lehi's liahona

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Lehi and The Liahona

ScriptureGrab a blanket and to sit on and one to wrap your child in.

Print off, color and cut out the pictures of Lehi and the Liahona. Print off the worddepictions and glue the corresponding words to the back of its picture. Laminate and use asa flip chart or storybook to read to your child.

Explain the importance of the Liahona in helping the Nephites get to America. SometimesGod needs us to obey for very important reasons but he cant help us find our way if we

dont keep the commandments and choose the right. Talk about how the Holy Ghost is a

good Liahona for us to follow. We need to be able to recognize its promptings and followthem. Explain that the Holy Ghost feels like a blanket has been wrapped around you.Explain how the Holy Ghost feels to you when you receive promptings. Ask your child ifthey have ever felt the Holy Ghost and have them tell you about it.


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1. Lehi obeyed Gods commandment to takehis family into the wilderness. One morning, theLord provided a ball of curious workmanship,which Lehi found at the door of his tent. (See 1Ne. 2:2 ; 1 Ne. 16: 10 .)2. Within the ball were two spindles that pointed

the way they should go. Obedient, they folded uptheir tents and traveled for many days, followingthe directions on the ball. (See 1 Ne. 16: 12,16 .)3. One day as Nephi went to hunt for food, his

bow broke. Without his bow, he was unable to getany food for the family. Hungry and unhappy, hisbrothers and even his father complained. (See 1Ne. 16: 18, 20 .)4. Nephi made a new bow of wood. Then he

asked his father where to look for food. Lehiprayed about it, and the Lord told him to look atthe ball. (See 1 Ne. 16:23, 2526 .)5. The pointers in the ball worked when Lehi and

his family were faithful, diligent, and obedient.Writing on the ball taught them about the ways ofthe Lord. Nephi now followed its directions and

found food for the family. (See 1 Ne. 16:2831 .)


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6. They came to the seashore, and the Lordcommanded Nephi to build a ship. When it wascompleted, the family packed up their things andwent out onto the ocean. (See 1 Ne. 1 7 :6, 8 ; 1Ne. 18:46, 8 .)7. Laman and Lemuel began to complain again.When they tied Nephi up, the ball stoppedworking. A huge storm blew, and the boat wasdriven back on the water. (See 1 Ne. 18: 1 114 .)8. Nephi continued to pray to the Lord. When

Laman and Lemuel saw that they might drown,they untied their brother. The storm ended, andthe compass worked again. They sailed many moredays and finally reached the promised land. (See 1Ne. 18: 1516, 2123 .)9. The compass, or Liahona, worked when the

people kept the Lords commandments. When theywere unkind to one another, or complained, or didnot pray, it did not guide them. (See Alma37:3841 .)10. When we are baptized and confirmed members

of the Church, we are given the gift of the HolyGhost to guide us. But like the Liahona, the Holy

Ghost will not do so unless we keep our part ofthe baptismal covenant. If we do, Heavenly Fatherhas promised that the Holy Ghost will always bewith us. (See 3 Ne. 18:7 .)


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StoryPrint off the Next time Ill listen, story and pictures. Laminate them back to back. Youcan read the story while your child looks at the picture or read the story with the figuresbelow. If using the figures, print them off, cut them out and laminate them.

There are so many stories in The Friendabout the Holy Ghost. I have attached several.They do not have pictures but are fun to read. You can read them on your blanket andmaybe pop some popcorn to help your child get through a few more than normal. Print thestories out on different colored paper, laminate them and make into a book that your childcan read at any time when they need a little reminder about the Holy Ghost.


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4

Next TimeIll Listen!

Put your trust in that Spirit which

leadeth to do good(D&C 11:12).


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A

ILLUSTRATION BY GREGG THORKELSON FRIEND A U G U S T 2 0 0 8 5

The Spirit of theLord can be our guide

and will bless us with

direction, instruction,

and spiritual protection

during our mortal

journey.1

Elder David A. Bednarof the Quorum of

the Twelve Apostles

B Y S U N N Y M C C L E L L A N M O R T O N(Based on a true story)


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Lost and Found,Friend, Jul 1995, 3 Shyrl L. Sevey,For behold, again I say unto you that if ye will enter in by the way, and receive the Holy Ghost, itwill show unto you all things what ye should do (2 Ne. 32:5).There it was, just lying on the sidewalk! I stopped and stared at it. Hey, whats wrong with you?

