Family Home Evening on Priesthood Power
(prepare ahead of time a beautifully gift wrapped box with a slip of paper that says in bold beautiful writing...
PRIESTHOOD POWER. If you can, wrap it in gold or fancy paper, & a beautiful bow. Then prepare a box or jar with wordstrips that are clues to what is in the box.
(You can print this and cut out if you have a printer).
On the back of the word priesthood, have this,
"You men who hold the priesthood of God, live up to that priesthood. You have something more precious than anything else on earth. It is the power, it is the opportunity, it is the authority to speak in the name of God the Lord, even the Savior of the world, to hold office in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints, to administer to the sick, to lay your hands upon the heads of others and call down the blessings of heaven. You will not go to any school to learn how to do this, but you will be trained in the Church, and if you are faithful and true, God will bless you. He will increase your powers. Live worthy of this great gift, my brethren. Be men of whom the Lord may be proud".(President Gordon b. Hinckley (meeting, Torreon, Mexico, 11 Mar. 1998
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CLUES
1. You have to live up to it to recieve it.
2. President Gordon b. Hinckley says it is more precious than anything else on earth.
3. It is powerful.
4. It is an opportunity of a lifetime.
5. Only certain people can get it.
6. Jesus had it.
7. Adam had it.
8. All the Prophets have had it.
9. When you have it you can perform certain things.
10. You can not learn this in school.
11. You have to be faithful and true, and male, to get it.
12. Females are blessed by it.
13. The Lord is proud of those who honor it.
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1. Song, Prayer
2. Family business
3. Show the beautifully wrapped box. Tell your family that inside is a piece of paper with a word on it that is more valuable than all the riches on earth.
Give them clues so that they can guess what this gift is. but no one can guess until all the clues are read
4. Open the box and read what it says on the back.
5. Ask; What is the Priesthood Power?
It is the law by which all the worlds were made, and the seasons and all things that are. Jesus used this power to create all things. It is perfect order. It rules, directs, governs, and contols all things. It is Saving ordinances. It is the power that will get us back to Heavenly Father. You will carry it with you into the next life. It is the keys of Salvation.
Men who hold this priesthood, are charged to strive in word action and deed to honor this great gift given to them.
6. Have dad or a priesthood holder in your ward, give a priesthood blessing to children starting school.
7.Song, "The Priesthood is Restored", Prayer, treat
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Scripture Power
(prepare ahead of time a beautifully gift wrapped box with a set of scriptures. If you can wrap it in gold or fancy paper. And a beautiful bow. Then prepare a box or jar with wordstrips that are clues to what is in the box.
You can print this and cut out if you have a printer.
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1. It will help you understand all things.(3 Ne. 10:14)
2. It will help you know and keep the Laws of God (Deut. 17:19)
3. It will help you teach. (3 Ne. 23:14)
4. It will help you have eternal life( John 5:39)
5. It will help you be approved unto God (2 Tim. 2:15)
6. It will make you wise unto salvation (2 Tim. 3:15)
7. It will make you strong in faith (2 Tim. 3:15)
8. Is given by inspiration of God (2 Tim. 3:16)
9. It reproves, corrects, and instructs in righteousness (2 Tim. 3:16)
10. It helps perfect you (2 Tim. 3:17)
11. It will Bless and persuade you to believe in the Lord your Redeemer (Rev. 1:3)( 1 Ne. 19:23)
12. It is for our profit and learning. (2 Ne. 4:15)
13. It will give you sound understanding (Alma 17:2)
14. It will help you to know God. (Alma 17:2)
15. It will give you peace (D&C 11:22)
16. It is a gift freely given from heaven (Hunter Howard W, .BLESSED FROM ON HIGH)
17. It is a gift that we need so as not to be decieved from our earliest youth through the very latest days of our lives.(JS-M 1:37)
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1. Song, Prayer
2. Family business
3. Show the beautifully wrapped box. Tell them that inside is another gift that is more valuable than all the riches on earth.
Give them clues so that they can guess what this gift is. (But no one can guess until all the clues are read)
4. Open the box and show the gift.
5. (read)
(explain in simple words for small children, and shorten content to a few ideas)
" Perhaps no promise in life is more reassuring than that
promise of divine assistance and spiritual guidance in times of
need. It is a gift freely given from heaven, a gift that we need
from our earliest youth through the very latest days of our lives.
"Never did any passage of scripture come with more power to
the heart of man than this did at this time to mine. It seemed to
enter with great force into every feeling of my heart. I reflected
on it again and again, knowing that if any person needed wisdom
from God, I did; for how to act I did not know, and unless I could
get more wisdom than I then had, I would never know." (JS-H1:8-12.)
How remarkable--at least it may seem remarkable to us in our day--that this lad would turn profoundly to the scriptures and then to private prayer, perhaps the two greatest sources of spiritual
insight and spiritual impression that are available universally to mankind. Certainly he was torn by differing opinions, but he was determined to do the right thing and determined to find the right
way. He believed, as you and I must believe, that he could be taught and blessed from on high, as he was."(Hunter Howard W, .BLESSED FROM ON HIGH)
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6. (ASK) How should we read the scriptures? Get a pencil and a large pad of paper. Write down the answers that the family gets from the next few readings. (* are clues to what we should write.)
"A casual, infrequent exposure to the scriptures will
generally not open the door to the whisperings of the Spirit."
In order to receive a testimony of the Lord's words, we must *diligently search* or *ponder over the
scriptures*. Some individuals falter because they fail to *open the books*, others because they read casually. As one would expect, there is a difference between *diligent searching* or "pondering over the
scriptures" and casual reading.
