Memorizing the 10 Commandments

The 10 Commandments are a fairly universal concept across religions, but I have always struggled to remember them.  I never learned any mnemonics to help me remember the order of the 10 commandments before, either, which is just sad, really.  But Paul taught me the ones his mission companion taught him. A few of them I didn’t like (they were a little hard for me to remember), so I did some internet research and together we came up with our own mixture to help us remember. and we spent an FHE compiling our own list and taking pictures (please excuse the gross, graying, tired-after-a-long-day-of-work me in them and focus on the hands instead :).    So, for your FHE/lesson-planning enjoyment, I give you, the 10 Commandments a la Fernandez.  :)

1. Hold up index finger, pointing toward heaven.  We should only have ONE God.

2. Hold up both index fingers and put them on either side of your head, kinda like a devil or the horns of a bull.  This could represent some of the “graven images” people worship that we should NOT make.

3. Hold up your first three fingers to make a “W”.  W stands for “Watch your Words.”  We must take care not to offend God by taking his name in vain (or, by extension, using other offensive language).

4. Remember that old finger play rhyme, “Here is the church, here is the steeple, open up the doors and see all the people?”  Your thumbs and index fingers make 4 fingers total.  We can remember the Sabbath Day and keep it holy by going to Church.

5. This one I made up, knowing a little American Sign Language.  If you make the sign for Father and Mother, you actually use all 5 fingers of your dominant hand to do them.

6. Don’t kill—open up one hand and aim a “gun” (forefinger of the other hand) at it…6 fingers, don’t kill.

7. Hold out a flat, open hand, palm up.  Stand two fingers (like a little running man) on top of it.  The open hand represents a Church, and the two fingers represent a bride and groom making covenants and promises of fidelity and virtue.  We should not break those promises by committing adultery.

 (And a fun alternative to number 7, again using some ASL...the number seven is actually touching your thumb to your ring finger...a symbol of marriage/commitment.  Love that one, too.)

8. One of my favorites—hold up four fingers on each hand (no thumbs) and put them across your face like jail cell bars.  Don’t steal or you’ll go to jail!  J

9. This one is hard to explain…look at the picture for clarification…but the cunning and sneaky “I’ve got you now” fingers (minus a thumb that is hiding inside) could represent the bad intentions of someone who is bearing false witness.  I also read online that the thumb could be the one bad person in the group of ten who decided not to tell the truth, who is being sneaky and hiding from the rest.

10. Make grabby hands.  Thou shalt not covet.   If you do it palms up and grab towards you a little, you actually do the ASL sign for want.  ;)

There you have it!  An easy way for anyone, but especially your little movers, to remember the 10 commandments!  :)

FHE 7/9: The Race of Life

This week's FHE lesson is inspired by President Thomas S. Monson's talk, "The Race of Life."

POINTS TO PONDER BEFORE YOU BEGIN:

QUOTES:

• "In our times of deepest reflection or greatest need, the soul of man reaches heavenward, seeking a divine response to life’s greatest questions: Where did we come from? Why are we here? Where do we go after we leave this life? Answers to these questions are not discovered within the covers of academia’s textbooks or by checking the Internet. These questions transcend mortality. They embrace eternity."
• "The Apostle Paul likened life to a race. To the Hebrews he urged, “Let us lay aside … the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.”⁹
  In our zeal, let us not overlook the sage counsel from Ecclesiastes: “The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong.”¹⁰ Actually, the prize belongs to him or her who endures to the end."
• "The toy boats of childhood had no keel for stability, no rudder to provide direction, and no source of power. Inevitably, their destination was downstream—the path of least resistance.
  Unlike toy boats, we have been provided divine attributes to guide our journey. We enter mortality not to float with the moving currents of life but with the power to think, to reason, and to achieve.
  Our Heavenly Father did not launch us on our eternal voyage without providing the means whereby we could receive from Him guidance to ensure our safe return. I speak of prayer. I speak too of the whisperings from that still, small voice; and I do not overlook the holy scriptures, which contain the word of the Lord and the words of the prophets—provided to us to help us successfully cross the finish line."

