FHE: The Scriptures Testify of Jesus Christ

And I thought I was good at creating object lessons for FHE. Man did my hubby ever show me just how brilliant he is with this one! I love love love it! So powerful! 

The object of the lesson is to teach the importance of ALL of the scriptures. Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine & Covenants & Pearl of Great Price. Each one adds upon the other, teaching about Jesus Christ, so that we can truly know him and love him. 

SUPPLIES: 

(2) 2x4 boards (or whatever you have that will work)

(5) Long sturdy Nails

Hammer

Sharpees

First, I must apologize for the blinding pictures! Apparently I didn't catch that my camera was on some funky setting, that I really should learn more about. I tried to darken them as much as possible. Hopefully that helped! 

Ryan wrote "Jesus Christ Is:" and then "Bible" in the center of the board. There is a nail representing the bible. This needs to be placed in the center of the top board and hammered through the top and into the bottom board. The bottom board has things written on them, somethings we know are true, others not. "Nice Guy", "Good Friend", "Prophet", "Just a Spirit", "Quick to Anger", "Good Example", "Body-less", "Not a believer in baptism for the dead". 

There are also some half words on there. I will tell you about them in a moment. 

He talked to the kids about the importance of the Bible and how it is an account of the prophecies from before Christs life and then the actual account of his life, along with the organization of his church while he was on the earth. 

Some of the things on the board represent the things that people may believe about him, based on only having the Bible to understand Christ's doctrine and characteristics. 

With only one nail in the boards they move back and forth showing how with just one nail, or source, there are a lot of ways people could change or misinterpret these things. 

He lined up the boards, so they were just off center. 

He asked the kids 

"What is something else we have that teaches us about Jesus Christ". 

This is when a nail was placed, representing the Book of Mormon. The kids helped him hammer this one in. 

Ryan had written, "Savior" "Brother". Part was on the bottom board and part was on the side of the top board. He had also written, "Son of God" on the other corner. He showed the kids that with the Bible we learned that he was these things and with the Book of Mormon, these things are also confirmed. The boards are no longer able to swing and move around. 

With both Books truths are established and confirmed. 

I just love love love this picture! Look how into this lesson my cute kiddos are! They are drinking in every word! I love any opportunity to teach them and allow them the opportunity to develop their own testimonies of the truth of the lesson! 

Jake labeled the "Book of Mormon" nail for us. Then we started to discuss other forms of scripture the Lord has given to us. 

Modern day scripture. Proof that the Gospel of Jesus Christ, that same gospel that he set up in the New Testament, with authority from God exists on the earth again today. We have a modern day prophet and God still speaks to His children through them! How great is that?! 

Yet another nail to secure our knowledge and testimony of Jesus Christ. Mallory labeled this one "DandC", or Doctrine and Covenants. 

The "Pearl of Great Price" came next. Accounts from the great prophets Moses & Abraham. An addition to the great books found in the Old Testament! 

And then we threw in a 5th nail to represent "Prophets and Apostles". They speak to us each month through the Ensign, New Era & Friend magazines. Twice a year we get to participate in General Conference, where we receive further instruction and encouragement on how to live a more Christlike life. 

After all the nails were in Ryan flipped the boards over to reveal words written in the corners of the top and bottom boards. "Alive Today". 

Because of the scriptures we can know that Christ truly lives! He lived as an example and set the perfect pattern for our lives. He suffered in Gethsemane for our sins and experienced our sorrows, so that he would know how to succor us in our trials. He died for us on the cross, paying the price required for the great gift of repentance. And then he was resurrected, and lives with God, our Heavenly Father, in the flesh. Because of this resurrection, we all will be resurrected! We all have the opportunity to be sealed to our families so that we can live forever with our families, in His presence. 

"Has A True Church" is written on the other corner. 

In the Bible we are taught about the organization of Christ's church on the earth. Then we are taught about the great apostasy that took place after he was killed. The prophets were killed and the church was taken from the earth. 

In the Book of Mormon we read further about the organization of Christ's church, when after he was resurrected he came to his people in the America's and organized his church here, with Prophets and Apostles, just as it was in Jerusalem. 

In the Doctrine & Covenants we witness the organization of His church once again on the earth through the Prophet Joseph Smith. We can read his account of that sacred day that he was visited by God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. There is no question in my mind that this event took place, and that we now have the Church of Jesus Christ back on the earth, with direct authority from God and the keys to fulfill all blessings available to all of God's children on the earth, blessings that are bound for all Eternity, if we choose to live worthy of the blessings of the great Atonement! 

