Saturday, February 1, 2014

Family Home Evening - Handcart Courage


Powerfully Teaching 
Your Children 
Gospel Principles 
Each lesson contains 5 timed activities: 
(Choose the activities that fit your family’s schedule. 
Additional resources are provided as extra time may be available.) 
  Reverence Time: Song, prayer, scripture and video clip 
  Lesson Time: Lesson summary and points to ponder 
   Story Time: Story 
  Activity Time: Object lesson or activity 
  Treat Time: Prayer, theme related recipe & music video 
  
Objectives: 
    
www.ldsfamilyfun.com  ©2006 Living Scriptures, Inc. All rights reserved. May be used freely for personal, non-commercial purposes. 
Reinforces Principles of: 
Emphasize the importance of having courage to endure our trials. 
Talk about how the Lord blesses us during our times of trial. 
Courage 
Lesson Plan: “Handcart Courage”
www.ldsfamilyfun.com  ©2006 Living Scriptures, Inc. All rights reserved. May be used freely for personal, non-commercial purposes. 
Sing Together: 
Prayer: 
Scripture Time: 
Video Clip: 
Approximate Time: 5 minutes 
Children’s Song Book #220 “The Handcart Song”. 
If you wish to have an online music file to accompany you visit: 
http://www.lds.org/churchmusic 
(Note: Navigate to the Interactive Church Music Player where you can listen to and print Church hymns and 
children’s songs.) 

Doctrine &Covenants 128:22 
22. Brethren, shall we not go on in so great a cause? Go forward and not 
backward. Courage, brethren; and on, on to the victory! Let your hearts rejoice, 
and be exceedingly glad. Let the earth break forth into bsinging. Let the dead 
speak forth anthems of eternal praise to the King Immanuel, who hath ordained, 
before the world was, that which would enable us to redeem them out of their 
prison; for the prisoners shall go free. 
Watch chapter 21 from The Docudrama of the Restoration, Handcart Pioneers, DVD. 
(Video clip is also provided for viewing online.)
www.ldsfamilyfun.com  ©2006 Living Scriptures, Inc. All rights reserved. May be used freely for personal, non-commercial purposes. 
(For younger children, it may be helpful to summarize the following ideas): 
Lesson 
Summary: 
Points to 
Ponder: 
Courage is a virtue that calls us to move forward. 
“In addition to the legacy of faith bequeathed by those who crossed the plains, they also 
left a great heritage of love—love of God and love of mankind. It is an inheritance of 
sobriety, independence, hard work, high moral values, and fellowship. It is a birthright 
of obedience to the commandments of God and loyalty to those whom God has called 
to lead this people. It is a legacy of forsaking evil.” James E. Faust, Ensign, July 2002, 
© 2006 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. 
  
Do you, like the pioneers, have the courage and the consistency to be true to the faith? 
“It is not enough to study or reenact the accomplishments of our pioneers. We need to 
identify the great, eternal principles they applied to achieve all they achieved for our 
benefit and then apply those principles to the challenges of our day. In that way we honor 
their pioneering efforts, and we also reaffirm our heritage and strengthen its capacity to 
bless our own posterity....We are all pioneers in doing so.” Dallin H. Oaks, Ensign, Nov. 
1997, © 2006 Intellectual Reserve, Inc.  All rights reserved. 
   
“Courage, not compromise, brings the smile of God’s approval. 
Courage becomes a living and an attractive virtue when it is regarded not only as a 
willingness to die manfully, but as the determination to live decently. A moral coward is 
one who is afraid to do what he thinks is right because others will disapprove or laugh. 
Remember that all men have their fears, but those who face their fears with dignity have 
courage as well.” Thomas S. Monson, Ensign, Nov. 1986, © 2006 Intellectual Reserve, 
Inc.  All rights reserved. 
    
What can we do to help others find the courage they need to follow the Savior? 
    
“We can reach out to strengthen those who wallow in the mire of pornography, gross 
immorality, and drugs....They can be salvaged and saved....Let us never forget that we 
have a marvelous heritage received from great and courageous people who endured 
unimaginable suffering and demonstrated unbelievable courage for the cause they 
loved...You and I know what we should do.” Gordon B. Hinckley, Ensign, Nov. 1991, © 
2006 Intellectual Reserve, Inc.  All rights reserved. 
Approximate Time: 5 minutes
www.ldsfamilyfun.com  ©2006 Living Scriptures, Inc. All rights reserved. May be used freely for personal, non-commercial purposes. 
Approximate Time: 2 minutes 
After the last of the supplies were loaded into the handcart Aaron closed the door of their home. “The rest 
of our belongings will soon be in the hands of our enemies,” he sighed. 
             
Margaret walked to the handcart and exclaimed,  “The gospel and our family are all that we need Aaron!” 
   
Aaron lifted the handcart’s handle and with their heads held high the family joined the rest of the company 
to begin the trek to Zion. Some of the women in the company weren’t as willing to leave so much behind 
and had put on several layers of clothing and tied teapots and other cooking utensils to their waists, but 
Margaret and Aaron had packed only the items allowed. 
  
“The Lord will bless us for our obedience. If not in this life, then in the next,” Margaret had told Aaron. 
   
Aaron lovingly looked at his wife. He knew how much courage it had taken for her to leave behind the baby 
cradle her father had built for her when Nicholas was born. He remembered her hugging him and weeping 
for joy, “Oh Papa it’s beautiful. I will cherish it for the rest of my life.” 
  
