Reverence

If a mouse would ride to church
In your pocket on this day
What might he tell his family
He heard you do or say?
Would he tell them you were reverent
And listened to your teacher?
Or would he say he'd never seen
Such a noisy creature?
Would he tell them how he loved the songs
You sang so sweet and clear?
Or would he groan from all the talking
That entered in his ear?
Could he take a little snooze
As you walked nice and tall
Or would he scream and panic
As you galloped down the hall?
Would the little mouse get seasick
From the tipping of your chair?
Or would he feel safe and cozy
As you quietly sat there?
Would the chapel be a reverent place?
The sacrament the same?
Now tell me, would the little mouse
Be really glad he came?
If a mouse would ride to church
In your pocket on this day
What might he tell his family
He heard you do or say?

There isn't a perfectly reverent primary so I'm shooting for realistically reverent. I read a very bitter blog the other day about reverence in church and how children are expected to be quiet and completely still for three hours. This is not true. Primary is a nice combination of wiggle songs, fun, learning and inviting the spirit. The sacrament is our most reverent time and we try our best to be quiet and still but children just like adults are imperfect. We should be forgiving and understanding of interruptions and try our best to feel the Lord's spirit even in a sweet baby's cry.

I've never been to a Relief Society where the ladies filed in and sat perfectly still and quiet before the lesson began and I HOPE I NEVER DO! It is important to visit and reacquaint ourselves with one another. I am grateful for the chatter of visiting whether adult or youth. This visiting should be quiet and appropriate whether it is in Relief Society or Primary.

Fellowship is an important part of life in the gospel no matter what your age.

With that said we have a duty to teach and be an example of proper reverence.

Here are my ideas for creating reverence in Primary.

1. Teachers should sit with their children and provide properly reverent direction and example.
2. Primary presidency should be available for direction and example at the front of the room.
3. WIGGLE SONGS! Sharing time & music are great times for moving, laughing, learning, enjoying the fun of youth and inviting the spirit. I have fount the spirit countless times in children's laughter.
4. Have realistic expectations! Children will chat, need water etc. Please try not to hold the children to a standard that even we Relief Society sisters can not hold. Is snoring in sacrament meeting irreverent? A cell phone going off? We all make mistakes. Be realistic & forgiving of adults and children.

Here's something I tried in our primary.

Hide Mighty Reverent Mouse somewhere in the room within eye site so that while the kids sit before primary starts they can look for him then fold their arms when he is found. The most reverent child to find him gets to show everyone where he was hidden.

I read a great idea at the idea door site, they suggested using signs with pictures to excuse classes instead of calling out names. I thought that was a great idea. The kids would have a nice picture of Christ or a Prophet and an adult calmly and quietly expressing something to them. Very nice!

There is a lot of information available on reverence. If you or I have more to add I'll update this post.

If you have a child or care for one during church you may have experienced an unfortunate incidence of offense over reverence. A look, a grumble, being asked to take your child out etc. Take courage not offense. Only He who is without offense or sin can cast stones but the savior would not and neither should we. (John 8:7)

"To believe that someone or something can make us feel offended, angry, hurt, or bitter diminishes our moral agency and transforms us into objects to be acted upon. As agents, however, you and I have the power to act and to choose how we will respond to an offensive or hurtful situation. The Savior is the greatest example of how we should respond to potentially offensive events or situations.

“And the world, because of their iniquity, shall judge him to be a thing of naught; wherefore they scourge him, and he suffereth it; and they smite him, and he suffereth it. Yea, they spit upon him, and he suffereth it, because of his loving kindness and his long-suffering towards the children of men” (1 Nephi 19:9).

Through the strengthening power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, you and I can be blessed to avoid and triumph over offense. “Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them” (Psalm 119:165)."

And Nothing Shall Offend Them Elder Bednar Ensign Nov 2006

Are you doing your best at being reverent and teaching your children to do the same? Then there is no need to take offense. Your best is great!!!!