Dear Family
and Friends
Can you
believe we are moving right on through the month of March? St. Patrick’s Day is
this week😊 I don’t know if you celebrate St.
Patrick’s Day, but I try to make it fun for my students. I believe it is always
good and very important to make traditions and memories for our children😊
I have some
of my students who spend more hours of their day with me than they do with
their parents, so I try to use every holiday I can to create a fun time for
them.
We can celebrate these days in January, besides New Year’s Day: Spaghetti
day on the 4th. The following are a lot of reasons to smile😊
On the second
Wednesday it’s Take the stairs day, Bean day is on the 6th😊
Introduce the Pharmacist on the 12th, or
Rubber Duckie day on the 13th😊
Hat day on the 15th😊Dragon day on the 16th.
Winnie the Pooh day on the 18th😊
Popcorn day on the 19th😊
Penguin day is on the 20th with Martin Luther King. Hugging day
or Squirrel day on the 21st😊Pie day on the 23rd😊Compliment
day on the 24th😊opposite day on the 25th😊
Australia
day on the 26th😊Chocolate cake day on the 27th😊
Puzzle day on the 29th😊and Backward day on the 31st😊
And that is just to name a few, there are more, but they do not apply to
preschoolers😊
We can
celebrate any of these days in February besides Valentine’s Day: Eat ice cream
for breakfast on the first Saturday of the month😊
Ground Hogs day on the 2nd😊 Feed the Birds day on the 3rd😊Thank
a mailman on the 4th😊Weatherman’s Day on the 5th😊
Frozen Yogurt day on the 6th😊send a card to a friend day on the 7th😊Kite
flying day on the 8th😊Pizza Day on
the 9th😊Umbrella day on the 10th😊Make
a friend or where a white t-shirt day on the 11th😊
Abraham
Lincoln’s birthday or lost penny day on the 12th😊Get
a different name day on the 13th😊
gum drop day on the 15th😊Do a grouch a favor day on the 16th😊
President’s
day or random act of kindness day on the 17th😊Battery
day on the 18th😊Chocolate mint day on the 19th😊
Cherry
pie and love your pet day fall on the 20th😊
George Washington’s birthday on the 22nd 😊
Tennis day on the 23rd😊Tortilla day on the 24th😊Tell
a Fairy tale day on the 26th😊Polar bear day on the 27th 😊tooth
fairy day on the 28th 😊
I bet you
didn’t realize that there were so many ways to celebrate so many days, did you?
What ways do you celebrate during the months?
In March we can celebrate these
days besides St. Patrick’s Day: on the 1st us peanut butter lover’s
day😊Dr. Seuss’ birthday on the 2nd😊
I want you to be happy day on the 3rd😊Dentist
day on the 6th 😊
Day of prayer
on the first Friday of the month😊 Picnic day on the 9th 😊Middle
name day on the 10th 😊 Johnny Appleseed day on the 11th
😊Plant a flower day on the 12th
😊
Learn about Butterflies day on the 14th
😊Giant Panda bear Day on the 16th
😊 Absolutely Incredible kid day on the
19th 😊
Earth day on the 20th 😊Quilting
day on the 21st 😊Puppy day on the 23rd 😊
Chocolate
covered raisin day on the 24th 😊 waffle day on the 25th 😊
Spinach
day on the 26th😊Something on a stick day on the 28th
😊Doctors day and take a walk in the park day on the 3oth 😊Crayon
day on the 31st 😊
In looking at these first three
months of the year you can see that we have something that we can celebrate
every day of the year if we choose to do so😊Have you and your family members and friends ever thought about finding ways to celebrate each month or each week?
It is even more fun when you can celebrate something
that is special and unique to you own family😊
I remember a time when my children were young that we decided to keep our
Christmas tree up all year.
And every month we decorated it with different
decorations to help celebrate each month😊 It is good to choose to celebrate!!!
