FHE Book of Mormon Stories: Alma 16 Victory by Following the Prophet

 Image courtesy Mormon Newsroom

This is a small story in the Book of Mormon, but it has a big lesson!

Introduction Activity:
Use your hands to handcuff your hyper "active" 6 year old son who is obsessed with handcuffs and all things cops.

What does it mean to be in physical bondage or captured?
How do you feel when you aren't free?

Today we are going to learn about some people in the Book of Mormon.

Zoram was a common name. There was Zoram, the servant of Laban who came to the promised land. There was Zoram the apostate who led people to worship idols and his people trampled Korihor. But today we are going to talk about ANOTHER lesser known Zoram. Was he a good guy or a weirdo? Let's find out!!



Who was captured in the story?
How were they set free?

What is the difference between spiritual bondage and physical bondage? (Hold up the handcuffs from earlier in the lesson) Can you name any examples of spiritual bondage?

What can we do to be like Zoram and his sons?
Are we in a battle like them?

Why do you think this story was mentioned in The Book of Mormon?

End with Testimonies

I know that if we follow the prophets, they will help us to find those who are captive and lost. I know that if we have a love of our brothers and sisters that is pure, we will have help from Heavenly Father to know what to do to make sure they feel of His love. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

FHE: Gospel Principle "Love"

Opening Activity: Have a picture of Jesus in the front of the room. Everyone choose a spot to stand in the room and strike a pose. Hold it for 5 seconds. Now choose another place to strike a different pose. One more time!

We saw many changes in that activity right? What was the one thing that never changed? The picture of Christ stayed constant!

Quote, "Love is like the north star. In a changing world, it's always a constant." President Gordon B. Hinkley

Jesus Christ ALWAYS lived and lives a life of love. We can too!

Sing the following songs:

I'll Walk With You CS 140
I had some leftover hearts from The Dollar Store and glue pictures from The Friend. I also use key words or phrases on the visuals:

(On I won't! I won't! we shake our fingers side to side. On I will! I will! we pump a fist in the air.)

Can everyone name one way that Jesus showed/shows His love for us and others?

As I Have Loved You CS 136

Pass around a bean bag and sing. When the leader holds up a heart we pause and whoever has the bean bag says something they love about another family member.
OR The Dollar Store has heart wands children can use to conduct the song while singing!

** TIP FOR SINGING- Don't recite/speak the words of a song. Sing them in small phrases to learn! **

End the lesson with the following scriptures:

Challenge: Like President Hinckley said, Love is a constant.  What can we do this week to constantly show our love for others??

Back to School Tic Tac Toe FHE

My beautiful children go back to school on Monday and I don't know why the time went by so fast!!

For Family Home Evening I made a simple Back to School TIC TAC TOE game. Feel free to use in your home if you like!

For each X or O chosen, find the picture with the quote and read before a family member places on the board. You can divide into teams or simply have anyone pick whatever one they would like when it's their turn.

I didn't write too many questions along with the quotes. Going to let the kids share any thoughts they have after reading it.

At BYU, the motto is "Enter to learn, go forth to serve." As an introduction to our lesson, we'll talk about the importance of this creed!

Just for fun, here are some other ideas for back to school games:

Book Lines - Gather 10 books. Invite each family member to state what they think the first line of the book is. Then read the first line!

Dictionary Clues- Have each family member choose 3 random words from the dictionary, along with the definitions. They can say the word and you guess the meaning, or they can say the meaning and you guess the word!

Post-It Back to School- On 12 different post its have things that have to do with going back to school. One person puts a post it on forehead (without looking) and has to guess what is written by asking questions. Easily can be adapted for younger children as charades.

The Prophet Ezekiel FHE: Bones!!!

 

Happy Halloween!

 

I'm not a big fan of the scary side of Halloween.

Peanut M&M's, yes.

Zombies, no.

 

I've always liked the story found in Ezekial 37:1-14.

 

This is a simple idea for Family Home Evening.

We each took a turn reading a verse of the scripture.

 

For my younger children we sang this song:

 

 

Questions we discussed:

What do you think this vision was about?

 

How do you think the story could relate to Halloween?

 

How do you think Ezekiel felt when he saw an army of bones?

 

Why do you think people make something sacred like the resurrection and opening up the graves, into something that is spooky?

