This is a blog meant for the use of individuals and families which contains Family Home Evening lesson ideas and plans for the 2019-2020 "Come Follow Me" curriculum. This is meant to supplement the resource "Come Follow Me: For Individuals and Families". This is not an official page of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
August 19-25
1 Corinthian 1-7
"Be Perfectly Joined Together"
Materials: Pictures of temples, whiteboard and marker, picture fo body, My body is a temple maze,
Opening Song: "Choose the Right" (Hymnal, 239)
Opening Prayer:
Scripture: 1 Corinthian 6:19-20 "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's."
Attention Activity:
Pass around pictures of temples to your family. What words could we use to describe the temple? Make a list of these words on the white board.
Show picture of a body like the one below. How are our bodies like temples? Circle the words on the whiteboard that can also describe our bodies.
Lesson:
Paul taught the Corinthians that our bodies are temples. Read 1 Corinthians 6:19-20. "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's."
Paul points out that our bodies are temple because the Holy Ghost can dwell in us just like he dwells in the temple. How can we treat our bodies like temples? Make a list of there answers on the board. As your family gives answers discuss the following:
- Obey the Word of Wisdom. If we a careful about the things we put into our bodies, we will receive great blessings. Read D&C 89: 19-21
- Have High Standards in dress and grooming. "Prophets of God have continually counseled His children to dress modestly. When you are well groomed and modestly dressed, you invite the companionship of the Spirit and you can be a good influence on others. Your dress and grooming influence the way you and others act...Do not disfigure yourself with tattoos or body piercings. Young women, if you desire to have your ears pierced, wear only one pair of earrings." (For the Strength of Youth)
- Use clean language. Only soft, kind words are spoken in the temple. So we should refrain from swearing, gossip, and vulgarities (potty language). Always speak kindly to/of others. "Use language to build and uplift those around you." (Thomas S. Monson) This also includes ourselves. We should try to keep our thoughts clean of self degrading remarks.
- Obey the Law of Chastity. Just as temples are pure sacred places are bodies are also. This means we need to keep the law of chastity. Do not date until you're 16 and then only date in groups until you are ready to find an eternal companion. Sex should only be between a man and a woman legally and lawfully wedded. Refrain from pornography. (Tailor to your family's situation) "Remaining sexually pure helps you to be confident and truly happy and improves your ability to make good decisions now and in the future."(For the Strength of Youth) See the For the Strength of Youth pamphlet on "Sexual Purity" for ideas on how to talk to your children about chastity.
- Peace, Kindness, and Love. Temples are peaceful places full of love and kindness. We should emulate those qualities in our lives.
Activity: My Body is a Temple Maze
Read again 1 Corinthians 6:20. What does it mean that we are "bought with a price?" Christ suffered for our sins; our debt was paid by Him. Paul implores us to righteously use our bodies to glorify God. If we treat our bodies the same way we would treat the temple, we will be able to have that same peaceful spirit with us always.
Closing Song: "Choose the Right Way" (Children's Songbook, 160)
Closing Prayer:
Refreshment: Lemon Blueberry Bread Recipe Here
August 12-18
Romans 7-16
"Overcome Evil with Good"
Materials: small sticker, piece of paper, tape, video: "Looking Through Windows"
Opening Song: "Lord I Would Follow Thee" (Hymnal, 220)
Opening Prayer:
Scripture: Matthew 7:1-2 1 aJudge not, that ye be not bjudged.
Attention Activity:
Watch the video "Looking Through Windows" found on churchofjesuschrist.org . Why did the woman keep looking through her window? What does it mean to judge others?
** This lesson has several quotes. You may want to print them out and have family members read them aloud to engage them in the lesson.
Lesson:
When Paul was writing to the saints in Rome he told them that it is wrong to judge others. Read Romans 14: 13 "Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brother's way."
Sometimes we assume things about people based on their appearance. Sometimes we criticize someone when they make choices we don't agree with. This is judging others. It can become easy for members of the church to judge others because we set such high standards for ourselves. When others aren't living our same standards, it can be easy to think negatively about them. This is not what the Heavenly Father wants us to do. Not everybody shares our standards and we can never fully understand someones circumstances. Only Jesus is allowed to judge others because only he knows their hearts.
“Do we judge one another? Do we criticize each other for individual choices, thinking we know better, when in fact we rarely understand another’s unique circumstance or individual inspiration? ... Such judgments, and so many others like them, rob us of the good part, that pure love of Christ.” Bonnie D. Parkin, Ensign, Nov 2003 © Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.
Just like sister Parkin said, when we criticize others, we are not showing love. When you judge someone unrighteously you invite the spirt of contention into your heart. Paul counseled, "Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another."
Sometimes we do have to make judgements. The Savior called this making "righteous judgements." “You need to make judgments of people in many of your important decisions, such as choosing friends, voting for government leaders, and choosing an eternal companion. Judgment is an important use of your agency and requires great care, especially when you make judgments about other people. All your judgments must be guided by righteous standards. Remember that only God, who knows each individual’s heart, can make final judgments of individuals (see Revelation 20:12)” True to the Faith © Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. When we go to make decisions about friends and relationships those decisions should come from a place of understanding and never from a place of criticism.
Activity:
The Savior warned us about judging others when He taught the Sermon on the Mount. Read Matthew 7: 2-5. Place a small sticker next to the eye of one family member. Explain that this sticker represents a "mote" which is like a splinter. Then take a piece of paper and tape it to the face of another family member. The paper represents the beam.
Ask the "beam" family member to try to remove the sticker from the "mote" family member. Did you feel foolish pulling off the sticker with that big paper on your face? It is just as foolish to judge other’s faults unrighteously while attempting to cover up or hide our own faults. Let us not look foolish! Instead be humble and recognize and work on overcoming our faults. Then, with love and compassion, we can help others.
Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles stated: “This topic of judging others could actually be taught in a two-word sermon. When it comes to hating, gossiping, ignoring, ridiculing, holding grudges, or wanting to cause harm, please apply the following:
'Stop it!'"
If we apply the counsel of Elder Uchtdorf to "stop it," we will be able to open our eyes to see the good in others. We will be able to be more understanding, compassionate, and charitable towards others.
Closing Song: "Kindness Begins With Me" (Children's Songbook, 145b)
Closing Prayer:
Refreshment: Texas Sheet Cake Cookies Recipe These are awesome. I doubled the cookie part of the recipe when I made them because the yield is a little small.