I looked up to see my new friend, Sally, standing beside me. Look, I said, someones wallet.Sally had just moved to our neighborhood, and I was glad to finally have a member of the Churchwho was my own age around. Lets see if theres any money in it, she said, picking it up. Wow!Have you ever seen so much money in your life!My eyes nearly popped out of my head. There must have been a thousand dollars in it. See who itbelongs to, I said. But Sally was too busy counting the bills in the wallet to pay any attention towhat I said. I tried again. Stop thatit doesnt belong to us.It isnt our fault somebody lost his wallet, she said. Besides, havent you ever heard offinders, keeperslosers, weepers. But it isnt ours, I repeated.Dont be such a baby! Sally was getting angry. She made me promise not to tell anyone about

the wallet.Come on, she said, were rich! Lets go buy some candy.I didnt want her to be mad at me, so I went along.Later that night, when I was in my room, Mom came in. Are you feeling OK? she asked. Youhardly ate any supper.Sure, I mumbled.Are you worried about your talk next Sunday?I had completely forgotten about my talk. It was supposed to be on how the Holy Ghost can guideus.After Mom left my room, I tried to work on it, but all I could think about was the wallet and

whoever it belonged to.A few days later my older sister, Beth, said shed help me work on my talk. Whats wrong withyou, Shortstuffyoure not paying attention.I started to cry. Id promised not to talk about the wallet, but I couldnt hold it in any longer.Sally and I found a wallet with tons and tons of money in it. We spent some, and now I feel justawful! I blurted out as fast as I could. I felt better just having told her.No wonder youre having so much trouble writing this talk, kiddo. She smiled.Huh?Your talk is on how the Holy Ghost can guide us, and youre experiencing that firsthand.What do you mean?Think about itabout what youre feeling now about the wallet. Where do you think thosefeelings are coming from? She looked at me, waiting for an answer.You mean its the Holy Ghost trying to guide me to do whats right?Youre a smart kid! Now I think you need to talk to Mom and Dad.I went to my dad and told him the whole miserable story. He called Sallys dad, and they cameover. I could tell that Sally was really upset with me. My dad had me replace the money Id spent.Sally grudgingly promised to repay her dad for the money she had spent. Then my dad called theowner of the wallet, who came over right away. Dad told him the whole story.


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The man shook our dads hands and smiled at us. Thank you for returning my wallet, he said. Iwas worried about it. It must have been very hard to find that much money and give it back.I looked down at my feet and mumbled, Yes.Well, Id like to give you a reward. He reached into the wallet and took out a twenty-dollar bill.We cant take that, I said. We should have returned the wallet to you right away.

The man nodded, put the money back into his wallet, thanked us again, and left.Sally wouldnt even look at me, let alone talk to me. But I was glad that Id told, even if it meantlosing Sally as a friend. I felt good inside knowing that Id followed the promptings of the HolyGhost and finally made the right decision.That Sunday I gave my talk on how the Holy Ghost can guide us, even when we dont want tolisten at first. Sally sat in the front row and smiled at me. I think she was as glad then as I wasthat wed returned the wallet.After church we walked home together and talked a lot. I hoped that we wouldnt find anythingelse. But I knew that if we did, the Holy Ghost would guide us to do what we should.


