An Awesome CHRIST{mas} Book

I know it's not even Thanksgiving yet, but I found a spectacular idea that I wanted to share with you all - and you might need some time to prepare it. A couple months ago I was surfing around on Pinterest and found this really neat book to help us put Christ back in Christmas. You've got to head over to Sew Dang Cute to check it out for yourself!

It's an awesome project called "The Christ Book"  that is meant to use in the days leading up to Christmas. The songs are more Christmassy, but you could use the topics and different songs for Easter or anytime you think your family needs to become a little closer to Christ.

This book is complete with pictures, songs, scriptures, etc. Everything you need to help your family have a more peaceful, Christ-centered Christmas. Go check it out!

FHE Idea: Prayer

Clipart from LDSfiles.com

Scripture: James 1:5

Song: I Pray in Faith (Children's Songbook, #14) (Download the song here or see the words and music here)

Activity and Lesson Ideas:

• Gather enough rocks for your family and get some paint (think puffy paint or even acrylic paint and a small paintbrush). Paint the words, "Did you think to pray?" on each rock. Each person is supposed to put their rock on their pillows (preferably in the morning after they make their bed) and then when they get in the bed, they see the rock and it reminds them to pray. Subsequently it gets put on the floor and when you stand up in the morning, you see/step on it and remind yourself to pray again. You could also make a special pillowcase, picture, or anything else special that each person can hang up to remind them to pray.
• Ask each person (or those capable of doing so) to share an experience they've had with prayer or why prayer is important to them.
• Make a list of reasons, times, and places that we can pray. The point of this is to show that we can pray for anything, anytime, and anywhere, even if it's just a silent prayer.
• If you have young children, you might consider starting with the basics - learning how to pray. I know that with Andyroo (who is 3), he can pray on his own, but it's really the same exact prayer unless we prompt him to say something else. We're working on helping him say different things, but it takes time to learn that prayers don't have to be the same thing every time. Discuss the parts of a prayer and why each part is important (the opening, thanking Heavenly Father, asking for blessings, and the closing). For younger children, you could use this flip book activity from the Nursery Manual (pg 16-19).
• Here are a few poems and articles I found that might be helpful for planning your lesson
• "My Little Prayer" - a poem from the October 2011 Friend
• Watch this short video from LDS.org about one woman's experience with prayer
• "Come Unto Him in Prayer and Faith" - an article by President Thomas S. Monson in the March 2009 Ensign
• "How Can I Make Prayer More Meaningful" - an article by Elder D. Todd Christofferson from the October 2010 New Era. It's a Q&A format meant to help make prayer more meaningful.

FHE Idea: The Word of Wisdom

Sorry for the lack of FHE ideas the last couple of weeks. It's been a busy couple of weeks and I had to let a few things go.

Song:The Lord Gave me a Temple (Children's Songbook #153) (Download the song here or see and hear the music here)

Scripture: D&C 89:1-3 (Preface of the Word of Wisdom chapter)

Lesson Ideas:

• On one piece of paper, write "Commandments" and on another, write. "Promises." Read and discuss D&C 89 to determine what the WoW entails and the promises that we're given if we follow it. List the commandments and promises on the correct pages.
• Find pictures of food and beverages that we should eat (fruit, veggies, juice, etc) and that we shouldn't eat (coffee, beer, etc) and have your children determine whether they're good or bad for us. Some foods may be okay for us to eat (ice cream, candy, cake) but we need to use the principle of moderation. Explain to them how we can have those items (dessert at night, cake for our birthday) but we shouldn't eat them all the time and that we should make sure we're getting the nutrition our body needs. As you look at some of the bad items, discuss some of the consequences that might come from eating or drinking those items. For instance, drinking alcohol could cause Cirrosis of your liver; caffeine can make you jittery and then sluggish if you don't have it; smoking can cause lung cancer, yellow teeth, and a yucky, hacking cough.
• Discuss the new food guide put out by the USDA - MyPlate. You could discuss why you cook the meals you do - why you include the various food groups. You could also discuss more in depth about nutrition and meal planning. If your children are old enough, you might plan some meals together that include all of the food groups.
• Read this story from The Friend about how Joseph Smith received the revelation about the Word of Wisdom. (The Friend, June 1992, pg. 44). Also at that link is a coloring page/hidden objects page that your children could use.
• For older children, read through D&C 89 and follow this Hidden Message Worksheet.
• No matter which activity you choose, be sure to discuss WHY the Word of Wisdom is important. The Word of Wisdom was given to us so that we can be healthy, not as something to make us feel trapped. Heavenly Father wants us to be happy and healthy so that we can have more energy and feel good. You might also talk about how obeying the Word of Wisdom shows respect for our body and to Heavenly Father. It's another way to keep ourself clean and be of good mind to recieve inspiration from the Holy Ghost.
• As a snack after FHE, have an assortment of fruits and dips. A mixture of yogurt and cream cheese makes for a really yummy fruit dip. You could also do apples and peanut butter, or use cool whip as a dip for any fruit.

