Families are Forever: A complete guide for one year of FHE Lessons: December 2013

One Year of Family Home Evening!

The first 40 of these lesson plans are very general. You can fit these in to every day life and are great when you don't have a lot of time to plan. Each lesson provides you with the topic, a corresponding song (all songs have a scripture you can use if you look at the hymn or children's hymn!), the lesson and a treat.

The final 12 lesson plans are a bit more specific. These are plans you may find perfect for specific trials such as death, modesty, profanity, peer pressure or moving. They also include special occassions such as the beginning of a new school year, baptism and receiving the priesthood. Some are great for teaching your chidren about special holidays such as Pioneer Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

My lessons were designed for a family with young children, as this is more applicable to my wife and I, however, you can always add more activities and depth to each lesson if you have older children.

All of my lesson plans were compiled from several awesome websites. You can see these websites and browse for yourself. Each link is provided below.

Lesson 1: Trying to Get to Heaven

Opening Song:
I'm Trying to Be Like Jesus

Scripture:
Ether 1:33

Lesson:
(As you read this story or tell in your own words, begin making a tower out of marshmellows, eventually when it gets tall enough it will fall)

Jared and his brother lived in a place called Babel. Many people who did not worship Heavenly Father and did things that were bad lived there as well. Those people decided that they wanted to get to heaven and the best way for them to do this was to build a tower.

The people began to build this tower one brick at a time. As they built the tower, it made the Lord very angry. The Lord changed the language of every person who worked on the tower. This way they could not understand each other or finish the tower. The tower eventually fell apart because it wasn't finished.

Jared and his brother were good and obeyed the teachings of the Lord. Because of this the Lord spared Jared and his brother and did not change their language.

(Show a picture of the tower)

1- Why was the tower built?
2- How did the Lord feel about this?
3- What happened to those who built the tower?

Heavenly Father blesses his children when we do what we are supposed to and obey him. In order to get to heaven and see Him again, we must obey him.

(show picture of someone greeting Heavenly Father)

Treat:
Marshmallow Taffy
1- Wash your hands.
2- Get 2-3 large marshmallows. Small ones work also, but you need to use more and they are harder to work with.
3- Put the marshmallows into your hand and begin to rip them up and push them together.
4- Keep working them in motions that mix and mash at the same time.
5- Keep working it until it is smooth and free of any little lumps from the marshmallows original form.
6- After your mixture is smooth, you can eat it right of your hand

Lesson 2: Being Honest

Objective: In order to be honest, you must first be honest with yourself.

Lesson:
Give each one of your family members a mirror. Ask the the following questions:

As you look in the mirror, what do you see? Do you see what I see? How would you like to look?

Read the following poem.
"When you get what you want in your struggle for gain,
and then the world make you king for a day,
Just go to the mirror and look at yourself
and see what that man has to say.
It isn't your father or mother or wife,
whose judgement upon you must pass,
the one whose verdict counts most in your life
is staring you back in the glass."

Explain to your children that being truthful with others comes from being honest and truthful with themselves. Tell a personal story of how being honest with yourself made a difference in your life.

Treat:
Mini Turtles
1 package of Rollo's unwrapped
1 bag of mini pretzels
pecan or walnut pieces

Place a sheet of foil on a cookie sheet, lay out pretzels and add a unwrapped Rollo on top. Bake @ 200 degrees in the oven for 2-3 minutes. Immediately take out and press a pecan or walnut piece into the chocolate. Let cool, until set-up and serve.

Lesson 3: Learning to Obey the Lord

Song:
Nephi's Courage

Lesson:
Turn to 1 Nephi 17-18

Tell the story of Nephi building the boat; One day the Lord told Nephi to build a boat to carry him and his family to the promised land. Nephi didn't know how to make a boat, but he made tools and trusted in the Lord that he would be able to do it.
(show picture of Nephi building a boat)

His brothers Laman and Lemuel didn't believe the Lord told Nephi to build this boat, so they refused to help. Nephi told them that they should repent and obey Heavenly Father because he knew the Lord would help them if they were humble. This made Laman and Lemuel very angry, and they tried to throw Nephi into the sea, but the power of the Lord was with them. The Lord told Nephi to touch Laman and Lemuel, and when he touched them, the Lord shook them so they knew without a doubt, that the Lord was helping Nephi. Nephi then told them to repent and obey the Lord and their parents.

Because they were afraid, Laman and Lemuel repented and helped Nephi build the boat. When Nephi needed help, he asked the Lord, and the Lord helped him and taught him how to build the boat. Finally, the boat was finished.
(Show picture of family on boat together)

The family loaded the boat and climbed aboard. For many days the wind blew them towards the promised land. The Laman and Lemuel and Ishmael's sons got angry with Nephi because Nephi told them once again to obey the Lord. They tied Nephi with roped and wouldn't let him go. Because Laman and Lemuel were so wicked, the Liahonna stopped working and they didn't know which way to go.

Lehi, Sariah and Nephi's wife and children begged Laman and Lemuel to untie Nephi, but they would not listen. Because of their wickedness, a storm blew the ship backwards for three days. On the fourth day the storm became very bad, and the ship almost sank. Laman and Lemuel were afraid for their lives, and they knew the Lord was angry with them, so they untied Nephi. Nephi picked up the Liahonna and it worked again, pointing the way towards the promised land.

Nephi prayed and the storm stopped. Then they were able to sail the ship to the promised land following the Liahonna.

Ask your children the following questions:

1- Why did Nephi build the boat?
2- How did Nephi build the boat?
3- What did Laman and Lemuel say to Nephi when they say him building the boat?
4- What happened when they tried to throw Nephi into the sea?
5- Does the Lord protect those who are doing good for him?
6- What did Laman and Lemuel do to Nephi on the ship?
7- What happened when they untied him?

Explain to your children that Heavenly Father blesses us when we do what we are supposed to. Just like he blessed and protected Nephi.

Activity:
Coloring page

Treat:
Make banana split "boats"

Lesson 4: Living a Balanced Life
Song: Choose the right
“It Balances” is a fun activity that will teach kids the meaning of balance. You can also talk about how we need to keep our lives in balance by being healthy physically and spiritually strong.
Place a hexagonal pencil on a flat surface so that a twelve-inch ruler can be balanced on it. Ordinarily, the ruler’s midpoint should be directly over the pencil.
Next, place a penny on each end of the ruler without disturbing its balance. Now, leave the penny in place on one end of the ruler and find where two pennies can be placed on the opposite end of the ruler to keep it in balance. When this has been done, notice the number of inches they are placed from the pencil and then find the number of inches from the pencil that three pennies must be placed for the ruler to balance.
Finally, multiply the number of pennies by the number of inches that each group of pennies was placed from the pencil and compare your answers.
In each case, the answer should be exactly the same unless an error has been made. When one penny is six inches from the pencil, the product is six. When two pennies balance with the other side, its product must also be six, so the pennies should be three inches from the pencil. For the same reason, three pennies must be two inches and six pennies one inch from the pencil.
Can you place three pennies so that they are five inches from the pencil on one side, and then find where five pennies should be placed on the other side?

Activity: Practice walking holding spoons with plastic balls or eggs in them to practice being balanced. You may also go for a family bike ride and talk about how being healthy and strong helps us be balanced while riding a bike.

Treat: Ants on a Log
Give each person a stick of celery. Spread peanut butter on the “log” (celery). Then, you may place chocolate chips or raisins on the peanut butter to make your treat look like ants on a log.

Lesson 5: My Body is a Temple of God

Song: I love to see the Temple

Lesson: “My Body Is a Temple of God“ is a fun activity that will teach kids how their bodies are the temple of God. Use the maze activity to learn what is good and bad for your body.

Close your eyes and picture a temple. What color is it? How big is it? Does it have any windows? Are there spires? How many?

All the temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are different. The Salt Lake Temple in Utah has gray granite walls and six spires. It looks different from the Cardston Alberta Temple in Canada, which has stone walls but no spires. Even though each temple looks different, all are beautiful and are built for the same purpose. They are places where special ordinances take place that are needed for us to return to Heavenly Father.a
(Show picture of the Salt Lake Temple, or another temple that is closer to you)

You are like the temple. You are different from everyone else, but you too are a house for the Spirit of God—the Holy Ghost. The Apostle Paul said: “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? … The temple of God is holy, which temple ye are” (1 Corinthians 3:16–17). Your body is a temple for your spirit.

Just as you treat temples with respect, you should treat your body with respect. You can do this by obeying the Word of Wisdom (see D&C 89), by dressing modestly, and by keeping your body clean. You should also keep your heart and mind clean by reading, listening to, and watching only “things that are pleasing to Heavenly Father” (see My Gospel Standards).

When you are clean in mind and body, you can receive great blessings.

Activity: (print a maze or make one) Find your way through the maze. When you get to a sign, choose the Yes or No based on which helps you treat your body like a temple of God. Choosing the right paths will lead to the temple.
Draw pictures of four other things that are good for you. Cut out and place your pictures over the good-choice pictures in the maze.

OR you may print this maze:

Treat: Apples and peanut butter. Discuss how these are healthy options that are also delicious.

Lesson 6: I’m Trying to Be Like Jesus
Song: I’m Trying to be Like Jesus

Lesson: Review the words, “Be gentle and loving in deed and in thought, For these are the things Jesus taught”(Children’s Songbook, page 79).

Several years ago, an elderly sister in my branch passed away. Everyone called her Abuelita (Grandma) Flores. At her funeral, I noticed that some of her family who are not members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were sobbing. My mom explained that they probably thought that they would never see Abuelita Flores again. I don’t like to see people suffer. I told my mom, “When I grow up and marry in the temple, I will have a daughter and I will call her Abuelita Flores so that they won’t cry anymore.” I believe that trying to comfort people who are sad brings us closer to being like Christ.

I have an illness called miastenia gravis. I also have attention deficit disorder and hyperactivity. Because of these things, I act differently than other children. Lots of people don’t understand, and many don’t even try.

Children in my school often want to hit me, but I don’t fight with them. Recently I began learning karate—for my health, I am supposed to get exercise. My schoolmates want me to teach them—or at least demonstrate—the different karate moves and techniques. I always say no, because I’m not learning them in order to fight but to gain discipline and the values that come with it. I want to be able to defend myself if I have to, but I never look for a fight. Jesus Christ always taught with calmness and love. Avoiding contention makes me more like Him.

Explain to your children that each of these situations are different, but we should always react the way Christ would want us to. Go through each scenario (as age appropriate) and have them practice reacting to each of these.

Activity: Role play different confrontational situations and allow you children to pretend choosing the right way to react like Christ.

Treat: Bake cookies or brownies together and practice taking turns with each acitivity so you may all treat each other kindly.

Lesson 7: Fast Offerings

Song: Give Said the Little Stream

Lesson: For Younger Children share the following story about fast offerings. After the story, explain why we collect fast offerings and what they are used for.

“Don’t forget to wear your mittens, Ross,” Mother called.

Ross was so excited to collect fast offerings that he had forgotten to put on his mittens. He could hardly believe he was finally a deacon. He knew that one of his duties would be to collect fast offerings. And today was fast Sunday. Ross hurried back inside, slipped his thick wool mittens on his hands, and rushed out the door.

Outside, Ross was met by bright sunshine and a cold breeze. He jumped down the front steps into the snow. Ross loved the way the world looked after a snowstorm. The sunshine and snow almost made him forget about the troubles his neighbors were facing. He had heard adults talking about the Depression. He didn’t really understand what that meant, but he knew that some of his friends’ dads had lost their jobs. The bishop had taught him that the fast offerings he collected would be used to buy food for those in need and to pay for coal to keep their houses warm.

Ross joined his friend Tom, and they set off. At the first home a woman answered the door. “I’m sorry, boys,” she said. “My husband lost his job, and we don’t have any money to give.”

At home after home they received the same answer, but at the Hansen home Sister Hansen invited the young men inside. She placed two dimes and a nickel into Ross’s hand.

“We feel so blessed that Brother Hansen still has his job,” she said. “I’m sure someone can use this money.”

As they left, Ross opened his hand and looked happily at the three silver coins. He dropped them into his pocket. After stopping at a few more homes, Ross hurried home.

“Look what I have!” he yelled as he rushed into his house.

Mother came into the room. Ross reached into his pocket and pulled out a dime and a nickel. He reached back into his pocket for the other dime, but he couldn’t feel it. He took off his mitten and reached in again. It wasn’t there.

“I lost a dime,” he said, almost in tears. “What am I going to do?”

“Let’s pray for help,” Mother said.

They knelt together, and Mother prayed that Heavenly Father would help them find the dime.

As they stood, Mother took Ross by both hands, looked into his eyes, and said, “Ross, listen carefully and do exactly what I say. Follow your tracks in the snow back to where you put the money in your pocket. Look carefully until you find a small hole in the snow. When you find the hole, gently brush away the snow and you will find the dime.”

Ross hurried outside. It was easy to follow his tracks, and he was soon near the Hansen home. “I think it was here that I put the money into my pocket,” he thought.

Looking around, he found a small hole in the snow. Carefully, he started to brush the snow away. Soon there was a silver sparkle, and there was the dime, just as his mother had said.

Ross held the coins tightly in his hand as he walked to the bishop’s house. He delivered the 25 cents and then hurried home.

“Mother, I found the dime, just like you said,” he said as he ran into the house. “And now I know that Heavenly Father heard and answered our prayer.”(Jeffery D. Nokes, “The Fast-Offering Dime”, Friend, Feb. 2011, 8–9)

Share your testimony about the blessings Fast offerings can bring your family.

Activity: Help your children decide on an amount to donate towards fast offering the following week. Have them help you fill out the tithing slip and put the money into the slip.

Treat: Make “Brinner”- breakfast for dinner. Talk about how we fast breakfast and donate that money to help other families in need.

Lesson 8: Love Your Neighbors

Song: As I have Loved You

Lesson: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself- D&C 59:6

Share the following story with your family:

On a recent Saturday, I invited my friend Mandy to come with me to a Primary activity. She had never been to our church before, and she had a good time. She met new friends, and we learned about traffic safety and the eleventh article of faith.

After the activity, we went bike riding in our neighborhood. When we rode around the back of the nearby apartment complex, we saw an elderly woman lying on the ground at the foot of the stairs. Her hand was cut, and she wasn’t moving! It looked like she had fallen while going up the stairs to a second-story apartment. We raced our bikes back to my house to get my mom and dad.

“Dad! Mom! A woman fell, and she’s not moving! And there’s blood!”

My parents ran to help, and Mandy and I rode our bikes. When we all got back to her, the woman—Mrs. Sumner—could speak but was a little confused. We introduced ourselves and made sure that she hadn’t broken any bones. Then my mom and my dad helped her to stand up and climb the stairs to her apartment. She said that she would call the doctor about her hand.

Mom told us later that it was a good thing that we were out riding our bikes and saw Mrs. Sumner and went for help, or she might have lain there for a long time. Mrs. Sumner is eighty-five years old. She lives alone, and sometimes has trouble getting around.

The next day my dad and I went to see how she was doing, and later Mandy and I took her some apples that we had picked.

Now Mrs. Sumner is our friend, and she has invited us to visit whenever we want. Sometimes she gives us cookies, and once she gave us each a little ceramic angel she had made. She told Mandy and me that we are her “little angels.”

In our family home evening, we talked about the Good Samaritan and how Jesus Christ wants us to help our neighbors when they are in trouble. I am glad that Mandy and I could be Good Samaritans, especially because now we have a new friend!

Discuss the story and take turns talking about how this was showing the love like Christ.

