Activity: Learn about the Standard Works

When we know more about each of the standard works, we are better able to study the teachings of Jesus Christ.

Invite the children to bring a set of scriptures, if possible. Briefly discuss the four standard works (the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price) and what each contains. If any of these are unavailable in your language, or if the children are less knowledgeable about the scriptures, use only the Bible and Book of Mormon.

Show the children how to navigate in the scriptures, such as using the table of contents or tabs (if available) to find where a book starts. If the children access the scriptures in the Gospel Library app on a parent or guardian’s phone at home, show them on a leader’s phone (if available) how to navigate to a verse within the app.

Divide the children into teams, and play a game to find different scripture stories.

• Write the titles of the standard works across the top of a whiteboard or a piece of paper.
• Give a clue to a story that the children will know. For example:
  • Lehi and his family leave Jerusalem
  • Jesus heals a blind man
• For each clue, one of the teams determines which standard work includes that story. They write a key word from the clue under the standard work on the whiteboard or on the paper. If the first team is incorrect, then the second team can have an opportunity to guess.
• When the correct book has been identified, give the children the scripture reference for the story, and help them find it in their scriptures.

Please adapt activities as necessary to ensure all individuals are able to participate, belong, and contribute.

• Help children memorize the order of the books in the Bible or the Book of Mormon. Consider the following ideas:
  • Write the name of each book on a piece of paper, and then let one child tape each piece of paper to the wall in a fun pattern.
  • Have the group move from one book to the next in the proper order. When they get them all in order, take down the pieces of paper and let another child put them on the wall in a different pattern. You could also have a child decide how to move from one paper to the next each round, such as hopping, dancing, or walking very slowly. Repeat until each child has been able to put the papers on the wall.
• Service idea: Learn “The Books in the Book of Mormon” from the Children’s Songbook (119), and then prepare visual aids to help the children teach the song to younger children in Primary or to family members at home.

Encourage children to talk about how what they are learning can help them and others grow closer to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Discussions can take place before, during, or after the activity and should last just a few minutes. You could ask questions like the following:

• How can the stories in the scriptures help you in your life? What are your favorites? Why?
• How can knowing more about the books in the scriptures help you share the gospel with others?