President Monson- Lesson 3

Thomas S. Monson- Lesson 3 Mission President
by: Deborah Pace Rowley

Object Lesson: The Rocky Road of Life
At the beginning of the lesson, lay a road down the middle of the family room. This can be made with long pieces of fabric, sheets, tablecloths, a roll of butcher paper, or even pieces of newspaper spread out end to end. Give each family member a piece of paper and have them design their own car to travel down this road When each person has drawn and colored their personalized car, cut them out and lay them at the beginning of the road. Then read this story told by President Monson. Ask the family to listen for what the road represents.

Story: Canadian Roads
In 1955, not long after I began my service as president of the Canadian Mission, headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, I met N. Eldon Tanner, a prominent Canadian who just months later would be called as an Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, then to the Quorum of the Twelve, and then as a counselor to four Presidents of the Church.
At the time I met him, President Tanner was president of the vast Trans-Canada Pipeline, LTC, and president of the Canada Calgary Stake. He was known as "Mr. Integrity" in Canada. During that first meeting, we discussed, among other subjects, the cold Canadian winters, where storms rage, temperatures can linger well below freezing for weeks at a time, and where icy winds lower those temperatures even further. I asked President Tanner why the roads and highways in western Canada basically remained intact during such winters, showing little or no signs off cracking or breaking, while the road surfaces in many areas where winters are less cold and less severe developed cracks and breaks and potholes.
Said he, "The answer is in the depth of the base of the paving materials. In order for them to remain strong and unbroken, it is necessary to go very deep with the foundation layers. When the foundations are not deep enough, the surfaces cannot withstand the extremes of weather."
Over the years I have thought often of this conversation and of President Tanner's explanation, for I recognize in his words a profound application for our lives. Stated simply, if we do not have a deep foundation of faith and a solid testimony of truth, we may have difficulty withstanding the harsh storms and icy winds of adversity which inevitably come to each of us. Mortality is a period of testing, a time to prove ourselves worthy to return to the presence of our Heaveny Father. In order for us to be tested, we must face challenges and difficulties. These can break us, and the surfaces of our souls may crack and rumble---that is, if our foundations, our testimonies of truth are not deeply embedded within us. (President Thomas S. Monson "How firm a Foundation", Ensign Nov 2006 pg. 62)

Activity: Bring on the Obstacles
Have the family share what the road represents. The road is life. According to President Monson, what else does our road of life need? The purpose of life is to test us, so our road needs obstacles and challenges. Send the family on a hunt for different obstacles to put on the road. Obstacles can be a stack of books on the road or a kitchen bowl to climb over or a stuffed animal to go around. Let the family be creative in creating their obstacles. Then have the family label some of the obstacles that they are facing in their own lives right now or the obstacles the family is facing. Write these challenges on small pieces of paper and tape these labels to the obstacles in the road.

President Monson told us what we need to make it past these obstacles. What do we need? We need a strong foundation of faith and testimony. Listen to the three things that President Monson says will help us build a strong foundation. Ask three different family members to read these quotes. As you finish each quote label one or two cars with the key ideas and have those family members drive their cars down the road and over the obstacles.
1. First fortify your foundation through prayer. As we pray, let us really communicate with our Father in Heaven. It is easy to let our prayers become repetitious, expressing words with little or no thought behind them. When we remember that each of us is literally a spirit son or daughter of God, we will not find it difficult to approach Him in prayer. He knows us. He loves us. He wants what is best for us. Let us pray with sincerity and meaning, offering our thanks and asking for those thing we feel we need. Let us listen for his answers, that we may recognize them when they come. Let us not neglect our family prayers. Such is an effective deterrent to sin, and thence a most beneficent provider of joy and happiness. That old saying is yet true: The family that prays together stays together." By providing an example of prayer to our children, we will also be helping them to begin their own deep foundations of faith and testimony which they will need throughout their lives."
2. My second guideline: Let us study the scriptures and meditate therein day and night as counseled by the Lord in the book of Joshua.
3. My third guideline for building a strong foundation of faith and testimony involves service. While driving to the office one morning, I passed a dry-cleaning establishment which had a sign in the window. It read, "It's the Service that counts." The sign's message simply would not leave my mind. Suddenly I realized why. In actual fact it is the service that counts-- the Lord's service.... Along your pathway in life you will observe that you are not the only traveler. There are others who need your help. There are feet to steady, hands to grasp, minds to encourage, hearts to inspire, and souls to save."
(President Thomas S. Monson, 'How Firm a Foundation," Ensign Nov 2006, pag 62)

