The Games Mormons Play

Jenny and Jose's family is one of our all-time favorites.  These little boys are such good kids and seeing how much they adore playing with their dad is heartwarming.  We were delighted to go with Hermana Batschi and Hermana Morgan one evening as they prepared to teach the family about putting on the whole armor of God.  The sisters had prepared two sets of armor, and after the scripture study they divided the boys and their cousin who was visiting into two groups for a contest.

The beds are on opposite sides of the large bedroom and they boys had to put on every piece of armor on one side, then cross the room to tag the next person for the  relay.  They had to put on a helmet (hands-down the FAVORITE piece!), sword, shield, loin cloth and big, rubber boots.

The first problem came in the love of the helmet, as they all put that on first, making it harder to put on the shield and of course it fell off when they put on the loin cloth and the boots.  The love of the helmet made them slow to learn. 

The real sticking point (pun intended) in the contest was the boots, which would ordinarily have come off with ease.  The boys were in too much of a hurry to remove their shoes, so they pulled the boots on over their shoes, not realizing how much it would complicate things.

Excitement mounts.  At this point I was laughing so hard I thought I would have an asthma attack.

Hermana Batschi takes pity and helps hold the boot.  Things get ugly from here, because this shoe is too large to come back out of the boot.

The customary victory dance.

Jousting afterward.

Now comes the hard part.  No one can get the boots off.  

I could hardly bear to watch this kind of torture to reclaim the boots.  Thankfully, no joints were dislodged as Hermana Morgan assists.

I don't think the boys will ever forget the term, "Put on the whole armor of God."

 Mike and I were involved in some important issues in the 1970's regarding appropriate materials to introduce in the public schools and we made friends with many people in our community who were not Mormons, but shared like values.  We gave them copies of the LDS Family Home Evening manuals and encouraged them to use Monday evenings as a family night-a time to teach their children their own beliefs and religious traditions.  When family values are imparted to children, they are less likely to be drawn into worldly attitudes that would cause them to be in harm's way.  

In General Conferernce this October, Elder Russell M. Nelson gave a delightful talk entitled, "Ask the Missionaries! They Can Help You!".  

http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2012/10/ask-the-missionaries-they-can-help-you?lang=eng

This is one of the things missionaries can help families of all faiths learn to do.  Our missionaries are so gifted at teaching spiritual concepts in ways that are enjoyable and memorable.  Families need to be strong now, as the world offers so much that is harmful and totally available to children.  If you would like to learn how to start your own Family Home Evening and to create a safety net for your children, just ask the missionaries.  They would be happy to help you put together a fun activity just like this one.