Friend February 2020 “Funstuff: Book of Mormon Puzzle” Fill in the empty squares so that all six pictures are in each row (across), each column (up and down), and each blue box. What do these symbols remind you of in the story of Nephi and his family?
Friend November 2019 “James Taught the Gospel” James, the brother of Jesus, taught the gospel and helped lead the church when he grew up. One of his teachings in James 1:5. says that if we have questions, we can ask God. Many years after James wrote this scripture, a boy named Joseph Smith read it. He prayed to know which church to join. Joseph’s prayer was answered!When I have questions, I can ask God, like James taught. (Memorize James 1:5 as a family. Talk about how this verse led Joseph Smith to receive the First Vision.)
Girl and boy figures and dirt spots (Friend, February 2002, For Little Friends). Put the girl and boy figures into a page protector, and cut out the individual dirt spots.
A Doctrine and Covenants for each person
Tape to attach the spots
A CD player and a CD of General Conference
Activity
In life Satan tries hard to tempt us to sin.
Show the picture of the girl, the boy, and the dirt spots. Tell the children that the dirt spots represent sin.
What are some sins that Satan tries to tempt us to make in life? (Answers might include: lying, disobeying a parent, fighting with siblings, cheating, stealing) Have a family member put a dirt spot onto the girl or boy figure for each answer they give. You may need to help or direct their answers so that everyone has a turn.
Satan doesn’t want us to excel and succeed in life. He wants us to live lives that are full of degradation and worldly thoughts and actions such as greed, selfishness, and pride.
Heavenly Father wants us to live upright, clean lives so that we can gain exaltation, and he provides ways for us to achieve this.
Have the children look up and read the first phrase of D&C 59:9, and ask if they know what it is saying. (In order to keep ourselves unspotted from the world we need to go to church, take the sacrament and renew our covenants on the Sabbath.) Take a spot off the girl or boy figure for each item mentioned: going to church, taking the sacrament and renewing our covenants.
What other things does D&C 59:9-14 say that we should do on the Sabbath in order to keep ourselves unspotted from the world? (devotions and worship of God, resting from our labors, oblations (which is service to God), confessing and repenting, preparing food with singleness of heart, fasting and prayer) Take a spot off for every item mentioned.
Why would doing these things help keep us clean and unspotted from the world? (Because we are spiritually and physically strengthened and renewed, and we are not as susceptible to worldly thoughts, temptations, and sin.)
Object Lesson
Turn on a general conference CD (or DVD). Also turn on some other items that make noise such as a TV, radio, hand vacuum, blender, etc.
Is it difficult to hear and listen to the conference CD with all the noisy distractions?
We would have to turn off all the competing noises in order to hear and focus on the conference CD. That is why Heavenly Father has given us the Sabbath Day, so we can turn off all competing influences and focus on things that will strengthen us spiritually and keep us unspotted from the world.
Friend May 2023 “Rosi’s Prayer” Rosi was teased and made fun of at school because of her skin color. She prays for help. It felt good to tell Heavenly Father about her feelings. She felt warm and loved. She felt that her skin color was beautiful. She was a child of God, and He loved her. After her prayer she had an idea. She and her mom talked to the people in charge of the school about what was happening in her classroom. Rosi also looked out for other kids at school who were being bullied and became friends with them.
Friend April 2021 “Jesus Said Love Everyone” When Jesus was on the earth, He constantly helped those who were left out, overlooked, or mistreated. As His followers, we must do the same!
Friend October 2019 “Loving Others as Jesus Loves Us” We should love others and live peacefully with others even if they don’t believe the same things we do or are different from us. We can do this be being kind to people who are different, show respect for their beliefs, never bully or insult anyone, etc. Activity: Make a Friendship Chain! When you do one of the activities, add that strip to your chain, plus another colored one. Add your own activity to the blank strip. Activities include asking someone who speaks another language how to say “hello” in their language, asking a friend to teach you about a tradition in their family, religion, or culture, etc.
Friend June 2021 “Be Kind” President Oaks tells us to be kind and not tease, reject, bully, and reject those who are different from them.
Ways to show kindness to someone new or from a different country.