Testimony: Share these statements with the family and then have each family member choose a statement that they want to bear testimony about.
Prayer helps us overcome the obstacles in life.
The scriptures help us in traveling the road of life.
Service to others really strengthens us.

Treat: Rocky Road Bars
For the treat, you will be building a road with many layers. As each layer is put on, remind the family about each layer that we need in our spiritual foundation.
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups vanilla wafer crumbs
14-ounce can of sweetened condensed milk
1 to 1/12 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 to 1 1/2 cups peanut butter chips
1 cup chopped nuts
Melt the butter and pour in to a clear 13x9 baking dish.
Sprinkle vanilla wafer crumbs over the butter. Pour condensed milk evenly over the crumbs. Layer the remaining ingredients evenly over the top. Press down gently. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Let cool, then cut into bars.

Thomas S. Monson Lesson 2- Bishop

Thomas S. Monson- Bishop

by: Deborah Pace Rowley

Story: 

President Monson was called to be a bishop of the Sixth-Seventh Ward in the Temple View Stake in Salt Lake City when he was just 23 years old. 

“It was a large ward, with 1,080 members, 84 of those being widows who needed a bishop’s attention. But Bishop Monson wasted no time being preoccupied with the load; he prayed and he went to work. Many church members have heard him tell personal accounts of ministering to the needs of those widows. Few know the full story. At Christmastime, he would visit each one of the widows, taking a welcome gift of food. For many years it was a dressed hen from his own poultry flock. In the beginning it took a week of his personal vacation time to make all the visits. Long after he was no longer their bishop, those widows looked forward to his yearly visits, knowing he could come. He continued visiting them in their declining years, and somewhat miraculously, has been able to speak at each of their funerals- all 84 of them! He still makes regular visits to local rest homes and convalescent centers, visiting with folks he met with “his” widows and other friends who were staying in those facilities.” 

Jeffry R. Holland, “President Thomas S. Monson: Always on the Lord’s Errand.” Liahona October 1986

Scripture Chase: 

President Monson faithfully follows the counsel of the Savior concerning the widows and fatherless. Divide the family into groups of two and scripture chase to see which pair can accomplish this task the fastest. 

**Find a scripture where Jesus teaches us how we should treat the widows and the fatherless. When each pair has found a relevant scripture, read and discuss them together. 

Testimony: 

Let the family choose from one of these two statements. Then go around the circle and let each person share their testimony or feelings about their statement. 

1. Serving those who are lonely and in need invites the Spirit and makes me feel great. 
2. President Monson is a great example of Christ-like service because of his loving concern for widows. 

Game: Gathering Grandmas

Preparation: Gather a dice and enough buttons of different colors for each member of the family. Print out the Grandmas below. You will need one page of Grandmas for each person playing the game. Cut out the grandmas. Print out the game board below and lay it out on a table. Put the Grandmas in the center of the table. 

Game Play: Roll the dice to see who will go first. The high roll begins then move in a clockwise manner around the table. Take turns rolling the dice and then moving your buttons that many numbers around the game board as you follow the instructions on the squares. When you land on a space that shows service or kindness, you can take a Grandma from the pile. If you land on a space that shows neglect or disrespect, you have to give a Grandma back. The winner is the person who arrives at the finish line with the greatest number of Grandmas. It doesn’t matter if this person arrived at the finish line first. 

The purpose of the game is to encourage our family to show love to all the elderly people in our wards and neighborhoods and find ways to include and serve them. We can have many adopted grandmas and grandpas. The more love we share, the more love we will get back and the happier and closer to Christ we will be. 

Treat: Old-Fashioned Taffy Pull

For this lesson you can enjoy an old-fashioned treat. Make taffy according the the recipe below and then gather the family around for an old-fashioned taffy pull. Many Grandmas and Grandpas enjoyed pulling taffy when they were young. 

