Storiesto go along with Matching Activity
We had the children play the matching game. As they made a match, we had a teacher read one of the stories and showed them the picture that went along with that matching picture. All stories are from the Friend and Ensign Magazines. All the clipart is either from free sites or from the Friend.
Baby – First son of parents. The day he was born, Pres. Monson’s father told his mother that they had a new bishop in their ward. She replied “I have a new bishop for you”. He became a bishop 23 years later.
Toy Train– (show picture of him as a little boy) President Monson as a young boy, had received a long-yearned-for electric train for Christmas, and his mother had purchased a less expensive windup train as a gift for a neighbor boy named Mark.
Before President Monson went with his mother to deliver the gift, he noticed that the windup train included an oil tanker car. He decided he wanted it for his own train, and pleaded with his mother to let him keep the car.
Finally she handed it over, saying, “If you need it more than Mark, you take it.”
Mark was thrilled with the gift and watched with joy as his new windup train, with only an engine and the two remaining cars, went around the track.
“Mother wisely asked, ‘What do you think of Mark’s train, Tommy?’
“I felt a keen sense of guilt and became very much aware of my foolishness,” he said. “I said to mother, ‘Wait just a moment; I’ll be right back.’ ”
He ran to his home, retrieved the oil tanker car, then added an additional car from his own set. Then he hurried back and said to Mark, “We forgot to bring two cars that belong to your train.”
President Monson reported that he “felt a supreme joy difficult to describe and impossible to forget” as he watched Mark’s lengthened train move around its track. “I had found the Christmas spirit.
Cabin at VivianPark – (show picture of Pres. Monson as a young man) Once he was swimming the ProvoRiver with some friends. He heard people shouting from shore that a woman had fallen in river and she was being dragged towards some dangerous whirlpools. He swam to her and rescued her. Later he said “I was in the right place at the right time.”
Fly Fishing – show fishing picture
Naval Reserve – Pres. Monson sought Elder Harold B. Lee’s advice (later Prophet) about accepting a high position in the Navy. Elder Lee told him not to accept it. Pres. Monson wondered whether they would let me out of the Navy and Elder Lee told him that “Have more faith, Bro. Monson. Your future is not with the military.” He followed the advice and he was released from the Navy just before the start of the Korean War in the early 1950’s. Pres. Monson’s son Thomas, is named Thomas Lee Monson after Pres. Harold B. Lee.
Met Frances(flowers) –(show picture of him and Sis. Monson)
Met her parents (missionaries) - When Pres. Monson went to pick up Frances for her date, he met her Father. “Monson, is a Swedish name isn’t it?” Brother Johnson asked. “Yes sir!” replied Thomas. Bro. Johnson went to a dresser drawer and took out a picture of 2 young missionaries in top hats. “Are you related to this Monson?”
Thomas glanced at the photo and recognized the missionary as his great-uncle. “Yes, Sir,” he told Bro. Johnson. “This Elias Monson, my great uncle.”
Bro. Johnson paused a moment. His eyes filled with tears. Then he explained to Thomas that Elias Monson was the missionary who had brought the gospel message to his parents in Sweden. They hugged him. Although the Frances was slightly embarrassed; she and Pres. Monsontalked about it later that the relationship of their Swedish ancestors may have been more than by chance.
TempleMarried – Show picture of his family, Children’s names are Tom, Ann, and Clark.
Ordained an Apostle – Pres. Monson was always very busy with church work. His wife, Francis, always knew that serving the Lord was important. She said “It has never been a sacrifice to see my husband doing the Lord’s work. It has blessed our children. He always knew that if it was for the church, I expected him to do what he had to do.”
Temple in Germany – Pres. Monson worked for 20 years with the Communist government of East Germany and in the temple was built there in 1985. Four years later, the first missionaries were allowed in and missionaries were allowed to leave to go on missions. No one used to be able to leave the country.
Pres. Monson is our 16th Prophet - I didn’t have a story to go with the matching picture of Pres. Monson being the prophet. I bore my testimony at that point.