Week 4: The Holy Ghost

Song: Let the Holy Spirit Guide (H. 143)

Thought: "The ability to receive and act upon personal revelation is the single most important skill we can acquire in this life. With it we cannot fail; without it we cannot succeed." Julie B. Beck

Object Lesson: Explain that we have to learn to listen to the promptings of the Holy Ghost by paying attention to thoughts in our minds and feelings in our hearts. Place a coin in a glass jar and have a family member shake it. Let your family observe how clearly they can hear the sound. Have your family take turns adding spoonfuls of dirt, rice, sand, or cotton balls to the jar.  After each addition, have that family member shake the jar again, and let your family comment on how this affects the sound. Continue adding to the jar until you can no longer hear the coin. Liken this to the difficulty of listening to the Holy Ghost when our lives are filled with distractions or sin. Empty the jar and demonstrate how clearly the coin can be heard again. Testify that keeping the commandments and repenting of our sins help us hear the Holy Ghost. (Taken from the Primary Outline 2013-June Week 2)

Video: Voice of The Spirit As you watch this video invite your family to listen for answers to the following questions: Why do we need the Holy Ghost? How can the Holy Ghost help us? Share appropriate experiences you have had listening to the Holy Ghost and invite your family to share any experiences they have had. Discuss things we can do to better hear the promptings of the Holy Ghost. (Taken from here)

Lesson Activity:
For the younger members of your family have them color this page and discuss ways that they can invite the Spirit into their lives and your home through their actions.

For the readers in your family have them read the "Roles of the Holy Ghost" in True to the Faith (page 82). Have each family member select one of the Holy Ghost's roles and look for scriptures or scriptural stories that teach about that role. Invite your family to share with each what they have learned.

This Week's Challenge: Throughout the week challenge your family to tune out the noise of the world so that the Spirit can be felt and maintained in your home. Consider carefully what you choose to watch and listen to as well as what you choose to talk about and how you talk to one another throughout the week.

The Voice of The Spirit

President James E. Faust shares with us how important it is that we tune into The Spirit and tune out the static of the world.

Week 3: Jesus Christ

Song: I Know That My Savior Loves Me (found here)

Thought: The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles
If time or circumstances don't allow for sharing the whole testimony consider sharing this portion:
"We bear testimony, as His duly ordained Apostles--that Jesus is the Living Christ, the immortal Son of God. He is the great King Immanuel, who stands today on the right hand of His Father. He is the light, the life, and the hope of the world. His way is the path that leads to happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come. God be thanked for the matchless gift of His divine Son."

Object Lesson:
Have a bowl of water, a bowl with some dirt in it, some soap, and a towel set out. Let each member of your family who wants to participate take a turn mixing up some mud and getting it all over their hands. Discuss how when we are not choosing the right that it is like getting muddy. Ask them how they would clean the mud off of their hands. Allow each person to wash their hands with the soap and water then dry with the towel. Discuss how repentance is like soap and that it cleanses our souls and how the clean water is like the atonement of Jesus Christ (the living water) that washes away our sins and makes it as though they never happened.

Video: Reclaimed

Lesson Activity:
For younger children consider printing this coloring page and puzzle to keep them engaged while older family members continue with the following activity.

Read the paragraph under the heading "What He Has Done for Us" in Elder Dallin H. Oaks's talk "Teachings of Jesus." Ask family members what they would respond to the woman's question "What's He done for me?" Using the next nine headings from the talk discuss what the Savior has done for us. (Consider reading those sub-headings or even watching the whole talk) then challenge family members to find relevant scriptures that teach those concepts. (This idea can be found here and here.)
1. Life of the World
2. Light of the World
3. Doing the Will of the Father
4. The Great Exemplar
5. Priesthood Power
6. Guidance by the Holy Ghost
7. Guidance by His Commandments
8. Focus on Eternal Life
9. The Atonement

This weeks challenge: (Taken from Elder Oak's talk)
Jesus issued the challenge "What think ye of Christ?" The Apostle Paul challenged the Corinthians to "examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith." All of us should answer the challenges for ourselves. Where is our ultimate loyalty?
There is no middle ground. We are followers of Jesus Christ. Our citizenship is in His Church and His gospel, and we should not use a visa to visit Babylon or act like one of its citizens. We should honor His name, keep His commandments, and "seek not the things of this world but seek...first to build up the kingdon of God, and to establish his righteousness."

Reclaimed

As we follow Christ it is important for us to understand who he is and how our lives are blessed through his atoning sacrifice.

Week 2: Heavenly Father

Song: I am a Child of God (CS. 2)

Thought:

Who is Heavenly Father?

• The Father is the one true God. Nothing will ever change the relationship that we have with Him
• Spiritually you are of noble birth, the offspring of the King of heaven. Fix that truth in your mind and hold to it.
• You are a child of God. He is the father of your spirit.
• He is the Father. He is God. We revere our Father and our God; we worship Him.
• Just as all life follows the pattern of its parents, so can we grow toward the image of our Heavenly Father if we will live righteously and be obedient to His commandments.

Object Lesson: 

Have a member of your family pick up a stick at one end and lift it in the air. Did the other end of the stick lift up? Can they lift up one end and not have the other end come with it? Let other family members try too. Have older children look up Psalm 82:6 and Acts 17:29. See if they can figure out what those scriptures have to do with the stick. No? Share this from Pres. Boyd K. Packer "We are the children of God. That doctrine is not hidden away in an obscure verse. It is taught over and over again in scripture. These clear examples are from the Bible: 'All of you are children of the most High' and 'we are the offspring of God.' Doctrinal truths are interrelated. There is an old saying that if you pick up one end of a stick, you pick up the other end as well. If you concede that we are His children, you must allow that God is our Father." (Idea taken from here.)

