PRIMARY 5 LESSON 39 THE SAINTS BUILD WINTER QUARTERS
from history.lds.org
CLASSROOM PREP
Post Mosiah 2:17 on the board with the word “service” highlighted or underlined or in some way made extra noticeable
Display map from the manual for this lesson or a similar map showing their trek.
OPENING ACTIVITY
Attention Activity from the manual - have index cards with the listed scriptures on them.
Cut them in half and pass them out to different kids.
Ask them to look up their scripture - when they say they can’t, explain they have to work together.
Have them find their puzzle partner and look up the scripture together.
After everyone’s read, ask what the common word is and write SERVE on the board.
Read together the scripture Mosiah 2:17 on the board.
Today we’re going to learn about how the Saints who were driven out of Nauvoo served God by helping and serving each other!
LESSON PART 1 - SETTING THE TONE FOR THE PIONEER LESSONS
We’ve learned up until this point about the Saints having to move somewhat short distances. From one state to the next, or just 2-3 states over.
Starting with this lesson, we’re going to be learning about how these Church members became what we called the “pioneers”
What does a “pioneer” mean? What do they do? Discuss answers
Usually it means the first person or the first people to do something.
Or the first people to settle a new country or area.
What do you already know about the pioneers? Discuss their answers - they could say they
used wagons, they made butter, they wore bonnets, they traveled through mud and cold,
some of them died, they went to Salt Lake etc.
We’re going to start our first pioneer lesson watching the Mormon Tabernacle Choir singing a pioneer-related song, and showing pioneer-related scenes.
When I think about the pioneers, I think about how grateful I am for their sacrifices!
From Music & the Spoken Word Broadcast 2012 - Come Come Ye Saints
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ia3gYSvG8M
LESSON
So remember how they built the Nauvoo Temple?
Then what happened? They were driven out and had to leave the city and the temple
They keep having to leave their homes to escape their enemies.
In 1846, there was one main group of Saints called Camp of Israel.
They were halfway across Iowa (show map) in April 1846.
Some in the group planned to go all the way to the Rocky Mountains by the summer, but they didn’t know if they’d be able to.
The weather had been bad, some were low on food and supplies, and many weren’t as far as they were on the trail.
The leaders of the Church decided to have temporary camps and plant crops on their way.
These temporary camps let some of the Saints stay, and would give shelter and food for the rest of the Saints who showed up later.
Two of these first camps were called Garden Grove and Mount Pisgah.
Around this same time, the United States was going to war with Mexico!
The US government asked the Church leaders to provide an army to help.
This was tough, right? They were on their way to a new area and they had little food and supplies.
But they said yes. Why do you think? They wanted to have a good relationship with the government
One of the reasons they said yes was because the army men would earn money from the government, and that money could help pay for things on their trip west.
500 men left the trek west in order to go to war in California.
They were called the Mormon Battalion.
Brigham Young promised these men that their families would be taken care of.
He also promised that if they stayed obedient and righteous, they wouldn’t have to fight!
As promised, other members did help the families left behind.
One day a woman came to Charles C Rich, one of the Mount Pisgah leaders.
She was sad and explained that her husband was away with the Mormon Battalion and she and her kids were hungry!
He asked his wife to give this lady some flour.
Sister Rich said they only had a little flour in the house, and there wasn’t any to buy.
Brother Rich told his wife, “Let her have all that there is in the house, and trust in the Lord to provide for us.”
So they did, but Sister Rich was a little worried about her own family.
Later that day, some wagons stopped in front of the Rich home.
A man gave Brother Rich $50, saying the Spirit told him that their family was out of money!
They were able to buy more flour because that man also told them that a wagon full of flour was coming to Mount Pisgah, so they could buy what they needed!
Both Brother and Sister Rich burst into tears when they realized how the Lord had blessed them!
They gave a little flour but received so much more.
They bought what they needed and also more to give to others.
Early in June 1846, a small group of Saints left Mount Pisgah to find a place where the Saints could stay for the winter.
They worked it out with some American Indians to be able to find a place on the west side of the Missouri River, and they crossed the river into what’s now known as Nebraska.
They found a large place with plants for their animals to eat.