Activity: Help your children make kind notes about a neighbor they love. Make extras of the family treat and leave them on the neighbors doorstep to show you love them.

Treat: Make cookies together. Make enough to eat and take to your neighbors.

Lesson 9: Waiting for Jesus

Song: I Wonder When He Comes Again

Lesson: Share the following story with your children:

“For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels” Mathew 16:26

Katie rummaged through the storage box, carefully looking through the crumpled packing paper. She still couldn’t find what she was looking for.

She put everything back in the box and went to find Mom.

Katie had looked behind the piano, under the couch, even in Thomas’s crib. It was lost. She had to tell Mom.

“Mommy, the baby Jesus is lost.”

Katie led Mom to the nativity set in the living room. Joseph and Mary and the shepherds were there. The Wise Men–even a camel and a donkey—were there. All of the figures were gathered around the empty manger.

“It looks that way, doesn’t it?” Mom said.

“Yes, I can’t find Him anywhere. I looked and looked.” The nativity would be ruined without the baby Jesus.

Mom went to the bookshelf. “He isn’t lost,” she said as she reached up and took something from the top shelf.

Katie sighed in relief. “There He is!” she said. “I’ll go put Him in the manger.”

She reached for the figurine, but Mom put it back on the shelf. “This year we’re going to put the baby Jesus in the manger on Christmas morning,” Mom said. “It’s a tradition Dad learned in France.”

“Why? Everyone looks so sad.”

“I don’t know if they’re sad.” Mom said. “To me, it looks more like they’re waiting.”

Katie examined the figures. She could see the empty place in the manger where baby Jesus belonged. Some of the figurines were reaching out to the spot.

“I guess so,” Katie said.

“Remember before Thomas was born how excited you were for him to come?” Mom asked.

Katie smiled at her baby brother, who was playing on a blanket. “Yes, it felt like forever.”

“Did you know that prophets waited for thousands of years for Jesus to come to help us return to live with Heavenly Father?”

Katie remembered seeing a picture in Primary of a prophet writing about the Savior’s birth. “I think so,” she said.

“Prophets like Isaiah thought about and wrote about what the Savior would do when He came,” Mom said. “They spent their whole lives waiting for Him to be born. That’s one of the reasons we set up the nativity like this, to remind us that many people waited a long time for the Savior to come.”

“I would get tired of waiting my whole life,” Katie said, looking at the shepherds who were waiting for Jesus.

“But there’s also another reason we do this,” Mom said.

“What?”

“Do you remember in family home evening when we talked about the Second Coming?”

Katie thought for a minute. “Isn’t that when Jesus comes again?

“That’s right,” Mom said.

“When will that happen?”

“Well, we don’t know. But we’re waiting for Jesus to come, just like the shepherds in the nativity and just like the ancient prophets. That’s the other reason we’re waiting until Christmas to put the baby Jesus in the nativity—to remind us that we’re waiting for Jesus too.”

“Will He come to a manger again?” Katie asked.

“No, He won’t be a baby again. The next time Jesus comes He’ll be resurrected. But the empty manger in the nativity reminds us that just like you’re waiting for Christmas morning, and just like people waited for Jesus to come to earth, now we’re waiting for Him to come back. We didn’t lose the baby Jesus. This is part of the way our family remembers Him.”

“We just need to wait,” Katie said with a smile.

“That’s right,” Mom said.

“While we’re waiting, can we make some sugar cookies?”

Activity: Make and decorate sugar cookies as a family.

Treat: Enjoy your sugar cookies!

Lesson 10: Feast on the Words of Christ

Song: Search, Ponder, and Pray

Lesson: Imagine you are outside playing all day and when you come inside, you are very hungry. But instead of feeding you a nice dinner, your parents decide that you can only look at all your favorite foods they have put on the table. How would you feel? Imagine that they sent you to bed after that and when you woke up the next morning, you were even hungrier, but your parents only gave you a small bite of toast.

Luckily, parents love their children and understand that they need to eat. And luckily, Heavenly Father understands that our spirits need a type of food as well and has given us the scriptures. When we read our scriptures, we feed our spirits with power—power to choose the right, power to carefully listen to the Holy Ghost, and power to love those around us. But we must study the scriptures carefully in order to feed out spirits with this power. Nephi called this feasting upon the words of Christ. Just as we need to eat more than just a bite of food to keep our bodies alive, we need to do more than just read a few words from the scriptures. We need to ponder them and think about how they apply to our lives. Then put them into action.

(Show your scriptures or a picture of the holy scriptures)

Read and discuss 2 Nephi 4:15

What does it mean to ponder the scriptures?

What can we learn from the scriptures?

Activity: Print out the word search below for older children. Print out the drawing activity page below for younger children.

Treat: Take turns searching through a pile of small candies or treats to allow the children to “search” for their favorite kind.

Lesson 11: Heavenly Father’s Plan is a Plan of Happiness

Song: I am a Child of God

Lesson: When we lived in heaven before we were born, Heavenly Father presented a beautiful plan to us. It is called the plan of happiness because we will find great joy if we follow it. Heavenly Father loves us very much and wants us to live with Him eternally (forever). In order to fulfill the plan of happiness, we had to come to earth to receive a physical body like Heavenly Father’s. Here on earth we have families and make choices. Doing these things helps us become more like Him. If we live righteously, we will return to live with Heavenly Father after we die. But we won’t always make the right choices. Sometimes we will sin. Because Heavenly Father loves us, He provided a way for us to repent and be forgiven. Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we can become clean from sin and return to live with Heavenly Father someday.

Read and discuss John 3:16
Who is Heavenly Father’s only begotten son?
Why is Jesus Christ at the center of Heavenly Father’s plan?

Activity: Younger Children: color the plan of happiness diagram below.
Older Children: Cut out the pictures and arrows from the diagram below. See if you can put them back in order.

Treat: Refreshments: Coconut Brownies

1 package fudge brownie mix (13-inch x 9-inch pan size)

1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream

1 cup coconut-pecan frosting

2 eggs

1/4 cup water

1 cup (6 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips

In a large bowl, combine the brownie mix, sour cream, frosting, eggs and water just until moistened.
Pour into a 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until center is set (do not overbake).
Sprinkle with chocolate chips; let stand for 5 minutes. Spread chips over brownies to frost. Allow to cool. I recommend cutting the brownies while the chocolate is still soft on top. Yield: 2 dozen.

Lesson 12: I Can Walk With God When I Pray
Song: A Child’s Prayer

Lesson: Read Mathew 6:9. Then show your children a picture of Jesus praying.

When Jesus lived on the earth, he taught his followers how to pray. Then he prayed with them to set an example for them.

In his prayer, Jesus prayed to Heavenly Father. He used special words to show reverence. He thanked Heavenly Father for the things Heavenly Father had given him. He then asked for other blessings. Some of the blessings he asked for were physical, like food. Others were spiritual, like forgiveness and protection from Satan. Then Jesus said that he only wanted those blessings if that was what Heavenly Father wanted too.

After Jesus finished praying, he reminded the people that Heavenly Father could only bless them with the things they needed if they were kind to others and obeyed the commandments. Jesus set a perfect example of how to pray.

(Show picture of family praying and compare to your family)

(Show picture of child praying and have your children show you how they pray)

Thought Question: Why do we pray in the name of Jesus Christ?
Discuss why we use Jesus’ name when we pray.

Activity: Allow and assist your child in saying the closing prayer, then play duck duck goose. You can substitute the goose for the word "prayer!"

Treat: Veggies and Ranch dressing

Lesson 13: I Can Always Pray

Song: I Often Go Walking

Lesson: Read Luke 21:36. Then show your children a picture of a boy or girl praying.

The scriptures teach us that we should pray always. This means that instead of praying only at church or only when you really need something, you can pray anywhere you go and anytime you want to.

Sometimes you’ll be in places where it might seem strange to pray. If you feel funny speaking your prayer out loud, you can say the words in your mind instead. This is called a silent prayer, and Heavenly Father will still hear you praying, even if you don’t pray out loud.

We should always have a prayer in our hearts. This means even when you aren’t saying a prayer, you can keep your thoughts and feelings clean and pure so the Spirit can be with you.

If you pray always, you can feel the Spirit all the time. The Spirit will help you make good choices and keep you safe from danger and from bad thoughts or actions.

Ash your children questions like what kinds of things should you say in your prayers? Why is it important to ask Heavenly Father for help?

Activity: Play “Mother May I”. Talk about how in this game you are asking for help accomplishing tasks, just as we must turn to our Heavenly Father for help each day.

Treat: Muddy Buddies:

Melt One cup chocolate chips with on cup of peanut butter. Mix in large bowl with one box of rice chex. Place in large Ziploc bag and shake powdered sugar over the mixture.

Lesson 14: I Can Learn to Recognize Personal Revelation

Song: Did You Think to Pray?

Lesson: Read the Scripture 3 Nephi 11:3. Show your children your scriptures. Allow them to flip through the pages to see the markings you have made and notes you have left to yourself, if you have done so.

(If you do not have scriptures handy, you may show them a picture)

Colby’s parents speak different languages. His mom grew up in Brazil, so she speaks Portuguese. His dad served a mission in Germany, so he speaks German. Colby has learned both languages, and he speaks English too. But there’s another language Colby is still learning: the language of the Spirit.

We all need to learn this language so we will know what Heavenly Father wants us to do. When we pray, the Spirit helps us hear and understand the answers Heavenly Father sends us.

Sometimes the Spirit speaks with a warm, peaceful feeling when you’re doing what’s right. Sometimes the Spirit directs you to scriptures that answer your questions. And sometimes the Spirit sends other people to answer your prayers. When you receive an answer through the Spirit, you are receiving personal revelation.

Ask your children how can you learn to recognize the language of the Spirit? What are ways we can live righteously so we can always be ready to hear the spirit talk to us?

Activity: play “The telephone game” to emphasize how important it is to make sure we are truly listening so we always know what our Heavenly Father would have us do.

Treat: Choose foods that make loud sounds as you eat. Talk to your children about the sounds they hear as they eat to emphasize the importance of listening.

Lesson 15: Joseph Smith Was a Latter-Day Prophet

Song: Follow the Prophet

Lesson: Heavenly Father wants us to happy. He wants us to know His commandments. In the scriptures we read that God has a certain way that he reveals truth to the people on the earth.

(show your children pictures of the prophets Noah, Abinadi and Samuel)

Ask your children:
- Who is each of these men? (Noah, Abinadi and Samuel the Lamanite)
- What is the same about all of these men? (they were Prophets)

Heavenly Father calls righteous men as his Prophets. He tells them his will and they are commanded to tell those around them what Heavenly Father wants them to do. They write their testimonies in sacred books called scriptures.

Ask one child to leave the room. Assign remaining family members to one box/bag or the other. That is their box and if the chosen child picks their box they "win". Invite the child back into the room. Have the two teams try to persuade the child which box to choose. Encourage them to really be persuasive.

After they choose (but before opening) ask...

- Why did you choose that container?

- How did you feel when others were trying to tell you what to do?

When Jesus was on the earth he established his church, but after he died, the truth was lost and his church was gone. After that many churches were formed and said THEY were the church Jesus Christ made.

When Joseph Smith was fourteen years old, he was confused about a choice he needed to make. He was trying to decide which church he should join. Other people tried to help him choose a church, but he only became more confused. Joseph’s situation was similar to that of the child who had to choose between the two containers. Everyone wanted him to choose their church, but he did not know which church was the right choice. He decided to pray and ask Heavenly Father which church to join.

One day, Joseph went into the woods near his home to ask God which church to join.

(Show a picture of the first vision if you are able)

As Joseph knelt down he saw a pillar of light over his head and he saw two men standing in the air above him. Heavenly Father spoke to Joseph and introduced His Son, Jesus Christ.

(Have child open the box and see that there is nothing inside. Show that the other box was also empty.)

When Joseph asked which church to join, Jesus told him not to join any, for they were all wrong. The Lord commanded Joseph Smith to make the Church of Jesus Christ on the earth again. Because Joseph Smith spoke with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ he was called as a Prophet, just like Prophets like Noah, Abinadi and Samuel the Lamanite.

(If you are able, show a picture of the prophet, Joseph Smith)

Joseph Smith restored Jesus Christ's true church on the earth again, he received the Priesthood power and wrote his testimony in sacred books, like the Doctrine and Covenants. Joseph Smith was our first Modern or Latter Day Prophet, meaning he lived a long time after Jesus died. He also translated the words of Ancient Prophets from the golden plates and they are now The Book of Mormon.

Bear your testimony about the Prophet Joseph Smith and how his restoration of the Gospel has impacted your life.

Activity: Play the game from the lesson again

Treat: Enjoy a bowl of cereal together

Lesson 16: Modern Day Missionaries

Song: I Hope They Call Me on a Mission

Lesson: Read D&C 133:37 then show your children a picture of Christ.

- What makes you like about going to church?

- How does knowing about Jesus Christ makes us more happy?

There are people on the earth who don't know about Jesus Christ. They have never heard of him. They don't go to church and they don't know how to return to live with Heavenly Father.

Jesus Christ loves all the people on the earth. He wants everyone to know about his true Church. It makes him happy when missionaries are willing to teach the truth to people everywhere. That is why the Lord calls Missionaries.

Missionaries are special people called to teach others about Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ and the church. Heavenly Father has commanded all young men to serve missions when they are 19 years old. But girls can also go on missions and so can grandmas and grandpas.

(show world map or globe)

When you say you will serve a mission you don't get to pick where you go. You receive a mission call that tells you where Heavenly Father has called you to serve...it can be almost anywhere in the entire world and sometimes you have to learn to speak in a new language where you are going.

Missionaries You Know - if you or your husband served a mission this is a great time to share stories from your mission experience. If not, ask the missionaries serving in your area to join you for FHE and share their experiences or call a relative and have them share. You may choose to go over the following points.

- Why did you decide to serve a mission?
- What did you feel when you got your call? (Point on the map to where you went)
- How did you feel when you first arrived in your mission?
- What did you learn while there?

- What were the blessings of missionary service in your life.

- Bear a short testimony in the language you spoke (if foreign speaking)

- Show pictures of yourself as a missionary.

We can share the gospel too - Invite the children to be missionaries during the coming week by telling someone about the gospel or giving them a pass along card (available in most church buildings).

Bear your testimony about the joys and blessings of missionary service.

Activity: Choose from the following activities as they best suit your family.

1) Writing a Missionary a Letter
Write a letter to a missionary in your family or in your ward. Have children draw pictures, write encouraging words or create cards.

2) Mini Mission Calls

Have each child open a sealed envelope with a mini mission call. Use the LDS Mission Generator (you can find on google). They may then practice reading them out loud to each other.

"Elder/Sister child's first name child's last name , you have been called to serve in the ___country/state___ _____city_____ mission. While there you will preach the gospel in ____language____. You will probably eat _____________ and ______________. The surrounding area will look ________________ and ______________ and the people will ___________________. The weather will be ______________ and you might see ___________________ and _______________ there. The neartest Temple is in ______________,___________ about ______ miles away. You will receive many blessings as you serve the Lord faithfully."

Treat: Enjoy a bowl of fruit

Lesson 17: I Am Special

Song: I’ll Walk With You

Lesson: Before we come to earth we lived with our Heavenly Father. We were spirits there. A spirit is what is inside of us that makes us alive. When we were spirits, we didn’t have bodies like we have now, but we looked the same.

Heavenly Father is the father of our spirits, and we are his spirit children. We don’t remember living with Heavenly Father before we came to earth, but we know we are his spirit children because we read it in the scriptures. Every person on the earth is a child of Heavenly Father and that makes each and every person very very special.