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Callie Buys, Stop the Boat!,Friend, Aug 2005, 4(Based on an experience from the authors family) The Holy Ghost will show unto you allthings what ye should do (2 Ne. 32:5).Derek snapped on his life preserver and pulled out his sunglasses as the boat sped up. He liked to

feel the wind whip through his hair as the boat made ripples in the calm lake. The afternoonlooked perfect for a fishing trip. The sun shone brightly, and the smooth water reflected the treesstanding along the shore.Dad had invited Brother Taylor and his two children, Hannah and Jake, to come along, too. Dadhad asked 11-year-old Derek to help look after the children since they were only six and four. Allafternoon, Brother Taylor helped Hannah and Jake hold tiny fishing poles while Derek and Dadbaited their hooks. Derek had fun, even though he didnt catch any fish himself.When the sun rolled behind a cloud, Dad looked up at the sky and pressed his lips together inthought. We dont have much sunlight left, he said.Good, Brother Taylor replied. The fishings better when it starts to get dark.The fishings better, but driving the boat isnt, Dad said. The lake can be dangerous in the

dark. We should stay for only a few more minutes.The lake looked peaceful and still as the sky grew darker. Soon, the fish began to bite. After Jakeand Brother Taylor had each caught a fish, Dad started the engine.Time to go, he said.Derek found a huge red towel and wrapped it around Hannah and Jake like a blanket. The air feltcrisp now that the sun had melted into the mountaintops.Dad slowly steered the boat back to the shore as the darkness grew. The boat had two little lightsat the front, but they werent very bright. I wonder if Dad can see anything at all, Derekthought. He didnt like being out on the lake in the dark. The lapping of the water against the boatsounded creepy, and the air felt cold now. He wished they would go faster.

Suddenly, Dad pulled back on the throttle and the boat drifted to a stop.Why are we stopping? Derek asked.Dad didnt respond. He pulled a flashlight out of the glove box and shined it in front of the boat.Directly ahead of them, Derek saw a rock sticking up out of the water. Dad slowly turned the boatand drove around it.Derek held his breath. They had almost crashed into that rock!When they reached the dock, Dad patted Dereks knee.That was close, Derek whispered.Dad nodded. I saw that rock this afternoon, but I didnt think much about it, he said. In thelight, I could have seen it from far away, but I couldnt see it at all in the dark. All of a sudden,something inside told me to stop the boat. I didnt see the rock until after we had stopped. If I hadwaited until I saw it, it would have been too late.Dereks eyes widened.Thankfully, the Holy Ghost could see what I could not. Dad smiled. He was looking out for us,and I am glad I listened to Him.Derek felt glad, too. A warm feeling rushed through him. He felt safe and calm knowing that Dadhad listened to the promptings of the Holy Ghost. Derek knew that if he, too, listened for the still,small voice, he would know what to doeven when he couldnt see the way.


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John Allen, The Silo,Friend, Sep 2003, 30Based on a true story Listen to the counsel which I shall give unto you (D&C 100:2).Hey, Mike, lets run out to the silo, Lance called to his younger brother as he ran past him.Wait up! Mike ran as fast as he could to catch up.

The two boys lived on a big farm in the country with their mother and grandfather. They loved thefresh air, the open space, and the green fields that turned gold in the fall. But most of all, theyloved the silo. To Mike, it looked like a giant soup can without the label.As the boys got closer to it now, they could see its rusty patches, dents, and cracks. Once Mikehad asked Lance about them. Lance explained, You know how Grandpas face is kind of wrinkledand how he has brown spots on his hands? Its because hes old. Well, thats how it is with thesilo. I bet it was shiny and smooth when it was new.For two boys with active imaginations, the silo was all sorts of things. Some days it was anancient castle. Sometimes they pretended it was a tall skyscraper or a pirate ship. Mike especiallyenjoyed standing in the center of it and yelling as loud as he could, then hearing his echo bounceoff the curved walls.

When the boys reached the silo, Lance said, Lets play spaceship. For the next twenty minutes,they pretended to soar through space and discover new planets.They took turns climbing to the top of the steel ladder rungs welded inside and outside the silo,pretending that they were on the spaceships observation deck. Just as Mike spotted a new planet,Mothers voice brought both space explorers back to earth.Mike! Lance! Time for supper.During supper, Grandpa asked the boys what they had been up to.We were playing spaceship in the silo, Lance said.You boys sure enjoy that old silo, dont you?You bet, Mike said. Grandpa, can I ask you a question? Back in the old days, what was the silo

