Category: Life Lessons

Things I’ve learned and wanted to share.

FHE

I Can Show Love to My Family FHE

Keira

Purpose: to grow closer as a family over the Valentines Day holiday.


Possible scriptures: Malachi 4:6 (see also Doctrine and Covenants 110:15); Matthew 5:43-48 (see also 3 Nephi 12:43-48); Matthew7:12 (see also 3 Nephi14:12); John 13:34 (see also 1 John 3:23); 1 John 2:10; 1 John 4:7; 1 John 4:20-21; Galatians 5:13-14; Ephesians 4:32; Mosiah 4:13-15; Moroni 7:47-48 (see also 1 Corinthians 13:4-8); Doctrine and Covenants 121:41-43;

Possible Songs: Love at Home, Hymn 294; Home Can Be a Heaven on Earth, Hymn 298; Love One Another, Hymn 308, Children’s Songbook page 136; Families Can Be Together Forever, Children’s Songbook page 188; A Happy Family, Children’s Songbook page 198; Here We Are Together, Children’s Songbook page 261; Home, Children’s Songbook page 192; Love Is Spoken Here, Children’s Songbook page 190; The World is So Lovely, Children’s Songbook page 198

Possible Materials: Figures of Joseph Smith’s family; a picture of the Wright brothers’ plane.


Preparation: Begin with prayer. Read the suggested scriptures, Doctrine and Covenants 135, as well as Genesis 37, 39-45. Read through the lesson, including any links, and carefully select the most relevant material for your family. Cut strips of paper to make hearts (probably in pink and red). Children: Watch the Video about Joseph of Egypt and the Famine.

Lesson:

Discuss how last week’s challenge went.

Introduction: Hand each member of your family a piece of paper and have them write a way that they felt love from a family member this week. If they are struggling, help them remember that someone cooked them dinner or cleaned the bathroom or gave them a hug or shared. Once everyone has written something, have them take turns sharing what was written, then have them fold their paper in half and then curl both ends over to make a heart. Staple the first one together inside the curled ends so it keeps its shape. For the second one, loop it through the first heart and then staple it to make a chain (if you need a visual, you can look at the September 2020 friend. There are a couple of different ways to make a heart chain and none of them are wrong. I picked this way because I liked the idea of them linking together, but if you’re drawn to another way, go for it). If you have a small family, you could give each family member 2 hearts. Tell your family that as they do acts of love for their family, the chain grows longer, just as we can grow closer together as a family.

From World History: Being a good brother or sister could even change history! Hold up a picture of the Wright brothers’ plane. Tell your family that Wilbur and Orville were two of 5 siblings. They really liked to play and explore together. Their mother liked to build and create and their father traveled and told them stories about the world. The Wright brothers were especially interested in flying and watched birds to see how they did it. People didn’t believe they would be able to reach their goal, but because they worked together and because they believed in each other and their own talents, they kept going. Eventually, their ideas worked! On December 17, 1903, Orville flew the first plane! And the rest… was history. Because two brothers worked together and talked about their ideas together, we can fly all over the world and even into space! Add a link to your chain and say, “when we work together, we are showing love for our family members.”


From Church History: Hold up the figures of Joseph Smith’s family. First, hold up Joseph Smith. Ask your family if they remember the story about Joseph praying to know which church is true and God came to talk to him. Then hold up the figure of his parents and say, “this is Joseph’s parents. This is his mother. Her name was Lucy. This is his father. His name was Joseph, too! they were good parents that wanted to serve God. When Joseph told them about what happened to him in the grove, they believed him and helped him the rest of his life.” Then hold up the picture of his siblings, and say, “Joseph had 8 brothers and sisters! This brother on the end {point to Hyrum} was Hyrum Smith. He was Joseph’s best friend. When some bad men wanted to throw Joseph in jail for teaching the truth, he asked Hyrum to go hide so that he would not be captured, too. Hyrum did not want to leave Joseph’s side.” Read Doctrine and Covenants 135:3. Add another link to your heart chain and say, “We can show love like Hyrum when we enjoy spending time together and help our family do what God wants us to do.”

From the Scriptures: Hold up the picture of Joseph being sold into Egypt. For younger kids, I prefer the figurines. Tell your family that there was another Joseph, but his brothers weren’t as nice to him. In fact, they were so mean to him that they captured him and sold him for money to some slave drivers. Slave drivers are people that take other people and make them do hard work for no money. These slave drivers took Joseph to Egypt. Joseph worked as a slave for many years, and even spent some time in prison! He did not have a happy time. But he worked hard and trusted Heavenly Father, and eventually became a king’s helper in Egypt. God had sent a famine to Egypt and to all the places around, including to Joseph’s family. A famine is when food doesn’t grow well and people get pretty hungry. Egypt had plenty of food because Joseph listened to Heavenly Father and helped the king store extra food. Joseph’s family was hungry and went to Egypt to ask for food. Hold up the picture of Joseph greeting his brothers. For older families, read Genesis 42-45. For younger families, say that Joseph could have been mad at his family. He could have sent them away without food. But he loved his family and forgave them. His whole family moved to Egypt and had enough food to survive the famine. Add another link to your heart chain and say, “when we forgive our family, we are growing our love for our family.”

Further Discussion:

Talk to your family about how God loves us, His children, with unconditional love. read Matthew 5:43-48 (see also 3 Nephi 12::43-45) and ask what conditional love means. Then open up to Charity in the Guide to the Scriptures. As a family, read the first paragraph, then pick a few verses to read. How can we show more love to our family? Why is it important? Explain to your family that because God loves each of us with His pure love, he wants us to love each other with his pure love.

Recent Conference talks to consider in your discussion: “The Finest Homes,” by L. Whitney Clayton; “God Loves His Children,” by Taniela B. Wakolo; “The Personal Journey of a Child of God,” by Neil L. Andersen; “I Love to See the Temple,” by Henry B. Eyering; “Personal Peace in Challenging Times,” by Quentin L. Cook

Challenge:

Set the heart chain in a prominent spot for your family and challenge them to look for ways this week that others are showing love to them and have them try extra hard this week to do things out of love for one another. See how long you can get your chain to grow this week.


Giving due credit: as usual, I read and learned from the Sunbeams Manual Lesson 25 (Nursery Manual lesson 11), the Family Home Evening Resource Manual Lesson 17. To read more about Hyrum and Joseph, read Heros [sic] and Heroines: A Brother Like Hyrum By Sharon Bigelow, The Legacy of Hyrum by M. Russell Ballard, and Joseph’s Family by M. Russell Ballard. To read more about the Wright brothers, check out Wright-brothers.org, National Park Service’s guide to Dayton’s flight historical sites, and the History Chanel’s story on the Wright brothers.

FHE

Jesus Christ is Heavenly Father’s Son FHE

Keira

Purpose: To help family members come to know Jesus Christ and all that He does for us.


Possible scriptures: Due to the nature of this lesson, the magnitude of scriptures makes it impossible to list or limit the choices to a decent list. Therefore, I leave it in the hands of the lesson preparer to research their own scriptures, and give only these 2: Doctrine and Covenants 110:4; Doctrine and Covenants 76:22-24;

Possible Songs: I’m Trying to Be Like Jesus, Children’s Songbook page 78; Jesus Said Love Everyone, Children’s Songbook page 61; Tell Me the Stories of Jesus, Children’s Songbook page 57; Teach Me to Walk in the Light, Hymn 304 or Children’s Songbook page 177; Come, Follow Me, Hymn 116; I Know that My Redeemer Lives, Hymn 136;

Possible Materials: My Lightbulb pictures; A picture of Jesus as a boy at the temple (or these figures); a picture of Georg Friederich Händel


Preparation: Begin with prayer. Ask yourself ­­­­­if you have a testimony of the Savior. If not, work on it this week. Think about the Savior’s life and ministry. Think about all He did for you and your family. Open the topical guide to one of the many categories of Jesus Christ and read more about His life and Ministry and divine purpose. Read through the lesson, including any links, and carefully select the most relevant material for your family. Print and cut my lightbulb pictures. Children: Have a grownup read you this story about what Jesus did for us, and this story about Jesus as a boy. Have a grownup cut and print the lightbulbs.