Everyone on the earth is different. We look different, we have different talents and different likes and dislikes. All of these things make each person special. There is no one on the earth exactly like you.

Birds can fly but cannot swim
Like great fish in the sea.
Rabbits hop but cannot swing
Like monkeys in a tree.

I can sing but cannot run
As fast as Sue or Ray.
It’s wonderful that each of us
Is special in his way.

- Blanche Boshinski

Some talents you are born with and others you have to work really hard at. No baby is born knowing how to play the piano, but many people work hard, practice and learn from others until they become talented at piano and can share that talent with others.

Once we know what our talents are we should do our very best to make them grow, to use them to help others and to help the church grow and be strong.

Sometimes it is easy to look at someone else and think that they have more talents than you, look the way you want to look or have things you want. But Heavenly Father made you just the way you are for an important reason. He needs you to use the talents he has given you to make the world a better place.

Activity: Everyone take a piece of paper and write down something they are good at. Then, take turns reading them out loud and performing your talents to one another.

Treat: Enjoy a bowl of ice cream with hot fudge and whipped cream

Lesson 18: Friendship

Song: Love One Another

Lesson: Read Proverbs 17:17

One of the very best blessings we can have in this life is good friends. Good friends make us feel happy, are fun to be around, listen to us and help us when we need help. We can be all of those things to others as well. Friends can be very much alike or very different.

Share this story about being a good friend, even when we are different.

Paul ran down the school steps and got into Mom’s car.

“How was school?” Mom asked.

“Great!” Paul exclaimed. “We have a new girl in our class named Cristina. She is from another country, and she is just learning to speak English.”

“I hope you will help her feel welcome,” Mom said.

“I’d like to, but how can I do that if she can’t understand me?” Paul asked.

“That’s easy,” Mom said. “Just smile.”

“Smile? What do you mean?”

“A smile can mean hello, how are you, or have a nice day. It is an international sign,” Mom said.

“I never thought of it that way before,” Paul said.

A few days later, Paul was excited to tell Mom about his day.

“Mom, remember when you told me that if I couldn’t talk to Cristina, I should just smile?” Paul asked. “Well, it worked!”

“That’s great!” Mom said. “What happened?”

“During recess I noticed that Cristina was standing by herself. She had a jump rope in her hand, but she wasn’t jumping. I wanted to be nice, but I didn’t know what to say. Then I remembered what you said and I smiled at her. She smiled back. Then she started jumping rope, and for the rest of recess she looked happy.”

“That’s wonderful!” Mom said. “I’m proud of you for being nice to Cristina.”

About a month later, Paul went to a school party at the roller-skating rink. As he skated around, he noticed that Cristina was standing alone at the side of the rink. Then there was an announcement over the loudspeaker: “Find a buddy to skate with for the next song.”

Paul skated over to Cristina. She looked surprised. He gave her a big smile and motioned for her to join him. Just like that day on the playground, she smiled brightly. As they skated with their classmates, Paul realized Mom was right. A smile means friendship in any language.

(story by Barbara Hagen, "Just Smile", Friend, Jan. 2010, 20–21)

Good friendships can help us make good decisions and choose the right. Our friends should never try and make us break commandments or make bad decisions that could hurt others. If there are people like that who say they are our friends, they are not really good friends. We should always choose good friends who help us make good decisions.

We have friends we play with now, but we have another good friend that you know a lot about. You know where He was born and what His mother’s name was. You know that He was baptized in the River Jordan by His cousin, John the Baptist. You probably know many of the stories about His life and what He taught. You know that He loves you.

- Who is the friend? (Jesus Christ)

Did you know that the more you come to know Jesus Christ the more you will understand that He can be your very best friend?

(Show a picture of Christ calming stormy waters)

The scriptures are a wonderful place to learn about Jesus Christ. One time His disciples were on a boat in the middle of the Sea of Galilee. A great storm arose, and they were afraid that they would die. Jesus Christ calmed the winds and the water, and His friends were safe. We can also be safe in His care.

(Show a picture of Christ teaching children)

When we keep the commandments of Jesus Christ, we are following Him. He will help us follow Him. We will come to know the Savior when we follow Him, pray to Heavenly Father in His name, learn about Him in the scriptures, and love Him. Jesus said, "Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you." (John 15:14). We can feel close to the Savior when we keep the commandments.

Share a story about friends in your life who have made an impact on the good decisions you made. Bear testimony of the friendship of Jesus Christ, that we can feel close to Him and He will take care of us.

Activity: Think of your best friend and write them a note telling them what you love the most about them. Take the note to them if they live near you.

Treat: Enjoy some Hershey’s hugs and kisses.

Lesson 19: Minding Our Manners

Song: kindness begins with me

Lesson: Ask your children, what are manners? Manners are a way we act that shows everyone around us that they are important to us, that makes our home a nice place to be and that show kindness to all we meet. There are ways to have good manners and be polite in all different ways, but tonight we are going to talk about a few very important manners to start practicing.

Teach your children the magic words. One of the very most important things about manners are the magic words. These words are magic because they make others feel good and they make you appreciate your blessings more. One is a word you use when you are asking for something. The other are words you say after you receive something.

- Can anyone guess the words? (Please and Thank You)

Here's a little rhyme/song about using polite words...listen for the Magic Words.

OPTION 1
We say "Thank you."
We say, "Please,"
And "excuse me,"
When we sneeze.

That's the way
We do what's right.
We have manners.
We're polite.

OPTION 2
(Sung to I'm a Little Teapot)

I have super manners. Yes, I do.
I can say "Please," and "Thank You," too.
When I play with friends, I like to share.
That's the way I show I care!

When you ask for something it is always best to say Please.
- What are ways we can use the word Please at home? at school? at church?

When someone does something nice for you it is always best to say Thank You.
- What are ways we can use the words Thank You at home? at school? at church?

Activity: Practice acting out silly scenarios and asking for strange objects while using your manners

Treat: Enjoy sugar “please” peas in the pods. Treat with ranch dressing dip.

Lesson 20: David and Goliath

Song: Keep the Commandments

Lesson: (cut out “stepping stones” out of paper)

Ask the children if they have ever used stepping-stones to cross a stream or puddle. Have one of the children demonstrate how this is done using the three flat rocks printouts that you have placed on the floor. Discuss how stones can help us, but they can also cause us to stumble and fall if we aren’t careful.

With marker write on the stones challenges your children might face in their daily life.

Have a child read the challenge on the first rock. Ask the children how that challenge could be a stumbling block. Then ask how the challenge can become a stepping-stone to make them better people.

Continue the discussion with the other two rocks. Help the children understand that the challenges in our lives can be stumbling blocks or stepping-stones depending on how we handle them. If we become unhappy and angry because of the difficulties we face in life, they are stumbling blocks to us. If we handle our difficulties with a positive attitude and learn from them, then we become better people and our challenges are like stepping-stones to us. You may want to have the children take turns using the rocks as stepping-stones. Tell the children that you are going to teach them about a boy named David who turned a difficult challenge into a stepping-stone...

David was a shepherd boy. His father asked him to leave his flock and take food to his brothers in the Israelite army.

When he arrived at their army camp, David saw a nine-foot giant shouting at the Israelite army.

- How tall do you think 9 feet is? (show the kids 9 feet relative to the room. If you have 8 foot ceilings say that Goliath was too tall to stand in this room, etc.)

The giant’s name was Goliath, and the Israelites were afraid of him. Every morning and night for forty days Goliath had challenged them to choose one soldier to fight him, but none of them had had the courage for such an uneven fight.

When David said that he would fight the giant, his brothers became angry with him. But David knew that God would help and protect him. He refused the armor and weapons offered to him. Instead, he took his sling and gathered five smooth stones from a stream bed.

(Show a picture of David and Goliath)

When Goliath saw the young boy, he laughed and made fun of him. But David said, “This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand.” As the giant approached, David put a stone in his sling. He slung the stone, and it hit Goliath in the forehead. Goliath fell to the ground, dead, and the rest of Goliath’s army ran away.

When we follow the spirit, the Lord helps us accomplish amazing things.

Activity: use marshmallows and a target. Have the children toss marshmallows at the target to see if they can hit the target like David hitting Goliath.

Treat: Eat the marshmallows

Lesson 21: Jonah

Song: As I Search the Holy Scriptures

Lesson: Read 1 Nephi 3:7 Talk to your children about how we are expected to obey Heavenly Father- he will never tell us to do something we would not be able to do.

Read this song verse and teach it to your children if you can.

Jonah was a prophet, tried to run away,
But he later learned to listen and obey.
When we really try, the Lord won’t let us fail:
That’s what Jonah learned deep down inside the whale.

The Lord commanded Jonah to tell the wicked people of the city of Nineveh that if they didn’t repent, they would be destroyed. Jonah didn’t want to go to that wicked place. He didn’t think the people would listen to him or want to change, so instead of obeying the Lord he decided to run away. He got on a boat that was sailing west to Spain.

A huge storm came and tossed the boat to and fro. The sailors cried out to Jonah, who was sleeping, to pray to his God to save them. Knowing that his disobedience was the cause of the storm, Jonah told them, “Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto you”.

Though they didn’t want to, the sailors finally did as Jonah asked and threw him into the sea. A great big whale swallowed Jonah and Jonah was in the whale's stomach for 3 days and 3 nights.

While in the fish, Jonah prayed. He knew that he had disobeyed, and he wanted the Lord to forgive him. The Lord did, then caused that the fish “vomited out Jonah upon the dry land”. He again told the prophet to go to Nineveh.

Jonah obeyed. To his surprise, when he told the people of Nineveh that the Lord was displeased with them and that they would soon be destroyed, they believed him and turned from their evil ways. They accepted the gift of repentance that would come through the Savior, and they were not destroyed. Both the prophet Jonah and the people he preached to had need of the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ so that they could return to Heavenly Father. Because this gift is given to everyone, we too can repent when we make mistakes.

Read or tell the following story about a boy who learned the same lesson as Jonah...

McKay felt terrible! He had been playing with his bubblegum and gotten it all over his hands. Then, to make matters worse, he had wiped the bubblegum off his hands and onto his bedroom wall. He knew his mother and father would be coming to tuck him into bed any minute, and he was afraid. He didn’t want to get into trouble, so he piled a toy box and some toys on top of each other until they hid the bubblegum mess.

When Mother walked into his bedroom, she said, “McKay, why are your toys stacked up like that?”

He shrugged his shoulders, hoping she wouldn’t figure it out.

Father came in and sat next to McKay on the bed. “Well, shall we read scriptures?” he asked.

“Yes,” McKay said. He loved reading with his parents every night.

Father began to read the story of Jonah and the whale. McKay closed his eyes and listened. He could understand why Jonah didn’t want to go to the city of Nineveh and teach his enemies about the gospel. That would be a scary and hard thing to do.

McKay’s father read about Jonah running away so that he wouldn’t have to obey God. But God knew where Jonah was no matter where he went. Heavenly Father had to send a whale to swallow Jonah in order to teach him a lesson.

McKay frowned. He thought about Jonah trying to run away and hide from God. McKay remembered the bubblegum mess on the wall. Even though his mother and father couldn’t see it, Heavenly Father could. “Mom, Dad,” McKay said, “I’m hiding something.” He went to the wall and uncovered the mess.

“Yikes!” Mother said. “I’ll get a washcloth and some cleaner.”

Father shook his head. “Why did you try to hide that?” he asked.

“Because I was afraid, and I didn’t want to get into trouble. I’m sorry.”

Mother handed him the washcloth. “Here,” she said. “I’ll spray the cleaner. You scrub.”

After he finished cleaning the wall, McKay knelt with his parents and said a prayer. Then, he climbed into bed. “I’m glad you learned a lesson tonight,” Father said.

McKay smiled and said, “And I didn’t even have to be swallowed by a whale!”

His parents laughed and kissed McKay good night. McKay didn’t feel terrible anymore. In fact, he fell asleep feeling great.

We should always do what is right, even when it is hard. When we do, we will get blessings from the Lord and we can feel good inside, knowing we did what was right.

Activity: play tag but make one person “it” and they are the whale chasing everyone else who are “fish”. Instead of running, pretend to swim away from one another.

Treat: Enjoy a bowl of goldfish

Lesson 22: Joseph and The Technicolor Dream Coat

Song: I Will Seek the Lord Early

Lesson: Jacob had twelve sons, but Joseph was his favorite son. Jacob gave him a beautiful coat of many colors, which made his brothers jealous and angry.

One time when the brothers were out feeding the sheep, Jacob sent Joseph to see how they were doing. When the brothers saw Joseph, they planned to kill him. But his brother, Reuben, persuaded them not to. Instead, they grabbed him, tore off his colorful coat, and threw him into a pit. He was 17 years old.

(Show a picture of Joseph and his coat if you are able)

Soon some people were passing by, and the brothers sold Joseph to them. Then the brothers killed a young goat, dipped Joseph’s coat in its blood, and showed the coat to their father, hoping to convince him that a beast had killed and devoured Joseph. Joseph's father was heartbroken.

The people who bought Joseph took him to Egypt. While Joseph was there people lied about him. He was thrown into jail, but he always remained faithful to the Lord. One day when Joseph was in jail the King had a dream. He asked if anyone could tell him what the dream meant. Joseph was able to tell him because Heavenly Father gave him that gift. The King let Joseph out of jail and made Joseph very powerful.

Soon Joseph's brothers needed help and went to Egypt to ask for help from the King. When the brothers arrived in Egypt, they went to the house of an important man. They bowed down to him and asked him for help. None of the brothers realized they were bowing to their brother Joseph. But Joseph knew they were his brothers.

“I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt,” he said. The brothers were speechless and frightened. Would Joseph be angry with them?

Joseph forgave his brothers. He said, "Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life." Moreover he kissed all his brethren, and wept upon them: and after that his brethren talked with him.

Joseph’s father and brothers and their families came to live in Egypt. Joseph knew his family had been blessed by Heavenly Father. Because Joseph was faithful to the commandments and forgave his brothers, his family lived and grew and became righteous.

Ask your children if they think it would be hard to forgive your brothers if they did that to you?
How can we be more like Joseph when our families do things that make us sad or hurt our feelings?

Activity: use markers to color many colors on a white paper. Then, give each child a black crayon with no wrapper and have them rub and color over the marker as much as they can and want. Then, have them use a coin to scratch off under the black coin so they can see the bright technicolor paper.

Treat: Make a box of fun-fetti cookies to show the various colors

Lesson 23: The Sacrament

Song: To Think About Jesus (PCS #71)

Lesson:

(show picture of Christ and Children from around the World)

Jesus is the son of Heavenly Father. Because Jesus loves us so much, he came to earth to be our Savior. He healed the sick, taught the gospel, and showed the right way to live. He suffered for our sins so we could repent and live with Heavenly Father again.

(show picture of The Last Supper)

Before Jesus died he gathered his Apostles around him. Jesus gave them the very first sacrament at this time. He blessed bread and gave it to the Apostles, telling them to eat in remembrance of His body. Then He passed the cup, telling them to drink and saying that this was in remembrance of His blood.

(show picture of Christ teaching the Americas)

After his death and resurrection Jesus visited the Nephites on the American Continent. Jesus taught the Nephites about the sacrament. He talks about using bread and wine, but today we use water instead of the juice they called wine in those days.

In 3 Nephi 18: 3-4, 7 it says, "And when the disciples had come with bread and wine, he took of the bread and brake and blessed it; and he gave unto the disciples and commanded that they should eat. And when they had eaten and were filled, he commanded that they should give unto the multitude. And this shall ye do in remembrance of my body, which I have shown unto you. And it shall be a testimony unto the Father that ye do always remember me. And if ye do always remember me ye shall have my Spirit to be with you."

