As you teach I Need Thee Every Hour (archives) in singing time, help your primary children feel the Spirit with this I Need Thee Every Hour Conference Quotes primary idea!
For a neat way to dive into the lyrics and develop a better understanding of the message of this song, share inspired quotes from our church leaders as you sing this hymn together.
*See all I Need Thee Every Hour Singing Time Ideas!*
I Need Thee Every Hour Conference Quotes
I was recently chatting with a friend about the importance of helping our primary children connect spiritually (learning style archives) as we teach in singing time. That’s why I especially love simple ideas like this conference quotes activity.
In preparing for this activity, I read and reread the lyrics to try to deepen my own understanding of what this song teaches. To me, this song is a plea to draw nearer to the Savior. There are many ways to draw closer to the Savior, including scripture study, temple attendance, prayer, and service, among other faith-filled actions.
I’ve created 8 quote cards with about drawing near to Jesus Christ from our Prophet, President Russell M. Nelson and the apostles.
At the beginning of singing time, begin by singing through one verse of I Need Thee Every Hour. Whether you are just teaching one verse or all 4 verses, you’ll definitely want to grab a copy of our I Need Thee Every Hour flip chart for this song.
What is this song about? Invite a few children to share some ideas about what they learn from this song.
Twice a year, we have the opportunity to hear from the prophet and apostles in General Conference. They teach us how to become more like the Savior and feel His love in our lives. Let’s see what they have to say!
Choose a volunteer to come up and read one of the quotes. How does this quote relate to our song? What do we learn about feeling closer to Jesus Christ?
Invite your primary children to share any thoughts they have and have a brief discussion about ways to draw closer to Jesus Christ.
Continue reading through the quotes as you sing through the song. Conclude with your testimony about the Savior and how we can feel His influence in our everyday lives.
Conference Quotes:
I’ve included just a few of the quotes for this activity below as an example. Be sure to grab the printable version for all 8 conference quotes as you prepare for this activity. Do you remember any of these talks?
- “In coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost.” – President Russell M. Nelson
- “Our Savior invites us to always remember Him as He always remembers us.” -Elder Gerrit W. Gong
- “If you pray, if you talk to God, and if you plead for His help for your loved one…I promise you that you will draw closer to Him.” -President Henry B. Eyring
- “I have learned that if we draw near to God and reach out to touch Him, we can indeed find healing, peace, and joy.” – Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf
Extension Activities:
- Cut out the quote cards and assign each card a number 1-8. Ask for 8 volunteers. Each time you sing a verse, call out a number and have that person read their quote.
- Listen to or watch a music video of this song! This version of I Need Thee Every Hour by Emma Nissen is absolutely beautiful!
- Write a silly way to sing on the back of each quote. Each time you read a quote, sing through the song in a fun, new way. Grab a set of these Ways to Sing Cue Cards to add some fun to ANY primary song you are teaching!
- Hide the quote cards around the room and search for them as you sing.
- Write a line from the song on the back of each card. Give each class a few cards to read together. Then, have them sing their assigned lyrics.
For another fun similar activity, head over to see this Have I Done Any Good Scriptures & Service singing time activity!
I Need Thee Every Hour Conference Quotes Printable Song Helps
This free in-post printable includes 4 different 1/4 page cards with General Conference quotes from prophets and apostles.
Join INSTANT Primary Singing for extended printables including 4 additional quotes and larger formats. You’ll find these bonus files included when I Need Thee Every Hour is the featured song of the month. Find the full I Need Thee Every Hour teaching packet in my shop here.
Get more out of singing time with the INSTANT Primary Singing membership that includes printable lesson plans, tons of extended printables and an ad-free experience for each featured song of the month, or get immediate access to the entire song list for the year!
Learn more about INSTANT Primary Singing membership options here!
Have questions or need more help, see this FAQ page here.
Head over to this fun I Need Thee Every Hour Crossword Puzzle and challenge your older primary kids to solve this puzzle with key words from the song!
What other fun ways will you use this conference quotes singing time activity in your Primary room?
