Week 21: Testimony

Song: Testimony (H. 137)

Thought: A 14-year-old boy recently said to me a little hesitantly, “Brother Holland, I can’t say yet that I know the Church is true, but I believe it is.” I hugged that boy until his eyes bulged out. I told him with all the fervor of my soul that belief is a precious word, an even more precious act, and he need never apologize for “only believing.” I told him that Christ Himself said, “Be not afraid, only believe,”12 a phrase which, by the way, carried young Gordon B. Hinckley into the mission field.13 I told this boy that belief was always the first step toward conviction and that the definitive articles of our collective faith forcefully reiterate the phrase “We believe.”14 And I told him how very proud I was of him for the honesty of his quest. (Elder Jefferey R. Holland: Lord, I Believe)

Object Lesson: Mix cornstarch and water in a bowl. Then grab a glob of the mixture and start working it in your hands making it into a ball (like the actions to "Popcorn Popping"). Tell your family that as long as you keep working on it, it would hold together and get stronger. Then completely stop working the mix and it instantly will melt through your fingers. Explain that when you stop working on it, it fell apart -- much like a testimony, you have to continually work on strengthening it. Note: Make sure you put towels on the table or carpet because it is messy! You may want to wear something machine washable in case it splatters. (Shared by Stephanie Valdez / ga08082007)

Video: Waiting on Our Road to Damascus

Lesson Activity:
(For younger children consider having them color this picture while you do the following activity with your family.)
Invite your family to make a list of things that might weaken their testimony and ways they can keep it strong as they reads the 9th and 10th paragraphs of Elder Quentin L. Cook’s talk “Can Ye Feel So Now?” (Below in italics.) Ask your family to share examples they have seen that illustrate something from their lists.

Many who are in a spiritual drought and lack commitment have not necessarily been involved in major sins or transgressions, but they have made unwise choices. Some are casual in their observance of sacred covenants. Others spend most of their time giving first-class devotion to lesser causes. Some allow intense cultural or political views to weaken their allegiance to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Some have immersed themselves in Internet materials that magnify, exaggerate, and, in some cases, invent shortcomings of early Church leaders. Then they draw incorrect conclusions that can affect testimony. Any who have made these choices can repent and be spiritually renewed.

Immersion in the scriptures is essential for spiritual nourishment. The word of God inspires commitment and acts as a healing balm for hurt feelings, anger, or disillusionment. When our commitment is diminished for any reason, part of the solution is repentance. Commitment and repentance are closely intertwined.

This Week's Challenge: Talk to your family about "waiting on our road to Damascus" and challenge them that if they are waiting for some large event to take place to stop waiting and move forward with faith to act on what they already do know and believe.

Waiting On Our Road to Damascus

Week 20: Personal Revelation

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

Thought: Communication with our Father in Heaven is not a trivial matter. It is a sacred privilege. It is based upon eternal, unchanging principles. We receive help from our Father in Heaven in response to our faith, obedience, and the proper use of agency. (How to Obtain Revelation and Inspiration for Your Personal Life: Elder Richard G. Scott)

Object Lesson:  Hold up an empty paper towel tube and talk through it. Then stuff the tube with dirty rags (representing sin and other distractions). When you talk through the tube, your family will have a hard time hearing you. Talk about the importance of keeping our lives pure and making sure that we take time to listen for the promptings.  (Idea by Katrina McNiven / ga02272007)

Video: The Spirit of Revelation

Lesson Activity: Prepare this game about Revelation and Personal Revelation and play together as a family reading the quotes and messages along the way!

This Week's Challenge: Challenge your family members to keep themselves as free from distractions and sin as possible this week and then as they pray for inspiration encourage them to pay close attention to the way that the Spirit communicates with them. Remind them about what Elder Bednar discusses in the video from this lesson.

The Spirit of Revelation

Elder David A. Bednar shares with us the different patterns of revelation. As you watch this video consider the different ways that the Holy Ghost communicates with you and others.

Week 19: Scripture Study

Song: Scripture Power (The Friend, Oct. 1987)

Thought: Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do. (2 Ne. 32:3)

Object lesson: Sprinkle baby powder on the page under the front cover of your Book of Mormon or Bible before Family Home Evening. Keep the book closed. When you pull out your scriptures, open the cover and blow off the baby powder (this looks like dust). Explain to your family that it is important that we do not let dust gather on the scriptures. We should be studying from them daily and feasting upon the words that past prophets have recorded. (From here)

Video: The Book of Mormon: Messages from Heaven

Lesson Activity:
If your family is large enough/old enough consider playing this game of Scripture Taboo.

For younger children consider having them try to complete puzzles of scripture stories or online coloring pages of the scripture stories from The Friend.

Invite your family to read the first 14 paragraphs of Elder Richard G. Scott’s talk “The Power of Scripture.” Ask them to look for blessings that come from studying the scriptures. When have they experienced these blessings in their lives? (Come, Follow Me)

This week's challenge: If consistently reading the scriptures together as a family has been a struggle consider having your challenge be to set a goal to read together every day for a month and then go from there. Alternatively, if family scripture reading is already happening consistently (go you!) then focus on challenging everyone in your family to study their scriptures personally more in depth than they have been. Either meaning actually doing it or keeping a study journal as they go to record what they learn.

The Book of Mormon: Messages from Heaven

Testimonies of European youth who accepted a challenge to read The Book of Mormon for 20 minutes every day.

Week 18: Living Prophets

Song: We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet (H. 19)

Thought: You can always trust the living prophets. Their teachings reflect the will of the Lord, who declared: “What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same” (D&C 1:38). (True to the Faith: Prophets)

Object Lesson: Destiny Dice- Using a single dice, sit in a big circle. We went around the circle each asking a yes or no question to the Destiny Dice. Then the person asking the question would roll the dice. If it was an odd number, the answer was no. If it was an even number, the answer was yes. We had some surprising and interesting questions...ranging from "Will I ever visit the country of Canada?" to "Should I have pre-marital sex". The answer to that one from Destiny Dice was yes! Anyway...after each person had a chance to play, I told them that life doesn't have to be a "roll of the dice". We have prophets, the scriptures, personal revelation, priesthood leader, parents, etc to lead and guide us. And especially if Destiny Dice (or the world) tells us something like pre-marital sex is okay, we can know through the things listed above the way the Lord truly wants us to go. I am sure you get my drift. It was an enjoyable and yet effective teaching tool. (Terisa in Wyoming) [Found through Sugardoodle]

Video: We Need Living Prophets

Lesson Activity:

Here is a maze that your younger children may enjoy figuring out while the older members of your family study the following talk.

Read or watch Elder Claudio R. M. Costa’s talk “Obedience to the Prophets,” and ask your family to listen for the 14 principles Elder Costa describes and then discuss why these principles are important for us to understand.

This Week's Challenge: Find time this week to study one of Pres. Monson's talks from the most recent general conference and look for things that our living Prophet is teaching us today.

We Need Living Prophets

As you watch this video look for reasons it is important to listen to and follow the living prophets.