So the Jesus said a prayer over the bread, gave it to the church members there and asked them to eat it and remember his body.

The story continues in 3 Nephi 18: 8-9 where it says "And it came to pass that when he said these words, he commanded his disciples that they should take of the wine (or water) of the cup and drink of it, and that they should also give unto the multitude that they might drink of it. And it came to pass that they did so, and did drink of it and were filled; and they gave unto the multitude, and they did drink, and they were filled."

After the bread Jesus said a prayer over the water, gave it to the church members there and asked them to eat it and remember his blood.

- Whom were the Apostles supposed to think of when they took the sacrament?
- Whom were the Nephites supposed to think of when they took the sacrament?
- Whom should we think of when we take the sacrament?

Because Jesus gave us the sacrament to help us remember him, it is important to think about Jesus and to help others think about him, too. We can do this by being reverent during the sacrament. Here are some rules to help you be reverent during the passing of the sacrament...

Explain to your children the steps of preparing for the sacrament:
1. We get ready for the sacrament by singing a reverent hymn that reminds us of Jesus.
2. We listen carefully as the prayer to bless the bread is said.
3. When the bread is passed to us, we take only one piece.
4. We listen carefully as the prayer to bless the water is said.
5. We reverently drink the water and put the cup back in the tray.
6. We never play with the bread or the sacrament cups.

Activity: Teach your children this movement poem.

SACRAMENT MOVEMENT POEM

I’ll fold my arms (fold arms),

I’ll bow my head (bow head),

And quiet, quiet be (whisper this line).

As the sacrament is blessed,

I will remember Thee.

Treat: Make some homemade bread to emphasize the bread in the sacrament and eat with jam.

LESSON 24: Women at the Well

Song: I Lived in Heaven

Lesson: Read John 4:14 as a family.

Where Jesus lived was a very dry place. Water was very important to the people there since, without water, nothing can live. Plants, animals and people will die in a very hot place without water. The people there had special pots that they used to get their water and to keep it safe in their houses. These pots were very important because it made it possible for them to get the water they needed to keep their bodies alive.

(show picture of Christ and the Samaritan Woman)

One day Jesus was traveling through Samaria. Samaria was a place that others did not like. They thought people from Samaria (called Samaritans) were not as good as them. As Jesus was traveling he came to Jacob’s well. It was noon, it was probably very hot and he was tired. He rested by the well where people came to get water. When a Samaritan woman came to get some water, Jesus asked her to give Him a drink.

- Why did Jesus ask the woman for a drink?
- How would water help him?
- If you ever get thirsty what can you do to fix it?

(Hand each child a small glass of water. Have them drink it)

- Now that you have had a drink you will never be thirsty ever again in your whole life, right? (No, because our bodies need water over and over again. Water moves through our body quickly and doesn't last forever.)

Since the people of Judah usually had nothing to do with the Samaritans, the woman was surprised that Jesus was talking to her. Jesus told her that He could give her water that would cause her to never thirst again. She did not understand.

Jesus did not mean actual water. Because Jesus died for our sins it makes it possible that we can be forgiven of our sins and live with Heavenly Father again forever and ever. Living forever is called "Eternal Life". Jesus told the woman at the well that He was the Messiah and that the water He offered her was the “living water” of eternal life.

Even though the woman was supposed to be getting water from the well, instead she ran to the city to tell others she had met the Christ, the Savior of the world. When she left went she left her water pot by the well, even though it was so important to her. The people in the city went to the well and spoke with Jesus themselves, and many of them believed His words.

(Show picture of Christ)

Sometimes when we learn of Christ and his teachings we have to leave our worldly things behind us and choose to follow him because he can lead us to eternal life. When missionaries go on a mission they leave behind all of their things, stop going to college and work very hard for 18 months to three years. Even though they could be doing fun things or finishing their schooling to make more money in this life, they leave and go away to help others come to know Jesus Christ just like the woman at the well did.

When we choose to follow Jesus Christ and his teachings we have to sacrifice many things. Sometimes we sacrifice things we think are really important. But the most important thing we can get is Eternal Life with our Father in Heaven. Jesus Christ has promised that if we follow him, even when it means giving up things we love, that we can have eternal life and true happiness.

Activity: Pick a family in your neighborhood that you can do something kind for. Choose an act of service and do this as a family. Have your children help you list the steps and perform them.

Treat: Make brownies together so your children can practice serving them to one another in an act of service.

Lesson 25: Being Healthy

Song: The Lord Gave me a Temple (PCS #153)

Lesson: Read this quote to your children: “The Lord has commanded you to take good care of your body. To do this, observe the Word of Wisdom. Eat nutritious food, exercise regularly, and get enough sleep. When you do all these things...you gain the blessings of a healthy body, an alert mind, and the guidance of the Holy Ghost." - L. Tom Perry

Use this Object Lesson: Before FHE begins print photos of your children (preferably ones that show their entire body). Place it in a small box or gift bag and wrap it like a present. You may choose to do this for each individual child or wrap one box for the entire family. Tell family members that inside this box is a gift that Heavenly Father has given to each of us. Have them open the gifts and see the pictures representing our physical bodies.

Before we were born our spirits lived in Heaven with our Heavenly Father. One of the most important reasons for coming to earth was to get a physical body. Our bodies are a sacred gift given to us by our Heavenly Father. We will only get one body to use during our time on earth so it is very important that we take good care of it. Today we are going to talk about making good choices for our bodies with FOOD and EXERCISE.

(Show food pyramid)

FOOD: What foods we put into our bodies is very important. Just like a car needs gasoline to run, our bodies use food to give us energy to move, play and work. If we put bad foods into our bodies all the time our body won't work the right way. Let's talk about foods that are good for our bodies.

Vegetables - We should eat vegetables of all colors. Dark green vegetables are especially good for us. We should eat veggies every single day, no matter what.

Fruits - Fruits are also really good for our bodies. We should eat fruit every day as well.

Grains - Grains help us have lots of energy. Grains, like bread, are especially good when they are dark brown instead of white.

Dairy - Milk is really good for our bones. Things with milk in them like yogurt, cheese and sour cream are also good for our bodies. Sometimes milk has a lot of fat in it. We can get the good things from milk, but not get the bad fat by eating a drinking milk products which are low-fat.

Protein - Protein is a fancy word for the kind of nutrition we get from meats, beans and nuts. If we eat meat we should eat just a little bit and we should try and eat meat that isn't fried.

Just because we focus on eating these healthy things does not mean we can never eat anything else. It is okay to have other food things once in a while, but not every day. Sweets like candy, ice cream and chocolate are okay to eat once in a while. So are other less-healthy foods like french fries, cheese burgers and pizza.

( show Foods Poster and explain to children that the size of the wedge shows how much or little of those kinds of foods we should eat )

EXERCISE: Our bodies need to move around to stay healthy. Exercise can be really fun! Activities like Soccer, football, karate, gymnastics or just playing tag are all really good for our bodies. The most important thing to remember is that if your ENTIRE body is moving, it's getting exercise. Watching TV and playing video games or computer games is okay once in a while, but you should only do those things for less time than your ENTIRE BODY moves each day.

Activity: Set goals for your family together. Our family is going to make some goals to make our physical bodies more healthy! (use this time to set simple goals with your family in areas in which you need improvement. This may include using a timer to monitor video game/computer/TV time, taking up an active family activity for exercise or eating whole grain breads or more fruits and veggies each day).

*Make sure to write these goals down and track your family's progress during the week. You may choose to set a special incentive for attaining goals like a family trip to the local indoor swimming pool, a game of family laser tag or another active family activity.

Treat: Make “Ants on a Log” together by cutting celery stalks and spreading peanut butter across them. Once there is peanut butter, place chocolate chips or raisins on top to look like ants crawling on a log.

Lesson 26: Loving Those With Disabilities

Song: I'll Walk with You (PCS #140)

Lesson: Read 1 Samuel 16:7 as a family.

Before FHE buy two identical, small toys (I got mine from the dollar store). Wrap one in beautiful wrapping paper and a ribbon. Wrap the second in a plain brown paper bag. Have a child open the first and then the second. Ask if the wrapping the toys came in made a difference on what was inside.

Last week we talked about the gift that Heavenly Father has given to each of us when he sent us to earth to get our physical bodies. Heavenly Father is the father of our spirit. He sent us to earth , not just to get physical bodies, but also to live and grow and learn.

When God sends us to earth our spirits are perfect. We are like him. But sometimes the bodies were are born into don't work the same way as others do. Our bodies are not perfect.

Some people can't hear. They talk with their hands in a language called sign language. Some people cannot see. They may use a seeing eye dog or a special cane to find their way around without being able to see. Some people cannot walk and they use walking braces or a wheel chair to help them get around.

Some bodies have more serious problems like not being able to walk or talk and sometimes their hands and arms are crumpled into different shapes than ours. Sometimes someone can look like their body is fine, but they may have a hard time making friends, or learn things very differently than others do. But even though others may be different than us, we can still be their friend.

We are all children of our Heavenly Father and when we get to know each other we can learn to love the things that make us different and also learn how much we have in common. Here's a poem from the Children's Friend Magazine about how similar we all are: (poem by Kate Kellogg)

Although I cannot walk or run,
I still believe in having fun.
While I am sitting in this chair,
My mind goes racing everywhere.

So stop and smile and talk with me,
And you will very quickly see
That I enjoy jokes, games and toys,
And meeting other girls and boys.

- What is different about you than the child in the poem? (the child in the poem is in a wheelchair)

- What is the same about you and the child in the poem? (likes having fun, jokes, games and toys)

- How does the child in the poem say they want you to treat them? (to be their friend)

(show picture Christ Healing a Blind Man OR Christ Healing the Sick at Bethesda)

Jesus loved everyone no matter how different they seemed. During his life he met many people that others would not be friends with. He healed people with disabilities, but more importantly he loved them, no matter what.

No matter what makes our bodies different, our Spirits are the most important part of who we are. The Proclamation on the Family tells us that our spirits existed before we were born and they will exist long after we die. Our spirit and heart grow and develop when we love others, are patient and kind and when we try to become more and more like Jesus Christ.

Activity: Choose from the following activities as they best suit your family.

Activity: Learn some sign language as a family. Teach and practice these signs together.

Treat: Open a bag of chips and share chips together with dip. The children can see how some chips have cracks or are broken, but all of the chips taste the same and are delicious.

Lesson 27: Appreciating the Elderly

Song: Love One Another (PCS #136)

Lesson: Read the following quote to your family. "The Lord knows and loves the elderly among His people...In various dispensations He has guided His people through prophets who were in their advancing years. He has needed the wisdom and experience of age, the inspired direction from those with long years of proven faithfulness to His gospel." (Ezra Taft Benson )

Everyday that we are here on earth we are learning. Think of all the things you can do now that you could not do when you were a baby. The older we get the more we learn and grow. We get smarter and smarter.

- What are some of the things you have learned recently?
- Could you do those things when you were 1 years old?

Part of the joy of getting older is learning more and having more experiences. Each stage of our lives have different things that bring us joy and make life wonderful. Today we are going to talk about the blessings and challenges of the Elderly (explain what the word "elderly" means if needed).

Older people have learned and grown a lot. They have had so many amazing life experiences and love sharing those experiences with others. When you get older you can stop working and enjoy fun things. You also get to see you kids grow up and get to have grandchildren and great grandchildren.

We can learn so much from older people about life and happiness. It is a joy to get to speak to them and hear their wise words.

(show picture of Thomas S. Monson)

Our Prophets and Apostles are older men. They are called at that time in their lives because they are wise and have many experiences to help them serve others. They have lived a faithful life and grown close to Heavenly Father. Our Prophet today is Thomas S. Monson. He is 85 years old.

But sometimes elderly people get sick or their bodies don't work just right anymore. They may have to stay in a special place called a Nursing Home where doctors and nurses can help them. It's nice that they are getting the care that they need, but it can also be lonely. Their families can come and visit, but sometimes they don't get very many visitors.

We can help the elderly in many ways. If we have elderly neighbors we can do things for them that may be hard when your body gets older. We can rake their leaves, mow their lawns, shovel snow or lift things. This brings joy into our hearts for serving and helps them stay safe.

We can also visit those in nursing homes. Just a smile or a song can make them feel loved and wanted. Sharing our hearts with others is the best gift we can give.

Activity: Pass out and each color the coloring page found below.

Treat: Enjoy and share a pile of raisins because they are wrinkly but still sweet and delicious.

Lesson 28: Working Hard

Song: When You’re Happy and You Know it

Opening Song: When We're Helping We're Happy (PCS #198B)

Lesson: Read Jeremiah 31:16 as a family.

As part of His plan, Heavenly Father gave us bodies. He has told us that we should use our bodies to work hard. Working hard helps us to be happy because it helps us reach our goals, helps us serve others and makes us feel proud of the things we accomplish.

Though some may see work as something to avoid, the gospel teaches that working for and with our families brings great blessings. God Himself calls His plan for His children “my work and my glory” .

Heavenly Father has asked parents to teach their children the importance of hard work. Building a strong family takes hard work, and part of that work is teaching our children how to work. L. Tom Perry said, "Teaching children the joy of honest labor is one of the greatest of all gifts you can bestow upon them.”.

- How do you feel about work?
- Why do you think hard work is important?
- How do you think we can make work more fun within our family?

(some options may include: listening to music, setting a timer and seeing how long it takes to complete certain tasks...then trying to beat that time next time, singing together, being rewarded for a job well done with a small treat, etc.)

(show picture of Christ washing his apostles’ feet)

When Jesus was on the earth he called 12 men to be his Apostles. He needed help accomplishing all the work he had to do. The apostles helped Jesus Christ share the message of his gospel and accomplish other tasks. He served them by washing their feet and told them they should also serve others through tasks.

One of our Latter-day Prophets, Brigham Young, said, "If you work hard, you'll be happy..."

- How do you think working hard makes us happy? (we feel good about what we accomplished, we can make things nice, we can help others)

We need to work hard and do our best at home, at school, at sports, in learning instruments and in every part of our lives. Working hard will help us reach our goals and feel good about ourselves.

Have each family member answer the following questions:
- What was a time you worked hard to accomplish something?
- How did you feel when you were finished?

We can work hard no matter how old we are. Toddlers can learn to put away toys when they are finished playing with them. Children can help set the table and keep their rooms clean. Older kids and teenagers can help with family tasks and household chores. Parents go to work at a job and also keep the home in order with the help of their children. We can all find good work to do to help make our families, homes and the world a better place.

When we work hard we feel happy, we can accomplish great things and, most importantly, we learn to be more like Heavenly Father and our Savior. They worked hard. When we work hard we can become more like them.

ESTABLISH CHORES
If you do not already have it in place, establish personal and family chores for each member of the family.

Make sure to discuss possible rewards for completing chores (this is totally up to you). However, every family should establish clear and logical consequences for not completing chores.

Activity: Make and decorate family chore charts

1. Print for each family member.
2. Have them decorate with crayons, markers or stickers.
3. Hang in prominent area and enforce chore rules for the next two weeks.
4. After two weeks you may choose to re-assess chore expectations and revise them.

Treat: Make homemade ice cream together as a family so the children can see how hard work can really pay off and taste delicious!

Lesson 29: Clean Speech

Song: Kindness begins with me

Lesson: Read Ephesians 4:29

The words we say are very important. Words help us communicate with one another. They show others how we are feeling and what we are trying to say.

(show kids a Dictionary)

- Does anyone know what this book is?

