Friendshipping with Love - The Third Time

Memorable Monday Moments

or Using The Friend as a Resource, or Make Once – Use Many Times

This morning, as I pondered a bit on this week’s “Come, Follow Me” theme of sharing the gospel, I was reminded of a little activity we put together years and years ago. When checking to see if I had already posted about it, I discovered that I had – and twice! The first time was just a quick link to the original magazine article. The second time I added the individual pictures to my post. However, this final time, to make it a bit more personal, I’m scanning the cards from our files. I love the idea that gospel principles don’t change, and that our grandchildren can use the same tools their parents did to help build their testimonies. Coloring and glue and construction paper and contact paper (this was before the days of home laminating machines) really can last!

I imagine the original impetus to cut and color was preparing for a sharing time in February 1986. However, I know at least one of our children also used these pictures as a basis for a talk in Primary, and we used them in more than one family home evening lesson. Since there are now song titles on the back of each picture (see below* for the list), I know I used them for a music time in Primary at least once as well. I’m grateful for our filing cabinet! (I apologize that these pictures are a bit catty-wampus, but that just makes them original and uniquely ours.)

Many decades ago, President Spencer W. Kimball taught:

“Usually we must warm our neighbors before we can warn them properly. Our neighbors must experience our genuine friendship and fellowship. We want members to entreat neighbors, not to scold them or to scare them.”

Principles don’t change. Here’s what Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf said at our latest general conference:

“Fill your heart with love for others. Try to truly see everyone around you as a child of God. Laugh with them. Rejoice with them. Weep with them. Respect them. Heal, lift, and strengthen them. Strive to emulate the love of Christ and have compassion for others—even to those who are unkind to you, who mock you and wish to cause you harm. Love them and treat them as fellow children of Heavenly Father.”

Friends baptizing friends. That was a great day!

*Each of these songs came from the Primary Children’s Songbook.

• I Want to be a Missionary Now

• Our Door is Always Open

• We Welcome You

• Called to Serve

• The Things I Do

• I Hope They Call Me on a Mission

• We’ll Bring the World His Truth

At the time I selected five of these and wrote them on the back of two different pictures. We may or may not have played a “memory” game with them. I think I would choose a different five today. What missionary songs do your children like to sing?