Family Home Evening: The Brother of Jared (8/11/2013)

Owen in his "barge"

Okay, so at our house, we like to do Family Home Evening (FHE) a little differently than I imagine most families in the Church do. Back when my wife and I started trying to involve the kids in our FHE activities, we had a hard time holding their attention. Singing only lasted so long. Reading in the scriptures was pretty boring for them. How do you keep the attention of a two-year old for more than a few seconds, let alone get through a fifteen-minute lesson, and have the Spirit be a part of the experience?

Finally, one day my wife and I got to talking about how bad we were doing, and I decided I'd "think outside the box". Now, we like to "play" with the kids, in a "spiritual" sort of way. That is, we take a story from the scriptures, and make a game or activity out of it. 

 Well, last week, my wife suggested we should do one about the brother of Jared, so that's what we did today after church. Bear in mind - not all our FHE activities are this elaborate, but when I thought of it, I just couldn't pass it up. I had all the electronic components handy, and I knew it would be fun for the kids.

We started out by singing "A Child's Prayer", and we had a quick opening prayer. As we read through the verses, Livvy, my two-year old, was busily engaged in trying to put a Mickey Mouse hat on Mommy, while Owen, my four-year old jumped up and down in my lap, not fully understanding what was going on. It'd been too long since we last did Family Home Evening. I guess this really does have to be something you do frequently in order for the kids to really get into it.

When we hit the part where the brother of Jared makes the stones and asks the Lord to touch them, I got out my electronic set. I had Owen and Livvy take turns touching the lights without turning them on just yet. I asked them, "What do you think happened when the brother of Jared asked the Lord to touch the stones?" The next time Owen touched a light, I hit the push-button switch, and the whole thing came to life. It really caught him off guard, and he got a big smile on his face. Now he understood that the stones could shine in the dark! Right off the bat, he asked if he could take the sixteen stones in the barge with him. It was too bad I didn't have a long enough extension cord. 

We sang "Book of Mormon Stories", "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes", "I'm all made of hinges" and "I Have Two Little Hands". Livvy didn't want to stop singing - that came as no surprise. Owen didn't want to stop being in the barge. I continued playing with him some time, being the "sea monster" and making the fan blow the barge to the promised land. He continued talking about the brother of Jared and going in the barge for some time afterward. 

The focus wasn't quite what I'd hoped, but we got to feel a little of the Spirit, and we had some fun as a family in a way that will help Owen and Livvy as they continue to learn the story of the brother of Jared. I'd have to chalk this one up as mostly a success! 


Below, I provide the materials and instructions for preparation, in case you decide you want to do the same thing at your house. I wish you luck in finding another FHE lesson plan that includes instructions for building an electronic circuit!

Preparation

 For this Family Home Evening Lesson Activity, we used:

• 2 kitchen chairs
• 1 large quilt or blanket that kids can play with
• 1 120V electric fan
• 2 Flashlights or electric lanterns you can use in the house
• Children's Primary Songbook (Piano or keyboard a plus)
• Print and cut out the scripture/activity strips below
• For the electronically inclined: Prepare "sixteen small stones". This step can be eliminated, but you'll need to rework the activities accordingly.

  

Making the "Sixteen Small Stones"

Sixteen small stones shining...

If you don't have equipment similar to mine, get the following from your local electronics hobby store:

• one small breadboard 
• one push-putton switch
• sixteen clear (preferably white emitting) LEDs
• a battery holder that can hold two AA batteries (must be wired in series to produce 3V output - most are made this way)

 Instructions:

1. Connect your power source to the breadboard.
2. Connect the positive lead of your power source to one side of your push-button switch.
3. Connect the positive (long) leg of each LED to the other side of your switch
4. Connect the negative (short) leg of each LED to the negative lead of your power source

You should now have one push-button switch connected to the positive side of your power source. You should also have sixteen LEDs connected in parallel from the other side of the power switch to the negative terminal of your power source. This picture shows me holding down my tiny push-button switch for a test. I actually used the 5-volt power source that comes with my fancy hobbyist's breadboard, so I needed the 330Ώ resistors you see in the picture. But if you're just doing a 3-volt source as described above, you won't need the resistors.

