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FHE

America the Beautiful FHE

Keira

Purpose: To celebrate as a family and to rejoice in our country as a whole and in the flag and our liberties.

**although I highly doubt that my blog will ever reach international acclaim, I understand that if someone that is not from the USA were to have a desire to follow my FHE lessons, they won’t need a lesson specifically dealing with American Pride. You can chose to focus on the title of liberty, or you can replace this (and probably the previous 2) lesson(s). I wasn’t overly concerned about making this a world-wide thing since it’s meant mostly for my family. If you’d ever like me to change that, I’d welcome some feedback or an email or something. **


Possible scriptures: Proverbs 24:21; Isaiah 2:4; Isaiah 61:1; Matthew 24:6-7; John 8:32; 1 Timothy 2:1-2; 2 Corinthians 3:17; Galatians 5:1; 2 Nephi 2:27; 2 Nephi 10:11; Mosiah 5:8; Mosiah 29:16-17; Mosiah 29:26; Mosiah 29:32 (obviously the whole chapter is good); Alma 58:40; Alma 61:14-15; Ether 8:25-26; Doctrine and Covenants 58:22; Doctrine and Covenants 88:86; Doctrine and Covenants 98:5; Doctrine and Covenants 98:10;

Possible Songs: America the Beautiful, Hymn 338; My Country Tis of Thee, Hymn 339; Battle Hymn of the Republic, Hymn 60; The Star Spangled Banner, Hymn 340; Love One Another, Hymn 308; God of Our Fathers, Known of Old, Hymn 80; My Country, Children’s Songbook page 224; My Flag, My Flag, Children’s Songbook page 225. ** Or any national song for your own country** For the US, you may consider God Bless America, You’re a Grand Old Flag, and This Land is Your Land. I feel like there are plenty that fit here that are just as classic but these 3 seem to be the most colloquially accepted.

Possible Materials: An American Flag, a picture of Betsy Ross, and a picture of Moroni with the Title of Liberty (or the scripture figure of him and his flag).


Preparation: Begin with prayer. Read the suggested scriptures, this account of Betsy Ross and the Flag and Alma 43-49 (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 this video about Betsy Ross and this one about Captain Moroni.

Lesson:

Discuss how last week’s challenge went.

Introduction: Hold up an American flag and ask your family what it is. Ask them if they know anything about it. For younger kids, help them count the stripes. You could count the stars, too, but that will take quite a bit of time! Discuss symbolism as much as your family is able to do so.

  • 13: there were originally 13 colonies that fought against Great Britain.
  • stripes: Rays of sunshine
  • red: Valor and bravery
  • white: Purity and innocence
  • stars: aspirations of all humankind – getting to heaven; also, it’s a new constellation!
  • 50: the number of states now in the United States.
  • blue: perseverance and justice.
  • (Source)

Then talk about the rules of the flag (PLEASE! This Air Force Brat is begging you!!!).

  • Don’t let the flag touch the ground.
  • The flag should always be lit, whether by sunlight or another light source.
  • The flag should always be in good repair.
  • Never put any other symbol on top of the flag.
  • Never ever display the flag upside down. If you do, prepare to either be saved or destroyed by a veteran. An upside down flag is a sign of distress. It means something to a vet, and not some showy political statement.
  • Always keep flags in predominant places, higher than other flags, and in the center of other flags.
  • When walking with a flag, it should be placed on a pole and allowed to wave.
  • When a flag is passing in a procession, when it is raised or lowered, or when it is displayed during the national anthem, stand, remove your hat, and place your hand on your heart to show respect. What you’re respecting is the sacrifice of men and women who served you. Some of those men and women died for you. They died for that flag and all it means. We can thank them by simply standing and placing our hand on our hearts.
  • It doesn’t matter if the flag is displayed horizontally or vertically, the union (stars) should always be on the top left (aka the flag’s right) side. It may not seem like an important distinction, but to a vet, it brings memories of their fellow soldiers that they helped bury. On a casket, the union is on top and over the left shoulder. To a vet it’s a symbol of life vs death.
  • There is a specific way to fold the flag. It has so much more symbolism than I can cover here, but as an Air Force brat, that triangle means a lot! That triangle brings images of mourning loved ones and what it really costs to be a Veteran.


From World History: Hold up a picture of Betsy Ross. Ask your family if they know who she is. What is she sewing in this picture? Tell your family that before America became the United States, it was under the rule of King George III in Great Britain. The colonies did not like the way that King George was treating all the people moving across the ocean to live in America. They were not happy that they were not being listened to and how expensive King George was making everything with his taxes. They also came to America for freedom and religious beliefs, so they didn’t like having to report to someone that had no idea what went on. The people decided to fight against King George. This fight was called the Revolution. The Revolution was the start of America! At one point, Britain was thinking that the people in America were getting ready to give in because the flag looked like their own flag. In 1776, George Washington, the leader of the revolution, decided that the colonists needed their own flag. Flags are a good way to say how you feel without words! He asked his church friend to make one for him. She had lost her husband to the revolution, and she was good at sewing and at making furniture. She beat the odds and we are grateful to her for helping design the flag.

From the Scriptures: Tell your family that there is another story about flags having a meaning. Hold up a picture of Captain Moroni (or the scripture figure of Moroni and his flag). Read Alma 48:11-13 and Alma 60:36. What kind of guy was Captain Moroni? Point out the flag in the picture. Tell your family that Captain Moroni was sad because some people were trying to control the Nephites. They were trying to take away the liberty of the Nephites. Liberty means freedom and agency. He made a flag from his own coat because he wanted to show his people his message. He called his flag “The Title of Liberty.” Have someone read Alma 46:12-13. What did Moroni write on his flag? Why was it important? It gave the Nephites something to remember, something to protect, and something to come together.

Further Discussion:

Read Alma 46:23-24. What is the symbolism behind using his coat for the Title of Liberty? Now read Genesis 37:31-36. What does Captain Moroni make the connection toward? It is interesting how many symbolic uses one single coat can have! It was a sign of mourning what was lost when Israel tore his own. The scrap of the coat of many colors represented that not all of the house of Israel would be destroyed. It was a sign of favor and blessings (see Genesis vs 3). And it was lost as Joseph lost his freedom.

Read Alma 46:13. Why are we given a specific list of the armor that Captain Moroni wore? Now read Ephesians 6:11-18. As a family, discuss what each piece of armor that Captain Moroni wore would symbolize and how that particular concept would/could help him in his declarations and protections of freedom.

Recent Conference talks to consider in your discussion: Embrace the Future with Faith, by Russell M. Nelson;  Divine Love in the Father’s Plan, by Dallin H Oaks; Following Jesus: Being a Peacemaker, by Neil L Andersen; Defending our Divinely Inspired Constitution, by Dallin H Oaks; Love Your Enemies, by Dallin H Oaks.

Challenge:

Here is a coloring page of Moroni praying and holding the Title of Liberty for younger families.

The Challenge this week is to remember the importance of the flag while you celebrate the 4th of July this week. If you see a flag, show it respect. And if you see a veteran, tell him thank you. Because of his sacrifice, you have freedom of religion, peace, and families.


Giving due credit: as usual, I read and learned from the Primary 4 Lesson 26, and the Family Home Evening Resource Manual on Citizenship, and Gospel Topics from Gospel Library on Citizenship and War. Also, I found this Bookofmormoncentral article that was worth the read: What Are the “Just and Holy Principles” of the US Constitution? And a Church News article on Citizenship and Conscience that fits the last 3 lessons.

FHE

Obeying, Honoring and Sustaining the Law FHE

Keira

Purpose: as a special focus on the 12th Article of Faith, to learn with the family about respecting government, laws, and leaders, even if we disagree.


Possible scriptures: Samuel 12:14-15; Psalm 82:3-4; Proverbs 20:26; Proverbs 24:21; Proverbs 29:2; Proverbs 29:14; Ecclesiastes 10:20; Isaiah 32:1; Matthew 7:12; Romans 13:1; Ephesians 6:12; 1 Peter 2:13-17; Mosiah 29:16-17; Mosiah 29:26-27; Helaman 5:2; Helaman 7:5; Ether 8:22; Doctrine and Covenants 58:21-22; Doctrine and Covenants 88:34; Doctrine and Covenants 98:4-6; Doctrine and Covenants 101:77; Doctrine and covenants 109:54

Possible Songs: America the Beautiful, Hymn 338; My Country Tis of Thee, Hymn 339; Battle Hymn of the Republic, Hymn 60; The Star Spangled Banner, Hymn 340; Love One Another, Hymn 308; God of Our Fathers, Known of Old, Hymn 80; My Country, Children’s Songbook page 224; My Flag, My Flag, Children’s Songbook page 225. ** Or any national song for your own country** For the US, you may consider God Bless America, You’re a Grand Old Flag, and This Land is Your Land. I feel like there are plenty that fit here that are just as classic but these 3 seem to be the most colloquially accepted.

Possible Materials: a picture of someone conducting music and a stoplight. A picture of Christ talking to the Pharisees and a picture of a roman coin. a quarter. A picture of Martin Luther King, Jr.


