"We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the
Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the
remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost."

KEYWORD: First Principles


 

This activity suggestion comes from the Friend as a Sharing Time suggestion.  It talks about missionary work as does this article of faith.  Missionaries teach these four principle of the gospel daily.  This activity could be adapted as an Activity Day or Family Home Evening Idea:  To help the children review the Articles of Faith, which tell some of the beliefs that they can share with others, make a simple paper doll to represent someone interested in learning about the Church. Write numbers 1–13 on separate pieces of paper to indicate numbers of the Articles of Faith [#1]. Divide the children into 13 groups, and have each group choose a paper (smaller Primaries may need to give the groups more than one paper). Give the children crayons and square-shaped papers to decorate with information about their chosen article of faith—e.g., key words, pictures that relate to the principle expressed, the number of the article, song titles that reflect the principles of the article. Place the completed squares in a container.  Invite someone to share an experience in which they repeated an article of faith to help another person understand more about the Church, or tell the experience Sister Michaelene P. Grassli had of sharing articles of faith with a taxi driver (Friend, Jan. 1995, IFC). Affix the paper doll to a chair at the front of the room so it looks like a person sitting there. Discuss giving others one special gift, the joy of the gospel. Have the children take turns choosing a square from the container. If the child can remember the chosen article of faith, have him or her say the article of faith and place the square on the doll’s lap. (For younger children, have his or her entire group help by saying the article together.) If the child is unable to remember the article, have his or her group or a leader help. Sing songs listed on the square or others that help reinforce that article.  Invite the children to share their favorite articles of faith with their families.
Ask the children, “What would happen if you put on your shoes before you put on your socks?” Discuss the importance of doing things in the right order. Display the letters in FAITH in the wrong order. Explain that these letters form a word but that the letters are in the wrong order. Ask the children what the first principle of the gospel is. Have them look up the answer in the Articles of Faith [A of F 1] while the pianist plays the first two lines of “The Fourth Article of Faith” (p. 124). Ask the children to sing just that much of the song and put the letters in the correct order to spell FAITH. However, as Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said, “The first principle of the gospel is not ‘faith.’ The first principle of the gospel is ‘Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ’ ” (“Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ,” Ensign, May 1994, 98). Ask why they think faith in Jesus Christ is the first principle. (January 2007 Friend / Sharing Time Suggestion)



Picture of someone getting baptized (scroll down)
 

Family Home Evening Lesson on 4th Article of Faith from Desert Book



Cross Connections
Fill in each word of the fourth Article of Faith where it fits
Fourth Article of Faith Picture Scramble
Word Search Puzzle
Word Search Puzzle from the Friend (Scroll down page)



Dove candy bars - to remind us when Jesus was baptized, the Holy Ghost descended as a dove.


 

Faith By Works



Ideas for Teaching Articles of Faith Songs
The Fourth Article of Faith (from Children's Songbook)



Cross Connections from April 1987 Friend
Crossword Puzzle
Fourth Article of Faith Maze (Opens in Word) from November 2004 Friend



Quotes and Scriptures on Article of Faith #4
Quotes on 4th Article of Faith from W.O.O.L.



Fourth Article of Faith Sharing Time



If this is true