FAMILY HISTORY Activity: Turning the Hearts of the Children to the Fathers POST-AND-PRESENT for Come Follow Me Primary and Home, Sunday School, Family Home Evening

POST-AND-PRESENT ACTIVITY: TURN THE HEARTS OF THE CHILDREN TO THE FATHERS concentration game. Youth can be inspired to do temple work as they match temple workers with those on the other side waiting to have their work done. For example, Emily discovered that her relatives need to be sealed to their parents. Match that HEART with Fern and Colleen, looking for Emily.

USE FOR Come Follow Me, Primary and Home, family home evening, Children and Youth, homeschool

POST-AND-PRESENT Activity
Turning the Hearts of the Children to the Fathers Finding Temple Workers Concentration

OBJECTIVE: Inspire youth to do temple work for their departed dead. Help them match the temple workers to those who are waiting for their temple work to be done.

TO MAKE: Print and cut out the images on cardstock paper.

1. Mount the face and number hearts on card-stock, laminate, and cut out.
2. Place double-stick tape on the back of each of the hearts (with faces) to tape to a poster or mount on the board randomly.
3. Tape a numbered heart over each face heart by using two pieces of tape at the top as hinges to lift the heart up and down when the number is guessed.

For Younger Children: Cut the number of matches in half and choose the ones they can easily understand.

ACTIVITY: Finding Temple Workers Concentration

INTRODUCE: Tell children:

1. There are temple ordinances such as baptisms, endowments, and sealings that need to be performed for people who were not baptized or sealed to their families before they died.
2. We can prepare to serve in the temple by learning about our ancestors and doing family history work.
3. We can read personal family histories to learn about our ancestors, and we can check records to learn if this important work has been done.
4. Let’s learn about some girls and boys who are helping their ancestors, and about these ancestors who are waiting to have this important temple work done.             

TO PLAY:

• With images on the board set up, have children take turns uncovering two face hearts to make a match. To set up the board, see instructions #2 and 3 at the top of the page.        

• To make a match, pay attention to the names, e.g., Kayla, who is doing the temple work for Aunt Sadie, will match up with Aunt Sadie, who is looking for Kayla to do her baptismal work.
  Ways to Play: You could divide into teams and take turns playing, or toss a beanbag or ball over your shoulder to choose the next player.

THOUGHT TREAT: “Hearts of the Children” Heartbeat Cookies. Place a soft red piece of candy, e.g., a gumdrop, jellybean, or gummy lifesaver, inside a 2-inch ball of cookie dough. Option: Dough could be formed into a heart shape. Bake cookies.

Thought: When children bite into the red candy spot, talk about hearts that are turned to the fathers to do their temple work. Explain that “fathers” means their ancestors who have passed on before them.

TESTIMONY: Bear testimony (see the Lesson Ideas below).

Scripture to Memorize: Memorize Malachi 4:6. Explain that “fathers” means their ancestors who have passed on before them.

Lesson Ideas: Ask “How can we serve others through temple work?” Answer the question using the scriptures, Primary lessons, and other sources below.

• In the temple, ordinances are performed for our families and others who have died without receiving them. Some of these are: baptism, endowments, and sealings (D&C 138:53-58; Primary 5, lesson 34).

• I can prepare to serve in the temple by learning about my ancestors and doing family history work (D&C 138:47-48; Gospel Principles, chapter 40; Family Home Evening Resource Book, lesson ideas, “Genealogy”).

• I can write my personal history and write in my journal (1 Nephi 9, 19:1; Family Home Evening Resource Book, lesson ideas, “Journals”).