Sharing Time: Family Members in the Scriptures

This sharing time will teach the children about different family members in the scriptures and Church History.

Preparation: Familiarize yourself with the people in this sharing time. If possible, obtain pictures of each of them (Lucy Mack Smith, Mary [the mother of Jesus], Lehi, Alma, Miriam, Mary and Martha, the Brother of Jared, and President Gordon B. Hinckley.)

Presentation: Tell the children that you are thinking of a person in the scriptures or in the history of our church. You are going to give them some clues. When they think they know who it is, they should quietly raise their hand (do not shout out the answer). Continue to give all the clues, then call on someone with their hand up to guess who it is. If they are not correct, ask for other answers. If none of the children know who it is, tell them the answer. If you have a picture, show it to the children.

Option: Cover the picture with a sheet of paper cut into six pieces. Take one piece off with each clue until the picture is fully revealed.

Lucy Mack Smith (see Joseph Smith--History 1:4, and Richard Lloyd Anderson, "The Early Preparation of the Prophet Joseph Smith," Ensign, Dec 2005, 12-17):

1. This person is a mother.

2. She taught her children to read the scriptures.

3. She moved many times. At one time she lived in a log cabin in the state of New York.

4. When one of her sons needed surgery, he asked her to leave the room so she didn't have to see him in pain.

5. Her husband and one of her sons are named Joseph.

6. Her son Joseph became a prophet.

Lehi (see 1 Nephi 1-2, 8, 16):

1. This person is a father.

2. He prayed to Heavenly Father.

3. He had a vision and taught his family the things the Lord wanted them to do.

4. He took his family out of Jerusalem into the wilderness, because the people in the city had become very wicked. They lived in a tent in the wilderness.

5. He found a curious ball that showed him the way to go, it was called the Liahona.

6. One of his sons is named Nephi.

Mary and Martha (see John 11-12, Luke 10):

1. These clues are about two people, they are sisters.

2. They were friends of Jesus, cooked for him, and listened to his words.

3. They had a brother named Lazarus.

4. They sent for Jesus when their brother was very sick, because they had faith and knew Jesus could heal him.

5. They were very sad, because Jesus didn't come in time and their brother died. But after Jesus arrived, He brought Lazarus back to life.

6. One of the sisters anointed Jesus with oil. (Mary)

Brother of Jared (see Ether 1-3):

1. This person is a brother.

2. He was a large and mighty man.

3. He had great faith.

4. He prayed for his family, so the Lord wouldn't confound their languages.

5. He built boats for his family and made stones to light them.

6. He saw the finger of the Lord, then saw the Lord and spoke with Him.

Mary (see Bible Dictionary, page 729):

1. This person is a mother.

2. She had a cousin named Elizabeth.

3. While she was expecting a baby, she went with her husband to Bethlehem to pay their taxes.

4. Shepherds came and visited her when she had the baby.

5. When her son was 12 years old, they went on a trip. Her son became lost. They found him in the temple, teaching the doctors.

6. Her son is Jesus.

Miriam (see Exodus 1:22, 2:3-8; Numbers 26:59, Bible Dictionary, page 733):

1. This person is a sister.

2. Her name means exalted.

3. She had great courage.

4. She watched over her baby brother when her mother hid him in the bulrushes.

5. When the Pharaoh's daughter found her brother and decided to adopt him, this person told Pharaoh's daughter of a woman who could help take care of the baby.

6. Her brother became a prophet named Moses.

Alma (see Mosiah 18, 27, 29):

1. This person is a father.

2. He became a prophet, and the leader of the church after he heard Abinadi preach.

3. He has a son with the same name.

4. His son was an unbeliever and tried to destroy the church.

5. He prayed that his son would learn the truth.

6. An angel visited his son and told him to stop trying to destroy the church. After that, his son became a great missionary and later became the high priest over all the land.

President Hinckley (see Jeffrey R. Holland, "President Gordon B. Hinckley: Stalwart and Brave He Stands," Ensign, June 1995, 5 and Gordon B. Hinckley, "Lessons I Learned as a Boy," New Era, Oct 1998, 4):

1. This person is a brother.

2. He and his brothers and sisters learned to work hard when they were children.

3. He had a brother named Sherman.

4. In the summertime, he and Sherman would sometimes sleep outside in a wagon filled with hay.

5. They would watch the stars, and learned that the North Star never changed. He wanted to pattern his life after the North Star and always be someone his family and others could depend on.

6. He became a prophet and the President of the Church.

Explain that we should love and take care of our families just as these people did. Bear your testimony of the importance of your family.

Sing songs to reinforce the lesson such as, "My Eternal Family," 2009 Outline for Sharing Time, 10-11; "A Happy Family," Children's Songbook 198; "Families Can Be Together Forever," CS 188; and "Love is Spoken Here," CS 190.