Articles of Faith Ideas

What a great blessing it would be if every member of the Church memorized the Articles of Faith and became knowledgeable about the principles contained in each. We would be better prepared to share the gospel with others.

Elder L. Tom Perry

With regards to the Articles of Faith listed with each lesson, they are not necessarily connected to the lesson plan, but just written in order.  Each Article of Faith will be used for about 5 days, then move on to the next.  First, teach for understanding, then work on memorization.  Simply memorizing the Article of Faith does not necessarily solidify the meaning and importance of what we believe. 
The quote listed above comes from Elder Perry's talk during the April 1998 General Conference found here:  The Articles of Faith.  I recommend reading or listening to this talk so that you personally understand the importance of knowing the Articles of Faith.  Since you will be working on each Article of Faith for 5 days, then again 5 more days, then again a few more days (because each topic is repeated over the course of the year), limit yourself to how many activities you do each day so you do not run out of ideas.

The following are just ideas to help you teach, and eventually memorize The Thirteen Articles of Faith.

• Explain the history and origin of The Thirteen Articles of Faith (found in the talk cited above). 

• Study the words and explain anything that does not make sense.  Ask your child(ren) if they know what this Article of Faith means and clarify if needed.

•  Find various games online that make the learning and memorization more fun and less of a chore.  The Church has this game online: Articles of Faith Memory Quest.  You can also do a search online for more games, or create your own.

• Print off the Article of Faith you are currently working on and place it in a location in your home where it will be viewed frequently.  On a mirror, on the fridge, you could even laminate it and hang it in the shower.  

• Sing the song that corresponds with the current Article of Faith you are studying.  Primary Children's Songbook  (The Articles of Faith are pages 122-132 )

•  Associate pictures from the Church Media Webpage with each Article of Faith to help remind you and your family what the Article of Faith represents.  

• Some kids really like "rewards" for their success.  I don't suggest you bribe your children to study the Gospel, but maybe create a chart or punch card to show their success as they complete each Article of Faith.

Come up with your own ideas and feel free to share them in the comments!