Week 5: Entertainment and Media

Week 5: Entertainment and Media (Monday April 29)

If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.

Articles of Faith 1:13

Click Here for this week's lesson from LDS.org

Suggested Song: Teach Me to Walk in the Light p. 78 Children's Songbook

Lindsey's Ideas for the week:
Make a list of top ten television shows your family watches. Discuss if they are "virtuous, lovely, praisworthy, or of good report".

Couples with little itty bitty ones...Discuss as a couple what the media rules of the family will be. Rules on television, what will be watched on Sunday, where will the family computer be located, cell phones, etc.

Challenge for teens: Elder Scott talked in conference about technology and the importance of using it to further the work of the Lord. He suggested that teens use their phones to memorize scriptures, saying "imagine if you memorized as many scriptures as you send text messages!". Challenge your teen to use their phone to memorize a scripture this week.

Make a list of how your family can "unplug" from technology this week. 

Review President Nelson's recent address to the youth, focussing on the parts about unplugging.
Share the following poem (author unknown)
Side By Side

On the table, side by side
The Book of Mormon and the TV Guide
One is well worn and cherished with pride;
Not the Book of Mormon, but the TV guide,
One is used daily to help folks decide,
No, not the Book of Mormon, but the TV Guide.
As the pages are turned, what shall they see?
Oh, what does it matter, turn on the TV!
So they opened the book from which they confide,
No, not the Book of Mormon, but the TV guide.
The word of God is seldom read
Maybe a verse or two before they fall to bed,
Exhausted and sleepy and tired as can be,
Not from reading the scriptures, but from watching TV.
So back to the table, side by side
The Book of Mormon, and the TV Guide
The Plan of Salvation is full and free
But is found in the Book of Mormon, not on the TV.

Reminder: Find ways to testify during FHE

Week 4: Education (Happy Memorial Day!)

Whatever principle of intelligence we attain unto in this life, it will rise with us in the resurrection.

Doctrine and Covenants 130:18

CLICK HERE for this week's lesson from LDS.org

Suggested song: Scripture Power

Activity Ideas:
For all ages! Invite each member of the family to come prepared to teach the family how to do something. Have them choose something they love to do. For example, how to bake cookies, golf basics, how to play an instrument, a craft, colors of the rainbow, etc. It could be as simple as showing the steps to make chex mix puppy chow...or the basics of shooting free throws.

Write thank you cards to your teachers! (yes...your teachers do save them and appreciate them!)
Tip: If your professor/teacher writes you a letter of recommendation its polite to send them a thank you card.

Show your children pictures of you graduating, your diploma, and other important certificates you have earned from education. Consider also showing your CPR card, personal trainer certification, teacher license, white coat, etc. Teach children that education is a lifelong pursuit and there are hundreds of ways to continue learning and increasing your knowledge.

Do a sensory motor activity with your family:

• Write large letters/names on sheet of paper and place in a sheet protector. Spray sheet protector with shaving cream and trace letters with fingers.
• Fill a tub with water (add a couple drops of food coloring) and allow young kids to play in water. Add measuring cups, graduated cilanders, syringes (no needle), and water droppers.
• Fill a bucket with flour and hide small toys. Let kids dig through flour to find the toys. (rice, beans, sugar, dirt, and sand will work too)

Demonstrate your favorite science expiriment for your family:

• Egg that drops down in the bottle
• Vinegar volcano
• more ideas click here

Teach your family about the primary colors. Demonstrate how to create secondary colors...and tertiary colors. Fill 3 jars with colored water; red, yellow, blue. Then have kids help you combine colors in clean jar to create orange, green and purple. Continue with tertiary colors if you feel so inclined. Show the color wheel

Have each member of the family choose a career they would like to pursue. Research it and determine how much education is necessary for that chosen career. 