They named it Winter Quarters.
Many Saints moved there!
By December 1846, there were nearly 700 homes and nearly 4,000 Saints there!
Some houses were made from logs, and some were dug out of the sides of hills.
Everyone worked hard to build Winter Quarters as a settlement.
Some men built homes, others plowed the land and planted crops.
Some took care of the cattle, some gathered hay.
The women spun yarn, knitted and sewed clothes, made leggings from deer hides.
Brigham Young told people to build a mill next to the river to grind wheat into flour.
He had others make baskets and washboards to sell.
They had a hard time, even though they were working hard.
They relied on the Lord and on each other.
Orson Spencer and his family had been driven out of Nauvoo with the rest of the Saints.
The Spencer family traveled toward Winter Quarters, but before they got there Brother Spencer was called on a mission to England!
He didn’t want to leave his six children - the oldest was 14 and the youngest was 4.
Their mother had just died of an illness and they had no one to take care of them.
He did accept the mission call, and took his kids to Winter Quarters and built them a home.
He asked his neighbors to help care for them.
The older kids in the family took care of the younger kids.
Everyone in Winter Quarters was divided into 22 wards to help take care of each other.
The leaders of each ward were told to look after the spiritual and physical needs of the people in the ward.
They held Sunday services and created schools.
A lot of people were sick there, mostly by malaria from mosquitoes and because they didn’t have fresh fruit and vegetables.
More than 600 died and were buried that fall and winter.
If people weren’t sick, they were taking care of the sick.
Many people were healed through fasting and prayer, and through the willingness of others to serve them.
They also helped people who weren’t members of the Church.
In December 1846, an American Indian chief named Big Head was camped near Winter Quarters with some of his family and friends.
One night they were attacked by a different group of Indians and some were hurt.
The people of Winter Quarters took care of them!
Even though there were a lot of hard times, the people in Winter Quarters enjoyed life and had fun with dances, celebrations, family gatherings, music, etc.
In January 1847, Brigham Young received a revelation on how to organize their trek west.
They were to organize themselves into small groups and prepare what they would need.
They should also keep building homes there in Winter Quarters for the Saints who would stay until Spring.
The first group, called the Pioneer Company, left for Salt Lake in April 1847.
Brigham Young led this group.
Other groups left later that year and in 1848.
By the end of 1848, Winter Quarters was empty - everyone had headed west!
BECAUSE I HAVE BEEN GIVEN MUCH PART 1 - PICTIONARY
Have this song ready to play for them on a phone or laptop.
Post up an image of the Savior on the board
Have the words for them printed out and handed out
Sing through the first verse together.
Sing through the second verse together.
Then have them close their hymnbooks or take the words away.
Sing through the second verse together.
Then have them close their hymnbooks or take the words away.
Have pieces of paper with the following clues, one per paper, and hand them out to different kids:
- “because I have been sheltered” 1
- “fed by thy good care” 2
- “I cannot see another’s lack and I not share” 3
- “my glowing fire” 4
- “my loaf of bread” 5
- “my roof’s safe shelter overhead” 6
Split the board up into 6 sections and put a small number in the top of each box, 1-6
Have kids one at a time draw their clue in the right box (the # on their paper)
Everyone guesses after each turn.
Everyone guesses after each turn.
After everyone has drawn (and guessed), sing the second verse together
while looking at/pointing at each box as you go.
while looking at/pointing at each box as you go.
Add in the last part…”that He too may be comforted.”
BECAUSE I HAVE BEEN GIVEN MUCH PART 2 - PRIMARY THANKS
Then move onto the third verse and have those words printed onto the front of a card, one per Primary Presidency member (4 including the Secretary).
Have the kids each write a message on the inside of the card about how thankful they are for their Primary leaders.
As a class fill 4 little bags with treats/candy/etc. and put a card in each.
Plan to hand these to the Presidency members after class.
TESTIMONY / TAKE HOME IDEAS
Great things can be accomplished when people cooperate and serve each other!
Hand out flower-shaped or flower-themed treat or trinket/token with a note like this:
"Remember the story of the “flower” (flour) - when we give, we get back so much more!
What can you do to help others today?"
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