“Reader’s Guide,” New Era, July 2001, 49

Reader’s Guide

Creative ideas for using this issue of the New Era.

Family Home Evening Ideas

Read aloud one of the anecdotes from Elder Jeffrey R. Holland’s article on page 8. Talk about the sacrifices the pioneers made to establish the Church. As a family, decide on a sacrifice you can make that will strengthen the Church—perhaps you could use money earmarked for something fun to buy copies of the Book of Mormon for the missionaries, or use the time you had set aside for a fun outing to serve a less-active family and invite them to church.
Read the article about temples on page 20. Obtain a world map and mark where each temple is located or is under construction. If the Internet is available, go to the official church website at www.lds.org. Click on News Media Resources, then Quick Facts and FAQs. Under Statistical Information, click on Temples of the Church for an official temple list. Also, a temple schedule, listing the operating temples, is available from the distribution center.

Read Elder LeGrand Richards’s article on missionary work on page 44 and choose a favorite passage. Use the quotation as a way to begin a letter to a missionary and express your gratitude for the work he or she is doing. This kind of letter would brighten any missionary’s mailbox.

Read “Go Fiche” on page 38. Then read the Idea List on page 43 for ideas on how you and your class or quorum can get started on family history. If the Family History Center in your stake is close enough to visit, arrange for a tour and some instruction on how to get started. Set a goal to take a family name to the temple on your next temple trip.

President Hinckley is an optimist. Read the article on page 4 and choose one or two of your favorite quotations to share with the class. Bring a large rock to class and hold it very close to your face. Explain that the rock is the only thing you can see. Then hold the rock at arm’s length and explain that if you put problems in proper perspective, they seem much more manageable. Challenge the class to develop a spirit of optimism.

“Changing Places” on page 46 deals with becoming educated about the beliefs of others. Write a short list of questions about the religious beliefs of someone you go to school with and arrange for a time to discuss them. Listen politely and avoid confrontation. Be prepared to answer a few questions about your own beliefs as well.