It had been three years since God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, appeared to Joseph Smith in the grove, but Joseph hadn’t received any additional revelations since then. He began to wonder about his standing before the Lord. Like all of us, he had made mistakes, and he felt condemned by them.
Read with the children Joseph Smith—History 1:29. How did Joseph Smith feel about his mistakes? What did he do about them? What can we learn from Joseph’s example that can help us when we make mistakes? Ask the children how it makes them feel to know that Joseph was called by God even though he was not perfect.
You could ask a family member to read aloud part or all of Moroni’s message from Joseph Smith—History 1:33–42 four times (because Moroni repeated this message four times). Between each reading, ask the other family members to share what they remember from his message, without looking at the scriptures. Why might the Lord repeat important messages several times? What are some other ways the Lord teaches us through repetition?
(Another option would be to have some items covered on a tray that are related to Moroni’s message. Uncover the tray for a short time and then recover it. See if the children can remember what was on the tray. Do this three more times and see if they remember more each time. Afterwards, use the items on the tray to teach about the words Moroni spoke.)
Read Joseph Smith—History 1:33 aloud, and ask the children to stand when they hear the phrase “God had a work for me to do.” What did God want Joseph to do? What does He ask us to do? Let the children draw pictures of things God wants them to do, such as praying, serving, or reading the scriptures.
Display a picture of Moroni visiting Joseph Smith (see Gospel Art Book, no. 91). Ask the children to point out things they notice in the picture. Summarize the account of Moroni’s visits to Joseph. Invite the children to pretend to be Joseph Smith at various points in the story by folding their arms like they are praying, pretending to climb the Hill Cumorah, and so on.
Invite the children to act out or draw pictures of events from Joseph Smith—History 1:30–54, such as Moroni appearing to Joseph, Joseph talking to his father, and Joseph finding the plates. What do we learn from this account about the work Joseph was called to do?
Read with the children Joseph Smith—History 1:33–35, and ask them to listen for what Moroni wanted Joseph to know about the work Joseph was called to do. How have we been blessed because Joseph Smith fulfilled his work as translator of the Book of Mormon? Invite the children to read the Book of Mormon regularly.
Friend December 1988 “Do You Know” Joseph is visited by Moroni. Story and question.
On the way home Joseph passed out. When he came to, Moroni was there calling his name. The angel repeated what he’d told Joseph the night before; he also told Joseph to do something then. What did Moroni tell Joseph to do? Do you know?
A. Joseph was to tell his father everything that Moroni had told him.
B. Joseph was to go home to bed until he felt strong enough to work with his father again.
C. Joseph was to go immediately to where the gold plates were hidden and dig them up.
D. Joseph was to get his five brothers to help him get the gold plates and translate them.
Ask the children to read or listen to the prophecy in Doctrine and Covenants 2:1. Ask them to look for who the Lord would send in the last days and what this person would reveal. Display a picture of Elijah in the Kirtland Temple (see Gospel Art Book, no. 95), and talk about how this prophecy was fulfilled 13 years after Moroni’s visit (see Doctrine and Covenants 110:13–15).
Explain that Elijah restored priesthood keys that allow families to be sealed together eternally. Show some objects that could help the children understand what it means to seal something, such as a can of food or a plastic storage bag with a zipper lock. How do these objects help us understand what it means for a family to be sealed?
Display a picture of a temple, and help the children name some of the things we do in temples. Explain that baptisms for the dead, eternal marriage, and sealing families in the temple are all possible because of the priesthood keys Elijah restored.
Ask the children to tell you something they love about their families. Display a picture of a family next to a temple—your own family, if possible (or see Gospel Art Book,no. 120). Testify that Heavenly Father wants families to be together forever, and this is one reason He gave us temples.
