Honesty

Topic: Learning to distinguish between telling the truth and telling a lie

Scriptures:
Phillipians 4:8
Alma 27:27
D&C 98:10
Article of Faith 13
Other scriptures about Honesty found here

Song Suggestions:
I'm Trying to Be Like Jesus, Children's Songbook 78
I Believe in Being Honest, CS 149

Lesson:
-Ask if your child understands what being honest is. Explain that being honest is telling the truth and not making up a story.
-Give some examples of being honest and telling a lie (ie. If you tell someone that you made your bed, but you didn't, is that being honest? If you tell someone that you cleaned up your room, and you really did, is that being honest?)
-Read a scripture or two and talk about how the people were trying to be honest, and that Heavenly Father is happy when we are honest and wants us to find these things
-Read the story, The Case of the Broken Mirror, from the January 2010 Friend magazine
-Talk about how you feel when you are honest, and that it makes you happy inside

Activity:
We played a game where the children stood across the room from the parents. Examples of being honest and dishonest were shared. Everytime an example of being honest was shared, the child got to move forward. If the example was someone being dishonest, the child stayed where she was. You can have the children answer the same question, or move from child to child with different examples.

I am sure that there are other activities that you can use, but I ran out of time (and energy) to make the board game about honesty that I wanted to.

Honesty

Getting Closer with your Family

As I thought about what I wanted to write about this month I started thinking about the Family Home evenings I had with my own family growing up. We had the standard lessons with a song and a treat, but we often would sit down and play a game together, make cookies together, or go on walks together. I loved these home evenings. Looking back I don’t think this was an easy out for my parents. It was on these nights that we really got to know each other. We learned how to have fun together and to appreciate each other. So that is my challenge, at your next FHE don’t worry so much about what the lesson is going to be about. Plan something that will allow you to get to know your kids, and let them get to know you. Play a game and ask questions. Find out what they want to be, do, and see. You’ll love to watch your kids interact and become closer to one another and you’ll LOVE getting closer to them!

Getting Closer with your Family

Puppet Show Scripture Stories

Acting out puppet shows is a great way for children to reinforce stories they have heard. It solidifies their knowledge of the story. Another great thing about puppet shows is that it is interesting to your little ones--even the babies--and your older children, also.

I would start with reading a scripture story. Then, I would let each child choose one character to play from the story. Get behind a couch and hold up your puppet. Have fun reenacting the story! Help your children as needed.  Have fun!

The puppets pictured above are actual Bible puppets you can purchase online (Google "Bible puppets"). But you don't need to do something this extravagant. I wouldn't unless they were on super duper sale. I would just  use stuffed animals and sock puppets. An old sock (or socks from the dollar store) together with some yarn and a child's imagination and you have yourself a puppet show. When you do Jonah and the Whale, get out the old Shamoo you got form Sea World, make a Jonah, and you have a story. Want to do Daniel and the Lions Den? Glue some yarn to some socks for the lions' manes, make a Daniel, add a paper crown to one puppet for the king, and you have a puppet show! Use your imaginations. 

Puppet Show Scripture Stories

Keeping a Journal

My grandmother (Norma) has kept a journal practically every day of her life. She has shelf upon shelf of journals old and new. If you want to confirm an event or the weather of a particular day, go to grandma. She could find the information in her journals.

Grandma as been an inspiration to me of record keeping since I was little. I got my first journal when I was about 6. I wrote in it nearly every day. It is fun for me to look back and see what I wrote about. It is telling of what I thought was important at the time.

Make a FHE activity out of it.

It is evident that keeping records is important. Take the Book of Mormon and share a family favorite story. Share your testimony that the things written in the BofM are not just stories, but rather a record that people kept of events that actually happened. What if people hadn't written about when Jesus came? What if we don't write about our lives?

If you haven't already introduced journal writing to your family, now is a great time to start. Even if you have children who are too young to write, you can write for them, and have them draw a picture to go along with what you did that day/week/month.

Give each child who is old enough a piece of paper or a special notebook just for them to write about their day or about a particular activity they participated in recently. Encourage your children to write often their thoughts, feelings, testimony, daily activities ect.

