PLEASANT GROVE, Utah — Diane Kirkpatrick's book "52 More Weeks of Family Night" is a multiple-value resource.
It can serve to help the Mormon mom and dad to come up with better-than-average family home evening lessons, but it also works well as a resource for talks.
You know, for that Sunday morning when the child announces he or she has to give a talk in sharing time today.
"I use it for talks. When I substitute in Primary, I bring in some of the activity sheets," said Kirkpatrick, who has five children and currently teaches Webelos in the Grovecrest 4th Ward.
"A lot of people have commented to me that they like it."
The book, released by Covenant Communications Inc., a few months ago, has 52 good ideas for lessons that range from keeping the Sabbath Day holy to miracles, music, agency, the priesthood and the pioneers.
Included with each lesson are scriptures and activity sheets (that can be downloaded from a CD-ROM that comes with the book) that pertain to the topic.
The activity sheets contain puzzles and word games that are created with the beginning reader in mind.
"My kids are all elementary age so they can do them pretty much. The younger kids can color them," Kirkpatrick said.
Kirkpatrick's book evolved over the past six years as she created lessons for her young family, lessons that always included a scripture.
"I want this book to make family home evening and scripture study easier," she said.
Once she decided to put them into a book, she spent four to five months selecting music, activities and memory verses for each topic.
Today, her family has favorites; the lessons on example, dependability and prayer, for starters.
The 116-page book is personal size, easy to read and accessible.
The lessons can be used as is or expanded to include ideas and discussion topics for older children and teens.
It sells for $14.95 at Seagull Book and Deseret Book.
e-mail: haddoc@desnews.com