Friend April 2020 “Alonso’s Forever Family” Alonso learned that because of Jesus’s resurrection people who have died will live again. He also learned about being sealed to his family. His parents had both died and he was living with his grandma. He couldn’t wait to go to the temple and be sealed to his parents. He saved any money he got so he and his grandma could make the trip to the temple. He was so grateful that families can be together forever
How have you felt your heart turn toward your ancestors? Think of ways you can experience such feelings more often. Perhaps you could ask a relative to share a story with you about one of your ancestors—even better, you could record it. Or you could invite [a family member] to learn about an ancestor and to share what they learn with the rest of the family. Maybe you could identify a deceased ancestor who never received gospel ordinances and then have a family member perform that work in the temple.
Why does the Lord want us to learn about our family members and perform temple ordinances for them? How are we blessed when we participate in family history and temple work?
To help your children understand the “promises made to the fathers,” you could read Abraham 2:9–11 together. Identify the promises God made as part of His covenant with Abraham. How do we “plant” these promises in our hearts?
Give each child a paper heart. Help them write their name and “I promise to remember my ancestors” on it. Read Doctrine and Covenants 2:2, and explain that Elijah came to turn our hearts to our ancestors.
Joseph Fielding Smith— “Every important event in our lives should be placed in a record, by us individually. … If you have accomplished something worth while during the day, put it down; it may be of use to posterity.” (Doctrines of Salvation, 2:204.)
Spencer W. Kimball— “Your story should be written now while it is fresh and while the true details are available. …
“Write [about] your goings and your comings, your deeper thoughts, your achievements and your failures, your associations and your triumphs, your impressions and your testimonies. …
“Those who keep a personal journal are more likely to keep the Lord in remembrance in their daily lives.”
(President Kimball Speaks Out, pages 57, 59.)
Friend September 2019 “The Story of Grammy Rose” Tamika’s grandmother wrote down her great-great grandmother’s story of escape from slavery in her journal. If she hadn’t written down the story, Tamika and other family members wouldn’t know about her amazing story.
Friend January 2022 “Papa’s Journals” Allen loves reading the stories in his dad’s journals. He wants to write a journal too so his kids can read them someday.
If the children you teach keep a journal, ask them to talk about the kinds of things they write about in their journal. The children might enjoy hearing a story from your childhood journal or the journal of an ancestor.
Show the children examples of ways they could keep a regular history of their lives. For example, they can write in a book, collect pictures in a scrapbook, type on a computer, or make audio or video recordings. Help the children make a list of things that would be good to include in their personal histories, such as their testimony of Jesus Christ. Invite the children to make a sign or poster to take home with some of these ideas to remind them to record their personal histories.
How can you encourage your family to record their personal histories throughout the week? You could share some entries from your personal journal or share a story about an ancestor (see FamilySearch.org). Some families set aside a few minutes each week for everyone to write in their journals. You might provide some journal prompts, like “What happened this week that you would like your grandchildren to know about?” or “How did you see the Lord’s hand in your life this week?” Young children could draw pictures of their experiences, or you could record them telling their stories. What blessings come from keeping a “regular history”? (verse 1).
“We keep records to help us remember. … We desire to help Church members remember the great things God has done for His children. … Lessons from the past help us cope with our present and give us hope for our future” (“There Shall Be a Record Kept among You,” Ensign, Dec. 2007, 28, 33).
Activity Idea: Put the following into a jar and choose one to write about each week.
Friend May 2021 “Making Memories” Think of a person who is special to you. Draw a picture of your favorite memory with them. Think of someone you want to make more memories with and write what you will do.
Friend May 2021 “For Older Kids” Make a list of your talents! You could ask your friends and family for ideas too. Do you know any family members or ancestors who share the same talents as you?
Read 3 Nephi 23:6–13 If the Savior were to examine the records our family has kept, what questions might He ask us? Are there any important events or spiritual experiences that we should record? Now might be a good time to create or add to a family record and counsel together about what to include. Younger family members might enjoy decorating your record with photographs or drawings. Why is it important to record our family’s spiritual experiences?Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families: Book of Mormon 2020 ” 3 Nephi 20–26: Ye Are the Children of the Covenant”
Ways to Do a Journal
Ensign June 2017 Make a Goal to Keep a Journal (Link includes a story about why to keep a journal)
Do you want to keep a journal but don’t know where to start? Consider one or more of the following ways to document your life and testimony: Keep a traditional written journal.