Friend April 2021 “Meet Shiloh from the Philippines” Shiloh loves to help people everywhere he goes, and is friendly and willing to play with everyone. It doesn’t matter how different they are. Shiloh has a condition called Down syndrome, but he knows everyone is a child of God! (photos included in story)
Ensign July 2019 “Five Truths for Loving Those Who Believe Differently”
As our children grow up in a diverse world, it’s important that we teach them to peacefully coexist with people who have different backgrounds, ideals, and lifestyles.
1. Many good people believe differently. The fact that someone believes or behaves differently than we do doesn’t necessarily mean they’re bad. Most people are trying their best to follow what they believe is right. If your children are wondering why a person is making choices that we know are wrong, explain that not everyone has the same gospel understanding we have. Discussion: Who are some people we know outside the Church? What good things are they doing? Why is it important to look for the good in others?
2. We should respect people’s agency. Agency is “the ability and privilege God gives people to choose and to act for themselves.”1 It is a right that we chose to preserve in premortality and that we must continue to protect now, for us and for others. Therefore, we should respect other people’s right to choose, even when their choices are different from our own. Discussion: What are some daily decisions that we each make? (Examples: wardrobe, food, playtime.) What are the consequences of these decisions? How would we feel if we lost that agency?
3. God loves all of His children. Every person is a beloved child of God, and “all are alike unto [Him]” (2 Nephi 26:33). Just as God “esteemeth all flesh in one” (1 Nephi 17:35), we should treat others with equal love and respect. Discussion: Think of a friend not of our faith. Name five similarities we share. Why should we focus on similarities more than differences? What evidence do we see of God’s love for those who believe differently?
4. Kindness is not condoning. People may worry that supporting a person who doesn’t live according to gospel teachings means advocating a lifestyle they don’t agree with. But you can love someone without approving of that person’s choices. The Lord commanded, “Love one another, as I have loved you” (John 15:12) and “Love thy neighbour as thyself” (Matthew 22:39). Love will never be the wrong way to treat someone. Discussion: Think of a friend at school who’s different. How can you reach out in kindness, friendship, and love?
5. We can be good examples without making people feel bad. In our interactions with others, we should take extra care to communicate love and inclusion. We should never make someone feel like they don’t belong. Discussion: How can we make others feel welcomed instead of judged or excluded? How can we be an example? Try role-playing different situations, responding in a Christlike way.
Quote to Share
“Our message to others about our faith should always be, ‘I love it. I want to live it. I invite everyone to come and see. If you want to join me, that is wonderful. But if you choose to live differently, I can accept that. I love you no matter what.’”Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf
Friend July 2020 “Different but Together” Ellie and her family went on a trip to visit their cousins. The cousins didn’t want Ellie’s family to talk about church things while they were there so that they wouldn’t have disagreements. Ellie had had a lot of fun visiting with her cousins. She realized that even if they believed in different things, they could still be a happy family.
Friend August 2020 “As Different as Pythons and Peacocks” Siblings, Andrea and Michael both like the zoo, but they like very different things at the zoo. Even though they are different, they are kind and considerate of each other. (How many animals can you count in this story?)
Unity
Friend October 2018 “Different but the Same” President Eyring explains that we can be united despite our differences. We do this by finding common ground, remembering we are all children of God, and by speaking kindly of others.
Activity: Look up the scripture and fill in the missing word, and write down other things you can do to practice unity using the letters that spell unity.
Friend July 2018 “Matt and Mandy” Matt reads an email from his cousin in Australia and is a little confused by some of the words, but’s he finds that they have the most important things in common.
Ensign January 2018 “Dealing with Differences” What to say to children when they notice differences in others. For example: focus on what people have in common
Friend May 2023 “Rosi’s Prayer” Rosi was teased and made fun of at school because of her skin color. She prays for help. It felt good to tell Heavenly Father about her feelings. She felt warm and loved. She felt that her skin color was beautiful. She was a child of God, and He loved her. After her prayer she had an idea. She and her mom talked to the people in charge of the school about what was happening in her classroom. Rosi also looked out for other kids at school who were being bullied and became friends with them. (See other tips for Rooting Out Racism below”
Friend September 2020 “Children of Heavenly Parents” Lisa Harkness of the General Primary Presidency visited the people in Africa. She found that the people of Africa come from many different countries and cultures and they speak many different languages, but they are rich in their faith and their knowledge that they are children of God.
