How a New Prophet is Called Lesson

Today I taught a class to new members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.   We had a lesson prepared from the manual, but after President Monson's death, we decided to switch the lesson plan over to talk about prophets and how new ones are called.    Later on, we used this same information as a FHE lesson for our family.    

First, we talked about what happens when a prophet dies.    I took a picture that was published in the April 2016, Friend magazine and made it into a pictorial explanation of what happens:

Then we discussed the information about the process  from the church website .   You can click on the link to read more, or read a summary below:  

"When the president of the Church passes away, the following events take place:

1. The First Presidency is automatically dissolved.

2. The two counselors in the First Presidency revert to their places of seniority in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Seniority is determined by the date on which a person was ordained to the Twelve, not by age.

3. The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, now numbering 14 {or in our case, numbering 13 now, since both Elder Hales and President Monson have passed away} and headed by the senior apostle {that senior apostle currently is President Russell M. Nelson} assumes Church leadership.

4. The senior apostle {President Russell M. Nelson} presides at a meeting of the Quorum of the Twelve to consider two alternative propositions:

     i. Should the First Presidency be reorganized at this time?

     ii. Should the Church continue to function with the Quorum of the Twelve presiding?

5. After discussion, a formal motion is made and accepted by the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

6. If a motion to reorganize the First Presidency is passed, the Quorum of the Twelve unanimously selects the new president of the Church. The new president chooses two counselors and the three of them become the new First Presidency. Throughout the history of the Church, the longest-serving apostle has always become the president of the Church when the First Presidency has been reorganized.

7. Following the reorganization of the First Presidency, the apostle who has served the second longest {Right now, that is Elder Dallin H. Oaks} is sustained as the president of the Quorum of the Twelve. When the second-longest-serving apostle has also been called into the First Presidency as a counselor, the third-longest-serving apostle becomes acting president of the Twelve.

8. The president of the Quorum of the Twelve, along with the rest of the apostles, sets apart* the new president of the Church through a formal laying on of hands."

And lastly,  click on  the link to watch a video about President Monson's life .    It was wonderful to see a glimpse of what kind of wonderful man we've had leading the church for the last several years and what a blessing it is to live in a day and a time when we have a prophet on the earth!  

Meanwhile, here is a quote from President Monson to inspire you this week:  

Have a wonderful week!

How can I find solutions to my challenges and problems?

I created this lesson and worksheet for a YW lesson, but easily adapted it to a Family Home Evening lesson for my family as well. It ended up being a very meaningful lesson for both groups.    

How can I find solutions to my challenges and problems?  
( from the Come, Follow Me YW curriculum)

Purpose: to teach us to turn to God when we face challenges and problems in our lives

Preparation: 
*read through 1 Nephi 16 (the story of Nephi and the broken bow) and refamiliarize yourself with the details
*prayerfully study one or all of the following talks: Like a Broken Vessel (Elder Holland), Make the Exercise of Faith Your First Priority (Elder Scott), We Never Walk Alone (Pres. Monson), Of Things That Matters Most (Pres. Uchtdorf)
*make copies of one or more of those talks
*think of a story from your own life when you faced a problem. Be prepared to tell about the problem and some of the process you went through to resolve it. (Remember that you're looking to engage the student and help them to see themselves in that situation, so take care not to make the story too long or or too grandiose. I recommend about 3-5 minutes for this.)

Opening Song: "I Need Thee Every Hour," Hymns, page 98

Opening Prayer:  

Share a personal story about when you faced a difficult challenge and what you did to overcome it. I shared about when I was so poor as a college student I didn't know if I could continue going to school.

Ask the students (or your family) to each think of difficulty or challenge they've faced in their life and write it down on the worksheet.