Next weeks Lesson: Entertainment and Media

Week 3: Dress and Appearance

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

CLICK HERE for this week's lesson from LDS.org
Check here FIRST for talks, videos, quotes, and ways to integrate Duty to God and Personal Progress into your Family Home Evening

May 20, 2018
This week's Relief Society and Elders Quorum Lesson:
"Family History and Temple Work: Sealing and Healing" Dale G. Renlund

Suggested song from our primary chorister: "IF THE SAVIOR STOOD BESIDE ME"

Activity Ideas:
Paper Dolls
Weather Bear-discuss what types of clothing are appropriate for specific days/occassions (draw a tie on the white shirt)
Read children's book: Jesse Bear, What Will You Wear? by Nancy Carlstrom
Sketch body outline of family members on butcher paper and let each family member draw on appropriate clothing
Fashion Show
Tie Tying competition
Teach family members how to iron their own clothing
Tie die shirts
Game show and/or skit: What not to wear
Relay races where teams are competing to put on an outfit. Run to the other end and selects item of clothing from box, runs back and tags teammate. For example, one member races down, puts on shirt, skips back. Next team member runs down, puts on boots, crab walks back, etc.
Flour bomb dodgeball with old nylons filled with flour.
Create sock puppets
Sing "Head Shoulders Knees and Toes". Remind family members to do the motions of this song in the dressing room trying on clothing! If it doesn't reveal...its a keeper.


More...
1) Body is a temple: Play a guessing game in which one family member looks secretly at a picture of the temple and tries to describe it to get the other family members to guess. Go through a series of temples (e.g. Salt Lake, Columbus, Kirtland, Nauvoo, etc.) Have the last "temple picture" be a mirror. After this activity is over, read 1 Corinthians 3:17.

2) What does it mean to be modest: Read the description of modest dress found in For the Strength of Youth. After this is read, cut out various pictures of people from magazines/advertisements/news papers/etc. Go through the pictures of people and decide as a family if they are modestly dressed. If the decision is that they are not modestly dressed, draw or cut and paste on clothes to paste on the pictures.

3) Look at your own life: Younger children could have a "dress up" and "fashion show." Older children/youth/adults could be encouraged to go through their own personal wardrobes and choose clothes that they want to get rid of.

Send us a pic!
Your family could be our featured family of the week. Please submit a pic of your family at FHE. We want to hear how your FHE goes!

Next Weeks Lesson: EDUCATION

Please keep commenting with ideas or send them to me via email. Happy FHE

Week 2: Dating

Virtue loveth virtue; light cleaveth unto light.

Doctrine and Covenants 88:40

This Week's Lesson
Click to view ideas from LDS.org (including talks, videos, quotes, and ways to integrate Duty to God and Personal Progress into your Family Home Evening)

Suggested song from primary chorister: Follow the Prophet, Children's songbook pg. 110

Treat idea: chocolate fondue!

Activity Ideas:

Daddy/Daughter Dates (or mommy/son)

Role Plays (Use "what would you do" scenarios)

Lesson on manners: Practice using manners (please, thank you, table manners, putting your phone down and looking them in the eye, etc.) and chivalrous actions (opening doors, helping with chair, etc.)

Etiquette dinner

Write the top 10 ways you can be a good date (or play date)

Teenagers: invite everyone to come with their best pick up lines to kick off the discussion on dating!

For the little ones....use puppets to lead a discussion on proper relationships/ways to act around kids of the opposite sex (school, play dates, church, etc.)

Couples: Plan out dates for each other for the next month...or create a date jar with ideas of dates you'd like to go on.

Parents share experiences of dating someone that made them a better person or helped them keep the commandments, and someone who didn’t

You tube video on For the Strength of Youth and Dating: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5F98MyXeKvU

New Era article with dating tips: http://www.lds.org/new-era/2000/11/idea-list-the-dos-of-dating?lang=eng

Here is a Mormon Channel video, probably better for teens: http://www.mormonchannel.org/we-will-stand/3-dating

Show the video: Families can be together forever.
https://www.lds.org/youth/learn/yw/marriage-and-family/family?lang=eng#video=families-can-be-together-forever

Ask why the roles of father and mother are important? Read from the Proclamation on the Family:

“By divine design, Heavenly Father gave men and women different gifts and abilities to help them fulfill complementary roles as husband and wife. “Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose. … Fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners” (“The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” Ensign or Liahona,Nov. 2010, 129).

