DeAnn

It was in the primary handbook when I was a primary president about 20 or so years ago. It was a separate handbook just for primary and had a lot of detail. Now it has become more simplified in the current handbook with not a lot of do's and don't's . My opinion, though, is there are several reasons for avoiding sweets in primary. 1. It takes the kids' focus away from the real reason for being in primary: to learn the gospel and feel the Spirit testify of its truthfulness. Candy is a distraction from that focus. There is nothing in the scriptures about candy or any parallel in the scriptures that makes a good reason to hand out candy. There is no gospel principle that makes it necessary. It is just a false tradition. In fact, you can argue that the Word of Wisdom discounts putting things into our bodies that are not good for it. We teach good health and that our bodies are temples. Giving candy goes contrary to that gospel principle. 2. When the kids are used to getting sweets from a teacher each week, or even intermittently, and then in the new year, they move up to a teacher who does not give sweets, they are disappointed with the new teacher and tune him/her out or don't participate fully in the lesson. This puts that teacher at a disadvantage. This is evidence that the candy did not help the kids really pay attention better in class with the previous teacher. In fact, it did the opposite. All it did was set a precedence that treats are expected (not gospel learning), and the kids have learned inadvertently that you only respond to requests that are associated with promises of sweets. 3. This goes contrary to gospel teaching. Jesus taught to do things without any expectation of reward. In fact, when Jesus fed the 5,000, people began following him to see if they could get fed. Jesus caught on to this and said (the next day when there were many following him) "Ye seek me not because ye saw the miracle, but because ye did eat of the loaves and were filled" (John 6:26). He wanted them to be hungry for the gospel, not so much for food (or sweets). He said, "Labor not for meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life..." (verse 27). Giving sweets goes contrary to Jesus' teachings. 4. Many parents cringe when their kids bring home candy or sweets from primary or hear that they were given it. It goes against many family's principles. You don't ever know the whole story behind each child that you give sweets to and the intention behind parents' preferences that their child be given no sweets. Parents might not always voice their views. Parents' preferences for no sweets are often carefully thought out reasons, even backed up by medical professionals. Teachers should value parents' preferences. it is being Christlike to honor family's wishes. 5. Teachers often give out candy to be liked, or as one teacher put it, "to cover up the fact that I am not a great teacher." I heard of one teacher who went to the store Sunday morning to buy a dozen donuts because, in his words it was, "an apology for not preparing a lesson." It happened to be Fast Sunday, too.