used for?Well, it was kind of like a big closet to store things in, Grandpa said. When this farm was infull swing, we needed somewhere to store all the feed for the cattle.Mikes eyes grew big. You mean you filled the whole silo with just feed? You must have had a lotof cattle!We did. I remember when my papa had the silo built. I was just about your age. It was new andshiny, and one of the tallest things Id ever seen.After supper, Mike cleared the table, and Lance helped Mother wash the dishes. When the disheswere done, Lance asked if he and Mike could go play.No, Mother said. I want to talk to you both. Lets go into the front room.From the look on Mothers face, Lance knew that she had something serious on her mind. The boysfollowed her into the front room and sat down.I know how much you enjoy playing in the silo, she began, but today I had a strong feeling.Right before I called you in for dinner, I felt that you shouldnt play in it anymore.But Mom, thats our favorite place to play! Lance cried.Yeah, Mom! Mike frowned.I know you like playing there. But I cant deny what I felt. Youve learned about the Holy Ghostat church, and weve talked about Him at home. Mike, what does the Holy Ghost do?


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He helps us figure things out.Yeah, and He helps us know whats true, Lance added. But what does that have to do with thesilo?I want to tell you about a couple of things that happened to me, Mother began. When your dadand I were first married, we went on a trip to Yellowstone National Park. Even though it was

getting late in the day, your father wanted to push on to the next town before stopping for thenight. But I had a strong feeling that we should stop right where we were. I couldnt explain why Ifelt that way, but I did. I told your father, and he said, If thats what you feel we should do, welldo it. Now, to this day, I dont know why I felt that way, but Im glad that we didnt drive anyfarther until the next morning.One more thing, Mother continued. The night your dad diedbefore I got the phone calltelling me what had happenedI already knew. All that night I had had a feeling that somethingwas terribly wrong.In both cases, I am absolutely certain that it was the Holy Ghost speaking to me.And thats how you feel about the silo? Lance asked.

Thats right. I cant give you any other reason except that I strongly feel you shouldnt play thereanymore.Later that night, when they were both in bed, Mike asked, Lance, do you really believe whatMom said about the Holy Ghost?Yeah, I do.How come?Ive never told anyone this, but do you know Bobby Morrison?The tall kid with red hair?Thats the one. Well, last year he and I planned how to cheat on a history test. Im not going totell you what the plan was, because I dont want you trying a dumb stunt like that.If its so dumb, why did you do it?

Well, Im getting to that part. When the test started, it was like I could feel this voice. And it wasreally strong. It said, You know its wrong to cheat. After that, I just couldnt go through withit.And that voice was the Holy Ghost?Yeah. So I know that there is a Holy Ghost. If Mom says that He spoke to her, I believe her.So youre not even going to sneak over to the silo?No.Well, Mike said reluctantly, I guess I wont either.The next few days were hard for the boys. They had to think of new games to play that didntinvolve the silo. One afternoon Lance said, Lets put a puzzle together.

Ah, who wants to do that? Mike groaned.Do you have any better ideas?Since Mike didnt, they set up a table on the porch and started working on a puzzle. But Mike hada hard time concentratinghis eyes kept wandering in the direction of the silo. The good old silo.Too bad we cant play there anymore, he thought miserably.Hey, stop daydreaming, Lance said.Before Mike could reply, Mother came out with a pitcher of cool lemonade.As the three of them drank from frosty glasses, they heard a low rumble. The ground trembled, and


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the puzzle pieces on the table started doing a crazy dance.Look! Mike pointed at the silo.It wobbled and leaned to one side. The rumble grew louder while another sound filled the airthesound of metal scraping, grinding, and ripping. A great cloud of dust rose up as the silo crashed tothe ground.

Grandpa came running out of the house. What in the world? Then he saw the silo. Oh! Oh,my!That night Mike lay in bed awake. Mother really had been prompted by the Holy Ghost. He wasglad that he and Lance had listened to her. He promised himself and Heavenly Father that he wouldlive the kind of life that would allow him to hear for himself the Holy Ghosts still, small voice.