Tell them that you're going to look at the story of Nephi and the broken bow in a minute, but ask them if they can think of any other examples from the scriptures where someone was faced with a difficulty. Take a few minutes and discuss their answers, which may include Joseph in Egypt, Moses, Nephi and his brothers going back for the brass plates, Abinadi, Joseph Smith, Samuel the Lamanite, Moroni, etc. In the discussion, focus on the process they went through to solve their problem. For example, if they say Abinadi as their answer. Ask what was the problem he faced? What did he do to solve it? (he went to the Lord and fulfilled what he was asked to do, then knew that beyond that it didn't matter what became of him)  

Review the story of Nephi and the broken bow (or have a student retell it), then have them list and share with the class first the things they can learn NOT to do when facing difficulties, then have them list the things the story teaches them they should do. Expound on answers as you feel inspired.  

WHAT TO DO

1. Ask for help from trusted sources--like Nephi went to his father for guidance, sometimes we need to turn to trusted people in our lives to help us
2. Pray for answers 

3.  Be prepared to ACT on those answers 

4. Do something  productive (facing difficulties requires action) 

5. Be faithful

WHAT NOT TO DO
1. Let discouragement overwhelm you into not doing anything
2. Complain
3. Blame others
4. Harden your heart and get angry at God and others
5. Give up or run away from the problem

Have someone read QUOTE #4
  “Being self-reliant does not mean that I am alone as I try to finish and endure. It means that I have studied, prayed, and pondered as I work to gain confidence in my ability to gain wisdom (both spiritual and temporal) and that I use that wisdom to know when to rely on my own strength and testimony and when I turn to resources outside of myself to continue to grow and progress"

Share this story from Pres. Uchtdorf about ballpoint pens not working without gravity:  

"For example, it wasn’t long after astronauts and cosmonauts orbited the earth that they realized ballpoint pens would not work in space. And so some very smart people went to work solving the problem. It took thousands of hours and millions of dollars, but in the end, they developed a pen that could write anywhere, in any temperature, and on nearly any surface. But how did the astronauts and cosmonauts get along until the problem was solved? They simply used a pencil." (Pres. Uchtdorf)

Ask: Do we look too hard for complicated solutions or getting paralyzed by things that don’t matter? 

Have someone read QUOTE #3: “Solutions often come at us sideways. We don't often find solutions. They find us while we are doing some other task. If we are living the Sunday school answers, scripture study, prayer, service... (and allowing others to serve us) change happens. Your burdens can become manageable, as long as you don't wallow in a pity party. When in doubt serve others.” paraphrased from Jeffrey R. Holland

  
If you have time, pass out copies of some of the talks you read in preparation to teach this lesson.  

Have them briefly skim the talks for answers of what our church leaders teach us about facing our problems--prayer, scripture study, attend the temple, have FHE, go to church, etc. (have them write the answers on the worksheet)
(NOTE: If you don't have time to complete this exercise, summarize it for them. Tell them how all those talks, from all those church leaders essentially had the same simple guidance for us.)

Conclude: (DON'T SKIP) Just as a newborn baby recognizes the sound of its mother’s voice, because of its proximity to her while in the womb, we should be living our lives in such a way that God's voice is familiar to us. We gain this familiarity when we live those simple "PENCIL answers" we've known our whole lives. We don't need expensive, fancy answers, we simply need to draw near to God and listen.

"How Can I Find Solutions to My Challenges and Problems?" Worksheet by Lara Goold

Printable Georgetown Photo Scavenger Hunt

In the summertime, it's fun to mix things up and have a mutual activity that we wouldn't normally be able to do on a school night.  My Laurels decided that an excursion to Georgetown would be just the ticket for our last summer mutual before our stake's family friendly month kicked in.  We'd explore a little together, then get a treat.    I researched at length to find a pre-made scavenger hunt that we could use as our framework for exploring,  but all I could find were hunts created by tour companies that charged for them.  So I decided to create one myself and share it here on the blog....easily printable and totally free!    Perfect for youth groups, families, and tourists!    

We  just had a great time just exploring Georgetown together, but  for larger groups you could split into teams and add a competitive element to it.   Either way, this would  make for a fun family home evening activity for YSAs or families with older kids in the DC area.      Have fun!    