It is a book filled with words. There are millions of words in the English language which we use to talk every day. But not all words are the same. There are some words that make people feel good and other words that make people feel bad. Some words are so bad that they are called SWEAR WORDS. People use these bad words when they are angry. They are not good words. Swear words offend Heavenly Father and drive the Holy Ghost away.

Swearing - Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley said, "Don’t swear...Stay away from conversation that is sprinkled with foul and filthy words. You will be happier if you do so, and your example will give strength to others."

We should choose to not say swear words. It is especially important to not take the Lord's name in vain. We hear other people say "Oh my God" all of the time. It's on television, at school and in songs. But it is like making fun of our Heavenly Father. He has commanded us not to say His name in that way.

You can’t control what other people say, but you can let them know when you don’t like their choice of words. Standing up for what you know is right might be hard, but other people are probably bothered by the swear words too. By letting people know you don’t want to hear bad language, you are not only speaking up for yourself—you might also be speaking up for other people around you.

Respect -The way you talk to your family members and parents is important. The For Strength of Youth pamphlet says, "Speak kindly and positively about others. Choose not to [make fun of others], even in joking". Sometimes people say things they think are jokes, but they can hurt others' feelings. Saying unkind things to your friends or family is never okay.

The Lord has commanded us to Honor our Father and Mother. That means you should speak to your parents with respect. Even when we fight and angry words enter our minds, it is important to try your best not to say them, because once you say unkind words they cannot be un-said.

Written Words - Sometimes people think they can say unkind words about each other on the computer or by texting. Sometimes, this is even worse than saying them. Writing a mean joke where everyone can see it can invite others to share the same unkind words. Writing bad things online (even if you don't use your name) is still hurtful and wrong. Those bad words can hurt others more than getting hit or pushed because it hurts their heart. When people say mean things about us, it is hard to forget and you would never want your unkind words to make someone feel sad, lonely or picked on.

The words we use and the things we say are very important. They show people who we are and what we believe in. You will never feel bad about being too nice to others.

Activity: Make a list with two columns. One column labeled "happy words" and the other labeled "sad words". Have family members list words commonly used in your home (yes, even the bad ones) in the appropriate column. Make a commitment to try to only use happy words for the coming week and see if your home feels more happy. Put the list where everyone can see it on a daily basis. If name calling and other sad words are a concern in your home, you may want to set up a reward system for using happy words throughout each day.

Treat: Make homemade caramel corn and take turns spreading it over the actual popcorn kernels.

Lesson 30: God Made us Each Differently

Song: Jesus Said Love Everyone

Lesson: Read Malachi 2:10.

Before we came to earth our spirits lived in heaven with our Heavenly Father. When we came to earth we received a physical body to live in. No two people look exactly alike. Heavenly Father made us different. Everyone is beautiful in a special way. Each of you are beautiful (and handsome).

Even twins are different. Some of God's children have light skin and some have dark skin. Some of God's children have straight hair and some have curly hair. God's children have different eye colors, heights, weight, and body types. But inside, we are all the same. We all need love, friendship and happiness.

(Show picture of Christ with Children)

Heavenly Father has commanded us to love one another, just like He loves us. He wants us to treat everyone we meet with kindness.

When we are kind to everyone we become more like Jesus Christ. It makes us feel happy and makes others feel happy too. Heavenly Father is proud of us when we love others no matter what they look like.

Relay the following story...

Emma's family was taking a very special vacation. They were visiting Disney World for the very first time! Emma was so excited and so were her brothers. On Saturday the rode an airplane all the way from their home in Utah to Florida. On Sunday morning Emma's mom woke her up early.

"It's time to get ready for church!" her Mom said.

"We're going to church in Disneyworld!?!" Emma asked excitedly.

"No, silly. Dad and I found a LDS church nearby our hotel and we thought it would be a fun new experience to go to a different Ward. I packed you a dress. Put it on and let's get ready to go!" her Mom said.

When the family got to church, Emma noticed that the building looked a lot like their church building back home in Utah.

Emma's family went into the chapel and sat down for Sacrament Meeting. Emma began to look around at all of the different people. Something was different. The members of this Ward didn't look exactly the same as her home Ward. She saw lots of family with dark skin and dark hair. Families with light skin and very dark hair and lots of different colors in between.

Emma began to feel a bit nervous.

In Primary Emma sat down to a girl with dark skin, dark brown eyes and curly dark hair. Emma sat quietly and felt shy. The girl next to her turned to Emma and smiled.

"I'm Alexia! What's your name?" she asked.

Soon Emma and Alexia were talking. They both loved Barbies and ponies. They were both going into 2nd grade after the Summer. They both had a little brother and their favorite color was purple. After Primary was over, Emma and Alexia were having so much fun that Emma was sad when it was time to leave. Emma realized she had forgotten all about how different they were and instead she thought about how much they were the same. Emma learned that no matter how we look, a lot of us are the same on the inside.

When we talk to people and get to know them we realize that no matter how we look we are all important to Heavenly Father and we are all His children.

Activity:

1. Fold paper in an accordion style. Use scissors to create a paper doll chain as seen below.
2. Have children color and decorate each paper doll in their chain differently. They may only use each skin tone once and each hair color once.
3. Reinforce the teaching that everyone on earth are our brothers and sisters and are all children of God.

Treat: Enjoy a bag of toasted wheat thins. These are all the same chip but are all shaped differently with different coloring. You can do this same idea with popcorn or any kind of chip.

Lesson 31: Celebrating Diversity

Opening Song: We Are Different (PCS #263)

Lesson:

(Print this activity coloring page for each child and let them start coloring.)

- Why do you want to use more than one color?
- Why is having a lot of different colors better?

Read the following poem by Shane DeRolf

The Crayon Box That Talked

While walking in a toy store, the day before today,
I overheard a crayon box, with many things to say…

‘I don’t like Red!’ said Yellow and Green said, ‘Nor do I!
And no one here likes Orange, but no one knows just why.’

‘We are a box of crayons that doesn’t get along.’
Said Blue to all the others, ‘Something here is wrong!’

Well, I bought that box of crayons and took it home with me,
And laid out all the colors so the crayons could all see.

They watched me as I colored with Red and Blue and Green,
And Black and White and Orange and every color in between…

They watched as Green became the grass and Blue became the sky,
The Yellow sun was shining bright on White clouds drifting by,

Colors changing as they touched becoming something new.
They watched me as I colored. They watched till I was through.

And when I’d finally finished I began to walk away.
And as I did, the crayon box had something more to say…

‘I do like Red!’ said Yellow and Green said, ‘So do I!

And, Blue, you were terrific so high up in the sky!’

‘We are a box of crayons each one of us unique.
But when we get together the picture is complete'.

Last week we talked about how we are all children of our Heavenly Father and so we are very much the same. He wants us to treat everyone with kindness and love, no matter what they look like.

Today we are going to talk about the many things that are great about our differences.

LOOKING DIFFERENT MAKES US SPECIAL

Everyone looks different and we are each beautiful in our own way. No one is exactly like you and that makes every person special. Freckles, hair color, height, weight and everything else that makes us unique is part of our beauty.

- Tell each member of your family one of their physical traits which makes them unique and beautiful.

DIFFERENT TALENTS MAKE THE WORLD BETTER

Each of us has different talents. Some people play the piano or another instrument. Some are good at creating art. Some people are great listeners and good friends to others. When Heavenly Father gives us different talents, and we use those talents, we can make life more interesting, fun and we can help and strengthen each other.

- Tell each member of your family one of their talents which makes them unique and contributes to the happiness of others.

DIFFERENT BELIEFS ARE FUN TO LEARN ABOUT

Some people go to our same church and believe the same things we do, but a lot of people go to other churches and believe differently than we do. We can learn about their beliefs. It is fun! Having friends from other faiths and backgrounds makes life more fun and helps us realize that there are good people everywhere. We should be friends with everyone, even if they don't believe the same things we do. We should never say that their beliefs are wrong.

- Talk about a family friend or relative that is not a member of your faith and share all the reasons you love them.

When we realize that everyone being different is a wonderful thing it helps us see beauty in and appreciate everyone for exactly who they are. That also helps us feel happy about the way God made us.

Activity: Go outside and everyone choose a leaf from a plant (that you know is a safe plant). Unwrap the crayons and teach your children to rub their crayon over a piece of paper covering the leaf. This will make a leaf tracing. Show your children how they are all different but are all beautiful and delicate.

Treat: Everyone make their own ice cream Sundays. This shows that they are all delicious, but very different.

Lesson 32: The Wise Man and the Foolish Man

Song: I’m Trying to Be Like Jesus

Lesson: share this quote from Neil A. Anderson, “The stories of Jesus shared over and over bring faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and strength to the foundation of testimony.”

(show picture of The Sermon on the Mount)

When Jesus was on the earth, He traveled around the land of Jerusalem and taught people how to be happy. He taught them that they should be a good example to the world. He taught them that it was wrong to be angry with or hate anyone, even their enemies. He taught the principles of prayer, forgiveness and kindness.

One day, Jesus was teaching his Apostles. He said that to live with Him in the kingdom of heaven, His disciples needed to learn the gospel and to live it. He then told them a special kind of story, called a PARABLE, which teaches us a lesson by telling a story first and then explaining how the story can help us choose the right. The story he told them is called The Parable of the Wise Man and the Foolish Man.

Jesus told them a story about a Wise (or very smart) Man who built his house upon a strong rock. And then there was a big storm. There was wind and rain and floods, but the house built on the rock was okay because it was built on something so strong.

Then Jesus told them about a Foolish (or not very smart) Man who also built a house, but he built his house on sand. And then there was a big storm. There was wind and rain and floods, and the house built on the sand washed away with the water because it was built on something not strong.

Then Jesus explained the story to them. He said that people who choose to make choices based on the teachings of Jesus will always be safe and strong, because Jesus is like the strong rock. And when our lives become difficult or we face the consequences of our good choices we will be safe and happy. Jesus said that people who choose to make wrong choices and ignore the teachings of Jesus will not be safe. When our lives become difficult or we face the consequences of our bad choices we will not be happy and sometimes we may suffer for our choices.

(show picture of Jesus the Christ)

We have many opportunities to learn the gospel of Jesus Christ. We can show that we have faith that the gospel is true by choosing the right each day. If we do, we will be like the wise man—building our lives upon the solid foundation of the gospel and preparing ourselves to live again with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

Activity: Teach your children the words and actions to the primary song, “The Wise Man and the Foolish Man”. Practice doing the actions faster and slower.

Treat: Make and decorate cupcakes using blues for the rain and marshmallows for the wise man.

Lesson 33: The Prodigal Son

Song: Jesus Said Love Everyone

Lesson: Share this quote from President Hinckley, “Somehow forgiveness, with love and tolderance, accomplishes miracles that can happen in no other way”

A parable is a story that uses every day objects to explain gospel ideas. When Jesus was on the earth he taught the people about repentance. He told them a parable called The Prodigal Son. PRODIGAL means very wasteful.

This story is about two brothers. The older one worked hard on his father’s farm and did everything his father asked. The younger son asked his father for money and then went to another land. There he spent all the money living foolishly and sinning. Poor, hungry, and sad, he thought about going back home. He knew he had made terrible choices and was not sure if his father would still love him, but he decided to return home and beg his father to forgive him and let him work as a servant.

(Show a picture of the Prodigal Son returning)

As the son neared his home, his father saw him coming and ran to him and kissed him. The father ordered his servants to put fine clothes on his son and prepare a great feast in his honor. He said, “For this my son...was lost, and is found”.

The older son had been working in the field. As he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. When he learned the reason for the celebration, he was angry and would not go into the feast. His father came to him and pleaded with him to join the party, but the son refused. He reminded his father that he had always been a righteous son and had never been given such a celebration.

The father explained that the older son would be richly blessed for all the good things he had done. But when the younger son was living a life of sin, it was like he was lost and not safe. Now that he had repented, he was found again and had come safely home.

Heavenly Father will always generously bless those who are righteous. But He loves all of His children and wants us to help find those who have lost their way and welcome them back.

- When have you made good decisions like the obedient older son in the parable?

- When have you made mistakes like the prodigal son?

When you make mistakes and feel sorry, how would you feel if someone didn't accept your apology? Jesus taught this parable to teach us to forgive others who have made mistakes and also to teach us that our Heavenly Father will always loves us, no matter how many mistakes we make.

(show a picture of Christ with children)

- How does Jesus want you to treat those who have disobeyed and then repented?

- What does Jesus want us to do when we have been disobedient?

Activity: Have your family come up with different scenarios of different things that have upset them recently. Have them re-enact the situations and practice apologizing and forgiving each other. You can also do this in funny accents to make it more entertaining.

Treat: Make and enjoy rice crispy treats

Lesson 34: Appreciating Music

Song: Hum Your Favorite Hymn

Lesson: Share the scripture from D&C 25:12.

There is a lot of music in the world. Every day music plays on the radio. Music is on television. Music is performed in concerts, listened to and sung in homes. Music is everywhere.

Music can be very powerful. Good music can make us feel happy, excited, reverent and uplifted. Bad music can make us feel lonely, angry or bring bad thoughts into our minds.

We can choose every day what music we listen too. Some music on the radio is fun. We feel excited when we hear a song we like and sometimes we sing and dance along. Other music on the radio is filled with bad words and bad ideas. When we hear those bad words over and over again they can get stuck in our minds. We might accidentally say one of those words when we are angry or even excited. if we don't listen to those bad songs it can helps us keep our minds clear.

A lot of music is beautiful and uplifting. There is so much wonderful music we can listen and listen and listen and never hear it all. There are all different kinds of music. We will like some more than others, but it's fun to listen to all kinds of music, no matter if it's our favorite style or not.

(show a picture of Emma Smith)

Three months after the Church was organized, the Lord, through the Prophet Joseph Smith, instructed Joseph's wife, Emma, to make a selection of sacred hymns for the Church. Emma put together a hymn book of special songs to help us think of God and Jesus Christ and to teach us gospel truths. Later, after the Primary was organized, church leaders chose wonderful songs for children to make us happy and teach us about the Gospel.

(show children an LDS Hymnal)

Our hymnbook says, "Hymns can lift our spirits, give us courage, and move us to righteous action. They can fill our souls with heavenly thoughts and bring us a spirit of peace. Hymns move us to repentance and good works, build testimony and faith, comfort the weary, console the mourning, and inspire us to endure to the end".

- How can hymns and primary songs give us courage?
- How can hymns and primary songs help us choose the right?
- How can hymns and primary songs help us feel better when we are scared?

(show children an LDS Children's Songbook)

One of our primary songs talks about how hymns and primary songs can help us when we are worried or tempted to do what is wrong. The songs says, "Just hum your favorite hymn. Sing out with vigor and vim. And you will find it clears your mind. Hum your favorite hymn."

- Share a time when a hymn or primary song touched you, helped you feel better or answered your prayers.

Activity: Play music from different genres for your kids. Identify each genre as you play a clip from the song. A great place to do this for free is on sites like Amazon.com where you can listen to a short clip of music from a certain album. Some genres might include: Pop, Country, Classical, Opera, Punk, Rap (you can often find songs that are "radio edits" online), Reggae, Children's, Gospel, Funk, Ska.

Lesson 35: Appreciating Art

Song: My Heavenly Father Loves Me

Lesson: Share the quote from M. Russell Ballard, "The world is better for the arts and righteous artists in it. In the quest to achieve greatness in artistic pursuits—whether in painting, dance, music, drama, film, sculpture, or the written word—we should always seek first to achieve God’s purposes."

The Prophet of our church, Thomas S. Monson has an office where he works. Over the years he has had many offices where he worked. They have all looked different, but one thing was always the same. He always had a picture of his favorite painting of Jesus Christ. And whenever he changes to a new office he would take the painting with him and hang it on his wall.