Old-Fashioned Taffy

2 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups water

1 cup white corn syrup

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons glycerin (available in the Pharmacy section of most grocery stores)

2 Tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon vanilla. 

Mix sugar, water, corn syrup, salt and glycerin in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook until temperature is 258 degrees. Remove from the heat and add butter and vanilla, stirring until the butter is melted. Pour candy onto a buttered cookie sheet. Cool until lukewarm and the taffy can be handled comfortably. Divide the taffy into small pieces so that each family member can have some. Stretch and fold the taffy until it is a whitish color, then form it into a desired shape and place it on a piece of waxed paper. This recipe will make enough taffy for 10-14 people. 

Grandmas

Gathering Grandmas Board Game Page 1

Gathering Grandmas Board Game Page 2

Thomas S. Monson- Lesson 1

Thomas S. Monson- Lesson 1  Boyhood

by Deborah Pace Rowley

Note: This is the first lesson in a series of seven lessons about President Thomas S. Monson. They are from the book: Three Men They Need to Know.  

Activity: Building a Train

Print out the train pictures at the end of the lesson. Thanks for Melissa Depper for the cute train images.

http://melissa.depperfamily.net/docs/TrainCars.pdf

Begin family home evening by placing all the train pieces upside down on the table. Have each family member choose one piece of the train and read the story that goes with that letter. Each letter has to do with a different story from President Monson’s childhood. After you have read each story put the train together by spelling President Monson’s first name.  

T- Train for Christmas

In about my tenth year, as Christmas approached I yearned, as only a boy can yearn, for an electric train. My desire was not to receive the economical and everywhere-to-be-found windup train, but rather one that operated through the miracle of electricity. 

The times were those of the economic depression, yet Mother and Dad, through some sacrifice, presented to me on Christmas morning a beautiful electric train. For hours I operated the transformer, watching the engine first pull its cars forward, then push them backward around the track. 

Mother entered the living room and told me that she had purchased a windup train for Widow Hansen’s boy Mark, who lived down the lane. I asked if I could see it. The engine was short and blocky, not long and sleek like the expensive one I had received. 

However, I did take notice of the oil tanker that was part of his inexpensive set. My train had no such car, and I began to feel pangs of envy. I put up such a fuss that Mother succumbed to my pleadings and handed me the oil tanker and said, “If you need it more than Mark, you take it.” I put it with my grain set and felt pleased with the result. 

Mother and I took the remaining cars and the engine to the Hansen’s. Mark was a year or two older than I, but he had never anticipated such a gift and was thrilled beyond words. He wound up his engine, and was overjoyed as the engine, two cars, and the caboose went around the track.

Then Mother glanced at me and wisely asked, “What do you think of Mark’s train, Tommy?” I felt a keen sense of guilt as I became very much aware of my selfishness. I said to Mother, “Wait, just a minute, I’ll be right back.” 

As swiftly as my legs could carry me, I ran home, picked up the oil tanker plus another car of my own, ran back down the lane to the Hansen home and said joyfully to Mark, ‘We forgot to bring two cars that should go with your train!” 

Mark excitedly coupled the two cars to his set. I watched the engine make its labored way around the track, and as I did, I felt a joy difficult to describe and impossible to forget. 

Thomas S. Monson, “Mark’s Train”  Friend Magazine October 1977, pg.17

H-Homing Pigeons

When young Tom Monson was president of the teacher’s quorum in his ward, he was thrilled when the quorum adviser inquired about his interest in raising birds. The adviser then asked, “How would you like me to give you a pair of purebred Birmingham Roller pigeons?” The female of the pair was special, the adviser explained. She had only one eye, the other eye had been damaged by a car. On his adviser’s instructions, Tom kept them in his own pigeon loft for about 10 days,t hen let them fly free to see if they would return. The male came back, but the female flew away-- back to the adviser’s home. When Tom went to retrieve her, the adviser talked with him about a boy in his quorum who was not active. Tom replied, “I’ll have him at quorum meeting this week.” He took the pigeon home, but the next time he released the pair, she flew once again to the adviser’s home. When Tom retrieved the pigeon this time, the adviser talked about another boy who had not been coming to quorum meetings. Each time the pigeon was released, she returned to the adviser’s home, and each time Tom went to retrieve her, there would be a conversation about another boy. 

