Every home is a house of learning, either for good or otherwise. Family members may learn to be obedient, honest, industrious, self-reliant, and faithful in living gospel principles, or they may learn something else. Learning the gospel in the homes of Church members should be centered on the scriptures and on the words of latter-day prophets.
The Lord has commanded parents to teach their children. King Benjamin instructed parents: “Ye will not suffer your children that they go hungry, or naked; neither will ye suffer that they transgress the laws of God, and fight and quarrel one with another, and serve the devil. …
“But ye will teach them to walk in the ways of truth and soberness; ye will teach them to love one another, and to serve one another.” (Mosiah 4:14–15.)
Emphasizing this duty, the Lord cautioned that if parents do not teach their children “to understand the doctrine of repentance, faith in Christ the Son of the living God, and of baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of the hands, … the sin be upon the heads of the parents.” (D&C 68:25.)
A personal word of counsel to parents: Teach your children to pray, to rely on the Lord for guidance, and to express appreciation for their blessings. Children learn from you to distinguish between right and wrong. They learn that lying, cheating, stealing, or coveting possessions of others is wrong. Help them to learn to keep the Sabbath day holy and to pay their tithing. Teach them to learn and obey the commandments of God. Teach your young children to work, and teach them that honest labor develops dignity and self-respect. Help them to find pleasure in work and to feel the satisfaction that comes from a job well done.
During the Easter season it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of coloring eggs, Easter bunnies and spring fun. But I hope that you take time to reflect on the real meaning of Easter, the life and atonement of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Take time to read the scriptures and the words of latter-day prophets about him and listen to music about him. Here is a moving presentation with photos and video depicting the Savior’s life.
Among other things my gospel study in March included the following:
2010 Outline for Sharing Time
March Theme (and weekly gospel principles): God speaks through prophets.
March Scripture: “He spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began” (Luke 1:70).
Ch. 5: The Creation Ch. 6: The Fall of Adam and Eve
General Conference Addresses, October 2009
Boyd K. Packer, “Prayer and Promptings,” Ensign, Nov 2009, 43–46 That sweet, quiet voice of inspiration comes more as a feeling than it does as a sound. Pure intelligence can be spoken into the mind. The Holy Ghost communicates with our spirits through the mind more than through the physical senses. This guidance comes as thoughts, as feelings through promptings and impressions. We may feel the words of spiritual communication more than hear them and see with spiritual rather than with mortal eyes.
You can know the things you need to know. Pray that you will learn to receive that inspiration and remain worthy to receive it. Keep that channel—your mind—clean and free from the clutter of the world.
Learn to pray. Pray often. Pray in your mind, in your heart. Pray on your knees. Prayer is your personal key to heaven. The lock is on your side of the veil. And I have learned to conclude all my prayers with “Thy will be done” (Matthew 6:10; see also Luke 11:2; 3 Nephi 13:10).
Do not expect to be free entirely from trouble and disappointment and pain and discouragement, for these are the things that we were sent to earth to endure.
May we all learn both of the important lessons taught by the shipbuilders from Norway who constructed the roof of the Manti Temple. First is the lesson of using the principles and truths of the past to help us face the future. Second, we learn from their desire to share what they knew with others to help build the kingdom of God. This second lesson, if we learn it well, will help many others of our brothers and sisters, fellow sons and daughters of God, face an uncertain future with the same eternal assurances we have.
Michael T. Ringwood, “An Easiness and Willingness to Believe,” Ensign, Nov 2009, 100–102 Indeed, the daily living of the gospel brings a softness of heart needed to have an easiness and willingness to believe the word of God. My testimony is that the teachings from our prophet and apostles in this conference, if followed, will lead to an easiness and willingness to believe in the word of God. We have been counseled to worship in the temple; to strengthen families through consistent family prayer, scripture study, and family home evening; to serve diligently in priesthood and Church callings; to pay tithes and offerings; to have faith and to pray for guidance; and to live worthy of the companionship of the Holy Ghost.
Thomas S. Monson, “Closing Remarks,” Ensign, Nov 2009, 109–10 We remind you that the messages we have heard during this conference will be printed in the November issues of the Ensign and Liahona magazines. As we read and study them, we will be additionally taught and inspired. May we incorporate into our daily lives the truths found therein.
Lesson Plan Fill 9 plastic Easter eggs each with one of the following items and scripture reference. Hide the eggs for the children to find. Open the eggs in order, read the scripture and discuss the item, then match to the appropriate Gospel Art Kit (GAK) picture. Simplified explanations of the events are included with each statement below.