Keep a gratitude journal.
Use a journal app.
Make a photo journal, complete with captions.
Keep an audio journal with a digital recorder.
Use your social media account to document your experiences.
Friend December 2016 “Not So Great Sixth Grade Year” Writing in a journal helps a girl deal with the difficulties of moving and going to a new school. (Includes some ideas of what to write in a journal.)
Friend September 2019 “Family History, Step by Step” Mei finds a photo of her great-great grandmother and learns more about her. Then she and her mom put the information she had learned onto familysearch.org. Finally, Mei went to the temple as was baptized for her.
Family History Stories Strengthens Descendants
Friend June 2022 “No Place Like Home” Sister Wright tells of her family history and how they lived at the base of the mountain Ben Lomond. Her grandmother would say that as long as they could see the mountain they were home. She also said it reminder her to be strong, brave, and faithful like her grandmother.
Friend September 2018 “Just Like Grandpa” William’s dad received a calling to preside over the sign language branch. William is sad he will have to leave his friends, but his mom helps him by telling him a story about his great grandfather Turner who sacrificed to obey the Lord.
Friend July 2018 “Detective Danny Does It Again!” Detective Danny solves mysteries, but when he runs out of mysteries his father suggests he solve family history mysteries. Detective Danny was on the case. He looked for clues in family journals, he searched online for old records and pictures, and he found missing family members on the family tree.
Family History Calling
Friend February 2023 “Marco’s New Calling” Marco had just moved from Primary to Young Men’s and the bishop extended a calling to him to serve as a family history consultant. He received some training and then worked on his own family history and got some names prepared to take to the temple for baptisms, including a much loved aunt who had died. He was excited to help others with their family history. He shared his testimony of family history at a Church activity, and he invited other youth in their ward to come with his family on their temple trip.
Love of Family History
Friend May 2018 “Spirit of Eliza” Eliza is asked to give a talk about family history. Her love of family history helps her with the anxiety she feels about talking, and she is able to share about the importance of family history.
Friend February 2018 “Family History Fun” Experiences of Cole, who loves doing family history.
Friend October 2017 “Finding Lydia” Lydia isn’t excited to be graduating from Primary and going to Young Women’s, but she becomes more excited when her mother finds some family names for her to do baptisms for in the temple, and one is named Lydia.
Friend November 2021 “Family History Blessings” Antonella got a Family Search account when she was baptized. She’s learned more about her family and loves her family even more now. She also wants to help others unite their families for eternity.
Fun with Family History
Friend May 2020 “Family History Party” A family has a family history party where they play Family Tree Trivia, The Great Index Race, and Family History Story Time.
Friend February 2017 “The Treasure Box” Some children are excited to see what is in their father’s treasure box. At family home evening they discover it is filled with personal history items.
Friend November 2016 “The Great Family History Mystery” A family searches for the gravestone of a great grandfather.
Names to Temple
Friend October 2019 “The Temple Challenge” Sister Jones, the general primary president, challenges a 12 year old boy to find a family name to take to the temple. He later writes to her letter telling of his success and of his opportunity to be baptized in the temple for his 3rd great grandfather and how that felt. He also tells her of his desire to do more.
Friend October 2016 ” My Family Tree” A seven year old takes the stake challenge to find five names of ancestors who need temple work.
Friend July 2015 “Temple Time” Boy helps his with family history on computer so parents can do the family members work at temple.
Family Search
Friend October 2018 “As soon as I was baptized, my mom helped me log on to FamilySearch, and we discovered that I am related to the first president of the Philippines! During sharing time at school, I shared this discovery. My teacher was amazed how I was able to know that.Sharmaine S., age 8, Cavite, Philippines”
Photos of Family
Friend January 1987 Jessica wants a tin type (photo) of her family, especially of her grandfather who is dying.