Preparation: Begin with prayer. Read the suggested scriptures, Matthew 22:15-22, Luke 20:21-26, Matthew 17, all of Doctrine and Covenants 134, and the Revelations in Context chapter “Of Government and War.” Read through the lesson, including any links, and carefully select the most relevant material for your family. Children: I really really try to stay with Church-produced materials but for this lesson, I just feel that this video produced by the church is way over a child’s head. Therefore, I suggest these 2 videos for this lesson, but be warned that they are not specifically created by The Church. This video is about Christ talking about paying taxes, and this video is about Peter paying the temple tax.

Lesson:

Discuss how last week’s challenge went.

Introduction: Ask everyone in your family to think of their favorite song. Once everyone has a song in mind, have them sing it – at exactly the same time! After all the noise dies down, ask your family how well that worked. Did anyone feel heard? Could they hear or understand anyone else? Did the group song sound good?

Hold up a picture of someone conducting music. Ask your family if they know what this person is doing? Have they seen anyone leading the music in Sacrament Meeting? Why do they wave their arms while the music plays? Explain to your family that when we all look to the music leader, we know when to start singing and if there are any special things we need to know in the song. They help us know if we should sing quickly or slowly. If we watch them, we can all sing together! Have your family practice some of the time signatures by referring to either the back of the hymnbook or the conducting manual.

Now hold up a picture of a traffic light. Ask your family what the item in the picture is used for. Are there traffic rules we need to follow when we see this light? What does the red mean? And the Green? Why do we need rules while we are in a car? Explain to your family that following the rules is like following the music conductor. He or she tells us what we should be doing so we can all sing together and be heard and we can all make it safely to where we are going. When we follow the rules we all work together to make something beautiful and stay safe.

Have a member of the family read the 12th Article of Faith. If you discussed the Wentworth letters last week, remind your family about the origin of the Articles of Faith. Discuss words that your family may not know, for instance, “being subject to,” means we believe its okay to have someone set up rules that are fair for everyone and we should choose to follow those rules. Those people might be kings, presidents, or magistrates. Magistrates are judges. What does it mean to obey, honor and sustain? Obey means to follow commands or rules or laws. Honor is to recognize that they have authority and responsibility and to feel that the rules and leaders are valuable. Sustain means to do your part to help and support those laws and leaders.


From the Scriptures: Tell your family that Jesus followed the laws where he lived. Hold up this picture of Christ talking to the Pharisees. Read Matthew 22:15-22. Show the picture of a roman coin and quarter (or any coin from a country you identify with that has a leader on it). Ask who is on the Roman coin (Caesar). Who is on the quarter? Who was George Washington and why is he on our quarter? He was the first president, the first leader of our government! Jesus was saying we should obey our laws and pay the taxes that our government sets for us to pay. If you’re using a US coin, show the expression “IN GOD WE TRUST.” What else did Jesus say when the asked if we should pay taxes? Render “unto God the things that are God’s.” Jesus was saying to follow the laws of leaders *and* to follow Heavenly Father’s laws. One time, Peter was asked if Jesus was going to pay his taxes. Peter said yes and then went and talked to Jesus. Jesus said that since he was the Son of God and this money was meant for God’s house, he really didn’t need to pay this tax, but that he would keep the law. Read Matthew 17:27. Jesus told Peter to go fishing and inside the fish’s mouth he would find a coin to pay taxes for both him and Peter. Jesus paid his taxes.

From Church History: Ask your family if they know what the word, “citizen,” means. A citizen means a person who lives and does things with other people in the same area. Tell your family that being a good citizen means more than just obeying laws. It means doing all you can to make your community a great place to live. Read Mosiah 2:17. What can we do to be good citizens? Have someone read the following and ask what these scriptures teach us about being a good citizen:

Point out that a lot of the scriptures we just read come from Doctrine and Covenants 134. Section 134 was originally written as a “Declaration of Government and Law,” and was written so that everyone – both Saints and Missouri Citizens, as well as the government trying to decide if they’d stand up to their responsibility to help the saints – would know where the church stood on the issues of government. The church tried repeatedly to get the government to help them and it wouldn’t! Eventually the saints left the established United States and started their own settlement in Salt Lake City.

From World History: But what if there’s a law that you feel is wrong? Have your family read the 2-paragraph article from the December 2016 New Era. Now hold up a picture of Martin Luther King, Jr. Ask your family if they know who this man is. When Dr. King was alive, there was a law that said that people with dark skin couldn’t use the same things as people who had light colored skin. He didn’t believe that having different skin colors was a good way to decide if a person should be treated differently and wanted the rules to change. Sometimes people think it’s okay to be mean and violent to get a law to change, but Dr. King didn’t think that was the right way. He thought that violence was evil and against what Heavenly Father wanted his people to do. He taught others that the way to change a law was to politely and boldly discuss why it needed to be changed and to have conversations with people, even if those conversations were uncomfortable. He used his actions to show respect but to stand up for what he believed in. We can be like Martin Luther King, Jr and stand up for what we believe in in order to change laws we disagree with.

Further Discussion:

Recent Conference talks to consider in your discussion: Divine Love in the Father’s Plan, by Dallin H Oaks; Following Jesus: Being a Peacemaker, by Neil L Andersen; Defending our Divinely Inspired Constitution, by Dallin H Oaks; Love Your Enemies, by Dallin H Oaks.

Challenge:

For younger families, Here is a coloring picture to remind them of the lesson.

Have your family strive to memorize the 12th Article of Faith. If they’ve already memorized it, have them pick their favorite verse or part of a verse from Doctrine and covenants 134 and memorize it.


Giving due credit: as usual, I read and learned from the Primary 2 lesson 31, Gospel Principles Chapter 35, the Family Home Evening Resource Manual Lessons on Authority and Citizenship, and Gospel Topics from Gospel Library on Citizenship, and True to the Faith on Civil Government. As far as further reading and edification goes, I really liked this scholarly article on Civil Society and the Church.

FHE

The Right to Worship FHE

Keira

Purpose: as a special focus on the 11th article of faith, to learn with the family about the first amendment of the United States, and how our consciences are a divine gift from God that help us recognize His hand.


Possible scriptures: Psalm 95:6-7; John 17:3; Romans 14:12-13 (the whole chapter); 1 Corinthians 10:23-33 (or just 29 or 32); 2 Corinthians 4:6; Alma 21:22 Moroni 7:15-19; Doctrine and Covenants 84:45-47; Doctrine and Covenants 134:2-4 (the whole chapter is good);

Possible Songs: I Believe in Christ, Hymn 134; Praise God, From Whom All Blessings Flow, Hymn 242; Faith, Children’s Songbook page 96; The Eleventh Article of Faith, Children’s Songbook page 130; Book of Mormon Stories, Children’s Songbook page 118; children All Over the World, Children’s Songbook page 16; Jesus Said Love Everyone, Children’s Songbook page 61; I’ll Walk With You, Children’s Songbook page 140; Every Star is Different, Children’s Songbook page 142; We are Different, Children’s Songbook page 263

Possible Materials: Paper and coloring devices, a photograph of “Dad,” A picture of the persecutions of the early Saints


Preparation: Begin with prayer. Read the suggested scriptures, the Wentworth Letter (particularly the 11th Article of Faith), the first amendment of the constitution, and the Joseph Smith papers on Religious Freedom, Mosiah 26, 27:1-5 and Alma 1. Read through the lesson, including any links, and carefully select the most relevant material for your family. Children: Watch the video about Alma and Nehor. If you have access to the Scripture Scouts, listen to the part about the 11th Article of Faith.

Lesson:

Discuss how last week’s challenge went.

Introduction: (Disclaimer: this idea is inspired by the Scripture Scouts. If you don’t have them, check them out!) Hand each member of your family a piece of paper and ask them to draw a picture of “Dad” (it can be any person if you need to adapt this lesson, but “Dad,” is a good symbolic figurehead). When they are done, have them explain their picture and how they would describe him to someone who has never met or seen him before. Do people’s pictures look the same? Did everyone describe him the same way? What is similar? What is different? Next, hold up a photograph of “Dad.” Is it easier for someone who has never met him to know who he is after they’ve seen the photo instead of any of the drawings? All of these images are of “Dad,” right? Why are they so different? Why isn’t anyone’s picture exactly like one another? Explain to your family that we are all influenced by our own experiences and our own abilities.

Now, if “Dad,” is present, point to him. Isn’t knowing him in person better than seeing or having a picture? Even if he isn’t present, remind your family that we don’t have to rely on our pictures to know him, we can all know “Dad,” personally, but we will learn different things about him because of our different time spent with him. We will also have different ways of showing our love, even if we all love the same person. We will know some of the same things about him, but wont all have the same experiences all the time.

Draw the connection between, “Dad,” and Heavenly Father. There are lots of different ideas about Heavenly Father. We can’t decide if someone else’s idea of Heavenly Father is “wrong,” because we haven’t lived their experiences. Even throughout our lives, we will learn different things about Him, and our “pictures” of him, will get better as we learn more about Him. We want everyone to know Heavenly Father for themselves, because knowing Him is better than seeing a picture of Him.