SONGS:

• I Will Follow God's Plan
• Listen to the Still Small Voice
• Dare to Do Right
• As a Child of God

OBJECT LESSONS:

• Really, President Monson's already got the object lesson embedded in his talk, likening life to a race.  So I'm going to skip this part this week, since almost all the activities below involve race-themed ideas.  :)

GAMES & LEARNING ACTIVITIES:

• Organize family races at a local park or gym or field.  After a few relays, discuss the meaning of truly "enduring to the end." 
• Make paper boats and float them in a race just like in President Monson's story!  (Could be in a bathtub, down a gutter, or in a stream/river.)  Talk about his quote that "the toy boats of childhood had no keel for stability, no rudder to provide direction, and no source of power. Inevitably, their destination was downstream—the path of least resistance. Unlike toy boats, we have been provided divine attributes to guide our journey. We enter mortality not to float with the moving currents of life but with the power to think, to reason, and to achieve."  Discuss with your family what some of those divine attributes are that help us "win the race."
• (Older children) Print off a copy of the talk for each family member.  Have "the big three" questions printed on separate pieces of paper: Where do we come from?  Why are we here?  Where are we going?  Assign each family member one of the questions (could be several to a group if necessary) and have them: (1) find the answer to that question as found in President Monson's talk,  (2) find a scripture that supports it, and (3) tell of an experience they've had with that question.  Have each group share.

HANDOUTS & FREEBIES

• Have family members color their own Plan of Salvation clipart FOUND HERE.  This Plan is really what answers all those big questions. After they color, you can cut them out and use them to talk about that race of life and where our real destination/goal is.
• I've made bookmarks again for you!   These are 4x6 prints, as usual.  You can download the JPEG HERE.

CRAFTS & MORE:

• Create paper boats for the race activity above.  Directions HERE.
• Create a family collage or coloring pages for each other of all the things that help us win the race of life!

TREATS:

• Race-themed treats, such as this food bicycle or this winner's trophy JELLO dessert, are always a hit.  You can do any sort of finger food with these cute race flag toothpicks in them, or just some "recharging" trail mix and water.

FHE 7/2: The Doctrine of Christ

You may have noticed I skipped over the Priesthood Session and the talk by Sister Beck about Relief Society.  We will get to the priesthood session in a bit--I thought it would be a good review in preparation for the next Conference sessions.  Honestly, while the Relief Society talk is a POWERFUL overview of the purposes of Relief Society that I think every adult member (or teenaged, for that matter, especially girls) ought to read and ponder, it isn't really applicably or easily made into an FHE lesson--especially for families with young kids.  So I will leave it up to you. 

SO.  This week's lesson is based on Elder D. Todd Christofferson's talk, "The Doctrine of Christ." There are several components of this talk--the way the Lord reveals his will to the Prophet, the counsel of Apostles and other Church leaders in seeking spiritual guidance, etc.  But the heart of it is the affirmation that we believe in Jesus Christ, and that this belief is central to all others, and that coming unto Him is the ONLY way to be saved.  What simpler, better truth to remind our families of?

POINTS TO PONDER BEFORE YOU BEGIN:

• What do you believe about Christ--really? 
• In what ways does your family already come to know Christ and be reminded of Him?  In what ways could you improve?

QUOTES:

