If I Listen With My Heart – Verse Three

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“If I Listen With My Heart” – Verse Three

Preparation

  • Items needed: light weight colored paper, clear stick glue, magnets, a page protector, clear tape, a lamp or lantern, a large envelope, and chalk and eraser.
  • Print the story pictures, stain glass pattern, and word pages (make sure and print the picture of Christ onto light weight white paper). Cut out the story pictures. Cut apart the word pages on the dotted lines. Put a magnet on the back of each item. (Optional: Put a black background paper on the word cards.)
  • Cut the stain glass pattern along the lines so that you have nine pieces. Using the pieces as patterns, cut out each piece from  different colors of light weight paper (or print Emilie Hanson’s pre-made version) Glue the pieces to the front of the picture of the Savior. Make sure the picture of the Savior doesn’t show through the colored paper, but try not to use dark colors over the face. Using the photo above as your guide, cut  the pieces into four parts. Cut out the labels and glue each one to a piece as shown above. Put the pieces into an envelope.
  • Cut strips of dark paper and tape them to the edges of the page protector to make a frame.

Presentation

Tell the children that they are now going to learn the third verse of the song “If I Listen with My Heart.” Explain that this verse is about the Holy Ghost being a way we can hear the Savior’s voice. The Savior communicates with us through the Holy Ghost. There are many different things that the Holy Ghost tells us that the Savior wants us to know.

Ask the children if they have ever seen a stain glass window. Explain that a stain glass window is many pieces of colored glass combined to make a beautiful picture. When light comes through the window, it’s beauty can fill us with joy and uplift and warm our souls. Explain that the Holy Ghost can also fill our lives with joy, warm our souls, and light up our life with beauty. Like the different colored pieces of stain glass, there are different things the Holy Ghost does. A few of those things are mentioned in this verse.

Put the page protector on the board. Explain that you have several colored pieces of paper inside the envelope that will make a pretty stain glass type picture on the framed page protector. Each of these colored pieces of paper has a label on it. The labels are things the Holy Ghost does that are mentioned in the verse.

Choose a child helper. Draw out the piece of colored paper from the envelope that says “teaches truth and right.”  Give the piece to the child and have him or her put it on the page protector using rolled pieces of tape. Tell the children that the helpers will need to try to put each piece in the right spot on the page protector. Disclose that the picture should form a heart when completed.

Tell the children that in the July 1997 Friend there is a story about a boy named Christopher. Christopher had been given the gift of the Holy Ghost, but he had become concerned because he had never heard the still small voice.  (Put the picture of  the upset Christopher on the board.) Christopher told his parents how he was feeling (put picture of parents on board), and they explained that the Holy Ghost can communicate in other ways besides a still small voice.  They reminded Christopher of the good feeling he had after telling the truth about spilling the red punch on the carpet. (Put the picture of the spilled drink on the board. Also put the word card next to it that says “I feel the Holy Spirit as He teaches truth and right”.) Read the card to the children and explain that it is the first line in the verse. Ask “Does the Savior want us to know truth and right?”

Choose another helper. Give that child the piece of colored paper that says “comforts”. Have the child put it on the page protector. Explain that  the Holy Ghost can comfort us when we are afraid, sad, or worried. Tell the children that when Christopher was lost in the mall and was afraid,  he prayed for help. He felt calm and reassured. He also felt he should sit on a bench and wait, (put on the board the picture of  Christopher sitting on the bench), and his parents were able to find him there. (Put the word card on the board that says “He comforts me in times of need” next to the picture of Christopher on the bench.) Tell the children that those are the words of the next line in the verse.  Ask, “Do you think Jesus wants to comfort and help us?”  Explain that in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus not only suffered for our sins, but he also suffered our pains, heartaches, and fears so he would know how to comfort and help us.

Choose another helper, and give that child the piece of colored paper that says “Testifies of Christ”. Have the child put it on the page protector. Tell the children that in the story about Christopher, his parents also reminded him of the time when he was reading the scriptures, and he suddenly understood a parable that Jesus taught. (Put picture of Christopher and the scriptures on the board.)  Explain that the Holy Ghost can testify to us that Jesus is the son of God and that His words are divine truth. The Holy Ghost can also help us understand His words.   (Put the word card on the board that says “He testifies of Christ”  next to the picture of Christopher with scriptures. Tell the children that is the next line in the verse.)  Explain to the children that the Holy Ghost also testifies that Jesus is our Savior and redeemer,  and that because of His sacrifice and atonement we can repent and be forgiven of our sins. Ask, “Why does Jesus want us to know this?”

Draw out the last colored piece of paper that says “Fills with peace”. Put it on the page protector, and then put the word card on the board that says “He speaks to me in quiet ways that fill my soul with peace”.  Point out to the children that Christopher didn’t even realize that the Holy Ghost was speaking to him because it was in quiet ways such as warm feelings and thoughts that came to him. But those thoughts and feelings filled Christopher with peace.

Put the stain glass picture in front of a turned on lamp or lantern so that the children can see the picture of Jesus.  Explain that we learn in this verse that if we listen with our hearts, we will realize that the Holy Ghost is telling us the things that the Savior wants us to know.

 The chorus pages will not be needed. Hopefully by this time they know that part, but the stain glass picture can be used to help remind them of the words of the chorus.

(In Junior Primary you may want to sing each line of the verse as you put it on the board, and then review the lines at the end and try to sing the whole verse.)

To help the children memorize this verse, take off the first word card. Write its words on the board, but leave the main words blank except for the first letter. See if the children can remember what those words are, and then sing the verse. Do the same with the next word card. Continue in this manner until the children have each line memorized. Many junior Primary children know letters, so prompt them with the sound of the letter to help remind them of the word.

Safety Reminder: Use only battery powered lanterns. If you use a lamp, put the paper on the lamp shade using a straight pin. Do not put the paper near the hot light bulb.

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13 thoughts on “If I Listen With My Heart – Verse Three

  1. I just got called to be the Primary Chorister in a branch in Dongguan, China. I don’t have many resources here. THANK YOU for providing so many wonderful ideas/links. It has been so helpful. I used this idea on Sunday as I taught the children the 3rd verse. The Spirit was strong.

    Thank you again for all of your efforts, all the way from China. 🙂

  2. I just wanted to thank you for all this! I was out of town for two weeks at Christmas, and didn’t have a plan for this song. You saved me, and made teaching this song a joy!!

  3. Thank you! I’m first counselor in my primary and we haven’t had a chorister for two months, so I’ve been on substitute chorister duty. I’ve highjacked all your ideas. My president thinks she should release me from 1st counselor and call me to the chorister position now.

    Thank you again!

  4. Thanks to you my kids now know all three verses without a hitch. Thank you for such wonderful inspiration and allowing us to benifit from your hard work. You’re awesome!

  5. This was an incredibly good lesson! I taught my primary children this on Sunday and they loved it! Seeing Jesus through the heart was such a hit that the kids asked me to show it again next week for any of the kids that weren’t there 🙂 I have saved your site in my favorites list and will be referring to it again!

  6. If it’s even possible, the kids liked the stained glass hidden picture even better than the pictures you blogged about of the scriptures, prophet and holy ghost. I followed your plan, with a few color changes, and it was great!

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