Daughter of a KingRebecca Whitmer of Stockton, CA, emailed me the following:
Hi, Thank you so much for sharing your ideas! I used much of the “Of Royal Birth Program” for my ward RS Birthday dinner last Friday and it was a fantastic hit! I did change things a lot, but I used most of what you have shared so I just wanted to say THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart. And I would like to share it for others to use! (to read more about this program click here)
Daughter of a King
Song: Daughter of a King by Jenny Philips
Intro: The following program highlights the joys and blessings of the gospel in every phase of life as a woman, a daughter of God. Knowing who you are, where you came from, why you are here, and how your life blesses the lives of those around you is the key to finding joy in each and every day, even every trial along the way. You truly are, a Daughter of a King.
Scene 1
Song: Here Am I, Send Me By J. K. Perry Let Us Go Forth
Ø Little girl descending stairs with white flower in her hair…ribbons trailing from “heaven”
Narrator: In the pre-mortal life you lived with our Father in Heaven. There you prepared to come to earth to become a daughter, sister, mother, teacher, and friend. You knew and worshiped God as your Eternal Father and accepted His plan by which His children could obtain a physical body and gain earthly experience to progress toward perfection and ultimately realize your divine destiny as an heir of eternal life.
Ø Curtains open and girl leaves flower on small table by rocking chair and new mother
(Woman’s voice) I am so excited about my journey, and a little scared, but I know that I will not be alone. I know my Father loves me and will be with me always. I’m glad I chose to be a part of His divine plan. And I know I will someday return to my King.
Scene 2
Song: Walk Tall You’re a Daughter of God – Verse 2 & 3
Ø Woman rocking and dressing a baby girl for blessing day
Narrator: And so you came to earth, so small and helpless. And knowing that you needed to be loved and nurtured our Heavenly Father blessed you with parents to guide you on your journey through this life.
Song : I Am a Child of God by Paul Cardall begin narration 2 as voice over
(Woman’s voice) O, how I miss my heavenly home and my family there, but now as those memories fade so far away, I am thankful that Father has blessed me with such a wonderful family here on earth. I know I am loved. I can hardly wait to experience all that this life has to offer. I am thankful for a family to lead and guide me through the choices I must make.
Scene 3
Song: Born of Water, Born of Spirit by J.K. Perry
Ø Girl and father dressed in baptismal clothing. Mother from scene 1 places flower in daughters hair over right ear. Sister Missionary helps father and daughter.
Narrator: Now you are 8 and about to be baptized and make a special covenant to take upon you the name of Christ. Through this, Heavenly Father shows his love by giving you a way to repent and strive to become more like Him. And with the gift of the Holy Ghost you will be able to make righteous decisions.
(Woman’s voice) I am excited to be baptized. Today I make my first promise with my Heavenly Father. My mother made my special baptism day dress just like my blessing dress. She wants me to take care of them and keep them as a symbol of my purity. My baptism today is my first step towards claiming my Royal Birthright.
Scene 4
Song: Child of Light by Mindy Gledhill
Ø Teenage girl having a dramatic episode finally rests on bed to write in her journal
Narrator: As you grow into a young woman may you know that you are a choice spirit who has come forth in this day when the responsibilities and opportunities, as well as the temptations, are the greatest. You are at the beginning of your journey through this mortal life. Your Heavenly Father wants your life to be joyful and to lead you back into His presence. The decisions you make now will determine much of what will follow during your life and throughout eternity. May you keep your mind and body clean from the sins of the world, so you can do the great work that lies before you.
Song: My Story from My Turn on Earth
Ø Mother enters and places flower over her daughters right ear, comforts her, hands her the scriptures…and then leaves.
(Woman’s voice) Today has been an extremely hard day. I feel like nobody understands what I am going through. I feel so alone. I know there is someone I can always talk to. Someone that promised me long ago that I would never be alone. I am glad that I know that Heavenly Father will always be there to listen and care.
Scene 5
Song: Stand as a Witness by Katherine Nelson
Ø Young sister missionary packing her suitcase, places the flower from her hair, in the suitcase with her scriptures.
Narrator: For 21 years you have been nurtured by a family who prepared you to take your place in the world, and in Heavenly Father’s kingdom. You have increased your knowledge of the gospel, found your own testimony, and made covenants with Him in the temple. And if it so be that ye should labor all your days crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy in the kingdom of my Father!
(Woman’s voice) I felt sad to leave my home, my friends and family I love, I felt unprepared, small and weak. I didn’t know enough. I wasn’t brave enough. I wasn’t ready. At least that’s how I felt, but I knew the Lord knew I was. I knew it was what he wanted me to do. I knew that if I humbled myself and trusted in Him, as hard as that was, that He would then qualify His Daughter to become His missionary
Scene 6
Track 6 Song: There is a Place by Janice Kapp Perry
Ø Young woman standing in front of mirror (temple) in wedding dress. Mother places the white flower in her hair over her left ear.
