Joseph Smith: First Vision
By Deborah Pace Rowley
The next seven lessons are about the Prophet Joseph Smith. These lessons, as well as the lessons on Jesus Christ, are included in the book: Three Men They Need to Know.
Activity: Mormon Mural
Lay out a big piece of butcher paper or several poster boards on the kitchen table. Have the family members gather around the paper and give them each a section to color. With markers or crayons, the family can illustrate the story you will read to them. Read Joseph Smith History Chapter 1 verses 3-20 while the family illustrates the story of the First Vision.
Liken the Scriptures:
Discuss the story of the First Vision as a family. Can you imagine something like this happening to you at 14 years old? How do you think you would feel? How do you think Joseph felt? Have you ever wanted an answer to a question from Heavenly Father? What did you do? Do you believe that this story is true? How can you know it is true? Ask each family member to add one more picture to their mural on the table. Have each person draw a picture of him or herself praying to Heavenly Father to gain the answers that they need.
Activity: Testimony Tree
Cut leaves out of green construction paper. Tell the family that you are going to make a Testimony Tree on the fridge or kitchen wall for the family to see all week. Joseph Smith went into a grove of trees to pray and had an experience that strengthened his testimony of God the Father and Jesus Christ. This testimony tree is going to record some of the things that your family has a testimony about. First cut out and tape up a brown piece of paper for the tree trunk and branches. Then take the leaves and write down the things that you know are true. Perhaps members of the family have a testimony of prayer. They have had their prayers answered and know that God is listening to them. Write down the word prayer on a leaf and hang it on the tree. Perhaps someone in the family has a testimony of tithing and can share a time when they were blessed because they paid their tithing. Write down tithing on a leaf and add it to the tree. Fill out as many laves as you can as you share simple testimony-building experiences together. Show the family how many leaves you have on the tree already. Discuss how the tree can continue to grow as you gain stronger testimonies and more knowledge from Heavenly Father.
Story: Questions
Joseph Smith was not the only prophet who had questions as a young boy. When President Gordon B. Hinckley was 12 he didn’t want to go with his father to priesthood meeting. Still he went and while he was sitting in the back he heard the men of the priesthood sing a song about Joseph Smith. The song was called “Praise to the Man.” President Hinckley said, “Something happened within me as I heard those men of faith sing. There came into my heart a conviction that the man of whom they sang was really a prophet of God.” This conviction strengthened Gordon as he grew older. When he went to college, the country was in The Great Depression. The future looked very dark. Pres. Hinckley said, “It was a time of terrible discouragement, and it was felt strongly on campus. I began to question some things, including perhaps in a slight measure the faith of my parents. That was not unusual for university students, but the atmosphere was particularly acute at that time. The testimony which had come to me as a boy remained with me and became as a bulwark to which I could cling during those very difficult years.” (In Memoriam: A Supplement to the Ensign 1998 pg. 5)
Testimony:
Explain to the family that it is normal to experience some questions and doubts like Joseph Smith and President Hinckley did when they were teenagers. Bear testimony that each member of the family can have their questions answered and gain their own testimonies by following the example of Joseph Smith. You may wish to share your experience gaining a testimony of Joseph Smith and how you came to know that the gospel was true.
Game: Safe in the Trees
Trees were important in the First Vision. Joseph was able to pray in privacy and feel the Spirit in the Sacred Grove. Many apostles have gone out to the woods to find a peaceful place to pray and feel close to Heavenly Father. Trees also bring peace and safety in this game. Depending on the size of your family, designate one or two members of the family to be trees. These trees will stand in place during this game of tag. One family member is chosen to be it. It begins to chase the rest of the family around the playing field. One person can wrap his arms around the tree to be safe and can’t be tagged while in this position. When a second person comes up to the tree and wraps his or her arms around the tree, the first person then just leave the safety of the tree and run back out to be chased again. If you are tagged by “It” when you aren’t safe hugging a tree, you are out of the game and need to watch from the sidelines until everyone but the trees has been tagged.
Treat: Edible Trees
Make a fun edible tree for family home evening. Begin with a pretzel rod. This is the trunk. Ten take green melting chocolate, melt it according to the package directions and paint it onto real mint leaves with a small clean paintbrush. Let the chocolate harden then peel away the leaves. Now you will have a chocolate leaf to put onto your tree. Make as many leaves you would like, assemble your tree on a plate, then eat and enjoy.
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