• The Savior taught His doctrine in the meridian of time, and His Apostles struggled mightily to preserve it against a barrage of false tradition and philosophy. New Testament Epistles cite numerous incidents demonstrating that serious and widespread apostasy was already under way during the Apostles’ ministry.¹
  The centuries that followed were illuminated by occasional rays of gospel light until, in the 19th century, a brilliant dawn of Restoration broke upon the world, and the gospel of Christ, full and complete, was once again upon the earth. This glorious day began when, in “a pillar of light … above the brightness of the sun” (Joseph Smith—History 1:16), God the Father and His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, visited young Joseph Smith and initiated what would become a virtual flood of revelation linked with divine power and authority.
  In these revelations we find what might be termed the core doctrine of the Church of Jesus Christ reestablished upon the earth. Jesus Himself defined that doctrine in these words recorded in the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ:
  “This is my doctrine, and it is the doctrine which the Father hath given unto me; and I bear record of the Father, and the Father beareth record of me, and the Holy Ghost beareth record of the Father and me; and I bear record that the Father commandeth all men, everywhere, to repent and believe in me.
  “And whoso believeth in me, and is baptized, the same shall be saved; and they are they who shall inherit the kingdom of God.
  “And whoso believeth not in me, and is not baptized, shall be damned.
  “… And whoso believeth in me believeth in the Father also; and unto him will the Father bear record of me, for he will visit him with fire and with the Holy Ghost. …
  “Verily, verily, I say unto you, that this is my doctrine, and whoso buildeth upon this buildeth upon my rock, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against them” (3 Nephi 11:32–35, 39).
  This is our message, the rock upon which we build, the foundation of everything else in the Church. Like all that comes from God, this doctrine is pure, it is clear, it is easy to understand—even for a child. With glad hearts, we invite all to receive it.
• The Prophet Joseph Smith confirmed the Savior’s central role in our doctrine in one definitive sentence: “The fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the Apostles and Prophets, concerning Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended into heaven; and all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it.”⁷ Joseph Smith’s testimony of Jesus is that He lives, “for [he] saw him, even on the right hand of God; and [he] heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father” (D&C 76:23; see also verse 22). I appeal to all who hear or read this message to seek through prayer and study of the scriptures that same witness of the divine character, the Atonement, and the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Accept His doctrine by repenting, being baptized, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and then throughout your life following the laws and covenants of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

SONGS:

• He Sent His Son
• Beautiful Savior
• This is My Beloved Son
• To Think About Jesus
• The 1st Article of Faith
• I Feel My Savior's Love
• Tell Me the Stories of Jesus

OBJECT LESSONS:

• Compare Christ to the North Star (older children)
• Repentance & Baptism: Removing the Tarnish from our Lives. Grab a pile of pennies, some that are shiny and some that are tarnished.  Have the children separate the pile into two groups.  Ask: What is the difference between the two kinds of pennies? Is it possible to make the tarnished pennies shine like the new pennies? Put the tarnished pennies in a container with vinegar and stir or shake for several minutes. In the meantime, talk about baptism or repentance. Take the pennies & rub with the cloth until they are clean & shiny. (Anonymous, via mormonshare.com)
• Taking Advantage of the Atonement (by Jenny Smith via mormonshare.com)Ask a class member to make a paper airplane, or make one yourself. Tape a coin, rock, or weight to one side of the airplane. Stand on the same side of the room as the class members, and ask a class member to throw the airplane gently toward the other side of the room. Next, pick up the airplane and remove the taped object. Have the class member throw the airplane again. After the class member has done so a few times, put the airplane away, and ask the following question: How can just one small weight keep the plane from flying correctly? (This object lesson can also be likened to repentance. One small sin can keep us from "flying" back to our Father. We need Christ's atoning sacrifice to make us clean.)

GAMES & LEARNING ACTIVITIES:

• If you have a Gospel Art Kit or Book handy, copy or print a few pictures of Christ's life--the Nativity, teaching in the temple at 12 years old, some of His teachings and ministry and miracles, the Garden of Gethsemane, the crucifixion, the Resurrection, and the 2nd coming.  Have family members put them in order and then talk about Christ's life.  If you don't have one handy or are lazy or want smaller copies for quiet books and the like, I've got a copy for you of 12 "cards" you can print off and use HERE.  :)  It's a JPEG sized to 8 1/2" x 11".  The order of the miracles and such don't matter as much, but otherwise you can turn this into a timeline game if you print them on nice cardstock or something. 

• Help family members memorize the 1st, 3rd, and/or 4th Article of Faith.  For tips on helping children memorize scripture, check out my post HERE. 
• Some ideas on teaching children from The Living Christ from "The Family Home Evening Spot": Read selected sections from "The Living Christ" and discuss with family members.  Give each child a copy and on the back have them write their testimonies (younger children can draw pictures).  Show a short video of the Prophet or Apostles speaking about Christ.

HANDOUTS & FREEBIES:

• There are a few coloring pages about Christ's birth HERE .  There's an 8-page mini coloring book about the last days of Christ's life HERE.  Coloring flannel board story of Christ's resurrection can be found HERE.  A coloring page of Christ with a Nephite-looking girl can be found HERE, while a boy putting up a poster of Christ can be found HERE.

CRAFTS & MORE:

• Create "The Living Christ" collages!
• Have children cut up pictures from old Friends and Ensigns about Christ and make a collage/poster for their bedrooms.