Lesson:

Discuss how last week’s challenge went.

Introduction: get your house really dark. turn out the lights, close the blinds and curtains, or use a blindfold if it is still light. Hand a family member a piece of paper and a pack of coloring utensils (like markers or crayons). Ask them to make a rainbow on a piece of paper. Tell them to pay close attention to getting the colors in order! Once they’re done, turn on the lights and see how they did. Then repeat the activity with the lights on! Ask your family why it was so much easier to do it with the light on. Have a family member read aloud John 8:12. Ask your family, “Who is Jesus? How is Jesus the Light of the World?” spend some time and talk about what that means and how it is easier to do things with Christ’s light than it is in the dark. Tell your family that Jesus was called by many special names because He is really important to us and to Heavenly Father. When we hear those names, we can think about why Jesus is so important.

Pull out the lightbulb pictures with the names for Christ. One at a time, have your family select a name and tape it in a prominent spot you will see throughout the week (like the front door, if that is nearby). Start with Light of the World. For each name, read the scripture mentioned. For younger children, you can start with which ones you think are most important and then stop when they are out of patience. For older children, you might consider filling in the 3 blank lightbulbs with other references you find important (The Church’s website Come Unto Christ has a really good list of 50, though there are over 100).

  • Christ: Matthew 16:15-16 (see also Mark 8:29) Christ is Greek for “anointed one.” Meaning he was chosen and set apart as “the one.” In ancient times, Kings and rulers were anointed, as well as priests in the temple.
  • Savior: 1 John 4:14 Jesus saves us from our sins (see Matthew 1:21). Because of Him, we can repent and know that we are forgiven.
  • God’s Son: John 20:31 (you might include the story from the scriptures of Jesus as a boy in the temple when you read this reference, as noted below).
  • Prince of Peace: Isaiah 9:6
  • Immanuel: 2 Nephi 17:14 (see also Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:23) Immanuel, also written Emmanuel, means “God is with us.” He was never actually supposed to be named Immanuel, rather he was supposed to be given the title of Immanuel. When Christ, the Son of God came to earth, he was literally a god among mortals.
  • Redeemer: Job 19:25 To redeem means “to pay the price for,” so Jesus paid the price for our sins so that we can be forgiven. He knew we would need someone to help us be worthy to get to return to Heavenly Father, so he paid the difference that we could not pay so that we could live with God again.
  • Creator: Mosiah 3:8
  • Teacher: John 3:2
  • Mediator: 1 Timothy 2:5 A mediator is someone who helps others come to an agreement. Jesus acts as our go-between with Heavenly Father. God has a rule that in order to come to Heaven, we have to be perfect. Only Jesus is perfect, so we needed Him to help us. He says that if we will promise to do the best that we can, He will talk to Heavenly Father and erase all of our imperfect spots so that we can go to Heaven.
  • Judge: Moses 6:57
  • Advocate: Doctrine and Covenants 45:3-5 An advocate is someone who stands by your side and says all the good things about you. They say you are deserving of something. Jesus stands before Heavenly Father and says that because He has helped us, we are worthy to make it to Heaven.
  • Good Shepherd: John 10:11,14
  • Lamb of God: John 1:29 John called Jesus the Lamb of God because during the time that Christ lived, people that believed in Heavenly Father would take a lamb to the priest and would symbolically give that lamb it’s sins to take them away. Jesus Christ sacrifices for us so that we can be forgiven of our sins.
  • Messiah: 2 Nephi 2:6 Messiah is Aramaic for “the anointed.” Basically, it is Christ in a different language.
  • Rock: Helaman 5:12
  • Living Water: John 4:10,14 Christ called Himself the fount or well of living water because water keeps us alive, and Christ’s living water gives us eternal life. We can live forever with Heavenly Father.
  • The Word: John 1:1, 14 President Nelson taught us that, “the Word,” means “an expression of.” So when John says that the Word was God, he is saying that Jesus is like God. He is like His Father.
  • I Am: John 8:58 When Jesus told the people that he was I Am, he was telling the people that he was the God of the Old Testament. Many of those people were angry and called his statement blasphemous. And it would have been if anyone else had said it. But Jesus was the creator of all the miracles and the one teaching and talking to the people in the Old Testament.
  • King of Kings: Revelation 17:14 He was also called King of the Jews and King of Israel at his death in mockery. But that mockery was in vain because Jesus was the one that the people were waiting for and the people did not understand it. He is the King, the ruler, the one above all that has authority and can give us rules or guidance. His rules are above the rules of earthy kings.
  • Son of Man: Mark 10:45 Jesus referred to Himself as the Son of Man when he wanted to emphasize that He, the Divine Savior, descended to a lowly state to come among us and bring us back to the father.

From the Scriptures: Hold up a picture of Jesus as a boy teaching in the temple (or these story figures). Read Luke 2:41-52. Who was Jesus referring to when he said he was doing his Father’s business? Who is his Father?

From Church History: In 2000, the Prophet Gordon B Hinckley and his counselors and apostles wrote a declaration and combined testimony. They called it The Living Christ. Read it with your family and see how many names of Jesus you can find within. What other truths are mentioned? Why is it important to know that Christ lives again? How has He set the perfect example for us? What are some ways we can show Him how thankful we are? Discuss again that whenever we are unsure of what to do in our life, we can look to Him for answers. If you have a younger audience that needs something to do while reading the declaration, I love this coloring picture as a tie-in.

From World History: Hold up the picture of Georg Friederich Händel. Tell your family that Handel wrote music in the early 1700’s. the music he is most well-known for is an oratorio called Messiah. Listen to the Choir at Temple Square sing (I highly suggest listening starting at 34:27 and listening through 38:50, as it’s a two hour program). Ask your family how they think Handel felt writing the music from the scripture. How does it make the members of your family feel? At the time, Handel got a lot of criticism for writing it. It didn’t start out as a big hit, but now it is one of the most well-known bit of music from that time period. Why do you think that is?

Further Discussion:

Read Teachings of Jesus by Dallin H. Oaks and Who is Jesus Christ by Boyd K. Packer. Talk about any further insight you gain by these talks and their discussion on different names of Christ.

Before your lesson, ask important loved ones to your family (present or not) what is the most important think to know about Jesus Christ. You could ask grandparents or aunts or neighbors. Talk about their answers as a family and add your own input.

Recent Conference talks to consider in your discussion: Click here.

Challenge:

Tell your family that we will keep these names of Christ up this week in a place that we can see them often. Tell them that every time they walk past it this week, they should think about Jesus and what He did for us. Ask them to think about what Jesus would want them to do and how He makes it easier for us to make choices.


Giving due credit: as usual, I read and learned from the Sunbeams Manual Lesson 5 (Nursery Manual lesson 5) and Gospel Principles Chapter 5. The attention activity for this lesson comes from Family Home Evening Resource Book lesson 12. The church has published multiple websites about learning more of Christ. Jesus Christ, Son of God is a good resource to check out. You may also find the bible dictionary under Christ, Names, of to be a good source., as well as the specific names of Christ (Anointed One), Son of God, Immanuel, Lamb of God, Living Water, Son of Man.

FHE

Heavenly Father Answers Prayers FHE

Keira

Purpose: to develop a sincere desire to pray and to know that we will always receive an answer because Heavenly Father loves us.


Possible scriptures: Matthew 7: 7-11; (3 Nephi 14:7-11; Doctrine & Covenants 4:7; Doctrine & Covenants 6:5; Doctrine & Covenants 66:9);  Matthew 21:22 (Mark 11:24);  John 14:13 (John 16:23; D&C 88:64); 1 Ne. 15:11 (Alma 22:16; D&C 18:18);  2 Ne. 4:35;  2 Ne. 26:15; 2 Nephi 32:8-9;  Alma 37:37; 3 Ne. 18:20 (Moro. 7:26); Moro. 10:3–5;  Doctrine & Covenants 46:30; Doctrine & Covenants 88:63-65; Doctrine & Covenants 120:10

Possible Songs: “Sweet Hour of Prayer,” Hymns 142; “How Great Thou Art,” Hymn 86; “Joseph Smith’s First Prayer,” Hymn 26; “Be Thou Humble,” Hymn 130; “I Pray In Faith,” Children’s Songbook page 14; “A Child’s Prayer”, Children’s Songbook page 12; “A Prayer Song,” Children’s songbook page 22a; “A Prayer,” Children’s songbook page 22b;

Possible Materials: This picture from The Friend with hearts hidden within; paper hearts; a picture of David O. McKay; figures of Alma and Amulek; this picture of Oliver Cowdery and Joseph Smith translating the plates.