FHE Idea - My Body is a Temple/Modesty

Song: The Lord Gave me a Temple (Children's Songbook #153) (Download the song here or see and hear the music here)

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 3:16-17

Lesson Ideas:

• Review the standards outlined in the For the Strength of Youth pamphlet. If you don't have a copy available, you can purchase one at the Distribution Center or view the pamphlet online.

Throughout your lesson, be sure to discuss that our bodies are a gift from Heavenly Father - that we are to keep them safe, clean, and  dressed appropriately. Consider reading through this article and even sharing part of it throughout your lesson. (The Sanctity of the Body by Susan W. Tanner, given October 2005 General Conference)

Dress and Appearance Servants of God have always counseled his children to dress modestly to show respect for him and for themselves. Because the way you dress sends messages about yourself to others and often influences the way you and others act, you should dress in such a way as to bring out the best in yourself and those around you. However, if you wear an immodest bathing suit because it's "the style," it sends a message that you are using your body to get attention and approval, and that modesty is not important.

Immodest clothing includes short shorts, tight pants, and other revealing attire. Young women should refrain from wearing off-the-shoulder, low-cut, or revealing clothes. Young men should similarly maintain modesty in their dress. All should avoid tight fitting or revealing clothes and extremes in clothing and appearance.

As Latter-day Saint youth, you can also show respect for the Lord and yourselves by dressing appropriately for Church meetings and activities, whether on Sunday or during the week. If you are not sure what's appropriate, ask for guidelines from your parents, advisers, and bishop. (Taken from the FTSOY Pamphlet found online) 

• Discuss some ways to ensure that our clothes are modest. Some tips and tricks that I've found to help children (and adults) know what is and isn't modest.
• Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes (found here and here on LDS.org). Basically you use the song to help determine if there are any gaps in modesty. Put your hands on your head - if your shirt lifts up and shows your belly, it needs to be longer. Put your hands on your shoulders - your shirt needs more sleeve/neck length if you can feel bare skin. Also look at button holes for straining (it might be too tight) and at the armholes. Put your hands on your knees and toes- you shouldn't expose anything between the back of your shirt and pants or at your neckline.
• One thing that I was always taught growing up was to put your hands down at your sides. If the tips of the fingers go past the bottom of your shorts or skirt, then it is too short.
• Discuss how when buying new clothes, we should not only try them on, but see how they fit when we move around. Can you bend over without exposing your underwear/garments? Remember that often, clothing will shrink once it's washed and dried.
• Consider talking about how not only does Modesty imply that we shouldn't show too much, but that we should also take into consideration the extremeness of our appearance. That includes our hairstyles, our makeup, and even the choice of clothing. Even if it covers everything, it may still be a little too extreme.
• If your children are younger and you'd like a good object lesson, consider using these Modest Paper Dolls and discuss how the clothing is modest and covers everything it should. You could also just find pictures in magazines (especially church magazines where you know you'll find good pictures) of people who are dressed modestly. If your children are old enough to make comparisons, you might find pictures of people dressed modestly and immodestly (not too immodest, of course) and let your children see and discuss the differences.

Do you have any tips on making sure your dress and appearance is modest or how to teach your children about the importance of modesty?

FHE Idea - Living Our Gospel Standards

The Primary children have been learning about being worthy to go to the temple and how their body is a temple. We've also recently discussed the specific Gospel Standards, so I thought a fun lesson at home would be a good idea!

