Featured Image by Robert T. Pack
This FHE lesson on the Book of Mormon helps teach how Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon by the power of God. It especially focuses on the instruments provided by the Lord to help in the translation, such as the seer stones.
Scripture
See that you are faithful and continue on unto the finishing of the remainder of the work of translation as you have begun.
Hymn
The Golden Plates | Children’s Songbook
1. The golden plates lay hidden
Deep in the mountainside,
Until God found one faithful,
In whom he could confide.
2. A record made by Nephi,
Written in days of old;
Now, in the Book of Mormon,
The story is retold.
Lesson
FOR CHILDREN
Begin the lesson by writing down the word hello in another language. Depending on your child’s age, you can write down multiple translations of the word hello. Have them pronounce all of the words as best they can. Ask them if they can guess what the words mean. If they struggle, give them clues, such as they all mean the same thing or its something you say when you first see someone. Once they’ve guessed that all of the words mean hello, begin the lesson below.
Read aloud: When we take a word in another language and learn what it means in a language we understand, this is called translation. When we translate languages, we can connect with people all over the world.
Hold up the following picture (also found in the Gospel Art Book):
The Book of Mormon was written in another language. Prophets in the ancient Americas wrote on the gold plates. In order for us to understand what the prophets of the Book of Mormon wrote, it needed to be translated.
Ask: Do you know who translated the Book of Mormon?
Read aloud: Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon by the power of God. Instead of looking at books to translate the words or going to someone who spoke the language, Joseph had to rely on the Holy Ghost and special tools the Lord provided to help in the translation.
There were two main ways Joseph translated the Book of Mormon. First, he would look directly at the gold plates themselves. Second, he had special instruments such as this one.
Hold up the following picture (from the Joseph Papers):
The seer stone was a tool given by God to help receive revelation. The words of the Book of Mormon would appear on the stone in English, bright and shining. In order to see the words more clearly, Joseph would place the stone in a hat and block out the light.
A scribe would sit and write down the translation. By translating the Book of Mormon, Joseph helped the world know more about Jesus Christ.
Ask: Why do you think God wanted the world to have the Book of Mormon? Why do you like the Book of Mormon?
Finish the lesson by bearing your testimony and answering any questions your children have.
FOR TEENS & ADULTS
Begin the lesson by watching the following video. Ask everyone to think about why God would use seer stones to help translate the Book of Mormon.
Read aloud: When Joseph Smith received the gold plates from the Angel Moroni, he was commanded to translate them from the reformed Egyptian language used by ancient prophets. Instruments such as the seer stone were used to aid in the translation.
Scribes, often close friends and family of Joseph, witnessed the different methods of translation and believed each one helped Joseph translate the sacred record by divine power.
Today, the Book of Mormon has been translated in its entirety into 97 languages, with select passages translated into another 20 languages. It stands as a sure witness of Jesus Christ.
Ask: Why is it important to you that you can read the Book of Mormon?
Share how you gained a testimony of Joseph Smith translating the Book of Mormon. Honestly share about the process and learning about Church history.
Ask: How can we gain or strengthen our testimony of Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon?
Finish the lesson by sharing your testimony of the Book of Mormon and specifically how it brings you to Jesus Christ.
FOR SINGLE STUDY
Read through the Gospel Topic page on the translation of the Book of Mormon, available here. Write down the things you learn and pray to know the Book of Mormon was translated by the power of God.
Featured Products
Treat
TreatSalted Chocolate and Caramel Pretzel Bars
Ingredients
11-ounce bag of caramels
8 ounces mini pretzel twists
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
sea salt for sprinkling (optional)
Directions
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Melt 8 ounces of chocolate until smooth. Microwave in 15 second intervals, stirring in-between.
- Spread the chocolate over the parchment paper. Immedietly add pretzel twists on top, gently pressing down. It’s ok if they overlap.
- Melt caramel in the microwave with 2 tablespoons of water and per the package directions. Stir well and drizzle over pretzels.
- Melt the rest of the chocolate and drizzle over everything. Sprinkle with sea salt and allow to harden in the fridge. Cut or break into pieces. Enjoy!
(Courtesy of food.kucika.com)
Activity
ActivityHuman Ring Toss
Gather or purchase a number of large inner tubes for the pool. Six will allow you to have a race. Split into two teams. Have one person from each team stand a set distance away from the person throwing. The goal is to throw the inner tubes over the person’s head. The team to get all three on their team member first wins.
