Purpose: To remind our families that listening, obeying and respecting our mothers is really what they want on Mother’s day.
**Special note: we understand and appreciate that not all families are the same! God loves all families that are trying their best. We have spent our own time as “not the typical family,” and want you to know we love and support you! If you don’t want to do this lesson, feel free to pick another one! You know what you need! **
Possible scriptures: ask your mother what her favorite scripture is!
Possible Songs: Home Can Be a Heaven on Earth, Hymn 298; Love at Home, Hymn 294 or 318; Love One Another, Hymn 308, Children’s Songbook page 136; Families Can Be Together Forever, Children’s Songbook page 188; Mother, I Love You, Children’s Songbook page 207; I Often Go walking, Children’s Songbook page 202; A Happy Family, Children’s Songbook page 198a; Quickly I’ll Obey, Children’s Songbook page 197b; When We’re Helping, 198b; Dearest Mother, I Love You, Children’s Songbook page 206b; Mother Dear, page 206a; My Mother Dear, Children’s Songbook 203; Mother, Tell Me the Story, Children’s songbook page 204; The Dearest Names, Children’s Songbook page 208
Possible Materials: the poem from the May 2010 Friend; colored paper, a pencil, straws, and a jar or vase; A picture of the 2000 stripling warriors; maps of Germany and Czechoslovakia during WWII (see below); A picture of Abigail Adams.
Preparation: If you are the mother and it is your time to teach, watch this video, and then tell your husband or oldest child that they get to teach instead! Begin with prayer. If you are the father, watch this video and consider if there is a way you can set the example and tone for your family. Read the suggested scriptures, Alma 53-57 (use the arrow on the right to go to the next chapter). Read through the lesson, including any links, and carefully select the most relevant material for your family. Children: Watch the video of the 2000 stripling warriors (I really like this one for younger kids, but it doesn’t tell as much of the story), and these 2 stories (one, two) about Elder Uchtdorf’s family fleeing German control. Then gather colored paper, a pencil, straws, and a jar or vase for the lesson.
Lesson:
Discuss how last week’s challenge went.
Introduction: read the poem from the May 2010 Friend to your family. Then trace each family member’s hands and cut them out (help little ones!). Glue or tape them to a straw like a flower and place them in a jar or vase for your mother. You could consider making other flowers, as well, but for younger families, a handprint will be plenty!
From the Scriptures: Hold up the picture of the 2000 Stripling warriors. Ask your family if they know who these young men are. Tell them that when the people that had believed Ammon were baptized they decided to bury their weapons so they could show Heavenly Father that they were ready to keep his commandments. They moved to live closer to the Nephites. Then, the Nephites were being attacked and the people of Ammon (called Anti-Nephi-Lehites) felt bad that they could not help protect the people. They were ready to break their promise in order to keep their friends safe. The Nephites did not want them to break their promise! But then their young sons stood and said that they had not made the same promise as their parents and that they would help protect their parents and their friends, the Nephites. They were very valiant and fought bravely. Heavenly Father protected them. Read Alma 56:45-48. Tell your family that they honored their mothers by remembering Heavenly Father and His promises, like their mothers had taught them. We honor our mother by doing as she teaches us, too.
From Church History: Hold up a map of Europe during WWII (older families might find this video map cool, but it’s way too long for younger families. Otherwise this is a good one showing Czechoslovakia, and showing the difference between East and West Germany. Tell your family that Dieter F. Uchtdorf, one of our twelve Apostles used to live in Germany, and was a little child during the time of the war. He and his family had to flee to different countries 2 different times! Point to the map and show were Czechoslovakia is. Then point to West Germany, and again to East Germany. Elder Uchtdorf often reflects on his mother and how she handled these hard times. Read the beginning of the talk “The Infinite Power of Hope,” and think about how life would have been like for this family. If Elder Uchtdorf’s mother was still alive, how do you think she would appreciate the lessons that her son shares with us each and every conference. Knowing what we know about his family history makes his message of hope and guidance all the more potent. We can honor our mothers by knowing and sharing her stories.
From World History: Hold up a picture of Abigail Adams. Tell your family that Abigail Adams was an important figure in the Early United States. She was the wife of the second president and the mother of the 5th president. Upon her death, John Quincy Adams proclaimed (paraphrasing scripture) that he hoped he could live just as good of a life as she did in his diary. He said, “There is not a virtue that can abide in the female heart, but it was the ornament of hers.” He later became president of the united states. We can show love and respect to our mother by recognizing all she does for us!
Further Discussion:
What are some other ways we can honor our mother? Discuss this topic among your family.
Recent Conference talks to consider in your discussion: Click here for talks on motherhood.
Challenge:
Ask your mother to place the vase in a spot that the family can see it throughout the week and remember that the best gift they can give her isn’t a handprint, but to listen, obey, and love her.
Giving due credit: as usual, I read and learned from the Sunbeams Manual Lesson 23 (Nursery Manual lesson 11), Gospel Principles Chapter 37, and the Family Home Evening Resource Manual Lesson 17 and lesson 21 (though I kinda hated both of them… they’re way too preachy for me and reminded me of why I hated FHE as a kid).