In doing this
we needed to work together to decide what we would celebrate for each month.
What things would you and your family members choose to celebrate each month
and why would you want to celebrate it?
Even though this week’s lesson has a
lot of sad things in the chapters there still some things that we can be happy
about or even celebrate😊 so as you are going through the
lesson be sure to watch for those things okay?
This week we
are going to be learning or having a review of the Allegory of the Olive Tree
from the following chapters 5-7 of Jacob, in the Book of Mormon😊
I love these chapters. I feel like they give us hope and reason to celebrate
this life we are given and the opportunities that we have here on this earth😊
You may want to begin your week by rereading or reviewing Jacob chapters 5 – 7, individually and with your family members and friends😊
Encourage your family members and
friends to complete their reading of these chapters as well. Remind your family members and your friends that the first of this week’s chapters is the longest chapter in the Book of Mormon😊
That being
said, encourage them to finish up their reading before you begin your lesson so
they can keep up with you😊
What did you learn that would be of
most benefit to your family members and friends?
What did your family members and friends find in Jacob chapters 5-7 that inspired them to “labor in the vineyard” where they live? As is mentioned in Jacob chapter 5 verse 15.
What did your family members and friends find in Jacob chapters 5-7 that inspired them to “labor in the vineyard” where they live? As is mentioned in Jacob chapter 5 verse 15.
15 And it
came to pass that a long time passed away, and the Lord of the vineyard said
unto his servant: Come, let us go down into the vineyard, that we may labor in
the vineyard.
Let’s read
the following from the Come, Follow Me for Individuals and Families manual:
There are many, many people who haven’t yet heard
the gospel of Jesus Christ. If you ever feel overwhelmed by the immensity of
the task of gathering them into the Lord’s Church, the allegory of the olive
trees in Jacob 5 has a
reassuring reminder: the vineyard belongs to the Lord.
He has given
each of us a small area to assist in His work—our family, our circle of friends, our sphere of
influence. And sometimes the first person we help gather
is ourselves. But we are never alone in this work, for the Lord of the
vineyard labors alongside His servants as we see in Jacob 5:72😊.
72 And it came to pass that the servants did go
and labor with their mights; and the Lord of the vineyard labored also with
them; and they did obey the commandments of the Lord of the vineyard in all
things.
God knows and loves His children, and He will prepare
a way for each of them to hear His gospel, even those who have rejected Him in
the past as we can see in Jacob 4:15–18😊
15 And now I, Jacob, am led on by the Spirit unto
prophesying; for I perceive by the workings of the Spirit which is in me, that
by the stumbling of the Jews they will reject the stone upon which they might build and have safe foundation.
16 But behold, according to the scriptures,
this stone shall become the great, and the last, and the only
sure foundation, upon which the Jews can build.
17 And now, my beloved, how is it possible that
these, after having rejected the sure foundation, can ever build upon it, that it may become the head of their
corner?
18 Behold, my beloved brethren, I will unfold
this mystery unto you; if I do not, by any means, get shaken from my firmness
in the Spirit, and stumble because of my over anxiety for you.
And then, when the work is done, all those who have
been “diligent in laboring with [Him] … shall have joy with [Him] because of
the fruit of [His] vineyard” (Jacob 5:75).
The Lord invites His servants to labor with Him in His vineyard.
It may do you well to work and study together the allegory of
the olive trees as this allegory is kind of long and drawn out.
You might want to consider getting out a piece of your poster board and making a brief outline or overview of the allegory to discuss with your family members and friends.
You might want to consider getting out a piece of your poster board and making a brief outline or overview of the allegory to discuss with your family members and friends.
It could work for you to make a time line
and fill in the details with your family members and friends helping to fill in
the events along the time line😊 You could add or have your family members and friends add the scripture references or some descriptions to your drawing of the timeline😊
You may want to consider having a discussion about the symbolism
used in this allegory. You can ask your family members and friends what the
meaning is behind the tame and the wild olive trees? Or the Lord of the
vineyard and the servant? Or the bad fruit and the good fruit, what does it all
mean?