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Kelly Corless, Being Smart,Friend, Feb 2007, 3436(Based on a true story) The Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost shall teach you all things(John 14:26).Olivia smiled as she uprooted a reluctant weed. The sun was warm, and it felt good to be weeding

the vegetable garden with her family. It felt even better to be finished with school for the day. Asthey worked, Olivias older brother, Jake, started talking about President Hinckleys six Bs thathe was studying in seminary.Six bees? Like bumblebees? Olivia asked, pointing to a fuzzy bee busily gathering pollen from abright purple flower.No, Jake said. Theyre things that we should try to be. They are be grateful, be clean, be true,be humble, be prayerful, and be smart.Be smart! Olivias eyes opened wide with dismay, and her heart seemed to drop into her tennisshoes. President Hinckley says we should be smart? At her baptism recently she had promised tokeep the commandments, and that surely included following the prophet. But if there was one thingshe could neverbe, it was smart.

Olivia dreaded school. Mr. Blaine, her third-grade teacher, was nice, but he made the class domultiplication tables, which tangled up in Olivias brain like barbed wire. She felt dumb when shegot bad scores on her tests and worksheets. She tried hard, but her best just didnt seem to be goodenough. The rest of the evening Olivia worried that her grades were a terrible disappointment toHeavenly Father.The next day at school, she felt even worse about be smart when she missed five words on herspelling test and couldnt find Madagascar on the globe. She was relieved when recess came.As Olivia ran across the grass with her friends, she noticed a group of fifth graders looking atsomething. Forgetting her problems for a moment, she went over to investigate.What are you looking at? she asked a tall girl.

Oh, we found a needle, like the ones doctors give you shots with. One of the older boys bentto pick up the needle. A sick feeling came over Olivia, and she knew somehow that this was not athing they should be playing with. Wait! she yelled. Dont touch it!The boy stopped short, staring at Olivia with raised eyebrows.Well, its, uh, way bad to t-touch stuff like th-that, she stammered, feeling stupid for telling anolder boy what to do.But then a recent family home evening lesson came back clearly to her mind. If we listen to thepromptings of the Holy Ghost, He will help us know when something is wrong, Mom had said.Olivia looked the boy in the eye. We should probably tell a teacher to come get it instead.One of the other third-graders ran quickly across the grass and brought back Mr. Blaine. Oliviatold us not to touch it, the older boy said as Mr. Blaine bent over the sharp needle.Smart thinking, Olivia! Mr. Blaine exclaimed.Smart thinking? A warm glow replaced the sick feeling that had filled Olivia moments before.Wow! She had remembered her moms counsel about listening to the Holy Ghost, and she hadfollowed His promptings. That was something a smart person would do!Running across the playground, Olivia felt much better about trying to be smart.


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Kelli Einfeldt, Danger on the Snake River,Friend, May 1995, 8Let the Holy Spirit guard; Let his whisper govern choice. He will lead us safely home If we listento his voice (Hymns, 1985, no. 143.)Every June my parents go rafting on the Snake River near Jackson Hole, Wyoming. In 1991 my dad

let me float the river for the first time. I had waited a long time to be able to go. I felt veryexcited as I dressed, first in my swimsuit, then in my wet suit. I put on my life jacket and climbedinto the raft with my mom and dad, and the other adults with us.The river was muddy and running very high due to a heavy spring snow melt. The color of thewater was like hot chocolate. I rode in the very front of the raft with my feet tucked under thethwart (rowers seat), and held tightly to the front rope. I laughed and screamed as we rodethrough the rapids. The water was very cold, so I ducked my head as the big waves crashed overme. To keep the boat straight, the adults paddled through the rapids. During the calm parts, wewould talk and laugh.My dad thought that we had already passed a dangerous rapid called Three Ordeal. He doesnt likegoing through it because its a hydraulic wave, which means that its like a big washing machine

with one strong wave. He says that its like riding over a spillway, then getting caught on thepowerful wave at the bottom.The adults were talking during a calm stretch in the river, and the raft was floating kind ofsideways. My dad looked up and realized that we were heading right for Three Ordeal. He had justenough time to get the boat straight. The grownups started paddling as hard as they could to pickup enough speed to pull us over the wave.I ducked my head as we hit the first big wave, and when I looked up, I saw Uncle Jerry beingthrown from the raft. Clinging to the rope, I looked around. The raft was empty except for me!The force of the wave had knocked all the adults into the churning river. I learned later that theforce of the collision folded the raft in half, with the back almost touching the front.

