How Well Do We Know the Scriptures?

Help your family to enjoy an evening of activities that test what they know about the scriptures, increase their knowledge of the scriptures, and give them a desire to know more.

Suggestions for Family Involvement

Choose from the suggested games and activities those which are best suited for your family. You may wish to do each game or activity without keeping score, or you may wish to give each family member a piece of paper upon which to write his score for each activity. Each one may add his score at the end of the evening. Younger children will need help in keeping and adding their scores. Arouse interest in this home evening by asking older family members to make copies of the activities when a copy is needed for each person.

Games and Activities

Matches from the scriptures

Every family member should have a copy of the following four sets of activities. Follow the instructions that are given above each set of matches. To score, after each set allow one point for each correct answer. Allow young children, who will make matches, five points for each correct match.

Set 1: 

Write the name of the correct father in the space provided by the name of each son. 

Fathers:

Abraham __________

Adam __________

David __________

Lehi __________

Isaac __________

Jacob __________

Jesse __________

Joseph __________

Saul __________

Mormon __________

Zacharias __________

Zebedee __________

Sons: 

David

Jacob

Moroni

Isaac

James

Jonathan

John the Baptist

Cain

Joseph

Absalom

Nephi

Ephraim

Answers: 

Jesse-David

Jacob-Isaac

Mormon-Moroni

Abraham-Isaac

Zebedee-James

Saul-Jonathan

Zacharias-John the Baptist

Adam-Cain

Jacob-Joseph

David-Absalom

Lehi-Nephi

Joseph-Ephraim

Set 2

Draw a line from the name of the husband to the name of the wife.

Husbands:

Adam

Ahab

Boaz

Isaac

Joseph

Jacob

Zacharias

Lehi

Abraham

Wives:

Elisabeth

Sarah

Rush

Jezebel

Rebekah

Sariah

Rachel

Eve

Mary

Answers:

Adam-Eve

Ahab-Jezebel

Boaz-Ruth

Isaac-Rebekah

Joseph-Mary

Jacob-Rachel

Zacharias-Elisabeth

Lehi-Sariah

Abraham-Sarah

Set 3:

Write the name of the correct brother in the space provided.

Aaron __________

Abel __________

Andrew __________

Esau __________

Shem __________

James __________

Benjamin __________

Manasseh __________

Nephi __________

Solomon __________

Options: 

Ham

Laman

Ephraim

Joseph

John

Moses

Jacob

Peter

Cain

Absalom

Answers:

Aaron-Moses

Abel-Cain

Andrew-Peter

Esau-Jacob

Shem-Ham

James-John

Benjamin-Joseph

Manasseh-Ephraim

Nephi-Laman

Solomon-Absalom

Set 4:

Draw a line from the man to the object with which he is associated. You may wish to have family members briefly recall aloud the story related to each object.

Men:

Noah

Job

Benjamin

Samson

Jacob

Daniel

Joseph

David

Joshua

Judas

Laban

Answers:

coat of many colors

lions

harp

thirty pieces of silver

walls that fell

boils

brass plates

long hair

ladder 

ark

cup

Answers:

Noah-ark

Job-boils

Benjamin-cup

Samson-long hair

Jacob-ladder

Daniel-lions

Joseph-coat

David-harp

Joshua-walls

Judas-silver

Laban-brass plates

Putting the Books in Order

Cut slips of paper all the same size. On each slip, write the name of one of the books of the Book of Mormon. (See the list on the page opposite the first chapter of the Book of Mormon.) Hide the slips in plain sight. (Young children will enjoy finding these slips.)

Give each family member a point for each slip he finds and returns in good condition. Give him another point if he can name the book that goes before this book and another if he can also name the book that comes after. Arrange the books on the floor or on a table in their proper order. The game could be repeated if desired, using names from the Old Testament, New Testament, or the Pearl of Great Price. 

This game may be varied by beginning with the books placed in proper order and asking one person to leave the room. Then have someone hide one of the slips. When the person returns to the room, give him two points if he can look at the list and tell which book is missing and one more point if he can find the slip you have hidden in a given time. 

For another activity with the books of the scriptures, pass paper and pencil to each family member and have him write as many books as he can in order from each of the standard works, beginning with the first book of each volume. Allow one point for each book named in its correct order. 

Twenty Questions

Have one player leave the room while the others choose a person from the scriptures whose name he must guess by asking twenty questions. He must word each question so it can be answered by yes or no. Appoint one family member to keep a count of the number of questions asked. The person guessing must avoid asking "Is it (name)?" and giving a name until he is sure he is correct, or it is his last question. If he guesses wrong, he receives no score. If his answer is right, his score is determined by subtracting the number of questions he has asked from twenty. 

I Am Thinking of a Person

The person chosen to be the leader of this game things of a person from the scriptures and whispers the name to the one conducting. He then says, "I am thinking of a person who _____________," and tells one fact about this person. (He tries to give a fact that will not readily reveal the identity of the person of whom he is thinking.) Each member of the family, in turn, has a chance to guess who this person is. When a person correctly guesses the answer, he receives one point and becomes the leader.

If no one guesses correctly, the leader gives another fact about the person of whom he is thinking, and everyone has another turn to guess. This process continues until the right name is guessed.

Names from the Scriptures

Pass each person a piece of paper and ask him to make a list of names that he knows are found in the scriptures. Give each one point for each name (allow five points for young children). Now ask each one to make a list of names found in the scriptures which are not commonly used today and allow one point for each name. (Examples: Jehosephat, Habakuk, Bathsheba, Nebuchadnezzar, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego.) The family can have fun pronouncing these unusual names.

Fill in the Blanks

Ask family members to number from 1 to 10 down the left side of a piece of paper. Read the following scripture verses, saying "black" for every word omitted. Each person tries to write down each word omitted by the proper number. Each will receive one point for each correct word. If necessary, check the answers by looking up the scripture verses.

1. __________ is light, and in him is no __________ at all. (1 John 1:5)
2. If we walk in the light . . . we have __________ one with another. (1 John 1:7)
3. He that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth __________; and that __________ growth __________ and __________ until the perfect day. (Doctrine & Covenants 50:24)
4. I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in __________, but shall have the light of __________. (John 8:12)
5. Thy word is a __________ unto my feet, and a __________ unto my path. (Psalms 119:105)
6. I send thee to open their eyes and to turn them from __________ to __________, and from the power of Satan unto __________. (Acts 26:17, 18)
7. Walk as children of light. (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all __________ and __________ and __________.) (Ephesians 5:8, 9)