Family Trees
Friend October 2017 “Ashlyn’s Family Tree” Ashlyn is excited to learn where family members go on her family tree that she got in Primary. She adds her siblings to make her family that she loves complete.
Friend November 2021 “Tell Me an Adventure” At bedtime, Sam wanted to hear a story about when his mom was little. She told him about making pretend towns with her siblings.
Remembering Family
Sharing Stories about Family
Friend August 2023 “The Family Story Activity” The children in Lorrain’s primary were learning about their family history so they could share the stories at a Primary activity. Lorrain learned about being named after her great grandmother and about her father traveling to the temple to be sealed to his family when he was six. Before the Primary activity they heard some exciting news. A temple would be built in on their island!
Friend January 2021 “Family Story Time” María loves to learn about her family! Every night Mamá tells her a family story. “Find It”: María and her brother are giving a home evening lesson about their family history. Find the listed items in the picture.
Friend November 2021 “Helaman Wonders” Helaman wondered what kinds of games people played outside long time ago. He sent his grandparents emails to find out what their favorite things were to do outside when they were kids. Helaman kept wondering. Every time he wondered, he asked his grandparents a question. And he learned a lot about them! His father suggested they put the stories on family search.
Remembering & Learning about Family Members Who Have Died
Share Stories About Them
Friend January 2021 “Missing Grandma and Grandpa” Zoe’s grandparents had died before she was born. Everyone in the family had memories of them but her. She was sad she had never met them. Her father decides to have a family lesson to help her get to know them better. After the lesson her parents gave her a picture of her grandparents to help her feel closer to them. She was excited to meet them someday.
Friend February 2024 “A Happy Lunar New Year” Claire and her family celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year. Not only is it a time to enjoy the fun holiday traditions, it is also a time to spend with family, so they put family member pictures on the table and called Claire’s grandma and grandpa. They also learned stories about family members who have died.
Family History Service
Friend August 2021 “Meet Porter from Poland” Porter likes to help out at home and school. Porter also helps out by participating in the BillionGraves project. He and his family take photos of headstones at a cemetery and then upload them so people can find information on their Polish ancestors.
Tell the children about someone you know who has died. Explain that when people die, their spirits leave their bodies and go to the spirit world. Read 1 Peter 3:19 and explain that when Jesus died, he went to visit the spirit world. There, He asked the righteous spirits to teach the gospel to other spirits who had not yet accepted the gospel (see Doctrine and Covenants 138:30).(Come, Follow Me—For Primary: New Testament 2023 “1 and 2 Peter”)
Draw on the board a circle with a line through the middle. Write Spirit Paradise on one half of the circle and Spirit Prison on the other half. Invite one of the children to read 1 Peter 3:18–20; 4:6 (see 1 Peter 4:6, footnote a, for revisions from the Joseph Smith Translation). Explain that when Jesus died, He went to spirit paradise. He instructed the righteous spirits there to teach the gospel to the spirits in spirit prison. (Come, Follow Me—For Primary: New Testament 2023 “1 and 2 Peter”)
President Joseph Fielding Smith: “[The Father] is going to give to every man the privilege of hearing the gospel. Not one soul shall be overlooked or forgotten. This being true, what about the countless thousands who have died and never heard of Christ, never had an opportunity of repentance, never met an elder of the Church holding the authority?…The Lord has so arranged his plan…that all who have died without this opportunity shall be given it in the spirit world.”
Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families: New Testament 2023 “1 and 2 Peter” What can your family do to feel connected to your ancestors? Perhaps you could celebrate deceased ancestors’ birthdays by preparing their favorite meals, looking at pictures, or telling stories from their lives. If possible, you could also plan to receive ordinances for your ancestors in the temple (for help, visit FamilySearch.org).
You can learn about the family members who came before you.
You can be linked to your family forever.
With technology, doing family history today is easier than ever!
It is important work for you to do.
To Do Temple Work for Our Ancestors
Friend October 2019 “The Temple Challenge” Temple Scramble: This girl has taken a family name to the temple. Can you put the pictures in order?