 

Is it OK to have fun and enjoy skeletons?

 

Do we need to be scared of things in life? Why?

 

If we are scared, what can we do to find safety and peace?

 

How does it make you feel to know that your bones will be resurrected and that you can live with our Savior, Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father again?

 

 

Activity:

 

We made some Day of the Dead skull art. My 5 year old was obsessed! He's been drawing them all week!!

 

But I also saw this idea on pinterest and thought it looked fun for older children!! You just grab some popsicle sticks, clothespins, pipe cleaners, and cotton swabs. Children have 10 minutes to create a bridge of bones!

 

 

 

FHE Idea based off of April 2014 General Conference Talk "Let's Not Take the Wrong Way" By Elder Claudio D. Zivic

Delicate Arch Image from NPS.ORG by Neil Herbert

 

HERE is the full talk by Elder Zivic,

all quotes mentioned come from it.

 

Prayer

 

Attention Activity:

Arch challenge!! Is there anyone in the family who can bend backwards into a perfect arch??? Show us!!

(Disclaimer: I cannot be held responsible should your husband break his back in attempting this)

 

Story:

"Several years ago I went to Arches National Park with my wife; our daughter, Evelin; and a family friend. One of the most famous arches there is called Delicate Arch. We decided to walk about 1.5 miles (2 km), climbing the mountain in order to reach the arch.

 

We started off on our pathway with great enthusiasm, but after walking a short stretch, the others needed to rest. Because of my desire to get there, I decided to continue on alone. Without paying attention to the path I ought to take, I followed a man in front of me who seemed to be moving forward with great surety. The pathway became more and more difficult, and I had to jump from one rock to another. Because of the difficulty, I was sure the women in my group would never make it. Suddenly I saw Delicate Arch, but to my great surprise, I saw that it was in an area inaccessible to me.

 

With great frustration, I decided to go back. I waited impatiently until we met up again. My immediate question was “Did you reach Delicate Arch?” They happily told me that they had. They explained that they had followed the signs showing the way, and with care and effort, they had reached their destination.

 

Unfortunately, I had taken the wrong way. What a great lesson I learned that day!"

 

Questions:
"How often do we make a mistake about the right way, letting ourselves be led along by the trends of the world? We need to continually ask ourselves if we are being doers of the words of Jesus Christ."

 

Can anyone think of an example of someone from the scriptures who did or didn't take the right path?

 

Song:
Choose the Right Way

Children's Songbook page 160

 

Activity:
Have 2-3 index cards per family member. Bring along a marker and have them share something we need to do in order to stay on the right path. Have them draw an arrow on the index card leading to a nearby spot. Move to that spot. (For example: Someone says read scriptures and study them consistently. Draw an arrow pointing to the kitchen. Go to kitchen. Next persons talks about sharing toys and draws an arrow to the stairs. Go to stairs) Have another family member share something different we need to do to stay on the path. Have them draw an arrow on the index card leading to a nearby spot. Move to that spot. Continue on. At the final spot post a picture of Delicate Arch. How did the women reach the arch? By following the signs! With care and effort!

 

Show a picture of Christ. Heavenly Father, Jesus, and our eternal families are our destination. When we do things that are right, we will reach our destination. Bear testimonies.

 

Scripture Memory Challenge for the Week:
John 14:6 "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."

 

Closing Prayer

 

I don't usually do special treats for FHE because in all honesty, I'm just not that awesome.

However, these "arch cupcakes" seem pretty doable. Image from pinterest, no source attributed.

** Just as a side note. We usually try to incorporate as much singing with the little ones as we can. If they talk about something and we can think of a song that supports that idea, then we sing it!**

 

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

Be Meek and Lowly of Heart FHE

This Family Home Evening Idea is based off the talk given by Elder Ulisses Soares in the October 2013 General Conference.... found HERE.

 

Prayer

Story of Brother Mahlangu- show picture

Scriptures: Matthew 11:29 and 2 Timothy 2:24-26

Activity: Cut up the squares with words that may or may not describe what it means to have meekness. Have family draw squares out of a paper bag and then glue to the lamb/meekness sheet if the words do describe meekness! If not, toss them in the trash!

Song: Jesus Once was a Little Child (CS pg. 55) Verse 1

How was the Savior Meek? Hold up a picture of Him on the cross.

