JOY!

For FHE last night, we talked about the scripture we are going to ponderize this week: 2 NE 2:25.

"Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy."

After discussing what the scripture meant, we used the remaining time to talk about how we can choose to have joy and be more positive in life, even when things are not going the way we hope.  We referenced this New Era Q & A article about helping our friends to be more positive.  And I shared a story from the Friend about a little boy who set out to share joy with others.

Then we made our own list of things that can help us to have joy:

• Family
• Keep the Commandments
• Be Grateful
• Appreciate Nature
• Smile
• Be Nice
• Animals
• Read Scriptures
• Pray
• Remember Jesus and what He has done for us/how much He loves us.

Still Here!

A couple weeks ago, we did not have a regular Family Home Evening because we had a friend visiting from out of town and we met up to spend the evening with her.

Last week, we ponderized Isaiah 58:13-14.  Our Ward Conference was the day before and the message was on keeping the Sabbath day holy.  For FHE, we discussed how keeping the Sabbath day holy can help us and came up with ideas on how our family could be improve our Sabbath day.  Here are some of the ideas we had.  Some of these things could be done as individuals, some as a family.

• Have homework completed before Sunday and don't do schoolwork on the Sabbath.
• Work on Family History
• Write Letters
• Sing Hymns
• Study Scriptures
• Visit people who are lonely or sick.
• Speak Kindly
• Don't watch Football
• Limit TV to approved programs (family movies, church programs, Disney movies, etc)
• Study Church Lessons

We determined that if we do these things, we will experience:

• More Peace
• Love at Home
• Less Stress
• Better Organization
• Help with our Problems
• Personal Revelation

This week, Acadia is giving our FHE lesson and it will be on 1 Samuel 16:7.

Believe on His Name

Tonight, Ryan gave our FHE lesson.  It helped him to complete an assignment for his schoolwork.  His lesson was about Samuel the Lamanite.  Rori was Samuel and Cadi and I were given stones (tennis balls) and a bow & some arrows to try to hit her.  But first, she had to read the words that Samuel taught the people. And we talked a bit about what she said. ...Then we got to throw balls and arrows at her. ;)

It was a pretty fun lesson!  Of all the great scriptures that Rori read as Samuel, Ryan selected Helaman 14:13 as our ponderizing scripture this week.

And if ye believe on his name ye will repent of all your sins, that thereby ye may have a remission of them through his merits.

Thou Wast Chosen Before Thou Wast Born

I forgot to mention that two weeks ago, we were out of town, and then last week, Rori gave our FHE lesson (The First Vision, which we paired with JS-H 1:17 to ponderize last week), so it has been a bit since my last post.

Tonight's lesson will be on Abraham 3:22-23.  Here is the lesson outline I plan to follow:

Where did we live before we were born? What do you think it was like? How did we act? What did we do?

How do you think Heavenly Father decided where to send each of us when we were born? How did he decide when we would be born, where we would live, what kind of family we would have? Do you think it was just random?

Abraham 3:22-23

Now the Lord had shown unto me, Abraham, the intelligences that were organized before the world was; and among all these there were many of the noble and great ones;

And God saw these souls that they were good, and he stood in the midst of them, and he said: These I will make my rulers; for he stood among those that were spirits, and he saw that they were good; and he said unto me: Abraham, thou art one of them; thou wast chosen before thou wast born.

Do you think you are one of the “noble and great ones”?

Do you think Heavenly Father knew you before you were born? Do you think He has chosen you to be one of His rulers and leaders here on earth?

Ask Cadi to stand and share the YW theme.

WE ARE DAUGHTERS of our Heavenly Father, who loves us, and we love Him. We will “stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places” (Mosiah 18:9) as we strive to live the Young Women values, which are:

Faith • Divine Nature • Individual Worth • Knowledge • Choice and Accountability • Good Works • Integrity • and Virtue

WE BELIEVE as we come to accept and act upon these values, we will be prepared to strengthen home and family, make and keep sacred covenants, receive the ordinances of the temple, and enjoy the blessings of exaltation.

What does that theme mean to you? What does it teach you about who you are and what you have been called to do?

How would your life change, how would you regard yourself and treat yourself, if you really understood that you are a daughter of Heavenly Father, and that He loves you?

How does the truth that God knew you before you were born inspire you to follow Him during this life?

Challenge family members to ponderize Abraham 3:22-23 and to insert their name in Abraham's place.

End with testimonies.

The Lord is not interested in our "lip service".

This week's scripture is going to build a little off of last week's scripture. Let's first look at last week's scripture,

2NE9:28-29

O that cunning plan of the evil one! O the vainness, and the frailties, and the foolishness of men! When they are learned they think they are wise, and they hearken not unto the counsel of God, for they set it aside, supposing they know of themselves, wherefore, their wisdom is foolishness and it profiteth them not. And they shall perish.

But to be learned is good if they hearken unto the counsels of God.
We discussed what the difference was between being learned and being wise, and we discussed why those who were learned, but not wise, would perish, and what we need to do in order to be wise.

