I started thinking, especially as our administrator has been encouraging us to do so, that I’ve never really explained exactly what Primary is.
Like other churches, we have a specific organization to care for and teach the children of our church. This organization is called the Primary.
It began in 1878 when a mother of twelve, Aurelia Rogers, was concerned about the young boys running officer of the Relief Society (the LDS Church’s women’s organization), and asked if a class might be formed to help teach these young boys to grow into better men.
Ms. Snow went to the President of the Church at the time, John Taylor, who decided it was a good idea not only for the boys, but for the girls as well. So in August of that same year the very first Primary meeting was held.
The purpose of the Primary has been outlined by the LDS Church:
1. Teach children that they are children of God and that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love them.
2. Help children learn to love Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.
3. Help children prepare to be baptized, to receive the Holy Ghost, and to keep their baptismal covenants.
4. Help children grow in their understanding of the gospel plan and provide opportunities for them to live gospel principles.
5. Help boys prepare to receive the priesthood and be worthy to use this power to bless and serve others.
6. Help girls prepare to be righteous young women, understand the blessings of the priesthood and the temple, and serve others.
The Primary is divided into several different classes dependent on age. The youngest are Sunbeams (3 yrs old). Next come the CTR classes (4-8). After this are the Valiant classes (8-11), which are split between the boys and the girls in preparation for entering into the Young Men and Young Women programs once they come of age.
If there are a lot of children in a particular age group, they can be split into smaller classes. For example, if the CTR class has too many children, it can be divided into CTR A (4-6) and CTR B (6-8). The same can be done with the older Valiant classes.
Each Primary meeting begins with an opening song (sometimes called Prayer Song, as it brings in the proper spirit), a prayer, a scripture, a talk by one of the children, and any announcements given by a member of the Primary Presidency (those called to be leaders over the Primary program). This allows the children a chance to learn how to speak in front of a group of their peers in a safe environment.
After these opening exercises, and depending on the size of the Primary, classes will separate during this time. Typically the Valiant children will go to a different room to receive a lesson from their teacher, while the younger children stay behind for something called Sharing Time.
Sharing Time provides the Primary Presidency a chance to help interact with the children. Either the President, her First Counselor or Second Counselor, and sometimes the Secretary will put together an activity, lesson, or story for the children. The time is also spent teaching the children music from the Children’s Songbook. One Sunday a month one of the classes will be in charge of Sharing Time.
When Sharing Time with the younger children is complete, they head off to class for a lesson while the Valiant classes comes back in for the activity and music time.
Also a part of the Primary program, yet separate from the other classes, is the Nursery. This is held for small children ages 18 months to 3 years old when they join the other classes. In this environment the youngest kids are allowed to play with toys, interact with their teachers, have a short lesson as well as a snack time. This program provides early learning of the structure they will enter into when graduating from the Nursery.
I myself can testify to the importance of the Primary organization, as I have seen it bless the lives of my children immensely. The role of teachers and leaders participating in the Primary far surpasses what little I have mentioned here, as I hope to convey as time goes by.
Teaching our children in the ways of the gospel is vital to us – a responsibility not to be taken lightly. These are our future leaders, and as adults we respect that, and try to help them learn in an atmosphere of love and patience.