Quote from talk: "Even after the most intense physical suffering, the Lord turned to His Father and spoke from the bottom of His meek and humble heart: "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do." Christ faced extreme physical and spiritual suffering, giving us the opportunity to change our spiritual character and become meek like Him."

Have each member of the family make a GOAL of something they can do throughout the week to be more meek.

Bear Testimony

Prayer

 

 

Be Meek and Lowly of Heart FHE.pdf

Missionary Work Family Home Evening Idea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! EXCLAMATION POINT!!!

This family home evening idea is based off the October 2013 Conference Talk "Hastening the Lord's Game Plan" by Elder S. Gifford Neilsen found HERE


Prayer

Missionary Song

Story from talk: "Several years ago I needed to speak to the wife of one of the bishops in our stake, so I called their home. A young son answered the phone. I said, “Hello. Is your mother there?”

His reply: “Yes, she is. I’ll get her. Who is this?”

My response: “Tell her it’s President Nielsen.”

There was a short pause, and then, in a very animated voice, I heard, “Hey, Mom, President Hinckley’s on the phone!”

I can’t imagine what she must have been thinking. It had to be the longest walk to the phone she ever had. The thought did cross my mind: “Should I?” I didn’t, but we had quite a laugh. Now that I think about it, she must have been so disappointed just talking to me."

Question: What would you do if the prophet of the Lord really called you?

 

Quote from talk for family member to read: "Well, he has! President Thomas S. Monson, as he did once again this morning, has called each one of us to a very important work. He said, “Now is the time for members and missionaries to come together, to work together, to labor in the Lord’s vineyard to bring souls unto Him”

 

Activity: Have about 10 exclamations points on pieces of paper fanned out like cards for family members to choose. On 3 of the points (on the back) write down what Elder Neilsen suggests about having a family missionary game plan:

1. Specifically pray to bring someone closer to the Savior and His gospel every day.

2. Pray for the missionaries serving in your area and their investigators by name every day.

3. Invite a friend to an activity in or out of your home.

Blank exclamation points need to be saved. Whoever chooses the points with words reads out loud. Once you've gone over all his suggestions, take the remaining exclamation points to write down missionary goals for your family!

 

Question: What does an exclamation point mean? Why do we need an exclamation point after missionary work?

 

Ending Story (have a couple family members act it out as your read):

" As I walked into the stake president’s office for the initial meeting that weekend, I noticed a pair of tattered-looking, bronzed shoes on the credenza behind his desk, accompanied by a scripture ending in an exclamation point. As I read it, I felt the Lord was aware of my study, had answered my prayers, and that He knew exactly what I needed to soothe my anxious heart.

I asked the stake president to tell me the story of the shoes.

 

He said:

 

“These are shoes of a young convert to the Church whose family situation was strained, yet he was determined to serve a successful mission and did so in Guatemala. Upon his return I met with him to extend an honorable release and saw his shoes were worn out. This young man had given his all to the Lord without much, if any, family support.

 

“He noticed I was staring at his shoes and asked me, ‘President, is anything wrong?’

“I responded, ‘No, Elder, everything is right! Can I have those shoes?’”

 

The stake president continued: “My respect and love for this returning missionary was overwhelming! I wanted to memorialize the experience, so I had his shoes bronzed. It is a reminder to me when I walk into this office of the effort we all must give regardless of our circumstances. The verse was from Isaiah: ‘How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!’ (Isaiah 52:7).”

 

Bear Testimony

 

Prayer

 

Missionary Song

 

Treat

Throughout the week, surprise family members with exclamation points in their pockets, lunches, shoes.... wherever- to remind them of Family Home Evening and the importance of following through on their goals!!

Ice Cream Family Themed Summer Singing Time

 

Since July is all about families in Primary, I decided to do this simple singing time. You could easily adapt to have children choose songs from the popsicles instead of answer questions. We also enjoyed this activity as a family home evening!

 

If you have a cereal box, cover it (glue guns are your best friend) with a paper bag from the grocery store then embellish with scraps you have. The box is just a fun prop to look at or you could have a child "drive" (hold it and pass it to another friend) who was also a fabulous singer.

 

On the back of the popsicles I had these questions:

What is a favorite family vacation you've taken?

What is a fun holiday tradition you have in your family?