While the adults were being swept downriver, the wave trapped the raft and me in the middle ofthe river. The raft twisted and turned and rocked up and down like a teeter-totter. I was veryscared, but I clung to the rope, keeping my feet wedged under the thwart. I looked for my momand dadwhere werethey? Should I jump into the river with everyone else? What should I do?Then I felt something in the middle of my heart tell me, Stay in the raft. Suddenly I felt calminstead of panicky. I felt I was being helped and protected. I believe it was the Holy Ghost. Iobeyed the prompting and stayed in the raft. Soon it broke free of the roaring wave and startedfloating down the river. Oh, what a feeling to be safe and protected by the Holy Ghost!Once I didnt have waves crashing around me, I saw my aunt and uncle on the bank. Again Iwondered if I should jump in the river and swim to the shore. Again I had a strong feeling to stayin the raft. I kept still, and the raft floated to the bank by itself. I grabbed some branches and heldon to them until a friend came and tied the raft to a bush.I learned many things from that experience. I learned that as soon as the adults reached shore, theyprayed that Heavenly Father would protect me. Twice I had felt the promptings of the Holy Ghost.Twice I obeyed the promptings and was kept safe from the dangers of the river. I learned thatmaybe the raft didnt float to the bank by itself after all. I learned that Heavenly Father canaccomplish things when people cant. He can accomplish all things.


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Kimberly Watrin, Put the Wheat in the Buggy and Go,Friend, Sep 2007,3435(Based on a true story)Look up the following scriptures: Luke 6:21; Romans 8:14; D&C 44:6. Which one do you think fits

the story best? Write that scripture on the blank lines.Mother, what are we going to have for dinner tonight? Eliza quietly asked. She was hungry, andshe knew that her mother had given her and her brothers and sisters the last of the potatoes forlunch.Her mother didnt answer. Elizas hope fell as she watched her mother scurry around the smallkitchen looking for a little flour or wheat to feed her family. As Elizas stomach rumbled, therewas a knock at the door. When Elizas mother opened the door, there stood a pretty lady carryingtwo small children.Sister Peterson, please come in. What brings you by? Elizas mother asked.Eliza had seen Sister Peterson at church. She knew her husband owned a large farm and that theirfamily always wore nice clothes.

Sister Peterson set her two children on the floor. I was scrubbing my floors and tending to mychildren when a quiet thought came into my mind: Put the wheat in the buggy and go. I ignoredthe thought and continued tending to my children, she explained.A few minutes later I heard the voice again: Put the wheat in the buggy and go. This time thethought was a little louder. I told myself that this was a silly thought. Where would I go with thewheat? I ignored the voice again and went back to my work.A third time I heard, Put the wheat in the buggy and go. This time the voice was so loud that Ilooked around the room to see if my husband had come in from working in the fields. But no onewas in the room except my two small girls who cant speak yet. I decided that I should listen, thatmaybe the Holy Ghost was giving me a prompting.

I bundled up my two small children, filled the buggy with bags of wheat, and hitched the horsesto the buggy. I didnt know where to go. I held the reigns loose and let the horses lead me. Theybrought me straight to your house. Could you and your family use this wheat? Sister Petersonasked.Elizas mother wept as she looked around their small house filled with young children. She replied:My children were hungry and I didnt know what I was going to feed them for dinner. We have nofood in our house. Thank you for listening to the Holy Ghost.That night Eliza went to bed with a full stomach. She thanked Heavenly Father in her prayers forsending Sister Peterson to their house with food.