Joseph Smith was a prophet, just as Moses and Abraham were prophets! Christ's church is once again on the Earth, and it is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I could no sooner deny the truth of those two statements, than I could deny that there is a hand at the end of my arm! Denying does not change the truthfulness of the situation, it only denies us the privileges that are ours if we believe, do our best and put our faith and trust in the Atonement and in God's plan. 

This lesson further strengthened my testimony in the value of scripture. All of them. We love the Bible. We treasure it. And we also treasure the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine in Covenants, the Pearl of Great Price & our modern day prophets and apostles. It is the combination of these things that leaves us without doubt that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, the Savior of the World, our only way back to our Father, our Redeemer, our Brother, our Friend and our Advocate! 

FHE: "Doing Our Dailies" Teaching the effects of daily scripture study & prayers

This lesson popped into my head a few Sunday's ago. I was sitting next to my husband in church thinking about the way I feel in my Sunday School class. We have an incredibly wise and amazing Sunday school teacher. I told my husband that I feel like a dried out, thirsty sponge, in his class. I feel myself trying to take in every little bit of information, like it is water filling me up. Then I started to think about sponges a little more and this lesson came together. Please feel free to adapt it, along with any other FHE lesson on this blog, to fit the needs of your family!

I placed an old dried out sponge on a plate and had everyone feel it. It was not pliable. It was hard and rigid. 

We talked about and compared this to the scripture stories that talk about people being hard-hearted, or stiff-necked, and discussed how this happens when we aren't living our lives close to the spirit, following the prophet & keeping the commandments. 

We talked about how "doing our dailies" (Daily scripture study, serve others & prayer, etc), is what keeps us from becoming hard like this sponge. 

I also told them about how sometimes a sponge can become so hard that it requires a lot of wringing over and over to get it to let the water in, and sometimes that can be like trials that happen in our lives that can be used to remind us to turn to the Lord in all things. 

We poured water on the sponge little by little. Explaining that it was like each time we say our prayers, read scriptures or do an act of kindness. Those actions change us. 

They make us softer and more teachable. 

And when we continue to do these things each day, like a sponge that has pressure applied, we "ooze" those things that we have filled our selves with. We talked about the prodding being like missionary work or being asked questions by others about our faith. When our sponge was moist, but not full, nothing came out. We lacked the conviction in our testimony, or the knowledge, to teach. However, when we have "done our dailies" consistently, our testimony flows easily. 

Then we talked about how adding things to our dailies like going to the temple frequently, serving and looking for more opportunities to serve, being quick to forgive and kind to everyone, paying our tithing and fast offerings, etc, what we have put in cannot be contained. Everything we do or say is a reflection of our beliefs and conviction of the reality of our Savior Jesus Christ. It "oozes" from us, in our actions and words. 

  

THIS is the best place to be!

We brought another hard sponge into the mix and talked about how it could represent our friends, or people we meet or associate with. 

When we consistently, everyday, participate in scripture study and be sure to say prayers, serve, etc. In other words, when we fill our lives with the things of the Lord, our testimony cannot help but affect the people around us! 

As our testimony "oozes" the people around us begin to feel of the Lords love for them, through us, if we listen to the spirit! 

When we do everything that we can, each day, to fill our lives and minds with the spirit, the Lord can use us as instruments to reach out to our brothers and sisters around us and we can help bring them back to Him! 

FHE: Flying High by Keeping the Commandments

This was SUCH a fun FHE! I heard this analogy once a long time ago and thought an object lesson was definitely in order! This lesson carries such a HUGE impact and really helps the kids understand the role rules and commandments play in our lives! 

To start, we gathered the children around as we flew one kite. 

We asked, "What are some of the commandments or rules in the gospel?" They listed some and we added here and there. 

Then we asked, "What are some of the rules in our home?" They listed and we helped again. 

Then we asked what the kids thought would happen if we were to cut the string on the kite. They all responded, "It will fly away!" 

Then we cut the string, with plenty of gasps from the kids. The kite immediately plummeted to the ground! 

We then talked about how the rules and commandments are a lot like the string of the kite. We may feel, at times, that they are holding us down, or restricting us. However, they are actually what holds us up and gives us the ability to accomplish the things we want to do in life. 