Friend August 2024 “A Worldwide Family” Elder William K. Jackson tells of a time when his parents did volunteer work in different countries. He wanted to help people around the world too, so he became a doctor. He has worked in many different countries helping people. He tells Primary children that they are part of a special world-wide family with a Father in Heaven that loves them. We are all brothers and sisters, children of God.
Activity: Find the Favorites All of us are different. We have different talents, likes, and dislikes. But we are all children of God!
Use the clues to fill out the chart and find what each of these friends is interested in. Hint: Put an X by what you know is not true. The first one is done for you. When you’re done, each column should have one empty square!
Kai is the only one who likes basketball. The piano player is not Amara or Jade. Max doesn’t like math. None of the boys play an instrument or do karate. The girl who likes animals is not Amara.
Share with Others Your Culture
Friend July 2023 “Kofta for Lunch” Roy’s mom had made his favorite Romanian food for his lunch. When he started to eat it at school, a boy next to him thought it looked weird. Roy was embarrassed. At home, his mom suggested he give others a chance to try it because they had probably never had it before. Roy did that the next day, asking if anyone wanted to try it. They all liked it and Roy made some new friends.
Friend September 2022 “Different but Not Alone” Megan is the only member of the church in her school. One day a boy named Bennett scoffed at her religious beliefs. Another boy, who was the only Hindu in the school, helped her feel better. They both wondered if Bennett had been mean because he didn’t feel happy inside and needed a friend. They became his friend, and he apologized for being mean.
Friend July 2019 “Friends and Other Faiths” Henry and his family visit a Sikh temple to to experience other forms of worship for a scout activity. The worship was very different from the way Henry and his family worship, but the people were wonderful, and Henry and his family even got invited to eat food with them afterwards. Henry was so happy to get to know them and he wants to go back sometime.
Friend October 2018 “Liam’s Friends” Liam has lots of friends who are members of other churches, but they still have lots of things in common and have fun playing together.
Friend October 2018 “Praying with Paul” When Hunter had dinner at Paul’s house, Paul’s family made the sign of the cross and then held hands while praying. Hunter wondered why it was so different from how he and his family prayed. Hunter’s mom later explained that Paul and his family were probably Catholic, and she pointed out that they also believed in Jesus and had other similarities. (“Many people around the world pray in different ways. Heavenly Father loves all of His children and hears and answers their prayers.” Friend Oct. 2018)
Ensign June 2018 “Creating a Culture of Inclusion” “In Japan, we’ve visited Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines, and we always tell our children that these are sacred places to others, just like our church buildings and temples are to us. We teach them that people in other religions believe other things and that it’s great that, like us, they are trying to be better people.” Cassidy Larsen
Friend February 2024 “Friends Following Jesus” Saria went to a Christian school. That meant they all learned about Jesus Christ together even though not everyone went to the same church. When she invited her friends to her baptism they wanted to know why she wasn’t baptized as a baby. She didn’t know what to say. Later, Saria’s mother explained that we believe that when we’re baptized, we make a sacred covenant. And we need to be old enough to understand the promises we make. Saria realized that she and her friends had differences, but one thing was the same. They all loved Jesus and wanted to follow Him.
Avoid Generalizations
When children make broad claims (like “boys are good at music”) or assumptions about race or religion, you can say, “Oh, who are you thinking of?” They most likely have someone in mind, and you can talk about the specific incident and explain that broad claims aren’t accurate. Help children focus on specifics. For example, instead of declaring, “Girls can do anything,” try “You can do anything.” When we focus on generalizations (even positive or neutral ones), we teach children that being part of a group determines who you are and what you can do.
Gender Generalizations
Friend March 2023 “The Dinosaur Book” Sophie checked out a book about dinosaurs. Timmy said it was a boy book and that only boys like dinosaurs. The next day the teacher said, “It’s OK to like different things. All of our books and toys are for everyone.” Timmy apologized and Sophie invited him to read the book with her.
