If the Savior Stood Beside Me

 Preparation
• Items needed: five pages of different colors  of construction paper (not blue or black), three pages of blue construction paper, tape, a black marker, magnets, and a metal chain.
• Print the word strips. Cut the word pages in half. (Trim off any extra paper if desired.)
• Print pictures for the first verse. (Look on Sugardoodle.com.) I used the pictures from the OCD Primary Chorister website. I really appreciated these pictures because they tell the verse in story form. But the pictures of the Savior didn’t portray him as I wanted, so I used this picture for the first line, and I copied, pasted, and enlarged her first picture onto Microsoft Word, and then I printed and cut out the picture of the boy and glued him onto the right side of this picture of the Savior. I used this page for the last line of the verse.
• Cut the construction paper into 1 ½ inch strips. (widthwise)
• Cut pieces of tape and hang them on the bottom rim of the chalkboard.

Presentation
Put the picture of the Savior with the children at the top, middle of the board and put the song title below it. Explain that these words are the title of the song and they are also the first line of the song.

Next explain that there are five questions that go with this first line. Put the first question on the board with its matching picture above it.

Point out that the child in the picture isn’t being kind. Ask if they think the child would be less likely to do something like that if the Savior was standing next to them. Ask what other kinds of things a person might try more carefully not to do if the Savior was standing next to him. Write each of the children’s responses on a colored strip of paper. After each response, have that child come up and make a chain link with their response(using the tape). Add a blue strip after each response. The answers will form a chain. Make sure their links face forward so people can see their answers. Using the magnets, hang the chain under the question. (Do the same chain activity with each question, taking only three responses per question.)

1. Would I do the things I do?  (After discussing this question have the children sing the first two lines of the verse.)

2. Would I think of His Commandments  Point out that the child in the picture is thinking about the Ten Commandments. Where are the commandments found? In the scriptures. What are some of the commandments Jesus has given us?

3. Try harder to be true? (There is not a picture for this line.) To be true means to be faithful and trustworthy. In what ways can we try harder to be true to the Savior? (Have the children sing these two lines.)

4. Would I follow His example? What is happening in this picture? The boy is trying to be like the Savior and be kind.. What other things did the Savior do that we could follow  and do?

5. Would I live more righteously? Point out the CTR shield in the picture and explain that when we are choosing the right we are living righteously. What things can we do to in order to live more righteously? (Sing these two lines.)

Explain that the last line of the verse is -“If I could see the Savior standing nigh watching over me.” Put the picture that goes with this line on the board. Put half the line above the picture and half below the picture. Explain that the word “Nigh” means close or near.

Show a metal chain and explain that the links help make it stronger than having just a single strip of metal. A single strip of metal might bend and break. Point to the chain the kids made and explain that the blue links represent the Savior standing near to them. Remind them that being near to the Savior makes us more likely to do right things, which makes us spiritually stronger. Explain that in the third verse of the song we will discuss more about the concept of the Savior being near.

Have the children sing the entire verse.

To memorize this verse, take off a couple of lines  at a time (not the pictures), and then have them sing the verse again. Continue in this manner until all the lines are gone. After that remove a few pictures at a time.

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