Narrator: Today as you prepare to enter the Temple, you look back on all the steps you have taken to this point. And know that the decision you have made is the right one.
(Woman’s voice) I’m glad I chose at a young age to begin preparing myself to be married in the temple. As I look into the mirror and reflect on the choices I have made I realize that I am one step closer to fulfilling Gods eternal plan. These covenants that I will make and the knowledge I will receive will strengthen my testimony of my Heavenly Fathers eternal plan.
Scene 7
Song: In the Meantime by Jenny Jordan
Ø Mother with flower over left ear dealing with business of the day
Narrator: Motherhood is near to divinity. It is the highest, holiest service to be assumed by mankind. It places her who honors its holy calling and service next to angels. Surely when a woman reverences motherhood, her children will arise up and call her blessed.
(Woman’s voice) I could never imagine a greater gift than that of becoming a mother. Though at times I can get lost in the daily trials. This is when I pray to Heavenly Father and try to make a conscious effort to change the way I look at motherhood, especially during stressful moments when a child is crying or covered in dirt or refuses to obey. I try to think eternally, remembering my role as a mother in the eternal scheme of things.
Scene 8
Song: A Women’s Heart by Jenny Jordan
Ø Grandmother with flower in her hair kneeling to pray in morning, greeting grandchildren and then kneeling to pray in the evening.
(Woman’s voice) I love being a grandmother. Being able to teach and pass on my own experiences that I have lived and learned from. Knowing the lives that I have touched and future generations that I will influence…this is what he created me to be. Woman, a daughter of a King.
Ø Grandmother walks across the stage to the chair of the mother in scene 2. Retires in rocking chair. Dies.
Narrator: In your golden years there is much to do and so much to be. With ancient is wisdom; and in length of days understanding.
Scene 9
Song: Come Take Your Place by Hilary Weeks
Ø Woman dressed in white appears from behind grandmother indicating her death, reviewing scenes of her life then ascending stairs representing returning to spirit world
Curtains close behind her
Dancer enters as lyrics begin
Girls enter across stage front at second “Come Take Your Place” bridge
At end of song ALL LIGHTS OUT
Final Scene : spotlight on narrator
Song: Daughter of a King by Jenny Phillips Narration is voice over
Narrator: The Prophet Harold B. Lee said, Who are you? You are daughters of the most noble lineage that ever came upon this earth. More than that, you are all daughters of a heavenly power. May I, with that glimpse of understanding of who you are, paraphrase those words and say to you, children of Zion, daughters of noble lineage, I plead with you with all the power of my soul, “Be loyal to the royal within you.”
Encourage audience to stand at final chorus of Daughter of a King
The End
(to read more about this program click here)
MUSIC
Daughter of a King
Words and Music by Jenny Phillips and Tyler Castleton
Do you wonder if He knows who you are?
Do you wonder if He knows the secret pleadings of your heart
He has numbered every sand of the sea
And he longs for you to know that He believes in you
Can you feel a quiet power from above?
Can you feel His strength surround you when your own is not enough?
He has blessed you with his spirit from on high
And He longs for you to know it lives inside of you
Oh, be true –
Daughter of a king,
the Father’s royalty
heir to His divinity
He’s calling your name
to come and take your place before His throne
He has always known
what he created you to be
A daughter of a king
You hold the promises of all eternity
Rise to claim the noble birthright you were sent here to receive
He has loved you since you lived with Him before
Let Him lead you to the gifts He has in store for you
Oh, be true –
Daughter of a king,
the Father’s royalty
heir to His divinity
He’s calling your name
to come and take your place before His throne
He has always known
what he created you to be
Father’s royalty
heirs to His divinity
He’s calling our names
to come and take our place before His throne
He has always known
what He created us to be
Scene 1 Here Am I, Send Me By Steven Kapp Perry
Here am I send me
I will go wherever you lead
I will let Thy light shine
And the glory be thine
If God can do His work
Through the small and weak
Here am I send Me
Scene 2 Walk Tall You’re A Daughter of God by Jamie Glenn (Verse two)
Long before the time you can remember
Our Father held you in his arms so tender
Those loving arms released you as he sent you down to earth
He said, “My child, I love you. Don’t forget your great worth”
Walk tall, you’re a daughter, a child of God
Be strong please remember, who you are
Try to understand, you’re part of His great plan
He’s closer than you know
Reach up; He’ll take your hand
Scene 3 Born of Water, Born of Spirit by Janice Kapp Perry
May the water now surround and make me whole
Wash away my past and cleanse my soul
Let thy Holy Ghost descending like a dove
Bear witness of Thy sweet redeeming love
Born of water born of Spirit
Renewed in faith and covenant with Thee
Born of water born of Spirit
By love’s atoning sacrifice made free
With my spirit now refined, heart and soul to Thee inclined
Born of water, born of spirit, child of Thine
Scene 4 Child of Light by Mindy Gledhill
Do you ever wonder who you are
Do you ever wonder as you stare into the stars
Where you began
And how you got this far from home
Have you ever walked along the shore
Have you ever seen the water dancing back and forth
Did you look inside
To see if there was more to life
Well, there’s a dream taking wing
There’s a voice that wants to sing
And even in the deepest, darkest night
The torch is raised to the sky
There are hands that hold it high
You were born to keep it burning bright
You were made to fly
You were meant to shine
Child of light
You will never, ever stand alone
You were never called to bear the burdens on your own
And where there is fear
Love will take control and lead you on…
Cuz there’s a dream taking wing
There’s a voice that wants to sing
And even in the deepest darkest night
The torch is raised to the sky
There are hands that hold it high
You were born to keep it burning bright
You were made to fly
You were meant to shine
Child of light
There’s a dream taking wing
There’s a voice that wants to sing
And even in the deepest, darkest night
The torch is raised to the sky
And there are hands that hold it high
You were born to keep it burning bright
You were made to fly
You were meant to shine
Child of light.