“I was a grown man,” President Monson recalls, “before I fully realized that, indeed, Harold, my adviser, had given me a special pigeon, the only bird in his loft he knew would return every time she was released. It was his inspired way of having an ideal personal priesthood interview with the teacher’s quorum president every two weeks. Because of those interviews and that old one-eyed pigeon, every boy in that teacher’s quorum became active.” 

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, “President Thomas S. Monson: In the Footsteps of the Master” Ensign, June 2008

O-On the River

One warm summer afternoon when I was about 12, I took a large, inflated inner tube from a tractor tire, slung it over my shoulder, and walked barefoot up the railroad track which followed the course of the river. I entered the water about a mile above the swimming hole and enjoyed a leisurely float down the river. 

I was about to enter the swiftest portion of the river, just at the head of the swimming hole, when I heard frantic cries, “Save her! Save her!” I saw the top of her head disappearing under the water for the third time, there to descent to a watery grave. I stretched forth my hand, grasped her hair, and lifted her over the side of the tube and into my arms. At the pool’s lower end, the water was slower as I paddled the tube, with my precious cargo, to her waiting relatives and friends. 

They threw their arms around her and kissed her. Then they hugged and kissed me. I was embarrassed and quickly returned to the tube and continued my float down to the Vivian Park Bridge. The water was frigid, but I was not cold, for I was filled with a warm feeling. I realized that I had participated in the saving of a life. Heavenly Father had heard the cries, “Save her! Save her!” and permitted me, a deacon, to float by at precisely the time I was needed. That day I learned that the sweetest feeling in mortality is to realize that god, our Heavenly Father, knows each one of us and generously permits us to see and to share His divine power to save. 

President Thomas S. Monson, “Save Her! Save Her!” New Era, May 1997

M-Mother’s Example

President Monson grew upon the west side of Salt Lake City in an area not known for affluent or influential families, but he was surrounded there by charitable and hard-working men and women, particularly in his own home. His family lived not far from the railroad tracks, and their home was familiar to many of the transients who traveled the rails during the Great Depression of the 1930s. When these travelers--some only young men in their teens--knocked at the Monson back door, the family knew that Gladys Monson would invite them to sit at the kitchen table while she prepared a sandwich and poured a glass of milk to go with it. At other times it was young Tommy’s task to carry plates of hot food prepared by his mother to a lonely neighbor, “Old Bob” who lived in a house provided for him by Tom’s grandfather. The Monson neighborhood was filled with such recipients of Christian charity. 

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, “President Thomas S. Monson: In the Footsteps of the Master” Ensign, June 2008  

A-Actions in Primary

During my Trekker year (a class for 10 year olds) I remember that our deportment in Primary was not always as it should be. I had a lot of energy and found it difficult to sit patiently in a class. Melissa Georgell was our ward Primary President. One day she asked me if I would visit with her. We sat on the front row of the benches int he chapel, and she began to cry. She then told me that she was sad because the boys in particular did not behave during Primary opening exercises. Innocently, I asked, “May I hep, Sister Georgell?” With a smile on her face and a twinkle in her eye, she responded, “Would you?” I told her I would. The Primary’s disciplinary problems ceased that moment. 

Quoted by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, “President Thomas S. Monson: In the Footsteps of the Master” Ensign June 2008

S- Sports

As a boy, I played team softball in elementary and junior high school. Two captains were chosen, and then they, in turn, selected the players they desired on their teams. To be selected fourth or fifth was not too bad, but to be chosen last and relegated to a remote position in the outfield was downright awful. I know. I was there. 

How I hoped that the ball would never be hit in my direction, for surely I would drop it, runners would score, and teammates would laugh. 

