ruth's kindness

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Ruths KindnessScriptureTell the story using the 3 illustrations below. Print off the illustrations, cut them out andlaminate them.

A kind, old woman named Naomi lived far from her homeland. Her husband andsons had died. All she had left were her two daughters-in-law. One day, Naomi

told them, "I must return to my homeland. I'll miss you, but I'm just an old woman.There's nothing I can do for you."

"Please, Naomi," begged Ruth, one of the daughters-in-law. "Let me go where yougo. Your people will be my people. And your God will be my God." And so Naomi

agreed. And the two women traveled for many days until they finally reachedNaomi's hometown, a place called Bethlehem.

"It's time for the barley harvest, Naomi," said Ruth. "If I gather leftover grain, wecan make bread to eat." So Ruth got permission to pick up grain missed by theharvesters.

A man named Boaz owned the field and wondered who she was. "She came backwith old Naomi," said his foreman. "All day long, she has worked hard."

Boaz called Ruth to him and said, "Gather as much grain as you need, and myworkers will watch for you."

"You are very kind to a foreigner," she said.

"You helped my relative Naomi," said Boaz. "May God bless and reward you foryour kindness."

God did bless Ruth. In time she and Boaz became friends. Boaz shared food, andhelped her whenever he could.

One night, Naomi told Ruth to go to the floor where Boaz was sleeping. She toldRuth to wait for him there. When Boaz awoke he was surprised to see Ruth.

"What are you doing here?" he asked. "Naomi has sent me," said Ruth. "Since youare her nearest relative, I have come to ask you to care for us."


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"God bless you," said Boaz. "And don't be afraid, for I will take care of you."

Naomi rejoiced when Ruth and Boaz got married. And Ruth became the great-grandmother of the great King David!


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StoryPrint off, laminate and read the story together. Explain how acts of kindness make us feelreally good and make other people feel really good. Jesus is very proud of us when we do serviceand especially when we do the service in secret.


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FRI END AU G U ST 2005 37ILLUSTRATED BY GERALD ROGERS

Who could have taken it, Dark? he asked. Who

could have?

Suddenly he spied the ladder, laid out across a large

bush. A closer look revealed that whoever had used the

ladder had picked almost all the berries.

Madden! Tyler breathed angrily. He knows Im

saving up to buy those cowboy chaps. Tyler

could already envision wearing the

leather pant legs over his jeansthen

hed look like a real cowboy.

He sat down beside his dog.

Madden did it just to get even, boy,

just because I told Mr. Ruggles I saw him

swipe that ice cream bar from

the store. I couldnt lie to

Mr. Ruggles when he

asked me.

He gazed at the

sparse bushes. His

family didnt have a

lot of money since

Dad had gotten

laid off from his

job. If Tyler couldnt

make enough money from selling

blackberries, he wouldnt be able to buy the chaps.

Theres only one pair left, Dark, Tyler murmured.

For a good part of the day, Tyler worked feverishly tofill the jars, not even stopping for lunch. As he reworked

the already picked-over bushes, it took him a long time

to fill each jar.

A while later, he looked up and noticed Madden

pulling a wagon behind his bike. It was filled with cans

of blackberries. He was selling them to Tylers regular

customers! Tyler hurried even faster, dropping one of

the jars and losing all the berries from it inside a huge

bush. He wiped sweat from his hands onto his pant legs

and fumed at Madden.

Dark lifted his head from his cool place in the shade

B Y R A Y G O L D R U P(Based on an experience from the authors life)

Comfort all that mourn (Isaiah 61:2).

t was a hot summer day as Tyler made his way

toward the big fields a short distance from his

house. As he tromped up the dirt road, he looked at

the tall yellow weeds on either side and pretended for a

moment he was a Nephite warrior, hidden by the high

weeds as he crept up on the enemy.

Earlier that morning, his father had talked about

heroes in the scriptures who performed great deeds to

help others. He had said that everyone could perform

noble and honorable acts of service. They didnt have to

be big or brave acts to be important, he had explained.

In Heavenly Fathers eyes, any act of selfless service is

of much worth.

I want to do noble things, too, Dark, he confided to

the big black German shepherd that walked along

beside him,

dragging a

small dog sled (travois). Tylers father had helped him

make it. It consisted of two poles tied together at one

end, which were placed over the dogs back and

secured. The opposite ends of the frame trailed alongthe ground behind the dog. The load to be hauledin

this case, a box filled with empty jarswas fastened

between the poles.

When Tyler had walked deep into the field, he

stopped, removed the sled, and lifted one of the jars

from the box. He walked toward a jumble of brush on

the ground, pulled it away, and stared down with sur-

prise. Where was the old ladder he had hidden there?

The ladder helped him climb out across the blackberry

bushes and reach the berries that were otherwise

impossible to reach.


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as Tyler placed the final filled jar in the wooden box. He

quickly attached the sled to the big dog. Mrs. Gregory

will buy all these jars of berries, he realized excitedly.

Madden doesnt know about her because she hasnt

lived here very long. Mrs. Gregory loved blackberries

and always paid Tyler 50 cents a jar. Ive got eight jars,

Dark. If I add that to what I already have, Ill be able to

buy the chaps!

As Tyler walked down the rutted dirt lane, his

excitement grew. He turned a corner and stopped.

Someone was helping Mrs. Gregory sit on her porch

swing, and she looked very sad. There were four other

cars parked in front of the weathered two-story house

and almost a dozen people mingling about. If it was a

family reunion, it must be a sad one, he thought. Maybewe had better come back tomorrow, Dark, he said.

Somethings wrong down at Mrs. Gregorys place,

Mom, Tyler said when he got home. Theres a bunch

of people there, and His mothers serious face made

him pause.