(Show picture of Christ)

- Why do you think President Monson kept this painting on his wall wherever he goes?

Pres. Monson said, “I love that painting. I feel strength in having it near me. Look at the kindness in those eyes. Look at the warmth of expression. When facing difficult situations, I often look at it and ask myself, ‘What would He do?’ Then I have tried to respond accordingly.”

Looking at paintings, drawings, sculptures and other art can make us feel wonderful things. Art can make us want to be better. It can remind of us of something good in our lives. It can touch our hearts and our spirits. Sometimes it can lift our hearts when we are sad.

When you see artwork made by others whatever you see or feel is right! Art can mean different things to everybody. There is no wrong way or right way to understand art. Sometimes you may love a painting that someone else doesn't like. That's okay. Art is for everybody.

(show your family these paintings one at a time, asking the following questions for each picture)

- What do you think of or feel when you see this painting?
- What do you LIKE about this painting?
- What DON'T you like about this painting?
- Would you ever hang this painting on your wall?


Show picture of Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh
Show picture of Woman in a Hairnet by Pablo Picasso.

Show picture of American Gothic by Grant Wood

Show Woman with a Parasol by Claude Monet

When we make art it can make us feel good. Creating drawings, paintings and other forms of art can help us express our feelings. It can help us say what we are thinking and feeling. It exercises our minds and when we make something that is beautiful, it makes us feel proud of ourselves.

You might like one kind more than the others or all of them the same.

- What kind of art do you like to create? Do you like to paint, draw, make sculptures, build towers, make collages, fold paper?

- Are there any other kinds of art you can think of?

Activity: Participate in a new art medium your family usually does not try. Finger painting, sculpture (using salt dough or play-dough), drawing each other's portraits, make a small pot out of clay, paper Mache, collage, stamping, etc.

Treat: Go to your store and pick out a few fruits to dip in chocolate. This way you can discuss how beautiful the colors of the fruits are, just like heavenly Father’s own artwork.

Lesson 36: Faith

Song: Faith

Lesson: Share the scripture, Ether 12:6.

(Think of a location that you have been to that your children have not. Places that excite kids are best. Disneyland, New York City, Disneyworld, etc. I will use Disneyland as an example.)

- Have you ever been to Disneyland?
- If not, then how do you know it really exists? (others who have been there have told them about it).

(Tell your children about Disneyland. What you did, what it looks like, etc.)

- But how do you know it's real if just others tell you and you haven't seen it for yourself?

Today we are talking about FAITH. Faith means believing in something or someone that you have never seen yourself, but you believe anyway.

(show a picture of Jesus the Christ)

- Who is this? (Jesus Christ)
- Do you have a memory of meeting Jesus face to face? (no)
- Then how do you know he is real? (other people who did meet him testify)

(Hold up a set of scriptures.)

The scriptures are filled with stories about Jesus Christ. These stories are told be people who knew him. Just like I have been to Disneyland and told you about it so you can believe to, these righteous Prophets tell us about Jesus Christ. When we hear their words we can choose to believe them, even though we have not seen Jesus ourselves that we can remember. This belief is called faith.

In the Bible we learn about a man named Bartimaeus. He had never seen or met Jesus.

(show a picture of Christ Healing a Blind Man)

One day he heard that Jesus was coming, he cried out for Jesus to have mercy on him. Many people told Bartimaeus not to bother Jesus and to be quiet. But Jesus heard Bartimaeus and asked to have Bartimaeus brought to him. Bartimaeus asked Jesus to heal him so that he could see. I am going to read a scripture that tells what happened.

And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way. (Mark 10:52)

- What happened to Bartimaeus? (Jesus healed him. Bartimaeus could see.)

Jesus said that Bartimaeus was healed because he had faith. Bartimaeus believed that Jesus could heal him.

- What does the story of Bartimaeus help us know about Jesus? (Jesus loves us and will help us if we have faith in him.)

Prophets today also testify of Jesus Christ. We can read their testimonies in church magazines and hear them during General Conference. We have a special helper who can help us know what is true. The Holy Ghost sends feelings to our hearts to tell us what is true. He will tell our hearts that Jesus Christ is real. That he loves us and that he died for us.

Activity:

FAITH ACTION POEM

Faith is knowing the sun will rise, (arms form a half-circle over head)

lighting each new day. (arms slowly drop to shoulder level)

Faith is knowing the Lord will hear (cup hands behind ears)

my prayers each time I pray. (hands together as in prayer)

Faith is like a little seed: (cup left hand and imitate planting a seed with right hand)

If planted, it will grow. (right hand imitates a plant growing from the cupped left hand)

Faith is a swelling within my heart. (place hands over heart)

When I do right, (point right index finger upward)

I know. (touch right index finger to head)

You can plant a seed, but it needs water, food and light to grow. we must take care of it for it to become strong. Faith is like a seed. We can plant it by believing in Jesus Christ, but we must then feed it by reading the scriptures, attending church and choosing the right. Then our faith can grow.

Activity:

- Fill each cup 2/3 full of planting soil.

- Put 2-3 sunflower seeds in each pot, pushing down 1/2 inch into soil.

- Moisten dirt with water.

- Print sheet of labels onto card stock

- Have children color the label for their plant.

- Use scotch tape to adhere labels onto front of cup OR use scotch tape to adhere label to a popsicle stick and stick into soil.

- Set in sunny place. Seeds should sprout within 4-6 days.

Lesson 37: A Legacy Walk of Family History

Song: I Belong to the Church of Jesus Christ

Lesson: Read D&C 115:4-5.
(Show picture of Christ ordaining the apostles)

When Jesus Christ lived on the earth he called Prophets and Apostle, taught people simple truths and organized His church. After the death of Jesus Christ and the Apostles many of those truths were lost and the Church of Jesus Christ was no longer on the earth.

(show a picture of Joseph Smith)

Then in 1830 Joseph Smith restored the gospel truths and established Jesus Christ's church upon the earth again. When he did that, Joseph and others who believed were baptized members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

For that time until now, people who heard about the church and prayed about it's truthfulness have been baptized and become members of the Church. A lot of people join our church after Missionaries find them and teach them. Some members of the church have ancestors who were baptized at the beginning of the church and others are the very first one in their family to join the church. Today we are going to talk about our family's LEGACY OF FAITH.

The word legacy means something that is given to us from one generation to the next. So a LEGACY OF FAITH means talking about the person in our family who first joined the church and then passed that to their children by teaching them the Gospel too.

(Now take some time, using photos if you have them, to talk to your children about the conversion stories of one or two of your ancestors or about your own conversion story if you're the first convert in your family).

Just like our family member passed a knowledge of the gospel of Jesus Christ down to us, we can pass it along to our children and keep the Legacy of Faith continuing. By staying active in church, growing and nurturing our testimonies and choosing the right we can become a part of our very own Legacy of Faith.

Activity: Start with any branch of your family. Write the name of the first convert to the church on a strip of colored paper. Tape paper strip into a loop. Write the name of their child (also your ancestor) on a strip of paper (of a different color) and loop it through the first to create a chain. Continue through your ancestors until you reach yourself and then your child. You may repeat this activity for different branches of the family.

Share with your children your hope that they remain faithful to the gospel's teaching so the Legacy Chain continues to grow in faithfulness and happiness.

Treat: Make and enjoy a funnel cake and put various toppings on top with your children.

Lesson 38: Priesthood Power

Opening Song: Scripture Power

Lesson: Share the quote from President Monson, “May [the Priesthood] bles our lives and may we use it to bless the lives of others.”

(Take the batteries out of your flashlight before starting the lesson, but keep them nearby)

Show children the flashlight.

- What is this flash light used for? (to show us the way, protect us, help us know what's ahead of us, etc.)

Have a child try to turn the flashlight on. When it doesn't come on, examine it and eventually find out that there are no batteries.

- The flashlight isn't working because it needs power.

Produce the batteries. Place them in the flashlight and have a child turn it on. Explain that now that the flashlight has power, we can use it guide and protect us.

Heavenly Father has great power. He wants to use it to guide and protect us, to show us the way and to make our lives better. The batteries in this flashlight are like the power of God. They are like his power. But we also need a flashlight, something he can give his power to to use for good. The power of God is called the PRIESTHOOD.

Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ give the priesthood to worthy men in the Church. When these men are directed by Heavenly Father, they can use the priesthood to help us and bless us. The Priesthood is a power that can only be used to help others and make them happy.

(show a picture of John the Baptist Baptizing Jesus)

John the Baptist had the Priesthood. That is why Jesus went to him to be baptized.

When the Church of Jesus Christ was being restored on the earth by Joseph Smith, the same John the Baptist gave Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdry the Priesthood Power.

(show a picture of John the Baptist Conferring the Aaronic Priesthood)

The Melchizedek Priesthood was also restored to Joseph Smith. With the Priesthood worthy men can use it to do many great things. Baptized and Confirm, heal the sick, marry families for eternity in the Temple, give special father's blessings, blessing a baby, blessing the sacrament and many other great things.

I want to tell you a story about a girl who was blessed by the priesthood when she had a problem…

Susanne was getting ready for the first day of school. She had been excited about beginning school, but now that the first day had finally come she was frightened. Susanne was quiet all morning. Her mother had made her favorite breakfast, but Susanne did not smile when she saw it. She tried to eat, but she could not.

Susanne told her mother that she felt sick. Her mother felt her head to see if she had a fever. She looked in her throat, but it was not red. Susanne’s mother asked her where she felt sick. Susanne said she just felt funny inside. Susanne’s father said she probably felt funny inside because it was the first day of school. She was a little frightened because she would be away from home all day and didn’t know what to expect. Susanne’s father explained that he had the same feeling when he started his new job.

Susanne’s father offered to give her a blessing before she went to school. The blessing would help take away the frightened, funny feeling Susanne had. Susanne’s father placed his hands on her head and gave her a special blessing. When Susanne came home that afternoon, she was happy. She told her mother that she liked school and her teacher was nice. Susanne was glad her father gave her a special blessing to help her feel better at school.

This kind of blessing is often called a father’s blessing. If our fathers are not able to give us blessings, we can ask other men who hold the Melchizedek Priesthood, such as our home teachers, other family members, or the bishop or branch president, to give us blessings when we need them.

The Priesthood is a wonderful gift from God and one that can bless the lives of everyone.

Activity: Have the children help you make a list of all the blessings that a Priesthoold holder can bring in your life.

Treat: Make and enjoy hot fudge Sundays with sprinkles and any other toppings.

Lesson 39: Being Grateful

Songs: Count your Blessings

Lesson: Read D&C 78:19 and D&C 56:7

Get a new 8x10" frame - it doesn't have to be amazing (if you're like me, you'll probably get it at the dollar store). Cut a piece of paper down to 8x10" size and grab a pen.

Start the lesson by brainstorming, as a family, for all the little things that you can be grateful for. Don't focus on something huge, just try to think of as many every day, normal, even slightly insignificant things that fall into the "good" column of your lives. Write all the things down on your paper. Fill as much of that paper as you can - don't stop until you run out of space.

If you need some help thinking of things to write down you can use this idea from the 2010 January issue of the Friend and go on a “thankful hunt”. Divide your family into teams and give them a piece of paper with the words “see”, “hear”, “smell”, “touch”, and” taste” on it. Have the teams hunt around the house for things that fall into those categories (stuff they can see that they are thankful for, things that they can hear that they are thankful for, and so on). After the teams have had a few minutes to collect a few things, add them to your paper.

After you've covered every single centimeter of that paper (but not the back) set it aside and read the scriptures listed above. Discuss them as a family and what they mean to you personally. If your kids are young, you can read the story that goes along with the “thankful hunt” told by President Monson in the January 2010 issue of the Friend. It’s a great example of someone who found things to be grateful for every day.

Activity: Once you've had a good family discussion on the topic of being grateful, pull out that paper again. Tell your family something to the effect of, "Even when things seem to be going horribly and you think there's nothing left to be grateful for, look at this paper and see the many things that we have been blessed with." Then put that paper in your new frame and put it somewhere in your house that each family member will see it often.

Treat: Enjoy pancakes with ice cream on top for dessert.

More Specific Lessons

THESE LESSONS MAY BE USED AS THESE ISSUES OCCUR IN YOUR FAMILY WITH YOUR CHILDREN. THEY ARE MORE SPECIFIC AND CAN HELP TEACH YOUR FAMILY DURING SPECIFIC TRIALS , SPECIAL OCCASIONS, OR HOLIDAYS TO PROVIDE LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES.

Lesson 40: Death is a Part of Life

Song: I am a Child of God

Lesson: Read Alma 11:42 as a family.

Display the word strips you have prepared that say:

Where? Who? What?

Ask the children to listen as you sing or read the words to the first verse of “I Lived in Heaven” (Children’s Songbook, p. 4) so they will know the answers to some important questions that you will ask them.

“I lived in heaven a long time ago, it is true;
Lived there and loved there with people I know. So did you.
Then Heav’nly Father presented a beautiful plan,
All about earth and eternal salvation for man.”

- Where did we live a long time ago? (In heaven)

- Who lived there with us? (people we loved, Heavenly Father and Jesus)

- What was Heavenly Father’s plan for us? To receive a physical body and to learn to choose between right and wrong.

Heavenly Father has a plan for our lives. He mad the plan before we were even born when we still lived with Him in Heaven. He is the father of our spirits and he sent us on a journey to earth to get physical bodies and learn to choose the right. When we are done our journey He wants us to return home to Him.

Just like we gain a physical body when we are born, we must leave that physical body when we die. But our spirit still lives.

(Show children your hand. Wiggle your fingers to show life and movement)

My hand is like my Spirit. When we lived with Heavenly Father our spirits were alive. When we came to earth we needed a body for our spirit to live in. This glove is like our physical bodies.

(Show children the glove. Put your hand inside and wiggle your fingers.)

When we are born our spirits enter our physical bodies and become one. We can move around, do work, serve others and have fun. After we are finished with what Heavenly Father wants us to do on earth our physical bodies die.

(Take your hand out of the glove)

But our spirits continue to live.

(Wiggle the fingers on your un-gloved hand)

The only thing that dies is our physical body.

Everybody who comes to earth eventually dies. Dying is a part of the plan of our Heavenly Father. As part of that plan Jesus came to earth. Jesus got a physical body as part of that plan.

(show picture of The Crucifixion)

When Jesus was an adult he died on the cross for us. His spirit and his physical body separated. Three days alter he was resurrected. That means his spirit was reunited with his body, but his body was now different. It became perfect. It will never get hurt, feel tired or become sick.

(show picture of Jesus Shows His Wounds)

Because Jesus died for us and was resurrected, our spirits will also be reunited with our physical bodies after we die and, just like Jesus, when we are resurrected our physical bodies will be perfect.

(Display the word strips you have prepared again. Ask the children to listen as you sing or read the words to the third verse of “I Lived in Heaven” so they will know the answers to some important questions that you will ask them.)

"Jesus was chosen, and the Messiah he came,
Conquering evil and death through his glorious name,
Giving us hope of a wonderful life ye to be -
Home in that heaven where father is waiting for me."

- What did Jesus do for us? (died so we could live again)
- Where will we live after we die? (Heaven)
- Who will we get to live with in Heaven? (people we loved, Heavenly Father and Jesus)

Sometimes people (and animals) we love die. Even though dying is an important part of Heavenly Father's plan it makes us feel sad because we loved them and will miss them. Even though we are sad we can be comforted to know that we will see our loved ones again and that they are happy to be waiting for us in Heaven with Heavenly Father. It's alright to cry and feel sad that they are gone. It's nice to remember all of the good times and memories we had with them while they were alive. We can always talk to others about them when we miss them very much. And we can think about the time when we will get to be together again.