Have kids act out how mothers and fathers should treat one another (get out dress ups for this).

Ask how we find who we are going to marry. Talk about what dating is.

Ask what we can do now to prepare to become good parents (example: learn how to make friends with people of the opposite gender, learn how to compromise, learn how to show respect to the opposite gender, prepare spiritually...etc.)

PLEASE keep commenting with all your ideas for ALL ages! Enjoy! We enjoyed our first week of the challenge.

Note: The sister missionaries would love to join your individual families for FHE and have offered to give an example of how to hold FHE. 



Next week's lesson: Dress and Appearance

Week 1: Blodgett Canyon Ward FHE CHALLENGE (Agency and Accountability)

Agency and Accountability 

Wherefore, men … are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death.2 Nephi 2:27

Suggested song from the primary chorister: Stand for the Right pg. 159 Children's Songbook

CLICK HERE to view ideas from LDS.org (including talks, videos, quotes, and ways to integrate Duty to God and Personal Progress into your Family Home Evening)

Next Sunday's lesson for Relief Society and Elder's Quorum: AM I A CHILD OF GOD? - Elder Brian K. Taylor

Here are some ideas for this week:

Games:

• Let's Make a Deal
• Shutes and Ladders
• Life
• Sorry
• Scavenger Hunts

Maze.  Copy a maze for each person.  Talk about making wrong choices that lead to a “wall”

and right choices to get to the end.

Emoji Game: Use emojis to express how we feel when we make certain choices. Likewise, discuss how our Heavenly Father feels about our choices. Teens can text in their emojis. Little ones can use printed emojis on popsicle sticks.

Smiley Face/Frowny Face Game

Give each member of the family a popsicle stick with a smiley and frowny face on it (back to back). When you read examples each family member holds up either the happy face or sad face to reflect if the choice was good or bad. Choose examples specific to your family. For example: I go to Primary, I poke my friend instead of folding my arms, I say thank you, I laugh when another child falls down, I put away my dishes, etc.

Agency Worksheet Click Here

LDS Living Agency Lesson Click Here

Grandparents: Perhaps you could create one of these family home evening lessons to send to your grandkids.

Treat idea: Decorate sugar cookies with smiley faces!

The ideas are endless...and I'm sure some of the weeks will get harder. Please post below your FHE ideas for this lesson. It's never to early to think ahead. Next week's lesson is:

Dating

September 30: Laws and Ordinances

These ideas are from the following blog: http://kristysawtelle.com

Chapter 3, Lesson 5: “Laws and Ordinances”

Opening Song:"The Priesthood is Restored", (Primary songbook), "When I am Baptized", (Primary songbook), "Families Can Be Together Forever"

Follow up on commandments challenge from last week's lesson

Discussion: When new members are baptized they may not understand all of the laws and ordinances of the church at first. It may take new converts some time before they understand all of the things we do and talk about in church. The missionaries have a lesson plan to help new members be prepared to participate comfortably in meetings and discussion.

Activity: In one lesson the missionaries will teach new members about 7 different laws and ordinances that we have in the gospel. Each of these seven things are scrambled in a puzzle form below. Try to figure out the puzzle and determine the 7 laws and ordinances new members need to learn about.

1. Unscramble this word “DIHSRPOETO”

2. Find the letter in the alphabet that corresponds to each #given (A=1)
13, 9, 19, 19, 9, 15, 14,1, 18, 25 23, 15, 18, 11

3. Find the letter in the alphabet that directly precedes each letter given in “FUFSOBM NBSSJBHF”

4. Use only every other letter in the phrase “tpenmrpslrels amnsd fvanmuiflry hliwsptnoqrcy”

5. Combine the last ½ of the word “chaser”, the first ½ of the word “vine”, and the last ½ of the word “race”. What is the new word you created?