One of Mrs. Gregorys sons died. Theyre having a

memorial service at her house, then theyre going to

the cemetery.

I was going to sell Mrs. Gregory my blackberries

today so I could buy those chaps. But . . . His voice

trailed off. Then an idea came to him. It was something

38

If given in the right way and for the right

reasons, . . . service will reward us beyond

anything we have given.

Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of theTwelve Apostles, The Gospel in Our Lives,Ensign, May 2002, 33.

his father had said about doing honor-

able acts of service for others. At first

he tried to ignore the thought,

because he so wanted to buy the

leather cowboy chaps.

His mother eyed him. A penny for

your thoughts? she said.

I couldnt charge you for that,

Mom, he said, any more than I can

charge Mrs. Gregory for the blackber-

ries. Tyler stepped to the window and

gazed out. Dont people usually come

back to the house to eat after a funeral?

Often thats the case, his mother answered. Why?

Well, Tyler said, there were a lot of people at Mrs.

Gregorys place. I know she isnt going to feel like fix-

ing a bunch of food. Shell probably have help, but Id

like to help her, too. He turned and faced his mother.

Mrs. Gregory likes blackberries even more than I do. I

want to make blackberry pies for her and all those

people.

His mothers eyes welled up with tears. I know how

badly you want those cowboy chaps. Youre willing to

sacrifice them?

I want to be like the heroes in the scriptures, Mom,

and help somebody.

Tylers mother hugged him.

If I squeezed a blackberry as tight as youresqueezing me, Mom, Tyler grunted, it would be

squished to bits.

Tylers mother laughed. Would you like a little help

making those pies?


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FRI END AU G U ST 2005 39

berries, and Mom and I made some pies.

Tears gathered in the old womans eyes. How kind

of you, Tyler. Just a moment, let me get my purse.

Oh, no, Tyler blurted quickly. Theyre free, Mrs.

Gregory. I just want to help.

Mrs. Gregory bent over and hugged Tyler. He could

feel her tears on his cheek. She didnt say

anything, just patted him on the back.

As Tyler walked down the dirt lane

from the little two-story house nestled in

the big trees and the evening shadows,

he felt a feeling he had never felt before.

It was warm, different from the warmth

of the summer night.

When he finally had saved

enough money to buy the cowboy

chaps, they were gonebut the

good feeling from having

done a kind deed stayed.GRay Goldrup is a member of

the Bennion 15th Ward,Bennion Utah Stake.

I was hoping youd ask, Tyler said.

Three hours later, Tyler stood before Mrs. Gregorys

door.

Hello, Tyler, she greeted, her voice warm but weary.

Tyler pointed to three freshly-baked blackberry pies

in the wooden box on the dog sled. I picked some


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ActivityThis was one of my favorite FHE lessons growing up. I had quite the time trying to track downthese printables! There are 21 question mark squares. Print them off on colored paper and cutthem out. Then Print off the 21 chore pictures off and cut them out. Glue a chore to the backside of a question mark. Then laminate the 20 squares. There is one extra question mark if youwould like to add a chore.

Then print off the 20 squares of feet onto a different color of paper. Cut out each square offoot prints. Print out the 20 squares of writing and cut out each square. Glue the writingsquare to the back side of the foot prints and then laminate them.

Print off the picture of the secret agent and the top secret square, color the agent, glue the twosquares together and laminate it. Then print off the poems, cut them out and laminate eachone.

Get an envelope and put the 21 chore cards, the 20 foot print cards, the secret agent card, and

the poem in an envelope and then write top secret on the envelope.

Get an old glass can or jar and slit an opening in the lid about 2 inches long so the childrencan put some of the laminated chore cards in the jar. Print of the I Love You label at thebottom of all the illustrations and glue it on the jar and put the jar where the other familymembers cant see it (i.e. in your room, under their bed, etc.)

Tell you child that they are secret agents and you have a mission for them to do.It is a service mission and it is a secret so they cant tell anyone. Hand them theenvelope and let them open it. Show the picture of the agent and the poem andexplain what service is and why we want to do service in secret. Them give them

the foot prints with the writing on the back. Read them what is says and explainthat service is like a wave in the water, it keeps going and going and the moreservice they do the more people will be affected and feel the Holy Ghost. Explain

that every time they do an act of service the foot print cards tell the person to doit to someone else. Finally give them the chore pictures with the question marks.Tell them that these are some ideas of service they can do to their brothers andsisters. Explain that every time they accomplish a secret service (of one of thechores) they can put it in the glass jar. Explain to them at the end of the week

you will empty the jar and see how many secret acts of service to other peoplethey did and you are going to reward them for each act. The reward doesnt have

to be huge, this is just a fun way for you to see what your child has done and foryour child to tell you about every chore that they did for someone at the end ofthe week. Have them remember how they felt during the acts and what theirbrothers and sisters did when they saw the secret service.


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A secret act of service

has been successfullybeen launched against

you. Your mission now isto carry out an act of

secret Service to amember of your family.

Leave only this card andyour service as traceable

evidence. You have 24hours to complete your

mission! Good luck!







mission! Good luck!







mission! Good luck!







mission! Good luck!


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mission! Good luck!







mission! Good luck!







mission! Good luck!







mission! Good luck!



you. Your mission now is

to carry out an act of



evidence. You have 24

hours to complete your

mission! Good luck!









mission! Good luck!









mission! Good luck!









mission! Good luck!





Leave only this card and

your service as traceableevidence. You have 24hours to complete your

mission! Good luck!







mission! Good luck!







mission! Good luck!







mission! Good luck!


has been successfully

been launched against




your service as traceable


mission! Good luck!









mission! Good luck!









mission! Good luck!









mission! Good luck!


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ruth's kindness

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