My Story from My Turn on Earth
I’m the one that writes my own story
I decide the person I’ll be
What goes in the plot
And what will not
Is pretty much up to me
And just in case
I need to erase
It was figured out before
A thing called repentance
Can wipe out a sentence
A page or a chapter or more
Everyone who writes his own story
Now and then will make some mistakes
But given some care
They needn’t stay there
And this is all that it takes
You must know
You’ve done wrong and so
You feel very bad and then
You don’t try to hide it
Do try to right it
And vow you won’t do it again
This book of mine is ver important
And so someone is waiting right there
To help with my story
He’s been here before me
And always is close as a prayer
We will write each day and night
And do it well and faithfully
A wonderful story
Of sadness and glory
It’s written by Jesus and me
Scene 5 Stand As a Witness by Katherine Nelson
I have felt the power of His love
Flowing down to rest upon my soul
I have knelt for knowledge from above
And His quiet whisper let me know
That He has placed a flame inside of me
I feel the need to share it, now for all to see, so
I will stand as a witness, carry His light
Shining hope into each life that’s fallen dim
I will stand and be counted, prepare myself within
As a daughter of promise,
I will stand as a witness of Him
I have known the sweetness of His word
Felt a seed of faith begin to grow
I have seen the joy in those I serve
How it feels to come into His fold
Living with His love inside of me
I feel the need to reach out to heaven’s family, so
I will stand as a witness, carry His light
Shining hope into each life that’s fallen dim
I will stand and be counted, prepare myself within
As a daughter of promise,
I will stand as a witness of Him
As a daughter of promise,
I will stand as a witness of Him
Scene 6 There is a Place by Joy S. Lundberg and Janice Kapp Perry
What would be our purpose
If our family could not be
More than fleeting happiness
For just mortality?
Why would loving families
Be so important here
Just to end with death and disappear?
But in our Father’s plan
He wants our happiness
So He has opened up the way
For families to be blessed
In sacred temples of our Lord
Families are sealed for evermore
Scene 7 In the Meantime by Jenny Jordan
In her hear she holds the dreams
That she’s carried since the day she turned thirteen
Of al that she would be when she was grown
Of all that she would do when she was finally on her own
She dreamed she’d fly
And she’s still waiting for the chance to try
But in the meantime she’s a mother and a daughter and a wife
Doing all she can to stay above the daily grind
She wonders when she’ll ever have more meaning in her life
She doesn’t know she’s being molded and refined
In the meantime
Someday she’ll go back to school
When the carpools and the soccer games are through
‘caus deep inside she’s still the girl
Who’s always felt the fire to make a difference in the world
She dreams she’ll soar
When she finally has the time to do more
But in the meantime she’s a sister and a teacher and a friend
Hours turn into days that turn to years that never end
She wonders when she’ll ever really find herself again
But she’s becoming one on whom God can depend
In the meantime
Heaven feels the joy of every victory in her life
and heaven hears her heart before she cries
Somewhere in the middle of the triumphs and the trials
She’s becoming sanctified
But in the meantime she’s an answer and a blessing and a gift
To every empty, aching heart that only she can lift
She still wonders if she’ll ever get to see where heaven is
If she could only see her mansions waiting there
If she could only feel how much her Father cares
She would know she’s being perfectly prepared
In the meantime
Scene 8 A Woman’s Heart By Jenny Jordan
Morning comes and finds her on her knees
The Spirit speaks and she is listening
She offers everything her soul can give
To make a difference through the life she lives
Her faith holds her family close
She understands what matters most
Her gentle touch is where love starts
That’s the way of a woman’s heart
She’s the keeper of the vision
She’s a beacon in the night
A teacher and defender of the truth
And everything she touches
Bears the traces of her light
She’s faithful to
What God Himself would do
She’s a friend to the lonely and the lost
Every day another bridge to cross
Her hands of mercy know the healer’s art
That’s the way of a woman’s heart
Evening comes and finds her on her knees
She speaks and He is listening
With sweet assurance that she’s done her part
She weeps in His peace
And that’s the way of a woman’s heart
Scene 9 Come Take Your Place by Hilary Weeks
Can you hear it
Can you hear it
Angels are calling your name
Do you feel it
Do you feel it
Heaven is lighting a flame
There’s a voice in your heart
Whispering who you are
Can you see it
Can you see it
Your place in the Father’s design
Are you ready
Are you ready
This is your season to shine
There’s a voice through the dark
