For Unto Us a Child Is Born

This week we celebrate Christmas and the birth of the Savior. And so, for this week, our “ponderizing” scripture will be Isaiah 9:6,

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”

Here are my FHE lesson plans:

What does this scripture mean to you?

“Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given..”

He was sent here for us. He is a gift from our Heavenly Father to us.

“The government shall be upon his shoulder...”

In the Dec 2009 New Era, it says, “In ancient Israel, the priests and kings were clothed with a robe and wore the insignia of their office on the shoulder (see Isaiah 22:21–22). Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came “as one having authority” (Matthew 7:29). And He will reign as King of kings and Lord of lords during the Millennium, when “he reigns whose right it is to reign” (D&C 58:22; see also Articles of Faith 1:10).”

What are some of the names he is called? Why is he called them? What do these names for him teach us about him?

Have each person in the family choose one of these names (it is okay if more than one person chooses the same one) and ponder on how Jesus Christ can be that name for them personally. 

 Encourage them to share their thoughts & testimony. 

 Encourage each person to study and ponder that role that Christ plays in their life during this week as we celebrate Christmas.

Choose You This Day

This week's FHE lesson is really simple.  We are "ponderizing" Joshua 24:15 this week, so we'll be discussing that scripture and what it means.  Some of the points we'll discuss are:

• Note that the people that Joshua is talking to are still holding on to old traditions, worshiping many gods.  We cannot serve two masters.  We cannot serve the Lord and also serve other gods.  If we are choosing to serve other gods, we are choosing NOT to serve the Lord.
• What are other gods we might "serve" today?
• Money
• Success
• Popularity
• Laziness
• Selfishness
• Who does our family choose to serve?
• How can we show that we choose to serve the Lord?

I've printed these handouts for each person in our family - in size 3x5, back to back, on cardstock.  After each family member completes the write-in portion, we will laminate them so they can be used as bookmarks. 

To download these free files, go to this website.

We'll end the lesson by sharing testimonies.

"Then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me..."

Here is this week's FHE lesson:

Introduce this week's scripture:

Exodus 19:5-6

“Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:

“And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.”

Let's break this down...

“Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant...”

Every saving ordinance is accompanied by a covenant, including baptism and temple ordinances. What are some of the promises we make through the covenant of baptism, which we renew when we take the sacrament?

• Take upon us the name of Christ.
• Always remember Him.
• Serve Him and keep His commandments.
• Bear one another's burdens.
• Mourn with those that mourn, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort.
• Stand as witnesses of God at all times, in all things, and in all places.

“...then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine.”

What does it mean to be a peculiar treasure unto Heavenly Father?

In the Feb 1997 Ensign, then Elder Russell M. Nelson said:

“In the Old Testament, the Hebrew term from which peculiar was translated is cgullah, which means ‘valued property,’ or ‘treasure.’ …

“With that understanding, we can see that the scriptural term peculiar does not mean ‘queer’ or ‘odd’ at all. It signifies ‘valued treasure,’ ‘made’ or ‘selected by God.’ Thus, for us to be identified by servants of the Lord as his peculiar people is a compliment of the highest order. …

“… These are [the] latter days. … We are the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. We are, in fact, the hope of Israel. We are God’s treasure, reserved for our particular place and time.” (A More Excellent Hope)

“And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests...”

The church is referred to as a “royal priesthood” (1 Peter 2:9), and those who will inherit the celestial kingdom are referred to as “priests and kings” (D&C 76:56).

This means that individuals and families who keep covenants can receive all of the ordinances and blessings of the priesthood and be exalted in the celestial kingdom with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

“...and an holy nation...”

BibleDictionary, Holiness: “According to the [Old Testament] things or places were holy that were set apart for a sacred purpose. ... The Israelites were a holy people because they stood in a special relationship to Jehovah. … The word holy... came to refer to moral character. ...Israel must be holy in character because the God of Israel was holy.”

“These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.”

Who are the children of Israel?  (We are.)

So who is this scripture for?  (Us)

What can we do to show Heavenly Father that we want to be part of His “peculiar” people?

Encourage family members to ponderize Exodus 19:5-6 and close with testimonies.

And this is life eternal...

I am late posting this, but here is what we did for FHE this week:

We had spent 2 weeks "ponderizing" D&C 78:19 so we started this week by discussing some of our experiences and feelings about that.

Then I introduced our scripture for this week: John 17:3:

And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

During our very first ponderizing scripture FHE lesson, we had discussed this a little bit, so it was kind of a refresher.  But this time, we continued the discussion deeper.  We also read John 17:20-23:.

Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;

That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. 

And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:

I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.

We determined that to "know Jesus Christ" is to become one with him, in the same way that he is one with the Father.  Also that we need to do more than just know that he is our savior, we need to know him AS our savior.