You should then review verses 61–75, during your discussion or even begin a new discussion about these verses which
describe the Lord’s work in our day. How are we serving in the Lord’s vineyard?
How do these verses relate to the work we are doing?
61 Wherefore, go to, and call servants, that we may labor diligently with our
might in the vineyard, that we may prepare the way, that I may bring forth again the natural fruit,
which natural fruit is good and the most precious above all other fruit.
62 Wherefore, let us go to and labor with our
might this last time, for behold the end draweth nigh, and this is for the
last time that I shall prune my vineyard.
63 Graft in the branches; begin at the last that they may be first, and that the first may be last, and dig about the trees, both old and young, the first and the
last; and the last and the first, that all may be nourished once again for the
last time.
64 Wherefore, dig about them, and prune them, and dung them once more, for the last time, for
the end draweth nigh. And if it be so that these last grafts shall grow, and
bring forth the natural fruit, then shall ye prepare the way for them, that
they may grow.
65 And as they begin to grow ye shall clear away the branches which bring forth bitter fruit,
according to the strength of the good and the size thereof; and ye shall not
clear away the bad thereof all at once, lest the roots thereof should be too
strong for the graft, and the graft thereof shall perish, and I lose the trees
of my vineyard.
66 For it grieveth me that I should lose the
trees of my vineyard; wherefore ye shall clear away the bad according as the
good shall grow, that the root and the top may be equal in strength, until the
good shall overcome the bad, and the bad be hewn down and cast into the fire,
that they cumber not the ground of my vineyard; and thus will I sweep away the
bad out of my vineyard.
67 And the branches of the natural tree will I
graft in again into the natural tree;
68 And the branches of the natural tree will I
graft into the natural branches of the tree; and thus will I bring them
together again, that they shall bring forth the natural fruit, and they shall be one.
69 And the bad shall be cast away, yea, even out of all the land of my vineyard; for behold, only
this once will I prune my vineyard.
70 And it came to pass that the Lord of the
vineyard sent his servant; and the servant went and did as the Lord had commanded him,
and brought other servants; and they were few.
71 And the Lord of the vineyard said unto them:
Go to, and labor in the vineyard, with your might.
For behold, this is the last time that I shall nourish my vineyard; for the end is nigh at hand, and the season
speedily cometh; and if ye labor with your might with me ye shall have joy
in the fruit which I shall lay up unto myself against the time which will soon
come.
72 And it came to pass that the servants did
go and labor with their mights; and the Lord of the vineyard
labored also with them; and they did obey the commandments of the Lord
of the vineyard in all things.
73 And there began to be the natural fruit again
in the vineyard; and the natural branches began to grow and thrive exceedingly;
and the wild branches began to be plucked off and to be cast away; and they did
keep the root and the top thereof equal, according to the strength thereof.
74 And thus they labored, with all diligence,
according to the commandments of the Lord of the vineyard, even until the bad
had been cast away out of the vineyard, and the Lord had preserved unto himself
that the trees had become again the natural fruit; and they became like
unto one body; and the
fruits were equal; and the Lord of the vineyard had preserved unto himself the
natural fruit, which was most precious unto him from the beginning.
75 And it came to pass that when the Lord of the vineyard saw that his fruit was good, and that his
vineyard was no more corrupt, he called up his servants, and said unto them:
Behold, for this last time have we nourished my vineyard; and thou beholdest
that I have done according to my will; and I have preserved the natural fruit,
that it is good, even like as it was in the beginning. And blessed art thou; for because ye
have been diligent in laboring with me in my vineyard, and have kept my
commandments, and have brought unto me again the natural fruit, that my vineyard
is no more corrupted, and the bad is cast away, behold ye shall have joy with me because of the
fruit of my vineyard.
