Primary children in the Orem Utah Stake learned about the Old Testament in new and engaging ways through a stake Primary activity called “Old Testament: Stories on Stage.”
The Valiant-age children — those turning 8 years old this year and older — prepared and performed skits based on the Church’s “Old Testament Stories” for children and the scriptures.
The 75 children were divided into four groups, each headed by a skit director with helpers. After meeting each other, they read through their assigned scripts, then chose roles and began creating props and scenery. They also discussed what their stories taught about Jesus Christ in order to share what they learned at the end of their performances, explained the secretary in the stake Primary presidency, Susan Heaton.
The stories and skits were about Daniel in the lions’ den, Joshua and the battle of Jericho, Moses and the manna and Moses and the brass serpent.
“During the rehearsals, the children were very engaged in what they chose to work on, whether as actors or making props and scenery,” Heaton said.
McKenzie Pearson, 10, said she already knew the stories because she reads them with her dad in a Bible translation for children.
In her skit, she played an Israelite who apologized to Moses for not listening to him. “We had been complaining about how we were tired of eating manna and had better food in Egypt.”
The story taught her about looking to Jesus Christ. “When the people looked at the snake, they were healed, and Jesus can heal us, too.”
Asher Leavitt, 9, played an Israelite who got bitten by a snake and died because he didn’t look when Moses held up the brass serpent. “It was a fake death,” he explained.
The snake reminded him of Jesus. “The brass serpent could heal you, and Jesus can heal people.”
McKenzie’s dad, President Jared Pearson, who is the second counselor in the stake presidency, said he was impressed how after every story and skit, the children were asked what they can learn about Jesus Christ. “The stake Primary presidency did a great job teaching in the Savior’s way by following this principle: ‘Teach about Jesus Christ no matter what you are teaching.’”
McKenzie’s mom, Shersti Pearson, said the activity gave the children a chance to use more senses such as seeing, touching and hearing, which helped them learn and remember more effectively.
Joshua Leavitt, 11, played the prophet Joshua in a skit. He said the people had to follow the prophet when they needed to cross the Jordan River and that Joshua taught them to obey Jesus Christ.
“They had to walk around the walls seven times in a week and then at the end they blew their trumpets and yelled and screamed and stuff. Then the walls just fell. That tells you God can do a lot of amazing miracles. The city was just this table, and we were walking around it, and then somebody secretly just pushed it over,” Joshua explained.
When asked what he learned about Joshua the prophet, he said, “I think he’s really brave, and he follows the Lord.”
Joshua and Asher’s parents, Aaron and Honivah Leavitt, said they were happy their children could relearn the stories in a new way.
“When we had ‘Come, Follow Me’ and we talked about these things and the boys knew the story beforehand, so what we discussed in family night just added to what they already knew,” Joshua Leavitt said.
While directing the skit about Moses and the brass serpent, Melissa Johnson saw children working together as a group and making new friends. The children were full of ideas on how to make the whole play uplifting and fun.
She reminded the children that every part mattered, and she felt they all understood that whatever they had to offer was needed.
“I could tell that this was a very productive activity and a great way for children to learn about the Bible stories. It felt like they will always remember the stories they shared and watched because doing it this way made it feel real. Their smiles said everything.”
Bethany Huntington directed the skit about Daniel and the lions’ den. She said the children loved picking out costumes and reading through the scripts. And she saw the children’s understanding grow as they went from reading the script to really making the story come to life.
“The kids were so insightful and deep in their understanding of how Christ’s hand was in the lives of the people in the Old Testament and how He helps them in their own struggles in our day,” she said.
