Primary — Children of faith for 125 years
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In the old "rock church" in Farmington, Utah, 224 boys and girls gathered 125 years ago for the first Primary meeting.
Today, there are nearly 1 million Primary children, ages 3-11, living throughout the world. And although only a handful can claim direct lineage to those original 224 children, every child can claim the legacy begun that day by Aurelia Spencer Rogers.
All can be children of faith.
During the year 2003, Primary children and leaders have been celebrating this legacy of faith in commemorating the 125th anniversary of the Primary organization. The yearlong observance began in February with a historic Churchwide broadcast directed at children. (Please see Feb. 15, 2003, Church News.) It culminated Aug. 20 with an open house at the Relief Society Building during which President Gordon B. Hinckley and his counselors in the First Presidency, President Thomas S. Monson and President James E. Faust, greeted Primary children from the Farmington area who reenacted that first Primary meeting.
As the members of the First Presidency entered the reception room, the children, many of whom were in the choir that performed for the February broadcast, sang Primary songs.
"How beautiful you look, you Primary children!" exclaimed President Hinckley, who was accompanied by his wife, Marjorie. "This is the 125th anniversary of the organization of the Primary. It has been going ever since Aurelia Spencer Rogers started it on its glorious path of taking care of the children of the Church.
"We admire you. We love you. We congratulate you. We pray for you. May the blessings of heaven be with you, now and through all the years to come."
Then, to the delight of those around, when President Monson stepped forward, the children suddenly broke into "Happy, Happy Birthday" from the Children's Songbook, as the next day, Aug. 21, was his 76th birthday. Smiling and thanking the children, President Monson remembered his own Primary days and told them he still had his treasure chest from his boyhood.
"I've got treasures in that chest still," he related, telling the children he keeps his Trailbuilder "bandalo" (sash), his honorary discharge from the U.S. Navy and personal letters in that trunk.
"Primary days are good days. The Lord loves you, we testify, and we love you."
When President Faust stepped forward, he related how girls were invited to the first Primary meeting to help the boys sing. "You've demonstrated that today," he said, smiling.
Also attending the open house was Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve, who offered remarks. "It's very difficult to separate home and Primary," he said, "because every mother is a Primary teacher and every Primary teacher does a mother's work."
Elsewhere throughout the Church, Primary children commemorated the anniversary with activities during July and August. For example, the Riverton Utah Stake on July 19 hosted a birthday party for nearly 300 children that included 36 activities and crafts inside and outside the stake center.
And children and parents of the Farmington Utah Stake gathered Aug. 24 at the rock church to hear an address by Primary General President Coleen K. Menlove. In her remarks, Sister Menlove referred to the Primary song, "The Church of Jesus Christ." (Children's Songbook, p. 77.) She quoted: "I belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I know who I am. I know God's plan. I'll follow him in faith."
Continuing, she said: "I would like to suggest three things we can do to strengthen our faith and our desire to follow the Savior. First, learn from the past and the faithful examples of others; second, strive each day to faithfully keep baptismal covenants; third, look to the future with faith."
She and her counselors in the general presidency, Sydney S. Reynolds and Gayle M. Clegg, spoke of that song during a recent Church News interview during which they discussed the Primary anniversary and the role of Primary in the lives of children. Sister Clegg said that recently while visiting a ward in the northwestern United States, she watched as a young boy with a disability walked to the pulpit to bear his testimony. With halting speech, he quoted the words to "The Church of Jesus Christ."
The song, she said, gave utterance to "what was in his heart."
All children, whether first- or fourth-generation members, are part of Primary, Sister Reynolds said. "If you begin at the beginning, that's the right place to start."
E-mail: julied@desnews.com