Not Alike, but Friends
Friend July 2019 “The Perfect Match” Maggie loved to match things. When she saw a blond girl sitting sadly alone, she tried to friendship her with a friend that was also blond. Later, her father asked Maggie why she didn’t play with Anna. Then he reminded her that we need to love others as Jesus did, and that it didn’t matter whether we looked the same or thought in the the same ways.
Speaking Different Languages
Friend May 2021 “Tara’s New Friend” Tara sees a boy sitting alone at church. She doesn’t speak his language so she decides to draw pictures for him.
There are all kinds of children in the world. And Heavenly Father loves them all! He wants us to love them too. How many hearts can you find?
Friend May 2024 “Chess Friendship” Matvii and his family were moving to Germany because it wasn’t safe where they were from. A bishop’s family let them stay with them. Matvii was upset when he realized the Bishop’s children didn’t understand their language. How could he make friends if he couldn’t talk to them. Eventually the children found games and activities that they all knew and could play together, like football and chess.
1. I know you, and you know me. We are as diff’rent as the sun and the sea I know you, and you know me, And that’s the way it’s supposed to be.
2. I help you, and you help me. We learn from problems, and we’re starting to see. I help you, and you help me, And that’s the way it’s supposed to be.
3. I love you, and you love me We reach together for the best we can be I love you, and you love me, And that’s the way it’s supposed to be.
Friend March 2018 “Food and Fun: Wisdom Rocks” Put a wise thought or scripture on a rock to inspire you.
Sermon on the Mount
Matthew CHAPTER 5 Jesus preaches the Sermon on the Mount—Its teachings replace and transcend some aspects of the law of Moses—All are commanded to be perfect like their Father in Heaven.
Luke CHAPTER 6 Jesus heals on the Sabbath—He chooses the Twelve Apostles—He pronounces blessings upon the obedient and woes upon the wicked. Sermon on the Mount
Explain that the beginning of Jesus’s sermon includes what is known as the “Beatitudes.” Beatitude means to be blessed or happy. In these verses, Jesus identified attributes that He and His Father possess that lead to true happiness in this life and in the life to come. Developing these attributes will help you become more like Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.
Create a chart on the board with two columns labeled Blessed are … and Blessing. Invite the children to search Matthew 5:3–12 looking for the qualities of those Jesus said would be blessed and the blessings He promised them. Then fill in the chart with what they find. Discuss with the children what each quality and corresponding blessing mean.
Write each quality from these verses on a card and its corresponding blessing on a card. For example, one card would say “meek,” and another would say “inherit the earth” (verse 5). Let the children match the qualities and the blessings. Ask the children to pick one of the qualities in these verses that they want to develop.
Friend March 2019 “Sermon on the Mount” The scriptures teach us about a special talk (or “sermon”) that Jesus gave called the Sermon on the Mount. Look up the scriptures below and match them with what Jesus taught.
Friend April 2004 “If I Choose to Obey, I’ll Be Happy All Day!” In the Sermon on the Mount (see Matt. 5; 3 Ne. 12) Jesus taught us how to live so we can be happy. Some of these teachings are known as the Beatitudes. Beatitude means “happiness” or “blessing.” To make a Beatitude Book, glue page 29 onto a sheet of paper. Cut on the solid lines. Glue the second strip to the tab on the first strip. Fold back and forth on the dotted lines.
Friend February 2023 “Scripture Toss” Put this page on the ground. Take turns tossing a beanbag onto the paper. When the beanbag lands on a square, read that scripture verse. If someone has already read that verse, tell what it means to you. Or you can tell how you can do what it teaches.
Friend February 2023 “Come, Follow Me Activities for Little Ones”Tell your little ones that we are happy when we choose the right like Jesus did. Hang up a paper with a smiley face drawn on it. Add a smiley face each time your little ones make a “happy” choice.
In Matthew 5, the Savior teaches His disciples a higher law to live by so they can become like Him.
Read the beatitudes in Matthew 5:1–12. Talk about each characteristic and the promise that goes with it.
Write each person’s name on a separate sheet of paper.
Give each person a paper, making sure they don’t get one with their own name written on it.
Have everyone draw a picture of a time when the person on their paper exemplified one of the beatitudes. Write a sentence about it. For example, “Hannah is a peacemaker because she shared with her sister.”