Why do we want our families to be eternal?

Can you think of 5 families from the scriptures?

What is your favorite family game to play?

How can you show love to someone in your family?

What are choices you have when someone is bothering/annoying you in your family?

Name 3 reasons/things you love about someone in your family.

 

Ask the children if they've ever been in this type of pickle. The ice cream man is coming, you hear his wonderful music playing, you look in your piggy bank and there is no money!! You ask your mom and she says she doesn't carry cash!! BUMMER!!! Well, today we don't have to worry about that. All you need is excellent singing to buy these delicious popsicles. What?? you say?? But they are made out of paper!! (take a fake lick of a popsicle) They taste dreamy to me! When we sing, I'm looking for the following:

1. Bold singing - not shouting!! Just nice and loud!!

2. Smiles!!

3. People actually singing!! Moving mouths with sound coming out!!

General Conference Family Home Evening

I love this picture and can hear The Savior's perfect voice of mildness in my mind as He speaks.

Christ with Martha and Maria by Henryk Siemiradzki 1886

This work is in the public domain in the United States, and those countries with a copyright term of life of the author plus 100 years or less.

Based off the talk The Words We Speak by Sister Rosemary Wixom, from April 2013 General Conference.

Question: Where in the scriptures can we find Heavenly Father or Jesus saying, "Hey you weirdos! What on earth are you thinking!! Shape up NOW!!"?? Check the topical guide, are there any references to weirdos ?

NO!! And why not. Sister Wixom says, "We can learn from that voice from heaven. It was not loud, scolding, or demeaning; it was a still voice of perfect mildness, giving firm direction while giving hope."
(As a sidenote we do see times in the scriptures when the voice of God or Jesus is referenced to as "thunder", which we know is pretty loud. But Sister Wixom is focusing on words we use in family relationships. Talk about words you can remember when it comes to Jesus and His family.)

Story:

 "The store was crowded with shoppers when it became obvious to everyone that a mother was panicked because she had lost her young son. At first, she was calling his name. “Connor,” she would say as she briskly walked around the store. As time passed, her voice got louder and more frantic.

Soon the store security officers were notified, and everyone in the store was involved in looking for the child. Several minutes passed with no success of finding him. Connor’s mother, understandably, was becoming more frantic by the minute and was rapidly yelling his name over and over again.

 

One patron, after saying a silent prayer, had the thought that Connor may be frightened as he listened to his mother scream his name. She mentioned this to another woman involved in the search, and they quickly made a plan. Together they began to walk between the tables of fabric, quietly repeating the words “Connor, if you can hear my voice, say, ‘Here I am.’” As they walked slowly toward the back of the store repeating that phrase, sure enough, they heard a timid, soft voice say, “Here I am.”

 

Connor was hiding between the bolts of fabric under a table. It was a voice of perfect mildness that encouraged Connor to respond."

Question: Where in the scriptures can we find examples of Heavenly Father being too busy to answer our prayers? What about Jesus being to busy to heal or help others?

There are none!! Heavenly Father and Jesus are always there for us. But are we always there for each other? Sister Wixom gives us a challenge!!

Challenge: "Why not choose a time each day to disconnect from technology and reconnect with each other? Simply turn everything off. " Decide as a family what time of day to choose! Write it down and make a special sign to put somewhere to remember!! Follow through for a whole week and see what happens!!!

Scripture: 2 Nephi 25:23 "For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do."

Story:

"President Thomas S. Monson shared the experience of Jay Hess, an airman who was shot down over North Vietnam in the 1960s: “For two years his family had no idea whether he was dead or alive. His captors in Hanoi eventually allowed him to write home but limited his message to less than 25 words.”

President Monson asks: “What would you and I say to our families if we were in the same situation—not having seen them for over two years and not knowing if we would ever see them again?

Wanting to provide something his family could recognize as having come from him and also wanting to give them valuable counsel, Brother Hess wrote [the following words]: ‘These things are important: temple marriage, mission, college. Press on, set goals, write history, take pictures twice a year."

Question & Activity: Sister Wixom asks, "What words would you write to your children if you had 25 words or less?" Get a piece of paper and write them down!! Share with each other. If children would prefer, they could write 25 words to their parents!

