The Book of Mormon Family Home Evening Lesson

This lesson was hard to put together because there is so much that can be taught about Moroni’s visit, the gold plates, the witnesses, the translation process, Joseph marrying Emma (that was part of the preparation of receiving the plates), the printing process, etc. Many of these events are covered in the extra activities to do during the week.

Begin by singing On a Golden Springtime. (You can use the Sing-Along Hymns app (Apple) or the Sacred Music app (Android or Apple) if you don’t know the song very well.

Ask family members what the song is about. Let them tell the story in their own words of how Moroni appeared to Joseph Smith, how he received the gold plates, and translated the Book of Mormon. You can use these pictures to add to the story: Moroni Appears to Joseph Smith, Joseph Smith Receives the Gold Plates, Joseph Smith Translating, The Eight Witnesses.

Watch “Where Did the Book of Mormon Come From? | Now You Know“. Did you learn anything new watching the video?

Activity – After losing the 116 pages and not being able to translate for a while the translation of the Book of Mormon started again on April 7, 1829. It was completed by June 30, 1829. It took roughly 65 days to translate the Book of Mormon. Team up with a family member to transcribe 1 Nephi chapter 1 for 15 minutes. One person reads while the other person writes the words. How many words were you able to transcribe? What did you learn from this experience about the translation process of the Book of Mormon?

Activity – Have family members take turns sharing their favorite story or scripture from the Book of Mormon.

The following are suggested activities to do throughout the week.

Toddlers

1. Watch The Angel Moroni and the Gold Plates. Then color this picture of Moroni Visiting Joseph Smith.

2. Use the pictures Moroni Appears to Joseph Smith, Joseph Smith Receives the Gold Plates, Joseph Smith Translating to share the story in simple terms. End by showing your child a copy of the Book of Mormon.

3. Let your child color the pictures before folding this booklet to read to them, The Book of Mormon Teaches Me About Jesus Christ.

4. Read the story From Gold Plates to the Book of Mormon having your child help trace the path.

5. Sing Book of Mormon stories or The Golden Plates. Children love to create actions to the words.

Children

1. Watch the video How We Got the Book of Mormon created from the Book of Mormon Scripture Reader.

2. Read the story “Receiving the Gold Plates” (page 1 and page 2). Then color and cut out the scripture figures and retell the story using the figures.

3. Read the story of Joseph Protecting the Gold Plates (page 1 and page 2). Then color and cut out the scripture figures and retell the story using the figures.

4. Read the story Emma Hale, the Prophet’s Wife (page 1 and page 2). Then color and cut out the scripture figures and retell the story using the figures.

5. Listen to this audio discussion, ‘The Angel Moroni and the Gold Plates,’ between a Primary teacher and her class. Three years after the First Vision, Joseph Smith was visited by the angel Moroni, who told him about the gold plates. Joseph went to the hill where the plates were buried but was unable to retrieve them for four more years. (27:59)

6. Listen to this audio lesson, Martin Harris and the Lost Pages, to learn about the translation and then loss of the first 116 pages. The discussion is between a Primary teacher and her class. (26:09)

7. Listen to ‘Witnesses See the Gold Plates,’ to hear a discussion about the three witnesses and the eight witnesses who  were shown the gold plates by an angel so they could testify the plates were real. (24:05)

Teens

1. Read the first five paragraphs and the section “The First Four Visits” of the article Moroni: Joseph Smith’s Tutor. What important messages came to Joseph as he was visited by Moroni?

2. Watch How Did Joseph Smith Translate the Book of Mormon? A question from the Worldwide Devotional: A Face to Face Event with Elder Quentin L. Cook on September 9, 2018 (8:06 minutes)

3. Read the New Era article The Last Witness of the Three Witnesses

4. Read ” The Testimony of the Three Witnesses ” and “The Testimony of the Eight Witnesses” located in the front of the Book of Mormon. Compare the two statements. What is different about what the Three Witnesses saw and what the Eight Witnesses saw?

5. Read Fellow Servants, chapter 7 in Saints Volume 1 about all the witnesses to the Gold Plates, including Mary Whitmer. How did receiving a witness help Mary? Watch thisvideo about her experience created by the Church History Department.

6. Make a list of ten or more truths we understand more clearly because we have the Book of Mormon. Read Plain and Precious Truths Restored and see if your lists is similar to the one in the article.

Adults

1. Read Malachi 3 and 4, the first Old Testament Prophecies Moroni quoted. Read Joseph Smith – History 1:37-39 and discuss or write what you understand from those verses relative to the importance of families.

2. Read Isaiah 11, Acts 3:22-23, and Joel 2:28-32 – all scriptures that were quoted by Moroni. What doctrine was Moroni teaching Joseph? How does it apply to you today?

3. Read the Book of Mormon Translation topic essay.

4. Watch Episode 7 – The Coming Forth of the Book of Mormon from the Joseph Smith Papers. (28:38 minutes)

5. Watch Episode 12 – The Book of Mormon Translation from the Joseph Smith Papers. (28:33 minutes)

6. Bruce R. McConkie taught, “The Lord never sends apostles and prophets and righteous men to minister to his people without placing women of like spiritual stature at their sides. … The exaltation of the one is dependent upon that of the other.” Read about Emma Hale Smith. These two articles are very good – Emma Hale Smith and My Great-Great-Grandmother Emma Hale Smith. What traits and attributes did Emma have that helped the church as it was just beginning? How did Emma and Joseph help and treat one another?

Download the lesson below.

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