Family Home Evening Ideas

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

“To Always Remember Him,” page 20: Consider discussing as a family Elder Christofferson’s counsel “We can begin by stripping everything out of our lives and then putting it back together in priority order with the Savior at the center.” Consider talking about some of the blessings Elder Christofferson mentions that come as we “always remember the Savior.”

“Scripture Power,” page 52: After reading this article together, invite family members to share their feelings about reading the scriptures and going to seminary. Invite them to write in their journals their testimonies regarding the power of scriptures. Encourage your children to study and memorize scripture-mastery scriptures.

“The Mediator Jesus Christ,” page 56: As you read the article together, invite your family to listen for the importance of a mediator. Ask them what would have happened if a mediator hadn’t helped the man in debt. You could also read scriptures about and discuss how the Savior is our mediator. Consider reading 2 Nephi 2:27–28 and Alma 42:24–25.

“All Dressed Up,” page 70: Consider inviting family members to dress up in a costume or pretend to be someone else. Give each person an opportunity to share who they are. After reading the story, explain that no matter what roles we play, we are always children of God.

Happy Times and Eternal Ties

When my children were small, they liked to play games after family home evening. One of their favorites, “Trunky the Elephant,” was named after a song our daughter, Jocelyn, learned in school. After we all sang the song, I would be Trunky and give the children rides on my back. First, my two-year-old son, Jorge; then, my four-year-old daughter, Jocelyn; and finally my wife, Elizabeth, would climb on. With all three on my back, I would take them on a ride around the living room. We had a lot of fun.

Years later, my grown children were both waiting for their mission calls. During one family home evening, they remembered “Trunky the Elephant.” We sang the song together; then, after a hiatus of many years, I again became the elephant. First my son, then my daughter, and finally their mother climbed on my back. I ended up flat on the floor, and we all ended up laughing.

The memory of that moment makes us grateful that the prophets have taught us about family home evening. We learned that no matter how simple our family home evenings may be, the most important thing is that we have happy times with our families, times that strengthen our eternal ties.

Víctor G. Chauca Rivera