There are so many things that I have loved sharing with my children, especially the love I have for the temple. So this past year as my son has been gearing up for his mission, I started hunting for different books and articles to help him prepare for the temple.  Late one night while searching on the web I discovered LDS Symbol Cards. I spent a few hours learning about the cards and reading articles about symbols and their ability to teach us.  I shared what I had discovered with my husband and within a few days we had two packs of cards in our house.

What the cards have taught me {short version}… We often hear the words “PREPARE FOR THE TEMPLE.”  We know this means, “stay clean and live worthily so you can go to the temple” but I have come to understand that those words also mean that we should prepare our minds to learn the language that is spoken in the temple. So much of what we learn there is taught to us symbolically, learning to think in terms of symbols is a great learning aid and opens our minds and hearts to greater understanding.

 TRY A TEMPLE SYMBOL HUNT… WATCH HERE!

This week I contacted Steve Reed who created the cards and asked him to share his story. His story was like mine and probably many of you.  He wanted to help prepare his children for the temple but because the temple is so sacred and because many of the books are geared for an older demographic, it was difficult to find resources that his children could understand and relate to so they could be prepared.

In Steve’s Words…

“It has been a passion of mine to help people prepare for the temple, especially my four daughters.  Starting with a pen and cardstock, I made a set of symbol cards that I would use like flash cards to teach my girls about symbols and their potential meanings.  I wanted them to be familiar with various achetypes and motifs so that when they see a circle, square, hexagram, number or color, they will also be thinking of themes, doctrines, and principles that they are commonly associated with.  My goal is to have my children experience the temple for the first time with a familiarity and understanding brought about by a strong foundation based in the understanding of symbolism”

PURCHASE THE CARDS HERE.  http://www.sugardoodleshop.com/product/lds-symbol-cards-20-pack-building-blocks-and-temple-themes/

HOW TO TAKE A TEMPLE SYMBOL HUNT:  Plan a visit to your local temple. Prior to going, introduce your family or the youth to the temple symbol cards and the concept of learning with symbols. Once there, pass out a few of the symbol cards to each child or group along with paper and pencils.  Instruct them to reverently walk around the exterior of temple hunting for symbols that they have on their cards.  When they discover a symbol that matches a card, they quickly read about the potential meanings that the symbol is trying to convey. This helps them think about the symbols potential spiritual significance. Next, have them draw the symbol as this helps them interact with the symbol.  After a designated time, they can exchange cards and continue hunting for more symbols.  Take a little time at the end for them to share what they have learned, discovered and felt.

Thanks Steve for sharing with us your symbol cards so that we can help our children be better prepared  for the temple. 

April