6. This phrase is written backwards “gninrael dna gnihcaet”

7. find this phrase in the words of this scripture “Mormon 9:29” hint: (ETTE)

Activity: Have each person choose one law or ordinance and present it to the family as if they were introducing it to a new member who knew nothing about it. Have family members ask questions that a new member unfamiliar with church workings may ask.

Explain, Apply and Testify: As each person explains the law or ordinance chosen have them share what they love about that particular aspect of the gospel and how it enhances their life.

Activity: Now write all 7 ordinances on cards of paper and have family members tape their card to one object in the pantry. (Cans, boxes, pkgs. Etc) Use the objects to build a tower. These laws and ordinances work together to build and strengthen the church. Your tower may look a little funny but the Lord doesn't care much about outward appearances. He can build us into a great church with individually great members as we build on His ordinances.

For families with young children: The family is the basic unit of the Church. One of the laws and ordinances we learned about tonight is Eternal families. Everyone gets markers or crayons and we all draw a picture of what we think our eternal family someday will look like. Then we get to discuss what we think our family will be like.

For older teens and adults: Use the scripture references given with each of the laws and ordinances presented in PMG under the “scripture study” section. For each of the seven laws and ordinances find at least a couple scriptures you love and can apply to your life. Mark those scriptures and share them with each other.

Commit: Are there any of the 7 laws and ordinances discussed that we could be doing better with? Brainstorm as a family how you can improve this week and commit to one action.

September 23rd: The Commandments

These ideas come from the following blog: http://kristysawtelle.com

Chapter 3, Lesson 4: “The Commandments”

Opening Song: "Keep the Commandments" (Primary songbook)

Follow up on commitments made and kept from last week

Discussion: Why does our loving Father in Heaven give us commandments? Read the section entitled “Obedience” in PMG on pg. 72.

Activity: Can we name all of the 10 commandments? As a family try to name them (pg. 76 of PMG)
Create a short obstacle course outside or in the family room of your home with 10 obstacles (each one labeled as one of the 10 commandments you named). With a stop watch take turns racing through each obstacle and saying it as you go through it. Repetition will help them remember. You might use:

Step up onto “Thou shalt have no other god's before me”
Hurdle over “Thou shalt not make any graven images”
Slide under “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord in vain”
Jump through “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy”
Leap up to touch “Honour thy father and thy mother”
Cross the balance beam for “Thou shalt not kill”
Somersault over “Thou shalt not commit adultery”
Dodge around “Thou shalt not steal”
Throw a ball through “Thou shalt not bear false witness”
Collapse on the cushions for Tthou shalt not covet”
Let each child go a few times repeating the commandments and trying to improve their speed.

Discussion: Can you think of any other commandments the Lord has given members of his church?
See pg. 73-80 of PMG

Explain, Apply and Testify: How do the commandments show Heavenly Father's love for us? Why are we happier when we keep them? Have you seen this in your own life?

Activity: Let each family member choose one of the things God commands us to do on pg. 73-80 of PMG and tell how he would teach the importance of obedience to that commandment to an investigator or someone who asked him questions about his beliefs.

Families with young children: Sing the primary song (pg. 112 of the Primary songbook) or one of the many rhymes available to practice the 10 commandments. Point out specific times you may have seen each child keeping one of the commandments and how proud you are of them for their obedience.

Older teens or adults: For each commandment in the lesson, list the scriptural promise that goes with it or choose one scripture from the list provided in PMG that you think best teaches or illustrates that commandment and highlight it in your scriptures or book with cross references. Share with your family or your spouse how the Lord's promises have been realized in your life as you have kept the commandments.

Commit: Make it a family goal to practice saying the 10 commandments throughout the week (right before dinner or scripture reading or prayers) and try to memorize all 10 of the Lord's commands by next week. Consider an incentive award for anyone who can recite all 10.