Primary - The Commandments

This is something I put together for teaching the song The Commandments (pp 112-113) from the Children's Songbook. Feel free to use or share these pictures. Right click and save. The pink corners are a guideline for cutting so each picture is shaped like the traditional tablets we associate with commandments. 

I've added notes for clarification or just to mention what we ended up talking about in our primary. When we had finished learning the song, we talked about how even though it may seem like this is just a tiresome list of rules, keeping the commandments protects us and helps us live a happy life, and Heavenly Father will be pleased with us.

An attempt at the Christus...

Sunshine to remind us of SUNday...

We briefly discussed what "wanton" means (frivolous) and how this commandment is to remember that life is precious (others' and our own). Thou shalt not kill!

For primary kids, it can be uncomfortable to talk about the specifics of adultery! I explained this in simple, clear terms. When a husband and wife are married, they belong to each other (and no one else). The wedding ring is a reminder of that to the husband and wife and to others.

This is pretty straightforward, but you can explain how this type of scale was used a long time ago to make sure that trading at the market went fairly.

That is a heartbeat line (electrocardiogram), and I explained briefly how a lie detector monitors the heartbeat to determine if you're telling the truth. We talked about how we can love telling the truth because we can feel calm and confident when we do (our heartbeat stays steady).

We talked about how coveting is wanting what your neighbor has-- wishing they didn't have something and you DID, or wishing you had what they have JUST BECAUSE they have it. (Not the same as seeing that someone is happy and wishing you were happy too, of course-- junior primary kids might need that clarification).

You could use some scriptures here to reinforce the message of the song.

Exodus 20

The first several verses cover the ten commandments.

John 14:15

"If ye love me, keep my commandments."

Matthew 22:37-40

 "Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."