As though it were just yesterday, I remember the moment when all that changed in my life. The game started out as I have described: I was chosen last. I made my sorrowful way to the deep pocket of right field and watched as the other team filled the bases with runners. Two batters then went down on strikes. Suddenly, the next batter hit a mighty drive. The ball was coming in my direction. Was it beyond my reach? I raced for the spot where I thought the ball would drop, uttered a silent prayer as I ran, and stretched forth my cupped hands. I surprised myself. I caught the ball! My team won the game! This on experience bolstered my confidence, inspired my desire to practice, and led me from that last-to-be-chosen place to become a real contributor to the team. 

Thomas S. Monson, “Called to Serve” New Era, May 2008 pg. 2

 Discussion: 

After you have shared all the stories, discuss them as a family. What did President Monson learn, as a young boy, which has helped him as a prophet? What qualities did he have in his youth that we can emulate? 

Testimony: 

Let each family member choose one of these statements to share their feelings about. 

1. President Monson was prepared when he was young to become the prophet. 
2. Children can be great examples. We need to become more like little children to enter the kingdom of God. 

Game: Train Tag

Play a game of train tag outside as a family. One person is “It”. He runs around and tries to tag family members in a certain designated area. If anyone is tagged, they must grab hold of “It’s” waist and become part of his train. The two of them then race around to tag more players. Anyone tagged must link up and become part of the train. When only one person is left to be tagged, that person becomes “It.” The train immediately breaks up and scatters as the game start again. 

Treat: Candy Trains

Provide some candy for the family to make candy trains. Use a candy bar for the body and half a peanut butter cup for the cow catcher in front. A tootsie roll and some mini marshmallows on a toothpick make a great smoke stack. Life savers make great wheels and frosting sticks the whole thing together. Remember how much joy President Monson had sharing his Christmas train with someone else. Perhaps you would like to make an extra candy train to share with someone in your ward or neighborhood. You could include the message, “We choo-choose you to be our friend!”

Building a Train- Thomas Train 1

Thomas Train 2

Joseph Smith Lesson 7: Service Project

Joseph Smith Service Project

By: Deborah Pace Rowley

Plan to spend this family home evening in a service project in honor of the Prophet Joseph Smith. Choose one of the ideas below or create your own project patterned after the service Joseph Smith performed in his life.

·         Go to the temple to do baptisms for the dead as a family.

·         Go to a family history library and learn more about genealogy.

·         Write your testimony in several Book of Mormons and send them to a missionary.

·         Give a Book of Mormon to a nonmember that you know.

·         Take a pass-along card or a church video to a nonmember neighbor with a plate of cookies.

·         Invite a nonmember or part-member family over to share family night with you.

·         Visit the gravesites of several deceased relatives. Tell stories about these ancestors, clean up around the area if needed, and leave flowers at the grave. 
*Prepare care packages for missionaries serving from your ward. 

Joseph Smith Lesson 6-Martyrdom

Joseph Smith: Martyrdom

By: Deborah Pace Rowley

Game: Emotions

This lesson is about the day that Joseph Smith died. It was a very sad day for his family and for the early Saints. They must have felt many different emotions, from anger to loneliness to fear and discouragement. This game will illustrate all the different emotions we feel. Copy and cut out the emotions cards below. To play, one member of the family will draw an emotion card. Then they will stand in front of the family and try to display that emotion on his or her face while everyone else guesses. When the correct emotion is chosen, another member of the family draws a card. Continue to play until all the cards are gone.

Liken the Scriptures: The Death of the Prophet

John Taylor was with Joseph Smith when he died in Carthage Jail and he recorded the events and some of the emotions that Joseph felt. Joseph and Hyrum had been falsely accused and ordered by wicked men to turn themselves in at Carthage Jail. The two brothers went willingly even though they knew that they were innocent and had been told by Holy Ghost that they wouldn’t come home alive. Read Doctrine Section 135 verses 4-5. How did Joseph feel? How would you have felt if you had been in Joseph’s place? Now read what happened at Carthage Jail in Section 135 verses 1 and 2. How do you think Joseph felt before his death? Why did Joseph feel so calm and peaceful? Imagine you lived in Nauvoo on the day that the messenger raced into town on a horse with the message that Joseph Smith had been killed. How would you feel if you thought that this meant the evil men had won and the church was now going to be destroyed? How would you feel if you knew that this was part of God’s plan and that the church would be strengthened because Joseph sealed his testimony with his blood?