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Kimberly Webb, Watermelon Blessing,Friend, Sep 2003, 40Based on a true story If ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts (Heb. 4:7).Kelly smiled at the fields whizzing by outside her window. Hay bales stood in neat rows, soon to bestored in the barn. Dad whistled to the radio as he drove. Mom and the baby were sleeping. Soon

they would all be at Aunt Lizzies farm, surrounded by cousins, aunts, and uncles.All year, Kelly looked forward to the first weekend in Septemberthe weekend of the familyreunion. It was finally here! She couldnt wait to see her favorite cousin, Angie. Every year theybuilt hay forts, rode horses, and waded in the river.Kelly jumped out of the car almost before the tires stopped rolling. Were here! she bellowed.She found Angie jumping on the trampoline with a girl she didnt recognize.Kelly! Angie called.Angie! Kelly called back. She leaped onto the trampoline and hugged her cousin.Kelly, this is my best friend, Tricia. My mom said I could bring a friend this year! Angie bubbled.Kelly eyed Tricia suspiciously, jealous that Angie had a best friend. Kelly knew it was silly to feelthat wayshe had friends at home, too. She made an effort to smile.

Lets go build a hay fort, she said to both girls. Want to?Tricia pulled a face. Im allergic to hay.What about horseback riding? Kelly suggested next. I bet Uncle Jeff would saddle up horses forus.Nah, Angie said. She looked quickly in Tricias direction. I think well stay here for now.Kellys heart sank. She could already tell that this reunion would be much different than all theothers.That afternoon, after the hot dog roast, Kelly couldnt find Angie and Tricia anywhere. Theyprobably went horseback riding without me!What are you doing, Kelly? Mom asked. She sat down next to Kelly on the grass, balancing baby

Michael in one arm and a juicy slice of watermelon in her other hand.Nothing, she said. I think Im going to walk down to the river and go wading. The river hadalways been Kellys favorite place.Moms smile disappeared. Thats not such a good idea. Aunt Lizzie says that its been raining thepast few weeks and that the water is so high you can touch it just by dipping your toes off thebridge.Then Ill sit on the bridge. I wont get in the water. Kelly wanted to be alone.I dont think you should go near the river, not even to the bridge, Mom said. Why dont yougo get some watermelon and come back here? Michael and I will keep you company.Oh, Mom. Kelly pulled herself to her feet and headed for the backyard, even though she didntreally want any watermelon.Ill sneak off to the river, anyway, she thought. Mom will get talking with some aunt or uncle.She wont notice if I dont come back.Kelly decided to just keep going through the backyard and down to the river.Dont go to the river.Kelly stopped in her tracks. Was the voice real or imagined? But I want to! she silently argued.Ill be careful. She started walking again toward the dirt path that led to the bridge.Mom said not to go.


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Kelly frowned. She had been baptized a few months before, and she knew that the Holy Ghostcould protect her from dangerif she listened to Him.Im just feeling guilty because Mom would be worried, Kelly reasoned to herself. But shellnever know. And Ill be OK.Kelly passed a deserted picnic table with half-eaten watermelons and butcher knives on it. Maybe

I willhave some watermelon. Itll be nice to have a snack while Im there. Kelly swerved towardthe table and grabbed a sticky knife. She jabbed the blade into the thick green rind.Ouch!The knife clattered onto the cutting board as blood seeped out of a cut on Kellys thumb. She feltdizzy. She knew the cut was deep.Are you OK? Uncle Jeff ran to her side. Crying, Kelly showed him her bleeding thumb. Youmight need stitches, he said. He pulled a clean white handkerchief out of his pocket, wrapped itaround Kellys wound, and went to find her parents.In Aunt Lizzies bathroom, Mom cleaned Kellys cut and bandaged it.Will I need stitches? Kelly whimpered.