Friend October 2022 “Gathering Heavenly Father’s Children” Most of Heavenly Father’s children don’t know about His plan. They don’t know about Jesus Christ. They don’t know they can be baptized or sealed to their families. Heavenly Father wants us to help gather His children so they can come home to Him. And you can help, starting with your ancestors.
Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Old Testament 2022 ” Malachi’s prophecy about Elijah the prophet was fulfilled when Elijah appeared to Joseph Smith in the Kirtland Temple and gave him the priesthood keys that allow families to be sealed together forever. You might consider inviting someone in the ward who has responsibility for temple and family history work (such as a member of the elders quorum presidency or Relief Society presidency) to help you teach this doctrine to the children. Remember to be sensitive to the feelings of children whose families have not been sealed.
Write each phrase from Malachi 4:5–6 on a separate slip of paper. Give the slips of paper to the children, and ask them to put the phrases in the correct order. Read the verses together, and discuss questions like these: Who did the Lord promise to send? When did He say this person would come? What did the Lord say that this person would do? Why would this person need to come? Where was this prophecy fulfilled? (see Doctrine and Covenants 110:13–16).
Write on the board a question like What does it mean for the hearts of the children to turn to their fathers? (see Malachi 4:6). Invite the children to ponder this question as they watch the video “Their Hearts Are Bound to You” (ChurchofJesusChrist.org). Then invite the children to share their thoughts about the question on the board. Discuss together experiences you or the children have had learning about family history.
Show the picture of Elijah from this week’s outline in Come, Follow Me–For Individuals and Families. Invite the children to share what they know about the event this picture depicts (see also Doctrine and Covenants 110:13–16). Testify that the sealing power Elijah restored allows families to be united eternally—including families who didn’t have that opportunity in mortality. If you have participated in a sealing, either for yourself or for a deceased person, talk about what you felt during that ordinance. Ask the children to share their feelings about their families and about God’s plan to help families be together forever.
Old Testament Stories “Adam and Eve’s Family” After Adam and Eve left the Garden of Eden, they continued to learn about Heavenly Father’s plan for them on earth. They had many children and taught them all that they knew about the Lord.
Adam and Eve’s family kept a book of remembrance. They wrote their family history in the book. They wrote about how the Lord helped them.
Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families: Old Testament 2022 “Genesis 5; Moses 6” Reading about the “book of remembrance” that Adam and Eve’s family kept may inspire your family to make your own book of remembrance. Discuss as a family what you would like to include. Maybe you have photos, stories, or documents from your family history. You might choose to include things that are happening in your family now. What will future generations find valuable? You could also discuss how the phrases “by the spirit of inspiration” (Moses 6:5) and “the pattern given by the finger of God” (Moses 6:46) could guide your efforts. Consider saving information from your book of remembrance on FamilySearch.org.
Story: Adam and Eve’s family made a “book of remembrance” (Moses 6:5). They wrote about Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father’s plan. This book was the beginning of the scriptures.
Song: “Love Is Spoken Here” (Children’s Songbook, 190–91)
Activity: You can make a book of remembrance too! Ask everyone in your family to write down their testimony of Jesus Christ. Then attach the pages together to make a book. Add it to your treasure box on page 30.
Heavenly Father Wants Me to Learn About My Family History.
Create a paper chain with names of people in your family (see this week’s activity page), and bring it to show the class. Tell a few things about the people on your chain. Read to the children from Doctrine and Covenants 128:18, and explain that Joseph Smith taught that “there is a welding link … between the fathers and the children.” Help the children make their own family chains, and invite them to take the chains home and have their parents help them add names of ancestors.
Ask the children to share something about one of their grandparents. Tell one of your favorite stories about your parents or grandparents. Show pictures if possible. Encourage the children to learn more about their grandparents and other ancestors.
Friend October 2019 “The Temple Challenge” Sister Jones, the general primary president, challenges a 12 year old boy to find a family name to take to the temple. He later writes to her letter telling of his success and of his opportunity to be baptized in the temple for his 3rd great grandfather and how that felt. He also tells her of his desire to do more.
