Fun

35 hilarious Primary program fiascos too good not to share

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There are few things sweeter than seeing Primary children singing and testifying of our Savior during a Primary program—and there are few things more hilarious than seeing their personalities shine through in unexpected ways. 

We asked our followers on Facebook to share some of these moments during Primary presentations that gave them a chuckle or two, and we weren't disappointed. 

Here are some funny moments that happened in Primary presentations in wards across the world.

1. "We assigned each kid a small speaking part that they would say into the microphone. We encouraged them to memorize their part but had an adult next to the pulpit with a list of what everyone's part was, in case the kids forgot. One of the boys came to the microphone to say his part, paused, and then shouted into the microphone, 'Captain America is AWESOME!' Then he returned to his seat on the stand." —Heidi Trimble

2. "I was visiting my brother in Nashville and their Primary had maybe 10 to15 kids (it was a branch). This adorable little boy kept popping up and down when, all of the sudden, he went down and maybe two minutes later came up looking acting like a shark. Sounds and all."—Andie Nichole Cherry

3. "My 3-year-old pulled the fire alarm. Everyone just sat there. They looked around and just kept going with the program." —Melanie Higginbotham

4. "My son was sitting/standing front row to the left of the pulpit, just out of our view. Our bishopric was sitting right in front of him, and they were giggling so much that the trickle effect finally made its way to us. Our 3-year-old was trying desperately to put his hands in his pockets like the musical director asked. He pulled his pants on backwards that morning, so there was much squirming and swirling around in his efforts to actually get his hands in. Bless his heart, he sang loudly throughout the whole ordeal!" —Sonja Brown Parkin

5. "My little sister was supposed to go up to the pulpit and say her 'scripture hero.' Every kid before her had a really good one. We taught her to say, 'Jesus,' and we had practiced with her SO much beforehand. However, when she got up to the pulpit, my Frozen-loving little sister said, and I quote, 'My scripture hero is Elsa.'" —Becca Walker

6. "One Junior Primary boy said his part while his mouth was so close to the microphone he was almost eating it. The next boy got up, started his part, leaned back a bit, made a disgusted face, and then wiped off the mic with his sleeve." —Kerilee Law

7. "The Primary had the idea to have all kids go outside the chapel and walk in all together. I couldn't find my 4-year-old son in the sea of faces. About half way through, my hubby and I decide to go search the building, and my hubby found him in a classroom sitting with the High Priests." —Heather Russell Christensen

8. "One of the sweetest that I remember was of my sister, who had left to use the restroom. She came back in running and screaming because it was her favorite song and they had started it without her." —Melia Solstad

9. "A 5-year-old boy finished his one sentence and got right into the microphone to say, "WOOF!" That kid just started his mission." —Robert Spencer

10. "One of my Star A boys had a bad cold and sneezed during the program. The sneeze propelled most of the contents of his sinuses right out! He grabbed his tie, wiped the goo off and kept on singing!" —Dana Brown

▶ You may also like: 'Give Seth a Little String' and other hilarious mixed-up Primary lyrics

11. "Our 4 -year-old granddaughter got up to say what creation she was grateful for. She said, "I am grateful for chocolate." Then paused and leaned in, and said in a very creepy low voice, "Chaaaaaw-cluttttt." —Jane Drury Connolly Jensen

12. "When I was younger, I was seated on the front row of the stand. I was very fidgety, and my teacher was trying to grab the program from me, but I stood up, pulled up my dress, pulled out my tights, shoved my program down in my tights, and sat back down. Bonus: my teenage sister saw it all from the audience and just about died of embarrassment." —Bethany Jones Seher

13. "My husband and I had a very large class of CTR 7s--16, I think. We were seated on the floor in front of the congregation and under the pulpit. The Sunbeams were just behind us on the stand. One little guy would reach over and rub my husband's shaved head every time they stood up to sing! —Kristen Allsop Bearnson

14. "My daughter was 7 or 8 at the time, and she is an attention hog! Always has been, probably always will be. She bounces while she walks and insists on walking with her hands out like a "princess." After all the children were up front and ready, she wiggled her way to right in front of the microphone. I knew it would be bad and motioned for her to move back. She just smirked and waved at me. She then proceeded to give her best American Idol audition. I call it that, as she completely sounds like those horrible singers that are weeded out at the beginning of every singing competition--except worse. She's beautiful and loves people, but she can't sing a single note. She was trying to pull off Christina Aguilera riffs while throwing the rest of the Primary off of their song. Poor kids." —Toya Schuenke

15. "A little boy sitting behind the sacrament table kept sneaking his hand under the cloth and grabbing handfuls of bread." —Collette Berry Smith

16. "Each Sunbeam was supposed to say their name followed by, 'and I'm a child of God.' One little boy confidently declared, 'I'm Buzz Lightyear, and I'm a child of God!'" —Hillary Price Campbell

17. "My son on the front row as a Sunbeam proudly showing his Primary teacher (and everyone else) his new Spider-Man underwear. Thankfully it was just the rehearsal." —Lindsay Walden

18. "From the UK, so if you have 13 kids in Primary, you have a pretty good-sized Primary. We had 2 children 8 or older, and the rest were Sunbeams. Only 4 children from our ward showed up, and 3 visitors who wanted to join in. (I also had 1 counselor, that was it) Gradually, the kids started to get upset ,and one by one left the stand to sit by their parents. At the end, there were 3 children still on the stand. One sat by her mother at the piano and decided not to sing the last song but do some interpretive dance instead. What do you expect from 3-year-olds? Primary, to this day, is what I love most."—Amy Jade Hamblin