Georgetown Photo Scavenger Hunt by Lara Goold

Easy Last Minute Youth Activity or FHE Lesson

Need an idea for a last minute youth activity or FHE lesson that doesn't take much prep work?   This activity is easy to pull off,  fun for the participants, and thought provoking enough to make it meaningful as well.

Gospel Analogy Skits

Prep:   (5 minutes) Gather about 15 random items from around the house.    Some good items might include a flashlight, bottle of aloe vera, a clock, a baby bib, a towel, a can of food, a blanket, a hat, an eraser, etc.

Divide  into groups of 2-3 people, or if doing with a small group, have individuals do it themselves.

Without giving any directions, have every group/individual come pick one of the random items.

Watch the first two minutes of this talk from Women's Conference, about the soda can analogy:

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2015/04/filling-our-homes-with-light-and-truth?lang=eng

Talk for just a minute about the soda can analogy, then challenge them to find their own gospel analogy  with the object they've picked and then present it to the group as a 2-minute skit or commercial.   Emphasize that it does not need to be long.  

Give them pens, paper, and 10-15 minutes for planning.

Have them come to the front of the room and perform their skits. I highly recommend doing your own skit too.   They love watching their leaders act silly and it gives them a glimpse of how to do it!  Encourage group participation, clapping, etc….make it fun.

We got some very insightful gospel analogies and even had time to do another round, which we deemed the "speed round" because everyone only got 2 minutes to plan.

It was a great last-minute activity that was also fun and memorable!

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Here are some of the analogies we came up with:

Slinky--When you pull it too far it is weak and shapeless, but when you push it together it is strong and has a point of focus.   If we prioritize our lives well, we can be like the strong and focused slinky.

Flashlight--We can bring light to a dark world with our good examples.

Bib--When we wear the "Super Duper Handy Dandy Bib of the Gospel" we can resist the stains of the world.

Aloe vera--The gospel can bring us soothing and healing when we are feeling spiritually burned.

Clock--We sometimes get caught up in the world's timing and thinking that God is not answering our prayers, etc., but when we understand the eternal perspective of God, we know that God's timing is all we need to worry about.

Bubbles--The atonement of Christ can take away the burden of sin and help us to feel the lightness of forgiveness.

Can of pumpkin--The can doesn't look like much and neither does the pumpkin inside, but when you follow a recipe and mix it up with the right ingredients,  you can make a delicious treat.   This was compared to how our lives are and when we follow the "recipe" for living the gospel, God will bless us and make our lives so much sweeter.

First aid kit--When we are feeling hurt, we can turn to the first aid kit of the gospel and find healing for our spiritual wounds.   

Using Time Wisely FHE Lesson

We actually used this as a mini YW lesson to help the girls pass off a choice and accountability value experience, but as I was teaching it I thought that it would make for a great family home evening lesson for older kids and teens as well.  A printable version of the handout can be found here. 

Opening Prayer:

Opening Song: Hymns #266, "The Time is Far Spent"

Scriptures:  Ecclesiastes 3:1, Doctrine and Covenants 60:13, Article of Faith #13

Materials Needed:  A clock, the video, and handout (click here to get it in a printable version)

Discussion:  Imagine for a second that each and every day, your bank account is credited with $86,400.    But at the end of each day the money disappears.    What would you do?

You would try to use up every penny of it every day.

Show:  Show them a clock and tell them that each and every day they are given exactly 86,400 seconds  to use as we choose.   We can't save them for another day.  Once the seconds are passed, they are gone and it is up to us how we use them.

Discuss:  According to studies, the average person spends 35-40 hours in front of a television or computer screen.  That is an average of 5-6 hours (=18,000 seconds) per day, which equates to approximately 20% of every day.    Think of what we could accomplish if we tried to cut that time down by half or fourth.

