FAMILY HISTORY: Lesson Lifesavers Activity: Portrait of My Ancestor

GREAT FOR CHILDREN & YOUTH – Come Follow Me Lessons for: Primary, family home evening, Sunday School, Seminary, Bible Study

LESSON LIFESAVER Activity
Portrait of My Ancestor

OBJECTIVE: Encourage youth to go through their pedigree chart and learn about their ancestors.

Youth can use this form to write detailed information about one of their ancestors. Have them spotlight their ancestor the following week, using the Portrait form as their guide. Encourage them to copy a picture of their ancestor and reduce it to fit the page, or draw a picture/portrait of what they think their ancestor looked like.

MORE LESSON IDEAS on Family History:

• CREATE YOUR OWN FAMILY HISTORY – PORTRAIT

Talk about creating a SELF-PORTRAIT of creating and writing the history of your life. Enjoy Self-Portrait by Tara Carpenter, March 2003 New Era magazine ⇒ CLICK HERE to view. It starts out, “Stroke by stroke we paint our lives, day after day. We form the painting with our actions ….” 

MUTUAL NIGHT, FAMILY NIGHT, SUNDAY SCHOOL, SEMINARY ACTIVITIES

FAMILY HISTORY LIBRARY NAME SEARCH: Visit the family history library/Family Search (center) and search a name. Have youth get some information from her parents. If no information exists, have someone in the family history library take them through the research steps. Ask your ward family history representative for help.

One app that Jennifer, Mary Ross’ daughter likes is Take a Name. It’s so easy to use and we can usually find a name each week to take to the temple (of our ancestors).

FAITH-PROMOTING FAMILY HISTORY EXPERIENCES: Ask someone who has been researching their family history to tell of their faith-promoting experiences as they’ve done family research, submitted names for temple work, and written their family history.

BAPTISMS FOR THE DEAD: Inquire if someone in your ward needs work done for someone in their family. While at the temple, ask youth to pay attention to the dates and names that impressed them. Share your experiences afterward around a banana split or ice cream soda. Ask them how they think those deceased persons for whom they were baptized felt that day. Estimate the number of years they may have waited for this great day.

FAMILY REUNION BRAINSTORM: Have youth come with their ideas for food, fun, and games for a family reunion. Challenge youth to help their parents plan and organize a family reunion. Ideas: Hide family photos; the first to find Grandpa Ross wins! Or make cupcakes and hide Grandma Ross’s name in one. Write her name on a small piece of paper and wrap it in tin foil. Bake it in cupcake liner filled with cake batter. Or, slip it inside an already baked cupcake.

PLAN A PARTY AFTER TEMPLE BAPTISMS: Take youth to the temple to be baptized for the dead.  Have a special dinner with promise placemats and packages. Talk about the promises we made at our baptism and the promises Heavenly Father makes to us in return as we keep our baptismal covenants. Doing baptism for the dead will help us to help those who have passed on to the other side to fulfill their personal promises to The Lord.
• Promises We Make to Heavenly Father: To obey the commandments, read the scriptures, honor parents, help others, pay tithes, and attend Church meetings.
• Promises Heavenly Father Makes to Us: To forgive us when we repent, love and bless us, give us the gift of the Holy Ghost, answer our prayers, and let us live with Him forever.