Read Article of Faith 11 with your family. Explain to your family that “privilege,” means a gift from Heavenly Father. “Worship” means showing love to Heavenly Father. We worship when we pray, attend church, read the scriptures, or doing anything with love in our hearts for Heavenly Father. “Dictates of our own conscience,” means the things our conscience, or that quiet voice inside, tells us is right or wrong. Sometimes people in the church call it the light of Christ. That means that this Article of Faith means “We declare that Heavenly Father gave us the ability to love and honor and know Him in our own way. We feel that this ability is important and we will respect the way you choose to love and honor Him, too.”


From the Scriptures: Ask family members to read the following scriptures: Mosiah 26:1-12; Mosiah 27:1-5; Alma 1:17; Alma 1:21; Alma 30:7-11; What was it like in the time of the Judges? Were people happy? Were they nice to one another? Tell your family that Mosiah, the last king, had made it a law that people could believe according to their conscience, but that their beliefs couldn’t hurt anyone. Alma had only been Chief Judge for a short time when people began to fight about their beliefs. A man named Nehor was telling people that they didn’t need to believe in Heavenly Father. He had the right to say that. But then, when a man named Gideon told him he was wrong he killed Gideon. He killed Gideon for saying what he believed! Nehor was punished because killing was against the law. Why are people allowed to say what they want? Nehor did a lot of harm to the church! Should he have been allowed to say what he said? What would happen if we all had to say and believe the same things? Mosiah taught that it wouldn’t be fair if we all had to do things we didn’t believe in. He taught we need to be nice to one another even if we believe different things. Sometimes this feels unfair, because the believers of Heavenly Father get teased or hurt for their beliefs and know better than to tease or hurt back, but if you read Alma 1:28-31, we get to read the rest of the story! They had peace, even though they were being teased. They grew as a church. They took care of each other and those around them. When we stop focusing on what others say about us and just focus on how we are supposed to act and do our best, we will grow and be strong and it wont matter who tries to hurt us.

From Church History: Hold up a picture of persecution of early saints. Tell your family that people tried to hurt the early saints, too. They didn’t like that the members of the church believed that we should be good people because they didn’t want to be good people. For older families, read this section of the Wentworth Letter (where the 13 Articles of Faith were first published). For younger families, summarize by saying that people in Missouri burned down houses, covered people in sticky tar and lots of feathers, stole from and hurt or killed the members of the church. Even the government, which should have protected the people, made it hard for the saints to worship in peace! When Joseph Smith wrote that we claimed the privilege to worship according to our conscience, he meant it, and had experienced the opposition firsthand.

From World History: As a family, read the First Amendment to the Constitution. Ask your family if they know what the constitution is. If your family is young, explain that the constitution and its amendments are like Articles of Faith for the United States. It’s the ideas we believe for our country and the rules that we use to decide what is right or wrong. America had just fought to become its own country and one of the main reasons they wanted independence was a strong belief to follow one’s own conscience. We can and should feel grateful for the founders of America who wrote down this desire and made it a rule.

Further Discussion:

As a family, read some or all of the Joseph Smith papers of Religious Freedom. How did Joseph Smith feel about following his own conscience? Did he think only he had all the answers? How did his own search for truth shape his opinion of religious freedom? Does our belief allow for segregation and division?

Read Preserving Agency, Protecting Religious Freedom, by Robert D Hales. Discuss what Elder Hales claims are the 4 principles of religious freedom.

Recent Conference talks to consider in your discussion: To Heal the World, by Ronald A Rasband; Our Relationship with God, by D Todd Christofferson; But We Heeded them Not, by David A Bednar; The Need for a Church, by Dallin H Oaks; Becoming More in Christ: the Parable of the Slope, by Clark G Gilbert; Personal Peace for Challenging Times, by Quentin L Cook;

Challenge:

Challenge your family to memorize the 11th Article of Faith. If your family has already memorized this scripture, have them memorize the 1st Amendment of the constitution.


Giving due credit: as usual, I read and learned from Gospel Principles Chapter 8, and the Family Home Evening Resource Manual Lesson 8, lesson 24, and the “agency” heading, and Gospel Topics from Gospel Library on Conscience and Worship, and True to the Faith on Conscience and Worship. Other church materials I found helpful: The Articles of Faith and Joseph Smith, December 2013 Ensign; In Honor of the First Amendment, Church Newsroom, December 2016. I don’t often direct to other sources, but I also suggest reading King Men and Freedom of Speech by bookofmormonstudynotes.blog. It helped me put all my thoughts in one place while thinking about Nehor (and korihor, and amlici, and all of those that tried to disrupt for power).

FHE

Respect our Fathers FHE

Keira

Purpose: To celebrate our dads and spend time together in love for him.

**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 dad what his 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; Daddy’s Homecoming, Children’s Songbook page 210; Fathers, Children’s Songbook page 209; A Happy Family, Children’s Songbook page 198a; Quickly I’ll Obey, Children’s Songbook page 197b; When We’re Helping, 198b; My Dad, Children’s Songbook page 211; Love is Spoken Here, Children’s Songbook page 190; The Dearest Names, Children’s Songbook page 208

Possible Materials: Superdaddy rockets; Figures of Nephi and his family; A picture of George Washington.


Preparation: If you are the father and it is your time to teach, watch this video, and reflect on fatherhood and the things discussed in the video, then tell your wife or oldest child that they get to teach instead! Begin with prayer. If you are the son, watch this video (Daughters, watch this one) and contemplate how your relationship with your father is going. Does it need some work? Read the suggested scriptures, including. Read through the lesson, including any links, and carefully select the most relevant material for your family. Children: Watch the videos of Nephi and George Washington as a boy. Older family members might also enjoy learning about Joseph Fielding Smith and Joseph F. Smith. Then ask a grownup to help you get the Superdaddy rockets ready.

Lesson:

Discuss how last week’s challenge went.

Introduction: Tell your family that Father’s Day is coming up. To help us get ready for Father’s Day, lets play a game and learn more about him! Hand each family member a “Superdaddy Rocket.” If they are younger, have them pre-assembled. Older family members can make them themselves. Then hand everyone a straw and go to a place that is open enough for papers to be flying around. Show your family members how to put their straws into the rocket pockets and then how to blow on the bottom of the straw and shoot it. The person that shot their straw the furthest gets to ask Daddy a question! Some questions could be what his favorite color or food is, if he has a favorite story from the scriptures or his mission or history, and what he wanted to be when he grew up. The list is endless. Make sure everyone has fun and has a turn to ask Dad a question. When you are done with the rockets, ask your family how we can show respect for our fathers.


From the Scriptures: Hold up the figures of Nephi’s family. Ask your family who the figures are. What does the family know about them? Hold up the figure of Lehi. Tell your family that Lehi was a righteous man, he was a prophet. Heavenly Father gave him lots of instructions and Lehi obeyed. Lehi had 4 sons while he lived in Jerusalem and Heavenly Father told him to take his family and leave. 2 sons, named Laman and Lemuel, did not want to obey! They complained and argued. 1 son, named Nephi, wanted to do everything Heavenly Father told his father to do. He trusted his father to know what was right, and he asked Heavenly Father to know things for himself. He told Sam (the other brother) how he felt and what he learned, and Sam obeyed his father, as well. How do you think Lehi felt about his sons’ choices? We show our fathers respect when we do what they ask without complaining.

From World History: Hold up a picture of George Washington. Ask your family if they know who it is. Tell your family that there is a story about George Washington as a boy that we often tell to talk about telling the truth. It wasn’t a true story, but has become a legend (which means an old story we tell over and over again). The story says that when George Washington was a boy, he got a hatchet for a present and he was so excited to play with it and chop with it. His dad had a favorite tree. A Cherry tree! one day, George Washington was playing with his hatchet and he was not paying attention to what he was doing, and he was chopping things without thinking about it, and he chopped down his dad’s favorite tree! George’s dad was very sad! He asked everyone what had happened to his tree. George said, “I cannot tell a lie! I chopped it down.” His dad was sad about losing his tree, but he told George that he would have been even sadder if George had not told the truth. We can show respect to our fathers by telling them the truth, even if it is hard or we are afraid we will get into trouble.

From Church History: Now hold up a picture of Joseph Fielding Smith. Tell your family that Joseph Fielding Smith was the son of Joseph F. Smith, who was the son of Hyrum Smith (the brother of Joseph Smith). There would be a lot of pressure to be the son of a prophet! But Joseph Fielding Smith wanted to do all he could to be a good person. Have someone read the following from Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Fielding Smith:

When his father sent him a few dollars for necessities, he replied: “I shall be very careful of the means you send me. I do not spend anything unless I have a good reason for it.” He also told his father of his determination to learn and teach the gospel: “I am here to preach the gospel and I hope I will be able to do that well. … It is my desire to improve my mind and talents while I am here, that I may always be useful for something in life. … I want to be right on all things and nothing gives me more pleasure than to learn something about the gospel. My desire is to become acquainted with it and gain wisdom.”
President Joseph F. Smith wrote the following words of commendation in a letter to Elder Joseph Fielding Smith: “I like your spirit, I have faith in your integrity, and I have pleasure and satisfaction in you. I want you to cultivate wisdom and deliberate judgment and patience as well as the Holy Spirit and the love of God.”

