Search, Ponder & Pray
 

Search Ponder and Pray Sherlock Holmes Game
 

(Idea by K. Mortensen)  I've had this idea for "Search, Ponder & Pray" for a while. I'm kind of excited to do it. Hide clues around room with visual aid and scripture reference. Have kids find scripture and read clue for phrase in the song. They have to "search" & "ponder" to figure out the words to the song. Most of my Primary kids are familiar with this song too.

Clue 1: (Heart) 2 Ne 4:15 "…For my soul delighteth in the scriptures" – I love to read the holy scriptures and every time I do.

Clue 2: (packet of seeds) Alma 32:30 "as the seed swelleth and sprouteth, and beginneth to grow…" I feel the spirit start to grow within my heart

Clue 3: (picture of child at pulpit) Moroni 10:5 "And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things" a testimony that they're true

Clue 4: (magnifying glass) Mosiah 1:7 "search them diligently" Search

Clue 5: (picture of someone pondering) Moroni 10:3 "I would exhort you than when ye shall read these things…and ponder it in your hearts" ponder

Clue 6: (picture of someone praying) Moroni 10:4 "…ask God" pray are the things that I must do

Clue 7: (?) John 16:13 "the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you in to all truth…" The Spirit will guide, and deep inside, I'll know the scriptures are true.
 

Before Primary write “Search, Ponder, and Pray” on a piece of paper, and place it inconspicuously in the room. Tell the children you have written on a paper the way to get a testimony. Ask them to listen as a helper finds the paper. You are going to sing louder as the helper gets closer to the paper, softer when the helper is farther away. When the paper is found, sing the words and clap the rhythm to the first line of the chorus: “Search, ponder, and pray are the things that I must do.” Ask the children to sing and clap with you. Focus their listening by asking them to discover two words that rhyme as you sing the rest of the chorus (guide, inside), and have them sing the chorus. Ask the children to find two more words in the chorus that rhyme, but explain that these words might be harder to find because they are not near each other like guide and inside are. Sing the chorus with the children, and take their responses (do, true). Ask them to listen to the verse and find what happens every time you read the scriptures. Sing one more time. Invite the children to look up Moro. 10:3–4, which is sometimes called “Moroni’s promise.” This is one of the last things that Moroni wrote, and it is very important. As you read, ask the children to listen for words that are the same or mean the same as search, ponder, and pray. Point out that reading is one way of searching. Moroni exhorts us, or encourages us, to ponder just as the song does. Finally, the way we “ask God” is to pray. Using different words, Moroni’s promise tells how to gain a testimony. Bear your testimony of the scriptures. Tell the children that if they will search, ponder, and pray about the scriptures, they can have a testimony that they are true. [Taken from August 2006 Friend]
 

Search, Ponder, and Pray Skit (Credit Unknown)

Start as if you're getting ready to go to bed after a sleepover or campout. One friend is just going to fall asleep, but the other gets out her scriptures to read first. Parts from the song are sung.

1: What are you doing?

2: Well, I love to read the holy scriptures.

1: Why would you do that?

2: And every time I do, I feel the Spirit start to grow within my heart.

1: What does the Spirit give you?

2: A testimony that they're true.

1: So how do you get this testimony?

2: Search, Ponder, and Pray Are the things that I must do.

1: And then what happens?

2: The Spirit will guide, and deep inside, I'll know the scriptures are true.

1: How do you read your scriptures again? Do you just read them as fast as you can so you can go to sleep?

2: No, silly. So prayerfully I'll read the scriptures

1: How often to you read them?

2: Each day my whole life through.

1: What happens when you read the scriptures every day?

2: I'll come to understand. I'll heed the Lord's command And live as he would have me do.

1: Oh, I get it.

1 and 2 (together): Search, Ponder, and Pray
Are the things that I must do.
The Spirit will guide, and, deep inside,
I'll know the scriptures are true.

Then I will ask questions such as:

-What are some of the things we should do along with reading the scriptures?
-Who comes to visit us as we read?
-What are some of the things that will happen as we search, ponder, and pray?

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: I did this today for singing time and the kids loved it! I started by asking them if they liked to watch T.V., movies, etc...then asked if any had ever been to a play...and let them respond. I told them we were going to do a little play for them, asked them to get comfortable and to pay attention...  Wow! They were mesmerized...both Jr. and Sr. loved it!  We turned the lights off and I did use props, but just a couple of sleeping bags, flashlights and an extra blanket...we actually just spread the sleeping bags on the floor, then sat on chairs behind them with a blanket over our laps...it worked great (I had nightmares of trying to get up off the floor in a dress, so that's why we improvised).  Then, after the skit I just asked questions and we sang the song line by line. It was a fun, awesome Sunday... (Comments by Valerie)
 

(Idea by Liz from Arizona) I had a successful review on the first verse and teaching the second verse to junior and senior primary yesterday on the song Search Ponder and Pray.  I brought out my bowling kit that I got from Wal-Mart awhile back and put on the bottom of the pins either sing, helper or hint. When a child was chosen to bowl they got to pick one of the pins that fell down and they either had a helper, a hint or the primary sang the song to help them answer the question about the words to Search Ponder and Pray. The kids did really well and we sang it quite a few times but this time with listening ears to find the answer to the question. I truly felt they understood the song better and was a success. Here are the questions I used that I got mostly from the Song book Companion a valuable source.

1. What word describes what you receive when you study the scriptures?  TESTIMONY

2. Tell me what three things you must do to know for yourself that the scriptures are true?  SEARCH, PONDER AND PRAY

3. When we sing the words "search, ponder and pray," what are we really saying that we need to do?  STUDY, THINK ABOUT AND PRAY ABOUT THE SCRIPTURES

4. What will the spirit help me to know deep inside?  THAT THE SCRIPTURES ARE TRUE

5. The last line in verse one has two rhyming words, what are they?  GUIDE, INSIDE

6. In the song it sings, "I love to read the holy scriptures, and every time I do, I feel the Spirit start to grow within my heart." What is that feeling?  A TESTIMONY THAT IT'S TRUE

7. What will I prayerfully do?  READ THE SCRIPTURES

8. How often will I read the scriptures?  EACH DAY MY WHOLE LIFE THROUGH

9. What will I come to do?  UNDERSTAND

10. What is another word meaning to "obey" the Lord's command?  HEED

11. What word is sung on two notes? (Hint: We sing the word twice.)  DO

12. The second verse has taught us four things that we can do to gain a testimony that the scriptures are true. What are the four things to do to gain a testimony?  IF WE PRAYERFULLY READ THE SCRIPTURES EACH DAY, WE WILL COME TO UNDERSTAND THEM. WE CAN HEED THE COMMANDMENTS AND DO AS THE LORD WOULD HAVE US TO DO.