2007
Guide to the Friend
September 2007

“Guide to the Friend,” Friend, Sept. 2007, inside back cover

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. The Primary theme for September is “My faith in Jesus Christ grows when I serve others.”

Family Home Evening Ideas

Look for the FHE symbol on the [original magazine] pages mentioned below.

  1. Read President Thomas S. Monson’s article “Sacred Ground” (pp. 2–3). What made this experience sacred? Discuss ways you can make your time taking the sacrament more sacred. We can serve others during the sacrament by being reverent so they can have a sacred experience too. How can you be more reverent during the sacrament? Practice sitting reverently for a few minutes.

  2. Smiling helps us feel happy. It helps others feel happy too. Smiling is one of the easiest ways we can serve others. Read “Miles and Miles of Smiles” (pp. 4–6). Have each person in your family draw a smiling face on a piece of paper. Put the face near the mirror you look in most often. There are many ways to smile. Look in the mirror and try smiling with only your eyes, then try smiling with your lips closed. Smile with your teeth showing, and then with your mouth open. Keep the picture by the mirror all week as a reminder to smile.

  3. The Sabbath is a day to rest from doing worldly things and instead do heavenly things. Read or tell the story in Matthew 12:10–13. What kinds of things did Jesus Christ do on the Sabbath? Then read “Doing Good on the Sabbath Day” (pp. 24–25). Plan at least two activities that you can do next Sunday.

  4. Read “Tanner and the Happy Dance” (pp. 30–31). Invite your family members to take a turn doing a happy dance. Cheer when each person is finished and give him or her a hug. Then discuss other ways you can help make the people in your family happy when they are feeling sad. Try them out this week.

  5. When we pray for other people we are serving them. Read James 5:16. What makes a prayer fervent? Do the activity “I Can Pray for Others” (p. 32). Before each family prayer this week, let each person suggest someone to pray for. Remind the person saying the prayer to pray for these people.