left the talk writing up to him. After a Sunday morning full of encouraging, reminding, cajoling, pleading, choosing to laugh instead of yell at his complete refusal to even acknowledge what his talk was supposed to be about, he finally wrote it while sitting in Sacrament Meeting.
The boys had the same topic. Here's Peter's talk:
The Mission of the Church is to bring people to Christ
When Jesus was on the earth he created the Church. The Sixth Article of Faith says
We believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive Church, namely, apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, and so forth.
Apostles and Prophets are witnesses of Jesus Christ who receive revelation and hold the Priesthood keys. The Priesthood is the power of God that is used for blessing Heavenly Father's children and performing ordinances that allow us to return to Heavenly Father. The Fifth Article of Faith says
We believe that a man must be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority, to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof.
It means that a Prophet that has been called of God can give the Priesthood to someone who is worthy. We need the Priesthood to get missionaries. Missionaries are young men and women who spread the gospel across the earth. The mission of the church is to have everyone a member of the Church. Church helps us prepare for Jesus Christ to come again. I bear my testimony that I know these things are true and in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Cooper's talk was the result of a discussion he and I had, then a subsequent interview Bryan conducted with him. I asked Bryan how much of the talk was Cooper's and he said, "The words were his, I just typed and asked questions."
The Mission of the Church is to Invite All People to Come Unto Christ
My talk today is about the mission of the Church is to invite all people to come unto Christ. To invite someone means to ask them if they would like to go somewhere. If you invite someone to church, you can invite anybody that you want. You should be a friend to the person you want to invite. The best way to invite someone to church is to ask them if they would like to go with you. You should be respectful and kind when you ask.
When you invite someone to go to church, the person getting asked gets to decide if they go or not. If they say no, you should still be their friend. You can say “maybe we can go another day” because they might want to go later.
When your friend decides to go to church, they might wonder what we do at church. You can show them that people sit nicely and calmly and listen to the speaker. Then in primary you can show them lessons about Jesus Christ, and sing songs and play games to learn about Jesus. You should help them feel welcome in Primary so they’ll be happy they came and will want to come back.
Once your friend has come to church, invite them again! We want everyone to be able to return to live with Jesus and be happy.
This is my testimony that I know the Church is true, that Heavenly Father loves us, and wants us to be happy. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