Friend November 2021 “They’re Waiting for Me!” Giselle lives in India, and she can’t wait until the temple is built there so she can do baptisms for her ancestors who have died without knowledge of the gospel. (Photos at link)
Friend October 2019 “The Temple Challenge” Temple Scramble: This girl has taken a family name to the temple. Can you put the pictures in order?
How have you felt your heart turn toward your ancestors? Think of ways you can experience such feelings more often. Perhaps you could ask a relative to share a story with you about one of your ancestors—even better, you could record it. Or you could invite [a family member] to learn about an ancestor and to share what they learn with the rest of the family. Maybe you could identify a deceased ancestor who never received gospel ordinances and then have a family member perform that work in the temple.
Why does the Lord want us to learn about our family members and perform temple ordinances for them? How are we blessed when we participate in family history and temple work?
To help your children understand the “promises made to the fathers,” you could read Abraham 2:9–11 together. Identify the promises God made as part of His covenant with Abraham. How do we “plant” these promises in our hearts?
Give each child a paper heart. Help them write their name and “I promise to remember my ancestors” on it. Read Doctrine and Covenants 2:2, and explain that Elijah came to turn our hearts to our ancestors.
Friend September 2021 “For Older Kids” Pick a family member you want to learn more about. Can you learn three things about them? Write their name in your journal and draw a picture for each thing you learned.
A year ago, we went to look at some gravestones for my ancestors. We looked at the dates and saw that one of my ancestors did not die as a baby like we had thought. She died when she was 11, the same age as me. I am preparing to go to the temple to get baptized for her! I can’t wait. Mary T., age 11, Texas, USA
Family History Service
Indexing
Friend May 2017 “For Older Kids” Try indexing! This means typing what old records say so people can search for their ancestors online. Have a parent help you download the program, or visit a family history center to do it.
Children Can Do Family History
Friend September 2017 “I Can Do Family History” A real life example and photos of children in a family that do family history and how they do it.
Friend October 2022 “Liv and Melanie’s Family Magazine” Liv and her sister make their family history into a magazine. They interviewed family members whose birthdays were in July. In the August issue the theme was Father’s Day, so they interviewed all the fathers in their family. Creating a family history magazine has helped them get to know extended family members better. (See photos at link.)
Friend November 2021 “For Older Kids” What is your family’s favorite food? Make a family recipe to eat together. You can also make food from the countries your ancestors are from.
Friend October 2020 “For Older Kids” Play a family trivia game! Make a list of questions and have each member of your family answer them. Then have a quiz at home evening to guess who gave each answer!
Friend June 2020 “For Older Kids” Choose a grandparent you want to learn more about. Look up the year they were born and find out what world events or inventions happened that year. How was life different back then?
Friend May 2020 “For Older Kids” Ask a parent or family member about a time when things didn’t go like they hoped. How did they get through it? Write or draw a picture about it in your journal.
Friend February 2020 “For Older Kids” Use an online map to explore places where your parents, grandparents, or ancestors lived.
Friend February 2020
Friend July 2019 “We have a home evening once a month about one of our ancestors. We tell a story about them and show a photo if we have one. We talk about the temple and how we will be with these ancestors again someday.” —Karen H
Friend February 2019 “Getting to Know Your Family” President Oaks discusses how to learn more about your ancestors and why. Also, how to do a Get-to-Know-you party to learn about an ancestor.
It gives me a good feeling to work on family history. I’m learning the names of lots of my ancestors and learning to upload their photos too. Someday when I meet them in heaven, I’ll already know them. Aidan A., age 10, Utah, USA
The Lord asked John Whitmer to collect and record a history of the Church, “writing, copying, selecting, and obtaining all things which shall be for the good of the church, and for the rising generations” (Doctrine and Covenants 69:8). Notice how important record keeping is in the Church.
Look up an ancestor at FamilySearch.org or in other family history records.
Read his or her journals or family members’ memories about this person.
