Joseph Smith--Matthew 1; Matthew 25; Mark 12-13; Luke 21 (May 27-June 2)

This week, we're going to attempt two things.

1. Joseph Smith--Matthew 1:22, 37. The suggested activity asks you to think about what it means to treasure up the word of God? And asks How can we do this as a family? Well, we've been trying to incorporate gospel lessons with our toddler in accordance to Come Follow Me. We read scriptures when he's awake and close by, though we don't force him to sit still for it or even listen. BUT, we want to be better. So, in our bedtime routine, which already includes reading books, we're incorporating reading a chapter from a Book of Mormon reader we have. We did it last night for the first time and it did not go very well, but we did it and I'm hoping as we try to be consistent that it will get better and maybe he'll even sit or be quiet for half of it tonight. For any who are interested and don't have a physical one with pictures to read with your toddler, we're using a print version of the one in the Gospel Library app. The "videos" I've linked to before are the ones from the New Testament one. The books are also pretty cheap. I don't know if it's my favorite, but it's more complete than some others and is good with the amount of pictures to scripture. HERE'S a link to the one we have from Deseret Book for $4.30.

2. Then the parable of the 10 virgins. Matthew 25:1-13. I don't think we're going to bother with trying to explain symbolism but it's one I want my son to be familiar with. We can tell the story briefly with the picture in the Come Follow Me manual and then attach "drops" to objects that can strengthen our testimony that are around the house. We'll go on a scavenger hunt and fill a "lamp" or probably a play teapot is what we have. I don't know if he'll understand why certain things give us drops, but it'll still give me an idea of where to put them and help familiarize my son with the story so we can go into more detail next time around. Examples of items to put them on from the manual include: scriptures, church clothes or a picture of the temple. Or a picture of Jesus Christ, if you have a bank for tithing (not everyone does) or church magazines if you have some- whatever you have lying around that is gospel related.

Videos: Gospel Library app -> children -> New Testament Stories: Chapters 45-48. The Widow's Mite; The Second Coming; The Ten Virgins and The Talents.

Matthew 21-23; Mark 11; Luke 19-20; John 12 (May 20-26)

This week I liked a lot of the family suggestions, but not when I thought of my toddler. We're going to do the 3rd one or something related to it. Matthew 21:12-17. It talks about the temple and how important it is to be reverent and respectful. We're going to sing "I Love to See the Temple" at bedtime and then just talk about being reverent and respectful in general this week.

Scripture videos: Gospel Library app, Children, New Testament videos: Chapter 44

Luke 12-17; John 11 (May 6-12)

So this week is a lot of parables.

Idea 1: Three parables talk about things that are lost (Luke 15). One is a sheep that is lost and the shepherd leaves the 99 to find the one. Another is the widow who lost a coin and searched the whole house and the last is the prodigal son who is metaphorically lost (I don't know if I can get my son to grasp this last one yet). We are going to play hide and seek with finding the person (the lost sheep). And my son loves treasure, so it will be really easy to play losing the coin and searching the whole house for it. The second will be easier to incorporate the story. The first one I'll probably have to say that we're all sheep and then say one wanders off and gets lost. (Then say to my son, "Go hide and pretend to be lost so we have to come find you.) Then I can say that we miss the one and go looking for our lost sheep.



Idea 2: In Luke 17:11-19 it talks about the 10 lepers who were healed and only one said thank you. The suggestion mentions singing "Count Your Blessings" so we'll incorporate that in with our lullabies for the week, and work on saying thank you for things.




Idea 3: watch the following video about Lazarus. (also found on lds.org called "Lazarus is Raised from the Dead"










Other videos for the week: Gospel Library App, Children, New Testament Stories, Chapter 36 (kinda just an intro for the three parables so I'm probably skipping it.), The First Parable, The Second Parable, The Third Parable, 37 and 43.