Week 25: Serving Missions

Song: I Hope They Call Me On a Mission (CS 169)

Thought:  "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen." (Matthew 28:19-20)

Object Lesson: Set up a row of dominoes. Place them on end just far enough apart so that if one is knocked down, it will knock down the next one. As you knock the first domino down, ask them to observe the chain reaction. Call attention to the effect of one domino upon all the others. Explain that we too may affect the lives of others (family and friends) in a chain reaction. By sharing the gospel with even one person, we sometimes touch the lives of many others. (Sugardoodle.net)

Video: Missionary Work: A Priesthood Duty

Lesson Activity:
Provide copies of this picture for younger members of your family to color. Consider having them be ready to mail these pictures to someone serving a mission along with letters from your family.

Invite your family to read Doctrine and Covenants 18:9–16 individually and look for answers to the question “Why has the Lord given priesthood holders the duty to share the gospel?” Invite a few of them to share their answers with the family. Why is the worth of a soul great in the sight of God? What experiences has your family had sharing the gospel that they could share?

This week's challenge: Come up with ways that your family could prepare for a mission right now. If there is no one in your family that will be serving a mission soon, discuss ways that we can all be sharing the gospel in our daily lives. Encourage your family to save money for a mission and consider donating to the mission fund of the church so that others currently serving can have the assistance that they may need.

Missionary Work: A Priesthood Duty

Pres. Monson shares his thoughts and counsel on preparing to serve missions.

Week 24: Understanding Priesthood Duties/Honoring the Priesthood

Song: A Young Man Prepared (CS. 166)

Thought: We believe that a man must be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority, to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof. (Article of Faith #5)

Object Lesson: Either use a set of real keys or make a set of keys out of paper. Label the keys as follows:
Keys to all Spiritual Blessings
Keys to the Blessings of the Posterity of Abraham
Keys to the Gathering of Israel
Keys to the Sealing Powers
Keys to Church Organization and Government
Keys to the Aaronic Priesthood and to the Gospel of Repentance
Keys to the Dispensation of the Fullness of Time

We need the right keys to be able to start a car and utilize it's power, and so we also need the right keys to unlock the power of the Priesthood. A man who holds the priesthood can use it only when he receives the proper authority or key to do so. Pres. Joseph F. Smith said, "It is necessary that every act performed under this [priesthood] authority shall be done at the proper time and place, in the proper way, and after the proper order. The power of directing these labors constitutes the keys of the priesthood."  Gospel Doctrine p. 136. The right to direct the use of the priesthood is called the keys of the priesthood. (Activity for Honoring the Priesthood)

Video: Aaronic Priesthood Shining Forth

Lesson Activity:
To keep younger ones occupied consider letting them put together this puzzle while the readers do the following activity.
As a family read the article "Your Aaronic Priesthood Duties." Consider having family members study the portions of this article that apply to them directly at this stage of their lives and share their thoughts with the family.

This Week's Challenge: Using the information from the article above challenge each of your family members to set a goal for this week that will help them to either fulfill their priesthood duties more fully or that will help them to honor the priesthood.

Aaronic Priesthood Shining Forth

"Young men from around the world testify of the blessings of priesthood service and being faithful in fulfilling their duty to God.

Week 23: The Relationship Between Women and the Priesthood

Song: The Power of Heaven (Steven Kapp Perry)
(This is the song that is playing in the background of the video that goes along with this lesson.)

Thought: HUSBAND AND WIFE have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children. “Children are an heritage of the Lord” (Psalm 127:3). Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, and to teach them to love and serve one another, observe the commandments of God, and be law-abiding citizens wherever they live. Husbands and wives—mothers and fathers—will be held accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations.
THE FAMILY is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan. Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity. Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities. By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners. Disability, death, or other circumstances may necessitate individual adaptation. Extended families should lend support when needed. (The Family: A Proclamation to the World)

Object Lesson: Show your family a picture of a husband and wife who have been sealed in the temple. Ask them to look at that picture and think about how important it is that they not only were married in the temple, but that it is a man and a woman; that the man is a worthy priesthood holder and that the woman is prepared to be a worthy mother and wife. Ask your family to share their thoughts on how the priesthood blesses the lives of both the husband and wife in addition to their future children.