Preparation: Begin with prayer. Read the suggested scriptures. Read through the lesson, including any links, and carefully select the most relevant material for your family. write the phrases from numbers 1-8 below on hearts and tape those hearts throughout the room (you could try to tie them in with the stories, if you wanted. Like hiding #1 by a pair of shoes) . Children: listen to the story about Charlotte and the shoes, Ben’s prayers, Hannah, David’s scary night, and . Watch the video about Manna, Alma and Amulek (the first 2 minutes is enough) and about Oliver Cowdery (if it works, the video was broken at the time I wrote this, but the story was still there). Ask a grownup to help you make 8 hearts and hide them around the room.

Lesson:

Discuss how last week’s challenge went.

Introduction: Hold up the picture from the friend with hearts hidden within it. Have your family find the hearts within the picture. talk about how we can feel Heavenly Father’s love as we pray. He sends His love in different ways, but he always answers our prayers with love. Explain that there are hearts around the room with ways Heavenly Father answers our prayers and one at a time, pick a family member to find a heart. Make sure to keep it as even as possible among siblings. As each heart is found, read the phrase and then the story that goes with it.

  1. He grants your prayer. Read the story about Charlotte and the shoes (based on your family’s attention span, you can pick the long version or the short version). Talk about other ways Heavenly Father has answered with “yes,” in your family. Consider each time you bless the food or pray for safety or a good night’s rest. Most of the time, Heavenly Father answers those with yes and we often don’t even think about it!
  2. He tells you no. Read the story about Ben from the Friend. you can shorten it to one example if you’d like but it is a simple enough story that young children should understand while older children can pick up on how prayer to Heavenly Father works.
  3. He gives you something better. Tell your family about the Israelites in the wilderness, as found in Exodus 16. Tell them the Israelites had just left Egypt and we’re so excited to be free. They were excited that Heavenly Father was helping them. But it still wasn’t easy. They were hungry and they missed all the food in Egypt. They had Moses ask Heavenly Father to send them food. He sent them Manna! He answered their prayers but it was not with food that they knew about. It was a new food. And it had a lot of rules that they didn’t want to follow. Why did Heavenly Father send them Manna instead of the food they were used to? They had to learn to trust Heavenly Father and follow His rules.
  4. He makes you wait. Read Samuel 1:1-20. Tell the story of Hannah. Hannah was really sad! She had waited a long time for something that was good and something that Heavenly Father had promised*. But she didn’t get the thing she wanted right away. Eventually, she prayed and told Heavenly Father that if he would give her the thing she wanted, she would make sure he grew into a good person that would serve Him in the temple. Talk about how sometimes Heavenly Father needs us to learn or grow before he can give us what we want. What are some other reasons He might ask us to wait? (you could talk about Abish and being told to wait because the people weren’t ready to hear what she knew, yet).
  5. He gives comfort/peace. Hold up the picture of David O. McKay. Tell your family he was the prophet from 1951 to 1970. This is a story about when he was a little boy. Read “David’s Prayer,” From the August 2004 Friend (here’s a shorter version with pictures) about President David O. McKay.  Discuss how sometimes answers to prayer are just a feeling of comfort. Tell your family that any time we are afraid, we can pray to Heavenly Father and he will help us and bring us comfort. Sometimes the comfort will feel like a warm fuzzy blanket, and sometimes He’ll just take away our worry. Sometimes we will just know that Heavenly Father loves us and that we will be okay.
  6. He sends others. Hold up the figures of Alma and Amulek. Tell your family that Alma the prophet went to visit the city of Ammonihah and they were so wicked that they did not want to listen. Alma left and was sad. An angel told him to go back, and Alma listened. Read Alma 8: 14-27. Heavenly Father used Amulek to give Alma some help. The people listened to Amulek because they trusted him. He was able to teach the people. Amulek knew that Alma would need help because an angel told him. An angel might not tell us to help people, but when we listen to the Holy Ghost and try to do nice things for others, we can help answer someone else’s prayer.
  7. He tells us in our mind (we just “know”). Hold up the picture of Oliver Cowdery and Joseph working on translating the Book of Mormon. Tell your family that Oliver wanted to know with absolute certainty that the church was true. He kept struggling with doubt. He prayed to know for sure, got his answer, but still questioned it. Heavenly Father told Joseph to tell him to trust his answer. Read Doctrine and Covenants 8, especially focusing on verses 1-3. Talk about how he knew his answer because Heavenly Father had told him! He didn’t need the prophet to tell him, because Heavenly Father can talk right to us. For younger kids, stop there. Older kids may benefit from also reading Doctrine and Covenants 9 (especially verses 8-9) and talking about the rest of the story.
  8. We find the answer after study. Sometimes Heavenly Father wants us to do a little work before we get the answer (If you didn’t read Doctrine and Covenants 9:8-9, you could read it now). Sometimes we can get that answer by reading the scriptures or listening to what the prophets have said. Sometimes that study is just taking the best choice and seeing what happens. Heavenly Father will help you know if it is right or wrong. And sometimes he just lets us choose because there isn’t a bad answer! He loves us enough to let us make our own choices. Read the story about the brother of Jared in Ether 2-3. If Heavenly Father hadn’t let the brother of Jared make his own choices, he would not have had enough faith to see Jesus! Each time we make a choice and trust Heavenly Father to help us know if it is right or wrong, our faith grows.

Further Discussion:

Further discussion: What difference does it make to know that Heavenly Father will really listen to your prayers? Do we talk to strangers differently than our friends? It is the same with prayer. Share how much peace it brings knowing that each member of the family can call upon God when they need help, even when they think they’re alone.

Read, “But If Not…” by Elder Dennis E Simmons of the Seventy. Talk about how the examples given in the story were okay with Heavenly Father’s choice, no matter what it was, because they trusted Him and knew that He had the best plan in mind for them.

Recent Conference talks to consider in your discussion: “Ask, Seek, and Knock,” by Milton Camargo; “Watch Ye Therefore, and Pray Always” by President M. Russell Ballard; “What We Are Learning and Will Never Forget,” by Russell M. Nelson; “Remember Your Way Back Home,” by Elder José A. Teixeira; “The Faith to Ask and Then to Act,” by Henry B. Eyering; “Faith to Act and Become,” by Elder Ciro Schmeil; “Pure Truth, Pure Doctrine, and Pure Revelation,” by Russell M. Nelson

Challenge:

Challenge your family to take extra time after each prayer this week to listen for Heavenly Father’s answer and feel His love. Think about and watch for His answers throughout your day.


Giving due credit: as usual, I read and learned from the Sunbeams Manual Lesson 4 (Nursery Manual lesson 3) and Gospel Principles Chapter 8. I also found Family Home Evening Resource Book, Lesson 7 helpful. To get an accurate idea of how to tell the story of Oliver Cowdery, I read the intro to the Institute manual (D&C, chapter 5); Oliver Cowdery’s Gift by Jeffry G. Cannon; and Saints Volume 1, chapter 6.

*I didn’t want this to clog up the FHE lesson because it’s definitely a sidenote, but God Promised the tribes of Isreal that they would be fruitful and “multiply and replenish the earth.” see the Bible Dictoionary for Abraham, Covenant of. Also, If you want an amazing article that will probably make you cry, read “Hannah,” from a Bible Study by Vickie Kraft on Bible.org.

FHE

I Can Pray to Heavenly Father FHE

Keira

Purpose: To teach that prayer is one of the greatest blessings we have and that through prayer we can talk with our Heavenly Father and seek His guidance often.