19. "A CTR 4 girl was being prompted by her teacher to say a scripture that ended with the phrase 'God of the most high.' What she actually said was, 'God of Monster High.'" —Brittany Morgan Adams

20. "While staying with us, our nonmember grandson was participating in his first Primary program. He had practiced speaking loud, clear, and knowing his part without help. We were excited and proud as he stood at the podium. In a loud and very clear voice he began, 'The Lord talked with Moses. He also smoked with Joseph Smith.' With a beaming bright smile, he returned to his seat. He didn't even notice the chuckles going through the congregation." —Jane Dugan

▶ You may also like: We asked, you answered: 20+ hilariously sweet and funny things kids prayed for

21. "As I was leading the music, my son got hold of a pen somehow. He drew a face on his hand and held it up. It sang all the songs. I just had to stand there and ignore it. But the congregation loved it, I guess." —Trisha Wilson

22. "My son partially disrobing so everyone could see his tie right before he said his part (he was wearing a sweater vest). Another kid was literally standing on his head so his feet were straight up in the air and you couldn't see his face!" —Meghan McGuire Mitchell

23. "We had the Sunbeams sit on the floor on the stand during a few speaking parts. As the chorister, I watched horrified as some sock puppets popped up over the side for all to see. It seemed that none of the adults on the stand noticed, and I couldn't seem to get anyone's attention." —Amy Willis Johnson

24. "I taught Sunbeams in a ward with a large Primary. For the Primary program, they had set up folding chairs just in front of the front row of podium seats. One little girl in my class kept standing on her chair and leaning over the back, playing with a sibling behind her. As I reached around to have her sit down, I realized she had on no underwear. She had just "mooned" the entire ward! Her poor mom was mortified and assured me she was wearing them when they left their house. I still laugh 20 some-odd years later." —Vikki Platt Jessen

25. "One kid wrote his testimony in a paper and it accidentally fell to the ground while he's on the microphone... he was so sad because he has nothing to read and didn't memorize it . He said... ' my testimony is gone, it flew to the ground, can someone pls help me get it back' ... someone picked it up and hand it to the cute boy: ) so funny." —Aundrey Brew

26. "My kid as a CTR was really feeling the love and started swaying and waiving his arms in the air just like people do in a concert when they shine their BIC/cell phone flashlight. —Cathy Ambrose

27. "My son became obsessed with his belly button like he had never seen it before. He was on the front row and just went exploring and investigating! Another son was supposed to say, 'I am grateful for the creation of animals.' He edited it to, 'I am grateful for the creation of Dinosaurs!' Lastly, it started with my second-oldest, after he said his part, he would wink at Grandma every year (who wasn't a member). All my kids continued the tradition even after she got baptized at 68.
—Dixiejo Simpson Dunn

28. "A little boy in our ward stood up and started his part but then forgot what he was supposed to say. He then smacked his forehead with the palm of his hand, slightly hung his head and said, "oh s%#*! I screwed it up!" His mom went beet red and hunkered down into the pew for the rest of the meeting." —Nikki Nelson

29. "My sister turning her back on the congregation when she was forced by Dad to go up and sing with the Primary. She marched up to the front, gave a glare, then turned around and folded her arms until it was over." —Melanie Osterhout-Clark

30. "We got a new bishop just a couple weeks before the program. My son ended up sitting next to him during the program. As they were sitting there, my son kept up a running conversation the whole time, stopping only to stand and sing. At one point, he placed his hand on the bishop's head and rubbed it, saying, 'Where did all your hair go?' (Our bishop is bald). The bishop looked at him and replied, 'I don't know. I lost it.' My son then said, 'I can help you find it.'" —Jane Drury Connolly Jensen

31. "A child who was shy walked up to the front with a blanket on his head covering his face. He sang the entire program, walked to the front to give his scripture, and walked back to his seat after the program with his blanket covering his face. But he did it!" —Sarah Hancock

32. "Many years ago, when I was Primary president, one little girl about 4 years old sang really loud. The little girl standing in front of her turned and covered her mouth so she couldn't sing." —Karen Morrison

33. "A little boy right in the front picked his nose. He was holding his sample on his finger and trying to get his dad's attention. After several failed attempts, he finally held his finger high in the air and yelled, 'Dad, I have a BOOGER!' A sheepish dad walked to the front of the chapel, took the booger into a tissue, and walked back to his seat." —Janene Goubert

34. "Since our program was in October, my son (4 years old) had already purchased Dracula glow-in-the-dark teeth for Halloween and decided to put them in for the program. As I noticed them after the program had already started, I tried my hardest to get his attention to take them out, as his singing was clearly limited by the bulky plastic teeth. He then proceeded to hold the teeth high in the air in his hand and make the teeth sing moving them like a puppet." —Anna Lee Harris Bjornn

35. "As a former chorister in several different wards, I've seen so many precious moments. But the one that takes it all was a little CTR 4 trying to remember his scripture but couldn't. Finally, out came, 'Guys, just follow Jesus. He's the best dude around.' —Lix Kofoed

Editor's note: This article originally ran on LDS Living in 2019.

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