Video:

This one works well for young children and this one works for the whole family.

Lesson Activity:

Primary Age- Give children some play dough and instruct them to create something unique and wonderful with it. After a few minutes ask them to share what they created. Ask them if it was hard to create something and explain that Heavenly Father created us and this world because He loved us. Creating each of us differently and with unique talents and strengths must not have been easy, but together we can learn and bless each other. Have them look in a mirror so that they can see one of Heavenly fathers marvelous creations. (Idea taken from here.)

Youth-

There are some really good activities using the lesson outlines for the YM and YW that you can adapt and use with your family. If you have family members in each of these categories (given that time and circumstances allow for it) consider having each of them work on these individually or with a partner and then take turns sharing/teaching what they have learned.

The following comes from the outline: How can I know my Heavenly Father? (Aaronic Priesthood)

The following comes from the outline: Who am I, and who can I become? (Young Women)

Pres. Uchtdorf's talk can be found here.

This week's challenge: Find opportunities to point out to each other ways that you are like Heavenly Father and how amazing we all are. Highlight the talents of family members and find ways to connect those talents to God's plan for us.

Who We Really Are

Pres. Uchtdorf has such a magnificent way of explaining who we are as sons and daughters of God! Although a video designed for the youth, the story of the Ugly Duckling is sure to engage even primary children and is definitely worth watching as a family.

A Child of God

This video is a simple explanation of who we are as sons and daughters of God. Perfect for the little ones in our families!

The Only True God and Jesus Christ Whom He Hath Sent

We just watched this video this morning as the perfect start to our day! Jeffrey R Holland is one of my favorite apostles and he says perfectly what I cannot express about the Godhead. We truly do believe in God, the Eternal Father and in His son Jesus Christ and in the Holy Ghost!

Week 1: The Godhead

Song: The First Article of Faith CS. 122

Thought: "The Articles of Faith, our only formal declaration of belief, begin as follows: “We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.” We have this belief in the Godhead in common with the rest of Christianity, but to us it means something different than to most. We maintain that these three members of the Godhead are three separate and distinct beings and that God the Father is not a spirit but a glorified being with a tangible body, as is His resurrected Son, Jesus Christ. Though separate in identity, They are one in purpose." - Elder Dallin H. Oaks 

Object Lesson: Read the First Article of Faith. Get a candle and light it with a match.  Remind them that the Godhead has three distinct parts.  The candle can represent Heavenly Father.  The flame can represent Jesus Christ, the light of the world.  The oxygen needed for the flame to burn can represent the Holy Ghost, whom we cannot see.  We can see only the effect he has in our lives and the lives of others. (Taken from here under "object lessons)

Video

Lesson Activity: Give each family member a copy of the following image. As you discuss the characteristics of the Godhead color it in!

(Taken from here)

Characteristics

1. God the Father is the father of everyone: “We are the offspring of God” (Acts 17:29) and “Ye are of God, little children.” (See 1 Jn. 4:4.) Color 1s and 20s yellow.

2. You receive the Holy Ghost after you are baptized: “If thou wilt … be baptized … in the name of … Jesus Christ … , ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” (See Moses 6:52.) Color 2s and 16s orange.

3. The Holy Ghost is a gift from Heavenly Father: “The Holy Ghost, which … shall dwell in your heart … is thy gift.” (See D&C 8:2–4.) Color 3s and 33s green.

4. Jesus is Heavenly Father’s Son: “Jesus is baptized and the Father acclaims him,” saying, “This is my beloved Son.” (See Matt. 3:17, heading.) Color 4s and 17s blue.

5. God the Father lives in a beautiful and shiny place: “The angels … reside in the presence of God, on a globe like a sea of glass and fire.” (See D&C 130:6–7.) Color 5s, 22s, and 27s purple.

6. God the Father knows all things: “O how great the holiness of our God! For he knoweth all things.” (See 2 Ne. 9:20.) Color 6s and 23s yellow.

7. Jesus Christ created our earth: “The Father … hath delivered us … into the kingdom of his dear Son: … For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth.” (See Col. 1:12–16) Color 7s, 18s, and 32s purple.

8. Jesus Christ is the perfect example: “Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; … For I have given you an example.” (See John 13:13–15.) Color 8s and 29s blue.

9. The Holy Ghost helps you gain a testimony of Jesus Christ: “Ye may know that he is, by the power of the Holy Ghost.” (See Moro. 10:7.) Color 9s, 21s, and 34s red.

10. God the Father gave us his Only Begotten Son: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son.” (See John 3:16.) Color 10s and 25s yellow.

11. Jesus Christ is the God of this earth: “Behold, I am Jesus Christ. … I am the God of … the whole earth.” (See 3 Ne. 11:10–14.) Color 11s, 26s, and 31s red.

12. You lived with Heavenly Father in heaven: “Ye have known him … from the beginning … , because ye have known the Father.” (See 1 Jn. 2:13.) Color 12s green.

13. The Holy Ghost helps you to know the truth: “And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.” (See Moro. 10:5.) Color 13s, 19s, and 35s blue.

14. You belong to Jesus’ church: “For thus shall my church be called in the last days, even The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.” (See D&C 115:4.) Color 14s, 24s, and 30s green.

15. The Holy Ghost can guide you: “If ye will … receive the Holy Ghost, it will show unto you all things what ye should do.” (See 2 Ne. 32:5.) Color 15s and 28s orange.

This weeks challenge: Find other examples in life of things that are in groups we refer to as "one" and point them out to our family members. Examples: The US government has 3 branches; The bishopric has 3 members; The First Presidency has 3 members; etc.

The Godhead