When Joseph Smith Came to Our House

By Lorraine Richardson

“Why don’t we role-play the Joseph Smith story?” my husband asked as we planned a home evening lesson to commemorate the Prophet’s birthday on December 23. We couldn’t forget our children’s engrossed reverence the week before, as all three “shepherds” (with towels on their heads and wooden sticks in their hands) had knelt before Baby Jesus (a favorite doll)—and our two-year-old had reached out to pat him gently. So we decided to try another role-playing session.

During the week, we reviewed with our children the story of Joseph Smith’s First Vision and assigned each child a part in the play.

Then in family home evening, we first met Joseph Smith (two-year-old Matthew) and the Smith family (the rest of us). Then we went into different rooms as Joseph and his family listened to different “preachers.” My husband and I alternated the preacher role—he in one room, I in the next. Whoever wasn’t preaching walked along with the children, who listened wide-eyed and rather timidly to their preacher-parents’ “sermons.”

Next, we all returned to the living room, and Dad asked, “Now, how do you think Joseph Smith felt? Do you think he might have wondered why all the preachers said such different things, and who was right?” The children agreed that Joseph certainly must have wondered. Dad then lit a candle, and we felt as if we were right there with Joseph as he read James 1:5 by candlelight.

After “Joseph” finished contemplating the scripture, we followed him to the grove of trees (the family room) where he knelt to pray. Suddenly Heavenly Father (Daniel, age four) and Jesus (Dad) appeared standing above him “in the air” (on a chair). Daniel solemnly recited the lines that Dad had rehearsed with him earlier: “This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!” (JS—H 1:17).

Dad then told how Jesus taught Joseph that he should not join any of the existing churches. We explained that the Lord chose Joseph Smith to restore the gospel to the earth—and that Joseph faithfully carried out that mission.

Several days after the lesson, I realized what an impression this experience had made on our children. A neighbor child came over to play, and our son confidently told him, “I know a prophet that lived a long time ago—Joseph Smith. Do you know him?”

The First Vision has never been more alive to any of us or its truth more powerfully felt than during that family home evening. We now plan to role-play other stories from the scriptures.

Illustration by Scott Greer