Don't forget to do this yourself too! You may think you'll remember all the fun things your kids and your family does, but you may find that you don't and you'll wish you had written things down!

Happy writing!

Keeping a Journal

I'm Sorry, Please Forgive Me

Topic:
We should say "I am sorry" when we make mistakes and "I'm sorry, please forgive me" when we do something wrong purposefully.

Scriptures:
James 5:16
3 Nephi 12:23-24

Materials:
Scriptures
Children's Songbook
Four pieces of paper
Picture of Jesus
Pictures of people (optional)

Song Suggestion:
I'm Trying to be like Jesus (Children's Songbook, 78-79)

Lesson:
Show picture of Jesus. Jesus wants us and others to be happy. He has taught us some ways to make ourselves and others happy. One of these ways is to say we are sorry and to ask for forgiveness.

Whenever we make a mistake we should say we are sorry. Whenever we do something wrong purposefully, we should say we are sorry and then ask for forgiveness from the person we wronged (this second idea is just a suggestion).

When we say these kind words to others we make ourselves and others feel happy. Have everyone repeat after you, "I'm sorry and if you want, "I'm sorry, please forgive me". Emphasize that there is no reason to feel embarrassed to say "I'm sorry". We are a bigger person for doing this and should feel proud not ashamed.

Next you can tell of a story in the scriptures where someone did something wrong, felt bad about what they did, apologized, and then were happy. You could also tell of a personal experience where this happened.

Activity Ideas:
Gather four pieces of paper. On one piece draw a smiley face, on another draw a frown, on another piece write "I'm sorry" and on the last piece write "Please forgive me". Depending on your number of children old enough to participate either give all the pieces of paper to one child, or hand them out to different children. Tell of some stories of people making mistakes or doing something purposefully wrong (show pictures of people if desired). When you get to the sad part where someone does something wrong, have the child with the frown hold it up. When you get to the happy part, have the child hold up the happy face. Continue from there with the other pieces of paper.

Have your children act out different situations where someone makes a mistake or does something wrong making sure that they say the words "I'm sorry" and "Please forgive me" where appropriate. Discuss how they would feel (sad/happy) if these situations really happened to them.

Weekly Challenge:
Challenge your children to say "I'm sorry" and "Please forgive me" when appropriate this week.

I'm Sorry, Please Forgive Me

Father's Blessing

As summer winds down and activities such as school, dance, music lessons, sports, etc. start up again, it is a great time to discuss the Priesthood and a Father's Blessing.

My suggestion is that you have a lesson on the priesthood followed by each child who wants to (along with Mom) getting a Father's Blessing.

Here are some great resources to study as you prepare for this lesson. The first is "The Priesthood"--chapter 13 in Gospel Principles (the manual being used by Priesthood and Relief Society this year). Second is a talk "The Power of the Priesthood" by President Boyd K. Packer given in the April 2010 General Conference. Third is also a talk. This is by Elder Dallin H. Oaks and is titled "Healing the Sick, " and was also given at this past April's Conference.

For the purpose of this lesson, I like the part of Elder Oak's talk that discusses faith. "...the greater responsibility is with him who is blessed...The major element is the faith of the individual when that person is conscious and accountable." This is a quote by President Kimball. These talks mesh together well because President Packer discusses that the father is to preside over the blessings of his family no matter who else is present, and Elder Oaks quotes President Kimball who points out that it doesn't matter who is giving the blessing; the Priesthood is the same. What matters is the faith of the receiver. So receiving a blessing from your father is no less spectacular than if you were to receive it from the Prophet. Elder Oaks says, "...the effect of the blessing is dependent upon faith and the Lord's will, not upon the words spoken by the elder who officiated." This quote is found under the heading "Words of Blessing."

Fourth, you might enjoy reviewing the lesson "Fathers' Blessings" in the Young Women Manual 2.

