“Reader’s Guide,” New Era, Sept. 2000, 50

Reader’s Guide

Creative ideas for uses of this issue of the New Era

Family Home Evening Ideas

As part of a lesson, you can ask the question posed in Q&A and ask each member of the family to suggest answers. Read John 14:18 and discuss it along with your family’s suggestions.
Use the Idea List for topics to discuss at family home evening. Pick out a song or scripture that each member of the family can use to replace bad thoughts.
Find a picture of Christ, or gather pictures for each member of the family. You can use old copies of the New Era and the Ensign as a source. Mount the pictures on heavy paper or arrange to frame them. Have family members hang their pictures where they will see them often.
Have a member of the family retell the story about the young girl and the sparrow from the Message on page 4. Read Proverbs 3:5 together, and encourage each person to memorize it.
If you have someone in the family who can play the piano, try singing the first-place song on page 10. If you don’t have musical accompaniment, read the words aloud and think about their meaning.

After reading the Idea List on resisting temptation, spend some time thinking about an area where you struggle—something about yourself you’d like to improve. Write your thoughts in your journal, and then choose one or two options from the Idea List to try out.

Type the words from the first-place song in poem form and pass them out to your class. Read them together and discuss how Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ are always there for us to turn to in times of need.
Read and retell the story of “The Pink Tie” on page 46. Remind the members of your class to friendship the less-active members or those who have not been attending seminary regularly. You might make a small, pink paper tie for each person. Have the tie say, “Friends—Tied Tight” or another phrase that seems appropriate.

In a combined activity with the Laurels and priests, select a few members of the ward who would agree to be interviewed. Divide into groups, and prepare a few questions to have these ward members answer. If possible, arrange to tape-record the interviews and, like the author of “My Dad the Dictator” on page 34, make a typewritten copy. Give the interviews to the ward clerk to add to the ward’s history.
Have everyone write down every question they have always wanted answered about the Church, like the girl did in “One Hundred Questions” on page 14. Invite a member of the bishopric or stake presidency to come and answer as many questions as you have time for in a combined activity. The questions may need to be written a week in advance.