In conclusion: Ask family members to share something they liked or learned from this family home evening. Bear testimonies as a family. Don't forget the week challenge and to go over your findings next week!

Happy Earth Day! What we're doing tonight for FHE!

If I could be a vegetarian hippy with a flower in my hair, I would totally go for it. It's just that I can't do the barefoot bit. I enjoy my flip flops. Which to some may be pretty much barefoot, but it's not. Even if there is snow on the ground... it's still not barefoot.

Psalms 33:5-9

" The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord. By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap: he layeth up the depth in storehouses. Let all the earth fear the Lord: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast."

To celebrate our mother earth we're going to do the following:

HERE is a great FREE bingo game by Jason's Online Classroom on TPT!! You have to have an account, but it's free and easy to set up.

HERE is a link to make simple origami seed pots out of newspaper. Some ink in newspaper isn't environmentally friendly. Just rub it to see if ink comes off on your finger, if not you should be safe!
We're going to fill them up with dirt and seeds.

Then we've baked our cupcakes....

Finally, we're going to set up a table on the corner of our street and give out free seeds and cupcakes and teach earth day songs to whoever wants to learn.

HERE are the earth day songs, again free on TPT. We especially like (sung to the tune of Frere Jaques)

We recycle!
We recycle!

Yes, we do!
Yes, we do!

Caring for our planet!
Caring for our planet!
You should too!
You should too!

Roll a Dice: Snowman Music Idea for LDS Primary

Here is a SIMPLE music idea!! 

What you'll need:

A die

Chalk & Eraser

Printed Out Game Sheet below

You can sing songs having to do with the week's theme. Invite a primary friend who was doing a great job singing to come up front and roll a die. On the first roll, that primary friend will draw a body corresponding to the number they roll on the chalk board. Sing another song! Invite another friend to roll the die and they will draw the corresponding face to the number they roll since they are second. 

It doesn't have to stop at one snowman! Build as many as you like.

This could also make for a simple Family Home Evening. Prepare some questions on any gospel topic you want. After a family member answers the question they roll the die and draw.

Roll a Snowman by chulbakera

Draw A Pumpkin Singing Time or FHE

Roll a Pumpkin

 

I came across some fun roll the dice art games and thought I'd make one for primary.

 

Start by singing a song. Any primary friend who is singing boldly, being reverent, or is just plain awesome will be picked to roll the dice.

 

On the first roll, they draw a body for the pumpkin depending on what they roll. If it's a 1, then they draw the long oval. If it's a 2, then the fat circle.... etc. You can use the chalkboard, a large piece of butcher paper. Make sure to have them draw big so everyone can see! The shapes are simple enough that even Sunbeams can draw.

 

Choose another friend to roll for eyes & noses. Then another for mouths and finally, a fourth friend to draw the stuff on top! Choose another primary friend to name our pumpkin creation!

 

By the time you sing some songs you'll have a unique primary pumpkin patch!

 

This could also work for Family Home Evening. You could sing songs or have gospel trivia questions. Once the question is answered, the family member rolls the dice.

 

Or you could just play it for fun!!!

 

I plan on doing a few more of these. If you are disgruntled by my lack of artistic skill, I'm with you 82.4%. But here's the thing. It doesn't matter because the elections will be done soooooooooon!!!!!

Hooray!!! I'm so over all the nastiness already!!

Aren't you!?!?!

FHE: LIFE

What you will need:
Empty LIFE cereal box, bowl and spoon

Pictures of happy moments in life

Blue, Green, Orange and Red pom poms (3-4 of each color, 12-16 total)

Print out of John 17:3 & Questions

Opening Prayer

Attention Activity:

Show pictures of your happy moments in life. Read 2nd Nephi 2:25. Why are we here in life according to that scripture?

Activity:

1. Put the pom poms in the cereal box.

2. Have a family member draw out a pom pom and put it in the cereal bowl. Whatever color they drew out, they need to follow the question sheet and answer or do what it says.

3. Next person draws out a pom pom and does the same until there are no more!

Sing:

 I Lived In Heaven (All verses! CS pg. 4)

Final question:

What is life all about?

Bear Testimonies

Closing Prayer

Treat

LIFE cereal?? Perhaps LIFE cereal crispie bars??

Questions

Blue- What is the purpose/reasons of life?

Green- What are some good choices you can do with your life?

