Scripture
“Nevertheless, the Nephites were inspired by a better cause, for they were not fighting for monarchy nor power but they were fighting for their homes and their liberties, their wives and their children, and their all, yea, for their rites of worship and their church.”
Hymn
American the Beautiful, Hymn #338
(For those living outside of the United States, sing a patriotic song from your country)
1. Oh, beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea.
2. Oh, beautiful for pilgrim feet,
Whose stern, impassioned stress
A thoroughfare of freedom beat
Across the wilderness!
America! America!
God mend thine ev’ry flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self-control,
Thy liberty in law.
3. Oh, beautiful for heroes proved
In liberating strife,
Who more than self their country loved,
And mercy more than life!
America! America!
May God thy gold refine,
Till all success be nobleness,
And ev’ry gain divine.
4. Oh, beautiful for patriot dream
That sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam,
Undimmed by human tears!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea.
Lesson
*For Children*
Ask: Today we are going to talk about Veterans Day! Does anyone know what Veterans Day is?
Read Aloud: Veterans Day is the day we honor and remember anyone that has served in the military. There are many different branches of the military, including the Army, Air Force, Navy, Coast Guard, and Marine Corps. All of the military helps keep our country safe. Being a part of the military is a great sacrifice and takes a lot of courage. Many veterans have served in wars and spent many years of their life helping other people.
This is a perfect opportunity to share personal stories about veterans in your family or who have impacted your life. Show a picture of that person and talk about who they were and some of the things they did
If you do not have any veterans in your family, share the following story:
Lt. Gail S. Halvorsen was an airman in Germany after World War II. The people in Germany were suffering and had very little food, water, or medicine. Lt. Halvorsen flew airplanes over Berlin, a city in Germany, and dropped important things to the people from his plane. One day, he met some German children who asked him for some candy and gum. That’s when Lt. Halvorsen got the idea to drop candy to the children. He told the children to watch for his plane, because he’d wiggle the wings back and forth so they knew it was him. That was the first day he began dropping packages of candy from his airplane. The children called him Uncle Wiggle Wings. Lt. Halvorsen dropped candy from his plane for a long time, and helped many people feel happy and hopeful. Today, he is called the “Candy Bomber” and remembered by many. (Read the full story here.)
Like Lt. Halvorsen, many people are veterans who have done wonderful things for people. We celebrate Veterans Day as a way to say thank you.
Ask: How can we say thank you to veterans?
*For Teenagers or Adults*
Share a short history of Veterans Day and discuss any veterans in your family.
Veterans Day is a wonderful opportunity to honor the patriotism shown by veterans and strive to be patriotic ourselves. The Prophet Joseph Smith… said, ‘Patriotism should be sought for and will be found in right living.’ Isn’t that interesting? You can’t be really patriotic unless you’re righteous. No man can be a good Latter-day Saint and not be true to the best interests and welfare of his country.
Ask: What does it mean to be patriotic?
Ezra Taft Benson said, “Patriotism is more than flag-waving and fireworks. It is how we respond to public issues. If we ask only, ‘What’s in this proposal for me?—What do I get out of it?’—we are not patriotic and we are not good citizens. But if we ask, ‘Is this right?—is it good for the … people?—would it preserve and strengthen our freedom?’—then we deserve to stand in the company of [great patriots]. Patriotism is trying always to give more to the Nation than we receive. It is selfless service.”
Ask: How can we be patriotic? Possible answers:
-Serving veterans and those currently serving by writing letters, showing respect, and saying thank you.
-Showing respect for the flag of your country and its national anthem
-Participating in civil meetings, activities, and electoral processes
-Obeying the laws of the lands
Close the lesson by discussing the blessings you have received from living in your country and the freedoms you enjoy.
Treat
Solider’s Treats or Camouflage Ice Cream
Soldier’s Treats
Have fun helping your family understand the daily life of a soldier by eating foods typical to those serving overseas. If available, you can purchase MREs (Meals, Ready to Eat), which contain basic entrees and snacks. Using powdered food storage items is another good way to represent the ready to eat foods used in the military. You can also pick from this basic list of foods normally contained in MREs.
-Crackers and cheese
-Bread and peanut butter
-Spaghetti
-Chili
-Candy, such as Skittles or Tootsie Rolls
-Powdered drinks
Find a full list of information about what our troops eat here.
Camouflage Ice Cream 
If your family doesn’t mind ice cream in November, take a trip to your local Baskin-Robbins! The company has unveiled a special camouflage ice cream for Veterans Day. It is a chocolate, salty caramel, and vanilla cake flavor colored to look like camouflage. Colored waffle cones and sundaes are also available. In addition, on Veterans Day, Baskin-Robbins will donate 10 cents from each ice cream scoop sold in its U.S. locations to the United Service Organizations (USO), in honor of U.S troops.
(Courtesy of Great Ideas at People.com)
Activity
Write a Solider or Veteran or Poppy Wreath Craft
Write a Soldier or Veteran
Writing a soldier currently serving or a veteran in your life is a great way to say thank you. Sit down together and write letters or cards. You can send them personally to veterans you know, soldiers through online writing programs, or to any local organizations that support veterans. You can also donate items to those serving overseas, such as Halloween candy, DVDs, essentials, and more. Here are some helpful links to programs dedicated to helping our soldiers and veterans to help get you started:
Or
Poppy Wreath Craft
Poppies are a symbol in many countries for Veterans Day, also referred to as Remembrance Day.
Materials:
-Egg Carton
-Scissors
-Black and Red Paint
-Paper Plate
-Sentence Strip or Cardstock Paper
-Stapler
-Marker
-Paint brushes
-Ribbon or string for hanging
-Lots of white glue
Instructions:
1. Start by cutting your egg carton into flowers. Cut the cups off the carton, then make four cuts to create the petals. You can trim the edges to make it more poppy like.
2. Paint the flowers red, with a black dot in the middle.
3. On the sentence strip or cardstock, write the word “Remember” or another word of your choosing.
4. Cut the middle of the paper plate out and staple the word strip to the plate on the edges. Your word strip should now be displayed across the middle. Trim off the edges.
5. Let the poppies dry and then glue them around the edges of the paper plate.
6. Attach the ribbon or string and hang up your wreath.
(From No Time for Flash Cards)