We noticed that in this prayer, Christ prays for not just those that are with him, but those who will believe on their words.  As we share the gospel with others, and they believe on our words, that puts us in the group that are "with Christ".

We ended by going back to that first ponderizing scripture, Moses 1:39:

For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.

If it is God's glory to bring to pass eternal life of man, and eternal life is knowing God and Jesus Christ, then as we come to know them better, and help others to know them, we are adding to God's glory.

We discussed ways that we can know our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ better:

• Personal Prayer
• Scripture Study
• Fulfilling Callings
• Serving Others
• Sharing the Gospel

This week we will ponderize John 17:3 and focus on doing these things that will help us to know Them better.

Be Thankful in All Things

The following is an outline of tonight's FHE lesson:

Introduce the scripture we will be "ponderizing" for the next two weeks (since we will be out of town next week for the Thanksgiving Holiday, we are having our Thanksgiving lesson now and will ponder this scripture both weeks).

Doctrine & Covenants 78:19 “And he who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious; and the things of this earth shall be added unto him, even an hundred fold, yea, more.”

What does it mean to “receive all things with thankfulness”?

What are you thankful for?

Are you thankful for hard things? For trials?

The Lord didn't say, “And he who receiveth easy things with thankfulness...” or “And he who receiveth fun things with thankfulness...” He said “all things”.

How can we be thankful for our trials?

(The following list of ways we can be thankful, even during trying times comes from this website.)

1. Grateful people don’t expect that life is going to give them everything they deserve.  They realize that good things do not always happen to good people, and they have given up the notion that life “owes them” anything more than it can offer.  Cancer, afflictions, and even the death of innocent people are unfortunately part of life. Tsunamis and natural disasters can wipe out even a community of unsuspecting people, and the unfairness of life is regrettable and tragic for sure. The question is not if life is unfair, but can we move on in spite of it.
   
2. They do not have preconditions to their happiness. They do not think “If this happens”  only then “I will be happy.” They understand happiness is not coming from the outside, but from within. They focus more on their adjustment to what happens rather than try to change what can not be changed. They do not attempt to micromanage people and things in their lives that are not really in their control.
   
3. People who are grateful have realized that you can not have the rainbow without the rain. Furthermore, they know that you don’t have honey without the bee, and you can’t  have the rose without the thorns. They see rainy days as a normal part of life rather than an aberration, and learn from the rain rather than just wait for it to go away. They admire the beauty of the rose even though it has its thorny side, and savor the sweet taste of honey even though the bee can sting. Realizing you can not have one without the other, they are grateful for both.
   
4. Grateful people have hope. No matter what happens, hope is not lost. They realize the future is uncertain, and while they plan for it, they do not try to micromanage outcomes that are beyond their sphere of influence. They take comfort in the fact that once the sun sets, it rises the next day. They have faith that there is more to life. 
   
5. Those who are steeped in bitterness and grudges have no space in their heart to be grateful.  Forgive others for not acting or being like you had hoped. Maybe you need to set limits on your interaction with them, or distance yourself altogether as in the case of abuse, but carrying the torch of bitterness is going to hurt you more than them. As Buddha said,“Holding onto anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.”
   
6. People who are grateful know that a grateful attitude takes work. Gratefulness does not always come naturally, especially in the most challenging times.  In such times, grateful people work on keeping a good perspective.  They might read affirmations, seek support from others, get help for their sadness or anxiety. Some will seek counseling and do not shy away from the effort it takes.
   
7. Grateful people have healthy thinking habits. They go by the motto,“Think Straight – Feel Great!”  They can separate their perceptions from the facts and separate rational from victim-like irrational ways of thinking. For example, they will replace victim self- talk such as “They make me so mad” to victor self-talk such as “I was mad when they did that.”  All-or-nothing irrational thinking such as “It’s awful” and “I can’t stand it” is reserved for the most life threatening circumstance, rather than everyday petty annoyances and slights.
   
8. Grateful people are flexible in their thinking. People who think flexibly are at an advantage in life, as flexibility is the key to growth and wisdom. They don’t cling stubbornly with ways of thinking that do not work, and do not need to see a shift in attitude as meaning a personal defeat and referendum of how wrong they used to be. They realize they can choose their perceptions and have a right to change their minds. With this mentality, the doors that close yield others that  now become open.
   
9. People who love to learn tend to be grateful. Each setback or unforeseen life event offers us lessons, and grateful people focus more on the lessons they can get out of each situation rather than the disappointments. After all, life is a great teacher and teaches us things that no one ever could. Even mistakes and failures are seen as learning opportunities.
   