Quote:  
If you have a twenty-hour-a-week television habit and would repent and convert in into a gospel study habit, in one year you could read the Book of Mormon, The Doctrine and Covenants, The Pearl of Great Price, and the entire Bible.  In addition, you could read Jesus the Christ, Gospel Principles, the Relief Society manual, Preach my Gospel, the Miracle of Forgiveness,  and this would still leave you time to read the Ensign, New Era, and Friend each month.  This is based on your ability to read only ten pages an hour.
paraphrased from Elder William Bradford


Video:  Choose This Day (embedded below)

Recite Article of Faith #13 (emphasizing "seeking after praiseworthy pursuits"):
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.

Discuss:  What kinds of things qualify as "praiseworthy"?  The answers could be reading scriptures, serving others, developing a talent, being a better friend, sharing the gospel, writing letters to grandparents or missionaries, helping a family member, staying caught up in school, doing family history, etc.

Conclude:  Encourage students to try to prioritize their time in such a way that they can use a greater portion of their time each day in more praiseworthy pursuits.  Bear your testimony  of how you've been blessed as you've tried to use your 86,400 seconds each day more wisely.

Closing Song: Scripture Power

Closing Prayer:


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Missionary Trivia Game and Letter Writing Activity

I created this letter writing activity and missionary trivia game for a YM/YW combined activity about missionaries.   It turned out well and I think the youth genuinely enjoyed the opportunity to show support to the missionaries in this way. There were some very sweet notes written and I know that the missionaries will be thrilled with their shower of letters.  I'm thinking we might try to do something similar a couple of times a year. 

This activity could also be easily adapted into a FHE lesson. 

Opening prayer:

Opening song:  "Called to Serve" and/or "I Hope they Call Me on a Mission"

Welcome/Brief intro to the night:

Trivia Game (see game below):    I had the trivia questions printed onto two sheets of paper and had the YW president and YM president take turns reading off the questions.   Each correct answer was rewarded with a small piece of candy.   We were pretty liberal with the candy and would reward them for close answers (especially for the ones with very specific numbers for answers).  We had a large group (about 40-50 youth) and I felt like the candy throwing was a good way to keep their attention.  

Short Discussion:  We talked briefly about showing support for missionaries and about the great work they do.  We had intended to also have a convert give a 2-minute spiel about how grateful they were for the missionaries who had found them, but we ran out of time. 

Letter Writing:  (see pictures below) After the trivia game was complete, we talked briefly about supporting the missionaries, then wrote letters to those that were serving from our ward.  We have 9 missionaries currently serving from our ward, so we placed the long tables around the edge of the room, had a picture of each missionary hanging on the wall, then a large envelope with each missionary's name sitting on the table in front of the picture.  I distributed 4 quarter sheets of paper and a pen to each youth and asked that they write letters to 4 of the 9 missionaries. 

Missionary ID game:  (see picture below) I had ward members send me pictures of themselves as missionaries.  I printed  off the pictures  and put their name, their mission, and the years they served ON THE BACK, then hung them up on a wall.  It was great fun trying to identify the old pictures and perfect as a filler for those who finished early. 

Tie Tying (I had this planned as a filler activity, but didn't end up having time for it):  We'd divide into teams and have the girls (with only the boys' verbal instructions) tie a necktie.  Whichever team could do it the fastest would win. 

This was what we hung up on the walls around the room.  The pictures of the missionaries, with a "What can I write?" sheet  (see below) in between each one. 

Here you can see how we set up the tables in front of their pictures.  Large envelopes with each missionary's name were on the table in front of their pictures, so that the youth could place their letters in there as soon as they were done. 

I collected old missionary pictures from ward members and had them hung up on the wall.  It was great fun trying to identify who was who, before looking on the back where I'd labeled them with the name, mission, and years served.   

A glimpse at the letters for one of the missionaries:

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Here is the printable version of the missionary trivia game:
LDS Missionary Trivia Game




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I knew that some of the youth would think that they had nothing to write in their letters, so I hung up the following list of ideas by each table. 

 What can I write to the missionaries? 