Role Play: Reaction

Losing someone to death and other difficult experiences we will face in this life will not be so hard for us if we have an eternal perspective. Have the family show the emotions they would be feelings on their faces if they experienced these situations below. How would you feel if a family member died and you thought you would never see them again? How would you feel if a family member died and you knew you had been sealed and would be with them forever in the next life?
How would you feel if you were very sick and you felt like there was no reason for your suffering? How would you feel if you were very sick and you knew that there was a purpose because God was using this experience to help you become more like Him? How would you feel if you were a spirit in heaven greeting the Prophet Joseph after his death? How would you feel if you were Joseph and Hyrum entering heaven?

Joseph’s death was part of Heavenly Father’s plan. It was not the end of Joseph Smith or the end of God’s church. Read Doctrine and Covenants Section 135:6.

Activity: Quote Hunt

Joseph Smith was one of the greatest men to have ever lived. In just forty-four years he accomplished more than any other man accomplished in a lifetime. For this last activity, have the family find several quotes about Joseph and his life. Copy and cut apart the quotes at the end of this lesson. Prepare ahead by hiding the quotes in the following places.

Obscure Boy- in the refrigerator

Has done more- Under the kitchen table

I have learned for myself- Under the couch cushions

During family home evening help the family find the quotes about Joseph Smith that are hidden around the room by giving them the following clues.

Clue #1

In a place that stores things you’ll find this first clue.

 It isn’t your closet, inside of your shoes.

It isn’t the cupboards, where plates like to hide.

It isn’t the pantry, where snacks can be tried.

It isn’t the shed, where tools can be found.

It’s in the cold place, where food does abound.

When the family has found this clue, lay it out for everyone to see. Read it aloud and have the family discuss it. Why does Joseph say he was an obscure boy? What does obscure mean? Was he obscure because he was so poor and lived in such a small backwoods town? Maybe he felt that he was obscure because he didn’t have a fancy education and he didn’t know any important people. Do you feel obscure some time? After discussing this quote, have the family look for the second quote using this clue.

Clue #2

This place gathers people who like what is there.

It isn’t the office with Dad’s comfy chair.

It isn’t the bedroom with beds to sleep in.

It isn’t the play room with games to begin.

It isn’t the room with the Wii or T.V.

So where could this place possibly be?
It’s a place that we sit three times a day

So we don’t get hungry or faint dead away.

When the family has found the second quote, read and discuss it together. John Taylor wrote this statement about Joseph Smith just after he was killed in the Carthage Jail. How did Joseph go from being an obscure boy to making such an enormous difference in the world? The answer to that question is found in the final quote.  Have the family look for quote #3 with the following clue:

Clue #3

This last place is tricky so listen with care.

Goldilocks didn’t see this hanging out at the Bears.

She never did break it or try it for good.

Baby Bear would’ve loved it if only she would.

It’s a safe place to be unless you’re a cat

And shed your long hair where Mother just sat.

It’s covered with fabric and soft as can be.

You’ll find its just right for our big family.

When you have found the last clue, lay it between Quote #1 and Quote #2. Joseph said this phrase to his mother just after his experience in the Sacred Grove. Joseph had learned for himself about God the Father and the Son Jesus Christ.  He had gained his own knowledge and testimony of truth. This is the reason he was able to go from being an obscure boy to one who accomplished a great mission on this earth. Finding out the truth for himself and gaining his own testimony was necessary for his success. The same is true for each of us. We will be successful, accomplish our mission on this earth, and make a difference in the world if we can follow Joseph’s example and learn the truth for ourselves and learn to receive our own revelation.

Testimony:

Share your testimony and feelings about the Prophet Joseph Smith with your family. Express your knowledge that death isn’t the end and that we will continue to live after we die. 

Treat: Smiley Face Cookies

Make sugar cookies for family home evening then provide frosting and  other things so that family members can decorate the cookies with big smiley faces. Small tubes of decorator’s frosting, pieces of string licorice, mini M&M’s or other small candies make a great choice. As the family is decorating remind them that we can be happy if we keep an eternal perspective about life and death. 

