It's Great To Be Eight Countdown: Day 8

Day 8.  Today is our final countdown day!  Tomorrow is a magical day, Cory will be eight!

Today after school he will get his Baptism Bag.  This Baptism Bag is to help children understand how important their baptism is. Inside the white bag are a picture of Jesus and John the Baptist, a sacrament cup, a small gift box, some hearts (I used conversation Valentine hearts), a candle and a little handout about baptismal covenants.  As Cory takes each item out, we will talk about what the item symbolizes and represents.

Baptism Bag

The white bag is a symbol of how pure and clean you are now that you have been baptized. Let it remind you that dirt can stain the bag just as sin can stain your soul. Always remember that repentance can keep you pure and clean and should always be your goal.

The picture of Jesus and John the Baptist will remind you that Jesus was baptized when He lived on earth because He wanted to obey Heavenly Father’s commandments and set an example for each of us to follow. He knew that everyone must be baptized to be able to live in the Celestial kingdom.

The sacrament cup: When we are baptized we make a promise to Heavenly Father and He in turn makes a promise to us. This is called a covenant. When you partake of the Sacrament you will be renewing your baptismal covenant.

Small gift box: After you were baptized you received one of God’s greatest gifts, the Gift of the Holy Ghost. You received this by the laying on of hands by an Elder of the Church. As you open the small gift representing the Holy Ghost you will discover the many ways the Holy Ghost can help you in your life if you live worthy. (Insert word strips, see below.)

The hearts stand for the great love our Heavenly Father has for you and His desire that you return to live with Him. It also stands for the love you show Him by obeying His commandments.

Candle: As you gain a testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and live worthy so Heavenly Father’s spirit can be with you, you will feel the peace and joy the gospel brings and have the light of the Holy Ghost. Let the candle represent this light which will lead you back to the presence of your Heavenly Father.

{The idea and the write-up for this Baptism Bag are originally from here .}

This little handout also goes in the bag:

MY BAPTISMAL COVENANT

I Promise:
I will follow Jesus
I will always remember him
I will keep his commandments

Heavenly Father Promises:
He will forgive me
He will give me the help of the Holy Ghost
He will give me eternal life

{Feel free to use the above image to copy or download to make your own handout.}

These are the word strips that go in the “Gift of the Holy Ghost” box:

Gives us our Testimony
Warns us of danger or evil
Comforts us (Galatians 5:22)
Inspires us (Luke 12:12)
Teaches us (John 14:26)
Helps us remember things (John 14:26)
Helps us understand things (D&C 6:15)
Helps us know and choose the right (D&C 11:12)
Guides us in important decisions (2 Nephi 32:5)
Helps us recognize truth (Moroni 10:5)
Helps us understand and communicate with each other (Alma 12:3)

I also baked a repentance cake for us to eat as a family – a white cake frosted with dark, chocolate frosting.  The chocolate represents the sins we will surely make, but the white cake represents how we can become pure and white again through the power of the Atonement and repentance.

{The idea for a repentance cake came from here.}

Thanks for joining the countdown journey with us!

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