The Life And Ministry of Joseph Fielding Smith, from Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph Fielding Smith

One way we can show respect to our fathers is to live a life in which they are proud of us; A life that we utilize the principles that they have tried to instill on us. Joseph Fielding Smith did that from his mission all the way through to the death of his father, where he acted as a secretary for his father on many occasions.

Further Discussion:

What are some attributes you see in your father that you hope to cultivate? Is there a skill that he has that you would like to develop? Talk about these ideas with him and talk about what it will take to grow them.

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

Challenge:

Make a special effort this week to do the things your father asks without complaining. Pay attention to his needs when he gets home and try to meet them. See if your relationship improves, and be prepared to report back to the family.


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).

FHE

I Have Feelings FHE

Keira

Purpose:


Possible scriptures: Psalm 35:9; Proverbs 3:13; Proverbs 16:20; Ecclesiastes 11:9; Matthew 25:40(31-46); John 13:17; John 16:33; 1 Corinthians 12:6; 1 Nephi 8:10; 2 Nephi 2:25-27 (or just vs 25); Mosiah 2:17; Mosiah 2:41; Alma 41:10; 4 Nephi 1:15-16; Mormon 9:14; Doctrine and Covenants 52:40;

Possible Songs: Count Your Blessings, Hymn 241; Improve the Shining Moments, Hymn 226; Let Us Oft Speak Kind Words, Hymn 243; Let us Oft Speak Kind Words, Hymn 232; Scatter Sunshine, Hymn 230; There is Sunshine in My Soul Today, Hymn 227; You Can Make the Pathway Bright, Hymn 228; Be Still, My Soul, Hymn 124; Oh, What Songs of the Heart, Hymn 286; If You’re Happy, Children’s Songbook page 266; Smiles, Children’s Songbook page 267a; When We’re Helping, Children’s Songbook page 198b; Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam, Children’s Songbook page 60; Happy Song, Children’s Songbook page 264;

Possible Materials: A pair of shoes for each family member.


Preparation: Begin with prayer. Read the suggested scriptures, 3 Nephi 12, and Matthew 5. Read through the lesson, including any links, and carefully select the most relevant material for your family. Children: Watch this video of the Sermon on the Mount, this video on Helen Keller. For especially young children, I love how Daniel Tiger talks about feelings. Ask a grownup to help you gather shoes.

Lesson:

Discuss how last week’s challenge went.

Introduction: Set out one pair of shoes for each family member. Ask whose shoes these are. Talk about the style and ask how you know whose shoes they are. Ask your family members to try to walk in someone else’s shoes. Try to walk the way that the family member walks. What observations can your family make? Ask your family if they have ever heard the expression, “walk a mile in someone’s shoes.” What does it mean? It means that we try to understand what the person might be thinking or why they choose to do something or behave some way.
When emotions are too strong, we can take a deep breath and calm down.


From Church History: Have your family read the following scriptures from the Doctrine and Covenants: 35:27; 38:15; 50:41; 61:36; 68:6; 78:18; 98:1-3; and 101:36. Why was this message so important for the early saints to hear that it was given so often? How is it helpful to remember to be calm and of good cheer? When we are scared, or nervous, or tired or frustrated, what can we do to change how we are feeling? One good way to help change the direction of our mood is to take a deep slow breath. Another way is to close your eyes and think of something happy. Sometimes we just need to think about why we are feeling a certain way.

From World History: Hold up a picture of Helen Keller. Tell your family that Helen got really sick as a baby. Her sickness left her blind and deaf! Because she couldn’t see people’s faces/expressions, or hear their voices or laughter or crying, she didn’t realize anyone had feelings. Ask your family how this would change how we would treat other people? Helen would often hit or shove to let other people know what she needed. She couldn’t speak or express herself. She didn’t know how to smile. We learn how to smile by seeing other people smiling, and Helen couldn’t see to learn. How would other people feel to be hit or shoved? How would Helen feel because she didn’t know how to express her needs? Are her feelings wrong or bad? No. But was she right to hit or push? Nope! Hurting someone else is not a good way to express your feelings. Feelings are always okay but how you behave with those feelings may or may not be. Why does Heavenly Father give us feelings?

From the Scriptures: Hold up the picture of Christ teaching on the Mount. Discuss the “Beatitudes,” as found in Matthew 5:3-12. What is talked about therein? Why does Christ focus so much on understanding the feelings of others? How might we be “blessed,” in these things?

Further Discussion:

Read this excerpt from Sister Bingham’s April 2022 talk. How can happiness be hollow? What is required for true happiness? Why?

Recent Conference talks to consider in your discussion: Fear Not: Believe Only!, By Jeffrey R Holland; Covenants with God Strengthen, Protect, and Prepare Us for Eternal Glory, by Jean B Bingham; Our Relationship with God, by D. Todd Christofferson; We Each Have a Story, by Gerrit W. Gong; The Power of Spiritual Momentum, by Russell M. Nelson;

Challenge:

Pay extra attention this week to how your words and actions affect others this week. Try to speak kindly and watch for those that may feel sad or discouraged. At next Family Home Evening, discuss what you’ve observed and how watching for others’ feelings has helped you better understand your own.


Giving due credit: as usual, I read and learned from the Sunbeams Manual Lesson 21 (Nursery Manual lesson 19),and Gospel Topics from Gospel Library on Happiness, .

FHE

Memorial Day Mini FHE Lesson

Keira

I don’t have memorial day as a regular lesson, it just didn’t seem as doctrinally necessary. And then the holiday came, and I felt the need for a quick lesson as we went about our family activities for the day. If your traditions involve visiting ancestor headstones at the cemetery, you may choose to do this lesson instead of the full regular lesson.

Before you head out to the cemetery, share with your family what the family tree looks like. You could sign into familysearch.org, or fill out this one from the Friend. Show that a family tree has a family, and then branches out into grandparents. Tell your family that the grandparents of the kids in the family are the mom and dad of the family parents. And then their parents are called grandparents. Point to any names you plan to see in the cemetery. Then list any other family members you plan to visit and how they are important to you. Ask any family member to share a story they know about any of the names.

Explain to your family that the people you are going to see were once alive, but when they died, their bodies separated from their spirits. Their spirits went to live with Heavenly Father and may visit us here on earth, though we wont see them. They can help give us guidance and protection. Their job is to help Heavenly Father with missionary work.

On your way to the cemetery, discuss proper etiquette and how to be quiet and respectful. Never walk on the East side of any headstone. Don’t use loud voices near other people visiting their loved ones. And don’t lean or sit on any headstones. Someone special and important is there and we need to respect their bodies.

While at the cemetery, look at the dates and ages. Compare dates to anything you know historically? Were they alive during a war? The Great Depression? Some other historical event? Were they a pioneer? Also, look for a symbol that if says they served in the military. If you’re there during Memorial Day, there will often be a flag showing their service. Remind your family how they are related to the individual. You may choose to leave flowers.

FHE

I Can Use My Body for Good FHE

Keira

Purpose: To celebrate with your family about all the amazing things our bodies can do! Heavenly Father gave us our bodies and we can use them for good.

***We understand and admire that all bodies are different. Heavenly Father is so gracious and amazing that each of us may have differences but we are all loved and worthy of respect. If something is a tender subject in this lesson, accommodations are appropriate. You may also skip this lesson if you feel it is what is best for your family.***


Possible scriptures: Proverbs 1:5; Proverbs 25:28; Matthew 5:16; Matthew 16:27; John 13:34; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; Philippians 4:13; 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12; Hebrews 12:12-13; James 1:19; James 2:14-17; 2 Nephi 9:31-32; 2 Nephi 26:33; Alma 1:30; 3 Nephi 17:7; Doctrine and Covenants 19:3; Doctrine and Covenants 38:24-27; Doctrine and Covenants 58:27;

Possible Songs: Do What is Right, Hymn 237; In Our Lovely Deseret, Hymn 307; A Smile is like Sunshine, Children’s Songbook page 267; Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes, Children’s Songbook page 275a; I Have Two Ears, Children’s Songbook page 269; My Heavenly Father Loves Me, Children’s Songbook page 228; My Two Little Eyes, Children’s Songbook 228; Hinges, Children’s Songbook page 277; Do As I’m Doing, Children’s Songbook page 276; A Song of Thanks, Children’s Songbook page 20a; Thanks to Our Fathers, Children’s Songbook page 20b; Fun to do, Children’s Songbook page 253; (seriously, there are sooo many songs in the children’s songbook! This list is not extensive)

Possible Materials: A mirror. This handout on using our hands at church. A picture of Christ appearing to the Nephites and a picture of Him Healing the sick. A picture of young David (I wish I could find one of him with his brothers, but I feel this is the closest). A picture of Spencer W. Kimball. A picture of Annie Oakley.