Emotions Cards

Quote Hunt

Joseph Smith Lesson 5 - Temples

Joseph Smith: Temples

By: Deborah Pace Rowley

Activity: Penny Hunt

Prepare ahead by getting one dollar’s worth of pennies. Hide these pennies around the family room before family home evening. When FHE begins tell the family that you are going to imagine that you lived back in Joseph Smith’s time and God had commanded the Saints to build a temple. All the members of the church were very poor and each family sacrificed scraping together every cent they could to help build the temple. It took the Saints three years to build the Kirtland Temple. Do you think it would have been hard to go without things you wanted to help build the temple? How would you feel when the temple was finished? Tell the family that there are 100 pennies hidden around the room. At the signal, the family can rush around trying to find all 100 pennies. When you have found and counted them all, put them in a jar that you have labeled temple fund. Ask the family what other kinds of things pioneer children could have done to earn money for the temple. Could they earn extra money by raising chickens and selling the eggs? Could they plant a garden and sell their vegetables? Could they raise a sheep and sell the wool or a cow and sell the milk? Fathers worked hard on the temple. They would spend 1 day in every 10 days working on the temple .This was like paying tithing with work instead of money. Mothers worked hard too. They would sew clothes for the men working on the temple because their clothes wore out. They donated their beautiful china plates which were crushed and put in the mortar on the outside of the temple this made the temple shine in the sun. Young and old sacrificed to earn money for the temple.

Activity: Chore Challenge

How do children earn money today? They could have a lemonade stand, babysit younger brothers or sisters or do extra chores around the house. Explain that the family is going to play a game called “Chore Challenge” to earn money for the temple fund. Divide the family into two teams. Give each team a list of three or four chores to do around the house. Divide the chores evenly so that they will take approximately the same amount of time to complete. Create the lists based on things that need to be done. Here are some ideas: fold and put away clothes, wash the car, weed the garden, vacuum the stairs, clean out he junk drawer, clean out the car, organize the hall closet, wash the windows in the kitchen, dust the ceiling fans etc. At the signal, both teams runs around to complete all the things on their list as quickly as they can. The first team that is finished earns $5 for the temple fun (or some lesser or greater amount based on your family budget.) The other team earns $3 for the temple fund. Put the money in th e jar and remember to take it to the Bishop on Sunday. Fill out the donation slip by writing the words Temple Fund in the Other Category at the bottom.

 Liken the Scriptures:

When the Kirtland Temple was finished, Joseph Smith dedicated it. The prayer that he said at the dedication is in Doctrine and Covenants Section 11. Read verses 12-23. See if the family members can find all the blessings promised to members of the church who enter the temple. The early Saints had many spiritual experiences during this dedication. Many saw angels. Others said that the temple looked like it was burning on the outside because of the glory of the Lord that shone upon it. The Spirit filled the temple like a mighty, rushing wind, and many people spoke in tongues and began to prophesy. Three days after the Dedication , the Savior appeared to Joseph Smith and  Oliver Cowdry in the Kirtland Temple. This visit is described in Doctrine and Covenants Section 110. Read verses 1 to 10. Did these experiences make the Saints’ sacrifice for three years worth it?

Testimony:

Have family members share their feelings about the temple. Today we don’t generally sacrifice money to build temples other than our tithing money which is spent on temples. But we do need to sacrifice our time to go to the temple often. Express your testimony that the blessings of the temple are worth any sacrifice.

Game: Penny Toss

Place a plate on the floor in front of each family member. This is the temple fund. Give each player 15 or 20 pennies. The goal of the game is to get as many pennies on the plate as possible. Have the youngest members of the family stand closet to their plate while older members have to stand further back to equalize the challenge. The one with the most pennies on the plate after all the pennies have been tossed is the winner.

Treat: Lucky Penny

Bake a cake for family home evening, mixing a clean penny in the batter before putting the cake in the oven. You may wish to wrap the penny in tinfoil first. Bake the cake and then frost it. The tradition is that the person who finds the penny as they are eating the cake will be lucky for a year. Usually this was done on Christmas or for a child’s birthday. This may have even been a tradition that the early members of the church participated in during Joseph Smith’s day. 