Orange- Read John 17:3 and see if you can do it by memory!

Red- Name something you like about the life of a person from the scriptures.

John 17:3

"And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent."

FHE: Preach My Gospel Questions of the Soul

Recently in conference, Sister Esplin taught about teaching our children to understand the gospel. See HERE for the excellent talk.

I love this quote from her, "Teaching our children to understand is more than just imparting information. It’s helping our children get the doctrine into their hearts in a way that it becomes part of their very being and is reflected in their attitudes and behavior throughout their lives."

This is a very simple Preach My Gospel (pg. 107) based Family Home Evening to check for our children's understanding.

Really take notice of family members' answers. As a parent, if you notice that children don't understand a question... then take the time sometime that week to go over the scriptures in the Book of Mormon that answer it with them!!!

Opening Prayer

Song

Opening Attention Activity: What are some "Great questions of the soul"?? What are some really big or little questions that you might have?? Where might we find answers??

Activity: Get out the video camera! Ask the questions found on page 107 of Preach My Gospel and let family members answer while being recorded. Obviously some questions are more geared for mom and dad like "How can I balance my family and career?" but it's also easily adaptable- how can I balance my family and school? etc. Some questions starting with the word "Does" need to be expounded with a why or a how.

If there is time, watch some of your video!

In closing: There are a lot of questions in life. Fortunately, Heavenly Father has provided the scriptures, prayer and a living prophet to help us receive most answers!

Bear Testimonies

Song

Closing Prayer

Treat

Make sure to add lots of praise to answers given!

*Wow! Thanks for sharing.

*Great ideas, thank you!

* You really know what you're talking about! Thanks for sharing.

*Woah. Brilliant thoughts! Thank you.

If you want children to talk to you, then encourage them to do so by sincerely validating what they say.

And just because I talk too much, I have to share my 5 year old daughter's answer to "How can I avoid sin?" First she asked what "avoid" was and I said it was like driving a car and steering clear of something. She replied, "If you want to steer clear of sin you need to WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING!!!!" I'm so grateful I have their wise words on video!! It's going to be a special treasure of mine for years to come I'm sure.

New Year's Goals - LDS Family Home Evening Idea

I probably should have posted this before January, but this handsome little fellow happily distracts me from things that aren't quite as important, but are still important enough where I feel like I should kindly apologize. So... sorry mang, yes mang. Better late than never.

New Year Goals: A FHE

Opening Prayer

Opening Quote: "I have said often, you may write blessings for yourselves, and insert every good thing you can think of, and it will all come to pass on your heads, if you do right" (Heber C. Kimball, from an address given in the Old Tabernacle, August 1853)

Question: How do we get our FHE treat? Does it just magically appear out of thin air? Does it just fly through the door in a shower of sparkles and voila! we can eat?

Somewhere, steps were taken to get that treat!

Move to the stairs in your home. If you don't have stairs, adapt to your liking.

Activity: Have some goals and write them on a strip of paper. Have children put them at the top of the stairs. To get to the top, you have to take it step by step! On seperate strips of paper, write the steps it takes to get to the goal and have children place them on the stairs one at a time.

Yes, the hubby finally cut his dreadlocks....

For example: Goal- Run a Marathon

Steps- walk, stretch, eat right, run 1 mile, run 5 miles, run 10 miles

We did 3 goals which took about 10 minutes. And of course, be careful on the stairs!!

Activity: On a sheet of paper write some family goals for the New Years and talk about the steps you might have to take to reach them.

Scripture: Mosiah 4:27 "And see that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength. And again, it is expedient that he should be diligent, that thereby he might win the prize; therefore, all things must be done in order."

Closing Prayer and Treat

** We have lots of songs we sing throughout FHE. If there is a principle we are talking about, then we sing a song to reinforce that principle and take it as it comes.**

Other resources from LDS.Org include
* Goal capsules from the Liahona
*Here is a lesson from Duties and Blessings of Priesthood manual with good stories and questions
* Fill in the Blank sentences to reach your goal from The Friend
* HERE is a great visual story about graham crackers as steps, and a grape as a goal for young children from The Friend

Thanksgiving FHE's

Now that the month is almost over... maybe I should post some Thanksgiving FHE ideas.... ugh, real slick Sofia. Thanks.