Look up the blessing associated with that beatitude and write it at the bottom of the page.
Take turns sharing what was written.
Light to the World
Friend March 2018 “Funstuff” Read the scriptures and have the children use the tangram pieces to make the item that isn’t hid under a bushel.
During His Sermon on the Mount, the Savior taught, “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). But how is this possible?
Come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, Moro. 10:32.
Continue in patience until ye are perfected, D&C 67:13.
These are they who are just men made perfect through Jesus, D&C 76:69.
As a family, create a simple puzzle by cutting a sheet of paper into several puzzle pieces. Before assembling the puzzle, remove one piece so that the puzzle will be incomplete upon assembly. Give each family member the remaining puzzle pieces and have them label the pieces with things they can do to work toward perfection.
When the pieces are labeled, assemble the puzzle without the piece you removed at the beginning. Once the puzzle is assembled, reveal the final piece. Before placing it, discuss ways that the members of the Godhead help us improve and write some of these down on the final piece.
Through the redeeming power of Jesus Christ and His Atonement, we can become perfect eventually.3
How can you help class members see that the Savior’s command to be “perfect” (Matthew 5:48) means, as President Russell M. Nelson explained, to be “complete” or “finished”? (“Perfection Pending,” Ensign, Nov. 1995, 86–88). You could cut a picture of Jesus into a puzzle, and invite class members to write on the back of each piece a teaching from Matthew 5 that they feel inspired to apply to their life. Let them work together to complete the puzzle. How does Jesus Christ’s Atonement help us become “complete” or “finished”? (see Bible Dictionary, “Grace”).
Discuss this statement from Elder Joseph Fielding Smith about perfection: “[Perfection] will not come all at once, but line upon line, precept upon precept, example upon example, and even then not as long as we live in this mortal life. … But here we lay the foundation … to prepare us for that perfection. It is our duty to be better today than we were yesterday, and better tomorrow than we are today” (Doctrines of Salvation, 2:18).
Salt of the Earth
How can our knowledge of gospel truths help “preserve” the lives of others? We preserve their spiritual lives so they do not suffer from spiritual death. What are some ways we can offer “healing” to nonmembers? In what ways is the gospel an “essential nutrient” in our lives? If we are to be like the savior we need to be the salt of the earth. that it preserves food, that it can be used as a medicine, and that it is an essential nutrient.)
Eat together some food seasoned with salt and the same food without salt. What difference do we notice? What does it mean to be “the salt of the earth”? How can we do this?
“Lesson 10: The Sermon on the Mount,” Primary 7: New Testament Unless this lesson is on fast Sunday, prepare a food that usually is prepared with salt, such as popcorn, rice, pasta, and so on. Leave the salt out and ask each child to taste the food. (Check with parents for allergies.) Add a small amount of salt and let the children taste the food again. Point out that a very small amount of salt can make a big difference. A small number of righteous people can also make a big difference. Have the children discuss how they can make a difference by living righteously.
Salt of the Earth (3 Nephi 12:13) What does salt do? It enhances flavor. (Optional: Show an example of this with some cooked pasta.)
Someone who influences and enhances people’s lives for good. Just as salt enhances food and makes it taste better, we should influence people for good. Why wouldn’t you want to use the contaminated salt? (The dirt would give the food a bad flavor, and it could be unsafe to ingest.) Explain that through contamination, salt loses its desirable taste and flavor. If we contaminate our lives with the dirt and evil of the world, then we could become a negative influence on others, and we could cause great spiritual harm.
How can we be a good influence and example to others?
Friend June 2023 “Salt Painting” Jesus Christ said to His disciples, “Ye are the salt of the earth” (Matthew 5:13). Salt is something ordinary that can be used for lots of amazing things. Make this painting and think of some of the amazing things you can do with God’s help!
New Testament Seminary Student Manual (2023) “Matthew 5; Luke 6”Take a moment to ponder in your heart how you, as the salt of the earth, help bring out the best in those around you. Also consider what temptations you face and how you can keep yourself pure. If you have allowed any impurities into your life, they can be removed through the gift of repentance available through Jesus Christ.
