Staying Morally Clean FHE Lesson

I'm trying to publish my lessons without using Scribd.  What do  you think?  I've included the link to a printable version of the lesson to make printing it a little easier.  You'll have to right click on the pictures and copy and paste them into a word processing document before printing.  Please let me know if you prefer this method or publishing them ready-to-go on Scribd.   Click here for my entire FHE lesson index.   

Staying Morally Pure
click here for printable version ( mini versions of the pictures are included and the videos are removed)
Lesson by Lara Goold

Suggested Songs:
"True to the Faith,"  Hymns, page 254
"I Will Follow God's Plan," Children's Songbook, page 164
 "Choose the Right," Hymns, page 239

Lesson Purpose:  To help family members  understand that the effort it takes to stay morally clean is well worth the great rewards that will await them. 

Scripture:  "We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul - We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of  good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things."  Article of Faith #13
PREPARATION: 
1.  Gather items for the object lesson. You'll need a food item that they like, but is not very exciting to them (like a saltine cracker or a plain biscuit)  and some kind of treat that they will really enjoy (ice cream sundaes would fit with the lesson perfectly)
2.  Print off the Mormonad pictured below (or recreate it in real life)
3.  Print off picture of human cell (below)
4.  Find the  two videos mentioned in the lesson and have them opened, loaded and ready to show your family. 
5.  Prayerfully study:  Today's Family:  Protect the Power to Create Life


OPENING PRAYER:


OBJECT LESSON:   Offer your family a simple treat that they would like, but not be very excited about (a saltine cracker, a plain biscuit, a slice of bread, etc).  Hand it to them, let them hold it through the lesson, and tell them that they are welcome to eat that treat now.  But if they are willing to wait until the end of the lesson, then they won't be able to have the first treat but instead can have another more appealing treat (like an ice cream sundae).   Don't make a big deal about it...just make sure they understand that if they eat the treat now that they won't be able to have the one at the end of the lesson. 

LESSON:  
Banging on the piano:  If you have a piano in your house, have someone briefly sit down and play it loudly and poorly.  If you don't have a piano, then ask your family to imagine what it sounds like when an untrained person (like a baby or toddler) plays. 

Then show this video:

Talk about how amazing the performance was and how much you enjoyed it. 

Point out that although it was the same instrument, that there were some pretty big differences between the two performances.   Have them elaborate what was the difference between the two (it's all about playing the right notes, in the right order, with the right timing).  

RELATE:  Relate this concept to physical intimacy.  When done at the right time and right place and right order (as part of a loving marital relationship), then it is beautiful and sacred.  If played out of order and without the right timing, it turns ugly.  If you feel inspired, you can further elaborate on what the ugliness of physical intimacy out of wedlock entails (hurt feelings, possible STD's, possible baby being born without the privilege of coming into a stable, loving family, skewed sense of what a healthy commitment is, damaged self-esteem, jealousy, desensitization to the spirit, etc.)

SHOW this MORMONAD (or recreate it with a real ice cream sundae and a real bug): 

right click on picture, then copy and paste it into a word processing document
where you will be able to adjust it to the desired size before printing. 

Ask them if they would like to eat the sundae.  Play it up and emphasize that it's a really big sundae and there's only a tiny bit defiled by the bug and the possible poison that might be on their bodies. 

DISCUSS: about how easy the decision is to make when it has to do with the food we put in our bodies, but how easily Satan would have us believe that playing with sacred things (dressing immodestly, viewing pornography, too much physical contact before marriage, etc) is fine if you don't "go all the way".    Emphasize how important it is to steer clear of "bugs" in our life that might be sneaking their way into our conduct and how worth it, it is to wait for the right time and the right place, so we can have the whole beautifully delicious ice cream sundae without the corruption of "spiritual bugs"! 


SHOW PICTURE OF HUMAN CELL: 

right click on picture, then copy and paste it into a word processing document
where you will be able to adjust it to the desired size before printing.

Ask your family if they know what it the picture is of.  They will probably guess a cell of some sort, so ask them to guess what kind of cell. 

When they guess or you tell them that they are human cells, talk about how amazing it is that our bodies are made up of so many tiny particles. 

DISCUSS:  Just how our bodies are made up of millions of tiny cells, that our lives are made up of all the small and large decisions we make on a day-to-day basis.  The music we listen to, the people we spend our time with, the movies we watch, the way we treat our siblings, etc  are the core of what makes us into the person that we are. 

RELATE:  If we have a goal of a temple marriage, then we should be making all of the small, seemingly insignificant decisions we face each day, reflect that goal. 

CONCLUDING VIDEO and TREATS:   Watch this video while you eat the long-awaited ice cream sundae (or whatever treat you have prepared).  


TESTIMONY:  Bear your testimony of the importance of staying morally clean and pure.  If inspired, share some of your personal feelings. 

CLOSING PRAYER:  


REFRESHMENTS:   ice cream sundaes


Display for the week: 

download full size image here

Additional Reading Material: 

YW Manual #1, Lesson 32:  Personal Purity through Self Discipline

Article from lds.org:  Protect the Power to Create Life

lds.org article on Chastity

lds.org/youth article:  Personal Purity

Display of 13th Article of Faith:  Mormonshare

For the Strength of Youth:  Sexual Purity








**********************