As you
may have noticed, the words of the “Lord of the vineyard” could provide comfort
for those of us parents who have some wayward children.
Here are some questions for an example: what does Jacob 5:41, 46–47 suggest about how our Father in Heaven feels about His children who go astray?
Here are some questions for an example: what does Jacob 5:41, 46–47 suggest about how our Father in Heaven feels about His children who go astray?
41 And it came to pass that the Lord of the
vineyard wept, and said unto the servant: What could I have done
more for my vineyard?
46 And now, behold, notwithstanding all the care
which we have taken of my vineyard, the trees thereof have become corrupted,
that they bring forth no good fruit; and these I had hoped
to preserve, to have laid up fruit thereof against the season, unto mine own
self. But, behold, they have become like unto the wild olive tree, and they are
of no worth but to be hewn down and cast into
the fire; and it grieveth me that I should lose them.
47 But what could I have done
more in my vineyard? Have I slackened mine hand, that I have not nourished it?
Nay, I have nourished it, and I have digged about it, and I have pruned it,
and I have dunged it; and I have stretched forth mine hand almost all the day
long, and the end draweth nigh. And it grieveth me
that I should hew down all the trees of my vineyard, and cast them into the
fire that they should be burned. Who is it that has corrupted my vineyard?
Nay, I have nourished it, and I have digged about it, and I have pruned it,
and I have dunged it; and I have stretched forth mine hand almost all the day
long, and the end draweth nigh. And it grieveth me
that I should hew down all the trees of my vineyard, and cast them into the
fire that they should be burned. Who is it that has corrupted my vineyard?
Again in these same
verses we find that Jacob 5:61–75 teaches us that the
Lord works alongside His servants in His vineyard. Do you or your family
members and friends have any experiences that have shown you that the Lord is
working with His servants to move forward His work.
What additional insights can you or your family members and friends add from reading through the following message from President Henry B. Eyring “The Lord Leads His Church”? (Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2017, 81–84).
What additional insights can you or your family members and friends add from reading through the following message from President Henry B. Eyring “The Lord Leads His Church”? (Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2017, 81–84).
Ideas for Personal Scripture Study
What is an allegory?
Allegories are stories that teach spiritual truths through symbols.
In the allegory of the olive trees, for example, a vineyard represents the world, a tame olive tree represents Israel (those who have made covenants with God), and wild olive trees represent the gentile nations (those who have not made covenants with God).
In the allegory of the olive trees, for example, a vineyard represents the world, a tame olive tree represents Israel (those who have made covenants with God), and wild olive trees represent the gentile nations (those who have not made covenants with God).
As you study the
allegory in Jacob 5, look
for additional symbols and ponder what they might mean. For example, what do
you think the good fruit represents? What could the bad fruit symbolize?
The Lord remembers His people in love and mercy.
If you
have a copy of the Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families
you will notice that it invites each of us – you
and your family members and friends to search Jacob 6:3–5 looking for the
messages that Jacob wanted to emphasize and then find those messages in the
allegory of the olive trees as we see in Jacob 5.
3 And
how blessed are
they who have labored diligently in
his vineyard; and how cursed are
they who shall be cast out into their own place! And the world shall
be burned with
fire.
4 And how
merciful is our God unto us, for he remembereth the house of Israel, both
roots and branches; and he stretches forth his hands unto
them all the day long; and they are a stiffnecked and
a gainsaying people; but as many as will not harden their hearts shall be
saved in the kingdom of God.
5 Wherefore,
my beloved brethren, I beseech of you in words of soberness that ye would repent,
and come with full purpose of heart, and cleave unto
God as he cleaveth unto you. And while his arm of
mercy is extended towards you in the light of the day, harden
not your hearts.