How can following Jesus Christ be hard to hide, like a city on a hill?
Anciently, cities were built on hilltops to provide protection from potential attacks. How can living the gospel boldly provide protection from bad influences?
What does this metaphor teach you about how the Savior expects you, as His disciples, to live?
Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families: New Testament 2023 “Matthew 3; Mark 1; Luke 3” The Pharisees were members of a Jewish religious party who prided themselves on strict observance of the law of Moses and its rituals. The Sadducees were a wealthy Jewish class with great religious and political influence; they did not believe in the doctrine of resurrection. Both groups had strayed from the original intent of God’s laws.
Still, Small Voice Obstacle Course: Scatter pillows, couch cushions, and other soft objects throughout the room. Assign someone in the family to be the “person in need” at the end of the obstacle course.Place a blindfold on a member of the family and assign someone else to whisper directions into the person’s ear to guide them safely through the course to the person in need.
Apostle Social Media Scroll: On your smartphone or computer, go to the Facebook and Instagram accounts of the current Apostles and General Auxiliary leaders.Scroll through their posts and read about some of their recent experiences visiting members of the Church throughout the world. Discussion: What Christlike attributes do you see in the individual Apostles and other Church leaders? Why would the Lord value these attributes in choosing His servants? Which of these attributes would you like to develop?
Mighty Mini Movie Party: After a vision and a series of other events, Peter came to realize that “God is no respecter of persons” (Acts 10:34), meaning God doesn’t prohibit anyone from participating in His gospel. Now, sit back, pop some popcorn, and see how this is happening throughout the world today. With the family, go online to the “Pioneers in Every Land” section of history.ChurchofJesusChrist.org. Explore the site and watch some of the many video shorts featuring Church members in Ghana, Brazil, South Africa, Holland, and elsewhere.
Acts 17:16-34
Decoding Your Divine DNA: In Athens, Paul taught people who believed that gods were powers or forces, not living, personable beings. Help your family recognize that we are literally the “offspring of God” (Acts 17:29). Pass out paper to each family member and instruct them to list on the paper the traits they’ve inherited from their parents, such as physical traits or personality traits. Discuss how these traits help you and your family members know who their parents are. Next, have each family member list traits they inherited from Heavenly Father. Refer to patriarchal blessings if appropriate. Discuss how knowing that we have inherited these traits can strengthen our testimony that we are children of God.
Ensign August 2019 “Family Study Fun” (The green pictured items) Activities and discussion ideas for each week of August’s Come Follow Me. (See link for more discussion information)
Masterpiece Testimony Theater Paul bore bold testimony, even in the face of danger. Create an everyday scenario for each family member to role-play bearing testimony. Emphasize that testimonies in conversation need not end in “amen” or include every element of a typical testimony. (Example: A coworker asks why we don’t drink alcohol.) Act out each scenario, being as sincere and authentic as possible.Discussion: What was easy and difficult about the role-play? What motivated Paul to bear such powerful testimony? How can we build our courage to testify?
Friend August 2019 “Family Night Fun” Make a path with string. Put things along the path that help show or grow faith. Ask how each object helps grow or show faith in Jesus Christ as the family walks the path. Also can do the coloring page “A New Path.“
Grace Carry All of us fall “short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). But with Jesus Christ we can be saved. Designate the sofa as “the celestial kingdom.”Have everyone stand, face the sofa, a take three giant steps backward. Have them take one small step toward the sofa (their efforts), with the sofa still out of reach. Have the strongest person (acting as the Savior would) carry each person to the sofa.
Pillar Tower of Doom Life’s obstacles can fill us with hopelessness and impede us from feeling God’s love. Christ can help. Create a tall tower of pillows and sofa cushions (life’s challenges). Sit someone behind the tower and turn off the lights. Shine a flashlight beam (God’s love) at the person behind the tower, with the pillows blocking the light. Invite someone (acting as Christ would) to knock down the pillows to let God’s love shine through. Discussion: Share a time when life was hard, you felt discouraged, and then God’s love reached you when you turned to Him in prayer in the name of Jesus Christ.
Friend September 2019 “Paul’s Letters” The Apostle Paul helped lead the Church after Jesus returned to heaven. Back then, there were no telephones or internet. So Paul wrote letters to members of the Church.