Your favorite scripture

A recent missionary experience you’ve had

What you’ve been doing in school lately

How your sports’ season has gone

Ask about their mission

Spiritual insights you’ve had during seminary/Sunday lessons

Ask about who they’re teaching

Talk about current events—baseball playoffs, presidential debate (without getting political)

Share an appropriate joke

Something fun that you’ve done lately

A funny antic that your younger sibling or pet has done

BE POSITIVE!!!!!!

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ADVANCE PREPARATION

Find out the answers to the personalized questions in the Missionary Trivia Game. 

Ask missionary parents for pictures of their missionaries and their current addresses.

Ask ward members for pictures of themselves as missionaries. 

Have sheets of paper cut into quarters.   I figured the smaller size would seem less intimidating to fill than entire sheets of paper. 

Gather enough pens for everyone.

Optional:  Print off some missionary clipart and provide scissors and glue for decorating the letters, for those who feel so inclined. 



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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








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Family Home Evening FAQ's

I've recently had a few people ask me some questions about Family Home Evenings and so I've created this FAQ blogpost as a way to put those answers all into one place.    If you still have questions after reading this, please feel free to ask away (in the comments or via email) and I will do my best to answer them as well. 

What is Family Home Evening? 
Family Home Evenings are a special time set aside each week for spending time together as a family, learning the gospel together, and strengthening relationships with one another. 

Where did the concept of Family Home Evenings originate? 
In 1915 the First Presidency of the church first urged members to set aside one night a week (ideally Monday) for "Home Evenings".  Members were encouraged to sing, read the scriptures, and learn the gospel together.  (for more detail you can read here)

What is the purpose of a weekly Family Home Evening?
As mentioned above, the main purpose of Family Home Evenings are to sit down as a family on a weekly basis and discuss gospel principles and how they apply to our lives.  This time not only  gives families an opportunity to reconnect amidst the crazy schedules we all seem to have, but also gives parents a chance to give spiritual tools and encouragement to children on how to keep their lives grounded on what is most important.    The best family home evenings are those that mix the gospel lessons with an element of fun and connectedness as a family. 

What is the average Family Home Evening like?
I imagine that each family would answer this question a little differently.  Here's a glimpse at an average FHE at our house:
We always start ours with a round of songs, each person in the family choosing which song they'd like to sing.  Some of us are more musical than others, but we all sing along--off-key notes notwithstanding.  After singing time is done we have a family prayer and a lesson.  The lesson is usually either about a gospel principle or a positive character trait we're trying to foster. Our lessons average about 10-15 minutes in length, but could be anywhere from 5-30 minutes long, depending on who's teaching, what the topic is, and how much the kids are paying attention.  We finish up with a prayer, then if it's not too late, eat a treat together and/or play a game (sometimes related to the lesson topic, sometimes just for fun). 

What is your best tip for a successful Family Home Evening? 
I think the main thing is  to just do it. It's way too easy in this busy society to find excuses not to do it, but our families, more than ever, need the instruction and connectedness that family home evenings bring.  Make the commitment and and make it work for your family.  If Mondays don't work, switch it to Sunday night.  If nighttime is too much for your kids, do it in the afternoon instead.   

If you are interested in reading more of my tips on how to have a successful FHE, see this post. 

What are the best resources for gospel lessons? 
Not to toot my own horn, but I think that this blog is a pretty darn excellent resource for ready-to-go FHE lessons and even if cutting and laminating aren't your thing, the lesson plans also contain great object lesson ideas and ideas for how to relate gospel concepts to real life.  I also love Friend magazines, the scriptures, old FHE lesson manuals, sacrament meeting talks, primary sharing times, and answering questions that the kids have asked. 

What if I'm not LDS, but am interested in implementing the concept into my own family? 
Anyone who is committed to putting aside the activities and distractions of life for one night a week and gathering their family together for some fun and connectedness, can enjoy the blessings of Family Home Evenings as well.  Religion aside, individuals working to strengthening their own families will not only bless their families, but also society as a whole. 

