Family Home Evening Ideas

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

“Provident Living Prepares Us for the Future,” page 12: Read the six areas mentioned in the article in which we can become self-reliant. What are some emergencies or problems that can be avoided by developing self-reliance in these areas? Invite family members to prayerfully consider which of the areas they need to improve in and to set goals to increase their self-reliance in those areas.

“Chastity in an Unchaste World,” page 42: Discuss with family members the questions asked in the article. Consider sharing principles and experiences that have strengthened your testimony of chastity. Discuss ways to apply the counsel from the article.

“Be Wise and Be a Friend,” page 48: Begin by reading Elder Hales’s test for determining good friends. Consider discussing the importance of being a good friend. Invite each family member to think of three ways he or she could be a better friend.

“Dear Amiga,” page 60, and “Welcoming a New Season of Life,” page 61: Read about these Primary children and how they are preparing to enter Young Women and Young Men. As a family, consider discussing what these children did to prepare. Invite family members to read the Personal Progress or Duty to God booklets and find some activities they are interested in completing in the future.

One Family Home Evening, Two Lessons

One night my parents and maternal grandparents came to visit for family home evening. Each of my three children loves to participate, and on this night it was my seven-year-old son’s turn to give the lesson. We had prepared a small display, put up pictures about the Creation, and studied and reviewed what he would teach. My son was ready and excited.

During the lesson, we all listened attentively to what my son was explaining. When he finished, Samuel, who was about three, decided that he too wanted to give a lesson. So he took the pictures and the display and set them up again on the table.

In his soft voice and with his sometimes poorly pronounced words, Samuel gave us a family home evening lesson. And even though he hadn’t prepared, he had listened. He explained to us how the earth was created and told us of the love that Jesus Christ has for each of us.

We were astonished to see how easily he taught the lesson—doing so just like his brother had. My parents and grandparents were surprised and happy. We could all see the love these little children have for the gospel—and the love Jesus Christ has for them.

Lizbeth Sánchez Fajardo, Mexico