Are you teaching Joseph Smith’s First Prayer (archives) in singing time this year? This song is the perfect addition to your 2025 Come Follow Me Singing Time plans!
For a neat way to introduce or review this hymn in primary, consider trying this Joseph Smith’s First Prayer Special Arrangement idea! Invite a special guest to perform a musical number, watch a video performance, or create your own arrangement!
**See All Joseph Smith’s First Prayer Singing Time Ideas Here!**
Joseph Smith’s First Prayer Special Arrangement
Sharing a special musical number in primary can be such a sweet way to invite reverence and help your primary children feel the Spirit during singing time.
This spiritual connection idea can be a unique way to introduce this hymn to your primary children! Even if they have heard the song in sacrament meeting before, it’s likely that the words are unfamiliar. I can’t think of a better way to introduce this song than by simply listening to it!
If you’ve already started teaching this song to your primary children, no worries! You can still use this idea as a way to review the song. At the beginning of primary, start by telling the children that you’ll be having a special singing time. Depending on which type of musical number you choose, have your special guest come in or have your technology ready to go.
Invite the children to listen reverently and notice how they feel. When the performance is finished, ask a few volunteers to share how they felt during the song. Did they feel peaceful? Happy? Calm? These are feelings from the Holy Ghost.
Now we are ready to learn the song too! Grab a copy of our Joseph Smith’s First Prayer flip chart and begin teaching the lyrics to this beautiful hymn. It sounds so simple, and it is! As your primary children learn this song and participate in other church lessons, hopefully they will carry this experience with them!
3 Special Arrangement Ideas
When thinking about this activity, I couldn’t pick just one option to share because there are so many different ways to use this type of activity! How you choose to incorporate a special arrangement in your singing time is completely dependent on your availability of musicians in your ward, access to technology, and your own personal revelation for your calling!
I’ve included 3 different ways to use this special arrangement singing time idea. I’ll also include some additional ideas later in this post. I’d love to hear what you decide!
Option #1: Guest Musical Number
For a powerful way to introduce this song, invite a member of your ward to share a special musical number! This will require a little bit of prep work in finding someone who is willing to come perform for your primary children.
Watching and listening to someone play an instrument or sing this song is a perfect attention-grabber for primary kids! Your special guest may already have an arrangement they like, but I’ve included a few links below if you need some ideas for musical arrangements!
- Joseph Smith’s First Prayer Piano Flute/Violin Solo with Piano Accompaniment – This is a free arrangement! I have actually learned this arrangement and it is lovely! Simple & beautiful.
- Marshall McDonald’s Joseph Smith’s First Prayer to the tune of “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing” – I had to include this arrangement because it’s just so cool! This may be a good option if your primary children are already familiar with the song. This arrangement costs about $3 for a digital copy.
- Free Sacred Music Arrangements – You can find 60 different arrangements of this song completely free! This site is definitely worth exploring, as it has a variety of options that range from easy to difficult.
Option #2: Video Performance
For an added visual element, set up your technology and watch one of these video performances of this song! Here are some great options to choose from:
- Joseph Smith’s First Prayer Missionary Choir – You will love this video of a choir of missionaries at the MTC performing this song at General Conference!
- Paul Cardall Joseph Smith’s First Prayer Piano Solo – Paul Cardall is one of my favorite composers of hymns. This piano solo is just beautiful and would be a great option for this lesson!
- Joseph Smith’s First Prayer (feat. Talon Hatch) – I came across this gorgeous piano/vocal duet that I just had to share with you! Listen to this solo with beautiful piano accompaniment as you introduce this song to your primary kids!
- Joseph Smith’s First Prayer – Nicole Jordyn – This vocal solo is really pretty and includes scenes from the Restoration movie.
Option #3: Create Your Own Arrangement
Now, before you start to get nervous, I’m not suggesting that you write a full musical arrangement of this song. If you are a musician and want to create your own arrangement, this would be so special for your primary kids! However, what I’m suggesting is much simpler!
You can create your own special arrangement of this song simply by changing how you sing through it. This is a simple way to add some variety to your primary program! To show you how easy this can be, here are a few suggestions to spark your ideas:
- Have one child sing a solo for the first line of the song. Or, have a few children trade off singing solos for the first 4 lines that describe the scene.
- Switch off between girls only and boys only throughout the song. Have everyone sing the last line.
- Have a small group of children sing “oohs” or hum while the rest of the group sings for a neat musical effect!
For another fun similar activity, head over to see this Dare to Do Right Musical Arrangements singing time activity!
Extension Activities:
- Practice with our Joseph Smith’s First Prayer Sing Along video! Listen through the video once, then try to follow along with the lyrics!
- Try a silent video! Share a video of the First Vision while listening to a special arrangement of the song in the background. This way, the kids can engage visually (more visual intrigue ideas) with the song! For an example of this type of activity, see this The Iron Rod Silent Video idea.
- Split the children into small group “choirs.” Have each group perform a few lines of the song for the rest of the class!
If you are teaching this song in primary, you’ll definitely want to head over to see some of our fun teaching activities like this Joseph Smith’s First Prayer Crossword Puzzle activity!
How will you use this special arrangements singing time activity in your Primary room?
