Scripture Readings

There is a lot of focus on the Book of Mormon in church classes, and that's what we read with the kids for family scriptures. For school, we're starting with the Bible, and will eventually proceed through the standard works chronologically. I love the language of the King James, and I'm excited to be doing it with my kids. With being blessed with so much scripture, it can be hard to cover it all well, and make sure that we know all the stories from all of the Standard Works.

Dragon and Hero both use the same list of narrative passages. I'm deeply indebted to Calvary Curriculum's readings they use in their original children's curriculum that they generously share for free. We do not do their worksheets, but their work at selecting the narrative portions of the Bible's text has been invaluable to me. I debated, then decided to include all of the Psalms, although they are not technically narrative. Not only are they some of my favorites, but the Book of Psalms is the most quoted Old Testament book in the New Testament; both Paul and Christ drew heavily on it. I have also used our chronological Bible to order the Old and New Testament stories, and followed their pattern for where to insert Psalms. Psalms can be challenging; I encourage you to take your time and help your kids to really understand them: they are beautiful, and well worth the effort. (I am sharing my study of the Psalms on my Bible Study index.)

For the very youngest kids, I'll tell the story; as soon as they can handle it, I start reading it for them to narrate back from the actual text. Part of what I want to accomplish is for my children to be comfortable with the actual text of scripture, so we start with that as soon as I think they can narrate from it. When they have narrated, then we choose a phrase to draw into his Bible, along with a scene to illustrate. The next time we read, we usually start by reviewing the last several passages to pick up the thread of the story. Hero simply reads the text himself, and the narrates it to me. Right now, we typically do our Bible work about 2 times in a week.

This is the schedule we use, reading in the King James Version of the Bible, unless otherwise noted:

Creation: Genesis 1:1-2:25

Adam and Eve in Garden: Genesis 1:26-2:25

Eating Fruit: Genesis 3

Cain and Abel: Genesis 4:1-17

Enoch: Genesis 5:18-24
Enoch: Moses 6:26-50
Enoch: Moses 6:50-68

Enoch: Moses 7:1-12
Zion Taken: Moses 7:13-23

Ark Building: Genesis 5:28-6:22

Great Flood: Genesis 7:1-8:19

Rainbow: Genesis 8:20-9:17

Babel: Genesis 10:8-10, 11:1-9

Brother of Jared: Ether 1:33-43

Jaredites: Ether 2:1-18

Brother of Jared’s Vision: Ether 2:18-3:18

Invitation: Ether 4:4-15

Abram Called: Genesis 11:26-12:9

Visiting Egypt: Genesis 12:10-13:1

Lot to Sodom: Genesis 13:5-18

Abram Tithes: JST Genesis 14:25-40

Abrahamic Covenant: Genesis 15:1-18

Hagar and Ishmael Genesis 16

Sarah and Holy Men: Genesis 18:1-15

Bargain for Sodom: Genesis 18:16-33

Sodom and Gomorrah: Genesis 19:1-29

Isaac: Genesis 21:1-8

Isaac Sacrificed: Genesis 22:1-19

Isaac’s Bride: Genesis 24: 1-28

Isaac’s Bride: Genesis 24: 29-67

Mess of Pottage: Genesis 25:19-34

Birthright: Genesis 27:1-46

Jacob’s Ladder: Genesis 28: 10-22

Rachel and Leah: Genesis 29:1-30

Jacob’s Sons: Genesis 29:31-30:24; Genesis 35:16-20

Israel: Genesis 32:22-32

Joseph Sold: Genesis 37

Joseph and Potiphar: Genesis 39

Pharaoh’s Servants: Genesis 40

Pharaoh’s Dream: Genesis 41

Joseph’s Brothers: Genesis 42

Benjamin in Egypt: Genesis 43

Take Me: Genesis 44

I’m Joseph: Genesis 45:1-15

Jacob to Egypt: Genesis 45:16-28

Slavery of Israel: Exodus 1:1-22; 2:23-25

Moses Born: Exodus 2:1-10

Moses Exiled: Exodus 2:11-22

Burning Bush: Exodus 3:1-4:18

More Burdens: Exodus 5

Plagues Begin: Exodus 7

Frogs, Lice, Flies: Exodus 8

Cattle, Boils, Hail: Exodus 9

Locust, Darkness: Exodus 10

Passover Announced: Exodus 11

First Passover: Exodus 12:1-30

The Exodus: Exodus 12:31-51

Remembrance: Exodus 13

Parting the Sea: Exodus 14

Manna: Exodus 16:4-35

Horeb and Amalek: Exodus 17:1-13

Moses Delegates: Exodus 18

10 Commandments: Exodus 19:1-20:17

Israel Covenants with God: Exodus 24:3-5; 12-18

Golden Calf: Exodus 32

Moses Talks With God: Exodus 33:7-23

New Tables of Stone: JST Exodus 34:1-2, Exodus 34:3-17

The Tabernacle: Exodus 36

Levites Ordained: Numbers 8:13-26

The Tabernacle Dedicated: Exodus 40

The Cloud and the Fire: Numbers 9:15-23
The Lord Sends Quail: Numbers 11:4-14
The Spies' Evil Report: Numbers 13
The Good Report: Numbers 14:1-10
A Prayer of Moses: Psalm 90
Doomed to Wander: Numbers 14:26-39
Israel Tries Anyway: Numbers 14:40-45
Rebels Seek Priestly Offices: Numbers 16:1-12, 23-35
Moses Takes Credit: Numbers 20:1-13
Praise the Lord: Psalm 95
The Brass Serpent: Numbers 21:4-9, Alma 33:19-22
Balaam: Numbers 22:1-21
Balaam's Donkey: Numbers 22:21-38
Joshua Called as Prophet: Numbers 27:15-23
Moses Taken Up: Deuteronomy 34; Alma 45:19; Matthew 17:3-4
Joshua Leads: Joshua 1
Rahab and the Spies: Joshua 2
Give Thanks to the Lord: Psalm 105
Crossing the Jordan: Joshua 3:5-17
Memorial: Joshua 4
Jericho Destroyed: Joshua 6
The Gibeonites Deceive Joshua: Joshua 9
Sun and Moon Stand Still: Joshua 10:1-15
Joshua Dies: Judges 2:7-10
Deborah: Judges 4
Gideon's Fleece: Judges 6:7-40
Army of 300: Judges 7
Samson is Born: Judges 13
Samson and Delilah: Judges 16:4-21
Samson Pulls Down the Temple: Judges 16:22-31
Ruth and Naomi: Ruth 1:1-18
Ruth Gleans: Ruth 2
Boaz and Ruth: Ruth 4:1-17
Hannah: 1 Samuel 1:1-19
Samuel is Born: 1 Samuel 1:20-28
Eli's Wicked Sons: 1 Samuel 2:12-36
The Boy Samuel: 1 Samuel 3:1-21
The Ark is Captured: 1 Samuel 4
Philistines Plagued by the Ark: 1 Samuel 5
Philistines Return the Ark: 1 Samuel 6-7:2
Israel Wants a King: 1 Samuel 8, Mosiah 29:16-24
The Lord Sends Saul to Samuel: 1 Samuel 9
Saul is Made King: 1 Samuel 10
Saul Rejected by God: 1 Samuel 13:1-16, Hebrews 5:1-4
Saul Disobeys God: 1 Samuel 15:10-35
David Anointed King: 1 Samuel 16:1-3
David and Goliath: 1 Samuel 17:1-52
David in Saul's Court: 1 Samuel 18
David Driven Out: 1 Samuel 19:1-20
David and Jonathan: 1 Samuel 20


Deliver Me From My Enemies: Psalm 59
David Saves Keilah: 1 Samuel 23:1-15
David Spares Saul: 1 Samuel 24:1-22
He is My Refuge: Psalm 91
In Thee Do I Put My Trust: Psalm 7
The Lord is My Light: Psalm 27
Thou Art My Rock: Psalm 31
I Will Bless the Lord: Psalm 34
Why Boasteth Thou Thyself: Psalm 52
Be Merciful Unto Me: Psalm 56
I Cried Unto the Lord: Psalm 120
Deliver Me, O Lord: Psalm 140
Lord, I Cry Unto Thee: Psalm 141
I Did Make Supplication: Psalm 142
Nabal, Abigail, and David: 1 Samuel 25

David Spares Saul Again: 1 Samuel 26
Hear the Right, O Lord: Psalm 17
God is Good to Israel: Psalm 73
Plead My Cause, O Lord: Psalm 35
Save Me, O God: Psalm 54
O God, Thou Art My God: Psalm 63
I will love thee, O Lord: Psalm 18
Saul and His Sons Slain: 1 Samuel 31
I will lift up my eyes: Psalm 121, 123
Blessed be the Lord: Psalm 124
They that trust in the Lord: Psalm 125
Blessed is every one that: Psalm 128, 129
Out of the depths: Psalm 130
Rebuke me not in thy anger: Psalm 6
I will praise thee, O Lord: Psalm 9
Why standest thou afar off, O Lord: Psalm 10
The fool hath said: Psalm 14
Preserve me, O God: Psalm 16
Joy in thy strength, O Lord: Psalm 21
Judge me and plead my cause: Psalm 43
Hear this, all ye people: Psalm 49
The sparrow hath found a house: Psalm 84
Thou has forgiven the iniquity: Psalm 85
Glorious things are spoken of thee: Psalm 87
The transgression of the wicked: Psalm 36
I will take heed to my ways: Psalm 39
I cried unto God: Psalm 77
Give ear, o my people: Psalm 78:1-32
They inquired after God: Psalm 78:33-72
Sing aloud unto God: Psalm 81
O Lord God of my salvation: Psalm 88
It is a good thing: Psalm 92
The Lord reigneth: Psalm 93
David Crowned: 2 Samuel 5:1-5
How good and pleasant it is: Psalm 133
The Ark Brought to Jerusalem: 2 Samuel 6:1-19
Who shall abide in thy holy tabernacle: Psalm 15
The Lord is my shepherd: Psalm 23
The earth is the Lord's: Psalm 24
O my God, I trust in thee: Psalm 25
O clap your hands: Psalm 47
I will sing of the mercies of the Lord: Psalm 89
Sing unto the Lord: Psalm 96
Make a joyful noise unto the Lord: Psalm 100
I will sing of mercy and judgement: Psalm 101


O give thanks unto the Lord: Psalm 107
God Covenants With David: 2 Samuel 7:1-17
David Honors Mephibosheth: 2 Samuel 9:1-13