Possible scriptures: Psalm 55:17; Matthew 6:9–13; 1 Thessalonians 5:17; James 1:5; 2 Nephi 32:8–9; Alma 34:17-27; Alma 37:37; 3 Nephi 18:19–21; Moroni 10:3–5;

Possible Songs: I Pray in Faith – Children’s Songbook #14; A Prayer – Children’s Songbook #22b; A Prayer Song – Children’s Songbook #22a;; Children All Over the World – Children’s Songbook #16; Did You Think to Pray? – Hymns #140; Heavenly Father, Now I Pray – Children’s Songbook #19; I Love to Pray – Children’s Songbook #25b; Love Is Spoken Here – Children’s Songbook #190; We Bow Our Heads – Children’s Songbook #25a; Sweet Hour of Prayer – Hymns #142

Possible Materials: a bag that says “I am thankful for…” and a bag that says “Please bless that…” along with pictures of items that could go inside them or blank paper strips for your family to write their own responses; a picture of Enos; either the figurine from “When I Begin To Pray,” The Friend Oct 1982 or from “Fasting and Prayer,” September 2000.


Preparation: Begin with prayer. Take a self-evaluation. Have your prayers been meaningful lately? Have you paused at the end of your prayers? Is there something you could work on? Read the suggested scriptures. Read through the lesson, including any links, and carefully select the most relevant material for your family. Children: Watch the video about Enos and the video about Daniel in the lion’s den. Then look around your house and collect things you and your family are thankful for.

Lesson:

Discuss how last week’s challenge went.

Introduction: Pull out a bag that says “I am thankful for…” and ask the family what are some things they’re thankful for. Pull out pictures of some ideas (i.e. clothes, house, family, food, scriptures, etc.) For older children, hand out pencils and slips of paper and ask them to them write their own responses to include in the bag. When the family is done naming things, ask them how we show our Heavenly Father we are thankful for what he gave us. Tell them that everyone likes to be told, “Thank you.” We can tell Heavenly Father thank you when we pray to Him. How Do we pray? What are the parts of a prayer? When they talk about asking for blessings, pull out a second bag, labeled, “Please Bless That…” and pull out pictures of things we often need (health, we will listen, safety, our friends, etc.) Place papers with “Heavenly Father,” and “In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen,” on either side of the bags.

From a General Authority: Watch this video about Elder Eyering. Every night, he looked for ways Heavenly Father had helped him that day. How do you think that changed his prayers? It is easier to say prayers with a thankful heart if we spend some time before we start to pray. We can think about our day and looking for how Heavenly Father helped us, or even just thinking about some of our favorite things. We should also take time before we pray to think about who the prayer will include (i.e. for a congregation or a whole family) and any special things the members of the prayer may be seeking. For younger children, explain that the word “ponder,” means to think carefully.

From the Scriptures: Hold up a picture of Enos. Discuss or read the story of Enos found in Enos chapter 1.  Enos was pondering, too! he was thinking about the things his dad had taught him. Enos knelt down do pray. We show reverence and respect to Heavenly Father when we hold our bodies still and reverently. For younger children, use one of the figures from The Friend to demonstrate how we hold our body while we pray. Talk about being able to pray whenever you need to; It doesn’t have to be in the morning or at night. Also point out that Enos waited after his prayer to hear the Lord’s answer. For older audiences, focus on what and *who* Enos prayed for. Help them realize that you should pray for your enemies as well your friends.

From the scriptures: Ask the family why we pray? there are many good answers, but a big reason why we pray is because it is a commandment from God! Hold up a picture of Daniel. Read Daniel 6:4-27. Discuss how Daniel never quit praying, even when it was hard. Because Daniel chose to obey God’s commandments instead of the king, God protected him.

From World History: Hold up a picture of General George S. Patton. Tell your family that this is General George S. Patton. He was a General during World War II. His armies had a lot of success, but they were in a tight spot. Weather and time were not on their side if they were going to win the war. They were running out of resources and a lot of the soldiers were getting sick. The army needed the rain to stop! General Patton knew his army could win the war if the weather would just cooperate. He had done his part to be ready, and still it rained. So he asked the chaplain (that is a religious leader for the army) to write a prayer for his soldiers to say. All of the army under General Patton prayed, and when it came time for them to attack, the weather was clear. General Patton again prayed and thanked Heavenly Father for the good weather. Ask a family member to read the prayer from the top part of the image from Historyonthenet.com. Talk to your family that “thee,” “thy,” and “thou,” mean “you and your.” When we use these words, we are showing reverence to Heavenly Father.

Further Discussion:

As a family, read the sections under “What is Prayer?” and “Why Do We Pray?” from Gospel Principles, chapter 8, as well as 3 Nephi 18:15 (see also D&C 10:5); Alma 38:14; Alma 34:17–27; 1 Thessalonians 5:18. Look for things we should include in our prayers. Answers may include requesting strength to resist the temptations of Satan and his followers and to live the gospel so that we may keep on his straight and narrow path that leads to eternal life, confessing our sins to God and asking forgiveness, seeking guidance and help in our daily lives, along with protection for families and friends, neighbors, crops and animals, daily work, and other activities and protection from our enemies, expressing love to our Heavenly Father and gaining a desire to feel closer to Him, thanking Him for our welfare, comfort and all things He gives us.

Read the section “When Should We Pray?” from Gospel Principles, chapter 8. Discuss times that we pray, which includes when we wake up; when we go to bed; meals; as a family; in church; when we need strength; when we are scared, or lonely, etc; when we need answers; when we don’t feel like praying; and “continually.”

Read Matthew 6:7-8 (also 3 Nephi 13:7) and Alma 31:12-35. Explain that “vain repetitions” means saying the same thing over and over again. Heavenly Father wants us to think about what we say. Alma gives 2 different prayers. Compare them. They both express gratitude, but are very different. Talk about which one meant more to both the one saying the prayer and to Heavenly Father.

Recent Conference talks to consider in your discussion: Faith to Act and Become, by Elder Ciro Schmeil; Remember Your Way Back Home, by Elder José A. Teixeira

Challenge:

Challenge each member of your family to pay closer attention to his or her prayers – before, during, and after. Ask them to watch for how deeper prayers have helped them and their relationship with Heavenly Father. For each prayer said as a family this week, take time before the prayer to talk about what we should remember to add to our prayers.


Giving due credit: as usual, I read and learned from the Sunbeams Manual Lesson 4 (Nursery Manual lesson 3) and Gospel Principles Chapter 8. I read multiple accounts of General Patton’s request for prayer, but an incredibly thorough retelling is found in the article “When Patton Enlisted the Entire Third Army to Pray for Fair Weather” History on the Net © 2000-2021, Salem Media. Furthermore, the message given in the January 2006 New Era entitled The Special Language of Prayer, by Dallin H. Oaks gives deeper insight into the language of prayer.

FHE

I am a Child of God FHE

Keira

Purpose: to help your family understand that each of us is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents and we lived with them before we were born.


Possible scriptures: Psalm 82:6; Malachi 2:10; Matthew 5:48; Acts 10:34-35; Acts 17:28–29; Romans 8:16; Hebrews 12:9; Doctrine and Covenants 29:31-38; Doctrine and Covenants 76:23–24; Doctrine and Covenants 138:55–56; Moses 3:7; Mosiah 4:9-12;  1 Nephi 17:36; 3 Nephi 27:13-22;

Possible Songs: “O My Father,” Hymns 292;“I Am a Child of God,” Hymns 301, Children’s Songbook 2; “I Lived in Heaven,” Children’s Songbook 4;  “I Know My Father Lives,” Hymns 302, Children’s Songbook 5; “My Heavenly Father Loves Me,” Children’s Songbook 228

Possible Materials: We Grow To Be Like Our Parents puzzle pieces; Pictures of your family; Picture of Joseph F. Smith; Figures of Moses and the burning bush. You may consider acquiring either of these books (no affiliation. I’m just impressed by both of them and think that they need read by the world): The Hiding Place and Corrie ten Boom: The Courageous Woman and The Secret Room


Preparation: Begin with prayer. Think about your relationship with your Heavenly Father. When have you felt closest to Him? How do your family members feel about themselves? How can having a strong relationship with Heavenly Father strengthen their self-worth? Read the suggested scriptures, along with Moses chapter 1, and read through the lesson, including any links, and carefully select the most relevant material for your family. Print, color and cut the puzzle pieces. Children: Ask a grownup to read the story about Moses from The Friend. Ask a grownup to read the beginning of the We Grow To Be Like Our Parents sharing time. Also, watch this video about Corrie Ten Boom.