Watch the following Mormon Message (An Apostle’s Easter Thoughts on Christ) by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland
1. a leaf–real or plastic (if it vaguely resembles a palm branch, all the better) “And many spread their garments in the way: and others cut down branches off the trees, and strawed them in the way. And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord” (Mark 11:8-9). (When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the people waved branches because that’s what people used to do when a king walked by.) GAK: 223
2. a piece of a tortilla, pita, or bread or white clay shaped to look like flat bread “And as they did eat, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake it, and gave to them, and said, Take, eat: this is my body” (Mark 14:22). (The next day, Jesus had another special meal with his friends. We call this The Last Supper. This is when the sacrament began, because Jesus said that people who followed Him should have bread and wine or water to help them remember Him.) GAK: 225
3. a picture of Jesus in the Garden “For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent; but if they would not repent they must suffer even as I; which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit”and would that I might not drink the bitter cup, and shrink”nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and finished my preparations unto the children of men”(D & C 19:16-19). ( Jesus went to a garden to pray. Here, he suffered for our sins. Because He did this for us, we can repent and live in heaven again.) GAK: 227
4. three dimes “And Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went unto the chief priests, to betray him unto them. And when they heard it, they were glad, and promised to give him money. And he sought how he might conveniently betray him” (Mark 14:10-11). (Judas was supposed to be one of Jesus special helpers, but instead he helped other men arrest Jesus. He did this because those men paid him money.) GAK: 228
5. a cross made out of wood, toothpicks, popsicle sticks, paper, or brown clay “And it was the third hour, and they crucified him” (Mark 15:25). (Jesus was crucified.) GAK: 230
6. a nail “Behold the wounds which pierced my side, and also the prints of the nails in my hands and feet; be faithful, keep my commandments, and ye shall inherit the kingdom of heaven. Amen” (D & C 6:37). (When the soldiers put Jesus on the cross, they pounded nails into His hands and feet.)
7. a little bundle (wrapped in fabric, a baggie, plastic wrap, etc.) of spices–cloves would be nice “And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him” (Mark 16:1). (After Jesus died, His friends put his body in a tomb. Later, some of the women who followed Him came to the tomb to put spices on His body. That was something they did back then when someone died.) GAK: 231
8. a stone–rounded would be best “And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre? And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great” (Mark 16:3-4). (The tomb had a rock that could roll over the opening to seal it. While the women were walking to the tomb, they wondered how they would get the stone out of the way.) GAK: 232
9. leave empty “And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him”(Mark 16:6). ( When they got to the tomb, they were amazed to find that the stone had been rolled out of the way and Jesus body was gone! Then an angel came and told them, “He is risen; he is not here”(Mark 16:6). This egg is empty because Jesus’s tomb was empty. Jesus’s tomb was empty because He was resurrected!)
We must recognize that the family is the cornerstone of civilization and that no nation will rise above the caliber of its homes. The family is the rock foundation of the Church. We therefore call on the head of every household to strengthen the family.
We believe marriage was ordained by God for a wise, eternal purpose. The family is the basis of the righteous life. Divinely prescribed roles of father, mother, and children were given from the very beginning.
God established that fathers are to preside in the home. Fathers are to provide, love, teach, and direct.
A mother’s role is also God-ordained. Mothers are to conceive, bear, nourish, love, and train. They are to be helpmates and are to counsel with their husbands.
There is no inequality between the sexes in God’s plan. It is a matter of division of responsibility.
Children are likewise counseled in holy writ in their duty to parents:
“Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.
“Honour thy father and mother; [which is the first commandment with promise;]
“That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth” (Eph. 6:1–3), said the Apostle Paul.
“Decide now to make general conference a priority in your life. Decide to listen carefully and follow the teachings that are given. Listen to or read the talks more than once to better understand and follow the counsel” (source).
One of the greatest blessings of being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is being able to hear living prophets and apostles speak. Our family has a tradition of watching all four sessions of General Conference at home, but we make use of a lot of activities to keep our children interested and occupied for the eight hours.
Fun with stickers: Remove the poster from the most recent conference Ensign. Hang it on the wall, and then the children get to put a sticker on the picture of whoever is speaking. A few years ago we had a lot of success teaching the Ant Bug the names of the Apostles by singing their last names to the tune of 10 Little Indians. Unfortunately, with the changes in the last few years the names don’t have quite the same flow. Here are a few other tune suggestions that you might like to try for Family Home Evening.
Here is a link to an LDS Bingo game. You could use this during conference sessions and have your children mark off the words as they hear them mentioned. We like to use M&Ms or skittles for game pieces.
Our activity packets for April 2010. Each child has her own folder, and then I have a general folder for the whole family with additional coloring pages and games and the apostle cards. Add in crayons, scissors and glue and we are ready to go!
