Primary Lessons Work

This is a copy of a letter that Roy sent to D's primary teacher this week:
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Sister Hunter,

Below is an edited excerpt from my journal entry last Sunday.  I thought you might enjoy hearing how your lesson in primary last Sunday brought the Spirit into our home and helped another member of our ward make an important decision regarding paying his tithing.  Thank you for the testimony you have shared with D these past few years.  He feels it keenly.

The Pyatts

September 23, 2012 (Sunday)

D met me in the cultural hall this afternoon.  I was just finishing up speaking with some of the brethren after elders quorum.  D was very excited to show me his new treasure from primary class: a small jar filled with paper and two hearts.  As we left the church and drove home, he told me about the jar, how he had received it in class from Sister Hunter for a lesson on tithing.  When we arrived home, I asked him to share the meaning of the jar with Sheena.  We suggested he teach the lesson to us either tonight or tomorrow for family home evening. . . .

Brother Smith (name changed) came for dinner this evening as usual.  We stood in the back yard watching the kids play for a few minutes.  I asked how he was doing.  He responded that things at work were going poorly.  He was broke and struggling to survive financially.  He gets paid weekly, but said he has not paid tithing the last two weeks in order to buy groceries.  I asked if he had spoken with Bishop Neil regarding this.  He responded “no.”  I told him I would personally rather pay the Lord the money He requires and take my chances with earthly creditors rather than the other way around. 

We had a pleasant dinner.  The kids like playing games with Brother Smith, so I gave D the option of playing some family games this evening with Brother Smith or sharing his lesson with us.  To my surprise, D chose to give his lesson.  By that point, I think I had forgotten that the subject matter of D’s lesson was tithing—at least, it was not on my mind in light of my earlier conversation with Brother Smith.    

After singing an opening hymn from the Children’s Hymnbook and family prayer, D proceeded by having each of us pull a “blessing” paper out of the glass jar.  Each of the folded pieces of paper had some blessing that D had written which he said comes as a result of paying tithing.  D chose to expand on some of the blessings; others he had no comment for. 

We finished the blessings and I encouraged D to share his testimony, but he did not want to.  I was a little disappointed as I knew Brother Smith needed to hear this, but such is the teaching style of an eight year old on occasion.  A minute later though D remembered a story that Sister Hunter had told in primary and he wanted to share with us.  This is my recollection of an eight-year-old’s recollection of Sister Hunter’s story, so it may not be accurate, but the principle taught is still the same. 

Sister Hunter told the children that she was a widow many years ago and had a young child.  Sister Hunter needed milk but did not have enough money to buy milk and pay her tithing.  She went to the Bishop to discuss her situation, thinking that he might tell her it would be okay not to pay her tithing.  But the Bishop encouraged her to pay her tithing anyway. 

Sister Hunter chose to pay her tithing.  Later on, her neighbor stopped by her home, saying she had bought too much milk from the store and asked if Sister Hunter would like it.

I felt the Spirit of the Lord poured forth very powerfully into our home as D shared this story, given to him by a beloved primary teacher.  With great fondness, I reflected how perfectly this story and this lesson matched the very need of the man sitting on our couch.  I wondered how Brother Smith was receiving it. 

When D finished, I asked the children what decision the Lord would want them to make if they only had enough money to either pay their tithing or buy milk for a little one.  K responded that the Lord would want her to pay her tithing instead of to buy milk.  D agreed.  I affirmed K’s answer and shared my testimony of how the Lord watches over his faithful saints who pay their tithing.  I also shared the time from my mission in Chilton when I needed some things from the store, but did not have enough money to pay for them, how a member happened to be in the store the middle of that work day, and volunteered to buy our things.  That had never happened before on my mission, and never happened after, but did happen the one time I needed it.

After the lesson, Brother Smith sincerely stated the lesson on tithing was just what he needed to hear.  I had no doubt that the Lord taught Brother Smith this evening through the mouth of a child—doctrine that child had learned in primary.