ONE VERSE AT A TIME
I have always been drawn to different methods of education that strengthen family bonds. Recently as I have studied more in depth the patriarchal order—a son following his righteous father—I could not help but love this way of reading scriptures together as a family … one verse at a time.
Isn’t it natural for children to look up to their father as an example—seeking his approval and acceptance? Research has found that the attention of every child—no matter the age—is more focused when a father reads every other verse in the Scriptures, and children try to emulate his reading. They also will wait for their turn in hopes that a compliment from their father will follow. Children will also learn not only pronunciation and enunciation but soon will feel the emotion and add it to the scriptural stories and doctrines they hear their father present.
Turning the hearts of our children to their fathers and forefathers is not always easy. The world is constantly distracting those relationships and replacing the father’s influence with that of worldly heroes. If rebellion begins in the heart, our children’s lives wander because their heart wanders.
In the Doctrine and Covenants, the Lord instructed the brethren to put “their homes in order” to avoid the power of the devil. Order begins as soon as we look at the righteous fathers and start to take their words more seriously—obeying and submitting.
As I read how this simple family scripture structure —reading one verse at a time, rotating with dad—turned hearts and strengthened a bond, what else could be simpler than this in capturing the hearts of our children and posterity?
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Julie
Julie Smith is the Education Director for the Joseph Smith Foundation. She is the former owner of the Glenn J. Kimber Academy in Lehi, Utah. Julie served as a regional trainer—establishing 18 schools in Arizona, Idaho, and Utah. She is a certified teacher for The Thomas Jefferson Center for Constitutional Restoration (TJC) and taught the Making of America seminars written by W. Cleon Skousen and Glenn J. Kimber. Some of her children also traveled across the nation, assisting in teaching during these seminars. Julie taught history and Book of Mormon classes for 10 years. Julie is the mother of 5 children and grandmother to 7. She homeschooled for over 27 years, working through family challenges including pornography addiction, testimony faith crises, and teenage rebellion. She writes and teaches on strengthening the family, working with troubled youth, practically applying the teachings of scripture and the Prophet Joseph Smith, and celebrating higher standards. In her spare time, Julie also enjoys gardening, managing her .5-acre homestead, and hosting Sunday dinners with her family! Her home is a revolving door of guests and friends as her family hosts cultural celebrations and teaching events.