You know maybe your family members and
friends would benefit from hearing from those who did this activity on their
own or from doing this activity as a family study group, if you know of other
families who are studying the Book of Mormon with the Come, Follow Me program. You
may want to call on them for their help in sharing of this portion of this
lesson😊
You may want to consider asking that
family over to join you and your family members and friends for a little bit
larger study group for sharing experiences😊 It is quite alright if you choose to do this activity on your own with you and your family members and friends could list on a piece of poster board the gospel truths that they find in Jacob 6.
Then, under each truth, you could have your family members and friends
make a list of verses from the allegory in Jacob 5 that communicate
that message. How have you and / or your family members and/ or friends seen
these same messages that are being illustrated in their own lives?
One of the things that Jacob teaches us od to cleave unto God
and one meaning of this word cleave is to
adhere to something firmly, closely, and unwaveringly. You might want to share
this definition with your family members and friends and ask what insights it
gives them about Jacob 6:5.
5 Wherefore,
my beloved brethren, I beseech of you in words of soberness that ye would
repent, and come with full purpose of heart, and cleave unto
God as he cleaveth unto you. And while his arm of mercy is extended towards you
in the light of the day, harden not your hearts.
Ideas for Personal Scripture Study
Jesus Christ is the Lord of the vineyard.
Before you begin your study of the allegory of the olive trees in Jacob 5, it
might be helpful to review Jacob 4:10–18 to
learn why Jacob felt inspired to share this allegory with his people. In Jacob 6:3–5, you can find some additional messages that Jacob wanted to emphasize; look for these messages in the allegory. What messages do you find for yourself in Jacob 5?
Jacob 5 is a
long chapter—the
longest in the Book of Mormon. Perhaps it would help to divide it into the
following sections, which describe periods of the world’s history:
The following are things that you might
want to add to your timeline that you made together with your family members
and your friends:
The scattering of Israel
before the time of Christ
The ministry of Christ and
the Apostles
The Great Apostasy
The gathering of Israel in
the latter days
The Millennium and end of the
world
For additional insights about the allegory, see the diagram that
accompanies this outline.
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/bc/content/shared/content/images/gospel-library/manual/PD60005073/60005073_000_ICallegory_v2.pdf
God invites me to help Him gather His children.
The “other servants” (Jacob 5:70) who
were called into the Lord’s vineyard include people like you—as members of the Church, we
are all responsible to help God gather His children.
What principles do you find in Jacob 5, especially verses 61–62 and 70–75, about working in the Lord’s vineyard? How have you felt Him call you to serve in His vineyard? What experiences have you had while participating in His work?
What principles do you find in Jacob 5, especially verses 61–62 and 70–75, about working in the Lord’s vineyard? How have you felt Him call you to serve in His vineyard? What experiences have you had while participating in His work?
See also “Missionary Work,”
Gospel Topics, topics.ChurchofJesusChrist.org;
“Old Testament Olive Vineyard,” “Help the Church Grow” (videos, ChurchofJesusChrist.org).
We can stand strong when others challenge our faith.
You need not think very long or look very far to realize that most
of us have experienced opposition to our faith such as Jacob faced when he met
with Sherem.
There is one way to help you and your family members and friends prepare for such opposition is to have them search Jacob 7:1–23 for principles that helped Jacob stand strong.
There is one way to help you and your family members and friends prepare for such opposition is to have them search Jacob 7:1–23 for principles that helped Jacob stand strong.
What other examples of standing strong in our faith can we share—from the scriptures, our family history, or our own lives? Do
you feel that perhaps there are messages from Church leaders that have helped
us when others sought to shake us from our faith (see, for example,
Quentin L. Cook, “Valiant
in the Testimony of Jesus,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2016, 40–43). https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2016/10/valiant-in-the-testimony-of-jesus?lang=eng
You may want to consider having your family members and friends
to share messages which they have found to be helpful. Sherem confronted Jacob
in verse 5 of chapter 7. At the time of this confrontation Sherem had hoped to shake Jacob away from his faith, but Jacob’s faith was unshakable. How can we build up our faith so that it is unshakable???