Lesson:

Discuss how last week’s challenge went.

Introduction: For younger children, place the puzzle pieces on the ground and have your family put them together to create pairs. The puzzle pieces only fit together with the right parent, showing that babies grow up to be similar to their parents. Include dialogue like, “What is a baby frog called? What will that tadpole grow up to be?”

Hold up the family portrait or separate pictures of each family member (for a twist, use baby pictures), and ask, “Who are these people? How are the members of our family different from each other? (Facial characteristics, age, talents, etc.) In what ways are members of our family alike? (Facial features, interests, desires to learn, etc.)” Talk about how we inherit some of our characteristics from our parents.

Explain that we will grow up to be like our parents just like baby animals grow to be like their parents. Heavenly Father is the father of our spirits, so we can grow to be like Him. Read the introduction included with the puzzle pieces. Talk about what you learned about God the Eternal Father in last week’s Family Home Evening.

Elder Marvin J. Ashton, who was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said, “As children of God we are somebody. He will build us, mold us, and magnify us if we will but hold our heads up, our arms out, and walk with him. What a great blessing to be created in his image and know of our true potential in and through him!”

(in Conference Report, Apr. 1973, 21; or Ensign, July 1973, 24).

When we have attributes like Heavenly Father, we are being like Him. Explain that we should try to become more like Heavenly Father every day. Discuss what qualities we would need to develop for us to be more like our Father in Heaven.


From Church History: Hold up the picture of Joseph F. Smith. Tell your family that when Joseph F. Smith was the prophet there was a lot of confusion about where people came from and how we got to earth. Joseph F. Smith felt that he needed to explain to church members what has been revealed about where we came from, so he and the rest of the First Presidency wrote a statement for the church magazine. Older family members will benefit from this video. For younger members, read Genesis 1:26-27 and the excerpt below:

Man is the child of God, formed in the divine image and endowed with divine attributes, and even as the infant son of an earthly father and mother is capable in due time of becoming a man, so the undeveloped offspring of celestial parentage is capable… of evolving into a God.

Improvement Era, Vol. 13, (November 1909), pg. 75-81

Ask your family what it means to them to hear that they are created to be like God? How does that change the way they make choices? Young children would enjoy making a simple crown (you could use this one from The Friend) and writing the words I am a child of God on it. Let everyone color the crowns.

From the Scriptures: using the scripture figures found in the June 2014 friend, Read Moses 1:1-22, or read the summary from the friend for younger children. Point out how many times God says, “My son.” Was this an important concept? Explain that Heavenly Father has important things for us to do while we live on the earth, such as being a mother or a father, a missionary, a teacher, a helper at church, or a helper in the community. What important work might Heavenly Father want you to do? As you discuss the idea of worth and potential, have your family members analyze Doctrine and Covenants 18:10 and Moses 1:39 so that they will get a feeling of how important we are to our Heavenly Father as his children. Explain to everyone that because they are God’s children, they are worth very much. Emphasize to them that it does not matter what we look like or where we live, His love is unconditional and very real. What is it about us that Heavenly Father would love so much? (First of all, he loves us because we are his spirit children; we are his family. Secondly, he loves us because of what we are capable of doing and becoming.) Explain that Heavenly Father knows about each child’s admirable characteristics. For example, you could say, “Heavenly Father knows that Emily is a loving daughter.” How does your knowledge that you are a child of God influence your thoughts, words, and actions?

From World History: Corrie and Betsie Ten Boom were sisters during World War II. They saw that the Jews were being treated unfairly. They tried to help the people who were being hurt. They knew that the Jews were good people and were children of God. Eventually, they were caught trying to help others and were taken to prison. When they were in prison they had many chances to be angry but they chose to forgive the people that were hurting them. They asked God to help them forgive the people who kept them trapped in prison. God filled them with forgiveness and they remembered that even the people hurting them were still Heavenly Father’s children. Help your family remember that not only are each of them specifically children of God, but also the annoying kid from school, their teachers, and their family members. How does that knowledge affect the way we treat one another. Briefly bear your testimony or share a personal experience about how remembering to treat others as the children of God has changed or affected you (or the other person).

Further Discussion:

Have your family sing each verse of I Am a Child of God and find which phrases they feel are the most important to them. By breaking the hymn up in this way, it allows them to think about each word and why it was chosen in the song. Think about the principles of the gospel that we learn when we sing this beloved song.

Recent Conference talks to consider in your discussion: The Personal Journey of a Child of God, by Neil L. Andersen; Room in the Inn, by Garrit W. Gong; Poor Little Ones, by Jorge T. Becerra; God Loves His Children, by Taniela B. Wakolo To Be a Follower of Christ, by Elder Alfred Kyungu; Invite Christ to Author our Life, by Camille N. Johnson; Trust Again, by Garrit W. Gong; Remember Thy Suffering Saints, O Our God, by Anthony D. Perkins

Challenge:

Give each family member a note card with the sentence “Because I am a child of God, I can become more _____.”  Invite your family members to place it where they say their prayers. Each morning before prayer the family member can look at the card and identify a godly quality he could develop to fill in the missing word, such as loving, forgiving, educated, or accomplished. He should use whatever quality he may feel he needs to develop at the time. Encourage family members to seek the Lord’s help in being true to their capacity to become like him. In the evening, they should ponder the chances they had during the day to work on their potential. Challenge each person to examine the experiences he has had each day and share with his Heavenly Father what he, as one of God’s children, has learned from them.


Giving due credit: It was pretty hard to actually find the text for the origin of man, but it was pretty fascinating to read it in its entirety (along with other references to the same material). It can be found in BYU archives. I drew insights from Chapter 1 of the Sunbeams manual (it is a long-time fav for true gospel principles!) and the Nursery manual. I also pulled parts of this lesson from the Family Home Evening Resource manual (another important tool to have in teaching simple gospel principles) lesson 5 and Gospel Principles Chapter 2. Also, we have this book by Rachel Ann Nunes that I will sometimes add to this lesson. It’s a cute book and worth adding to your library. No affiliate link, just really like it.

FHE

God the Eternal Father FHE

Keira

Purpose: To teach that we can come to know God, that he has a body, and is a perfected being who loves us.


Possible scriptures: Moses 1:30–39; Moses 2:27; Genesis 1:27;Psalm 24:1; Amos 3:7; Matthew 5:48; Matthew 22:37; Luke 24:39; John 3:16; John 14:6–9; John 14:21,23; Acts 17:27–29; 1 John 4:7–9; 1 Nephi 17:36; Mosiah 4:9; Alma 7:20;  Alma 5:40; 3 Nephi 12:48; 3 Nephi 14:9–11; Mormon 9:15–20; Joseph Smith—History 1:14–17; D&C 38:1–3; D&C 88:41–44; Doctrine and Covenants 130:22; 

Possible Songs: “A Child’s Prayer,” Children’s Songbook 12; “My Heavenly Father loves Me,” Children’s songbook 228; “I Need my Heavenly Father,” Children’s songbook 18; “A Mighty Fortress is our God,” Hymns 68; “Because God loves Me,” Children’s songbook 234; “God’s Love,” Children’s Songbook 97; “Dearest Children, God is Near You,” Hymns 96; “I am a Child of God,” Hymns 301 or Children’s Songbook 2; “Joseph Smith’s First Prayer,” Hymns 26; “Our Savior’s Love,” Hymns 113; “The First Article of Faith,” Children’s songbook 122a;

Possible Materials: Creation picture and picture of space from Gospel Art Book; First Vision picture from Gospel Art Book, (I prefer the one by Del Parson, but at the time of this writing, I’m having trouble pulling it up on the site. It’s a broken link); Puppets of Ammon and Aaron (I have a cleaned up version – one that can print a better quality than found online – that I will gladly send you, but I don’t want to seem like I’m stealing someone else’s creations for my own personal gain, so I don’t want to have them uploaded on the site. If you’d like them – for free, obviously. It’s not my work, just my cleanup skills – for your own personal use, send me a message via the contact tab! Please realize that an actual person will have to read your email, find and attach the folder, and send them to you, so allow time to remain patient!); Picture of Ammon teaching Lamoni


Preparation: Begin with prayer. Ask yourself how understanding the nature of God will help yourself and each member of your family. Read the suggested scriptures, as well as the Gospel Topics section on God the Father. Read through the lesson, including any links, and carefully select the most relevant material for your family. think of a way to set up a pretend camping scene where you hold Family Home Evening. Children: ask a grownup to help you think about how to prepare a camping scene. Then watch the videos on Joseph Smith’s first vision and Ammon teaching Lamoni and his father.