Song: I love to see the Temple (Children's Songbook #95) (Download the song here or see and hear the music here)

Scripture: Article of Faith 1:13

Lesson Idea:
Write or type the Gospel Standards onto separate sheets of paper:

1. I will remember my baptismal covenants and listen to the Holy Ghost.
2. I will be honest with Heavenly Father, others, and myself.
3. I will seek good friends and treat others kindly.
4. I will dress modestly to show respect for Heavenly Father and myself.
5. I will only read and watch things that are pleasing to Heavenly Father.
6. I will only listen to music that is pleasing to Heavenly Father.
7. I will use the names of Heavenly Father and Jesus reverently. I will not swear or use crude words.
8. I will keep my mind and body sacred and pure, and I will not partake of things that are harmful to me.
9. I will do those things on the Sabbath that will help me feel close to Heavenly Father.
10. I will choose the right. I know I can repent when I make a mistake.
11. I will live now to be worthy to go to the temple and do my part to have an eternal family. 
12. I will follow Heavenly Father’s plan for me.
13. I am a child of God
14. I know Heavenly Father loves me, and I love him.
15. I can pray to Heavenly Father anytime, anywhere.
16. I am trying to remember and follow Jesus

Prominently display a picture of a temple or Christ at one end of the room. Lay the papers out on the floor as a path to the temple. If you have stairs, you could put the picture at the top and the papers could be on each step. Read aloud each of the Gospel Standards and help children understand what they mean. As part of the lesson, have your children walk along the path to the temple. Point out that it's pretty easy if you're following all the of the steps. Then take out a few of the papers along the path so that they can still step along but it requires more work. Try taking out more papers (so that there are only 3 or 4 along the path) and explain how if you're not following and living by the Gospel Standards, it's almost impossible to reach our ultimate goal - the temple and to live with our Heavenly Father again.

To help children visualize and understand the Gospel Standards, find pictures that go along with each Standard. This will be especially helpful for younger children. I was going to do up my own to share with you, but then I came across this one here (from Sugardoodle.net) that has the standards typed up and pictures to go with them. As I've said before, why reinvent the wheel?

You could also find objects to represent each standard and discuss which standard the objects relate to and why that specific standard is important.

If your children are older, instead of using the Gospel Standards, you could use the standards defined in the For the Strength of Youth pamphlet. That link will take you to PDFs of the entire pamphlet.

FHE Idea - Families can be Together Forever

Following with the theme of temples this month, I thought it might be a good idea to focus more on how the temple binds us together.

Oquirrh Mountain Temple Sealing Room

Song: Families can be Together Forever (Children's Songbook #188 or Hymns #300) (Download the song as an mp3 here or find the words and music here)

Scripture: D&C 132: 19-20

Lesson Ideas:

• Discuss your own wedding day with your children. Dust off your wedding pictures and find any others of parents, siblings, etc. If you were married in the temple, talk about why you chose to be married there instead of civilly. Discuss what blessings you have received because of that decision. Were there any hardships you had to overcome because of it (family not able to attend, temple far away, etc) If you weren't married in the temple (whether you were sealed later or not) discuss your choice with your children. Were you not net a member of the church, was the temple too far away at the time, etc. If you were sealed after being married civilly then discuss what was necessary to take that step (waiting period, saving money to travel to the temple, etc)
• If your children have ever attended a civil marriage or even a reception for someone who was married in the temple and are old enough to remember it, try comparing and contrasting the two ceremonies. If you have been married in the temple, you might explain the basics about the temple ceremony (kneeling at the alter, no processional, etc).
• Find a copy of "The Family: A Proclamation to the World" and read it aloud with your children. You can find an inexpensive copy at the Church Distribution Center or print one out from the internet at the link provided. Help your children understand the meaning and impact of it. If they're old enough, consider having them sign it as an agreement to uphold the things it discusses. After it's been signed by the family, consider framing or displaying it in your house as a reminder.
• Consider watching this video about how families can be together forever (direct link to video on lds.org) 
• Here are a few General Conference talks that you might consider reading through beforehand to gain a better understanding or to even read in your FHE:
• Celestial Marriage by Elder Russell M. Nelson, October 2008.
• The Eternal Family by Elder Robert D. Hales, October 1996.
• The Importance of the Family by Elder L. Tom Perry, April 2003.

Do you have any other ideas to teach your children about the eternal nature of families! Please share!

Family Home Evening Idea - Pioneers

In Utah (and some other locations) we celebrate Pioneer Day on July 24th. Call it state holiday, if you will. Part of what the Primary is talked about in Sharing time this week is Pioneers, along with the temples. Here are some ideas for FHE this week!

