A Child's Scripture Journal

I love the Red Headed Hostess's take on scripture journals.

In an effort to stop losing our Faith in God book, and help Bowery Bird keep track of her scripture reading, I made this notebook for her after she turned 8. It involved some laminating and cutting, but was pretty easy. Now she keeps it inside her scripture case, and her friends in Activity Days want one too. (birthday gifts here we come...)

The front cover is just a pretty picture laminated.

 

White paper has a Reading Chart of just the stories in the scriptures (organized by Penny Gardner here) to mark off as completed.

Cream colored pages for her Scripture Journal. I listed obvious topics for Primary age then numbered the following pages to match, one to a topic for quotes, etc.

Blue pages are for her Gratitude Journal. At the bottom I wrote "9 years old" etc. giving two pages to each age up to 12. (the light changed, that's cream to the right still.) And yes, "Mom" made the top 5 with a capital letter-sigh.

Yellow Pages are for Spiritual Experiences, again ages are noted at the bottom, 2 pages to a year. They are still blank, and she's almost 10---I better start praying for more...does finding the snake loose in our house after a third prayer count?

After these pages is her Faith in God booklet starting with page 1 (not the cover).
Lastly, with "My Gospel Standards" on the left and the back of the front cover on the right I finished it off with her school picture laminated on. So the very back of the book is actually the front cover of the Faith in God booklet.

Family Home Evenings that worked

 Family Home Evening is a night where we all gather to cheerfully and cooperatively bask in the glow of family. Sometimes it happens that way.

Here are three FHEs that went pretty well:

• Book of Scripture Picture Match--After talking about the different books of scripture, I wrote the titles on a big flat whiteboard in roughly the order they were written. Then I pulled out pictures from the Gospel Picture Kit and everyone guessed which book of scripture they went with, and I laid it in the right place. (and contrary to what my husband thought this was not an easy way for me to organize my mess of pictures....really.)

• Book of Mormon "Who Said"--Short on time--I finally pulled out "Who Said" for the first time. A game by Covenant that has 2 sets of cards; one with pictures and names of people (good and bad) in the Book of Mormon, and another set with scripture quotes, reference, then a picture of who said it. So we laid out all the people cards, and I would select 3 to choose from and read a scripture quote. We played 2 teams, and if they got it right they kept the person card. There are many versions, and this game would be easy to make on your own. Both of these FHEs were great for assessing what our children (9, 6, and 4y/o) already knew and easily pause to talk if they didn't understand something.

• Read from our Spirit Journal--a blank book we started way back. It has spiritual experiences in it involving our family. I put everything from our 4y/o praying and finding her lost  bug catcher to when people have generously served our family.

Family Scripture Study

You know something is working when you fall out of the habit, and with minimal effort can pick it up again. That's our family scripture study. Finally a method that is doable.
Morning. The kids make their way through a fog to the living room couch, tousled tresses and burritoed blankets. We wait for dad to come out, in the mean time I've taken to pulling out a picture from the Gospel Picture Kit and talking about the story, or grabbing a friend and reading a story. We pass out scriptures from the local shelf. Book of Mormon currently, so it could be military small, large print, faux leather triple, ipod, or Family Edition (my personal fav to decode new words) and someone reads, taking turns. We say a morning prayer and dad leaves for work while children are coaxed out of their blankets and the day begins.

It's simple. It's doable, and we reap the benefits all day.


“Wherefore, be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great” (D&C 64:33).

"The consistency of our intent and work was perhaps the greatest lesson—a lesson we did not fully appreciate at the time."--Elder Bednar in his talk from 2009 Conference regarding scripture study.

Isn't that so reassuring, so simple and doable. In his same talk he speaks of showing love and bearing testimony. Scripture time, on a good day, we can knock out all three--before breakfast is even served!
Scripture Study for Latter-Day Saint Families is a nice resource I found, and it is available for other books of scripture. Chapter by chapter it gives short, concise quotes, explanations, object lessons, and visuals that support and expound the doctrine taught. It would make great devotionals or family home evenings, and is versatile for all ages. It is one of those resources that sends you to the scriptures, looking for more.