Cooper went the extra mile by brushing his teeth and combing his hair. He smiled while he sang and did an excellent job delivering his two spoken parts. While I watched him sing I had the thought that he will make a wonderful missionary. I told him that after the program and he grinned with happiness.
Cooper wrote his part, then I shuffled and padded it a bit. I guess I forgot to tell him because before the program he commented that someone had taken his part and changed it into a talk. I asked him to tell me what was different about it. As he began I recognized what I'd added. I told him that I'd changed it and asked if he liked it. "Yeah, it's really good!" Here are the parts he delivered:
Part 1
On May 15, 1829 Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery prayed in a quiet spot of woods in Harmony, Pennsylvania. They wanted to know about the authority to baptize. Their prayer was answered when John the Baptist, a resurrected being, came and restored the Aaronic Priesthood to the earth. This is the same Priesthood that Aaron, Moses’ brother, held, the same Priesthood that John the Baptist had during his lifetime.
Part 2
To prepare to be a good father I can be kind to my siblings and be a good brother. I can also serve my family and help in times of need.
Phoebe really does shine. Her smile was radiant while she sang. She was pleased to be included with the older Primary girls by singing the descant to I Am a Child of God. And she did a great job on her two speaking parts as well. She had invited her second grade teacher to come to the program. Imagine Phoebe's delight when she saw her teacher in the congregation. Another little boy from our ward is in her class at school and they had both invited the teacher. She had many kind and complimentary things to say afterward.
Phoebe wrote her lines, with some editing from me. Here they are:
Part 1
After Jesus was crucified, a woman named Mary Magdalene, who Jesus had healed before his death, came to the tomb where Jesus’ body was. She saw that the stone had been moved. She was surprised. She went to tell Peter and John that the Savior’s body was gone and that she didn’t know where it was. Peter and John went to the tomb. They found the clothes Jesus had been buried in, but they did not find the Savior’s body. They didn’t know what to do so they just went home. Mary started to cry. Then she saw a man in white. She thought he was the gardener. He asked why she was crying. She said she didn’t know where the Savior’s body was. He said, “Mary.” And then she knew it was Jesus.
Part 2
When I got baptized I was excited. I remember that the water was unusually warm and I felt happier than I had ever felt before. I really want to remember that feeling.
And then there was Sophie. Oh Sophie. I'm not sure who decided her class should sit right behind the short wall of the stand on either side of the podium. Four of the kids sat on house left, Sophie and a little boy that hid most of the time sat on house right. That means that Sophie was directly in front of us and she enjoyed being so close to her captive audience. She smiled and sang as well as her siblings, at least until she got distracted by something, let the smile drop for a few seconds, then with wide eyes noticed the room full of people in front of her. This happened a few times. She also went cross-eyed for us several times and leaned so far over the edge of the wall I was certain she was going to land on her head. She also danced a bit.
Her class had been given the assignment to complete the sentence, "My name is _______, I like to ________, and I am a child of God. The first four kids spoke sweetly and quietly into the microphone that their teacher was passing in front of them. They liked things like playing with family members and helping others. When it was Sophie's turn she marched to the other side of the podium to join the rest of her class and said in a loud, clear voice, "My name is Sophie, I like to sing and dance, and I am a child of God!" It was awesome.
It really is the best Sunday of the year.
No comments:
Post a Comment