We then discussed a few of our commandments, and/or rules, and how they might help us. 

For Example: 

Word of Wisdom = A life free of addiction. Helps us have a healthy body, smart mind, etc. 

Law of Chastity = Protects us from disease, prevents teenage pregnancy, unnecessary heartache, etc. 

Being Honest = Helps protect us from stress and troubles that come in relationships or with the law. 

Daily Chores = Keeps our home clean and helps us have order and be able to feel the spirit in our home. 

Speak Kindly = Helps us have stronger happier relationships. 

.....and so on. 

We brought up rules in our home or certain commandments and asked the kids to come up with a reason why they would be good for us. Having them come up with them really helps them learn to think this way about these things in their lives. It helped us all to see how important these guidelines are in helping us live a fuller life, and actually showed us how freeing rules and commandments can be! 

We talked about.....

DOCTRINE & COVENANTS 82:10

"I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise." 

When we follow the rules the Lord has set for us He is "bound" to keep the promises He has made. He has promised to give us ALL that He has! And He will!

Then, of course, we ended the night with the activity of a whole lot of kite flying! Kite Flying with a whole new perspective! 

FHE {Losing Ourselves In the Service of Others}

I have been trying to think of ways to help my kids understand the importance of opening their eyes to the needs of others, and developing the ability to focus on ways they can recognize things they can do to serve others. This little object lesson popped into my head one day. I think the message was received! :) 

We did this lesson with cousins and enlisted the help of aunts and uncles, just for a bit of added fun. 

OBJECT LESSON: 

• Roll a piece of paper starting at the corner. Form a funnel with a dime sized hole in the end. Cut off the tops so that the wider opening is all the same length. Tape paper so that the funnel will stay wrapped. Make enough so that each child has two. 
• Have the children hold their funnels up to their eyes. These are their new glasses. 

• Give the kids an exact course to follow. I told the boys to walk from where they were standing to the Christmas tree. It isn't easy to see through such a small hole. They can only see what is directly in front of them. Make the course obstacle free and in a straight line. Tell them to walk slow and be careful. 

• When they arrived at their destination they were pleased with their ability to easily perform the task.  This is when I had them remove their "glasses" and turn back to look at the path they had just followed. As they turned they could see a few things they missed a long their path. 

• Without knowing they passed Aunt Anna who was struggling to keep young Chloe entertained. Perhaps she is like a young mother in church with young children and full hands. 

• They also passed little Mallory. Her backpack had fallen and all of her things were scattered. She was trying to put them back in all by herself. 

• They passed Brigham. He had fallen down and his leg was hurt. 

• They also passed by Uncle Kevin....who needed a refill on his drink! (Pictured above) Oh Kevin! :) 

Had they noticed any of these things as they passed? Or were they totally focused on their own path/needs/course? 

• I explained to them that these glasses were a representation of living our lives focusing only on ourselves. When we can only see our needs it makes us blind to all of the things we can be doing to help others. Simply opening a door for Anna, or sitting with her during sacrament meeting to help keep her young children quiet so she can listen, stopping to help Mallory refill her bag, making sure Briggy is OK, or even refilling Uncle Kevin's drink...all of these things would only take a little time, but they would all make a big difference. 

LESSON:

President Monson said, 

"Unless we lose ourselves in the service of others, there is little purpose to our own lives."

• We discussed how important that is. That means that if the end goal was to make it to the tree, making it to the tree had very little purpose, IF we failed to notice those along the path that we could have helped, so that they could continue on the path to their goal, as well. That is a really big statement. I hoped that it would impact their minds, as it did mine. 

We Read Luke 9:24 & discussed what it meant. 

"For whosoever will save his life shall lose it, but whosoever will lose his life, for my sake, the same shall save it."

We read and discussed the story of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:30-37. We talked about the first 2 people to pass and how they were wearing their "Selfish Glasses". Perhaps they were "too busy" or had something they had to hurry and get to. Those are both probably the most common excuses we give for not serving others. Again, there is little purpose in all of the things we accomplish, unless we are willing to serve others along the way. We talked about how the Good Samaritan did more than just what was necessary by leaving money for the man to be cared for and then asking them to let him know if it cost more than what he gave so that he could give them what was required when he came back through.