I never in the world thought I'd ever have occasion to use my furtive knowledge of electronics for teaching the gospel - especially in Family Home Evening!

Opening Song: A Child's Prayer (#12)

I told the kids that tonight for Family Home Evening, we'd be talking about the brother of Jared and how, with the Lord's help, he led his friends and family to the promised land. I used these scripture/activity sections, and since my four-year old has been expressing some interest in learning to read, I thought I'd encourage him to read it with me. I edited the verses somewhat, to make it easier for him to read and understand, but did my best to stick to the essence of the story as given in the book of Ether, chapters two and three.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = 

Scripture 1: Ether 2:5-8

And it came to pass that the Lord commanded them that they should go forth into the wilderness... and … the Lord did go before them, and did talk with them as he stood in a cloud, and gave directions [where] they should travel. And the Lord [wanted them to] come forth even unto the land of promise, which was choice above all other lands, which the Lord God had preserved for a righteous people. The Lord told the brother of Jared, that [the people who live in the] land of promise, from that time henceforth and forever, should serve him, the true and only God.

Activity 1: Ask this question: What does it mean to serve Heavenly Father? Why should we serve him? (Have the kids answer)

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = 

Scripture 2: Ether 2:16-21

And... the brother of Jared did go to work, and also his brethren, and built barges … according to the instructions of the Lord. And they were small, and they were light upon the water, even like unto the lightness of a [bird] upon the water. And they were built after a manner that they were exceedingly tight, even that they would hold water like unto a dish

[Then] the brother of Jared cried unto the Lord, saying: O Lord, I have [done what you asked me to do], and I have made the barges... behold, O Lord, in them there is no light;

How will we steer?

How will get air to breathe?

And the Lord said unto the brother of Jared: Behold, thou shalt make a hole in the top, and also in the bottom... And if the water comes in, [plug the hole]. And it came to pass that the brother of Jared did … as the Lord had commanded.

Activity 2: Build a barge. Lay the chairs face-down in front of the couch. Drape the blanket over the couch and chairs, so there's a crawl space under the blanket. Have the kids crawl under the blanket. Close everything up to make it as dark as you can without scaring the kids. Ask them: Can you see in there? Why not?

= = = = = == = = = = = == =

Scripture 3: Ether 2:22-25

And [the brother of Jared prayed] again unto the Lord saying: O Lord, ...I have done [what you commanded me]; and I have prepared the vessels for my people, and behold there is no light in them. [Will we have to go all the way to the promised land in the dark?]

And the Lord said unto the brother of Jared:

You can't have windows, because they'll get broken by the waves of the sea.

You can't have fire because you'll be inside the boat, under the water.

I've sent forth the winds and the floods to guide you toward the promised land.

What should I do for you so you can have light while you're under the ocean?

Activity 3: Ask the kids – what do you think the brother of Jared asked the Lord to do?

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

Scripture 4: Ether 3:1-4,6

...The brother of Jared went [up into a mountain] and [melted rock into] sixteen small stones; and they were white and clear, [like] glass; and he did carry them in his hands [to the top of the mountain], and cried again unto the Lord, saying: O Lord, thou hast said that we [will have to go under the water in the ocean]. [You commanded us to pray and ask when we need help. Please don't make us cross the ocean in dark. Look at the sixteen stones I made. Please touch the stones with your finger and make them shine in the dark so we can see. And... when the brother of Jared had said these words, behold, the Lord stretched forth his hand and touched the stones one by one with his finger. And [the brother of Jared] saw the finger of the Lord...”

Activity 4: Ask the kids - what did the brother of Jared learn that day? Is Heavenly Father real? Is Jesus real? What do they look like? Does Jesus have hands and fingers like you and me? Have the kids take turns making the “sixteen stones” shine in the dark. Have them take flashlights with them and go back under the blanket. Turn on the fan, and have the kids pretend the winds are blowing them toward the promised land. Mom and Dad can be the sea monsters, bumping the boat.

Closing Song: Book of Mormon Stories (#118), alternate: Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes (#275), I Have Two Little Hands (#272)