Works for Me Thursday??

Rocks in My Dryer hosts a Works for Me Wednesday blog carnival, where bloggers share an idea that they are using in their lives. Well I can never remember on Wednesday to do one, so just pretend, ok?

After countless conference talks about singing the hymns in our home, and having a testimony myself that if you have hymns and scriptures memorized, the Holy Ghost can use them to prompt you, we have finally come up with a good way to help our children memorize the hymns. We had always tried singing hymns and Primary songs as a family, but it was tedious and time-consuming to teach a new one as often as we wanted them to learn new songs. Nearly a year ago, we started a new tradition in our home--the Hymn of the Week.

Now on either Sunday evening or Monday at Family Home Evening, we choose a hymn for that week. We take time then to repeat it a few times, explaining what the words mean and answering any questions that the kids may have. Then, all week long we sing it before family prayer morning and night. We don't worry about it if the first couple of days Jared & I are the only ones singing. By the end of the week, even the youngest singers know the words. Often, we'll let them perform a little solo at the end of the week to show us what they've learned.

This is especially helpful in sacrament meeting. They get excited when we sing a hymn that we know (and by now, they know around 50, so it happens pretty often.) Even though Kimball is the only one who can read efficiently enough to sing along while reading, the other boys can sing any hymn that we already know. (Ok, truth be told, sometimes they couldn't care less if it's a hymn they know--some days are just like that. But SOMETIMES they choose to sing along when it's one they know!)

I have always loved the hymns. They speak peace to me in troubled times, they teach the principles of the gospel, and they always bring the spirit. Now I feel like we are helping my children have that influence in their lives as well.