What blessings has your family received from holding regular Family Home Evenings? 
While I've always felt that Family Home Evenings are a powerful bonding tool for tying families together,  we have witnessed those blessings in an up close and very meaningful way over the last several months.  When Spencer, my sixteen-year-old son, was diagnosed with an aggressive form of leukemia earlier this year, one of the greatest challenges we faced was feeling ripped apart as a family.   With one of us always at the hospital with Spencer (his treatment was almost entirely in-patient) and the other of us at home caring for the rest of the family, we literally had no time all together as a family.   That was when we decided that we needed the blessings of Family Home Evenings more than ever.   Each and every Sunday night we would tote our entire family and our Sunday dinner, up to Spencer's room.  We would eat dinner anywhere we could find a spot--on the window sill, the bed, the chair, etc, and afterward have a short Family Home Evening.  Those moments of togetherness during those difficult days were healing to our souls and gave us the courage we needed to go forward with faith and unity as we faced the lonely days ahead. 

Trials Make Us Stronger FHE Lesson

It's been a while since I posted a lesson here, but I wanted to take this opportunity to check in and share this new lesson that is very applicable to our lives right now.  I don't know how many of you check in on my family blog,  but on January 10th our oldest son (16) was diagnosed with an aggressive form of leukemia (AML) and he has spent almost every day since then in the hospital undergoing heavy duty chemo.   To say that it's been a challenging year so far would be an understatement and I hope you'll understand why I am often unable to respond to my emails right now.    He is currently in his third round of chemo and so far is responding well to treatment, but with as aggressive as it is, we potentially still have a long road in front of us.  We have felt God's love and support through this trial and this family home evening lesson was very meaningful to us.   We especially enjoyed the visualization of the paper airplane object lesson. 

TRIALS MAKE US STRONGER
Lesson by Donna Cummings, Digitized by Lara Goold

Suggested Songs:
"Dare to Do Right,"  Children's songbook, page 158
"Quickly I'll Obey," Children's Songbook, page 197
"Seek the Lord Early,"  Children's Songbook, page 108

Lesson Purpose:  To help family members realize the importance of opposition and adversity in our lives. 

PREPARATION: 
1.  Prepare word strips with the following words:  Day, Night, Freedom, Captivity, Dark, Light, Little, Big, Up, Down, Create, Destroy, Mother, Father, Righteousness, Wickedness, Sister, Brother, Sorrow, Joy, True, False
2.  Gather paper for paper airplanes.  You may also want to practice folding a few paper airplanes prior to the start of FHE. (for object lesson).  Here's a website with some cool airplane patterns. 
3.  Prayerfully study 2 Nephi 2:11-30
4.  Prayerfully study Doctrine and Covenants 122

OPENING PRAYER:

LESSON:   Display the word strips randomly on the floor or table.  Have family members take turns finding pairs of opposites. 

After the activity, read 2 Nephi 2:11 and share with your family the thoughts and feelings you had as you studied the verses previously.  Be sure to point out the fact that opposition was present even in the beginning (verse 15).  Explain that in order for us to have free agency, both good and evil has to exist (verse 16).  Discuss verses 22-25 to help your family understand that opposition is essential in order for Heavenly Father's plan to be fulfilled.  Conclude the discussion by reading verse 27 and emphasizing the fact that we are free to choose for ourselves between good (liberty) and evil (captivity).   

Show this picture of Joseph Smith.  
(click to make larger and print or right click to copy and paste into a word document, so you can change the size)

Discuss:  Opposition can also make us stronger.and relate the story of Joseph Smith found in D&C 122.  Explain that according to the Lord, every trial he endured was for his own good and gave him experience.  God was always with him and will remain with him forever. 

The trials we face in our lives may be different than Joseph Smith's, but they are for our own good and give us experience.  God will likewise, be with us as we seek him. 

