How To Use The Daughters In My Kingdom Book


The Daughters in my Kingdom book is full of interesting things to talk about in our Relief Societies. We learn about our history and what our sisters once did in difficult times. We can learn a lot from how they stood up to those difficult times. Incorporating this book into our lessons will remind us of the strength and faith of our organization. Here’s a list of ideas to help you use this book more.

 

  1. Read from the book the first five minutes of Relief Society class.
  2. Hold a series of Relief Society mini classes, as you would a Book Club, where you take topics of the book and discuss it.
  3. At Relief Society dinners throughout the year, prepare a question and answer sheet where sisters can discuss answers together, or find answers in the book.
  4. Find details, of presidents or accomplishments, mentioned in the book, and get the complete story from this site 🙂
  5. Use the many quotes in newsletters, lessons, visiting teaching, training meetings, gatherings, etc.  Use them everywhere as a constant reminder of what we sisters have been, and are always being, told of our greatness and potential.
  6. Use this book to teach and discuss Presidency Messages for the First Sunday lesson, or any time.
  7. There are references to past talks in the “Notes,” in the back of the book. Look these talks up at www.lds.org and discuss these words from our past leaders.
  8. Study the faith exemplified by those in the Old Testament, New Testament, and Latter Days. Recall the life of Abish spoken of by Sis. Dalton this past conference (Oct 2011). Try to imagine what it was like for these women making the choices they made.
  9. Make assignments for several women to gather information about women from the scriptures. Invite them to share their findings.
  10. On page 21 you will find a list of ways to prepare to enter the temple. Take this list apart and examine your own life and attitudes.
  11. Sis. Beck focused on three areas that were clearly emphasized in the Nauvoo Minutes. How can we apply these areas in our lives? See pages 17-25.
  12. On www.josephsmithpapers.org you can read the Nauvoo Relief Society Minutes for yourself. Many of the meetings are filled with revelation and insight.
  13. At www.daughtersinmykingdom.com the entire book is available to download or read online. For women who need larger text, you can copy and enlarge as much as needed.
  14. Take the opportunity to draw close as sisters if there is a situation in your ward that calls for concentrated service. Pull out similar examples in this book and revel in our worldwide sisterhood.
  15. Ask around (outside of your ward and area) and discover various ways and circumstances sisters do their visiting teaching. Read the examples that are shared in the book.
  16. There are many ideas in the book about visiting teaching with a love that transcends this world. See how you can make visiting teaching meaningful in your life, and in the lives you are responsible for.
  17. In the early days, Visiting Teachers used to bring a basket of needed items to the sister they were visiting. Find out what specific temporal or spiritual need your sister has and supply it for her.
  18. Commemorate the dates in simple celebrations throughout the year listed on pages 182-184.
  19. The Priesthood is often misunderstood by the women of the Church, mostly from lack of knowledge and misinformed attitudes. Discuss  Chp. 8 in depth. Here, on my site, you can find several posts discussing the Priesthood and its benefits for women.
  20. Discuss self-reliance starting with a discussion from pg. 51-54.
  21. After reading pg. 44-45, how can we be women of influence?
  22. What does the entire book tell us how women throughout all time have kept their covenants?
  23. Gather stories of women who defended their families. You will see what we women are really made of.
  24. Have Relief Society sisters teach some lessons to the Laurels presenting the book to them, teaching from it, sharing examples, involving the girls in service projects, etc.
  25. Talk about what the following statements mean and work to make these statements apply to us. Pg. 30 “The Lord has beheld our sacrifice: come after us.”  Pg. 34, “Throughout the journey, as they suffered trials of illness and death, they prayed in faith for each other and comforted each other.” Pg. 44, “President Young also shared counsel with the women of the Church. His exhortations and Sister Snow’s teachings combined to expand the sisters’ vision of their power for good in their families, in the Church, and in the world.” (There are many more that can be discussed.)
  26. On page 84 spiritual walls are described as a circle of sisters. How can your ward reach out to one another where strength is shared and supported? Let Pres. Packer’s experience move us into bonding with our fellow sisters.
  27. Read sections together and discuss what it means to us, and/or what more we can do.
  28. Understand that this simple book can bring a group of six million (plus) women together. No matter where you attend Church in the world, the women you gather with, meet, and smile at believe as you believe, know what you know, and love you instantly.
  29. Centerpieces for each Relief Society dinner can be taken from the list of visuals in the back of the book. Surely sisters in your ward have meaningful items surrounding Church history, Relief Society history, ward history, or family history. It would be fun to guess what is meaningful about each item and/or hear the stories behind them.
  30. Relief Society sisters have performed charitable acts for many years. See if you can come up with a list of charitable acts your sisters, individually, or collectively, have performed over the years. Discover new ways to continue serving.

This book has the potential to bring a sisterhood to the dinner table where we are preparing a feast that will truly feed us and feed the world as nothing else can.