This week's scripture is:

Isaiah29:13-14

Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:

Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.

What does the first verse mean?

Have you ever heard the term “lip service”? It's when people say one thing, what they think you want to hear, but then do another. It's not honest and usually those kinds of people can't really be trusted.

What is the “marvelous work” that Heavenly Father is going to do? How can we be a part of that work? Are we already?

Why will the “wisdom of their wise men perish and the understanding of their prudent men be hid?”

Last week we talked about how some people are choosing not to follow God's counsel right now. Some are hurting or angry, some have been led astray and don't know any better, and some are just downright belligerent. In the early days of the church, William Law said, “If you have not chosen the Kingdom of God first, it will in the end make no difference what you have chosen instead.” Ironically, William Law later left the church over a dispute with another church member. But what he said is still true. When people choose to put something else before living the gospel and being true to the covenants they've made, no matter what the reason, they are choosing something else before the Kingdom of God, and in the end, that is all that will matter, that they did not choose the Kingdom of God first.

Last week, we discussed how we could strive to be wise as we sought after learning and education. This week, my challenge is for us to focus on not giving the Lord “lip service”. Let's focus on being honest and true to what we believe and what we say, especially in regards to our faith and the Lord. Let's commit to put the Kingdom of God first in our lives.

End by inviting family members to share their testimony.

"But to be learned is good if they hearken unto the counsels of God."

Here is the lesson I've prepared for our FHE tonight, along with the scripture we will be ponderizing this week...

Suggested Opening Hymn: The Wise Man and the Foolish Man

Begin by sharing the scripture our family will be ponderizing this week:

2NE9:28-29

O that cunning plan of the evil one! O the vainness, and the frailties, and the foolishness of men! When they are learned they think they are wise, and they hearken not unto the counsel of God, for they set it aside, supposing they know of themselves, wherefore, their wisdom is foolishness and it profiteth them not. And they shall perish.

But to be learned is good if they hearken unto the counsels of God.

• Why do you think this scripture starts out by saying “O that cunning plan of the evil one! O the vainness, and the frailties, and the foolishness of men!”
• What does it mean to be learned?
• What is the difference between being learned and being wise?
• How can someone who is smart be foolish? Why would they perish because of it?

What are some examples we see of the vainness, frailities, and foolishness of men?

So, does this mean we should not try to be smart?

“But to be learned is good if they hearken unto the counsels of God.”

Share the this story about Andrea in your own words...

• Was Andrea “learned”?
• Would you say she was foolish or wise?
• Why was she wise?

What are ways that we can ensure that we are being wise as we seek to learn more and become smarter?

Encourage family members to ponderize 2 NE 9:28-29 and to strive to do the things that will make us wise as we continue to learn and grow.

Created in the Image of God and Given Dominion

I had forgotten to note that we would be gone last week, so we would be ponderizing the last scripture for two weeks, instead of just one.

This week's, FHE lesson:

Introduce this week's scripture.

Genesis1:26-27:

“And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.”

What does it mean to be made after the likeness of God?

“God Himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens! That is the great secret. If the veil were rent today, and … if you were to see Him today, you would see Him like a man in form—like yourselves in all the person, image, and very form as a man.”

Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith (2007), 40.

Often, children look like their parents. Has anyone told you that you look like your mom? Or even sometimes that something you do, maybe a face you make, is like your dad? If we are children of Heavenly Father, doesn't it make sense that we would look like Him?

“The recognition of a power higher than oneself does not in any sense debase; rather, it exalts. If we will but realize that we have been created in the image of God, we will not find Him difficult to approach. … This knowledge, acquired through faith, will bring inner calm and profound peace.”

President Thomas S. Monson, “The Lighthouse of the Lord,”Ensign, Nov. 1990, 95–96.

What does “dominion” mean?

“The earth and all things on it should be used responsibly to sustain the human family. However, all are stewards—not owners—over this earth and its bounty and will be accountable before God for what they do with His creations.”

“Environmental Stewardship and Conservation,”mormonnewsroom.org; see also Doctrine and Covenants 104:13–15.

When someone asks you to watch something that belongs to them, does that give you the right to do whatever you want with it?  Recently, friends asked Cadi to stay at their home and watch their dog while they were out of town.  Did she have the right to paint their walls, change their furniture, throw a party, and make a big mess? Even though they put her in charge? She was given dominion over their home and dog while they were gone, but that didn't mean she owned them. It's like that for us here on earth. We have been made stewards of the earth (we've been put in charge of it), but it is not ours.    We should make responsible decisions and do our best to care for it well.

What do we learn from verse 27?

“All men and women are in the similitude of the universal Father and Mother and are literally the sons and daughters of Deity.”

The First Presidency, “The Origin of Man,” Improvement Era, Nov. 1909, 78; Ensign, Feb. 2002, 29.

“Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose.”

“The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” Ensign, Nov. 2010, 129.

What are some things we can do to be better stewards?

What can we do to show Heavenly Father we are grateful for our bodies and that we are created in His image?

Close with testimonies.