FHE: The Book of Mormon

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Conference Talk: For more information on this topic read "Safety for the Soul," by Jeffrey R. Holland, Ensign, Nov 2009, 88-90.

Thoughts: "I want it absolutely clear when I stand before the judgment bar of God that I declared to the world . . . that the Book of Mormon is true."

(Jeffrey R. Holland, "Safety for the Soul," Ensign, Nov 2009, 88-90.)

Song: "The Golden Plates," Children's Songbook, p. 86.

Scripture: And whoso treasureth up my word, shall not be deceived, for the Son of Man shall come, and he shall send his angels before him with the great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together the remainder of his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. (Joseph Smith—Matthew 1:37)

Lesson: Write the last part of D&C 42:12 on a poster board: "Teach the principles of my gospel, which are in the Bible and the Book of Mormon, in the which is the fulness of the gospel."

Cut the poster board with the verse on it into several pieces, similar to a jigsaw puzzle.

Give the members of your family some of the pieces of the puzzle. (Reserve a few key pieces that would keep the family from being able to read the verse.) Invite the family to put the puzzle together on a table or other flat surface. Ask them if they can read the verse. They won't be able to because of the missing pieces. Tell them that like the puzzle, the Bible is missing some of the "plain and most precious" parts (see 1 Nephi 13:26) of the gospel. The Book of Mormon fills in some of those missing pieces and gives us the fulness of the gospel.

Use the missing pieces to complete the puzzle. Invite the family to read the scripture.

(Beth Lefgren and Jennifer Jackson, Building Blocks for Better Lessons, [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1998], 14.)

Story: I have a little set of scriptures that my mom and dad gave me when I turned seventeen. I had read the Book of Mormon before, but one day it was different. Perhaps I was more in tune with the Spirit or maybe I had studied more diligently and prayed more fervently. I was young, but I wanted to know for myself if the Book of Mormon was true.

On that particular day I came to the part about faith in the thirty-second chapter of Alma. As I finished that chapter, I experienced a feeling that I recognized as a witness from the Holy Ghost. I knew the Book of Mormon was true. I wanted to stand up and shout. I wanted to tell the whole world what I knew and how I felt, but I was alone. So, with tears of joy streaming down my face, I wrote on the margins, all the way around the page, the feelings in my heart at that moment. I made a big red star in the margin on top of the page and wrote, "May 31st, 7:30 A.M. This I know, written as if to me." Then I wrote in the margin on one side of the page, "I have received a confirmation. I know the Book of Mormon is true!" Across the margin on the other side of the page I wrote, "One month ago I began fasting each Tuesday for a more sure knowledge. This I know."

When I read the Book of Mormon, I feel as if I am getting letters from home from my Heavenly Father, who is guiding me with inspiration in the important choices I must make each day. When I consider how much I love the Book of Mormon and how frequently I turn to it for guidance, inspiration, encouragement, confidence, and increased faith, I wonder sometimes if my great love for this book might have been passed down to me by my great-grandmother.

Almost a century and a half ago, a copy of the Book of Mormon was brought into the home of Susan Kent, my great-grandmother, when she was sixteen years of age. After studying the book, Susan gained a testimony of its messages that was so strong that she could not reject it, although to accept it meant a great sacrifice for her.

At the time Susan was engaged to a young man, and she felt that she could not endure being separated from him; but he would have nothing to do with anyone who would join the Mormons. She did not stop to count the cost. She chose the path of peace for her conscience. However, her heart was so grieved that she could partake of no nourishment for several days. She lapsed into a coma so profound that it had the appearance of actual death. Preparations were being made for her funeral when she awoke asking, "How long have I slept?" With tender care she slowly regained her health, and she and her sister, Abbegale, and their parents joined the Church. I will be eternally thankful to Susan Kent for her testimony of the Book of Mormon and what it meant in her life and now in mine.

(Ardeth Greene Kapp, My Neighbor, My Sister, My Friend, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1990].)

Activity: Play "Scripture Chase."

Have each family member write a topic (that could be found in the Book of Mormon) on a slip of paper. Put all the slips into a bowl or basket. Take turns drawing a slip of paper out of the bowl. Give everyone a set amount of time (possibly 2 minutes) to find a scripture with that topic. Very young children can be teamed up with an older family member. The first person or team to find a scripture gets two points. Everyone who finds a scripture in the allotted time gets one point. Have each person read aloud their scripture before drawing the next slip.

The person with the most points at the end of the game wins.

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