Guide to the Friend

The Guide to the Friend can help you find stories or articles for preparing lessons or talks for church or for family home evening. Look for the FHE symbol on the [original magazine] pages mentioned in the Family Home Evening Ideas. The Primary theme for January is “I am a child of God.”

Family Home Evening Ideas

1. Remove the poster “My Family Can Be Forever” from the center of the magazine. Follow the instructions to prepare all the pieces that will be used on the poster. On the first Monday evening of each month, read and/or memorize the scripture or statement on the back of the appropriate piece and decide on one thing you can do in your family to follow the counsel given. Build your poster-home piece by piece, month by month, throughout the year.

2. Tell President Thomas S. Monson’s story “More Blessed to Give” (pages 2–3). Talk about how you feel when you do something nice for someone else. Read the story “Petey Didn’t Want to Be a Sunbeam!” (pages 32–35). Plan a family-night activity to do some kind service for a neighbor.

3. If possible, make a copy of the activity on page 17 for each family member. As each of you make a box, read “I Am a Child of God” (page 15). Take turns reading the scriptures you have cut out from around the box pattern and put them in your boxes. When you are done, draw out one scripture from your boxes and try harder to live by it during the week. You could make one box for the entire family if you are not able to make copies.

4. Using your scriptures, do the Funstuf activity “I Will Go and Do” (page 26) together as a family. Then take the poster “I Will Follow the Savior” (pages 24–25) and, using your scriptures again, thoughtfully fill in the boxes and promise to help one another be more like the Savior.

5. Using the pictures, read “I Love Heavenly Father” (pages 28–29). Then have each family member draw his or her own “like” picture. Show and explain your pictures to each other. Then have Mom or Dad teach that no matter how much we love Heavenly Father, He loves us even more. How wonderful that is! Read together “Heavenly Father Loves Me” (page 27).

6. Make the “Snowball Snack” (page 31) or another favorite treat for refreshments.

Manuscript Submissions

The Friend welcomes unsolicited manuscripts but is not responsible for them. Rejected manuscripts will not be returned unless a stamped, addressed envelope is enclosed. Send manuscripts to Friend, 24th Floor, 50 East North Temple, Salt Lake City, Utah 84150-3220. Send e-mail to [e-mail].

Send children’s submissions to Friend, 50 East North Temple Street, Rm. 2420, Salt Lake City, Utah 84150-3220, in care of the appropriate department—Our Creative Friends, Friends in the News, Friends by Mail, Trying to Be Like Jesus.

The Friend can be found on the Internet at www.lds.org. Click on Gospel Library.