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PRIESTHOOD PREVIEW
Guidelines for Priesthood and Primary Leaders
PURPOSE
Priesthood Preview is a
meeting designed to strengthen each Valiant 11 boy’s commitment to
prepare himself to receive the priesthood. The program focuses on each
boy’s personal responsibility to learn and follow the teachings of Jesus
Christ.
(Note: In these guidelines, instructions for wards
apply also to branches, and instructions for bishops apply also to branch
presidents.)
PEOPLE WHO SHOULD ATTEND
All Valiant 11 boys and
their parents should attend the Priesthood Preview. The bishop, bishopric
adviser to the Primary, Primary president, and teacher of the Valiant 11
boys should also attend.
The Priesthood Preview is
usually held on a ward level so each boy can participate fully and feel
the personal love and interest of his parents and leaders. If wards have
very few Valiant 11 boys, the program may be held on a multi-ward or stake
level.
MEETING TIME
The Priesthood Preview is
usually held in November.
PLANNING COMMITTEE
The planning committee for
the Priesthood Preview includes the bishop, the bishopric adviser to the
Primary, the Primary president, and the teacher of the Valiant 11 boys.
If the meeting is held on
a stake level, the planning committee is under the direction of the stake
president. The committee includes the high council adviser to the Primary
and the stake Primary President. Representatives from each of the wards
could be involved.
The planning committee
determines the day, time, and place for the meeting. The committee also
plans the program and invites the speakers to participate.
One Valiant 11 boy will be
asked to prepare a brief talk, and all of the boys will sing the closing
song. Other than this, however, the boys should not be involved in
preparing the program. It is for them, and they are honored guests.
PROGRAM
The bishop conducts the
meeting, following the outline below:
- Greeting and welcome – Bishop (or stake president if
the meeting is held on a stake level)
- Song: “Onward, Christian Soldiers” (Hymns, no.
246) – Congregation
- Prayer
- Presentation: “Priesthood: Power to Serve Others”
– Bishopric adviser to the Primary
- Presentation: “Priesthood: Living a Christlike
Life” – Teacher of the Valiant 11 boys (if a man) or a father of
one of the boys
- Response: “How Parents Can Help Their Sons Prepare
to Receive the Priesthood” – Father
- Response: “How I Can Prepare to Receive the
Priesthood” – Valiant 11 boy
- Presentation: “Priesthood: Personal Preparation”
– Bishop
- Song: “A Young Man Prepared” (Children’s
Songbook, p. 166) –
Valiant 11 boys
- Prayer
The presentations and responses are outlined below.
Presentation: “Priesthood: Power to Serve Others”
The bishopric adviser to the Primary conducts this
presentation, which includes an activity and talk.
Activity
1.
Divide the group into teams made up of each boy and his parents.
2.
Give each team a word strip or an object that represents a source
of power. Examples could include electricity, wind, water, magnetism, sun,
atomic energy, money, and fuel (gasoline).
3.
Allow teams to answer the following questions:
a.
How can this source of power be used?
b.
How can we benefit from this source of power?
Write these discussion
questions on the chalkboard or a chart.
4.
Have each boy and his parents share with the group (a) one way
their source of power can be used and (b) one way people can benefit from
it. These responses should be brief and informal, and the teams should
give them from where they are seated.
Talk
The bishopric adviser concludes this section with a
talk, “Priesthood: Power to Serve Others.” If the bishopric prefers, a
young man in the ward whom the boys admire may give this talk.
The speaker should use the preceding activity and his
own experiences to discuss the following ideas:
- Priesthood
is the greatest power on earth.
- Priesthood
gives us power to serve others in important ways.
- Priesthood
gives us the greatest blessings possible.
Presentation: “Priesthood: Living a Christlike Life”
The teacher of the Valiant 11 boys (if a man) or a
father conducts this presentation, which includes a talk and activity as
outlined below.
Preparation
- Four weeks before the Priesthood Preview, the teacher
of the Valiant 11 boys should contact the parents of each boy and ask
them to observe a Christlike quality that their son is working to
develop. These qualities could include giving service, showing faith,
honoring parents, honoring leaders, obeying the commandments, being a
peacemaker, being dependable, being teachable and humble, and showing
love to family members.
- The parents should observe their son for the next few
weeks to watch for times when he demonstrates this quality. They
should do this without their son’s knowledge.
- They should then write a letter to their son
complimenting him on his efforts to develop this quality and
encouraging him in his preparation to receive the priesthood. They
should bring this letter to the Priesthood Preview.
Talk
The teacher of the Valiant
11 boys (or father who has been invited to participate) should use the
following ideas to introduce this section:
- A priesthood bearer is a representative of Jesus
Christ.
- To represent the Savior, a priesthood bearer must try
to live as Christ lived.
- Each boy can develop the qualities that will help him
live a Christlike life.
- As he develops these qualities, he will be better
prepared to represent Jesus Christ.
Activity
The teacher of the Valiant
11 boys (or the father who has been invited to participate) tells the boys
that for the past few weeks their parents have been watching them develop
a Christlike quality. He invites the parents to briefly share with the
group the quality they have observed in their son. Then the parents should
give their son the letter they have written.
Response: “How Parents Can Help Their Sons Prepare to Receive the
Priesthood”
One of the fathers gives
this response. He expresses his feelings about the messages of the evening
and tells how parents can help their sons prepare to receive the
priesthood.
Response: “How Can I Prepare to Receive the Priesthood”
One of the Valiant 11 boys
gives this response. He expresses his feelings about preparing to receive
the priesthood. He should include his commitment to live the teachings of
Jesus Christ.
Presentation: “Priesthood: Personal Preparation”
The bishop gives this
presentation.
Preparation
During class two weeks
before the Priesthood Preview, the teacher of the Valiant 11 boys should
conduct a discussion with the boys using the following questions:
- How would you describe a boy who is worthy to receive
the priesthood?
- What kinds of questions do you think the bishop might
ask you when he interviews you to receive the priesthood?
- What questions would you like to ask the bishop about
the priesthood?
The teacher of the Valiant
11 boys gives a list of the responses to the Primary president, and she
gives it to the bishop. The boys’ names should not be included with the
responses.
Discussion
The bishop uses the
responses he receives from the Primary president to help him lead a
discussion on personal preparation and worthiness for holding the
priesthood. The discussion should allow the boys to ask questions and give
responses in an informal setting.
This is an opportunity for
the bishop to express his love and concern for each boy. He can review the
message of the evening and tell the boys about the interview he will hold
with them before they receive the priesthood. He may want to use Doctrine
and Covenants 88:123-126 in the discussion.
Refreshments
Following the closing song
and prayer, simple refreshments may be served. This should be a relaxed
time when each boy can visit with his parents, friends, and leaders in an
informal setting.
Sample Outline:
Priesthood Preview Outline
Welcome:
Opening Song:
Opening Prayer:
Deacon's Quorum President:
"The Role
of the Deacon's quorum"
* Helps fulfill Faith in God requirement.
Parent:
"How an
Aaronic Priesthood holder can strengthen our home"
Bishopric Counselor:
"The
Aaronic Priesthood helps me prepare to serve a
full time mission".
Bishop:
“The
Restoration of the Aaronic Priesthood and My Testimony of Joseph
Smith”. (D&C 13, 107:20) and Joseph Smith
History 1:68-73)
Closing Song:
"Called to Serve"
Closing Prayer:
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"Choose
you this day
whom ye will
serve
but for me
and my
house we will
serve the Lord "
