Get to Know President Oaks: Singing Time Lesson Plan
Tomorrow is our Primary Program, and I thought it would be fun to do a trivia game activity afterward. With the passing of President Nelson, it seemed like a good time to help them learn more about President Dallin H. Oaks.
This Singing Time activity is designed to introduce President Dallin H. Oaks in a fun, faith-building way that combines trivia, stories, and Primary songs.
The goal is simple: help children see that our prophet is a real person who has learned to follow Jesus Christ – just like they can. I believe that as we learn about the lives of the prophets of our church, we can see how God has prepared them to become who they are now.
Overview
Theme: Follow the Prophet — Learning About President Dallin H. Oaks
Ages: Junior and Senior Primary
Focus: Learn fun facts about President Oaks’ life and connect them to gospel principles through song.
Songs Included: Follow the Prophet, Keep the Commandments, A Child’s Prayer, Called to Serve, and more.
Activities: Trivia (with or without competition)
How the Activity Works
You’ll use trivia questions that reveal short stories about President Oaks’ life. Each question leads into a song that relates to the principle or experience shared.
There are several ways to play – you can make it a team competition, a “Follow the Prophet Path” game, or a simple group discovery activity for Junior Primary.
Printables for this activity are available here:
Trivia Questions, Stories, and Song Connections
You can write these on cards, hide them in envelopes, or print off the trivia cards in the PDF file above. You could also put them into a Jeopardy style game.
| # | Trivia / Clue | Short Story | Song Connection |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | What career did President Oaks have? | President Oaks served as a lawyer and later as a justice on the Utah Supreme Court. He learned to be fair and follow laws—just like we can follow God’s laws. | 🎵 Keep the Commandments |
| 2 | How old was President Oaks when his father passed away? | His father passed away young, and his mother taught him to pray and trust Heavenly Father. That faith guided his whole life. | 🎵 A Child’s Prayer |
| 3 | What college was President Oaks the president of? | Before becoming an apostle, he led BYU and encouraged students to learn and live the gospel. | 🎵 Search, Ponder, and Pray |
| 4 | Where did President Oaks meet his first wife? | President Oaks married June Dixon, and they had six children. He teaches that families are central to God’s plan. | 🎵 Families Can Be Together Forever |
| 5 | What year was President Oaks called to be an apostle? | He has served faithfully for many years, teaching about Jesus Christ and the importance of following the prophet. | 🎵 Follow the Prophet |
| 6 | What is the name of his second wife who he married after June passed away? | After June passed away, he married Kristen McMain. Together they serve with love and devotion, showing that love continues through service. | 🎵 Love One Another |
| 7 | What number prophet is President Oaks of the restored church? | President Oaks encourages us to stand up for what’s right, even when it’s hard. | 🎵 Dare to Do Right |
| 8 | What branch of the military did President Oaks serve in? | President Oaks was sustained as Prophet and President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 2025. We can listen to him and follow Jesus through his words. | 🎵 We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet |
| 9 | Where did President Oaks work when he was 16? | As a teen, President Oaks announced news and music on a local radio station. It helped him develop confidence speaking in front of others—a skill he uses now as a prophet! | 🎵 I Will Be Valiant |
| 10 | What branch of the military to President Oaks serve in? | President Oaks served in the military as a young man. He learned discipline, courage, and service—qualities that help him lead the Church today. | 🎵 Called to Serve |
Activity Variations
Trivia Challenge (Team Game)
- Split the room into two teams.
- Take turns choosing an envelope or one of the images from the PDF file.
- Read the clue aloud. If they answer correctly, read the short story and sing the related song.
- Earn 1 point per correct answer – and a bonus point for great singing or remembering a detail about President Oaks!
- Alternative: You can provide the kids with or without multiple-choice clues. If they do it without the clue, they get 2 points. With the clue, they get 1.
2. Follow the Prophet Path
Create a path of footprints on the board or floor (see PDF for printables). Each footprint has a trivia number on it.
- Teams take turns rolling a die or drawing cards to move along the path.
- When they land on a number, answer that trivia question and sing the matching song.
- The first team to reach President Oaks’ picture (the “finish line”) wins!
3. Sing It to Win It
After each question, everyone sings the related song. The team that sings it most reverently and joyfully gets a point – have teachers or Primary Presidency decide.
Alternatively, you can just provide points for each question. This is a group game so it’s not a challenge to see which team wins but how many points they can get. They can also get points for singing challenges, such as singing without the words.
4. Junior Primary Simplified Version
- Use pictures instead of words for the clues (judge’s gavel, heart, scriptures, family, etc.).
- Keep the stories short (one or two sentences).
- Let the children take turns choosing the next picture to uncover, and sing together after each reveal.
Spiritual Wrap-Up
Close by reminding the children:
“President Oaks has spent his whole life learning to follow Jesus Christ. Just like him, we can pray, study the scriptures, and follow the prophet to stay close to the Savior. He once said “the singing of hymns is one of the best ways to learn the doctrine of the restored gospel.” We sing in primary so much to learn the doctrine of Jesus Christ and to help us remember Him thorughout our lives.
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This activity is simple to prepare, full of music, and packed with teaching moments. Whether you’re using it right after General Conference or as part of a “Follow the Prophet” theme, it’s a wonderful way to help your Primary feel connected to President Oaks and strengthen their own testimonies.