5 And he had hope to shake me from the faith,
notwithstanding the many revelations and the many things which I had seen concerning these things; for I truly had seen angels, and they had ministered unto me. And also, I had heard the voice of the Lord speaking unto me in very word, from
time to time;
You and your family members and friends might enjoy throwing on some robes and acting out the
interaction between Jacob and Sherem, using Jacob 7:1–23 as your script. What do we learn from these verses about the tactics and teachings of those who oppose the work of God?
What do we learn from Jacob about how to become more unshakable in our faith?
Book
of Mormon
1 And now it came to pass after some years had
passed away, there came a man among the people of Nephi, whose name was Sherem.
2 And it came to pass that he began to preach
among the people, and to declare unto them that there should be no Christ. And he preached many things which were flattering
unto the people; and this he did that he might overthrow the doctrine of Christ.
3 And he labored diligently that he might lead
away the hearts of the people, insomuch that he did lead away many hearts; and
he knowing that I, Jacob, had faith in Christ who should come, he sought much
opportunity that he might come unto me.
4 And he was learned, that he had a perfect knowledge of the language of the people;
wherefore, he could use much flattery, and much power of speech, according to the power of the devil.
5 And he had hope to shake me from the faith,
notwithstanding the many revelations and the many things which I had seen concerning these things; for I truly had seen angels, and they had ministered unto me. And also, I had heard the voice of the Lord speaking unto me in very word, from
time to time; wherefore, I could not be shaken.
6 And it came to pass that he came unto me, and
on this wise did he speak unto me, saying: Brother Jacob, I have sought much
opportunity that I might speak unto you; for I have heard and also know that
thou goest about much, preaching that which ye call the gospel, or the doctrine of Christ.
7 And ye have led away much of this people that
they pervert the right way of God, and keep not the law of Moses which is the right way; and convert
the law of Moses into the worship of a being which ye say shall come many
hundred years hence. And now behold, I, Sherem, declare unto you that this
is blasphemy; for no man knoweth of such things; for he cannot tell of things to come. And after this manner did Sherem
contend against me.
8 But behold, the Lord God poured in his Spirit into my soul, insomuch that I did confound him in all his words.
9 And I said unto him: Deniest thou the Christ
who shall come? And he said: If there should be a Christ, I would not deny him;
but I know that there is no Christ, neither has been, nor ever will be.
10 And I said unto him: Believest thou the
scriptures? And he said, Yea.
11 And I said unto him: Then ye do not understand
them; for they truly testify of Christ. Behold, I say unto you that none of
the prophets have written, nor prophesied, save they have spoken concerning this Christ.
12 And this is not all—it has been made manifest
unto me, for I have heard and seen; and it also has been made manifest unto me
by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, I know if there should be no
atonement made all mankind must be lost.
13 And it came to pass that he said unto me: Show
me a sign by this power of the Holy Ghost, in the which ye know so
much.
14 And I said unto him: What am I that I
should tempt God to show unto thee a sign in the thing which thou
knowest to be true? Yet thou wilt deny it, because thou art of the devil. Nevertheless, not my will be done; but if God shall smite
thee, let that be a sign unto thee that he has power, both in heaven and in earth;
and also, that Christ shall come. And thy will, O Lord, be done, and not mine.
15 And it came to pass that when I, Jacob, had
spoken these words, the power of the Lord came upon him, insomuch that he fell
to the earth. And it came to pass that he was nourished for the space of many
days.
16 And it came to pass that he said unto the
people: Gather together on the morrow, for I shall die; wherefore, I desire to
speak unto the people before I shall die.
17 And it came to pass that on the morrow the
multitude were gathered together; and he spake plainly unto them and denied the
things which he had taught them, and confessed the Christ, and the power of the Holy Ghost, and the ministering of angels.
18 And he spake plainly unto them, that he had
been deceived by the power of the devil. And he spake of hell, and of eternity, and of eternal punishment.