President Monson said, "...through the heartache and loneliness of losing loved ones, there is assurance that life is everlasting. Our Lord and Savior is the living witness that such is so."

Activity: If you have recently lost a loved one you may choose to show photos and share stories about their life. You may also purchase helium balloons and have children write letters to their lost loved one and send their messages to the sky by releasing their balloons.

Treat: Enjoy waffles with ice cream and fruit on top as a family.

Lesson 41: Peer Pressure

Song: Choose the Right

Lesson: Read Moroni 7:16.

Before we lived on the earth we lived in Heaven with heavenly Father and Jesus. When it was time for us to come to earth heavenly Father made a plan. He needed to send his spirit children to earth to get bodies and to learn and grow. He needed someone to come to earth and be a Savior for us so we could repent of our mistakes. The Devil said he wanted to come to earth and that everyone would be forced to do the right thing. We could never make our own choices.

(Show picture of Christ in Heaven)

esus Christ said he would come and let people choose for themselves and then he would die so we could repent and return to live with Heavenly Father. We decided to follow the plan that Jesus put forth. We wanted the chance to make choices. The power to make our own choices is called AGENCY. President Thomas S. Monson said, "I am so grateful to a loving Heavenly Father for His gift of agency, or the right to choose. Each of us has come to this earth with all the tools necessary to make correct choices."

One of the greatest gifts Heavenly Father has given us is the chance to choose how to act and what to say. Every day we make choices. Some choices are not too important. What color shirt to wear, what we eat for breakfast or whether we use a pen or pencil to do our homework. But other daily choices are much more important.

How we treat others, the words we say and our actions can be important choices. Sometimes others try and tell us what to do. They tell us that they know what is cool or what will get you more friends, but their choices aren't always the right thing to do.

We have to decide what Jesus would want us to do, even when our friends tell us differently.

You are a child of God, and you are a member of His church. That means you may be different in many ways from other children. Knowing that you are a precious child of God will help you to do what you know is right.

Here is a story about one little girl and a choice she faced one day at school.

Each day in school when it was time to do math Emily got excited. Emily was very good at math. It was her favorite subject in school. She was extra excited this day because her class had changed seats for the month and she got to sit next to her best friend, Madison. Madison and Emily had been best friends all that school year. They played together after school and they even had the same pink, sparkly pencils that they used to do their schoolwork. They opened their math workbooks, got out their matching pencils and started working on their assignment. Emily was so busy filling in her answers that she barely noticed that Madison was whispering to her.

"Let me copy your answers." Madison whispered. Emily didn't know what to say. Sharing answers was cheating and that was dishonest. Emily stayed quiet.

"Let me copy your answers or I won't be your friend anymore." Madison whispered again. Emily felt confused. Madison was her very best friend. She didn't want to be mean to her or tell her no, but she knew cheating was not right. But what if she lost her best friend?

- What do you think Emily should do?
- What if she loses her best friend?
- How will Emily feel if she makes the wrong decision?

Sometimes even people we think are our good friends try and make us make bad choices. Sometimes it’s hard to choose the right, but Heavenly Father blesses us when we do. As we make good decisions, we can feel peace and happiness.

Noah was commanded by heavenly Father to build an ark. Noah tried to tell the people who lived where he lived to prepare for the flood. But they wouldn't listen. These were people who lived in the same place he lived. Noah may have known some of them. They were mad at him for doing what he knew God wanted him to do. Noah chose what was right and when the floods came, Noah and his family were safe.

We can be like Noah and choose the right, even when others around us make fun of us our choices. When we choose the right we do what Jesus would do and that makes us feel happy inside.

Activity: Make red “NO” signs and green “YES” signs. Go through various choices that your children face on a regular basis to have them decide if it is a good decision or bad decision.

Treat: Dip raisins in chocolate and enjoy together as a family.

Lesson 42: Different Kinds of Families (Adoption)

Song: Families Can Be Together Forever

Lesson: Share the quote with your family, “Father, mother, baby small. Heavenly Father made them all.”

This month we have been talking about God making each of us different and how those differences make us special and beautiful.

Heavenly Father has also made each family different.

- What is a family?

(children are likely to answer 'a mom, dad and kids', 'people who live together and love each other', etc.)

- How come nobody answered that a family is made of people who share the same DNA?

You are right. It's NOT always about sharing DNA or having the same blood.

(show 'family word strips' as you read the following)

THE FAMILY: A PROCLAMATION TO THE WORLD says that families are made of LOVE, CARE, SERVICE, FAITH and RESPECT.

Families can be ANY group of people who love and help each other. They live together and support each other. They teach, grow and play together.

Heavenly Father wants everyone to be a part of a family and for families to be sealed together in the temple so they can be together forever. Because that is so important, Heavenly Father has made more than one way to make a family.

Once in a while a husband and wife get married and their bodies don't work just right. They might want to have a baby, but they can't. This makes them very sad. But there is a way for them to have kids.

Sometimes other mommies have a baby in their tummy and they know they can't take care of it. They love their baby so much that they want it to have a happy life, filled with blessings and love. They might not be able to give that to their baby. So, they give their baby to a family who can give them those things. This is called ADOPTION. Giving away a baby is very very hard, but these mommies love their babies so much that they are willing to go through something very hard so their baby can have the best life.

Adoption is a part of Heavenly Father's plan for families because it makes a way for righteous husbands and wives to have the babies their bodies can't make. Children bring joy and happiness into families and joy and happiness is what God wants for us. It doesn't matter that the baby came from another Mommy. That's not what makes a family. (point to each family word strip) Families are made of LOVE, CARE, SERVICE, FAITH and RESPECT.

Some families adopt babies from other countries. Some adopt babies from people they know. Sometimes the babies look different. It doesn't matter if family members all look alike. Families come in all shapes, sizes, colors and abilities. That's the way God made them and that's what makes them special.

Activity: Because this is a great lesson to use when your family knows someone who is adopting a child, take a bag of treats that your family makes together to this new family along with a homemade card telling them that you are grateful that families are forever.

Treat: Make root beer floats together

Lesson 43: Baptism

Song: When Jesus Christ Was Baptized

Lesson: Share the 4^th article of faith, “We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, repentance; third, baptism by emersion for the remission of sins; fourth, laying on of hands for the gift of the holy ghost.”

This month we have talked about steps to returning to our Father in Heaven. The first step was FAITH, the second was REPENTANCE. Baptism is the third step we need to take to return to our Father in Heaven.

Being baptized means you go into water with a Priesthood holder. You are wearing beautiful white clothes and so is he. The priesthood holder says a special prayer and lowers you into the water and pulls you back up again. It is very fast, but it is also very important. When we are baptized our sins wash away and we are ready to become members of the Church.

(Show a picture of John baptizing Christ)

Jesus Christ showed us how important it was by being baptized himself. Even though Jesus was perfect, and never made any mistakes, he still wanted us to be able to follow his example by being baptized just like he was.

When you are eight years old, you can be baptized. Right now, you should be getting ready for when you turn eight years old and can be baptized. What are some things we can do right now to prepare to be baptized?

1. Believe in and learn about Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father.

• Why should we learn about Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father?

• Where can we learn about them?

2. Pray to Heavenly Father.

• How can praying help us be ready for baptism?

3. Be forgiving and love others.

• What happens when we forgive?

• How can we show our love for others?

4. Choose the right every day.

• What are some ways we can choose the right?

5. Read or listen to scripture stories.

• How has studying the scriptures helped you?

When we are baptized we make covenants (promises) with Heavenly Father. We promise to obey his commandments, forgive others, and follow Jesus Christ. In return, he accepts us into the Church and promises to guide and help us.

Activity: Give your children the coloring page for everyone to color together.

Treat: Melt chocolate and dip pretzels and pretzel sticks in the chocolate to represent baptizing them in the chocolate.

Lesson 44: We Can Learn at School (great lesson for the beginning of the school year)

Song: Teach me to Walk in the Light

Lesson: Read D&C 93:36

President Gordon B. Hinckley said, "BE SMART!" He encouraged everyone to be good in school and try their best. Sometimes going to school is easier for some of us than for others. Heavenly Father has taught us how to use our faith to help us learn.

The scriptures tell us to Seek learning, even by study and also by faith. (D&C 88:118). School is a fun place where we can play, learn and grow. But there are times when we may feel challenged and that is when we can use our faith and turn to the Lord for help. We can pray for his help in studying, reading and getting along with others while at school.

As a school year is about to begin we want to remind you about the decisions you can make while at school. (Choose from the following decisions to cover based on your child's needs and age)

Honesty - We must choose to be honest in our studies. Sometimes we may be tempted to cheat or to let others cheat. Let me tell you a story about a girl named Sarah.

Sarah was excited for her first day of 1st Grade. She loved going to
school and learning. But what made her even more excited was that this
year she got to sit by her best friend, Emily.

During math time the students were working in their math work books. While Sarah was working, Emily leaned close to her and whispered into her ear, "Let me copy off your book or I won't be your friend anymore."

Sarah didn't know what to do. Emily was her best friend, but Sarah had worked hard on learning math and knew it wasn't right to cheat. Her stomach started to hurt and she didn't know which choice to make.

- What do you think Sarah should do?
- What if Emily won't be her friend anymore?

Kindness - At school we meet people who are very different. We may see kids who are all different shapes and sizes than we are. We have different color hair, eyes, skin and families. Some kids at school will have disabilities or other differences. Heavenly Father wants us to be kind to all of His children and to remember that we are all brothers and sisters, even if we seem very different.

- How can we show love for everyone at school?
- What can we do if someone is being bullied or left out of activities?

Manners - It is important to have good manners while at school. That can mean not speaking while the teacher is trying to teach the class, sharing with others and waiting patiently to take turns. You should not call anyone names, even if you are really mad at them.

Obedience - When you are at school, the teacher is in charge of the classroom. You must listen to your teacher and follow what they say as best as you can. When you don't follow the teacher's rules you may get hurt, disrupt the class or cause other problems. Your teacher works very hard to teach you every day and you must show him/her respect by listening to their words, obeying their instructions and trying your best.

Our family is excited for a new school year to start. If you do your very best in your classes we will always be proud of you. Mommy and Daddy are here to help you and make sure your time at school is great! We want to hear about your classes, your friends and your teacher. We also want to know when things aren't going very well so we can help you. We know you will do a great job this year!

Activity: School Year Memory Capsules

You'll need...
- a cereal box for each child.
- colored paper, stickers, markers and other art supplies.

1. Cut of top flaps of box. Turn each box inside out and glue securely to form a blank canvas.

2. Have each child decorate their cereal box with various art supplies. Make sure they include their name on the outside of the box.
3. Put these boxes in a special place where each child can access their box when they return from school. (You can store these in a kitchen cupboard just like you would regular cereal with the child's name written on the spine).

At the end of each school day, children can put special art projects, well graded papers, written stories and/or poems and other praise from school in their special memory box. Have the children be selective, so the box does not get too full.

Then, at the end of the school year you can pull out the work and review your child's accomplishments with them. Then papers can be stored in archival boxes, making sure they are labeled with the year/grade number and child's name on each piece of work.

Note: We have a toddler who is not old enough to attend school. She will also make a box and put her artwork from home, library story times and church into her box.

Treat: Make and dip caramel apples. Apples are a great new-school-year snack. Dip them in caramel to make them more exciting for your family to enjoy eating together. You can also prepare various toppings for each child to try.

Lesson 45: Thanking Others for Thanksgiving

Opening Song: Children all Over the World

Lesson: Share the scripture D&C 78:19.

Tell the following story.

Jesus went to a small town, where He saw ten lepers. These men had sores all over their bodies. Doctors could not help the lepers, and other people were afraid to go near them. The other people thought that they would get sick, too. The lepers asked Jesus to heal them. They knew that He could make their sores go away. Jesus wanted them to be well. He told them to go to the priests, so they did. On their way to the priests, the ten lepers were healed. Their sores were gone. Jesus had healed them.

(show a picture of the ten lepers)

Knowing that Jesus had healed them, one of the lepers went back to thank Jesus. Jesus asked where the other nine lepers were. They had not come back to thank Him. He told the leper who had thanked Him that his faith had made him well.

• Why did this man come back to Jesus?
• What did the other men do?

Jesus Christ healed all ten lepers, but only one remembered to thank him. Jesus must have been happy that one person remembered, but sad that the others did not. It is important to always be thankful and to say Thank You to those who help us.

• Whom else should we thank? (Our families, teachers, friends, anyone who does something kind for us.)

THANK YOU is sometimes called a "magic word". That's because it makes people feel good. When we say thank you to others we are acting like the Savior taught us. We make others want to continue to do good and our hearts become more thankful.

Activity: Kids Thank You Cards. Give each child paper and coloring tools so they may create their own thank you cards. Help them create thank-you cards to give to the person of their choosing.

Treat: Make smores in the oven, microwave, or over a fire if you have access to do so safely.

Lesson 45: Christmas- Jesus Once Was a Little Child

Song: Away in a Manger

Lesson: Read Luke 2:40

Jesus was a baby

Pass around the baby items and let the children look at and hold them. Explain what the items are used for. Point out that Jesus Christ was once a baby.

- Do you think Jesus used items like these?

Some of the things Jesus had when he was a baby were very similar to things the children used when they were babies. Some of the things were very different. Tonight we are learning about Jesus’ life when he was a child.

Jesus lived with his family

(show a picture of Nazareth)

This is the kind of home that the people of Nazareth lived in. Nazareth is the town where Jesus grew up, and Jesus may have lived in a home like this one.

- Where do you think the family slept? (Point out the mat the woman is putting away and the closet behind her that seems to hold other rolled mats. Explain that the roofs of the houses were flat, and steps on the outside of each house led up to the roof. Perhaps the children sometimes slept on the roof.)

- Where did the baby in this home sleep? (Point out the cradle. Explain that Joseph was a carpenter and might have made a cradle like this one for the baby Jesus.)

- What do you think the big jars were used for? (Some held water. All the water the family used was carried from the well in the village because there was no running water in the homes. A well is a deep hole in the ground with clean water in it.)

- Since there was no electricity, how could they light this home? (They used oil lamps. Point out the lamp on the stool behind the woman grinding grain. Perhaps some of the jars held oil for the lamps.)

Jesus went to school

When Jesus was on the earth he may have gone to a school. Schools then did not have any books. In Jesus’ time children learned to read from scrolls. A scroll is a long strip of paper-like material with writing on it, fastened at each end to a stick. As one end is unrolled, the other is rolled up so a piece about the size of a page is visible.

(show picture of young Jesus teaching in the temple)

Here is a picture of Jesus teaching others in the Temple where he lived. These are what scrolls looked like. The scrolls that people in Jesus' time studied contained the teachings of the prophets who had lived before Jesus Christ was born. (Show the part of the Bible that is the Old Testament). This part of the Bible contains some writings and stories that were on some of the scrolls. These scrolls were an important way to write down their testimonies of Jesus Christ, even though most of the Prophets did not live at the time Jesus was on the earth.

Even if we do not see Jesus ourselves, we can know He lived by hearing and reading the testimonies of others and by the power of the Holy Ghost.

We can be like Jesus

Jesus’ childhood was probably in some ways much like yours. He lived at home with his family, he went to school, he learned and grew and had a happy family. He showed us the way we should be. We can always choose the right, as Jesus did.