Lesson:

Discuss how last week’s challenge went.

Introduction: Have everyone pretend they’re on a camping trip in the middle of nowhere. There are no lights besides the warm and cozy fire. Get everyone to lay down like they’re all in sleeping bags looking up at the stars. Ask how many stars there are. How did they get there? Was it an accident? Do you think that our universe could have happened by chance? Show the picture in the gospel art kit of what it’s like in the universe. Now have everyone sit up and look at the “Forest” around you. Have people tell you what they “see.” Talk about how it is so amazing that God created this earth for us. Read Mosiah 4:9, then read this quote by President Thomas S. Monson:

If there is a design in this world in which we live, there must be a Designer. Who can behold the many wonders of the universe without believing that there is a design for all mankind? Who can doubt that there is a Designer?

He is Risen! by Thomas S. Monson, April 2010 Conference

Ask your family who is the designer of our world and stars. God created the world for us. He is our Heavenly Father. Who is God? What are some of God’s attributes? For younger children, focus on that God has a body of flesh and blood, and that he is a loving Father. For older audiences, possible discussion topics include Divinity, perfection, love, mercy, truth, justice, goodness, glory, and creation.

From the Scriptures: If you have small children, hold up the finger puppets of Ammon and Aaron (you may want a set for each child). Tell your family that they were two missionaries in the Book of Mormon. They knew that it was important to start our testimonies with an understanding of who God is. They taught people who did not grow up knowing about God or Christ. They taught simple truths and invited their investigators to pray. Two kings, Lamoni and his father were converted. Hold up the picture of Ammon and Lamoni. Then read the stories found in Alma 18:24–40and 22:4–23. While reading allow the children to “teach” Lamoni and his father by wiggling their fingers with the puppets on them. What did Ammon and Aaron teach King Lamoni and his father about Heavenly Father?

From Church History: Show the picture of The First Vision. Tell the story of the First Vision, as found in Joseph Smith—History 1:14–17. How did Joseph Smith know what Heavenly Father and Jesus look like? What kind of bodies do Jesus and Heavenly Father have? What else do we learn about the nature of God from this story? How does the knowledge that Heavenly Father knew Joseph Smith and called him by name help us understand our relationship with Heavenly Father? Explain that because we are spirit children of Heavenly Father, we also look like him. We have bodies like his. The scriptures say we are “created in Heavenly Father’s image” (see Moses 2:26-27; 6:9). Our bodies are like His body. His eternal spirit is housed in a tangible body of flesh and bones (see D&C 130:22). God’s body, however, is perfected and glorified, with a glory beyond all description. For older families, read any excerpts from Teachings of the Prophets of the Church: Joseph Smith, Chapter 2 that you feel relevant for your family, but make sure to include the 5th paragraph from the life of Joseph Smith. Talk about the steps he took to come to know who God is. Included answers may be that he believed that there was a God and that God would answer him, He studied the scriptures, He prayed, and he acted on what he learned.

Further Discussion:

Knowing God is so important that the Savior said, “This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent” (John 17:3). Read the first part of Preach My Gospel, Chapter 3 as a family. Read the scriptures in the “Study” section on the nature of God. Discuss how these scriptures would feel to someone who has never heard of the Gospel before. How can we also draw understanding and comfort from them? How can we share that understanding and comfort with others?

Read through Gospel Principles chapter 1, the section on the Godhead, continuing through the section on God in True to the Faith, and the Encyclopedia of Mormonism’s content on God the Father. You may also find value in Fundamental to our Faith by Elder Dallin H. Oaks or In These Three I Believe by President Gordon B. Hinckley. Discuss anything that stood out to you. Make a special emphasis on the idea that we can come to know God, and know that He knows us. We will be blessed by drawing near to Him.

Recent Conference talks to consider in your discussion: God Among Us, by Dieter F. Uchtdorf; God Loves His Children, by Taniela B. Wakolo; The Love of God, by Todd D. Christofferson; The Things of My Soul, by Ronald A. Rasband

Challenge:

Have the family stand. Help them memorize the first article of faith. If too young, just help them memorize the first part: “We believe in God, the Eternal Father.” Practice all week. If the article of faith is already memorized, memorize Moses 1:39. Discuss what any unknown words mean.


Giving due credit: I read and gained insights from the Sunbeams manual, chapter 2;

FHE

Three Kings Day FHE

Keira

Purpose: to celebrate with your family by extending the spirit of Christmas and looking closer at symbolism and the story of the Magi

A little explanation as to why I include this holiday in my FHE lessons: I know that in American culture, especially American Latter-day Saint culture, we don’t often celebrate Epiphany or Three Kings Day, or Twelfth Night or the twelfth day of Christmas, but I personally think that’s a real shame. Christmas gets all lumped together and muddled with festivities and rushing and the story gets lost. People are forgetting that Jesus was a toddler by the time the wise men found him. Plus, there is so much symbolism and divine intervention that gets overlooked because of the magnitude of the Nativity. Plus, I’m just not ready to put everything away after the holiday. Two parts exhaustion and one part post-holiday sadness. (cue Michael McLean’s song about taking the tree down)

For us, personally, most of our traditions come from Spain, but I highly suggest you look into how you would like to celebrate this holiday and adapt it to fit your heritage or lifestyle.


Possible scriptures: Job 34:2-4, 34 (see also Proverbs 8:33-34; Proverbs 13:1; Proverbs 14:16-17; Proverbs 19:20-21; James 3:13); Proverbs 9:8-10; Proverbs 13:20; Jeremiah 29:12-13; Matthew 7:7-8 (see also Luke 11:9-10, 1 Nephi 10:19, 3 Nephi 14:7-8, Doctrine and Covenants 88:63); Matthew 7:24-27 (see also 3 Nephi 14:24-27); Helaman 16:13-14; Doctrine and Covenants 58:26-27;

Possible Songs: “With Wondering Awe,” Hymns 210 ; “Oh, Come, All Ye Faithful,” Hymns 202; “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day,” Hymns 214; “Mary’s Lullaby,” Children’s songbook 45; “Stars Were Gleaming,” Children’s Songbook 37 (second verse); “We Three Kings of Orient Are,” written by John Henry Hopkins Jr. (here’s a kid-friendly version with lyrics if you need).

Possible Materials: Three Kings Bread (Roscón de Reyes); small, Christ-centered gifts for each kid; Gold, Frankinsense, and Myrrh would be amazing! But not necessary; a small sock and pencils and paper for your family.


Preparation: Begin with prayer. In order to even know where to start, you may have to study a little about this holiday. I found this site incredibly informative and I pray the post never gets taken down because it’s the best information I’ve seen on the holiday in regards to members of The Church. I suggest starting your study there. Read the suggested scriptures, as well as Matthew 2. Read through the lesson, including any links, and carefully select the most relevant material for your family. Make Three Kings Bread for your family (I’m sorry I can’t share my recipe. It was given to me and it wouldn’t be right to share someone else’s recipe). Make sure it has a little surprise inside but keep kids and choking hazards in mind (and how much cake will need to be eaten in order for someone to get the prize). Children: Watch this video about the wise men. Get some help from a grownup to make Three Kings Bread.

Lesson:

Discuss how last week’s challenge went.