This is one of my absolute favorites because I really get to see what my children have learned Gospel wise and what some of their favorite scripture stories of the moment are. Click HERE for the FHE.

This is a picture of our outcome this year. I just hot glued a scrap of fabric to the poster board to make a tablecloth. The girls also created a fancy centerpiece out of their magazine findings. I love that my 4 year old cut out corn and said, "This is the sheaves of corn that Pharaoh dreamed about and Joseph figured out what it meant."

Another fantastic one was counting our blessings. We filled up an entire poster board (Thank you 2 for $1 at the Dollar Store) with 104 different things we were thankful for. Star Wars, Snape and Nipple Latches were just a few of our many things we're thankful for.

For more gratitude ideas, just click on gratitude on my sidebar.

And if you're just looking for a fun Turkey Art Project here are a few:

The girls picked a few "feathers" from Wal-Mart paint section and cut slits on the sides to make them more textured.

This was crayon and watercolor. First they draw the shape of the turkey with a black sharpie.

Um, greatest wings ever. This makes me smile everyday. $1 store bandaids make feathers and of course, turkeys need long hair like Rapunzel. Third eyes? I don't know where that comes from.

Draw an outline of a turkey, let the kiddos cover with painters tape on the line, then marble roll!! It kind of looks like a sun, but if you look closely you'll see feet and a waddle.

Remembering 9/11: Using our hands for good activity

This image is by Kathy Barbaro of Artprojectsforkids.org

9/11 is a sad day.

It's pretty overwhelming that evil can be so powerful and cause so much destruction. I was reading some numerical statistics about the deaths of that day and thought I'd share.

Out of 2,819 people that died 403 of those deaths were community helpers like firefighters, paramedics and cops who lost their lives trying to help.

Our hands have so much power. They have power to destroy or build. To put down or lift up.

Looking to the example of the Savior we see the following about His hands:

"For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still."

Isaiah 9:12

"Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear" Isaiah 59:1

"O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the Lord. Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel."

Jeremiah 18:6

Matthew 12- The miracle and healing by Jesus on the Sabbath had to do with a man with a withered hand

"And how merciful is our God unto us, for he remembereth the house of Israel, both roots and branches; and he stretches forth his hands unto them all the day long"

Jacob 6:4

What are other examples of Christ using His hands for good?

HERE is a simple art project as pictured above. I did it with my children and we talked about 9/11. We talked about how things happen that are very bad and yet we still can help the cause of good by using our hands like the Savior did.

I'm so sorry if you've lost a loved one today. God bless you and God bless America.

Gospel Leaves : A Simple FHE Game or Sabbath Day Activity

Image courtesy creative commons license flickr.com by Andrea_44

1. Gather some leaves.

I used some paper ones I bought at World Market on clearance last year for 10 cents.

2. On the back of the leaves write 1, 2 or 3 in permanent marker.

3. Gather your supplies: A Gospel Art Book, Dry Erase Board/Marker.

4. Have your children scatter the numbered leaves all around your floor.

5. Choose a song to hum to while you pretend to rake up your leaves. Some excellent ones would include

It's Autumntime CS pg #246

Autumn Day CS pg #247

 When Mom claps, pick up one leaf!

6. What's the number on back? If it's a:

1 - Tell a Gospel story using the Gospel Art Book

2 - Sing a favorite Gospel Song

3 - Draw a Gospel picture on the dry erase board and have others guess what it is!

Happy Fall!!

Simple FHE: What do you want to share?

    +

= Wow! That was a great one!

1. Gather up at least 20 of your old friend magazines. Give each person 2-3 post it notes, depending on how many people are in your family and how long you want the Family Home Evening to last.

2. Take 5 minutes and let everyone browse the magazines and find 2-3 things they'd like to share. Whether it's pictures or stories, the Friend teaches us about Christ. What does the thing you've found teach us about Christ? Have them take their post it and mark their spots.
3. Share!! Go around and have each person share one of the things they've chosen. Repeat 2-3 times with the other things chosen.
4. Bear Testimony.
5. Sing songs! Are there any songs that come to mind with the things you've chosen??
6. Ask children how they feel....do you think the Holy Ghost is speaking to them and telling them of the truth they've shared?

Everyone is important in the family!! Make sure everyone is listening to each other!! Thank each other for what you've shared!!