I told them about a special experience that happened to me recently:

I told them how I have the opportunity to travel to a lot of different places to speak about Dawson. I have spoke to the youth, the youth and their parents, entire wards, groups of women, groups of adults, small groups and large groups. When Dawson passed away it was something that I knew the Lord would want me to do. His story and his special life and all of the miracles that were a part of it were meant to be shared with many people.

I told them that when I am asked to speak I go, no matter how far away, and I would never ask the ward to pay any of my expenses. I have always felt that the Lord would provide a way for me to go.

I recently went to speak in Southern Arizona. Our budget was a little tight when it was time to go. I withdrew $200, which is exactly how much the trip would cost, from my grocery budget and trusted that the Lord would help us stretch the rest to meet our needs.

The spirit was so strong at the fireside. I knew that the message the Lord wanted to share with this group was received. It was such a great experience.

As we pulled back into my friends driveway we noticed another car pulling up. A man got out of his car and walked over to me. He handed me an envelope, told me thank you, gave me a hug and then left. Later I sat in my room at my friends home and opened that envelope, thinking I would find a note. In the envelope was $200, the exact amount it would cost for my trip. To me this was a message from Heavenly Father. He wanted me to be sure that He was constantly aware of every little need and that He would work through His faithful and willing children to fill those needs, as long as we are willing to continue with faith.

We talked about how the man certainly could have used so much money, but he was a man that listened to the promptings of the spirit and was willing to watch for ways he could help others along his path. This man set an example for me that day! I was blessed by his faithfulness, both financially, and more importantly, spiritually.

We closed with a poem President Monson quoted in his talk "What Have I Done For Someone Today?" in October 2009 General Conference:

I have wept in the night 
For the shortness of sight
That to somebody's need made me blind;
But I never have yet
Felt a tinge of regret
For being a little too kind. 

FHE {Choosing Good Friends}

My oldest son is getting closer and closer to Jr. High. OH MY! Does this ever give me heart palpitations. Jr. High was a rough time for me. I felt lost through quite a lot of it. I didn't have a lot of confidence and found myself seeking whatever friends would take me.

I have learned throughout my life that friends can have a profound impact on our lives. The people we choose to spend our time with contribute to molding our character. L. Tom Perry, in the February 1993 New Era said,

"The friends we choose to associate with are main contributing factors in the formation of our character. We form social habits by association with our friends. These habits can be useful when directed towards the formation of a wholesome personality.

I have found that the right friends have a powerful influence on your life. Choose your friends wisely. Make certain they will help build within you the right standards with which to govern your life."

I wanted to impress upon my kids minds how vital choosing good friends would be in their lives. This was the object lesson we came up with.....

(I have to apologize for the picture quality. My camera was out of town with my hubby and the cell phone was all we had. Not great, but better than nothing! :) )

These 4 bowls of water represent different interests people may have. I had the kids name a few interests that different people may have. We had a group that liked video games and movies, a group that liked driving and race cars, a group that like sports and a group that liked games.

We filled each bowl with pre-cooked pasta. The noodles were representations of people, or friends. We talked about how usually we make friends based on having similar interests as they do. We talked about how it was good to be kind and friendly to everyone, not just those that we spent the most time with, because of our similar interests.

Then we started talking about what happens when a person or two in our group of friends start to make bad choices. As I dropped a few drops of blue food coloring in one bowl we talked about how one of the friends in this group started using cuss words to express himself. Little by little, others started making this same choice.

Before long these choices started to affect, or change the character of each of the friends in the group. There was a little guy that didn't like the cussing, but liked spending time with his friends. We talked about how he decided he was going to stick with the group, but he wasn't going to get caught up in the same bad habits his friends were involved in. Before long, he too was starting to get stained from the bad choices being made in this group.

We talked about how perhaps because the boy was surrounded by these words all of the time, they were the words that came to mind when he got upset and before he knew it a few of them had made their way into his vocabulary.

This group was our video game & movie group. These guys got caught up in playing video games that were violent and movies that were filled with inappropriate language, violence, etc.

Our red guys were getting caught up in drugs, smoking & alcohol. (You can, of course, adjust each groups "sins" based on your feelings and your kids age. Remember, kids are exposed to things MUCH younger. Go bold with this. Bold, but appropriate. If your kids don't hear this from you first, where would you like them to hear it from? Their peers?)

This group is our group of friends that have committed to each other to not allow these sort of bad choices to define them. They lovingly encourage each other to stay clean. They have found that life is MUCH more fun without the cussing, drugs & inappropriate games and movies.