Video: Blessings of the Priesthood

Lesson Activity:
Invite your family to read the section titled “Role of Sisters in the Church” from Elder Quentin L. Cook’s talk “LDS Women Are Incredible!” Ask them to share with each other what they learn. How can they use Elder Cook’s message to help others understand the importance of women in the Church?

Another idea to consider would be playing a game of pictionary in which each person is challenged to draw pictures that represent a way that the priesthood blesses them.

This Week's Challenge: Encourage your family to thinks of ways that the priesthood can bless their lives this week. If there are family members who hold the priesthood challenge them to be worthy to bless and serve when called upon. For those members who don't hold the priesthood challenge them to find opportunities to call upon priesthood holders for blessings or service this week.

Blessings of the Priesthood

Elder Robert D. Hales teaches us how the priesthood blesses all of us, both men and women.

Week 22: What is the Priesthood?

Song: The Priesthood of Our Lord (H. 320)

Thought: The priesthood is the authority of God delegated to men on the earth to act in all things for the salvation of mankind (see Spencer W. Kimball, “The Example of Abraham,” Ensign, June 1975, 3). Priesthood is the means whereby the Lord acts through men to save souls. One of the defining features of the Church of Jesus Christ, both anciently and today, is His authority. There can be no true Church without divine authority. Ordinary men are given the authority of the priesthood. Worthiness and willingness—not experience, expertise, or education—are the qualifications for priesthood ordination. (Elder Bednar)

Object Lesson:  You'll need:  2 shoes with a shoelace; Put on the first shoe without the shoelace and walk around the room.  (You could even call on someone to help you...)  Then use the second shoe to show how much better the shoe fits when it is laced up and tied. (Demonstrate how it is much easier to walk around).
The priesthood is the binding force in the family and the Church.  Just as the lace enables us to walk more freely, the priesthood helps us to function effectively at home and at Church.  The priesthood gives us direction and order. (Priesthood Shoes)

Video: Power of God

Lesson Activity: Here is a coloring page for young ones you could use.

Aaronic Priesthood Activity
By Callie Buys
Even though boys in Primary aren’t old enough to hold the Aaronic Priesthood, they can prepare now to receive it. Both boys and girls can learn more about the Aaronic Priesthood and its responsibilities by helping the boy on this page get ready for church.

Carefully cut out the boy in the box on this page. Cut out the numbered squares. Look at the list of numbered questions below. The numbers on the squares match the numbered list of questions. The answer to the number of the question on the square is somewhere around the boy. When you find the right answer to the question, cover the answer with the square, picture side up. When you have answered all the questions, the boy will be dressed and ready to fulfill his Aaronic Priesthood duties.

1. Joseph Smith and _________________ ordained each other to the Aaronic Priesthood. (See JS—H 1:66–71.)
2. Who conferred the Aaronic Priesthood on these two men? (See JS—H 1:72.)
3. What day, month, and year did they receive the Aaronic Priesthood? (See JS—H 1:68–69, 72.)
4. At what age can a young man receive the Aaronic Priesthood?
5. Offices in the Aaronic Priesthood include bishop, priest, teacher, and _________ . (See D&C 20:67, D&C 84:30.)
6. Members of the _________ quorum administer the sacrament and can perform baptisms. (See D&C 20:46.)
7. Members of the __________ quorum “watch over the church” and “see that all members … do their duty.” (See D&C 20:53–55.)
8. The ____________ is the head of the Aaronic Priesthood in each ward. (See D&C 107:13–15.)

This Week's Challenge: If there are Priesthood holders in your home encourage them to find opportunities this week to use their Priesthood to serve/bless in your family. Encourage other members of your family to take advantage of that service/those blessings in order to be strengthened and uplifted. Be prepared to share with your family next week experiences you may have had throughout the week.
If there are no Priesthood holders in your home discuss as a family ways that you can think of that you can still be served by Priesthood holders and receive blessings. Think of some specific Priesthood holders who can help you and find an opportunity to invite them to serve your family.

Power of God

Pres. Monson teaches about the Priesthood of God.