19 And he said: I fear lest I have committed the unpardonable sin, for I have lied unto God; for I denied the Christ, and said
that I believed the scriptures; and they truly testify of him. And because I
have thus lied unto God I greatly fear lest my case shall be awful; but I confess unto God.
20 And it came to pass that when he had said
these words he could say no more, and he gave up the ghost.
21 And when the multitude had witnessed that he
spake these things as he was about to give up the ghost, they were astonished
exceedingly; insomuch that the power of God came down upon them, and they
were overcome that they fell to the earth.
22 Now, this thing was pleasing unto me, Jacob,
for I had requested it of my Father who was in heaven; for he had heard my cry
and answered my prayer.
23 And it came to pass that peace and the love of God was restored again among the people; and they searched the scriptures, and hearkened no more to the words of this
wicked man.
Ideas for Personal Scripture Study
I can
stand strong when others challenge my faith.
The Nephites’ experience with Sherem is often repeated today: there
may be learned, well-spoken people who try to destroy your faith.
But Jacob “could not be shaken” (Jacob 7:5). How did Jacob respond when his faith was attacked?
What do you learn from his responses? What can you do now to prepare for times when your faith will be challenged?
But Jacob “could not be shaken” (Jacob 7:5). How did Jacob respond when his faith was attacked?
What do you learn from his responses? What can you do now to prepare for times when your faith will be challenged?
See also “Answering Gospel Questions,” Gospel Topics, topics.ChurchofJesusChrist.org; Jeffrey R. Holland, “The Cost—and
Blessings—of Discipleship,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2014, 6–9.
We can trust in God.
We are very fortunate that we are not
like the Nephites, who lived under constant threat of attack from the
Lamanites.
If you happen to live in one of those war-torn countries my prayers go out for you😊
Even though we may not face the daily threat of physical warfare, what spiritual dangers do we face?
What do we learn from the Nephites’ response to their situation, described in Jacob 7:24–25?
If you happen to live in one of those war-torn countries my prayers go out for you😊
Even though we may not face the daily threat of physical warfare, what spiritual dangers do we face?
What do we learn from the Nephites’ response to their situation, described in Jacob 7:24–25?
24 And it came to pass that many means were
devised to reclaim and restore the
Lamanites to the knowledge of the truth; but it all was vain, for they delighted in wars and bloodshed, and they had an eternal hatred against us, their brethren. And they sought by the power
of their arms to destroy us continually.
25 Wherefore, the people of Nephi did fortify
against them with their arms, and with all their might, trusting in the God
and rock of their salvation; wherefore, they became
as yet, conquerors of their enemies.
Here are a couple of hymns that you may want to sing or read and
then discuss together these or other Church hymns that use battles as a
metaphor, “Onward, Christian Soldiers” or “Behold! A Royal Army” (Hymns, nos. 246, 251).
I found that
there was so much information within this lesson that it could be very easily
continued on into a family home evening lesson or two.
Below are the ideas for family scripture study and family home evening from the Come, Follow Me for Individuals and Families manual:
Below are the ideas for family scripture study and family home evening from the Come, Follow Me for Individuals and Families manual:
Ideas for Family Scripture Study and Family Home Evening
As you read the scriptures with your family, the Spirit can help you
know what principles to emphasize and discuss in order to meet the needs of
your family. Here are some ideas.
Jacob 5
Some families have found it helpful to draw the symbols from the
allegory of the olive trees as they read it. Your family might enjoy that
approach, or there could be another way you can help family members visualize
the symbols in the allegory. Maybe you could mark an area on a table or floor to represent the vineyard (or the world) and depict the tame olive tree (or the house of Israel) with an object, such as a puzzle, that can be divided into pieces (to represent the scattering of Israel) and then brought back together (to represent the gathering of Israel). What does this allegory teach us about the Lord? about His servants?