Preparation: Begin with prayer. Watch this video from President Nelson on our bodies. Ask yourself how you feel about your body. Are there negative thoughts that go through your mind about your body? Heavenly Father gave you a body to help you while here on Earth. It can do many great things. By thinking negatively about your body, you are thinking negatively about one of Heavenly Father’s best creations! Read the suggested scriptures, 3 Nephi 11:1-17. Read through the lesson, including any links, and carefully select the most relevant material for your family. Children: Watch both this and this video about Jesus appearing to the Nephites, this video about David as a boy. Have a grownup read these 2 accounts of Spencer W. Kimball milking cows (1, 2).

Lesson:

Discuss how last week’s challenge went.

Introduction: Read Doctrine and Covenants 42:42. Ask your family what it means to be idle. Why doesn’t Heavenly Father want us to be idle? Tell your family that coming to Earth and getting a body was part of the Plan of Salvation! With our bodies, we can learn to be more like Heavenly Father. If we are not using our bodies to progress, we are not taking advantage of the plan or becoming like Heavenly Father. Read Doctrine and Covenants 59:18-19. Heavenly Father wants us to use our bodies to enjoy the world around us. We can use our bodies to:

  • We can use our mouth and nose to taste and smell! Have your family stick out their tongue and look at the white dots on our tongues. Those dots are called taste buds! Because of taste buds, we can taste food. Sour, salty, sweet. We can tell if something is wet or cold. We can smell. What are some things we have smelled this week? Can our nose warn us of danger? Should we eat things we do not know are safe? Can our taste buds help us know the differences between some things that look the same? What about salt and sugar? We can also use our mouth to talk and to sing! Some voices sing high and some sing low. Ask your family: Can you sing high? Can you sing low?
  • We can use our eyes to see! We can read! We can find our way around our house! We can use our eyes to help our hands. Work is easier because we can see. We can also enjoy beautiful things and pretty colors. You can look for things that are lost! Hand the mirror around again and have the class look at their eyes. What do they see? Are all eyes the same color? Are our eyes always open? When do we close our eyes? Some people have eyes that do not see as well. They can have special dogs to help them see, or they walk with a cane that feels for bumps when they walk. They can read special books with raised bumps that make letters using Braille. Even though their bodies are different, they can do the same things, in a different way.
  • We can use our ears to hear! We can listen to instructions and know what to do. We can hear and enjoy music. We can know if something is close even if we cannot see, like an animal making animal sounds, or which person in our family is talking. We can be warned about danger with smoke detectors or horns honking. We can listen at church and during conference and learn and listen to stories about Jesus! Have your family look at their ears in the mirror. Tell your family that there is part of their ear that they cannot see. It is inside the holes. We need to be careful not to listen to too loud of sounds or to stick anything into our ears because we could really hurt them! Some people have ears that do not work well. Sometimes they can use a hearing aide. People that cannot hear well often cannot talk well, either, because we learn to talk from listening to those around us. They often use sign language to talk and understand others. There are lots of different languages, and sign language is one way we can talk and understand each other. Tell your family you are so glad that we can communicate with people even when our ears are different or we speak different languages.
  • We can use our hands for so many things! We can feel if something is soft or sticky. What other things can we feel? We can use our right hand to take the sacrament. We learn to crawl on our hands and knees when we are little. We learn to count by holding up our fingers. We can pick things up and hold things. We can wave to our friends or shake hands with others. We can clap and snap. Our hands can help us get ready for the day or play with our toys. We can bounce a ball or pet an animal. We can draw and write. We can even trace our hands! We can help others with our hands. When we are sick or need a blessing, a Priesthood holder can lay their hands on our heads and give us a blessing. Remind your family that we should never use our hands to hurt one another. You may wish to use this handout from the June 1991 to talk about using our hands at church. Explain that we need to help our hands do the right thing. Some people are born without hands! Often they learn to use their feet to help them. Our bodies are great at learning how to help us, even if we need to learn things differently.
  • We can use our feet to walk and to run. We can play sports and dance. Our toes can tap and keep the beat. We can stomp and climb. We can stand on tiptoes to reach taller. What are some other ways we can use our feet? Compare feet among your family. Are some feet bigger? Does everyone have the same shape of toes? Tell your family that some people cannot feel their feet or their legs. Some people are born without or lose their feet and/or legs. These people often use wheelchairs to help them move around. They even have cars that put all the pedals by their hands so they can drive.

All of our bodies are amazing, and they are all different. Would it be a good thing if all of our bodies looked the same? What if we all sounded the same? What if our bodies were all good at the exact same thing? We would miss out on many amazing things if we weren’t different. And it would be harder to tell each other apart.


From the Scriptures: Hold up the picture of Christ coming to the Nephites. Tell your family that after Jesus died, he came to visit the Nephites. There were lots of natural disasters and the people were all trying to recover. They were scared and unsure, but Jesus comforted them. He spoke peace and he let them all touch his body, one by one. Read 3 Nephi 11:1-17 and make note of how the Nephites used their bodies to learn and understand more about Christ. First they heard with their ears. Then they saw with their eyes. Then they came closer on their feet. And then they touched his wounds with their hands. While He was there, He taught them many things. Hold up the picture of Jesus healing the Nephites. Tell your family that Jesus then asked for all the sick to be brought to him. Read 3 Nephi 17:6-10. After he healed the sick, all were in awe of his love for them. After he blessed the sick, he met with all the children. Jesus cared for and healed everyone. He didn’t only see people with flawless skin. He didn’t see people who were in perfect health. In fact, he did just the opposite. He asked to see the sick and the hurt and the blind and the different.

From the Scriptures: Read 1 Peter 3:3-4. Ask your family what they think this scripture means. Hold up the picture of David. Ask your family if they know who this is. Tell your family that Samuel the prophet was looking for someone specific the Lord wanted. He was looking for a new king! Samuel was told to go to the house of Jesse and meet with Jesse’s sons. He met with all the older boys and none felt right. He asked Jesse if there were any other sons. Jesse told him that his youngest son was caring for the sheep, but that he was just little. Samuel asked to meet with him. God told Samuel that David was the person he was sent to find! Read 1 Samuel 16:7. Ask your family what Heavenly Father cares about? Does he expect us to all be big and strong? Can we only serve the Lord if we have muscles or good looks? He reminded Samuel that how we look on the outside is not as important as what is inside.

From World History: Hold up a picture of Annie Oakley. Tell your family that Annie Oakley, whose real name was Phoebe Ann Moses, was born at a time when women were only supposed to look good and be quiet. Her father died when Annie was just a child, and her mother was a hard worker but since women didn’t make much money, she struggled to care for her children. Annie learned how to hunt and trap and sold the meat to local stores. She helped her mom make enough money. Annie was so good at shooting it caught attention! Shooting was not something women usually did. But Annie was proud of her body and her skills. She was also proud of who she was. Annie used her body for good by helping her mother.

From Church History: Spencer W. Kimball understood that he needed to use his body for good while he focused on what was inside. Hold up a picture of Spencer W. Kimball and tell your family that when he was a boy, he spent lots of hours doing chores for his family. His job was milking the cows. He decided to use his time milking to memorize scriptures and sing hymns. He also practiced his aim to squirt milk right into the kitties’ mouths. He learned and worked hard! He learned to enjoy work and always enjoyed learning. He was our 12th president of the Church.

Further Discussion:

Read about the Kite sisters and then read their article in the New Era. I’ve loved their perspective on body image. It has shaped who I am as a person. Ask your family if it changes their perspective at all. Then read Our Sacred Bodies and Rethinking Beauty from the August 2019 Ensign (this whole issue is filled with positive body image articles).

Recent Conference talks to consider in your discussion: But We Headed Them Not, by David A Bednar; We Are The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, by Reyna I. Aburto; Your Divine Nature and Eternal Destiny, by Dale G Renlund; Christ Heals That Which Is Broken, by Amy A. Wright; Teaching Self Reliance to Children and Youth, by Hugo E. Martinez; Divine Love in the Father’s Plan, by Dallin H. Oaks; Our Heartfelt All, by Dieter F. Uchtdorf; Hope in Christ, by M Russell Ballard; Room in the Inn, by Gerrit W. Gong; Come and Belong, by Dieter F. Uchtdorf.

Challenge:

Challenge your family to listen to how they talk about their bodies this week. Ask them to only speak of their bodies with gratitude and reverence because Heavenly Father gave it to them. At next Family Home Evening, ask if anyone would like to talk about the blessings that came from changing how they talked and thought about their body.


Giving due credit: as usual, I read and learned from the Sunbeams Manual Lessons 17, 18, 19, 20, Gospel Principles Chapter 34, and the Family Home Evening Resource Manual mini-lessons on Listening, Work, and self-control, and Gospel Topics from Gospel Library on Diversity and Unity and Consecration.

FHE

I Can Care for My Body FHE

Keira

Purpose: Talking with your family about all the ways we care for our bodies. Our bodies are gifts from Heavenly Father and caring for for them shows we are grateful.

