Singing Scripture Songs
I wanted to note a new traditional we started this summer… to go along with Morning Devotional. It is one of my favorite things that we’ve done this summer.
My friend Jackie Day shared this vision and idea with me. I think it all began when she read President Benson’s ‘Flooding the Earth with the Book of Mormon’ talk. This quote struck her:
She calculated how many scriptures her kids would need to learn each year to have hundreds of scriptures memorized by their missions. Then she chose some scriptures, put them to a familiar tune and started teaching her kids.
I wanted to do better at learning scriptures myself and because I love music and can remember things better this way, I decided to try a few. I sang them to my tots and they loved them. Now Abe – generally – he does not like singing… but he loves these songs. They are what he requests for bedtime songs. Even if it gets the kids a little more familiar with certain verses, I am all about this idea.
I recorded the kids singing the songs so we can remember how they go. They aren’t perfectly matched with scripture/tune but if the kids learn them, I figure that doesn’t matter too much.
2 Nephi 31:20 to some randomish made-up classical tune that I can’t place.[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LqouvDExFI[/youtube]
Helaman 5:12 to Called to Serve[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhuHom-wo_c[/youtube]
Moroni 10:5 to Thanks to our Father[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0ovM8hwcig[/youtube]
This is the one we’re working on right now (since I need it so much!). Joshua 1:9 to the chorus of The Spirit of God (not yet memorized – hence no video).
I love the occasions when after we sing one of the songs, I can teach the kids what the scripture means. I’ve found Abe is more open to my teaching when it involves a song he likes. Anyhoo…
I’m sure there are a bunch of Scripture Mastery songs already put to familiar tunes, and I need to research that. The Sons of Ammon also shared some fun ones.
(sidenote: The other thing I’ve loved this summer is how well the kids have been learning the Articles of Faith. Maybe it’s because we learned them last summer and everyone forgot them… but they were stored in the back of their minds somewhere. We’re on #10 and if I could just find my 8×10 prints of them, I could finally hang them on the wall for everyone to read and learn easier.)
I love this idea! But I have to say I think I’m butchering the songs when I’m trying them in my mind. Maybe you could record yourself singing and post! ;)
These are darling! And your kids really do sing them so well. We could tell (at your house) that they were so excited to sing them. What a blessing for your family! You really are teaching them amazing things, Heather.
We are SO taping some of our songs for family home evening tomorrow! I’ll have to share them in case you want to borrow any of them. Great job you guys!
hah! i’m totally impressed. we memorize scriptures at our house– but not songs. i could NEVER hold the tune. hannah has really good pitch… what a sweet singer she is!!
thanks for sharing your fun ideas!
Man, I am such a failure with this. That was really really good. I am totally impressed. It is GREAT.
i love how max is a foot and a half shorter than abe and hannah. for some reason it just makes me smile.