Jacob 5:70–77
As you read
about the “last time” that the Lord labors in His vineyard, what inspires you
and your family to serve the Lord “with your might”? (Jacob 5:71).
You could invite family members to personalize verse 75 by adding their names into this verse—for example, “Blessed art thou [name].”
Maybe they can share experiences in which they felt joy while serving the Lord of the vineyard, for example through sharing the gospel, serving in the temple, or strengthening Church members. (See also M. Russell Ballard, “Put Your Trust in the Lord,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2013, 43–45.)
Maybe they can share experiences in which they felt joy while serving the Lord of the vineyard, for example through sharing the gospel, serving in the temple, or strengthening Church members. (See also M. Russell Ballard, “Put Your Trust in the Lord,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2013, 43–45.)
Jacob 6:4–7
How has the Lord extended His arm of mercy toward us? What does the
word “cleave” mean in these verses? How does the Lord cleave unto us? How can
we cleave unto Him?
Jacob 7:1–12
What do we learn from these verses about how people try to lead
others astray? How can we follow Jacob’s example and be steadfast in our faith
in Christ?
For more ideas
for teaching children, see this week’s outline in Come,
Follow Me—For
Primary.
I wanted to include this section found at the bottom of
the page in the Come, Follow Me for Individuals and Families manual:
Improving
Our Teaching
Memorize a scripture.
Select a scripture passage that is particularly meaningful to your family, and memorize it together.
Elder Richard G. Scott taught, “A memorized scripture becomes an enduring friend that is not weakened with the passage of time” (“The Power of Scripture,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2011, 6). https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2011/10/the-power-of-scripture.p15?lang=eng#p15
Select a scripture passage that is particularly meaningful to your family, and memorize it together.
Elder Richard G. Scott taught, “A memorized scripture becomes an enduring friend that is not weakened with the passage of time” (“The Power of Scripture,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2011, 6). https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2011/10/the-power-of-scripture.p15?lang=eng#p15
I love what Elder Scott teaches in this talk about the power of
scripture😊 If you have not had the opportunity to listen to one of his talks you should take this opportunity and listen to this one😊
I am sure that you will be glad that you took this opportunity to listen to him speak😊 This quote and the paragraph it is found in is just as important to share I think😊 it is as follows:
Pondering a scripture
like that gives great direction to life. The scriptures can form a foundation
of support. They can provide an incredibly large resource of willing friends
who can help us.
A memorized scripture becomes an enduring friend that is not weakened with the passage of time.
A memorized scripture becomes an enduring friend that is not weakened with the passage of time.
Do you not agree with me that the whole paragraph is important for us to
know? Did you take the time to listen to Elder Scott’s talk? I am betting that
you enjoyed listening to it?
Be sure to let your family members and
friends know that as they read through the book of Enos, they should know that
it can teach them how to make their prayers more meaningful. This is something very important and we could all probably use a little bit of help with. I know I can😊
I love
learning about the allegory of the olive trees. It seems to me that I learn
something new each time I study it😊
what do you think of the Book of Mormon so far as we have studied it together? You know where we are right now, don’t you? Yes, we are at the end of this lesson😊
This has been fun hasn’t it? Studying
together with all of our cyber study buddies😊 As always, I
hope, and I pray that you will each remember who you truly are!! You are each
one a child of God😊
what do you think of the Book of Mormon so far as we have studied it together? You know where we are right now, don’t you? Yes, we are at the end of this lesson😊
This has been fun hasn’t it? Studying
together with all of our cyber study buddies😊 As always, I
hope, and I pray that you will each remember who you truly are!! You are each
one a child of God😊 Your Father in heaven knows and loves each one of you just as He does me, and every other person who ever has or ever will live on this earth😊 No matter our age, we are His children!
Please continue studying the Book of Mormon with me and all of our friends our there in cyberspace😊 Continue to say your prayers at lease morning and evening😊 Do family home evening with your family each week and please do work on making it a wonderful week😊
No comments:
Post a Comment