Activity: Make your own Testimony Scroll

Materials needed:

2 chopsticks for each child (these can usually be purchased at your local grocery store OR ask for some next time you order Chinese food)
1 piece of paper for each child
scotch or packing tape
art supplies for coloring or writing
yarn or ribbon (optional)

Directions:

1. Have children draw a picture or write their testimony of Jesus Christ on the piece of paper, making sure to leave 1" margin on top and bottom edge.
2. Lay a piece of paper on a flat surface.
3. Lay a chopstick along the top edge.
4. Use tape to attach chopstick to paper's top edge.
5. Repeat on bottom edge with second chopstick.
6. Roll up like a scroll. Secure closed with yarn or ribbon if desired.

Treat: Make a large mug of hot chocolate for each child. To spice it up, you may give them each a candy cane to use as a spoon to stir it.

Lesson 47: Pioneers (great for Pioneer Day!)

Opening Song: To Be a Pioneer (PCS #218)

Lesson: Read the scripture D&C 136:4 to your children.

Many pioneers were brave and faithful. We hear great stories about their courage and bravery, but Pioneers were regular people just like me and you. Today we are going to learn about life as a Pioneer.

(show a map of the pioneers trek across the country)

When Joseph Smith first saw Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ he was living in New York state. The church was formed there and they lived happily, but soon others wanted Joseph Smith to leave New York. The church was growing and getting more and more new members. Other people didn't understand the Prophet's teachings and were angry at the growing church. The saints just wanted to be safe and happy so they kept moving west. Joseph Smith was living in Illinois when angry people killed him in Carthage Jail. After he died, Brigham Young became the Prophet of the church and got all of the saints ready to move west to a place where they could live and no one would make them leave.)

The people did not have cars. They had to walk and put all of their belongings in wagons. The people who went west with Brigham Young from Illinois to Utah are called Pioneers.

The rules Brigham Young made for the Pioneers were:

1. A bugle will blow at 5:00 a.m. That's when it is still dark outside! Everyone had to get up, pray, eat breakfast, feed and water the animals, and be ready to start walking by 7:00 a.m.

2. The wagons are to keep together while traveling.
3. Every man must stay by his wagon and keep his gun by his side.
4. At night the wagons are to be drawn into a circle. The bugle will blow at 8:30 p.m. Everyone is to pray and be in bed by 9:00 p.m.

- What kind of daily rules do we have?
- Which ones are the same as the pioneers?
- Which rules of ours are different?

The first pioneers were to prepare the way for the many Saints who would come later. As they traveled, they made roads and prepared bridges and other ways to cross rivers and streams. They also made maps of the trail and recorded information that would be helpful to the next companies of pioneers, such as good places to camp or feed the animals. The pioneers also stayed busy hunting for food, repairing their wagons and equipment, and taking care of their animals.

At night the pioneers brought their wagons into a circle, with the openings of the wagons facing out. The horses and oxen were tied inside the circle. Some people had brought musical instruments with them, and the pioneers loved to sing and dance. The pioneers also enjoyed playing games such as checkers and telling humorous stories.

On Sundays Brigham Young told the Saints crossing the plains to rest their animals and themselves. No fishing, hunting, or labor of any kind was allowed on Sunday. The pioneers held sacrament meeting, prayed, and studied the scriptures. Sometimes they wrote letters to family members left behind.

- What do we do on Sundays?

(Show a picture of Brigham Young entering the Salt Lake Valley)

Brigham Young and the rest of the pioneers entered the Salt Lake Valley on 24 July 1847. The Lord had shown President Young a vision of the place where the Saints should settle, and after gazing at the valley for a long time, Brigham Young said, “It is enough. This is the right place!”

Teach your children about Pioneer Day, and the reason we celebrate it is to show our gratitude for the pioneers and their faithfulness.

Activity: Make a pioneer inspired dessert together to enjoy for your treat.

Treat: Make monkey bread together, since this is something the pioneers would have made.

Lesson 48: Being Prepared

Song: Count Your Blessings

Lesson: Read this quote from Elder Marvin J. Johnson, “Money in the lives of Latter-Day Saints should be used as a means of achieving eternal happiness…God will open the windows of Heaven to us in these matters if we will but live close to Him and keep His comandments.”

Heavenly Father has blessed us with everything we have. Our home, our family and all of our blessings. To live as a family we have to make and use money. Heavenly Father has told us to use our money wisely so our family can be happy, healthy and prepared for emergencies.
The Prophets council us to get a good education so we can earn a living. We must work hard and do our best at all times in order to provide for our families. They have counseled us to use our money wisely. Here are some of their suggestions.

- Pay an honest tithing. We have been commanded to pay 10% of our income to the church and to also pay Fast Offerings. When we pay these things we will be blessed.

- Live on less than you earn. We should try to keep our expenses (amount of money we spend each month) to less than the amount of money we make. President N. Eldon Tanner said, "I am convinced that it is not the amount of money an individual earns that brings peace of mind as much as it is having control of his money."

- Learn to distinguish between needs and wants. Sometimes we really want something because it would be fun to have, but that doesn't mean that we need that thing. We should spend money on things we need before spending money on things we want.

- Develop and live within a budget. A budget means you write down how much money you make and how you want to spend that money. Then you must only spend the money you decided to spend and keep track of it carefully. "...successful people have learned that a budget makes real economic freedom possible." (President N. Eldon Tanner)

- Save for the future. We never know when we will need extra money. Sometimes things break or someone gets sick and we need to have some money saved to make it possible to still pay our other bills. "How blessed is he who learns to spend less than he earns and puts something away for a rainy day." (President N. Eldon Tanner)

- Stay out of debt when you can. Debt is when you borrow money to get something you need, but when you pay it back you have to pay back even more than you borrowed. The Prophets have said it's okay to use debt to buy a home or pay for college, but we should be careful not to go into debt for things we don't really need. Gordon B. Hinckley said,“Set your houses in order. If you have paid your debts, if you have a reserve, even though it be small, then should storms howl about your head, you will have shelter for your wives and children and peace in your hearts”

Activity: Choose an item that you can prepare for your food storage. Go to your local storehouse and have your children help you can an item to add. Explain why this is so important to be prepared financially and with your resources.

Treat: Choose an item from your food storage to make. Replace it with a new version of that item so it will have a longer shelf life. Teach your children that you must make sure that each item is up-to-date and cycled through and used as needed.

Lesson 49: Modesty

Opening Song: I Love to See The Temple

Lesson: Read the 13^th article of faith, “…If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.”

When we came to earth we received a body. Heavenly Father has told us that our bodies are sacred. In fact, Heavenly Father has said that our bodies are like a Temple.

(show a picture of a Temple)

- What is the Temple like? (beautiful, strong)

- Is there any trash or garbage outside of the Temple? Is the grass too long? (Explain to children that workers make sure the Temple is beautiful on the outside.)

- (Tell the children that the inside of a Temple is also kept perfectly clean, beautiful and pure). Because the Temple is clean inside and out, it is a place where we can easily feel the Holy Ghost.

When we build Temples we make sure to build the foundation (or bottom layer) of the Temple strong so that it won't fall. The Salt Lake Temple was built over 100 years ago, but because the foundation was built strong and sturdy, church members can still receive Temple blessings inside.

We can also build as strong foundation in our own lives to help us prepare to go inside the Temple someday and claim the blessing of sacred Temple ordinances.

Activity: Print the coloring page and discuss how the children in the pictures are dressed modestly because they see that their bodies are sacred like the temples they are visiting.

We can make our body like a Temple by keeping it clean inside and out.

Keeping our INSIDES clean:
- Watch only clean movies, television programs, and videos
- Look at and read only wholesome books and magazines.
- Listen to uplifting music.
- Keep my body sacred and private.
- Think pure thoughts.
- Do not date until age sixteen.
- Choose good friends.

Keeping our OUTSIDES clean:
- Dress Modestly.
- Use clean words.
- Obey the Word of Wisdom.
- Eat good foods and Exercise.
- Be clean by showering regularly, brushing teeth and combing hair.

Treat: Make and decorate sugar cookies. Let the children use a temple cookie-cutter if you have one, and if not, let them try to cut their own with your help with plastic utensils.

Lesson 50: Temple Marriage

Song: Families Can Be Together Forever

Lesson: Show a picture of the temple closest to your family and ask young children: “What is this?” “How is it different than a school, a store, or even a church?” “What does sacred mean?”

Help children understand the following ideas:

Temples are sacred buildings

Each one is called “The House of the Lord”

In the temple we learn many things about Heavenly Father’s plan for us

In the temple we make special promises to Heavenly Father, and He

makes promises to us

WORTHINESS:

Explain that not just anyone can go inside the temple. Those who go must be old enough and must live a righteous life. Discuss temple recommends. Show your children your temple recommend, or if you are working to get one ask someone to come and show your children theirs. Explain how we must continue to make righteous choices and be approved by the bishop every 2 years for another temple recommend.

How can you prepare to go to the temple?

Use the chart, “I Will Prepare Myself to Go to the Temple.”

Use the circles to attach to the board as you answer the following questions:

1. What should we do when we earn money? (pay tithing)

2. What should we do on Sunday? (go to church)

3. How can we make our parents and Heavenly Father happy? (obey

parents)

4. What does it mean to tell the truth and not steal? (be honest)

5. How can we take good care of our body? (eat good foods)

6. How can we keep close to Heavenly Father (pray)

7. How should we treat others? (love one another)

SEALINGS:

Nobody’s family is perfect. We all have problems. But we can help our family become better. What can we do to help? We need to help each other to become worthy so we can be a FOREVER FAMILY.

Besides keeping the commandments, what else must we do to be with our family forever? (Be sealed in the temple)

What power seals us as a family? (the priesthood)

The priesthood power to seal is eternal – even after people die. Those who are sealed in the temple will be together forever if they keep the promises they made with Heavenly Father.

OBJECT LESSONS:

Using a Ziploc bag, fill it with little people toys or things to represent the family. Don’t zip it up. Turn it upside down and show what happens to our family when we are not sealed. Then show how we stay together when the bag is sealed.

Use strips of paper and write the names of each family member on a strip. Staple or tape each strip into a ring and hook them together to make a chain showing that we are all linked or sealed together.

OTHER PURPOSES OF TEMPLES:

If possible, use the magazine/booklet published by the church titled “Temples”.

Show pictures of the temple baptismal fonts, endowment rooms and sealing rooms.

Explain to children that there are four aspects of ceremonial work performed in the temple:

1. Baptism for the dead

2. Ordination and associated priesthood endowments

3. Marriage ceremonies

4. Other sealing ordinances

With older children, discuss the seven purposes of temples given by John A. Widtsoe:

1. The temple is a house or home of the lord. Should the Lord visit the earth, He would come to His temple.

2. the temple is a place of instruction. Here the principles of the gospel are reviewed and profound truths of the kingdom of God are unfolded.

3. The temple is a place of peace. Here we may lay aside the cares and worries of the outside world.

4. The temple is a place of covenants, which will help us live righteously.

5. The temple is a place of blessing. Promises are made to us, conditioned only upon our faithfulness.

6. The temple is a place where ceremonies pertaining to godliness are presented. The great mysteries of life, with man’s unanswered questions are here made clear:

a) Where did I come from? b) Why am I heare? C) Where do I go when life is over?

7. The temple is a place of revelation. The Lord may here give revelation, and every person may receive revelation to assist him in life.

TEMPLES ALL OVER THE WORLD:

Because the Lord wants all families to have temple blessings, He has directed the prophets to build new temples all over the world so people will note have to travel so far to go to a temple. It used to require great sacrifice for some saints to afford to travel to a temple, and for some, it still is a great sacrifice.

Read attached story: “70 Cents a Month for the Temple”

Activity: Show pictures of temples all over the world and see if your children can match the picture to the location

Treat: Everyone gets a piece of bubble gum- it lasts forever!

Lesson 51: New Baby

Song: I am a Child of God

Scripture: D&C 68:28 “They shall also teach their children to pray, and to walk uprightly before the Lord.”

Lesson: Prepare Items below and rad D&C 68:28

Items needed: Box with bottle, baby food, diaper, and any other baby items Baby doll Chalk and chalkboard, or large paper and marker Adapted from the Family Home Evening Resource book:

Look at 1st Verse of the song.

- What does being a child of God mean?

- Why would Heavenly Father want us to have parents kind and dear?

Tell each child about when they were born and what was special about their birth.

- Ask each child how they feel about the new baby.

Look at the 2nd Verse:

- What things do we need for the baby’s physical needs?

Show the items from the box to help.

- What do we all have that we can give? (Love)

One way to show that is by holding the baby. Let each child practice holding the baby doll.

Look at 3^rd Verse:

- In what ways can we receive blessings with the new baby?

Look at Chorus:

- How can our family lead, guide, and walk beside the new baby?

Activity: Use the chalkboard or large paper to make a list with the family. Talk about what things you want to teach the new baby and how you can show the new baby how to be a good example.

Treat: Enjoy baby carrots and baby corn with ranch dressing, or any other baby themed snacks.

Lesson 52: Moving

Song: The Latter Day Prophets

Lesson: Start by sharing the story of Lehi's family leaving Jerusalem, and the various situations that they had to deal with in their journey to the promised land:

- dealing with new living situation and food
- the importance of keeping the scriptures/gospel (brass plates) central to their lives
- new opportunities, drawing closer to God (the Liahona)
- living up to new challenges like building boats or hunting using a hand-crafted bow
- giving up home, riches, friends for something better
- importance of marriage/family relationships (Laban's family)
- not murmuring against parents
- not fighting brothers and sisters

Act various stories out. Talk about ways to carry these important lessons/symbols with you on your journey; for example, take a set of scriptures with you by hand instead of packing them all in boxes; bring some ready-to-eat treats for the first night in the new house to represent their food in the wilderness; keep a family record of the move (have them record their feelings, draw pictures of the new and old house, etc.); have a meal of milk and honey sandwiches at the new house to represent the "land of milk and honey"; have someone carry a compass to represent the Liahona; think of some favorite Primary songs to sing together when people are feeling crabby and start murmuring; etc.

Activity: Let your children use your phone, camera, or a disposable camera to take pictures of their home, yard, neighborhood, school etc. Help them develop these photos so they can take them with them and cherish them.

Treat: Make and enjoy a delicious batch of blonde brownies.

Lesson 52: Profanity

Song: Choose the Right

Lesson: Read Exodus 20:7

Get two paper sacks...on one, it has a big picture of a garbage can glued to the sack and at the top of the opening of the sack it says: "Words I'll throw away". (You could do it different and have the top of the garbage can cut open for them to put in.) The other sack has a picture of a smiling child glued to the sack, and at the top it says "Words I'll keep". (You could do it differently here too and have the smiling child's mouth cut open and they can slide the words in his mouth.) In an envelope, you'll have strips of paper, where you the parent will write all the various words, phrases or whatever that your children are having trouble with and words that are okay...for example, 'poo-poo head', 'thank you', 'sweetie', 'aw man', 'dummy', etc.

Anyway, you hold up these two things and tell your family that you want them to throw away any vulgar words they may be inclined to use. And of course there are words that they can keep too. Have family members take turns drawing a word or situation and decide if it is a good word to keep or a garbage can word.

Teach your children about gospel truth: Profanity is the disrespectful use of the names of Deity, or the use of offensive or indecent language. Profanity separates us from our Heavenly Father while clean, reverent language brings us closer to him.

*This lesson is divided into two lessons - you can combine them if desired, according to your children's attention span.*

Activity: Have the children help come up with other words they can use instead of profane words. Let them be silly.

Treat: Make and enjoy a batch of snicker doodle cookies

Monday, December 16, 2013

Lesson 3: Learning to Obey the Lord