OBJECT LESSON:  To demonstrate how trials can actually make us stronger, hold up a flat piece of paper and try to make if "fly" through the air.  Point out how poorly the paper flies.  Now begin folding and creasing the paper into an airplane.  Explain as you fold the paper that each crease represents a trial (mention possible {or current} trials as you fold).  With each fold (trial) the paper becomes strong until eventually it can fly through the air gracefully.  Our lives are very similar.  Just like the folds make the paper stronger, trials make us stronger.  Some of our trials may seem at the time, but Heavenly Father is always mindful of us.  Each trial that we endure brings greater strength and experience into our lives. 

ACTIVITY:  Pass out paper to everyone and have fun making paper airplanes.  Have a contest to see whose plane flies the farthest, fastest, highest, etc. 

CLOSING PRAYER:  


REFRESHMENTS:    Reese's Rice Krispy Treats formed into airplane shapes. 

Life Lessons We Can Learn from the First Vision

The theme of our sacrament meeting on Sunday was all about the Restoration, so in continuing with the things we learned yesterday we decided to have our family home evening lesson tonight about the First Vision. 

My kids are all old enough that they know the story of Joseph Smith's experiences very well, so we decided that instead of reviewing what happened, that we would discuss some of the life lessons that we can learn from the First Vision.   It turned out to be a powerful and enlightening discussion that engaged the whole family,  so I thought I'd share some of our insights here, mostly just so that we don't forget them.  


Life Lessons We Can Learn from the First Vision

1.  That God hears and answers our prayers.

2.  Discouragement and negativity come from Satan. 

3.  That God's power is stronger than Satan's. 

4.  That we will never be tempted or tried beyond that which we are able to bear. 

5.  God will always be with us, especially in our darkest moments. 

6.  That we don't need to be well-educated or wealthy to make a difference in the world. 

7.  God loves us and knows us by name.       

 

Lehi and Nephi File Folders

These file folder scenes are awesome!  I have no idea where the fun artwork came from, but these are the perfect thing for teaching your family the stories of Nephi and Lehi!  Just mount the scenes inside of a file folder, laminate the folders and the figures, then use sticky back Velcro to attach everything.   (NOTE:  Some of the  figures  are repeated, as they are meant to be used on more than one flannel board scene at a time.) 

Click here to see my FHE LESSON INDEX and come back often to look for new lessons and ideas for teaching your family the gospel!

Lehi and Nephi File Folders

PS For optimal printing performance, it is best to create a free account with Scribd.com and download the PDF file before printing. As always, feel free to email me at wawadehut@gmail.com if you are having troubles viewing or printing these lessons. I also love to hear your feedback and ideas for future lesson topics. 


It has been brought to my attention that some of my older lessons have been moved into the Scribd archives, which means that you have to pay a fee to download them.  The fee is nominal ($5 to download as many lessons as you want in 24-hours), but if you'd like me to send one or two of them to you as an email file let me know.  Unfortunately, due to my slow internet connection (30+ minutes to upload each lesson), I would not be able to email more than one or two lessons to you, but I'd be happy to do it if you let me know.  


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Take an Easter Walk with Jesus

“Take an Easter Walk with Jesus”—walk outside, and find and place the following items in a bag while you talk more about Jesus’ atonement.  We do this early in the day as a prelude to an Easter  family home evening.  

A BRANCH—a week before his crucifixion, as Christ entered the city, the people waved branches from palm trees

SOMETHING PRICKLY—his “crown” was made of thorns

A PIECE OF WOOD—for it was out of wood his cross was made

SOMETHING NO LONGER ALIVE—for the Savior truly died

WHITE LINEN (may need to find this at home) —Christ was wrapped in white linen before being placed in the tomb

A STONE –it was a huge stone at the opening of the tomb that the angel removed

SOMETHING LIVING—to remind us that Christ surely lives.  He died and was resurrected. 

 Some of the beautiful sights we saw along the way that gave us the opportunity about the beauty of God's creations. 

Here is one of my kids' collections from the walk. 

My kids really wanted our dog, Rocky, to be the living thing they found as part of the walk.