***We understand and admire that all bodies are different. Heavenly Father is so gracious and amazing that each of us may have differences but we are all loved and worthy of respect. If something is a tender subject in this lesson, accommodations are appropriate. You may also skip this lesson if you feel it is what is best for your family.***


Possible scriptures: Proverbs 20:1; Isaiah 5:11-12; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; 1 Corinthians 3:16-17; Hebrews 12:12-13; 2 Nephi 2:27; Helaman 3:35; Doctrine and Covenants 29:35; Doctrine and Covenants 49:18-19 (but maybe tie in the Word of Wisdom use of “Sparingly”); Doctrine and Covenants 59:16-20; Doctrine and Covenants 136:24;

Possible Songs: In Our Lovely Deseret, Hymn 307; For Health and Strength, Children’s Songbook page 21; The Lord Gave Me a Temple, Children’s Songbook page 153; The Word of Wisdom, Children’s Songbook page 154; Healthy, Wealthy and Wise, Children’s Songbook page 280; The Prophet Said to Plant a Garden, Children’s Songbook page 237;

Possible Materials: This puzzle of the body. The story figures for the Word of Wisdom (I wish they had included Emma. If you do, too, this is a similar enough set of figures to borrow her from). The picture of Daniel and his friends and the figures to go with the same story (I like this one better. It includes Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. But it requires coloring). A picture of Florence Nightingale.


Preparation: Begin with prayer. Read the suggested scriptures, along with Doctrine and Covenants 89 and Daniel 1. Read through the lesson, including any links, and carefully select the most relevant material for your family. Children: Watch this video on the 4 Hebrew boys keeping their belief and on receiving the Word of Wisdom. Also watch this video about Florence Nightingale.

Lesson:

Discuss how last week’s challenge went.

Introduction: Have your family stand up and sing Head, Shoulders, Knees, and toes. Ask them how we can touch our shoulders or our toes? Heavenly Father gave us bodies! He gave us bodies so that we could learn and progress. When we get gifts from Heavenly Father, we can show Him we are grateful by taking care of what He gave us. Tell your family that we will talk about ways we can care for our bodies by putting a puzzle together.

  • First, hold up the pair of pants. Read Genesis 3:21. Tell your family we can care for our bodies by wearing appropriate clothing. For little kids, talk about clothing appropriate for the weather. Clothing keeps us safe from the elements. It keeps dirt at bay, helps our body stay the correct temperature, and provides protection for our skin. If you have potty-training age children, talk about how underwear is better than diapers (any tie-in you can make, am I right?). For older children talk about how modesty is a protection, as well. We cannot prevent all evil, and we are not responsible for others’ thoughts, but we can do our part in protecting ourselves. Furthermore, Heavenly Father asks us to use moderation in our attire, avoiding trends and overly flashy clothing. Read Philippians 4:5. When we wear fancy clothing, we forget to treat our bodies as Heavenly Father intended: as instruments and not as objects or ornaments.
  • Next, hold up the torso. For younger family members, talk about how our stomach is in our torso and our stomach is where our food goes after we chew and swallow. All throughout history, we have been given rules about food to help us be healthy and strong. Read Deuteronomy 14:2-3 and Proverbs 23:20-21. Talk about which food is healthful and which food should be eaten in moderation. Are there any foods we should avoid? There are too many foods to make a complete list. Also remember to eat all types of foods (fruits, vegetables, grains, proteins), and that those foods are clean and safe. We are also asked to fast occasionally. Read Isaiah 58:6,8-9. In modern revelation, we are told to fast once a month. When we use our will over our physical appetites, we are reminding ourselves that we are in charge of our bodies. We should also remember to drink enough water.
  • Connect the mouth to the torso. Brushing and flossing teeth keeps our bodies healthy and strong. With good teeth, we can eat healthful foods. Furthermore, sick teeth make bodies sick.
  • Place one arm onto the torso. Have everyone flex their muscles and praise them for how strong they are! Ask the family how we get to be so strong? We exercise! We use our muscles. Heavenly Father wants us to use our bodies to become strong. There are many types of exercises; some help us improve flexibility, some help balance, and some give us more strength in our muscles and our organs. Read 1 Corinthians 9:24-27. We will be blessed by having a strong and healthy body. Having a strong body means having control over our bodies.
  • Now add the ears. Tell your family that sometimes our bodies need specific things. We need to listen to our body and know what it needs. Read Mosiah 4:27 and Doctrine and Covenants 10:4. Ask your family what it means to not run faster than you have strength. Sometimes we should listen to our bodies when they tell us to rest. Sometimes they need extra vitamins. Sometimes they need to see a doctor. If we listen to our bodies, they will help us know how to help them.
  • Add the eyes. Tell your family that Heavenly Father wants us to get adequate sleep. Read Doctrine and Covenants 88:124. Our bodies are soo blessed by sleep! It gives our bodies time to heal. It helps the chemistry of our bodies to regulate. It prevents diseases. Think about how you feel when you are tired. How can being well-rested help your day be better?
  • Add a foot. Sometimes we need to get extra help for our bodies. Sometime we need to take ourselves to a doctor! They can help us when we are sick and they can make sure we stay healthy by checking our heart and our ears and eyes.
  • Add the other foot and say that to take care of our bodies, we also have to run away from things that will trap us. These aren’t real traps, but they make us stuck like traps. These things are called addictions. Read 3 Nephi 18:15 and Jeremiah 5:26. Some addictions are bad for our bodies, like drugs or alcohol. Some are bad because they keep us stuck in our own thoughts. And some are bad because they keep us from doing the things we should be doing. They mess with our brain and thoughts and we do things we would never do just because our bodies are dependent on something and we can’t think of anything else. They take away our agency.
  • Place a hand on the arm. Tell your family that one way we can avoid the traps of addiction is to use our time wisely. We are making unhealthy choices when we sit in front of a TV all day. We aren’t exercising or using our body for good that way. How can we use our time wisely? How is that taking care of our bodies?
  • Add the second arm. Heavenly Father has asked us to not mark our bodies with tattoos or scars. Read Leviticus 19:28.
  • Now put the second hand on the other arm. Tell your family that we can control germs and avoid sicknesses by washing our hands. We can wash our whole bodies! When our bodies are clean, we are more comfortable. We avoid irritating our skin and making it itchy. When we are clean, it is easier to be happy. Read Doctrine and Covenants 42:40-41
  • Hold up the hair and ask your family how we care for our hair. Answers should including brushing, washing, and cutting it regularly. Why is caring for our hair important? Caring for our hair helps us be comfortable and not itchy. It keeps lice and other bugs away. Bushing our hair keeps it tidy. Read Luke 12:6-7. Heavenly Father is aware of us, even our hair! Our hair breaks and falls out sometimes, naturally. It doesn’t hurt when it falls out, and yet Heavenly Father loves us enough that he cares for something as little as the hairs on our head. He asks us to keep our hair clean and tidy so that we can show modesty and love for ourselves.
  • Finally, put on the hat. How is the sun good for us? It provides vitamins that keep us feeling happy and healthy. The sun is good for our bodies, but too much sun can cause sunburns and cancer. Talk to your family about protecting our skin from the sun. Remind them that we wear proper attire for the weather, and this includes protecting our body from the sun! Sometimes protecting our bodies from the weather means more than wearing the right clothing. It also means avoiding weather that is dangerous, wearing sunscreen, and seeking shade where necessary.
  • Ask your family if there are any other ways that they can think of to care for our bodies.


From Church History: Tell your family that when the saints lived in Kirtland, they started a school for men to learn more about Heavenly Father’s plan. It was called the School of the Prophets. Hold up the figures of the men learning from Joseph. These men didn’t know as much about their bodies as we know. They had some bad habits. Some of them smoked and some of them chewed tobacco. They made the room stinky and dirty after they left. Emma complained about the mess. This made Joseph think about healthy habits and what we should do for our bodies, so he talked to Heavenly Father about it. Heavenly Father told Joseph that we should care for our bodies. Read Doctrine and Covenants 89:1-4. He gave us some rules to follow! Ask your family if they know any of those rules. Are they on our list of ways to care for our bodies? At the end of the revelation, Heavenly Father gives us a promise for keeping His Health rules. Read verses 18-21.

From the Scriptures: Hold up a picture of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Tell your family that there was a time that the Hebrews were captured by the Babylonians. They took all the smart and healthy boys to live in the palace to work for the king. Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were some of those boys. When they were there, the king told his guards to feed the boys plenty of food and drinks. Some of that food and drink was stuff that the Hebrews were commanded not to eat. When Daniel asked to have healthful food and not the food they were commanded to avoid, the guards were worried that the king would be mad. Daniel asked to test their diets for 10 days and see what happened, and the guards agreed! After the 10 days, the boys that had eaten the food like Heavenly Father commanded were healthier and stronger than those that had eaten all of the other stuff. Because Daniel followed what he knew was right, Heavenly Father blessed them. Would it have been easy to tell the king’s guard that you could not eat what he had brought you? The boys had decided long before they were ever captured that they would obey Heavenly Father’s rules. When we decide early to keep Heavenly Father’s rules, it is easier to tell someone no when they us to break those rules. Heavenly Father will help us keep our promises and we will be healthier and happier because of them!

