Family Home Evening by TL

Family Home Evening

“We advise and urge the inauguration of a ‘Home Evening’ throughout the church, at which time fathers and mothers may gather their boys and girls about them in the home and teach them the word of the Lord…’Home Evening’ should be devoted to prayer, singing hymns, songs, instrumental music, scripture reading, family topics and specific instruction on the duties and obligations of children to parents, the home, the Church, society and the nation.” (First Presidency letter, 27 April 1915- Joseph F. Smith, Anthon H. Lund, Charles W. Penrose)

“In a world of turmoil and uncertainty, it is more important than ever to make our families the center of our lives and the top of our priorities…. We need to make our homes a place of refuge from the storm, which is increasing in intensity all about us.” (The Importance of the Family, L. Tom Perry, May 2003)

“These are essential things with must be done before nonessential things.” (What Latter-day Saint Women Do Best: Stand Strong and Immovable, Julie B. Beck, October 2007)

The Blessing:
“If the Saints obey this counsel, we promise that great blessings will result. Love at home and obedience to parents will increase. Faith will be developed in the hearts of the youth of Israel, and they will gain power to combat the evil influence and temptations which beset them.” (First Presidency letter, 27 April 1915- Joseph F. Smith, Anthon H. Lund, Charles W. Penrose)

"Family home evening is for everyone. It is for families with parents and children, for families with just one parent, and for parents who have no children at home. It is for home evening groups of single adults and for those who live alone or with roommates. . . Regular participation in family home evening will develop increased personal worth, family unity, love for our fellow men, and trust in our Father in heaven."(Family Home Evening, 1976 — Spencer W. Kimball, N. Eldon Tanner, and Marion G. Romney)


FHE ideas:
· Noah’s Ark- blocks, toy animals, spray bottle
· Captain Moroni & The Title of Liberty
· Easter egg song choices
· Toothpaste “gossip” object lesson
· Play dough tree of life
· How tall was Goliath?
· Match pictures to different verses of the primary song “Follow The Prophet, p.110
· Practical “dad” Skills (jump starting a car, changing tires, how to fix things, etc.)
· Bring Your Genealogy “to life”
· General Conference- bring the Apostles to “life” by learning personal info about them
· Service projects
· Update or inventory your emergency kits- have a “surprise” lights out
· Acting out the tree of life story
· Gratitude, Story of The Ten Lepers
· Build a tent & act out a tent story (King Benjamin, Nephi and Lehi finding the Liahona, or the Children of Israel)
· Make cookies the wrong way (lesson on obedience)
· Practice/teach first aid
· Count your many blessings
· Go visit and walk around the Temple and Visitors Center
· Plant your garden
· Make an obstacle course in the backyard
· Writing letters to missionaries
· Writing letters to TV stations or congressmen
· Older kids- as a family make a menu, shopping list, and then go shopping and try to stay on a certain budget
· Near Pioneer Day- do an FHE on pioneers
· Have your own talent show
· Have a “Happy Hansen Day”
· Have a “Month of Love” for the whole month of February
· Missionary night
· Coloring pictures of the Creation
· Tell scripture stories using a few objects and a picture. Telling it in your own words and with a few props makes it all of a sudden really exciting- Moses in the Bulrushes, Brother of Jared, Ammon cutting off the arms.
· Children of Israel finding manna (spread out cotton balls all over the floor of a room before family home evening starts. Start in a different room and start telling the story. When you get to the part about them coming out of their tents, go into the other room and talk about them saying “what is it?” Have the kids help you pick up the cotton balls like it was food, and then and the commandment that they could eat it, but they couldn’t save any overnight (except on Sunday) or it would go bad.)
· Jesus calming the storm- tell the story and have a blanket, squirt bottle, and flashlight handy. Have them sit in a “boat” (laundry basket, box, on top of a coffee table or ottoman). They are the disciples. When the storm starts, turn out the lights, and make “lightening”, “rain”, and “wind”. Talk about how scared the disciples were. Then talk about how Jesus came and calmed the storm- and then the lights come back on and it is calm again.
· Explain Ephesians 6- read and make swords, shields, helmets, etc. and talk about standing for truth and righteousness