Human Knot (best with four-plus people) Paul tells the Saints that there should be “no divisions among” them and that they should be “perfectly joined together” in mind and judgment (1 Corinthians 1:10). Stand everyone in a circle. Have everyone reach out their right hand and take someone else’s (not next to them). Do the same with the left hand, taking a different person’s hand. Work together to untangle the knot without letting go of any hands. End up in a circle again. Discussion: What can we do as a family to be more “joined together”? How can we work together to remove divisions?
Sacrament Hymn Sing-Along Paul taught how Christ introduced the sacrament to His Apostles and instructed them, “This do in remembrance of me.” Ask each family member to identify a favorite sacrament hymn and explain why it’s a favorite. Sing one or more of the hymns chosen. Watch the “The Last Supper” from the Bible videos series or “The Sacrament” from the children’s Bible videos series (both at ChurchofJesusChrist.org). Discussion: How do the sacrament hymns prepare us to partake of the bread and water? What can we do during the sacrament to help each other focus on the Savior?
Ensign September 2019 “Family Study Fun” Activities and discussion ideas for each week of September’s Come Follow Me. (See link for more discussion information)
Post-Resurrection Family Reunion: Paul corrected some of the Corinthians who believed that there would be “no resurrection of the dead” (1 Corinthians 15:12) by teaching them that “in Christ shall all be made alive” (verse 22). Show pictures of your family’s ancestors. Explain what you know of their lives, accomplishments, and personalities. If possible, show other pictures or art from the time period to illustrate daily life. Imagine meeting your ancestors as resurrected beings. What questions would you ask? What stories would you want them to tell?
Nature Charades: Paul taught the Corinthians that through the Savior’s Atonement, we can each become a “new creature” (2 Corinthians 5:17). On strips of paper, write examples of things in nature that go through a transformation (caterpillar to butterfly, egg to bird, seed to flower, tadpole to frog, and so on). Fold each paper and place it in a container. Take turns pulling out a strip of paper and silently acting out the example while everyone else guesses what the transformation is.What must we do to become new creatures in Christ?
Ensign September 2019 “Becoming a New Creature in Christ” Story about a rancher who saved a young, scruffy horse from the slaughterhouse and gave it to his daughter, who was not impressed. With love and good food, the horse regained its health and ended up winning a race at the fair against thoroughbreds.
Muscleman Challenge: Challenges and personal weaknesses can weigh us down. With the Savior’s grace, however, we can find strength. Gather some heavy objects (personal challenges). Give each family member one or more heavy objects to carry. Make these “challenges” even more challenging by completing tasks while holding them (for example, making a sandwich, folding clothes, dancing). Try the same activity again, but this time ask someone to help you with the heavy objects. Discussion: What was difficult about carrying the objects alone? How does Christ lighten our burden?
Nations Blessing Bonanza: Paul taught that all those who have come unto Christ through the gospel covenant become “the children of Abraham” and that “in [Abraham] shall all nations be blessed” (Galatians 3:7–8). Flip back to the Cape Verde article at the beginning of this issue to see an example of how one nation of the earth is being blessed. Review the various statistics about Church growth. Discussion: What blessings have come to the people of Cape Verde? What blessings have come to our family as “the children of Abraham”? What must we do to receive all the blessings of the Abrahamic covenant?
Ensign September 2019 You might introduce Galatians 4 by discussing the differences between a king’s servants and his children. What opportunities or potential does a king’s child have that a servant does not? Think about this as you read together verses 1–7. What do these verses teach about our relationship with Heavenly Father?
Ensign September 2019 add some fun to your discussion of Galatians 5:22–23, your family could label different fruits with words Paul used to describe the “fruit of the Spirit.” Then each family member could select one, define it, and talk about someone who exemplifies that fruit. This could lead to a discussion about ways your family could invite the Spirit into your home and cultivate this fruit. After the discussion, you could enjoy a fruit salad together.
Friend September 2019 “Family Night Fun” Activity: How many different kinds of fruit can your family name? The Apostle Paul taught the people of Galatia was about the “fruit of the Spirit.”