From World History: Respecting our bodies is more than what we put inside them. It is also about remembering to keep our bodies clean! We know lots of ways to keep our bodies clean, but there was a time when people didn’t know as much as we did. Florence Nightingale lived during that time. Hold up a picture of her for your family. Tell your family that she wanted to grow up to be a nurse, but at the time that was not a good job for a wealthy lady! Hospitals were dirty and scary places. But Florence wanted to change that! She made all the people in the hospital wash their hands regularly, only used clean bandages and supplies, and washed the hospital often. She knew that people needed cleanliness in order to get better! Because of her, people stopped getting sicker when they came to a hospital. She changed the way that people thought about being clean. When we keep ourselves and the area in which we live clean and free from germs, we can improve our health and avoid sicknesses.

Further Discussion:

Read Gospel Principles chapter 29:The Lord’s Law of Health and Doctrine and Covenants 89. Talk in further detail about the Word of Wisdom and how it applies to our lives. Discuss what it means to be a principle with a promise. Furthermore, is everything that we need to avoid listed in the Word of Wisdom? Surely, as soon as Satan thought that we intended the list to be complete, he would create more evil in order to lead people astray.

Recent Conference talks to consider in your discussion: Teaching Self-Reliance to Children and Youth, by Hugo E. Martinez; Worthiness is not Flawlessness, by Bradley R. Wilcox; One Percent Better, by Michael A Dunn; Why the Covenant Path, by D Todd Christofferson; Giving Our Spirits Control over Our Bodies, by M. Russell Ballard; Principles and Promises, by Thomas S. Monson (clearly I had to go back a way to find enough talks).

Challenge:

Challenge your family to pick one aspect of caring for their body to improve. This can either be done on an individual or family basis. The Family Home Evening Resource manual lists a few activities for inspiration, including starting an exercise goal, creating a workout routine, and building an exercise space. Or, as the March 2012 Friend suggests, keep track of how much time you spend on various activities and evaluate your use of time. The June 2015 Friend has some outside activities to do, as well.


Giving due credit: as usual, I read and learned from the Sunbeams Manual Lesson 18, 20 (Nursery Manual lesson 10), Gospel Principles Chapters 20, 25 and 29, and the Family Home Evening Resource Manual Lesson 3 and the mini-lesson on the Word of Wisdom, and Gospel Topics from Gospel Library on Health, Modesty, Tattooing and Body Piercing. I also enjoyed the 2010 talk O That Cunning Plan of the Evil One, by Elder M. Russell Ballard. Also, did you know that the church has a whole site dedicated to provident living? This includes caring for our physical health.

FHE

Adversity FHE

Keira

Purpose: To prepare the family for trials, afflictions, or adversity. Help them understand that they cannot always choose whether they will go through hard times or not, but they can choose how they will respond, and that can make all the difference.


Possible scriptures: Matthew 25:23; John 9:2-3; Romans 8:16-17; Hebrews 4:16; James 5:11; 1 Peter 3:17; Mosiah 23:21-22; Alma 7:11-12; Alma 36:3; Ether 12:6; Doctrine and Covenants 14:7; Doctrine and Covenants 50:5; Doctrine and Covenants 58:2-4; Doctrine and Covenants 98:3; Doctrine and Covenants 126:31; Abraham 3:25;

Possible Songs: Come, Come Ye Saints, Hymn 30; How Firm of Foundation, Hymn 85; Be Still, My Soul, Hymn 124; Where Can I Turn for Peace?, Hymn 129; God Speed the Right, Hymn 106; Cast Thy Burden upon the Lord, Hymn 110; Count Your Blessings, Hymn 241; Does the Journey Seem Long?, Hymn 127; I Am Like a Star, Children’s Songbook page 163; Can a Little Child like Me?, Children’s Songbook page 9; Smiles, Children’s Songbook page 267b; If you’re Happy, Children’s Songbook page 266;

Possible Materials: a fresh carrot, a raw egg, and a boiled carrot and egg, along with a pan and some water. These figurines of Liberty Jail and this story to go with it, along with this photo of the jail; A picture of Job (I dug and dug and there just isn’t a better one); a picture of Franklin D Roosevelt.


Preparation: Begin with prayer. Watch this video called “Men’s Hearts Shall Fail Them.” How would you have responded in that situation? How do you respond to your own trials? Is there improvement necessary? There will be times when we are really struggling. Watch “Mountains to Climb” and look for ways to survive hard times and hold on to any faith that we have. Read the suggested scriptures, including Doctrine and Covenants chapter 121-122 (click the arrow on the right to access 122). Also familiarize yourself with the story of Job. Read through the lesson, including any links, and carefully select the most relevant material for your family. Children: Watch this video about Job (or this one. The stories have 2 different vibes. This one will raise less questioning) and this video about Joseph in Liberty Jail. Then have a grownup help you collect 1 fresh carrot, some boiled carrots, 1 fresh egg (be careful with it) and one hard-boiled egg.

Lesson:

Discuss how last week’s challenge went.

Introduction: Hold up the fresh carrot. talk about it with your family. Ask them to describe the carrot to you. What color is it? is it hard or soft? What happens if we cook this carrot? Place the carrot in a pot with some water and pretend to boil it with your family. Bring out the cooked carrot. Ask your family what has changed about the carrot? It is soft, now! Now bring out the egg. If you can do it without making a mess or spreading bacteria, crack it. Ask your family if the insides are hard or gooey soft? What happens if we place the egg in the boiling water? Place the boiled egg in the pot and pretend to boil it. Use tongs to remove your egg from the water (we know it’s not going to burn you but you might as well teach that we don’t stick our fingers into boiling pots, right?). Peel it and ask your family what happened to the inside of the boiled egg? How did it become hard? We used the same water to boil the carrot and the egg, and yet the carrot became soft and the egg became hard! Tell your family that in Alma, the Nephites and the Lamanites had had a long war and were exhausted. Then read Alma 62:41. Explain that just like the same water can harden or soften some foods, the same trial can make or hearts hard or soft. All the Lamanites and Nephites had been part of the same war, but some hardened their hearts and some softened their hearts. Ask your family what that means. We cannot always choose whether we go through hard times or not, but we can choose how we will respond!


From the Scriptures: Hold up the picture of Job. Tell your family that Job was a righteous and happy man. But one day he lost all of his animals, all 10 of his children, his house and everything he had and loved. He was sad but he did not stop being happy. Then he got sick! His friends told him that God must be mad at him and that he deserved to be mad at God! But Job would not be mad at God. Read Job 13:15, 18. He knew that no matter what happened, if he lived righteously, he would return to Heavenly Father. He had an “eternal perspective.” Read Job 19:25-27. Heavenly Father was proud of Job for keeping his integrity and his faith. He could have chosen to be mad and grumpy, but instead, he let Heavenly Father teach him. Heavenly Father blessed Job with even more than he had and Job was happy. Read Job 42:12.

From Church History: Hold up the picture of Liberty Jail. Tell your family that this is liberty Jail. Some angry people did not like the early members of the church. They thought that if they threw Joseph Smith and some other leaders of the church into jail, they could hurt the church and its members. Hold up the figure of Joseph and the other leaders in chains. Say that some guards were mean. They said mean things about the saints and about Joseph. The food was rotten and it made the leaders sick. It was cold and dark. Joseph was really sad. He was worried about the people he loved and about the church. He felt so alone! One night, he prayed to Heavenly Father and told Him how he felt. Read Doctrine and Covenants 121:1-6 (For younger families it may suffice to read verses 1-3 and explain that Joseph is saying, “Heavenly Father, where are you? Why are you hiding? Why are you letting people hurt us? How long will we need to be in this hard place?”). Heavenly Father called Joseph his son, and told him that he would get through his struggles quickly. He was told that if he “endured well,” meaning if he didn’t give in and stayed strong, he would be blessed and honored. Read verses 7-9. Did Heavenly Father really hide from Joseph? Was He mad or upset with Joseph for feeling lonely? Heavenly Father knows how we feel and he can help us, even when we feel alone. He can help us get through our hard times and can teach us how to be stronger.

From World History: Now hold up this picture of Franklin D. Roosevelt. Tell your family that Franklin Roosevelt was the 32nd President of the United States. When he was 39 years old, he went on vacation with his family. When it was dinnertime, Franklin didn’t feel well, so he went to bed. When he woke up, he couldn’t feel his legs. In fact, that vacation was the last time he would walk without help ever again. He was diagnosed with Polio. Polio rarely affects grown adults, but it changed Franklin’s life in a day! He had many political aspirations and didn’t think people would ever look at him the same again. He could have just mourned his fate and slipped out of history. For a time, he even considered it. Instead, he decided to work diligently to still reach his goals, even in spite of his setbacks. He ran for president at a time that the country was hurting – the Great Depression was a very devastating time for our country. He was victorious in his presidential campaign and sought to bring strength and stability back to our country. Some say that his Polio actually made him a better president: more capable of compassion, slower to make rash decisions, and exercising diligence in improving himself and his health every day. We can choose to overcome our adversity like President Roosevelt. We can choose to work toward a goal no matter what setbacks we may face.