TREATS:

• Any treats will do this week, but I like the idea of Easter rolls or something like it.  :)

Helping Children Memorize Scripture

As a teacher by trade, I know that memorization is NOT the most important thing in teaching or learning.  I'm also really bad at it myself, so I try not to put much emphasis on it in school or at church.  But there are times--like learning the 13 Articles of Faith or scripture mastery--where memorization not only is required but it can really come in handy.  Having a favorite verse committed to memory is truly knowing it "by heart," and we can call on these things in times when we need comfort or words beyond our own as we teach others.

So how do we help our children memorize scripture?  While there are a TON of great ideas out there, these are some of the principles that have helped ME learn and teach scripture "by heart."

RULE #1:  Make sure children understand the doctrine/ideas BEHIND the scripture first. 

I cannot stress this enough!  Before you set out to commit anything to memory, you have to understand what it means.  Especially if there are big words in it that maybe children don't understand.  Spend time teaching the principles and vocabulary FIRST, and the memorization will come more easily afterwards.

RULE #2: Make it FUN!

There are a PLETHORA of ideas out on "the interwebs" about games to help kids learn.  Some that are tried-and-true for me are:
(1) Setting it to music.  Many children learn best through music and rhythm.  The Articles of Faith, the Books in each of the scriptures, the order of modern prophets--these all have songs in the Children's Songbook for a reason!  USE THEM!  If you are trying to set a scripture to music that doesn't already exist, enlist the children's help!
(2) Have visuals handy.  Whether it's pictures to match or words/first letters to each word, start with lots of visuals that you can slowly take away as you recite.  Repetition is a lot less dull when you have visuals to help you.  Let the kids help make them for an extra activity!
(3) Play games!  There are some great Articles of Faith mazes/word searches/etc. all linked up at Sugardoodle HERE.  One of my primary kids' favorite games to play when I was teaching the Articles of Faith was Pass the Spoon--just grab a wooden spoon from your kitchen and hand it to the first child, who says the first word in whatever scripture you are memorizing.  They pass it to the second person, who says the second word, and so on.  If kids get stuck on a word, they can ask their neighbors, but if they can't figure it out, they are OUT of that round!  Another idea is to have the words/pictures to the scripture all scrambled up and have the kids put them in order.  Or have the more kinesthetic learners play pictionary with the key words, march around as you recite, or pop up like popcorn when certain words are repeated.  There are as many different games to play as there are people who are learning!

RULE #3: Practice makes perfect.

If your kids are only reciting these things at FHE or in primary/seminary, they will NOT learn all the scriptures they need to in time...and if they do, they certainly won't STICK with them for long. One of my fondest memories is my brother and sisters and I challenging each other throughout the week--in the car, on the schoolbus, at the store, wherever--to recite scriptures and songs and other things we had memorized.  Because of that constant repetition, we can still sing a handful of songs from elementary school almost 2 decades later, and recite all 50 states, and the 9 planets, and the 7 dwarfs, and even important things like all 13 articles of faith.  :)  So make time for practicing these things constantly, and post the words in places where they will be viewed frequently--whether it's making a pocket-sized verse to carry around or writing them on the bathroom mirror!

RULE #4: Don't be afraid of incentives!

I know a lot of people think of incentives as "bribes," but the truth is that most people wouldn't do anything they do without a little push or reward at the end of the day.  Especially for our children who aren't intrinsically motivated to memorize or learn, incentives can be your very best friend.  Have them work toward a party, a special treat or gift, date night with Mom or Dad, bragging rights, ANYTHING that motivates them.  When we were children and the world wasn't so political about its food, we had a big 13 Articles of Faith Ice Cream Party in my primary.  We earned a scoop of ice cream for each AoF we memorized.  I still remember that party 18 years later!  But obviously that isn't the most healthy option.  You don't have to use food--we have Article of Faith "Keys" (found on Sugardoodle) that our primary kids are earning as they pass off each one, and let me tell you that earning a full set of those paper keys is JUST as motivating!  The key is to find out (even if it means you have to ask them point-blank) what will motivate your children to TRY.

What are some of your favorite ways to learn new scripture?  Or what have you seen done in primary/nursery to help children memorize?  I'm always looking for new ideas.  :)