Saturday, August 31, 2013

Days 6-10

Note:  If you are new to this site, Welcome.  Please look on the sidebar for links to explain how this site works.
If you have been following this program, glad to have you back!  I won't be changing the line-up of the current schedule, but if you find that studying each Article of Faith for the days listed is becoming redundant, feel free to substitute a few of those days with the memorization of a relevant scripture (look in the "Preach My Gospel" lessons to see which scriptures might apply to the particular lesson).  My only recommendation, as with the Articles of Faith, is that you teach for understanding and not just memorization.  Make sure your family members understand the words they are reciting.
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Day 6--p. 35 or Lesson 1: The Message of the Restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ (online).   today you will study the section titled  “The Great Apostasy.”  (if you want to discuss the Reformation at this time, it is very interesting, but could be over your child’s head if they are very young.  There is some background information found on page 45, as well as these helpful references: James E Talmage, Jesus the Christ, 692-703; M. Russell Ballard, Our Search for Happiness, 26-32).  And 2nd Article of Faith
resources:
“The Great Apostasy”   (this is about 16 minutes long)

Day 7--p. 36 or Lesson 1: The Message of the Restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ (online).   today you will study the section titled   “The Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ through Joseph Smith” part 1 (through “He called Joseph Smith to be a prophet through whom the fullness of the gospel was restored to the earth.”) and 2nd Article of Faith.
resources:

Day 8--p. 37 or Lesson 1: The Message of the Restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ (online).   today you will study the section titled  “The Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ through Joseph Smith” part two (Beginning with “After the appearance of the Father and Son…” to the end of section) and 2nd Article of Faith.
resources:
“The Restoration”   (this is just about the First Vision and is about 20 minutes long).
“Joseph Smith: The Prophet of the Restoration” (this is 1 hour long.  You might want to use the movie during Family Home Evening, or the Sunday following these lessons as part of your review.  Also note there are some parts that might disturb sensitive little ones, particularly the part where the adversary tries to stop Joseph, and scenes of persecution, especially Haun's Mill where several members died)

Day 9—p. 38 or Lesson 1: The Message of the Restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ (online).   today you will study the section titled  “The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ.” And 3rd Article of Faith.
resources

Day 10—p. 39 or Lesson 1: The Message of the Restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ (online).   today you will study the section titled “Pray to Know the Truth through the Holy Ghost.” (be sure to cover the 4 steps of prayers in the inset).  And 3rd Article of Faith.
resources:

Saturday, August 24, 2013

Days 1-5



Please remember to read the How to Use These Lessons page if you have any questions.  Remember just to teach the section or paragraphs that are suggested for that day.  Though the links to Preach My Gospel show the lesson in its entirety, you will not be teaching the full lesson in one day.  Click the link and scroll to the particular section that is listed for that day.  Do not feel limited by the video supplements.  If you know of others that are equally wonderful (on Church-approved/owned sites) please feel free to use those as well, and let us know.



Day 1--p. 31 or Lesson 1: The Message of the Restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ (online).   today you will study the section titled  “God is our Loving Heavenly Father” and the 1st Article of Faith.
video supplement: “God is Our Father”


Day 2--p. 32 or Lesson 1: The Message of the Restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ (online).   today you will study the section titled  “The Gospel Blesses Families.”  And 1st Article of Faith.
Or any videos from the "Happy Families" series


Day 3--p. 32 or Lesson 1: The Message of the Restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ (online).   today you will study the section titled  “Heavenly Father Reveals His Gospel in Every Dispensation” part 1 (through “…those who ignore, reject, or distort the gospel do not receive God’s promised blessings.”  And 1st Article of Faith.
video supplements:



Day 4--p. 33 or Lesson 1: The Message of the Restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ (online).   today you will study the section titled  “Heavenly Father Reveals His Gospel in Every Dispensation” part 2 (beginning with “Whenever people choose to disregard…” to the end of section).  And 1st Article of Faith.
video supplement:



Day 5--p. 34 or Lesson 1: The Message of the Restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ (online).   today you will study the section titled  “The Savior’s Earthly Ministry.” And 1st Article of Faith.
video supplements:
Resources: any video from this site may be useful: Bible Videos