Song: Whenever I Think About Pioneers (Children's Songbook #222) (Download the song as an mp3 here or find the words and music here)

Scripture: D&C 136: 1-16 (All about the organization of the pioneers)

Lesson & Activity Ideas:

• Do some research to find out if you have any pioneer heritage. Just because your family didn't travel across the plains doesn't mean you don't have any. And if you determine you don't have any type or form of pioneer heritage, make the lesson more about your ancestry or a particular ancestor that you connect with/admire.
• Learn more about the Mormon Pioneers by checking out the Pioneer Story on lds.org. If you don't know of any pioneers in your family line, there are a few pioneer stories you can share with your children.
• Try to show your children what it was like to be a pioneer. Discuss the differences and similarities between then and now. Some ideas: How we get and prepare our food; how we obtain our clothing/bedding/materials compared to making clothing and such; the kinds of foods we eat compared to what they eat; forms of entertainment - no computers, cell phones, electricity, etc; housing; customs and manners.
• Make Marshmallow Covered Wagons (idea from the Friend, July 2007)

• If you don't want to focus on Pioneers, focus on the importance of journals. The only way we know what the pioneers (and any past ancestors) endured is through the journals they wrote.
• If you have time, patience and older children (who can do it on their own or who can help younger kids) then try out this Covenant Wagon activity from LDSFamilyFun.com. They also recommend a great video clip about Brigham Young and the Salt Lake Valley here (provided by LivingScriptures.com on YouTube).

Family Home Evening Idea - Temples

This month in Primary, the kids are learning about the temple, so I thought it might be a good idea to reinforce what they're learning by talking about the temples at home. If you were married/sealed in the temple, be sure to have some of your pictures available. Consider having pictures of family members - grandparents, aunts and uncles, etc, that were also married in the temple.

Song: I Love to see the Temple, Children's Songbook #95 (Download the song here or see and hear the music here)

Scripture: D&C 124:39-40

Activity Ideas (Choose 1 or 2, don't feel like you have to do them all!):

1. If you live close enough to a temple, you might consider taking the kiddos over to the temple and taking a walk around the temple while talking about it. Let you kids ask any questions they have about the temple. Maybe point out where they go to do Baptisms for the Dead, where the general entrance is, where couples come out after they're married, etc. Talk about how the temple was built (check online for any stories, time lines, etc). If you need help answering their questions, you can refer to the Temple FAQ. You can also find a lot of interesting facts about your local temple at LDSChurchTemples.com.
2. Gather pictures of various temples (you can find pictures online or consider checking some out from your ward's library) that have meaning to your family - where you/grandparents were/will be sealed, where you served a mission, where you did your endowments, etc. Discuss why they're important and the things that we should be doing in order to be worthy to attend the temple.
3. Try building your own temples! Use play dough, blocks, cardboard & paint, etc. As you're building them, discuss different elements that they may see on the temple (especially your local one). Make sure to put an Angel Moroni on the top!
4. To give the kids a peek of the inside of the temple (because who isn't curious about what the inside is actually like?), consider getting the Temples Magazine/Booklet put out by the church. You should be able to find it at a distribution center or LDS bookstore like Deseret Book or Seagull Book. You'll find great pictures of the sealing room, the baptismal font, etc. This might be a good opportunity to address questions about what goes on in the temple.
5. Come up with a list of some things that we should be doing to be worthy to go to the temple (reading scriptures, praying, etc). Find a picture of the temple (don't use your good one - I recommend just printing one out from the internet) and cut it up into that many pieces. On the back of each piece, write one of those items. You can hide the pieces or just have them out and ready to go. As you put the puzzle together, discuss what each of those things means and how they apply.

I hope you found some inspiration to plan an awesome Family Home Evening! What other ideas do you have to discuss temples?

Family Home Evening - Tips and Tricks

(DISCLAIMER: Though Heather and I are both LDS, we realize that not all of our readers are. When it comes to Family Home Evening, please don't feel like this doesn't apply to you. Even if your church doesn't advocate something like this, you still might want to consider instituting your own Family Night. Play games, have ice cream, teach your children about the teachings of your church - just do something that will bring your family closer together!!)

Heather and I are both Latter Day Saints (aka LDS or Mormons) and one thing that our church encourages is to hold Family Home Evenings - a time when our families can get together and learn gospel principles in our home and have fun as a family. In an interview with the Boston Globe, President Gordon B. Hinckley said the following:

“We have a family home evening program once a week [Monday night] across the Church in which parents sit down with their children. They study the scriptures. They talk about family problems. They plan family activities and things of that kind. I don’t hesitate to say if every family in the world practiced that one thing, you’d see a very great difference in the solidarity of the families of the world” (interview, Boston Globe, 14 Aug. 2000). (Taken from this article)

Our church has asked that Monday nights be set aside for Family Home Evening, however I know many families aren't able to do it on Mondays. Instead they do it on Sunday nights or another time when all the family can gather together. No matter what day we hold it, the important thing is that we do it! The church just tries to make Monday's the easiest for us by not holding any church activities or meetings on Monday night.

