(Also see: Testimony, Obedience)



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Get together and practice what you can say in response to questions your friends might ask, like "Why are your standards so strict?" or "Why do you think yours is the only true church?" To practice what you've learned, write your testimony in a Book of Mormon and give it to a friend. ("What's in It for You," New Era, Mar. 2003, 49)



Christy's Clipart
GLOVE
Put Oreo's in a bag with a note that says, "A testimony is the good stuff that holds everything together!"
Put the following on glow sticks: "Sharing The Light Of Testimony: A candle looses nothing by sharing it's light with another." (You could print a picture of a candle on the paper too).
Testimony Tissues



Cooking with Obedience
Delight in Being Obedient (from BYU Women's Conference)
Five Finger Testimony - Use this to teach the girls the basic principles of a testimony. 

1. I know that God lives and loves me.  He hears me and answers when I pray.
2. I know that Jesus Christ is the Redeemer of the World and that he died for me.
3. I know that Joseph Smith is a prophet and that through him the Gospel was restored.
4. I know that the Book of Mormon is the revealed word of God.
5. I know that President Hinckley is God's prophet on the earth today.

I tied the lesson it with seeds and plants. I talked about how if we water and take care of the seeds then they will grow into pretty flowering plants. I happened to have a couple of plants that were half dead and brought them out when I got to the part of our testimonies dying if we don't feed them. I set up the table with gardening stuff and had a pretty plant to signify a strong well fed testimony and made a plant seed handout with some quotes from the lesson and instructions for a strong testimony on the back. I filled it with sunflower seeds for each girl (hint: Put seeds in plastic first or the oil will soak thru, found out the hard way!) Anyway, it was really cute and I got the message thru to the girls! (Idea by Faye Scott)
Lesson Helps from Debanae's
Lesson Helps from JennySmith.net
Lesson Helps from LDS Living
Lesson Helps from Young Women Connection
Lion King and Life's Cycle by Anjella Hacking



Eggs and Testimony
I have to give our first counselor the credit for this idea -- the girls absolutely loved it! She had mixed cornstarch and water in a bowl (if you haven't tried it, you ought to!). She then grabbed a glob of the mixture and started working it in her hands making it into a ball (like the actions to "Popcorn Popping"). She told the girls that as long as she kept working on it, it would hold together and get stronger. Then she completely stopped working the mix and it instantly melted through her fingers. She explained that when she stopped working on it, it fell apart -- much like a testimony, you have to continually work on strengthening it. The girls asked to see the demonstration a couple more times, partly because they thought it was disgustingly cool to watch.  Note: Make sure you put towels on the table or carpet because it is messy! You may want to wear something machine washable in case it splatters, but our leader wiped the mess right off the carpet with a wet towel.  (Shared by Stephanie Valdez / ga08082007)
I took my daughter's Beanie Baby scorpion and asked the girls how they would feel if they came upon a scorpion when they were out walking. They said they would scream and run away. I made the point that they would feel better if there was a cage keeping it from being able to hurt them. Then I tied this in to our testimonies being a protection when we meet the "scorpions" (temptations) in our lives. At the end of the lesson I used a story from Feb. 2004 New Era called "How I Know: Who's Telling the Truth". I was lucky to come across that story, but it goes perfectly with the lesson. (Idea by Ann Heiner)



One Liners
Quick Quotes