The trail that had started off hot and dusty, turned wet and muddy, and then hard and freezing. The company 
had started late and were now caught in a blizzard. Despite the extreme cold Aaron was burning up with 
fever. Margaret wrapped baby Ruth in a blanket and placed her next to her husband in the makeshift shelter. 
“Nicky, be a brave boy while Mommy’s gone. I need to find the Elders to come and administer to Papa.” 
   
There was an eerie sound as the wind and mourners wailed in unison. Tears froze to Margaret’s cheeks as 
she prayed for strength. Trudging through the snow Margaret tripped over something. A weak cry came 
from the snow covered mound. Digging frantically Margaret uncovered the small body. She gathered up the 
child in her arms, quickly carried it to the shelter, and began to massage the listless body. 
  
“Father, please help me save the life of this child!” she prayed. Pink slowly replaced the blue hue of the 
child’s body and the cry became stronger. Weeping for joy, Margaret thanked the Lord for this miracle. 
  
A small hand touched Margaret’s shoulder, “Momma. Papa won’t open his eyes. I begged and begged him 
to, but he won’t,” whispered Nicholas as his body shook with suppressed sobs. 
  
Margaret gently laid the child down and knelt next to her husband. Lovingly caressing his face, with all the 
courage she could muster, Margaret said goodbye to her eternal companion. “This isn’t the end Aaron. The 
Lord has blessed us and we’ll be together again, forever!” 
     
by Margie Nauta Lee © 2006 Living Scriptures. Inc. 

www.ldsfamilyfun.com  ©2006 Living Scriptures, Inc. All rights reserved. May be used freely for personal, non-commercial purposes. 
What you need:   A copy of the of the “Handcart” game (art work included with this lesson), scissors,  
   tape and tooth picks. Optional: poster board and glue.  
          
Preparation       1. Print out the “Handcart” game board, cards, and handcarts. 
        2. Cut along dotted lines. Tape together. Optional: Glue game board to poster board 
 for more durability. 
 3. Cut out game cards and die (or use a die you have from another game). Follow the 
     instructions on printouts. 
 4. Make a handcart for each player: 
 A. Cut along dotted lines. 
 B. Fold dark brown solid lines inward–towards center. 
  C. Fold solid tan lines outward–away from center. 
  D. Slide tabs in front together and tabs in back together. Tape to hold. 
  E. Poke tooth pick through dot on 1st wheel, through dots on wagon box, 
      and then through 2nd wheel. Snap off pointed ends of tooth pick and then 
      carefully flatten ends with a hammer. 
  F. Make handle by folding lines inward (this will form a half U–shape. 
      Slide into dotted lines at the front of the box (that have been cut). Tape to hold. 
    
Activity:        (Younger children will need help from an older sibling or parent.) 
1. Each player picks a handcart (up to 10 players). Then rolls the die. The player with the   
 highest number goes first. Line up your handcarts with the first player on start and the  
 other players (clockwise) following on the game board. 
2. Player rolls the die to see how many spaces to move. Follow directions on the space 
 landed on. If sent to jail, wait until your next turn, roll die and then began moving 
 from that space. 
 Example: You are sent to Liberty Jail. On your next turn you roll a 3. You can move 3  
 purple spaces to “Take a shortcut” or 3 spaces back to the main trail. If you are sent to  
 Carthage Jail, on your next turn you roll a 1. You move to start. 
3. If you land on “Have a handcart race,” 1st player (the handcart) lays on the floor face  
 down. 2nd player (the pioneer) holds their feet (facing away from 1st player). 1st 
 player walks on their hands as the 2nd player pulls them (this is like a wheelbarrow  
 race, but pulling instead of pushing). 
4. The first player to reach the Salt Lake Valley wins.
www.ldsfamilyfun.com  ©2006 Living Scriptures, Inc. All rights reserved. May be used freely for personal, non-commercial purposes. 
  Approximate Time: 5 minutes (not including prep, chill and bake time) 
Pioneer Muffins 
Prep Time: 10 minutes 
Chill Time: 3 Hours–minimum 
Bake Time: 30 minutes         
2/3 Cup boiling water 
2 Teaspoons baking soda 
1/3 Cup butter 
1 Cup sugar + 2 1/2 Tablespoons molasses 
2 eggs 
1 1/3 Cups buttermilk (or substitute 1 1/4 cups milk + 2 Tablespoons vinegar or lemon juice) 
1 2/3 Cup all purpose flour 
2/3 Cup whole wheat flour 
1/2 Teaspoon salt 
2 1/3 Cups Bran (we used 1 1/3 Cups All Bran Cereal and 1 Cup Raisin Bran Cereal 
(Optional: 1/2 Cup chopped walnuts, 1/3 Cup chopped dried fruit of your choice) 
Add baking soda to boiling water and set aside. 
Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. 
Continue beating while you add the eggs. 
Slowly mix (just until moist–batter will be lumpy) in the buttermilk, flour, and salt. 
Slowly add the soda water. 
By hand, gently fold in bran. 
If desired fold in walnuts and/or dried fruit. 
Cover bowl and refrigerate muffin mix for 3 hours (it’s best when refrigerated overnight). 
Spoon approximately 1/8 cup mix into well greased muffin tin or cupcake liners. 
Bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees F. 
Makes 1 dozen muffins. 
Treat Time: Serve muffins warm with butter, honey butter, or fresh jam. 
Closing Prayer and blessing on the food: 

Music Video: Watch chapter 9 from The Docudrama of the Restoration, Handcart Pioneers, DVD. 
(Video clip is also provided for viewing online.)

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