Friday, August 23, 2013

Articles of Faith Ideas

What a great blessing it would be if every member of the Church memorized the Articles of Faith and became knowledgeable about the principles contained in each. We would be better prepared to share the gospel with others.
Elder L. Tom Perry

With regards to the Articles of Faith listed with each lesson, they are not necessarily connected to the lesson plan, but just written in order.  Each Article of Faith will be used for about 5 days, then move on to the next.  First, teach for understanding, then work on memorization.  Simply memorizing the Article of Faith does not necessarily solidify the meaning and importance of what we believe. 
The quote listed above comes from Elder Perry's talk during the April 1998 General Conference found here:  The Articles of Faith.  I recommend reading or listening to this talk so that you personally understand the importance of knowing the Articles of Faith.  Since you will be working on each Article of Faith for 5 days, then again 5 more days, then again a few more days (because each topic is repeated over the course of the year), limit yourself to how many activities you do each day so you do not run out of ideas.

The following are just ideas to help you teach, and eventually memorize The Thirteen Articles of Faith.

  • Explain the history and origin of The Thirteen Articles of Faith (found in the talk cited above). 
  • Study the words and explain anything that does not make sense.  Ask your child(ren) if they know what this Article of Faith means and clarify if needed.
  •  Find various games online that make the learning and memorization more fun and less of a chore.  The Church has this game online: Articles of Faith Memory Quest.  You can also do a search online for more games, or create your own.
  • Print off the Article of Faith you are currently working on and place it in a location in your home where it will be viewed frequently.  On a mirror, on the fridge, you could even laminate it and hang it in the shower.  
  • Sing the song that corresponds with the current Article of Faith you are studying.  Primary Children's Songbook  (The Articles of Faith are pages 122-132 )
  •  Associate pictures from the Church Media Webpage with each Article of Faith to help remind you and your family what the Article of Faith represents.  
  • Some kids really like "rewards" for their success.  I don't suggest you bribe your children to study the Gospel, but maybe create a chart or punch card to show their success as they complete each Article of Faith.
Come up with your own ideas and feel free to share them in the comments!

Thursday, August 22, 2013

How to Use These Lessons



For each day, prepare in advance by reading the lesson found in Preach my Gospel, as many scripture references as you can, and watching any supplemental videos to narrow down what you plan to share.  You can use your own personal copy of Preach My Gospel when you are presenting the lessons, or you can access the online version: Preach My GospelThe Online version is very convenient for preparations as all of the scriptural references are already linked and you can go right to them.  Each lesson will be shared 2 or 3 times over the course of the school year, so you will have the opportunity to share different things each time if you choose.  When presenting the lesson to your family, read or summarize the section that is listed.  The first time through the schedule, you might feel more comfortable sticking to the written paragraphs in the section you are studying, so as not to stray from the pure doctrine you will share.  As you feel more comfortable, use your own words, remembering to maintain the doctrine described, and without veering into other topics; those topics will eventually be covered in all of the lessons.   

Always share your testimony of the truths you are sharing, and ask questions, especially questions that allow your family members to ponder and feel the Spirit.  Just as the missionaries teach, find appropriate opportunities to give challenges or assignments to family members to strengthen their faith in a principle (ex. If a child is old enough to understand, but has not yet been baptized, challenge them by asking if they will prepare themselves to follow Jesus Christ and be baptized someday).

 Use a scripture or two to solidify the topic or principle, but do not bombard the child(ren) with too much information that it becomes overwhelming.  This study guide is meant for all ages.  Help them to enjoy learning about the gospel, and look forward to these lessons each day.  The goal is to have devotional lessons daily before school (if time allows), and thus, if your children attend public school, time may be an issue, and you might want to opt to doing this when they all return home for the day.  Either way, I recommend maintaining your normal time for family scripture study, and adding this study time in where it works best for your family.  Try to consolidate your lesson time to about 30 minutes.  Hopefully, your children will love these lessons so much, that they will want to continue through the summer months.


