Family Home Evening Ideas


Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles counseled parents to "participate in Personal Progress and Duty to God with [their] children." 1 To follow this counsel, you could consider implementing these programs into your family home evenings by doing the following:

Adapt Personal Progress value experiences and activities in the Duty to God book as family home evening lessons. Help your children prepare and give these lessons.

Help your children create their Duty to God plans and Personal Progress value projects during family home evening. Parents and younger children could also set goals, or you could set goals as a family (for example, a family service project or family scripture study plan).

Give your children time in family home evening to share experiences they had while fulfilling their plans or projects.

Elder Hales has promised that by working on these inspired programs "you will grow together in a bond of faith and friendship that will allow you to strengthen each other and stay on the gospel path forever, to indeed be an eternal family." 2

"T-I-M-E Spells Love," page 12: Review the article, giving attention to the ways each family implemented changes to make family time a priority. Are there specific ways your family could show greater love for one another by spending more time together? Invite family members to share their ideas. Consider planning an outing or activity together as a family. It could be as simple as a picnic at the park or a game night at home.

"Be of Good Cheer: Choosing Happiness," page 56: Discuss the two false assumptions outlined in the article. Consider asking the following questions: Why do righteous people experience tribulation? How can we find joy even when we are going through hard times? Consider sharing an experience of when you were able to "be of good cheer" through a difficult time.

"Getting Out of Debt—for Good," page 62: After reviewing the article, reread this quote from President Hinckley: "I urge you … to look to the condition of your finances. I urge you to be modest in your expenditures; discipline yourselves in your purchases to avoid debt to the extent possible." Discuss the importance of following the counsel of prophets to get and stay out of debt. If you have children, consider discussing how they can start making good financial decisions now to avoid excess spending.

Photo illustration by David Stoker

Notes

 

1.

Robert D. Hales, "Our Duty to God: The Mission of Parents and Leaders to the Rising Generation," Liahona or Ensign, May 2010, 96.

 

2.

"Our Duty to God," 96.

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