Family Home Evening Ideas

This issue contains articles and activities that could be used for family home evening. The following are some examples.

Detail from The Restoration of the Aaronic Priesthood, by Del Parson

“The Glorious Day of Priesthood Restoration,” page 30: Consider explaining how the priesthood has been passed down by drawing a simple line from one person to another, beginning with Adam and continuing on through the other Old Testament prophets and then from Jesus Christ and His Apostles to Joseph Smith. You might try memorizing the words John the Baptist spoke when conferring the Aaronic Priesthood upon Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery, as recorded in Doctrine and Covenants 13:1, and discussing the significance of that event.

Illustration by Steve Kropp

“Helping Children Appreciate Their Bodies,” page 72: Carefully read the article in advance to decide what to focus on with your family. You may want to begin family home evening by singing “I Will Follow God’s Plan” (Children’s Songbook, 165). Consider using the poster found at the end of the article. It has scriptures and simple statements that can help you start a family discussion about our bodies and about body-image issues.

Some Things We’ve Learned

Through several years of holding family home evenings with our five children, we learned to prepare by studying the scriptures and Church magazines and prayerfully seeking Heavenly Father’s direction. We also learned to keep our family home evenings simple—a prayer, a spiritually uplifting lesson focused on group participation, games, and a closing prayer. In addition, we included a variety of age-appropriate activities that reinforced the lessons and promoted family togetherness. One of our favorite activities was acting out scripture stories, with part of the family performing while the others guessed the story. In this way we grew to love the scriptures and created unforgettable memories.

Sharon Griffel Weaver, California, USA