The Savior provided counsel as to the way we should study
scripture. He said: "And now, whoso readeth, let him understand; he
that hath the scriptures, let him *search them*." (3 Ne. 10:14.) The
Prophet Joseph Smith counseled:
"Search the scriptures--search the revelations . . . and *ask your Heavenly Father, in the name of His Son Jesus Christ*, to manifest the truth unto you, and if you do it with an *eye single to His glory nothing doubting*, He will answer you by the power of His
*Holy Spirit*. You will then know for yourselves and not for another. You will not then be dependent on man for the knowledge of God; nor
will there be any room for speculation." (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pp. 11-12.)
It is not enough to read the scriptures. Random reading results in reduced retention. We must *search for specifics*. We must *seek for truth and increased understanding of its application in our lives*.
If we are to be effective in our study of the scriptures, we must *prepare for it to be a special spiritual experience*. The following suggestions may be helpful.
* 1. Schedule*
Schedule a time to search the scriptures daily. Scripture study is such an essential part of our spiritual development that
we must take time and make it a priority in our daily schedule. Our spirits should never be deprived of the much-needed spiritual nourishment which comes from scripture study. Without this spiritual food our spirits become starved and weakened to temptation.
2. *Pray*
We should begin and end each study session with prayer. We must invite the Spirit to teach us. Nephi taught that: "The mysteries of God shall be unfolded . . . by the power of the Holy Ghost."
(1 Ne.10:19.)
3. *Search*
To search is to seek, to explore, to examine carefully. As we
study we should do so with purpose, searching for specifics and an
expansion of our vision of eternal truth. We must search for
principles, doctrines, answers to questions, and solutions to
problems. We should look for doc-trinal relationships and for
possible hidden meanings of that which has been recorded.
4. Ponder
To ponder is to meditate, to think, to feast, and to
treasure. It is more than a mental method, it is a spiritual
striving to obtain and to understand truth. We should follow the
process taught by the Savior to the Nephites as he taught them
sacred principles. He then instructed them to "Go ye unto your
homes, and ponder upon the things which I have said, and ask of the
Father, in my name, that ye may understand, and prepare your minds
for the morrow." (3 Ne. 17:3.)
We should ponder the meanings of the things we learn from our
search of the scriptures. The Apostle Paul instructed the
Philippian Saints to "think on these things." (Philip. 4:8.) To
think involves forming mental images in the mind and focusing
intently upon that which has been discovered. Nephi counseled to
"feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ
will tell you all things what ye should do." (2 Ne. 32:3.) To feast
is to consume, to digest, to absorb.
As we ponder, we should follow the counsel of the Savior when
he said, "Treasure up in your minds continually the words of life."
(D&C 84:85.) This implies that we should repeat in our minds the
principles we have learned and draw upon them in each of ourdecisions.
5. *Relate*
Nephi has counseled to "liken all scriptures unto us, that it
might be for our profit and learning." (1 Ne. 19:23.) We must read
as if the Lord were speaking directly to us in a personal manner.
6. Apply
President Marion G. Romney counseled: "Learning the gospel from the written word . . . is not enough. It must also be lived. . . . One cannot fully learn the gospel without living it."
(ENSIGN, Sept. 1980, p. 4.) As we learn a principle, we must make
a real effort to apply and to live it in our life.
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7. Conclusion;
The scriptures are priceless possessions. If we search the
scriptures, seeking for the plain and precious principles, the Lord
will reveal his will unto us and we will be richly blessed. If we
research the revelations and respond correctly to them, we will
return home safely to Heavenly Father. To this I so testify in the
sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen. (Kendrick L. Lione, Search the Scriptures)
President Kimball taught the principle that "no father, no
son, no mother, no daughter should get so busy that he or she does
not have time to study the scriptures and the words of modern
prophets." (ENSIGN, May 1976, p. 47.)
8.Song, "Follow The Prophets" , Prayer, desert
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Emergency Preparedness Lesson
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Have an Activity Lesson where your family is of service to another family. Work at a soup kitchen, Bishops Storehouse, or help a shut in, or a family who needs help in some way. Talk to your family about why we shouldn't judge others. And tell this story.
I Judge No More
When I was young I used to judge people who were different. Fat people, divorced single mothers, welfare recipients, people who had mental problems, unruly children,and people who were poor. People who's skin was different than mine, or who had handicaps. But Heavenly Father was so patient with me. He taught me what it was like to be poor, and on welfare. To have children rebell and act more than unruly. I don't judge these things any more but judgement has been replaced with understanding and compassion. Then I grew obese, and understood what it was like trying to lose weight. I don't judge fat people anymore! Then I started going bald and realised what it was like not to be so pretty. I also have a best friend who became very sick, so sick that she couldn't walk, and I became ill myself and at times couldn't get up. These two things taught me to help the sick and afflicted without judgement. I then got a job taking care of a Down Syndrome girl. I learned to love and respect this sweet celestial girl as a dear friend. One of my best friends was a different skin color and a different religion than me. And I saw no differences between us. Except that we worshipped differently. I know she loves the Lord as much as me. I learned that just because people had different beliefs and will not accept the church when offered them, that they have a right to believe any way they want and I am to respect that right and love them as they are. I had marital troubles and learned what it was like to become a single mother, divorcee. My best friend had a nervous breakdown and I learned to be tolerant of mental illness, and never judge. I am thankful for every experience that I have had for the wisdom I have gained, and also I have learned this well from my wonderful life...How Can anyone judge?