Ensign October 2019 “Family Study Fun” (See the link for additional discussion ideas for each week.)
United We Stand Pair up two people of relatively equal size. Have them sit on the floor back to back, arms linked. Have them stand up by pushing off each other. Repeat, but this time have only one person push.
Discussion: Why is having two people work together easier? Read “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” (see Ensign,May 2017, 145). What roles do fathers and mothers have? How do they work together?
Ensign October 2019 “The Armor of God” Paul’s military metaphor helps us see how to protect ourselves spiritually.
Ensign October 2019 “Safe from Satan’s Sting” Obedience to commandments forges a protective breastplate of righteousness. (Great lesson for a family home evening)
Frowny Face Challenge Have someone put on a frowny face. Have each family member try, without touching the person, to turn that frown into a smile. (Extra points for getting a laugh.) Everybody has bad days, but when we follow Paul’s counsel and “rejoice in the Lord alway[s]” (Philippians 4:4), we think of Christ and allow His grace to keep us as happy, optimistic, and positive as possible.
Second Coming Surprise Jesus Christ will come again “as a thief in the night” (1 Thessalonians 5:2), meaning unexpectedly and at an unknown time. Are we preparing each day for that event? On small, individual slips of paper, have family members write down what they did yesterday (soccer practice, school, and so on). Put the slips into a hat (or bag). Parents secretly add another slip that reads: “Second Coming.”Take turns drawing an activity from the hat and reading it aloud. When someone draws “Second Coming,” the game’s over. Discussion: Which of the activities drawn from the hat helped prepare our family for Christ’s return? What should we add to our daily routines to prepare us more?
Scripture Treasure Hunt Paul taught that scriptures bless us with wisdom, doctrine, correction, instruction, and faith. On separate pieces of paper, write “wisdom (Acts 18:28)”; “doctrine (Titus 1:9)”; “correction (Matthew 4:3–10)”; “instruction (Acts 17:2–3)”; and “faith (Romans 10:17).” Send everyone out of the room. Hide the five papers in the following locations: table, window, door, pillow, book. Invite everyone back. Have them read these scriptures to identify the keyword clue to find each hidden paper. (John 18:16=door; Mark 4:38=pillow; Revelation 22:7=book; Acts 20:9=window; Luke 22:21=table.) Read aloud the scripture on each found paper and discuss how it’s an example of that blessing. Discussion: What can we do to improve our personal and family scripture study? (See links for scriptures at October 2019 Ensign “Family Study Fun“)
1 Timothy
1 Timothy 2:9–10
Come Follow Me for Individuals and Families While aspects of Paul’s counsel for women to dress modestly do not apply to our time, we can all learn from his counsel to “adorn [ourselves] … with good works.” Your family might enjoy putting together a fashion show, with family members dressing up in clothing or jewelry labeled with different kinds of good works. What are some good works your family could do this week?
Hebrews
Hebrews 1-6
Come Follow Me for Individuals and Families Can you think of an object lesson to help your family understand what it means to keep a firm hold on the gospel truths “which we have heard”? You might illustrate this with an object that is hard to hold onto. How are our efforts to maintain our testimony like catching and holding this object? How can we make sure “the things which we have heard” do not “slip” away from us? (Hebrews 2 verse 1).
December 2–8 (1 John 4:7) Pass-Along Love Cards The Apostle John says, “Let us love one another: for love is of God” (1 John 4:7).Have the family sit in a circle. Give everyone an index card with their name at the top. Have everyone pass their card to the left. Instruct family members to silently read the name and write on the card how that person shows love in the family. Keep passing the cards to the left until everyone has written on each card. Read the cards aloud. Discussion: How do you feel inside when you show love to others? How do acts of love strengthen our family?
December 9–15 (Revelation 1–22) Symbol Sketch-and-Guess To better understand the book of Revelation, we must first understand the symbols. Write one word per slip of paper: Lamb, candlestick, stars, dragon, bride, sword. Pass out the papers and take turns drawing the object while the family guesses what it is. When the family guesses correctly, read aloud the scriptures to learn the symbol’s meaning. Lamb = Christ (Revelation 5:6; 7:13–14)
Candlestick = branch of Christ’s Church (Revelation 1:12, 20)