Gathering noble hearts
You carry the light of His Son
And running through your veins is royal blood
You’re the brave and the strong, you’re the faithful
You have been saved for this moment and time
You hear the call
You feel the flame
You’ve been prepared
Come take your place
Can you hear the angels calling you
Do you recognize your name
Can you see your part in His design
No one else can take your place
There’s a voice clear and strong
You’re right where you belong
You carry the light of His Son
And running through your veins is royal blood
You’re the brave and the strong, you’re the faithful
You have been saved for this moment and time
You hear the call
You feel the flame
You’ve been prepared
Come take your place
You are the brave
You are the strong
You are the faithful ones
You carry the light of His Son
And running through your veins is royal blood
You’re the brave and the strong, you’re the faithful
You have been saved for this moment and time
You hear the call
You feel the flame
You’ve been prepared
Come take your place
Here are some remarks she has about the program:
The program is beautifully simple. Set the stage with all of the vignettes at one time from left to right…except for the opening child of God who crosses from right to left in front of closed curtains as she decends from heaven to the life that is represented on the stage. The Woman’s Voice narrator is behind the curtain on the left side of the stage so that when the final vignette actor rests in the rocking chair for the last scene, she comes out symbolizing the spirit of the child of God leaving the body and returning to the spirit world where the child of God came from.
You will need
1 Stairs if possible for child to decend and woman to return on in the end
2 Rocking chair for mother
3 Baptism suits for father and daughter
4 Bed for teenager (I used an aerobed…it was perfect)
5 Table and suitcase for missionary to be packing
6 Mirror for bride…could use a large scale representation of the temple
7 Uur mother of young children brought a laundry basket with a few other small props like dishes, towels to fold etc.
8 Grandmotherly looking easy chair…look in the foyer or the mothers lounge of your building
The actors move in the vignette only during the song representing that phase of life. The small children do not come onto the stage until their part (so they don’t have to sit still so long). The mother from the beginning is NOT the child represented in the rest of the story so she leaves her vignette. She moves into the baptism, teenager, and new bride vignettes. We recycled the children for the grandmother vignette…they came in after the line about praying and then left the stage again before the end when the grandmother crosses the stage and dies. The grandmother vignette should be all the way on the opposite side of the stage so when she crosses, it is like the stage is her whole house and she is resting in her own chair.
Our grandmother got a little confused and did not walk across during the song…it actually was more dramatic to have her walk across in silence. The narrators order is reversed in this scene as the woman’s voice speaks first, as the grandmother walks (or just before she walks in silence) and then the narrator.
The lyrics are included at the end of the program, however, in the editing I actually included the 3rd verse of Walk Tall too and I have not added those lines yet. I did not give the lyrics to everyone because it would have severely impacted our budget 🙂
This was extremely successful and we plan to do it again. I could not get the sisters to meet to run through the program and that was reeeaaaallllyyyy necessary so everyone understood their parts and how it works together…I ended up explaining it to each vignette the night of and no one got to eat because we were working on the program.
We were blessed with a dancer who did her own choreography to the song. It could obviously be done without it, but it was incredible to have that part in there. It was really neat to see the girls all lined up on the stage too. The Child of God holding the doll representing her newborn body, the girl at baptism, teen, missionary, bride, young mom, grandmother, then spirit body.
I had a flower at each place setting that matched each of the actors representing the child of God. The mother places the flower in the girls hair for the baptism, teen and bride. I don’t know if the audience picked up on that though. Only like 3 of them walked out wearing their flower. I will definitely include the flowers again, but I will probably draw reference to them in the intro so each member of the audience understands that she too is a Daughter of a King and the flower is a symbol of her divine heritage from our Heavenly Father.
OH YEAH, I read the RS Declaration as part of the intro AND I wanted the bishop to be the narrator…or at least do the final narrator part which is a quote from President Lee…mine was not available, but that would be really neat.