It can be hard to hold family home evening when you have a houseful of bedlamites - as Jeffery R. Holland to affectionately referred to them. Some FHE's may go better than others. Not every FHE has to be filled with promptings of the spirit and happy, joyful smiles. The important thing is to have them regularly. We know that one big obstacle is coming up with FHE ideas each and every week. I'd like to say that we'll be able to post a FHE idea every week, but please know that we're also human and are working on consistency too!

We wanted to share some tips and tricks to holding successful Family Home Evenings:

• Make FHE's low key. Don't feel like everyone has to feel the spirit, like you should always have a treat, and prayers, and everything else you expect FHE to be. Especially if you're just getting started! Don't overwhelm yourself, otherwise you're more likely to give up. Start with a family activity (like a board game), add some prayer, a simple thought, and you're done!
• Involve your family - especially if you have older children! Younger children can say prayers, help find a picture for the lesson, or help make treats. Older children can start to help plan and/or give the lesson, make treats on their own, etc.
• Use FHE to discuss upcoming family events, family business, etc. You're all together anyway, so why not?
• Pick a time when everyone is most likely to be happy. I think most families do FHE after dinner, but if after dinner is too rushed, then try for a Sunday afternoon or even for a short lesson during dinner. Your children won't remember when you did FHE, just that you held it.
• Turn off everything else! Turn off cell phones, the TV, the computer - anything that can be a distraction.
• Use music, especially Primary songs, to teach gospel principles.
• Make some kind of FHE tracker to keep track of who does what. It can be as simple or as fancy as you want. Move the names each week and make sure everyone knows what they're responsible for. Something as fancy as this:

You can buy these kinds of boards (anywhere especially in Utah or Idaho) or make your own!

Or a something simple like this printable wheel chart found here:

• Make it fun!!! Keep the youngins entertained by asking questions, playing games, etc.
• Make it age appropriate. Don't try and get your two year old to sit and listen to a 20 minute lesson about how they should be studying the scriptures everyday. It's futile. And you'll all just get frustrated. Sure, you can teach about studying the scriptures, but when it comes to the younger ones, keep it simple and include lots of pictures. And the reverse of that - don't "dumb down" the lessons too much if you have older kids. They know a lot more than we think they do. You know your kids. Finding a good balance is necessary if you have older and younger children. Just do your best.

Besides the ideas you can find here, there are lots of other resources out there to help you plan successful Family Home Evenings.

• Families in Zion offers free FHE lessons in PDF form that you can print. These lessons give you a complete list of everything you need to complete the lesson, a song to sing, an activity idea, plus different ways to teach the lessons.
• LDS.org has a new section to their website specifically for FHE help and resources. You can even read about memorable FHE's that other members have submitted.
• A Year of FHE is a blog dedicated to coming up with a FHE lesson each week. This blog also provides song suggestions, activity ideas, lessons, and pictures.
• FHE Lessons is another website dedicated to providing free weekly FHE lessons.

A few other lesson resources that I like are the Nursery Manual (available at the Distribution Center for about $5), The Preach My Gospel Book (also available at the Distribution Center - not sure on price), and the Book of Mormon Reader (at Deseret Book for about $10). The Nursery Manual and Book of Mormon Reader are espcially helpful with young children who enjoy pictures and stories and such.

Also, if you're having trouble coming up with FHE ideas, consider starting a FHE Lesson Exchange with other ladies you know. Get together once a month with a few ladies to exchange FHE lesson plans. We do the same thing with cookies, recipes, etc. So why not lesson plans? Come up with one of your own, then print out enough for each lady in your group. When you go to the exchange, you give the other ladies their copy of your lesson and they give you a copy of the lesson you came up with. Automatic lesson plans for however many weeks you have ladies. Make sense?

There are a ton of places out there on the web that will provide you with ideas and resources to help you have successful Family Home Evenings. Just do a quick google search and you'll find many, many options to sort through. Don't get overwhelmed, though. Pick one or two and stick with those for a while. Also, consider printing out the ideas (if you have access to a printer) and putting the ideas in the binder. After a year or so, you can start recycling old lessons. You'll be familiar with the lessons and can build upon what you've already taught.

Do you have any tips or resources that you love when it comes to FHE? Please feel free to share!