The Four Gospels

Morning Glory,

Since you finished your goal of reading the Book of Mormon before you were 12 so early, you have been thinking about what to study in the mornings before you go to school.  It has been fun to notice the different things you have chosen to do for your study time in the last few weeks.

This morning, I woke up early to find you studying the New Testament.  As I sat down next to you, you expressed how you had been reading through the different Gospel accounts looking for the ones that share about Jesus' birth and you asked me where my special book was (that has the four Gospels in chronological harmony and parallel columns. . .It is a really fun book I kept from my New Testament Class in College). 

When I brought it to you, I really enjoyed your interest as you looked through it and we talked about some of the different perspectives and different stories emphasized by each of those four writers.  You asked where you could get your own copy of a book like that and told me about your new goal to study the New Testament until Christmas.

I love that "special book" too and have enjoyed using it as a supplement to help me understand the New Testament better.  It was fun to have you interested and sharing  that interest with me. I love the stories written about Jesus.

I wish you the best in your new goal!!  Thanks for sharing it with me this morning!!

Love,

Mom

New Era in the Mail

Morning Glory,

I was doing my scripture study online this morning and noticed that the September church magazines were already online. You got really excited and went out to get the mail just in case we had the magazines there as well.  (We forgot to get the mail yesterday).  The Friend magazine is still your favorite, so I am sure it was a little disappointing when only The New Era had arrived so far.  But I was really impressed when you brought the New Era with you to church and had read the whole thing before sacrament meeting was finished, pointing out several funny and interesting articles as you read.  I couldn't help looking over your shoulder and becoming really interested in the articles as well.

Thanks for sharing them with me!  I learned a lot!
I love being your Mom!

Love,

Me

"Hearken! Hearken! Music Sounds Afar"

Morning Glory and Lady Slipper,

Tonight Daddy was in bed sleeping because he has been feeling sick.
We decided to read our Book of Mormon chapter without him tonight.  We read 1 Nephi chapter 20 which starts with the word "Hearken" and it made me think of the Kindermusik words to the Funicelli classical song:

Hearken! Hearken! Music sounds afar
Hearken! Hearken! Music Sounds afar
Tr la la la Tra la la la Tra la la la Tra la la laaaaa. . .
Joy is everywhere, Tra la la la Tra la la la.

So we would sing that every time we read the word hear or hearken.  It was lots of fun.  You (Morning Glory) also started singing the same song with the veggietales words about a squash that sat on a hat and squished it and the chocolate that was under the hat so it wouldn't melt in the hot sun. . .
Needless to say, we had lots of fun and we woke your dad up with all our laughing and singing.

Happy Scripture Study!

Love,
Mom

"Tennis Shoes Among the Nephites" By Chris Heimerdinger

Morning Glory, We have loved listening to "Tennis Shoes Among the Nephites" while we are driving in the car. It is fun to watch you enjoy it like I did when I was a teenager. Right now we are listening to it for the second time so Dad can hear it too and you are disappointed whenever we walk instead of drive because you want to have the chance to hear the story.

It has brought up some fun learning opportunities. We had a little family discussion about what things in the book are based on fact (like Captain Moroni and his battles with Amalakiah) and theory (like the boys ending up in South America as the site of those ancient battles). I am glad we talked about that topic because it is easy to tell what parts of the story are fiction but when Garth, one of the fictional characters is used as the mouthpiece to state the "facts" from the Book of Mormon, some of the things he says are really opinion and not based on actual truths from the Book of Mormon itself. Without careful evaluation it would bey to "learn" something that isn't true.

The best payoff came this morning when you asked me to come over and guess why you had chosen a particular chapter for your morning scripture study today. You had chosen Alma 51 because you remembered Garth mention that chapter as the reference for the historical events which the boys go back in time to experience. You read the whole chapter and then exclaimed "before we listened to that book I had no idea there was even such a person as Teancum." I was really impressed that you remembered where Garth had mentioned the story was and that you chose to look it up and read it yourself. I love being a Mom!

Thank you for studying scriptures with me! I look forward to it every day. I love you!

Love,
Mom

MG Teaches Me

Morning Glory,

I was so happy to come out this morning and find you already in the music room reading one of the illustrated prophets books (by Della Mae Rasmussen). Yesterday you wanted to continue reading after we read a few pages of Joseph F. Smith and you ended up finishing the whole book yourself.  Now you are even more ahead by reading about George Albert Smith.  Wow!

I love reading with you, but I am also so excited to see you choosing to read and learn on your own, without any prompting from me.  I am so happy!  I know that the prophets really do teach us what Heavenly Father wants us to know so we can become what he wants us to be and be the our very happiest selves :)

I love you! Thank you so much for starting out my day with such a wonderful moment.  You are fulfilling my dreams.

