In Faith Crisis Vol. 2 by James & Hannah Stoddard on pg. 228-9 we read about father Smith’s twice a day scripture devotionals with his family as recorded by William Smith and others. Often many neighbors would join in for the evening devotionals of song prayer and verse.

How did Joseph Smith become so great? Surely he was a choice spirit, but also had parents who helped that shine through.

His parents were such marvelous people!

His father would lead the family in a twice a day scripture hymn and prayer devotional!

These were done morning and evening.

The Smith family worked extremely hard, and these devotionals helped them get through the trials of frontier life.

Surely this is a grand key to parenting, to often have family spiritual devotionals.

Now we only have (ideally) once a week devotionals with the family in family home evening, they did this twice a day! Surely we are on milk, and they had the meat!

Yes we are encouraged to do a daily scripture study, and the Come Follow Me discussion guides can help those come alive. We must get back closer to what the Smith family did!

Are our daily scripture family sessions rushed? Do they have the spirit of worship and love as manifest in the singing of hymns? Do these devotionals happen regularly?

Spencer W. Kimball’s favorite hymn was “I Need Thee Every Hour”. I think we have forgotten that. If we involve the Lord more often in our days, we will find his prudent hand resting upon the in’s and out’s of daily living.

Praise to the man Joseph Smith for his mighty spirituality, and the shining example we have from his rock solid family of faith! This family is the grand pattern for us all in this dispensation. Well have the prophets revealed that Joseph Smith was the greatest man next to Christ that has or ever will live.