Introduction: As a family, sit together and enjoy Three Kings Bread. While your family is eating, discuss what they know about the wise men that came to visit Jesus. The importance here is spending time together. It is in creating tradition with loved ones. You could talk about heritage and cultural differences, but don’t let it overshadow the time together. Celebrate and laugh as the “prize” is found! Based on where in the world you get your information, either the prize winner is the “King for the year,” the one that has to buy or make the bread for next year, the one that will have good luck. For our family, we have the winner get the stocking we use later in the lesson and pass out the papers.

From the Scriptures: Read all of Matthew 2. As a family, discuss why it is important to know this part of the Christmas story. Talk about how it differs from regular Christmas tradition. By the time the wise men found Jesus, he was no longer a little newborn. Mary and Joseph lived in a house!

Discuss the importance of revelation in keeping Jesus safe. What would have happened if the wise men hadn’t followed revelation? And Joseph? We can be protected by the same power that protected Jesus.

An important similitude exists in the ethnicity of the wise men. Although there is much discussion as to the actual origins of these magi, historians agree that they were not of Jewish descent. they weren’t Israelites. And yet they received revelation and guidance because of their desire and their studies. In the scriptures we are assured that anyone that seeks Christ will find him. The fact that the wise men found Christ, and recognized Him as their king, is proof of this. How Can we seek him? What steps do we need to take?

Further Discussion:

Have family members take turns reading We Three Kings from the December 2009 New Era and Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh from the December 2016 New Era. Discuss the symbolism and divine significance of the gifts given. What do we learn about the wise men that we may not have known before?

Read Epiphany, a fireside talk given at BYU by James E Faust. How has God guided willing people who seek Him all throughout history? How does it make you feel knowing that God has His hand in His work and in our lives?

Recent Conference talks to consider in your discussion: A Faithful Search Rewarded, by Elder Patricio M. Giuffra; Pure Truth, Pure Doctrine, and Pure Revelation by President Russel M. Nelson; The Faith to Ask and then Act, by Henry B. Eyering; The Things of My Soul, by Ronald A. Rasband; Ask, Seek, Knock, by Milton Camargo

Challenge:

If this is the first year you have done this activity, pull out a small Christmas sock. Explain that the wise men gave gifts to the Savior. We can give Jesus a birthday present, too! He doesn’t ask for us to give him frankincense or myrrh, but clean hands and a pure heart. Ask each member of the family to think of something they would like to give Jesus this year and to write it on the paper and place it in the sock. This is meant to be private, unless the person wants to share, so have them write their names on the outside, maybe even offer to tape them closed or provide envelopes.

At our house, we pack up Christmas on January 6th, so once everyone’s written their gift, it’s time to pack up Christmas, so it’s nice and easy to make sure the sock gets with the Christmas decorations or supplies. If you pack up your Christmas earlier, make an extra effort to make sure the Christmas sock gets put away correctly and safely so that you can find it in a year.

If this is not the first year you have done this activity, hand out last year’s “gifts” to the individual members of the family, as well as a piece of paper and pen or pencil. Give everyone time to reflect on last year’s gift and write a new gift to add to the sock. Ask your family to reflect upon their gift that they wanted to give to Jesus last year and be prepared to share their thoughts on how they did and how they’ve grown since last year.

FHE

How To Set Goals: Starting Off the New Year FHE

Keira

Purpose: to help your family learn that goals are achieved step by step.


Possible scriptures: Isaiah 28:10,13; Matt 5:16; Matt 5:48; Galatians 6:10; James 2:17-22; Jacob 2:18-19; 3 Nephi 13:24; 3 Nephi 13:33 (see also Matt 6:33); 3 Nephi 27: 27; Doctrine & Covenants 67:13;

Possible Songs: “The Iron Rod,” Hymns 274; “As Zion’s Youth in Latter-days,” Hymns 256; “I Hope They Call Me on a Mission,” Children’s Songbook 169; “The Things I Do,” Children’s Songbook 170; “I Love to See the Temple,” Children’s Songbook 95; “I’m Trying to be Like Jesus,” Children’s Songbook 78.

Possible Materials: five small stuffed animals or other soft objects; Heber J Grant stories (1, 2, 3) and a picture of him (Note: Older audiences may prefer reading about Heber J. Grant from The Teachings of Heber J. Grant Lesson Manual, found here); Tree of Life story aides; Graham Cracker Story aides (at least some graham crackers and grapes, but you may also consider making a simple chore chart or grabbing some clothes and a toy car, etc); A photograph of Ford’s Assembly Line; Paper and Pencils.


Preparation: Begin with prayer. Read the suggested scriptures, along with 1 Nephi 8 and Moses 1:39. Think of why it is significant to know that even our Heavenly Father sets goals. Consider some possible goals for yourself. Think of your own struggles with keeping goals. Is there ways you can improve, so that you can help others? Read through the lesson, including any links, and carefully select the most relevant material for your family. Children: Listen to the audio for the Heber J Grant stories and the story about graham crackers and grapes and watch the video for the Tree of Life. Collect grapes and graham crackers to use when you tell the lesson.

Lesson:

Introduction: select a member of the family (preferably one that can catch) and tell them you want them to catch all five stuffed animals. Then throw them at the family member all at once. They will probably not be able to catch all of them, or even one of them. Collect the objects and this time throw them to the family member one at a time. When thrown one at a time, the family member will be able to catch most, if not all, of the objects. Explain that starting any big project or setting a big goal is like this. If we try to set big goals and accomplish them all at once, we will struggle and get overwhelmed. But if we think about our goals and what steps are needed to achieve them, and work on each little step, the process of goal setting becomes quite simple.

Explain to your youngest family members, if you need, that a goal is something you want to do, to be, or to have. It is something you have to work for, but something that you know someday you can get or be. An example of a goal is thinking about what you want to be when you grow up. Other goals are something you want to learn how to do.

Read “Graham Crackers, Grapes, and Goals from the Friend.” Talk about how the boy in the story had a goal to keep his room clean, but he was fining it hard to reach his goal. This story talks about how each step is important when we set a goal. Use illustrations or real graham crackers and grapes to help younger children pay attention to the story.

Hand out papers and pencils (and help little kids) and ask each member of the family to write what they think are some pretty big goals that they have for themselves. Then ask them how they can work on small parts of the goal in order to reach the bigger goal. Tell them they can work on this throughout the rest of the lesson.


From Church History: Hold up a picture of Heber J Grant. Read one of the stories from President Grant’s Life (links above) from the Friend Magazine, and ask, “What goal did Heber make? What did he do to reach his goal? What happened because he made the goal?” Then read the next story and ask the same questions. Repeat for the third.

From World History: Hold up a picture of Henry Ford’s assembly line. Then read the following clip from PBS.org’s People and Discoveries segment:

In 1907, Henry Ford announced his goal for the Ford Motor Company: to create “a motor car for the great multitude.” At that time, automobiles were expensive, custom-made machines.

Ford’s engineers took the first step towards this goal by designing the Model T, a simple, sturdy car, offering no factory options — not even a choice of color. The Model T, first produced in 1908… was less expensive than most other cars, but it was still not attainable for the “multitude.” Ford realized he’d need a more efficient way to produce the car in order to lower the price. He and his team looked at other industries and found four principles that would further their goal: interchangeable parts, continuous flow, division of labor, and reducing wasted effort.

Using interchangeable parts meant making the individual pieces of the car the same every time. That way any valve would fit any engine, any steering wheel would fit any chassis. … Once the machines were adjusted, a low-skilled laborer could operate them, replacing the skilled craftsperson who formerly made the parts by hand. To improve the flow of the work, it needed to be arranged so that as one task was finished, another began, with minimum time spent in set-up. Ford was inspired by the meat-packing houses of Chicago and a grain mill conveyor belt he had seen. If he brought the work to the workers, they spent less time moving about. Then he divided the labor by breaking the assembly of the Model T into 84 distinct steps. Each worker was trained to do just one of these steps. …

Ford put these principles into play gradually over five years, fine-tuning and testing as he went along. In 1913, they came together in the first moving assembly line ever used for large-scale manufacturing. Ford produced cars at a record-breaking rate. That meant he could lower the price and still make a good profit by selling more cars. …

Ford’s manufacturing principles were adopted by countless other industries. Henry Ford went beyond his 1907 goal of making cars affordable for all; he changed the habits of a nation, and shaped its very character.