The Article of Faith listed will last a week or two, depending on length, and can be used as a teaching tool for memorization and copy work, as well as for explaining what we believe.  Help your child(ren) to understand what each Article of Faith means before you begin memorizing it.  Find a way that works best for you where there is a balance between learning the meaning and memorizing, possibly alternating each day, or having a different activity each day that has to do with that specific Article of Faith.  I have not listed resources for this, though some helpful ideas may include: printing the Article of Faith and placing it on your fridge or on a mirror where people will see it the most, using pictures to remember what it says, or whatever you can find.  A search on Pinterest can give you ample ideas to help in teaching and memorizing The Thirteen Articles of Faith.  The Church website also has this very helpful game to encourage memorization:  Articles of Faith Memory Quest


Supplemental resources are listed with each lesson.  These selections do not represent a complete collection of all presentations specific to the topics.  If you do not find that the listed videos are suitable for your needs, please search through the video selections on LDS Media Page or Mormon Channel, both of which show Church-approved materials.  There are many more videos available than just what I have listed on this guide.  Many of the topics overlap, so there is some repetition in the videos listed.  The sources listed are sources directly linked through the Church, and Church-run websites, but if you find other sources are doctrinally sound, feel free to use them.  I used the following resources, and you can search them if you need to find additional videos or audio presentations: 




Please keep in mind, though the videos are useful resources, their purpose is to reinforce, and not replace your teaching and personal testimony.  Always view them personally prior to presenting them for your children, as some of the themes may be more suitable to younger or older children.  Unless otherwise indicated, all video resources are under five minutes in length.  The longer videos may be saved for Sundays or Family Home Evenings if you want to review a topic, or if you have ample time, feel free to use them while you are teaching during the regular week.

May your family be blessed as you learn to live and share the gospel together.



                                                                                                                                              

Introduction



Welcome  to "Preach My Gospel Generation: Daily Devotionals to Strengthen your Family."  I am excited to have you here, and hope you don't mind a little introduction.

I have felt in my heart a great desire to teach my children the gospel through daily mini-lessons or devotionals, but I was not sure until recently the course of study I should use.  I served as a missionary from 2003-2005 in Brazil, during which time I experienced the transition period between the “old way” of sharing the gospel, and the use of Preach My Gospel.  It was like Christmas the day we all received this book, another tool in promoting missionary work.  Recently, missionaries in our ward challenged my husband and me to be better at sharing the gospel, and encouraged us to come up with our own methods of improvement.  I am a stay-at-home-mother of 4 children (with one more on the way), and I homeschool.  I have many friends and acquaintances who are not members of the church, but my immediate feeling was to be a better teacher within my own home.  The more familiar we are with the lessons taught by the missionaries, the greater the possibility we will have in sharing them in every day conversation with friends who are not members of the Church.  We talk about the things that are familiar to us.  Wouldn’t all members of the Church want to be familiar with teaching everything they believe?  In theory, we should all be attending our meetings every Sunday, having Family Home Evening on Mondays, and studying the scriptures as a family, and personally, on a daily basis.  What about actually studying and discussing the doctrine as a family?  Do we limit ourselves by only discussing gospel topics on Sundays (and possibly Mondays)?  


Preach my Gospel is not just for missionaries.  In fact, all members of the Church have been encouraged to read and study from it.  The design of Preach my Gospel allows for topical study of specific points of doctrine that we, as members of the Church, believe.  Sometimes we have a testimony of specific principles, but when it comes down to teaching it, we stumble.  By studying from this book, we are better able to put our testimonies into words, and share scriptures that support what we know to be true.  Through sharing these points of doctrine with our children, they will feel the Spirit, and “he that preacheth and he that receiveth, understand one another, and both are edified and rejoice together.” (Doctrine and Covenants 50:22).


As you study Preach my Gospel as a family, you will be blessed.  Not only will you be able to solidify your testimony of the gospel, but you will be preparing your entire family to be missionaries, both at home and in the field.  With the announcement of the change in missionary eligibility age, many more young people are going on missions, most of whom are leaving directly from their homes rather than attending a year or two of college.  There has always been a great responsibility on the parents in Zion to rear their children in righteousness, and that responsibility is increasing.  When the bar for missionary work was raised, so was the bar for parenting.  As the world becomes more and more enticing and distracting, the Church pulls us in with more tools to maintain our standards and prepare us for the future.  Preach my Gospel is one of these great tools; don’t let it collect dust on your shelf.  Use it until the pages fade and the binding pulls from the spine, then go buy a new one.