I dont think so. Mom smoothed Kellys hair. But youd better stay inside and sit still for awhile, so your thumb doesnt start bleeding again.Angie and Tricia peeked through the bathroom doorway. Kelly, we heard you got hurt, Angiesaid.Kelly nodded, holding up her thumb.Do you want to come play a board game with us? Tricia asked.Kelly smiled. Id like that.As the three girls made their way to Aunt Lizzies den, Angie and Tricia explained that Aunt Susanhad made them take a nap after lunch. They hadnt been hiding from Kelly after all!The girls pulled a game off the bookshelf and settled onto the floor.Im sorry about your thumb, Angie said. I heard your mom say that you cant play outside

that means no wading or horseback riding or anything!Its OK, Kelly said. She remembered the promptings she had received before picking up theknife. She imagined the roaring river, deep enough to cover her head. Perhaps some good hadcome from cutting her thumb after all.She would never know what could have happened at the bridge. But she knew that the Holy Ghostwould protect her if she listened to His promptings. A warm feeling of gratitude filled her heart.Even though she had wanted to disobey, Heavenly Father had protected her this time so that shecould learn to listen. She remembered her Primary teacher saying that when you ignore the HolyGhost, He leaves. Kelly never wanted that to happen.Heavenly Father, she prayed silently, I will listen to the Holy Ghostthe first timefrom

now on.


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Kelly J. Hunsaker, Safe from the Swarm,Friend, Aug 2009, 1617(Based on a true story) Through a still small voice, the Spirit speaks to me (Childrens Songbook,106107).Lets ride our bikes down by the stream, I said to my friend Amy.

OK. I just need to ask my mom first, Amy answered.A little while later we were happily riding down our street. The stream was just a few blocks frommy home. A dirt path ran beside it. We rode our bikes to the end of the path, and on our way backwe stopped to toss some rocks into the stream.Lets race sticks, I said. We both looked for a small twig to toss into the water.Ready, set, go! Amy yelled. We threw our sticks into the water and watched as they floatedaround a bend in the stream and out of sight.I think you won, I said.We continued riding our bikes back up the path. I stopped to pick up a stick lying across the pathand tossed it in the stream. Before I could spot where the stick had landed, a buzzing cloudencircled me. Within seconds, hundreds of yellow jackets covered my body. Chills of fear ran up

my spine. I had stepped on their nest somewhere underneath the brush.Run! Amy yelled. Theyre all over you!Just as I was about to swing my arms to try to swat them away, I had a strong feeling not tomove. I remembered what I had been taught whenever a bee or wasp was on me: The best thing todo is stay still. They wont sting unless they feel threatened.Fighting the urge to run, I felt the yellow jackets crawl into my hair. They walked across my earsand up the sleeves of my shirt. My rapid breathing shook my body, even though I tried not tomove.Hurry, Amy, go get my dad, I stammered under my breath. My friend raced up the dirt path.Suddenly, one of the yellow jackets stung my cheek. Shocked by the sharp pain, I jumped and

screamed. The persistent thought remained: Hold still!I continued to stay motionless as the yellow jackets crawled on me. I quietly prayed, HeavenlyFather, please help me escape the swarm. Please, please help me.A minute later, a wasp stung my other cheek. Startled once more, I flinched. My body trembled asI began to cry. Then the entire swarm flew away.Worn out, I picked up my bike and walked up the dirt path as tears streamed down my cheeks. As Ireached the paved road, I could see the relief in Dads eyes as he ran toward me. Sobbing, Iexplained everything that had happened.You were very blessed, Dad said as he examined my cheeks. What made you stand there sostill?At first I felt like swatting at them and running, especially when I realized they were crawling inmy hair and clothes, but then I had a strong feeling to hold still, I explained.That was the Holy Ghost, Kelly, Dad said. The Spirit gives us promptings so we will know inour minds and feel in our hearts what to do. It may not be what we want to do, but if we obeythose feelings we will be protected from danger. Im so grateful you listened and followed Hisprompting.Even though my cheeks throbbed with pain, I felt extremely blessed to be safe from the swarm.


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ActivityThis would be an excellent devotional to give your child a CTR ring. They might be youngbut I know from experience that they soak it up and love them (no matter how many theygo through!). Talk about how we have a Liahona today that can remind up every day to

keep the commandments and choose the right. Explain the importance of the ring and whatit stands for. Maybe buy an extra one just in case!

If you dont have a CTR ring then you can play the connect the dots. Print off the connectthe dots. Laminate it and use a dry erase marker if you would like to use it again or youcan make multiple copies and let them color it without laminating.


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lehi's liahona

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