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/databank/entries/dt13as.html

Discuss with your family what Henry Ford can teach us about setting goals. Some examples might include that he broke up what needed to happen into steps, he evaluated why he wasn’t having success and adjusted what he needed to do. Also note that his goal was not achieved instantly! It took him 5 years of fine-tuning. But because he set a goal, he changed the world.

From the Scriptures: Read or summarize Lehi’s Dream as found in 1 Nephi 8. For younger children, use the story aid illustrations provided in the materials section above. When you’re done reading the story, explain how the Tree of Life represents eternal life. Eternal life is our ultimate goal! It is also Heavenly Father’s goal for us! Read Moses 1:39. Heavenly father wants us to return to Him. What little steps do we need to take in order to make it to our big goal? (answers should include holding onto the rod – staying close to the doctrine of The Church and not getting distracted by flashy things or hard times – the building and the mists). Discuss how clinging to the rod doesn’t actually get us to the tree. we have to take step after step.

Further Discussion:

Read Keeping Life’s Demands in Balance. Discuss the steps listed in the talk: (1) Think out your life and your priorities. What is most important? (2) Set short-term goals that you can reach quickly. (3) Balance needs and wants. (4) Stay close to family (5) Study the scriptures (6) Plan time for sufficient rest, exercise and relaxation. (7) Family Home Evening (8) Pray often as individuals and as a family.

Talk about how to set SMART Goals. S = Specific (or Significant). M = Measurable (or Meaningful). A = Attainable (or Action-Oriented).R = Relevant (or Rewarding). T = Time-bound (or Trackable).   Also discuss the importance of prayer in setting goals. By taking the time to prepare, pray, and ponder about our goals, we are able to focus on what will be most beneficial for our family.

Recent Conference talks to consider in your discussion: Worthiness Is Not Flawlessness, by Bradley R. Wilcox; One Percent Better, By Michael A. Dunn; Becoming More in Christ: The Parable of The Slope, by Clark G. Gilbert

Challenge:

Remind your family about how we need to keep goals in our mind AND we need to work to achieve them. We need to cling tightly to the rod and to the things we know will bring us to our goals. Remind the family that they wrote down goals at the beginning of the lesson and ask them if they feel confident in taking the steps to reach their goals. Discuss any help they might need as a family. Challenge each member of your family to work on a small step of their goal that can be accomplished during the week so that they can report back next week.

Also, this ties in really well with the new youth program, so if you have any youth, this is a perfect time to reevaluate those youth goals!


Giving due credit: I used the object lesson given in Lesson 32 of The Latter-day Saint Woman: Basic Manual for Women, Part B for inspiration.

A Day in the Life, Educational, Life Lessons

Today’s Adventure Down a Rabbit Hole

Keira
close up of rabbit on field
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

So, there I was, minding my own business (aka cleaning the front room while my children are watching educational television -*cough,* Octonauts, *Cough*), and I overhear that the whale has a sunburn.

So, my curious brain decides to google if whales really can get sunburned.

Turns out they can.

Apparently they can get tanned, too! (Source)

But that’s not all!

black hippopotamus laying on ground during daytime
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Hippos don’t get sunburned because they secrete a red sticky substance that not only refracts the sun, it keeps bugs away. Beauty companies are studying hippos in order to mimic it in makeup. (Side note: when telling all of this fascinating info to my sister, she informed me that The Lion Guard lied! One of their episodes talks about hippos getting burned. Is that not the epitome of mom-to-modern-preschoolers life? Haha, not only are we discussing random facts we learned in one kid show, we are cross-examining it with another kid show. … Here’s where you ask us how much we let our kids watch and we tell you to mind your own kids, thank you very much).

Anyway, you should also know that domesticated pigs can get sunburned and heat stroke, but wild pigs don’t. The fur on a wild pig has been bred out of our domesticated breeds.

But wait, there’s more.

Elephants and rhinos can get burned. That’s why they hang out in the mud.

agriculture cows curious pasture
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

So, hippos nope, but elephants and rhinos, yes. (source)

And cows and newly-shorn-sheep can get burned, too! I asked my mom (dairyman’s daughter) if that was true and she said yes, and she has seen it personally. Lighter-colored cows turn pink when they’re sunburned! I know you were just dying to learn that.

Apparently, researchers are discovering the more plants with chlorophyll an animal eats, the more likely they are to burn (no good source but enough you can see a connection. my best one has since been taken down. Google it, though). But also some research in humans who take chlorophyll supplements have started to emerge). I guess I can see it… chlorophyll collects sun rays. Who knew the plants were getting revenge, amiright?

But that’s not all! Did you know that darker skinned people have a harder time converting sunlight into vitamin D (source)!?! This one kinda blows my mind because this pale-skinned northerner is not so great at having enough vitamin D whenever they take my labs. In fact, I have Seasonal Affective Disorder, so it’s kind of a big deal for me to get enough sunlight. But I checked other sources, and they all agree. The lighter the skin, the better the ability to convert sunlight into vitamin D. So, the ancestors that used to live near the equator had darker skin so they would not burn as easily, but they also get more sunlight, making that the necessity. And the ancestors that lived to the north were paler because they needed to absorb and convert the sun rays into vitamin D because the sun wasn’t as available to them. Bodies are awesome.

I don’t know if I really needed to learn all of that, but it’s fascinating, isn’t it? And now you know all that useless information, too! You are so much better informed, now! You’re welcome.

And, see? Octonauts are educational!

And my floor was clean for a whole 2 seconds while they were distracted, so… totally worth it.

Keira at searchforseven.com
Entrepreneur ramblings, Life Lessons

They say get out of my comfort zone…

Keira

I’ve been staring at a blank screen for about 17 minutes. I’m taking this entrepreneur class (That I didn’t sign up for. My husband thought it’d be a good idea. Of course, he doesn’t understand social anxiety. Or that I’m quite happy with not having a large business/following. Or that I don’t like being told what to do), and go figure, the first two assignments are to write  down our thoughts each day for the week (until the next class) and to… TALK to people.

I used to be really good at talking to people. Like, really good. I had lots of friends, knew things most people don’t often mention about themselves, and just clicked with anyone I came in contact with. But I’m not that way anymore. People scare me. I’ve told myself long enough that I don’t need people that I’ve definitely started believing it. When thrown in a social situation, I just feel awkward. I am pretty good at reading people, or at least I used to be, and honestly, the feedback I get when I do read them just confirms it. I’m awkward. Whether they’re really thinking that or I just need a paradigm switch, I’m not sure. But at any rate, attending the class is scary enough. But to add the requirement to talk to people is terrifying. I don’t wanna do it.

But I’m stubborn. And even though I was told I’d enjoy this class (He can’t make me enjoy it…) I’m still going. I’m still gonna do the assignments. Somehow. Maybe my attitude will miraculously change?

Another assignment is to go out on a limb and try to trade something small and of little value for something bigger and better. The group never mentioned names, but on doing a little digging, I know who to thank for this not-so-fun-for-an-anti-people-person assignment.

I don’t wanna. Like really. I don’t wanna! But in order to prove that I’m either gonna fail or succeed, I’ve gotta try. But it’s so dumb! I know that’s the wrong attitude, but I really don’t like gimmicks, and it’s soooo clearly a gimmick. I’m trying to decide if there’s a way I can do the experiment without actually leaving the house. Because not only do I not have the time to constantly drive into town (country girl, here), but I don’t have the sanity! But if I could do it all digital, would that count somehow? Mail is too slow. I only have a week. The problem with digital items is there’s no real way to actually trade. Someone could easily keep a copy of what is traded and trade up. And there’s so many copyright laws on digital stuff, so it’d all have to be original works. blah. Someone come do this part for me, k?

I think I might trade for skills. Like, it’s gotta be a service of some kind. I like that idea much better. I don’t know. And it’s late. So I’m gonna sleep on it. Night.