Primary Program Highlights

[Snowdrop]

Primary programs can be difficult in a mixed faith family. This year, I decided to look for the silly and sweet within the program and focus on that. Little did I know that my five year old would get the whole ward giggling by going off script and bearing testimony of dinosaurs in the temple! I think I'll keep him.

What have your favorite program moments been?

[MoPag]

That is so precious! Dinosaurs in the temple!

In my ward the sunbeam teacher was whispering the parts to the each of the children as they took their turn at the podium. After she whispered to one little boy, he turned to her with an incredulous look on his face said, "what? no way!" Then he wouldn't say his part because I guess to him it was just too crazy to say. I thought it was hilarious.

[w2mz]

Not to derail but if you ever go to the Manti temple you will see a pterodactyl painted on the back wall of the garden room. It's there, I've seen it.

I hope that temple never goes modern with the movie screens. The murals painted in the various rooms are a fascinating peek into the minds of the saints at that time. "Our day" becomes frontiersmen toting muskets and Indian chiefs with enormous headdresses. Pilgrims with buckled shoes and giant wooden ships. It's really a great anthropological study in how they were thinking.

Someday I assume that temple will be a museum for the public to not only get a peek into the tribal rights of an old defunct religion, but to also be transported into the minds of those who built it and painted the scenes on the walls.

[MalcolmVillager]

My Bishop's son shared an article of faith saying "we believe the Bible to be the word of God. We also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God so long as it is translated correctly."

I had to smile and wonder how many others to affirm that article of faith!

Of course, I don't know that any Scripture is the word of God as spoken directly from his mouth. I am not sure if there is such a being!

[Corsair]

Primary programs can be difficult in a mixed faith family. This year, I decided to look for the silly and sweet within the program and focus on that. Little did I know that my five year old would get the whole ward giggling by going off script and bearing testimony of dinosaurs in the temple! I think I'll keep him.

What have your favorite program moments been?

Children going off script is easily the best part of the Primary program. Most recently some small boy was probably supposed to talk about how much he enjoys playing baseball with his father. But something got stuck in his head and he looked like a wild-eyed Cubs fan at the first hint of a world series title. He eagerly trotted up to the podium, put his mouth on the microphone and shouted the single word "Baseball!" like only a three year old can do. This was humorously appreciated by the congregation, of course.

[Not Buying It]

I'm always torn about the Primary program. It is by far and away the most entertaining Sacrament Meeting each year, and the kids are always fun to listen to.

BUT - then I think about how insidious the indoctrination is. My little son's part in the Primary program was "God the Father and Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph Smith". I was bothered by it, because I am 100% sure that never happened. The Primary Program puts the indoctrination machine on full display, and I leave feeling deeply troubled that kids are being taught ridiculous things that they are also taught to never question.

So it's a mixed experience for me.

[Snowdrop]

Not to derail but if you ever go to the Manti temple you will see a pterodactyl painted on the back wall of the garden room. It's there, I've seen it.

That's the best thing I've heard all day! I'm smiling so big my face hurts. And agreed, temples would make perfect museums of anthropology.

Not Buying It - our struggle is the same. My little guy was supposed to talk about preparing to be worthy to attend the temple. I have an issue with that! But sometimes my awareness new to take the backseat for the sake of my sanity. This year I was able to un-analytically enjoy the show. This week was easier. Wish I could say it was easier more often.

I'm thoroughly enjoying your stories and thoughts, folks!

[Hagoth]

Not to derail but if you ever go to the Manti temple you will see a pterodactyl painted on the back wall of the garden room. It's there, I've seen it.

A guy in our ward owns a company that does a lot of the gold leaf and painting in the temples. He said he was called in to fix some things that bothered one of The Brethren in the (I believe) Salt Lake Temple murals.

The first was a female lion that they wanted changed to male.

The second was to paint out a bird's nest in a tree.

I keep wondering why these changes. Is the first one purely a misogynistic thing? Is the second to say that nothing and noone died before Adam and Eve's transgression and no creatures were allowed to reproduce before them?

Sorry for continuing the derailment, but he ^ did it first

[Hagoth]

We had out primary program today. It was so heavily heaped in prophet worship that I started replacing "prophet" with "Kim Jong Un" and "Great Leader" in my head and the result was deeply disturbing.