Joseph Smith Lesson 4 - Restoration of the True Church

Joseph Smith: Restoration of the True Church

By: Deborah Pace Rowley

Object Lesson: Magic Banana

Prepare ahead for this object lesson by getting a banana and a small needle at least as long as the diameter of the banana. Poke the needle into the banana along a seam and push it far enough to reach to the other side but don’t push it through. Without rupturing the entry point, move the needle back and forth creating a clean slice inside the banana. When you are satisfied that the banana has been cut all the way through, remove the needle and move down a ½ inch along the seam and do this again. Make enough slices so that your whole family can have a piece using this method. During family home evening show the family the banana and tell them that this banana has already been sliced so each person can have a piece. They won’t believe you. Let them examine the banana. Then peel the banana to reveal the slices and pass them out to the family. How did this magic happen? It should have been impossible. Show the family the trick that you have used to cut the banana. The needle made this impossible thing possible. Tell the family that Joseph Smith restored something to the earth like the needle. It made many impossible things possible. Challenge the family to guess what this one thing is in the next activity.

Activity: Take Away Truth

Copy the words strips below and cut them apart. Lay out the word strips for the family so they can see them. Tell the family that without this one thing there wouldn’t be temples. There wouldn’t be Bishops and Prophets etc. Continue to take away each word strip, one at a time. Save Eternal Families and the Earth as the last two things you remove. See if the family can guess what this one essential thing is. The one thing that is necessary for all the other things is the priesthood. Without the priesthood, the church wouldn’t exist. It would be impossible to be baptized or confirmed. Missionaries couldn’t teach. It would be impossible for families to be sealed together forever. We are resurrected after we die by the power of the priesthood. Even the earth was created by the power of the priesthood. Without the priesthood none of these things would be possible. The Priesthood is the power of God on earth. Men who hold the priesthood have the power to act in God’s name. Because God restored the priesthood to the earth through Joseph Smith we have all these blessings.

Liken the Scriptures:

Read Joseph’s account of the restoration of the Aaronic Priesthood found in Joseph Smith History 1: 68-73. Point out to the family that the restoration of the priesthood came after Joseph asked about baptism. This is often how Heavenly Father reveals things, line upon line, as we come seeking more light and knowledge. He didn’t hand Joseph everything all at once without work and preparation on Joseph’s part. This is true in our lives also.

Game: Restoration Categories

Prepare ahead by writing these letters of the alphabet on small pieces of paper and placing them in a bowl: B, C, D, E, F, G, H, L, M N, P, S, T. To play the game, you will need a piece of paper, a pencil and a timer. Have one family member draw a letter out of the bowl without looking. Place the letter on the table so everyone can see it. When you say Go, begin to time the family for 60 seconds. The family then calls out all the things that they can think of that Joseph Smith taught or restored to the earth that starts with that letter. One member of the family writes them all down. For example for the letter B you could write down Baptism, Bishops, bread for the sacrament, Book of Mormon, and Blessing. For D you could write down Doctrine and Covenants, Degrees of Glory, baptisms for the Dead, divine nature of man, discernment, dedication  of buildings, and the devil. If you are really stumped on one letter, you could have someone flip to the topic guide or index in the scriptures for ideas. Play with as many letters as you would like. Try to beat your record for the most words in one minute. When you have finished, count the total of all the words that you came up with. Isn’t it amazing to think of all the things that we know and understand because of Joseph Smith?

Testimony:

Express your testimony that Joseph Smith restored the true church of Jesus Christ to the earth with the priesthood power and all the principles and ordinances necessary for salvation. Have family members share what the gospel and the priesthood means to them.

Treat: Banana Cream Pie

Use some of the magic bananas to make a simple banana cream pie. Layer sliced bananas on the bottom and sides of the prepared pie crust. Family members could help cut the bananas with the needle if they want to try this magic trick. Remind them that the priesthood is a true miracle because it makes impossible things possible. Mix up instant banana pudding and spoon over bananas. Top with whipped cream.

Print the Take Away Truth Strips HERE