LDS Homeschool Curriculum: Faith-Based Options for Latter-day Saint Families

Latter-day Saint families are one of the fastest-growing segments of the US homeschool community. The reasons vary — desire to integrate faith into daily learning, concerns about public school content, flexible schedules that accommodate church callings and family priorities, and a cultural emphasis on education as a sacred responsibility.

The curriculum market has responded accordingly. Some programs are created specifically by LDS publishers; others are broadly Christian and compatible with LDS values; and many LDS families use secular programs and integrate their faith independently. Here's how to navigate the options.

Understanding Your Options as an LDS Homeschooler

The first decision is whether you want:

1. LDS-specific curriculum — created by LDS publishers, integrating Latter-day Saint theology, scripture, and church history
2. Broadly Christian curriculum — created from a general Christian worldview, compatible with LDS values but not specifically LDS
3. Secular curriculum + independent faith integration — academic programs with no religious content, with the family handling gospel study separately

Most LDS homeschool families use some combination of these, choosing programs based on subject and grade level rather than committing to one worldview across all subjects.

The Good and the Beautiful: The Most Popular Choice

The Good and the Beautiful (TGATB) is created by Jenny Phillips, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It's the most widely used curriculum in LDS homeschool households, and for good reason: the materials are beautifully designed, the content is excellent, the language arts core is free in PDF form, and the Christian worldview is broadly compatible with LDS family values.

Important nuance: TGATB is not explicitly LDS. Jenny Phillips describes it as "non-denominational Christian." The content avoids denominational theology and focuses on broadly shared Christian virtues. Some LDS families appreciate this positioning; others wish it were more distinctly Latter-day Saint in content.

What it covers: Language arts (free core PDFs + printed books), math ($50–$80/level), science, history, and art for K–12.

Cost: Language arts PDFs are free. Full printed sets run $100–$300+ per year depending on grade level and subjects. Reader sets are additional.

Worldview compatibility: High. The emphasis on faith, family, character, and wholesome literature aligns well with LDS values. Homeschoolers who want more explicit LDS content typically supplement TGATB with church materials separately.

LDS-Specific Resources

Book of Mormon Reader Sets and Scripture Study Programs

Several LDS publishers produce scripture-integrated curriculum materials:

• Book of Mormon Seminary Home Study — The LDS Church's own seminary program is available for home study starting in grade 9. It's free and provides structured daily scripture study with teacher guides.
• Scripture Heroes — A series of picture books and curriculum materials for younger children that teaches gospel principles through scripture stories
• Book of Mormon Stories — The official illustrated version from The Church is free and serves as an excellent read-aloud for young children

Heart of Dakota (HOD)

Heart of Dakota is a Christian all-in-one curriculum that many LDS families use successfully. It's not LDS-specific, but its emphasis on Bible study, Christian character, and family learning aligns with LDS family values. Several LDS homeschool bloggers describe adapting HOD by supplementing Bible study sections with Latter-day Saint scripture and Preach My Gospel materials.

My Father's World (MFW)

My Father's World is another broadly Christian all-in-one curriculum used by many LDS families. Like HOD, it integrates Bible reading and Christian worldview throughout. LDS families typically use MFW for core academics and supplement with LDS-specific gospel study separately.

Secular Curriculum + LDS Faith Integration

Many LDS homeschoolers, particularly those with children who are advanced academically or who need programs that don't interrupt daily gospel learning with non-LDS Christian content, choose secular academic programs and integrate faith themselves.

This approach typically looks like: - Morning devotionals — scripture reading, prayer, hymns, or a Come Follow Me study before school starts - Academic curriculum — a secular program (Singapore Math, Real Science Odyssey, Build Your Library, etc.) for core subjects - Afternoon gospel study — seminary, personal scripture study, or family scripture reading

The advantage of this approach is that the family controls the gospel teaching completely, without any theological friction from non-LDS Christian content. The disadvantage is more parent coordination required.

Curriculum for Homeschool Seminary

For LDS families with high school students, homeschool seminary is a significant part of the educational picture. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints offers:

• Home Study Seminary — A self-paced, complete program for each of the four years (Old Testament, New Testament, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants/Church History). Lessons are available free at ComeFollowMe.ChurchofJesusChrist.org
• Online Seminary — Instructor-led courses through the Church's online platform for high schoolers in areas without access to early morning or institute classes

Seminary counts as a credit on a homeschool transcript (typically 0.5 credit per year, comparable to a religious studies elective). Many LDS homeschoolers document it as such for college applications.

Comparing Your Overall Curriculum Plan

Most LDS families assemble a curriculum that includes some combination of TGATB, secular academic programs, and LDS-specific gospel materials. The challenge is deciding how to allocate budget across subjects and ensuring that the academic rigor meets your child's needs alongside the faith-development goals.

When you're evaluating curriculum options across subjects — comparing math programs, science curricula, language arts approaches — having a structured reference that shows cost, worldview classification, learning style fit, and prep time is valuable. The US Curriculum Matching Matrix covers the major programs across all subjects, with explicit worldview tags (secular, broadly Christian, LDS-compatible, explicitly evangelical) so LDS families can quickly identify programs that fit their values without having to read through every individual curriculum's website.

A Practical LDS Homeschool Week

Here's a realistic week structure for an LDS family homeschooling grades 2 and 5:

Morning (30 min): Come Follow Me study — scripture reading + discussion + hymn

School time (core academics): - Math: Singapore Math (secular, rigorous) — 30–40 min per child - Language arts: The Good and the Beautiful — 45 min per child (often done together for read-aloud portions) - Science: Alternate with history week by week — 30 min - History: Story of the World or TGATB History — 30 min

Afternoon: - PE, music, art, or free time - 10–15 min of independent reading (library books, scriptures, or assigned readers)

Weekly additions: - Homeschool co-op 1–2 days/week (many LDS areas have active LDS homeschool co-ops) - Primary activities, youth activities, service projects

This schedule gives approximately 3–3.5 hours of structured academics per day — well within the range that produces strong outcomes while leaving ample time for gospel learning, family connection, and extracurricular activities.