Name some good things about your ancestor.
How are you like your ancestor?
How are these records like a treasure to you?
Discussion: Talk about the things your ancestors accomplished. Discuss how their lives have blessed your life. Share ways your life is like theirs. Talk about ways your life is different than theirs.
Friend September 2017 “For Older Children” Ask your parents for old family obituaries. These are usually newspaper clippings that announce a person’s death and tell about their life. What do you want people to remember about you? Make a list of 10 things. Then upload the obituaries to FamilySearch.org.
Friend April 2019 “For Older Children”Use the Family Tree app to find out where your ancestors are from. Click “More” and then “Map My Ancestors.” How many different places do you see? List them here!
Saving Family History Items
Friend January 2021 “For Older Kids” Make a family story book! Write down a story about your family and draw pictures for each page. Staple or tie the pages together to make a book.
Friend March 2017 “Family Night Fun” Each person collects an item to put in a treasure chest and tells why that item is a treasure to them.
Friend March 2017
Friend March 2017 “For Older Kids” Make a time capsule, and what would your ancestors have put in a time capsule
Friend March 2017
Friend May 2017
Friend November 2017 Make a family recipe! Do you know which family member it came from? Upload pictures of the recipe to the memories page of that family member on FamilySearch.org.
Friend November 2017
Friend December 2019 “For Older Kids” Start a cookbook of family recipes and make one of the recipes together.
Saving Family Stories
Friend June 2022 “For Older Kids” Ask an older family member to tell you a story about their life. Write or record it to save on FamilySearch.org
Friend September 2020 “For Older Kids” Part of family history is discovering who you are. Use these questions to learn about your name, and then write down everything you learn. Why were you given your name? Do any of your family members or ancestors share your name? When people hear your name, what do you want them to think of?
Friend January 2020 “For Older Kids” Find a photo of you or your family that you can tell a story about. Write down or tell someone everything you remember about that day.
Friend August 2019 “For Older Kids” Ask a family member to tell you about a day that changed their life. Make an audio recording of their story or write it down.
Friend August 2019
Friend June 2019 “For Older Kids” Do you have a funny family story? Interview a family member and write it down. Maybe you could share it for home evening.
Read 3 Nephi 23:6–13 If the Savior were to examine the records our family has kept, what questions might He ask us? Are there any important events or spiritual experiences that we should record? Now might be a good time to create or add to a family record and counsel together about what to include. Younger family members might enjoy decorating your record with photographs or drawings. Why is it important to record our family’s spiritual experiences?Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families: Book of Mormon 2020 ” 3 Nephi 20–26: Ye Are the Children of the Covenant”
1 Nephi CHAPTER 6 Nephi writes of the things of God—Nephi’s purpose is to persuade men to come unto the God of Abraham and be saved. About 600–592 B.C.
1 Nephi CHAPTER 9 Nephi makes two sets of records—Each is called the plates of Nephi—The larger plates contain a secular history; the smaller ones deal primarily with sacred things. About 600–592 B.C.
These verses could inspire your family to keep a record of important events and experiences from your lives. Maybe you could start a family journal, similar to the records Nephi and Lehi kept about their family’s experiences. What might you include in your family record? Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families: Book of Mormon 2020
Friend January 2024 “Come, Follow Me Activities: Plain and Precious Plates” The Lord told Nephi to make another set of plates for a special and wise purpose (see 1 Nephi 9). Make your own set of plates out of folded paper or pieces of cardboard. (You can even wrap your paper or cardboard with aluminum foil!) Write or draw what you learn from the Book of Mormon on your plates.
Family History Stories Influences
Friend September 2017 “Following Faithful Examples” Elder Rasband keeps a painting in his office that reminds him of his ancestors stories of faith and sacrifice because it helps him remember their good examples.
Friend December 2016 “For Parents of Little Ones” Tell your child true stories of your childhood or about them when they were younger. Tell them the stories as you drive in the car or before bedtime, etc.
Friend July 2016 Link also includes a funny family history story about ducks.
