JUNE: Seek the Lord Early

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IDEA #1: (taken from the June 2009 Friend)
Make eight wordstrips: youth, truth, there, prayer, obey, say, abound, found. Post them in random order on the board. Tell the children that each sentence in the song has two words that rhyme. Sing the first sentence to the children. Have them listen for the word that rhymes with “youth” (truth). Put those two wordstrips next to each other on the board. Sing the first sentence together. Continue this pattern with the rest of the sentences. Next, display pictures that correspond to concepts in the song. As you sing each phrase, ask a child to choose what picture could go with the sentence. When all the pictures have been chosen, invite the children with the pictures to stand at the front of the room and raise their pictures when their phrase is sung. Sing the whole song together.

IDEA #2: (taken and combined from various friend articles)
Hide a set of scriptures somewhere in the room. Tell the children that there is an item that is very important - that will help them get closer to their Heavenly Father. They can only find it by staying in their seats and asking 'yes' or 'no' questions. (E.g., “Is it higher than your head?” “Is it under someone’s chair?”)

When they have “found” it, pick a verse to read to them (possibly Revelations 3:20). Remind them that Jesus wants you to hear His voice and feel His spirit. He loves you and wants you to feel that love. He wants to bless you. He wants you to understand what things will bring you happiness and make it possible for you to live with Him and your Father in Heaven forever.
As you search the scriptures to understand and know what you should do, you will hear His voice. This “hearing” is often a feeling that comes into your mind and your heart. If you read the scriptures with faith, desiring to believe and seeking to understand, you do more than just read words. You open a door and invite the Spirit of the Lord into your heart and mind. You will want to do what is right. You will feel the love of the Savior. His words will bless you. The scriptures will tell you all the things that you should do. Studying them will bring you closer to Him.

IDEA #3:
Help the children learn the difficult words in the song:
"Seek": Play a mini game of 'hide and seek' to demonstrate. "seek" means to find. Make sure the children understand that Heavenly Father isn't lost. Instead, we are trying to feel close to him, and feel his love.
"Youth": Perhaps have a teacher stand and a young child stand. Which is 'in their youth?" :)
"Fervent": Means with lots of feeling, earnest, meaningful.
"Abound": This means that He loves us so much, his love will surround us.

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Encourage the children to "Seek the Lord Early" while they are young. Encourage them to gain a testimony of their Heavenly Father by; searching the scriptures, fervent prayer, following the prophet and keeping the commandments. If they do this, "He will be found".