Treasure Hunt

As a single parent trying to complete my college education, I struggled to hold regular family home evening with my children. We managed to do pretty well while they were young, but as they entered their teen years and expanded their activities and social circles, the task became a challenge. One winter evening as I tried to begin home evening, my children began quarreling. Feeling overwhelmed, I went to a quiet room and knelt in prayer. Within minutes I had an idea: We would have a treasure hunt. They couldn’t resist that! Surely they would be so captivated that they would forget about their quarrels.

Thoughts began to rush into my mind, and I wrote the clues. When I finished, I called the family together again and gave them each a copy of the first clue. The verses were difficult, and they had to work together to unravel the mysteries. I had caught their interest, all right. They became so enthralled that all fighting ceased.

After they had gone from room to room finding notes that gave them clues to the whereabouts of the next note, the last clue read:

“The scriptures point the way. Search them. Therein will your quest be fulfilled.”

After we read this clue, I gave each child a different scripture reference to look up. In the pages next to each scripture I had placed a copy of a poem about making the world a better place.

Although the evening was a success, I was not sure my children had really understood the concept until I received a letter from my missionary son a few years later. He wrote: “I get discouraged sometimes with people I try to teach. But I still remember the treasure hunt and the poem about making the world a better place. Like the poem said, Mom, I have to start with me.”—Norma P. Mitchell, Pleasant Grove, Utah

Photography by Jed Clark

Illustrations by Brent Christison