Purpose: To help each member of the family feel that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love and know each of us personally and that they have worth as children of God.
Possible scriptures: Matthew 18:11-13; Mark 10:13-16; John 3:16; John 13:1; John 15:9; Romans 5:8; Ephesians 3:19; 1 John 3:1; 1 Nephi 11:22; Alma 26:37; 3 Nephi 11:13-15; 3 Nephi 17:6-7, 11-2, 21-24 (remember to scroll down); Doctrine and Covenants 18:10, 15-16; Doctrine and Covenants 19:16-19; Doctrine and Covenants 138:2-4; Moses 1:39;
Possible Songs: How Great the Wisdom and the Love, hymn 195; ‘Tis Sweet to Sing the Matchless Love, hymn 176 or 177; God is Love, hymn 87; God Loved Us, So He Sent His Son, hymn 187; Our Savior’s Love, hymn 113; Where Love is, Children’s Songbook page 138; Because God Loves Me, Children’s Songbook page 234; My Heavenly Father Loves Me, Children’s Songbook page 228 [my favorite choice]; God’s Love, Children’s Songbook page 97; I Feel My Savior’s Love, Children’s Songbook page 74; Jesus Is Our Loving Friend, Children’s Songbook page 58.
Possible Materials: A crisp dollar bill and a simple puzzle. the pictures from the “Young Readers,” version of the parables of the lost.
Preparation: Begin with prayer. Read the suggested scriptures, as well as some of the additional talks listed below, as directed by the spirit. Ask yourself if you believe that God really loves you. How do you know? Is there anything keeping you from believing He loves you and from knowing of your own worth? Read through the lesson, including the entire talk by Elder Groberg, any links, and carefully select the most relevant material for your family. Children: Ask a grownup to help you get a crisp dollar bill. Watch these videos about lost things (1, 2, 3… or for littlest lesson helpers, you may watch the young reader version). Ask a grownup to help you print the pictures from the young reader version. Then go get a puzzle and hide a piece in your pocket right before the lesson.
Lesson:
Discuss how last week’s challenge went.
Introduction: Take a crisp dollar bill (doesn’t have to be a dollar, but dollars are easier to come by and hold onto…). Ask the family what it is. How much is it worth? Now wrinkle it up, crumple it, stomp on it a few times, and get it looking pretty haggard. Ask the family how much it’s worth now? Did the value change? Ask your family to think about the lesson about being a child of God. If we are Heavenly Father’s Children, he must love us and think we are valuable like this dollar bill. We have value no matter what we look like or what we have been through (if you have a smart-alecky family member who points out that if you rip the dollar or shred the dollar, it’s worthless, point out how you can tape that dollar back together and a bank will still trade it in).
Now get a simple puzzle out and have your family put the puzzle together, but have one piece hidden in your pocket. Encourage the natural reactions that come with a missing piece. Ask if the puzzle is complete. Tell your family you used all the pieces that were there, isn’t that enough? Talk about how just as a puzzle isn’t complete and that missing piece is glaringly obvious, so it is with us. That puzzle is like our family and our church and our earthly life. We are as important to the gospel and to Heavenly Father as a single puzzle piece is to a puzzle. God loves us and knows if we are “missing.”
From the Scriptures: Tell your family that Jesus liked to use stories to teach things he thought were important. Have your family read Luke 15:4-32. For younger families, hold up the pictures from this “young readers,” version. Ask your family how they feel when they lose something. How are we lost like the lost things? How will Heavenly Father feel when we are “found?”
Heavenly Father loves us and wants us to return to Him. He knows each one of us personally.
From Church History: President Monson’s entire time serving the Lord was out of love for his brothers and sisters. His desire to serve those around him was instilled from childhood by parents that loved others. As a family, watch any of the videos about President Monson’s love from the Prophets of the Restoration section, including his testimony. Emphasize that God knew the people President Monson served. President Monson knew God loves us. How did knowing of God’s love change President Monson’s focus?
From World History: [okay, this is still technically church history. I’m taking liberties since they made a movie about this story. And technically it’s not really that distant of history, since he’s still alive. But hearing his testimony in his own words is just too powerful an opportunity to miss!] Hold up a picture of John H. Groberg. Tell your family that he served his mission to Tonga and you’d like to share some of his words about his mission. Have your family read about Elder Groberg’s experiences in Tonga. Elder Groberg thought he had a testimony of Heavenly Father’s love before, but when he needed more strength, God gave him more love. Ask your family to share their thoughts about the story.
Further Discussion:
Elder Uchtdorf has given many talks about how Heavenly Father loves us. Why do you think he feels this message is so important? Have your family read the talk, “You Matter to Him,” and then watch the video, “Our True Identity.” Ask your family how they feel hearing those messages. The feeling of love and peace come from Heavenly Father.
Recent Conference talks to consider in your discussion: Trust Again, by Elder Gerrit W Gong; Hold Up Your Light, by Marcus B. Nash; “Lovest Thou Me More Than These?” by President M. Russell Ballard; The Things of My soul, by Elder Ronald A Rasband; Addressing Mental Health, by Erich W. Kopischke; God’s Love: The Most Joyous to the Soul, by Sister Susan H. Porter; The Love of God, but Elder D. Todd Christofferson; The Greatest Possession, but Elder Jeffrey R. Holland; God Loves His Children, by Taniela B. Wakolo; What We Are Learning and Will Never Forget, by President Russell M. Nelson; What Has Our Savior Done for Us?, By Elder Dallin H. Oaks; Bless in His Name, by Elder Henry B. Eyeing; This Is Our Time!, By Elder S. Gifford Nielsen; God Among Us, by Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf.
Challenge:
Encourage each member of the family to take better care of themselves and others this week by remembering that each person is important. Have the older kids write down any negative thoughts they had about themselves each day and how those thoughts were not in line with what they know about their divinity. Invite them to tear those papers up as a mental reminder that those thoughts are not true. Heavenly Father sends positive reinforcements and ways to improve, but never negative or demeaning thoughts.
Giving due credit: as usual, I read and learned from the Behold Your Little Ones lessons 4 and 5; Sunbeams Manual Lessons 6 and 34; I also read through the Family Home Evening Resource manual section entitled “Unconditional Love.” Really, most of the direction of this lesson came from the many many talks and articles I read on the topic of God’s love for us. Some of my favorites were: The Lord Has Not Forgotten You, by Linda S. Reeves; Where Is the Pavillion?, by Elder Henry B. Eyering; Sugar Beets and the Worth of a Soul, by President Thomas S. Monson; Our Divinely Based Worth, by Barbara Day Lockhart; The Worth of Eddie Porter, by Ray Goldrup.