I took one of the noodles from the "good" bowl. He decided he wanted to hang out with the blue group. They had similar interests and he was certain he could spend time with them without getting trapped in the same bad habits. In fact, he thought that he could actually become good friends with them, hang out with them all of the time and maybe they would choose to follow his example and stop making the choices they were making.

Little by little their choices started to define his character. As he was in the center of it, the things they were doing didn't seem so bad and little by little he started making similar choices.

Before long, those choices became a central part of the definition of his character. He was blue.

This was a great opportunity to talk about helping others and setting a good example. It is SO important to do these things. So how do we do it without getting caught in it ourselves. I asked the kids if they thought it would be easier to help a friend out of a deep pit from down in the pit with them, or from the ground above. They chose the ground above. We talked about throwing them a rope, a ladder, etc. The were so many options, but from inside the pit, our only option was being stuck and needing to be rescued ourselves.

I told them that I once had a very good friend that I loved so much. We had been good friends for most of our lives. She was always a good example to me. One day I met a boy that I really liked. I started to date him. My friend knew that his friends weren't the kind of friends she wanted to spend time with. I knew it wasn't a good choice, but I liked the boy I was dating. I promised I wouldn't make any of the choices they were making and kept spending all of my time with them. A while later I could see that my life had changed. I wasn't making choices that were allowing me to stay close to the spirit. I wanted out.

I didn't see my friend much during that time of my life. She didn't want to get involved with the new friends I was spending my time with. When I did see her, I could feel how much she loved me. She helped me remember that these choices weren't the real me. I felt sad about the choices that I had made and I wanted help to get out of them. My good friend was getting married soon. She invited me to her bridal shower. I remember how happy she was to see me. She was about to get married in the temple. I could see the example that she was setting. She didn't know it, but that night was an answer to my prayers. I was in the pit. She was casting me a ladder through her love and example. She helped me out. I let my friends know that I had to change my life and that I couldn't spend time with them anymore. It was hard, because I enjoyed them personally, but the choices we were making all together couldn't be a part of my life anymore.

Although it was a hard thing to do, it was the best choice I had ever made! I was so thankful for such a good friend that set such a good example to me! If she had started coming with us and got down in the pit with me, we both would have been lost. But she didn't. She kept trying to send down help. That is the kind of friend WE need to be.

I gave the kid a noodle and told them that it represented them. They got to pick the group of friends they wanted to be with.

We also discussed how sometimes in our lives it will feel like we are alone. Maybe all of our friends are making bad choices and we feel like we don't have any friends. We talked about how no matter what, we always have our family and we always have the Lord. Those are the important relationships that last forever. They said that they would rather be on their own than getting stained in the other groups.

And then my son Jake took this whole lesson to the next level. That is what he tends to do.

We talked about how we can always repent and have these sins washed clean from us. We read,

"Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool."

-Isaiah 1:18

Jake asked if we could spray bleach on the red noodle to represent the Atonement cleaning our sins. I didn't know that it would work, but I thought it would be worth a try. 

It totally worked! It wouldn't work on the green or blue, but totally worked on the red! Great! It goes with the scripture perfectly! :)

The Atonement is the most important part of all of this lesson. We all make choices that we wish we wouldn't have, at one time or another. Some more severe than others. The important thing for our kids to understand is that there is ALWAYS a way out and a way to be washed clean and it is only through the power of our Saviors Atonement.

I am so glad we did this lesson! Mallory talked about it for days after! It will be something we repeat often. Perhaps each year just before school starts!

Let me know how it goes for you, or if you come up with any variations. I always love hearing other ideas!

FHE LESSON {Stairway to Heaven}

This lesson was an idea I got from my cute cousin, Jill. THANKS JILL!

We haven't done an object lesson for a few weeks, and I could tell that my kids were missing it! They LOVE object lessons and they get SO much more out of the lesson! They get into the discussion and I LOVE it!

We started off with an opening prayer and we sang, "I'm Trying To Be Like Jesus".

LESSON:

We read Matthew 6:24...

"No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon." 

(Mammon is idolatry, worldliness or treasure)

We discussed what this scripture meant. We talked about the ways that we may try to "serve two masters" (For example,our son brought up the example of trying to have the spirit in our lives, but also not being willing to stop watching things on TV or listening to music that has a bad message or bad words.). We talked about why it is impossible to do both.

