Foundation for Happiness

By Cheryl Esplin

“Successful … families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, [and] forgiveness” (“The Family: A Proclamation to the World”).

A foundation gives a sure, firm base upon which something can be built. Most buildings and homes are built on foundations.

When the Latter-day Saints began building the foundation of the Salt Lake Temple, they used layers of sandstone blocks. It took them five years to build the eight-foot-deep (2.4-m) foundation. When they heard that soldiers were coming, the Saints covered the foundation with dirt to hide it. When the dirt was later cleared off, the foundation had cracked and shifted. The Saints knew the cracked foundation could not support the temple. So they removed the sandstone foundation and replaced it with large blocks of granite. When that strong foundation was in place, workers began building the walls of the temple.

Just as the temple needed a strong granite foundation, you and your family need a strong foundation to build on. The Lord said, “Build upon my rock, which is my gospel” (D&C 11:24). The gospel of Jesus Christ includes faith, prayer, repentance, and forgiveness. Building on these principles will give you a firm foundation to help you and your family stand strong.

Activity

Remove page F14 from the magazine. Cut out the cards. Place the picture cards in one stack and the word cards in another stack. Draw one card from each stack. If the cards match, tell how you can help your family do that particular thing, and then keep the cards. If the cards don’t match, start two more stacks for the unmatched cards. Continue playing, letting each person draw cards. When the first two stacks are gone, shuffle the second stacks and continue playing until all the cards are matched.

Illustrations by Beth M. Whittaker

Read Scriptures

Pray

Work

Play

Serve

Go to Church

Family Home Evening

Mealtime

Sharing Time Ideas

Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ strengthens me and my family. Help the children memorize “If ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true” (Alma 32:21). Show Gospel Art Picture Kit 240 (Jesus the Christ), and explain that to have faith in Jesus Christ means that even though we do not see Him, we believe that He lives. We trust Him and try to follow His commandments. Before sharing time, find scripture stories and pictures that illustrate how faith in Jesus Christ helped people keep the commandments in hard situations. For example: Gospel Art Picture Kit 102 (Building the Ark), 112 (David Slays Goliath), 114 (Daniel Refusing the King’s Meat and Wine), 125 (Esther), 210 (Jesus and the Fishermen), 301 (Lehi’s Family Leaving Jerusalem), 313 (Two Thousand Young Warriors). Give each class a picture, and invite the teachers to tell the stories, emphasizing how the people showed their faith. Have each class think of a situation they might face when they would need to have faith. Ask them to talk about how faith in Jesus Christ could help them in that situation. Invite each class to share the scripture story and their modern situation. Sing “I’ll Follow Him in Faith” (Liahona, Feb. 2003, F16).
Prayer strengthens me and my family. Show the children a small electrical appliance or a picture of one. Explain that it can get electrical power only when it is connected to a power source. Tell the children that we need to be connected to a “power source” to receive spiritual power. Heavenly Father is our source for spiritual power, and we can be connected to Him through prayer. From the Primary picture packets, show picture 7-13 (boy praying) or 1-9 (girl praying), and teach that we can pray for Heavenly Father to help us with our problems and decisions. Tell the story of Mosiah praying for help to know if he should let his sons preach to the Lamanites (see Mosiah 28:1–6). Ask the children to work together to find the Lord’s answer in verse 7. Tell the story of Joseph Smith praying to know which church to join (see Joseph Smith—History 1:7–18). Ask the children again to work together to find the Lord’s answer in verse 19. Share a personal experience and your testimony of how your prayers have been answered. Invite the children to say their personal prayers each day this week.