FHE Idea Based off April 2014 General Conference Talk "Spiritual Whirlwinds" by Elder Neil A. Anderson

Image and whirlwind play idea from housingaforest.com found HERE

I recommend reading the full article because I guess streamers can get caught in hair!

 

For this family home evening you can go big, attach a hula hoop to a ceiling fan with a ton of streamers. Or you can go simple and have a glass bowl and blow dryer.

 

HERE is Elder Neil A. Anderson's talk from Conference.

All quotes mentioned in this post are from it!

 

Prayer

 

Story:

"Many years ago while we were visiting our family in Florida, a tornado touched down not too far from us. One woman living in a mobile home went into her bathroom for safety. The mobile home began to shake. A few moments passed. Then she heard her neighbor’s voice: “I am here in the front room.” Coming out of the bathroom, to her great astonishment, she discovered that the tornado had lifted and carried her mobile home through the air, landing it perfectly upright on the top of her neighbor’s mobile home."

 

Point of the story:

"Spiritual whirlwinds.. can uproot you from your spiritual foundations and land your spirit in places you never imagined possible, sometimes with your barely noticing that you have been moved."

 

Questions:

What are whirlwinds in our life? (temptations, challenges, tests, distractions)
What can calm these life whirlwinds? (repentance, patience)

 

Analogy:

" In nature, trees that grow up in a windy environment become stronger. As winds whip around a young sapling, forces inside the tree do two things. First, they stimulate the roots to grow faster and spread farther. Second, the forces in the tree start creating cell structures that actually make the trunk and branches thicker and more flexible to the pressure of the wind. These stronger roots and branches protect the tree from winds that are sure to return.

You are infinitely more precious to God than a tree. You are His son or His daughter. He made your spirit strong and capable of being resilient to the whirlwinds of life. The whirlwinds in your youth, like the wind against a young tree, can increase your spiritual strength, preparing you for the years ahead."

 

Activity:
If you choose to hang streamers on your fan, attach numbers to the bottom of 6-8 streamers.

Turn on the fan and let a family member try to get a streamer with a number.

Have them answer the questions, read scriptures and quotes as follows... or add your own!

 

 

If you choose to do the glass bowl and blow dryer, have 6-8 small pieces of paper numbered inside the glass bowl.

Have a family member turn on the blow dryer and point in the bowl. Have another family member try to catch a piece of paper that will go flying. Lots of papers will fly out, just have them choose one and put the rest back... or others can help pick them up too!

Have them answer the questions, read scriptures and quotes as follows... or add your own!

 

Questions, Scriptures, Song to be used for activity:

 

1. What is the foundation we should build on to be strong against the whirlwinds?
Read Helaman 5:12

 

2. If others do not believe what you do, how can you stand for the right in a loving Christ like way?

Read quote from article, "The Prophet Joseph Smith warned us to “beware of self-righteousness” and to enlarge our hearts toward all men and women until we feel “to take them upon our shoulders.” In the gospel of Jesus Christ, there is no place for ridicule, bullying, or bigotry."

 

3. Sing the Wise Man & The Foolish Man (as a family)

(CS pg. 281 found HERE) but change the words a little-

The winds blew right and the winds blew left....

And the house on the sand blew away!!!!

 

4. How is the Book of Mormon a protection from whirlwinds?

What is your favorite Book of Mormon story that teaches us about Christ?

 

5. Why is going to the temple an important goal?

"The Lord has given you another way to stand firm, a spiritual gift more powerful than the whirlwinds of the adversary! He said, “Stand … in holy places, and be not moved...

Have you ever stood in the temple, dressed in white, waiting to do baptisms? How did you feel? There is a tangible feeling of holiness in the temple. The peace of the Savior subdues the swirling whirlwinds of the world. The way you feel in the temple is a pattern for how you want to feel in your life"

 

6. What can you do this week to "Treasure more completely His incomparable life and teachings"?

 

7. "Build more firmly your foundation upon the rock of your Redeemer"

Name 5 things we can do to make Christ the center of our lives.

 

8. Read John 14:18

Whirlwinds are pretty scary, but what does Heavenly Father promise us?

 

Bear Testimonies

 

Prayer