Then we talked about how our choices determine the direction we are headed in.

I told them about a concept that my husband read in a book a long time ago. The concept is that all things, unless constantly acted upon, are in a state of digression. Nothing is in "neutral". You are either moving forward or moving back.

We used the example of a piece of furniture. The day that the furniture was finished being built, it began the process of "getting old" or breaking down. If special care is not taken the furniture begins to break down. We used our couch as an example. Something that is used everyday. We talked about what would happen to it if everyday we used it, walked on it, jumped on it, let holes develop and then get bigger, etc. Then we talked about what would happen if we were careful with it, repairing what needed to be repaired, not jumping on it, keeping it clean, etc.

We compared that to our lives. We talked about how our spirits require daily "upkeep". We must spend time each day reading scriptures & praying. If we do not, we are in a state of degeneration. We are breaking down. However, if we do take care of ourselves, we get stronger and remain close to the Lord.

We talked about the choices we make in our lives and how they can help us continue to move forward. Then we talked about how making bad choices, or not doing the things we should can make us slip backwards and fall into trap the adversary sets for us.

Then it was time for the OBJECT LESSON:

We found some stairs and I taped this lovely little drawing at the top. (and yes, we had to include our sweet Dawson. He is with them and waiting for us also!

Then we taped this picture at the bottom of the stairs.

The kids started on the middle step. Then Dad would read choices aloud and the kids would take a step towards Heavenly Father, Jesus & Dawson if it was a good choice or down toward Satans end of the stairs, if it was a bad choice.

I handed Ryan a list of choices and he, being the genius that he is, made up situations that involved specific choices we have seen in our home (fighting, being kind, etc.). This made it a bit more person for the kids. They could see how their actions this morning, or yesterday, effected their progress. Smart hubby! :)

The Good Choices:

• Honesty
• Kindness
• Sharing
• Obedience
• Prayer
• Reading Scriptures
• Going to Church
• Being Reverent
• Modesty
• Working Hard
• Eating Healthy
• Serving Others
• Temple

The Bad Choices:

• Telling a lie
• Being Mean
• Being Selfish
• Stealing
• Disobedience
• Forgetting to Pray
• Not Paying Tithing
• Immodesty
• Listening to Bad Music
• Watching Bad Movies, TV, etc.
• Lazy
• Eating A Lot of Junk Food
• Not Attending the Temple or Not Preparing to Go

At the end, we made sure they ended at the top of the stairs with Heavenly Father, Jesus & Dawson.

The kids absolutely LOVED this lesson! I think it really helped them see how each choice we make determines where we are headed. It was a good visual and physical activity to show them how important making good choices daily is.

At the end of the lesson we discussed the Atonement and how Christ has made it possible for us to "step" above our bad choices and come closer to our eternal goals.

Then we read these two scriptures, because they are my favorite, and because I am certain that we can never hear enough of these two!

Omni 1:26

"And now, my beloved brethren, I would that ye should come unto Christ, who is the Holy One of Israel, and partake of his salvation, and the power of his redemption. Yea, come unto him, and offer your whole souls as an offering unto him, and continue in fasting and praying, and endure to the end; and as the Lord liveth ye will be saved."

Mosiah 5:15

"Therefore, I would that ye should be steadfast and immovable, always abounding in good works, that Christ, the Lord God Omnipotent, may seal you his, that you may be brought to heaven, that ye may have everlasting salvation and eternal life, through the wisdom, and power, and justice, and mercy of him who created all things, in heaven and in earth, who is God above all. Amen."

FHE: "Eyes On The Prize"

THE OBJECT LESSON:

This lesson was all about helping my kids understand the importance of focusing our attention on the Lord and His will in our lives, instead of worldly things....or anything that might take us away from Him.

I placed a wad of cash (don't you love that someone wrote "I Love You" on the dollar?!) on the countertop in the kitchen.

Across the room, on my table, I placed a set of scriptures.

I had the kids start on one side of the room (the closest to the money) and without taking their eyes off the money, I wanted them to find their way to the scriptures on the table.

The Result: They ended up walking backwards and had to feel around behind their backs to find the scriptures. It wasn't a straight line or an easy find. They had to do a little searching.

THE LESSON:

* When the object lesson is over, ask the children why the task was more difficult than it would have been if their focus was on the scriptures, instead of the money.