Further Discussion:

Pass out paper and pencils. Read the 6th and 7th paragraph of Adversity in True to the Faith. Ask your family to think of the struggles in their own lives, writing them on the provided papers. They can share if they’d like to, but is more of a personal reflection question. Ask them to contemplate what the proper response to their adversity might be. Then read the 8th paragraph. List as a family the ways we trust the Lord that are given in the paragraph.

Recent Conference talks to consider in your discussion: Click here for a list of talks on adversity.

Challenge:

Remind your family about the eggs and carrots. Ask them to pay special attention to their attitude this week when things don’t go as they want. As they see themselves struggling to keep a positive attitude, have them write down their feelings and ask them to shift their focus to the Savior. Have any who are willing share their experiences next week.


Giving due credit: as usual, I read and learned from the Nursery Manual lesson 19, Gospel Principles Chapters 2 and 47, and the Family Home Evening Resource Manual Lesson 17 and lesson 34, and Gospel Topics from Gospel Library on Adversity. I also gained quite a bit of insight from Job: The Man and His Message, from the March 1982 Ensign.

FHE

Adam’s Choice FHE

Keira

Purpose: To teach the family about the importance of the Fall in Heavenly Father’s plan and how we are never too far from Heavenly Father that there isn’t a way back to Him.


Possible scriptures: Daniel 7:9-14; Romans 5:12-21; Galatians 6:7; 1 Corinthians 11:11; 1 Corinthians 15:20-22; Revelations 12:7-9; Revelations 22:12; 2 Nephi 9:6; 2 Nephi 10:23; Mosiah 3:19; Alma 41:3; Helaman 14:30-31; 3 Nephi 18:15; Moroni 7:16-17; Doctrine and Covenants 29:34-44; Doctrine and Covenants 107:54-56; Doctrine and Covenants 58:26-28; Doctrine and Covenants 130:20-21; Moses 1:34; Moses 6:33; Moses 6:48-68; Abraham 3:25-26

Possible Songs: Choose the Right, Hymn 239; Do What is Right, Hymn 237; Who’s on the Lord’s Side?, Hymn 260; Teach Me to Walk in the Light, Hymn 304 or Children’s Songbook page 177; Follow the Prophet, Children’s Songbook page 110; Dare to Do Right, Children’s Songbook page 158; Choose the Right Way, Children’s Songbook page 160; I Will Follow God’s Plan, Children’s Songbook page 164.

Possible Materials: the maze from this sharing time activity; scripture figures from the story of the Fall (the easy way is to just print out this one, but I don’t like it… I like to keep continuity and use the figures of Adam and Eve from the creation, then I use the trees from the story of the fall above, and then, because I feel it’s important to not forget Heavenly Father and Jesus in the story, I also print use the figures from the first vision); the first page of this article, a picture of Martin Harris.


Preparation: Begin with prayer. Read the suggested scriptures, along with Genesis 2-3 (click the arrow on the right of the text to read the next chapter), Moses 3-5:12, and Abraham 5, as well as 2 Nephi 2 and Doctrine and Covenants chapters 3 and 10. Read through the lesson, including any links, and carefully select the most relevant material for your family. Children: Watch this video on Adam and Eve and the video on the lost manuscript.

Lesson:

Discuss how last week’s challenge went.

Introduction: Ask your family what choices they’ve made today? Did they pick what they were going to wear? Did they choose how to spend their own free time? Did they choose to be obedient to their mom or dad? We make choices all the time and sometimes we don’t even think about them! Sometimes those choices are just what we like, but sometimes choices are important, and we must choose between right and wrong. How do we feel when we make bad choices? And good ones? Hold up the maze. Point to Jesus in the middle and remind your family that we will be happiest if we can return to Heavenly Father and Jesus again. Our choices will either bring us closer to or further from Jesus. Ask your family some choices we might make that will bring us closer to Him?


From the Scriptures: Hold up the figures of Adam and Eve. Ask your family who they are and what they remember about them. Tell your family that When Heavenly Father brought Adam and Eve to Earth, he placed them in a garden called Eden. It had lots of flowers and plenty of food and was very beautiful. Adam and Eve were married by Heavenly Father. They did not know the difference between good and bad. Heavenly Father told them that they could eat the fruit from any tree that they wanted, except 1 tree: the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Satan wanted to mess up Heavenly Father’s plan! He thought he was being clever. He used a snake to trick Eve by telling her that Heavenly Father lied to her and that she wouldn’t die. He also told her that eating the fruit would make her wise, and she would know good and evil like Heavenly Father. This was the only way that Adam and Eve could progress, and Eve began to understand that. When Eve chose to eat, Satan told her to go and get Adam to eat it, too. Then they heard Heavenly Father say that he was coming to the garden. Adam and Eve were scared and hid themselves. When Heavenly Father asked them why they had hidden from Him, he asked them if they ate the fruit. Adam had said that Eve had given him the fruit and Eve said that Satan tricked her. Heavenly Father told them that because they had eaten the fruit when he had told them not to, they had to leave the garden. This meant that they could no longer walk and talk with God! This is called Spiritual death. It is also called the Fall of Adam. They were kicked out of the garden and Heavenly Father placed a flaming sword in front of the Tree of life. He said that if they were to partake of the tree of Eternal life, they would be stuck in their sins and could never come back to Heavenly Father, but because Jesus volunteered to be our Savior, we could return to His presence through the Atonement. He asked Jesus to make clothes out of hide to symbolize the Atonement. Because of the Fall, Adam and Eve were given physical bodies – bodes that would eventually die. Because of the Atonement, we are given the chance to have Eternal Life and be resurrected. We would still be waiting to come to earth if Adam and Eve had never partaken of the fruit; in the garden, Adam and Eve could not have children. After the Fall, plants and animals grew wild and Adam and Eve had to work for their food. Because they had to work for it, they understood better what they had. Read Moses 5:10-12 with your family. Adam and Eve made a hard decision, but because they wanted to love Heavenly Father and return to Him, they could. This made them very happy.

From Church History: Hold up the picture of Martin Harris. Tell your family that this is Martin Harris. He was a good friend and a big help to Joseph Smith while he was trying to translate the Book of Mormon. There was a lot of pressure on Martin Harris and his family wasn’t always helpful. He asked Joseph if he could take the 116 pages that they had already translated home so that he could show his wife. Joseph asked Heavenly Father and Heavenly Father said no. Martin asked him to ask again, and Heavenly Father still said no. But Martin was really struggling, so he asked Joseph to ask one more time. This time Heavenly Father said yes. He was told to only show them to relatives. Martin Harris promised and he took the pages. But Martin did not keep his promise. Martin showed the pages to others, and he lost them. Joseph was sad! He prayed to Heavenly Father to know what to do. Heavenly Father told Joseph that there would be consequences for disobeying him, but that he had already taken care of it. After Joseph had taken time to repent, the work continued and he was able to translate the rest of the Book of Mormon, including a brief description of what was in the 116 pages. Martin used his agency to keep asking something when he already knew the answer. He used his agency to disobey God, but when he was sorry for his actions, Heavenly Father helped the problem. We are never too far in wrong decisions that Jesus and Heavenly Father can’t make it okay. We will still have consequences, but Jesus will help us.

Further Discussion:

Talk to your older family members that because of our agency, we have control over our future. There is no reason to stay stuck because of our circumstances. Ask them to inwardly reflect if there are any choices that are keeping them from where they want to be in the future and how they can begin to change those choices. Also ask if there are some choices that will be made in the future that will change their future. Like if they will chose to get married in the temple. Or live worthily to do so.

Read 2 Nephi 2:11-30 as a family. Talk about what it takes to make a choice. In order to make choices, knowledge is required. There must be options. Also, there must be the freedom to “choose for thyself (see Moses 3:17).”

Recent Conference talks to consider in your discussion: Your Divine Nature and Eternal Destiny, by Dale G Renlund; Following Jesus: Being a Peacemaker, by Neil L Andersen; Personal Peace in Challenging Times, by Quentin L Cook; Room in the Inn, by Gerrit W. Gong; Defending Our Divinely Inspired Constitution, by Dallin H Oaks; Deep in Our Heart, by Douglas D. Holmes

Challenge:

Read the 2nd Article of Faith to your family. Explain any words your family is unfamiliar with. Challenge them to memorize the 2nd Article of Faith. If they have already memorized it, memorize 2 Nephi 2:27 or 2 Nephi 10:23.


Giving due credit: as usual, I read and learned from the Sunbeams Manual Lesson 14, Gospel Principles Chapters 4 and 6, and the Family Home Evening Resource Manual Lesson 8 with the note on Agency, and Gospel Topics from Gospel Library on The Fall of Adam and Eve and on Agency. I also strongly suggest for anyone struggling with the concept of the Fall to read the talk by Elder Holland, entitled “Where Justice, Love, and Mercy Meet.”