Scripture of the Week: “And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies.” 2 Nephi 25:26
Lesson Plan The Ant Bug selected to teach Lesson 10 from this packet on Sugardoodle.net. We sang “Tell Me the Stories of Jesus” (CS, 57), then each of us shared a story about Jesus. We used the Gospel Art Kit as a visual aid to help tell the stories.
Note: This FHE was a day late, since I spent Monday evening with the Ant Bug at the after hours doctors office getting her treated for an ear infection. Sometimes you have to be a little flexible with FHE.
To be a good father and mother requires that the parents defer many of their own needs and desires in favor of the needs of their children. As a consequence of this sacrifice, conscientious parents develop a nobility of character and learn to put into practice the selfless truths taught by the Savior Himself.
Last month I mentioned that I have been working to build more positive relationships with my children. I want to be an intentional mother, and I’m striving to make sure that my children and my husband are my priority.
So our latest experiment has been scheduling weekly date nights. Date nights for the kids, as well as date nights for mom and dad. Here is a breakdown of how each type of date night is working for us.
Kid Date Nights Friday night is either date night or family fun night. The first week all four of us had a game night at home. We taught the girls how to play Uno (which they loved) and had a treat for dessert. The next week I had a date with the Sweet Bee out, while Dad had a date night with the Ant Bug at home. Each child got one-on-one time with a parent. Then the next week we had another family fun night with all four of us at home–this was the weekend of Valentine’s Day so we had some theme activities including this Valentine’s day scavenger hunt. The next week after that, I had a date night with the Ant Bug out, while Dad had a date night with the Sweet Bee at home. Are you seeing the pattern here?! Family fun all together one week, alternating with individual parent and child dates.
Our date nights are pretty simple and low-cost. On our “out” evenings both girls have wanted to visit the animals at the pet store and then go out for an ice cream treat. Now that it stays light for longer in the evenings I imagine that we’ll be having some excursions to the park. The important thing is to do something that the child enjoys. Our dates are generally about an hour long, tucked in the window of time between dinnertime and bedtime (preserving the 8pm bedtime is essential to my sanity!).
I think our family fun nights are also important for strengthening family unity with all four of us. We try to chose something that everyone will enjoy, but again, our activities are pretty simple and low-cost. Game night, movie night, dinner out, etc.
It doesn’t take a lot of planning and effort, but our girls are realizing that Friday’s are family fun days, and they know that mom and dad want to spend time with them.
Husband and Wife Date Nights On this blog I focus a lot on my children: activities I do with them, books I read with them, projects I make for them, etc. I hope my husband doesn’t feel neglected! Just as it is important for children to have special time with mom and dad, mom and dad need special time for each other!
My husband and I decided that we also need to be more committed about a weekly date night with each other. For quite awhile we have basically had Friday evening as our unofficial date night, but we kind of fell into the rut of just watching a movie or tv shows. We have legitimate excuses, of course: husband in graduate school, no money for a babysitter, we’re TIRED!, etc. But when I came across Project 52: Date Nights at Simply Modern Mom I knew we needed to commit ourselves and make dating a priority in our marriage.
Friday night is also our couple date night. We put the kids to bed at 8pm, take a little time to ourselves to unwind or get ready, and then it’s our time for the rest of the evening. We alternate weeks to decide who is in charge of planning the date. So far all of our dates have been at home (and that’s a trend that is likely to continue), but we are still having fun. We’ve played games, swapped massages, played games with neighbors (group dates are allowed!), and relaxed and made plans for the impending delivery of our baby boy (in 2-3 weeks!).
Again, the planning and effort it takes to have our weekly date night has been minimal, but we’re strengthening our marriage and reaping the benefits.
If you’re interested in making date nights with your husband a weekly priority, be sure to check in with Project 52: Date Nights. Tiffany posts weekly about her dates and opens it up for her readers to do the same, so you have access to a lot of creative date ideas.
I would love to hear your ideas. Do you have a regular date night? How has it strengthened your family relationships?
Scripture of the Week: “He spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began.” Luke 1:70
Lesson Plan Complete the March page of our Scripture Journal, using activities from the March 2010 Friend magazine. We talked about some of the teachings of President Monson, from this article in the magazine. Then we sang our favorite verses from Follow the Prophet (CS110-111) and looked at the pictures in the magazine on p. 25.
Our FHE tonight was a little different. We needed to go to the store to look at infant car seats (Baby #3 is due to arrive in 3 weeks!), so we did our lesson in the car as we drove. I know that’s not really ideal, but it actually made our lesson go smoother than usual. We had a captive audience since the kids were strapped in their car seats! When we got home the kids colored their scripture journal page while we got the treat ready.