READ MARK 10:17-24

Explain that we cannot enter the kingdom of God (represented by the scriptures) if we focus our attention on wordly possessions (represented by the money).

Ask your family to listen for the answer to the question "What blessings are more important than material possessions?" while they listen to or read the following scriptures. Luke 12:31-34, Doctrine and Covenants 6:7

DISCUSS

*Why do many people set their hears on worldly wealth even though they know it is only temporary and how can we determine if we are too concerned with worldly possessions?

We discussed how it is sometimes hard to see beyond this life, if we lack faith. We lose track of our Eternal goals and we begin to seek the things of this world that we think will make us happy right now. We also talked about how anytime we put the things of the world, or activities before our church responsibilities or before the Lords will in our lives, we are choosing these things over the Kingdom of God. We talked about how to have balance in our lives.

*Discuss "What had the Lord asked you to sacrifice and how have you been blessed for making these sacrifices?"

When I hear the story about the man that could not leave his worldly possessions behind, I often feel sad for him. However, we discussed how that story can apply in our lives with the little things, like the shows we watch on TV, the music we listen to, the words we say, how we treat others, what we do with our time, etc.

We all made goals to do things differently so that we can make sure that our focus, individually AND as a family, is more on the Lord and His plan for us in our lives.

I always love to talk to my kids about how we are "Spiritual beings having and Earthly experience". To me, that helps keep things in perspective and reminds us that there is so much more for us, if we can stay focused and remember who we are.

Inspiration for the lesson come from the LDS New Testament Sunday School Study Guide Lesson #17.

FHE: "A ROLL OF THE DICE"

Many years ago my friend shared this fabulous object lesson with me. I have done this lesson with some Young Women groups. Today we are doing it, at my house, for FHE. I can't wait!

Here is how the lesson will play out.....

After a song and prayer we are going to file out to our vehicle. Once everyone is in and buckled I will tell the family that we are headed to the temple. We will have a little discussion about the important things that go on in the temple and the importance of attending regularly. We will read 1 Ne 14:14, which says,

"And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld the power of the Lamb of God, that it descended upon the saints of the church of the Lamb, and upon the covenant people of the Lord, who were scattered upon all the face of the earth; and they were armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory."

We will talk about how through regularly making the temple a part of our lives we can have access to the power of God in our lives, and how important that is to us.

Then we will break out the dice.

The rules are: At each stop sign, each person takes turns rolling the dice. On the odd numbers we turn left and on the even we turn right. Our goal is to make it to the temple. Then let the games begin by deciding the first direction you will head in, with the roll of the dice.

 The object: Have fun and after many turns point out how you are not getting any closer to the temple. With each roll continue to point out that these dice are not helping you get anywhere near the temple.

The Lesson: Don't leave getting to the temple, or accomplishing other goals in your lives (such as Eternal Life) to chance. We must make a plan and do all we can to prepare. Acheiving our goals requires great focus. With a map, instead of a set of dice, we would have been sure to arrive at the temple. We would have been more prepared.

The Plan: Return home. Make it a goal as a family to go to the temple grounds the next week. Discuss and make a plan of things that you can do to prepare spiritually and physically (dress in our Sunday best, pray, read our scriptures throughout the week, etc) to be at the temple. Talk about the things you would like to do when you are at the Temple (scriptures, walk around, sing songs, etc.). Post your list where everyone in the family can see it. Frequently remind the family about the preparation. Print a map for the family to follow, even if you know the way, to stress the point of being prepared in everyway to be at the Lord's house.

Next Monday, go prepared as a family, to the temple. Discuss with your children the feelings they have while they are there. Even on the temple grounds we can feel the Lord's spirit. This will be a great learning experience for them.

I have always loved the thought,

How can we teach our children that the temple should be important to them, when they can't SEE that it is important to us.

I hope to take this opportunity to set goals with Ryan to attend the temple MUCH more often! And not just attend, but attend prepared to be in the House of the Lord!

*When I first did this activitiy our temple was over 2 hours away. The kids still got the lesson with the dice and we ended up in the middle of no where! We made a plan to take the trip the next week. It worked out perfectly! If you live much too far from a temple, get creative! Do the activity with the dice. Make a plan as a family to watch "The Mountain of the Lord", have a lesson about the temple specifically or something temple related. I am sure the spirit will still have such a great influence through the efforts of the lesson!