To sign up for Meridian’s Free Newsletter, please CLICK HERE.

Each choice that our children make can be a critical one, leading to long and perhaps unforeseen consequences. How important it is that our kids maintain a sensitivity to the Spirit. This Family Home Evening lesson is simple, straightforward and readily teaches a need for spiritual guidance. Time for some easy FHE Fun!

Opening Song: #20 God of Power, God of Right 

Opening Prayer: By Invitation.

Time to Celebrate. What happy moments did your loved ones have this past week? You might take a moment to celebrate successes. This way your children will notice they do have strength sufficient to face challenges and to serve others.

Emergency Prep Minute. Just a little bit of weekly preparation can empower your children as they mature. What emergency tip do you want to share with your family this week?

Devotional: You may want to start with some simple spontaneous scripture sharing amongst family members. This not only builds the spiritual sensitivities of the individual who reads a verse and then explains its power in his (or her) life, but it also aids others who may be quietly struggling (and needing to hear the inspired messages). It is not required that each member share; only those who may have found a neat scripture during the previous week. Including this at the beginning of each week’s FHE can help bring the Spirit and settle the children for the lesson.

Activity: We offer a suggested FHE activity, but do feel free to choose what you feel is most suited to your family’s needs this week. And if you have young children, feel free to adapt. Below is a simple activity and lesson you might try with your family…but you may have a different lesson to teach. Regardless of the method, enjoy this weekly time with your loved ones!

Items Needed:

  1. Invite the family to get comfortable, whether by putting out blankets on the floor or pillows or simply sprawling out. The idea is to invoke a state of relaxation.
  2. Ask them to listen for the most visual image described in Hillary Holbrook’s story as you read it https://www.lds.org/new-era/2008/09/right-turn?lang=eng. They will be drawing that image once the story is done.
  3. Read the story.
  4. Pass out crayons and a piece of paper to each individual.
  5. Give a few minutes once you’ve finished reading the story to allow completion of the drawings.
  6. Invite sharing of the visual images.

Once the family has shared their drawing of the strongest visual image they noticed from the story, now ask what spiritual image they remember from the story. Allow time for them to think before sharing, as this form of analysis requires a deeper mental process.

After some sharing and brainstorming by the family, ask what would have been the consequence if the girls had not listened to the promptings of the spirit. And then ask this very pointed question: What if the girls had been engaged in activities that deadened their feelings to the Spirit’s urgent prompting? Why does the Lord give us commandments to help us?

Application: You may want to have the children sum up what they learned from tonight’s activity together. Or you may want to privately study in advance the two articles contained below (at the end of the article). After praying about the articles’ meanings and possible impact for your individual family, feel free to testify of the principles of agency, choice, and the bounteous blessings living the gospel brings—including receiving warnings of danger.

Closing Song: #143 Let the Holy Spirit Guide https://www.lds.org/music/library/hymns/let-the-holy-spirit-guide?lang=eng

Closing Prayer: By Invitation.

Refreshments: Colorful M&M™s or Skittle™s in a large bowl would make a fun treat to end this particular FHE. While eating the tasty treats, chat about how each choice leads to individually “colored” consequences. Why not assign one family member to eat only green M&Ms, one family member to eat only blue, and another to eat only red M&Ms. At the end, review their tongues to see the color difference. Have fun talking about the “color” of different choices and where they lead!

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

“Loving Them Back in Lovell,” by Don L. Searle (Ensign, Jun 1989, 9), is an excellent article for parents who may be struggling with their youth. The author teaches us that love paves all roads back to Christ. https://www.lds.org/ensign/1989/06/loving-them-back-in-lovell?lang=eng

Brad Wilcox teaches an urgent message for parents and leaders of youth in his article, “Helping Youth Follow the Spirit” (Ensign, Apr 1992, 17). We cannot force their feeling of the Spirit; but how crucial for us to provide the fertile ground for its manifestation. https://www.lds.org/ensign/1992/04/helping-youth-follow-the-spirit?lang=eng

C.S. Bezas obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Communications with an emphasis in training programs and human resource development. She earned her Master’s in Adult/Organizational Learning and Leadership with a focus on using transformative learning in dealing with life’s challenges. She is the author of Powerful Tips for Powerful Teachers and the creator of soothing-music found at CSBezasMusic.com . She and her husband have four children.