10. Grateful people define their self worth by their determination and their dreams, not their regrets and disappointments. A grateful mindset has no room for excessive self-recrimination and low self esteem. People who are stuck in past regrets and see themselves as losers in life or as having failed badly in even certain areas of their lives will not be able to be truly grateful. Positive self esteem sets the foundation for gratefulness. So if you are down on yourself, this is a time to get a mental health tune up!
    

What does the Lord promise in D&C 78:19 to those who will receive all things with thankfulness?

• Shall be made glorious
• The things of this earth shall be added unto him, even an hundred fold, yea, more.

How have you been blessed when you were thankful, even for hard things?

Show Video “Thanksgiving Daily” on the YouTube Mormon Channel

Give each person a paper and tell them to go throughout the house and write down 15 things they are thankful for. Encourage them to look for things that they usually don't notice or think about. Tell them to include 3-5 things that they would normally see as a negative thing, but that they can be thankful for.

Ask each family member to put their list somewhere that will help them to remember to be thankful in all things. Challenge them to “ponderize” D&C 78:19 for the next two weeks and encourage them to show gratitude to Heavenly Father, family and friends every day.

Close by sharing testimonies.

Becoming Zion

For FHE this week, we discussed Moses 7:18.

Explain that Zion is God's covenant people. Do we want to be part of God's covenant people? Of course! What does this scripture teach us that we must do?

Write on a white board:

“Of One Heart”

“Of One Mind”

“Dwell in Righteousness”

“No Poor Among Us”

As a family, come up with examples on how we can achieve these in our family. As you discuss ideas, list them under the appropriate phrase.  Here are some of the answers we came up with together:

Of One Heart

• Love One Another 
• Serve One Another
• Speak Kindly to One Another

Of One Mind

• Sharing Goals
• Share Testimonies
• Teach One Another
• Support One another

Dwell in Righteousness

• Read Scriptures Together
• Pray Together
• Have FHE
• Keep the Commandments
• Attend the Temple
• "Cleanliness Invites the Spirit"
  -Help Each Other Make Good Choices
  -Help Keep our House Clean

No Poor Among Us

• Contribute Tithes and Fast Offerings
• Be Kind and Encourage One Another
• Don't be Wasteful
• Don't Invest in Things that are "Lamesauce"
• Treat Each Other with Respect
  

Challenge family members to “ponderize” Moses 7:18. As we ponder this scripture this week, refer to this list we have made. Challenge family members to strive to be of one heart, one mind, dwelling in righteousness, and having no poor among us.

End by sharing testimonies.

Follow the Prophet

I know I am late in posting this, but we did have FHE last night and did introduce a new scripture to ponderize this week.  Here was our lesson:

Before FHE, prepare:

• Two boxes
• Yummy refreshments to fit in one box (Box B)

Suggested Opening Song: Follow the Prophet

Ask family to share thoughts about last week's scripture (Matthew 5:14-16)

• What were things you did to make your light brighter?
• What were ways that you shared that light with others?

Does anyone remember what PresidentMonson spoke about in General Conference last month?

President Monson's talk in General Conference was about our Ponderizing scripture last week! Did you realize that by thinking about that scripture and trying to live it better in your life, you were following the prophet?

Introduce this week's scripture: D&C 1:37-38

• Who is speaking?
• What are the commandments He is asking us to search? (Teachings of the prophets)
• Where do we find them? (Conference, Ensign, Friend, New Era, Scriptures)
• What does verse 38 mean?

If the words of the prophets are the same as the words of God, what does that tell you about the words of the prophets?

Watch Follow the Prophet Video

Discuss that doing the right thing, and following the prophet, might not always be easy.  It may not always be popular, in fact it will often not be popular.  But there is safety in following the counsel of our prophet.  And we will be blessed when we make the right choice.

Two Boxes Object Lesson

For refreshments tonight, I have a treat in one of these boxes. But in order to get it, you must pick the right box. Which box do you want to have?

Is it hard to choose? Why?

Choose one family member to come up and look into each box without saying anything.

Now ask the family if they would like the refreshments from Box A? (They will look to the person who looked into the box to see if they raise their hand. They will not, because that was the empty box.)

Now ask who would like the refreshments from Box B? (Everyone will want it because the person who saw it will raise their hand.)

Why did you choose Box B?

Discuss how the prophet has “seen inside the box” and he knows what choices we should be making. He will always make good choices and if we follow his example, we will receive eternal rewards. But what will we get if we don't follow his example?

Open the empty box: Nothing. No eternal family. No hope. No joy.

Aren't we glad we chose the box that wasn't empty?  Each day we face decisions and if we are following the prophet, we will know which choices to make, which box to open.  The more we follow the prophet and open the right boxes, the easier it will be to recognize the right box quickly.

Share Testimony and invite family members to share their testimony, too.

Challenge family members to ponderize D&C 1:37-38 this week.