Love,
Mom

Alma 34:19

Morning Glory,

I was so excited today when you surprised me with your wonderful memory!  We were studying the "study at home" section of the lesson you had learned on Sunday about the The Zoramites and the Rameumptum.  Suddenly you started singing instead of reading to me.  I recognized the song you sang: it was a tune I had made up on the spot during scripture study time with you when you were only a baby.  How did you remember that?  Well it is because we had recorded our study time then and you have often listened to it. 

I don't think I would have recognized the verse as one of the ones we created a scripture song for if you hadn't pointed it out.  Thanks for your great memory!  That made my day and helped me remember that it really is very important even what we teach little Lady Slipper.  Maybe she will even remember it when she is older like you.

The song was Alma 34:19.  You inspired me to take the time to write it down and I did simplify it a little but it is a lot similiar to how I sang it to you as a baby:

Ta    Ta    Ta    Ta   Ta    Ta   Ta   Ta Ta  Ta  Ta    Ta  Ta  Ta
S      M     M     F    S      F    M    F  L  D1  R1    L   S    S
"Yea hum-ble your-selves and con-tin-ue in prayer un-to him."

This song Copyright 2012 by Janelle Joy Music. All rights reserved. This song may be used for personal and home use. If using this song on the internet, this notice along with a link to the original must be included.

I love you!
Love,
Mom

Bible Story Animals

Morning Glory got out the Scripture Stories From the Old Testament for her scripture study today. Then she was very nice to read to Lady Slipper and to her little cousin. When they started to point out the animals and say the names and sounds, she was quick to adapt and go along with what the little ones were interested in instead of trying ti finish the planned story. I was very happy to see all three girls enjoying scripture time together.
Thanks so much for the good example, Morning Glory!

Bible Board Books

Lady Slipper,
When I prepared a stack of board books of varying stories from the Bible, I hoped to have at least one of them draw your attention enough that we would be able to have some mommy daughter reading time. To my surprise,last night and again today, you found the stack and were not only interested in one of the stories but continued to bring me one story at a time until we had read them all--at least pointed out together what was happening in the pictures. When the stack was finished, you began to go through them again. It was me who finally decided that it was time to put the books away, and you obeyed although I could tell you would have loved to "read" more.
Thank you for enjoying studying scripture stories with me! I Am so thankful for the blessing of having you in our family.
Love,
Mommy

Sister Missionary Study

Morning Glory,
Today I was blessed with the opportunity to sit in on a discussion with the Sister Missionaries.  You made it even better by asking to come with us!

The older gentleman they were teaching was so kind and inviting.  He was filled with intelligent questions that come from years of experience and pondering.  It was so wonderful to see the happiness light up the older gentleman's face as they answered his questions about where we go after we die and where we came from before we were born on this earth. He was so happy to know that Jesus Christ had provided a way for him to see his wife, who had died 15 years previously, again. He closed our time together with a humble prayer of thanks to God for sending those special young women to help him when he was really needing the comfort of knowledge which they were sharing with him.

   It was also so special to watch you light up as you watched the sisters use simple visuals in their teaching that are similar to the ones Dad still has from when he went on his mission.  You were so careful to be polite and quiet and attentive and you responded at once when asked to help teach about Adam and Eve as the first man and woman on this earth and what happened to them when they decided to eat some of the "forbidden fruit."  I loved your smile and little bounce of joy as you quietly whispered to me,  "I know that one!"as the sisters were reading some verses from the Book of Mormon and came to 2 Nephi 2:25: "Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy."

I love knowing where I came from and where I am going; being able to help in sharing that message is even better; and the best is seeing that knowledge brighten the countenance of my own daughter.  Thank you so much for volunteering to come with us and for sharing your knowledge of the truth.

I love being your mom!  And I love being your big sister in Heavenly Father's family too!

Love,
Mom

Watching Bible Videos

Lady Slipper,

I was down in bed not feeling well and you cheerfully climbed up on the cedar chest at the end of my bed and then climbed up onto the bed with me.  You were excited to see me holding my Kindle Fire and so we watched one of the new  Bible Videos.  You just loved it and got so excited as you pointed out when you saw Jesus on the screen, just like you do when you see pictures of him on the walls anywhere we are going or in books you are looking at.  You always seem to know which one he is even when there are lots of other people in the pictures.  You are even learning to say His name now.

Thank you for coming in to see me and bringing so much happiness into the room with you:)
I love being your mom!

Love,
Mom