Song Suggestion: Priesthood Power in Children's Songbook

Father's Blessing

Sister Beck Quote

"I have said lately that women are like lionesses at the gate of the home. Whatever happens in that home and family happens because she cares about it and it matters to her. She guards that gate, and things matter to that family if they matter to her. For example, if the lioness at the gate believes in the law of tithing, tithing will be paid in that family. If that family has a humble little portion of ten pesos coming in, that lioness will safeguard the one peso if tithing is important to her. If that lioness at the gate knows about renewing her baptismal covenants with God, she will be in sacrament meeting on Sunday, and she will prepare her children to be there. They will be washed, cleaned, combed, and taught about that meeting and what happens there. It isn’t a casual event, but it is serious to her, and it will be serious to them. The lioness at the gate ensures that temple worship is taken care of in the family. She encourages that participation. She cares about seeking after her ancestors. If the lioness at the gate knows about and understands missions, missionaries, and the mission of the house of Israel, she will prepare future missionaries to go out from that home. It is very difficult to get a lion cub away from a lioness who doesn’t believe in missions, but if the lioness believes in a mission, she will devote her life to preparing the cub to go out and serve the Lord. That’s how important she is. Service happens if she cares about it." -Julie B. Beck, Women's Conference 2010

She didn't say it specifically, but if family home evening is important to us, the lionesses at the gate, then it will happen and it will bless our families.

(See the whole talk here).

Sister Beck Quote

Individual Worth

Purpose: to help each child know they are special and of worth to our Heavenly Father

Materials: Mirror, magnifying mirror (or some kind of mirror that distorts the reflection), scissors, paper, crayons or markers

*Have each child cut out a snowflake with the white paper (you can have them color/decorate it too)

Discussion: snowflakes are wonderful. Each is beautiful and yet not one is the same. (Have each child show their snowflake and how different it is but how they are all beautiful).

Just as snowflakes are beautiful but different, so is each of us. As children of God we are very important and precious. We are also different from each other. We have different thoughts, ideas, talents, and needs. We can all be different and also be important.

Lesson: Pass both mirrors around for the children to look at themselves. Explain that the magnifying mirror gives a distorted image of ourselves. If we thought we looked like that we would become very discouraged. The ordinary mirror reflects the true image.

Liken the magnifying mirror to how the world can make us see ourselves. It’s a distorted view but if we believe it, like relying on other people’s opinions about us we would become discouraged. People can be negative, critical, and untruthful. The world will tell us that we need to dress and act in ways that don’t reflect our values and standards in order to fit in.

Heavenly Father offers us the true reflection of ourselves like the ordinary mirror. He sees our strong points and our talents. He loves us for who we are and who we can become. He wants to help us in all we do.

Conclusion: Read Isaiah 13:12. Help your children understand that they are very special in Heavenly Father’s sight. His opinion of them is the one to value.

Individual Worth

Scriptures

Opening Song: Book of Mormon Stories

Scripture: James 1:5

Lesson: Tell the story of the first vision.

Activities:

For younger kids: Scripture coloring page

http://lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=21bc9fbee98db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=d1191cc1c81b7110VgnVCM100000176f620a____&hideNav=1

For older kids: Scripture Treasure Hunt

http://ldssplash.com/fhe/scripture1/scripture.htm

Scriptures

I Have a Family that Loves Me

Recently my husband and I thought it was a good idea to teach our oldest (I can say that now that I have two children :) what his last name one. We thought it would be a good idea in case he ever got lost somewhere or something like that. In the process, we started to teach him that mom and dad have the same last name as well as one set of his grandparents. We then taught him that his other set of grandparents had another last name. This is pretty simple for an older child to understand, but for a two year old it can get a bit confusing. We decided a FHE lesson on families might help explain things to him.

First we drew a picture of a family. We showed him a mommy and daddy and some brothers and sisters. We named off these people explaining their relationships to each other (brother, sister, daughter, son etc). We then went around our family and named everyone and talked about their relationship to each other. This talk can of course be adjusted to fit any type of family. If my son was older I would probably have gone into more detail about how some families have step parents etc. But this would probably have confused him out of his mind at the age of 2.

After talking about family member relationships we talked about how families love each other. We then went around and told everyone that we loved them. We would have given hugs too except my toddler is anti-hugs much of the time :)

I Have a Family that Loves Me