Week 39: Language

Song: Choose the Right Way (CS. 160)

Thought: "...in this long eternal quest to be more like our Savior, may we try to be “perfect” men and women in at least this one way now—by offending not in word, or more positively put, by speaking with a new tongue, the tongue of angels. Our words, like our deeds, should be filled with faith and hope and charity, the three great Christian imperatives so desperately needed in the world today. With such words, spoken under the influence of the Spirit, tears can be dried, hearts can be healed, lives can be elevated, hope can return, confidence can prevail." Elder Holland

Object Lesson: Items needed: Original Oreo cookie (one for each volunteer)
What to do: Have someone volunteer to help you out.  Give them a chocolate Oreo
cookie with white frosting in the middle.  Have them twist off the top. Tell everyone that when good (uplifting, clean, correct....) words are used, it is like eating the white part of the cookie.
Have the volunteer then scrape off the frosting and eat it.  Then have them smile big for your family. There will be no discoloration.
Then tell the family that when they choose to use words that are profane, vulgar, demeaning, .... it is like eating the dark cookie. Have the volunteer eat the chocolate part of the cookie (both sides), then smile big. Their teeth will be stained dark.  Not so attractive! This is like their reputation; like their soul..... It becomes stained and unattractive. (Object Lesson on Profanity by Debra Storm)

Video:


Lesson Activity: Talk to your family about how the things we say affect those around us. Remind them how much power is in our words. As a family decide what words are currently being heard in your home that have the power to uplift and show love. Make a list of these words to display in a prominent place in your home to remind all what language we should be using. Make a separate list of things that are the "trash" words that need to no longer be used in your home. Once the list is complete crumple it up and throw it away. Remind your family that those words/that language has no place in your home and eliminates the Spirit.

Write on the board “If a man can control his tongue, he can control ________.” Invite your family to search James 3:2–10 and fill in the blank. Assign each family member to read one of the analogies used by James (horse bit, verses 2–3; ship, verse 4; forest fire, verses 5–6; poison, verses 7–8; pure fountain, verses 10–11). Invite them to prepare to teach the rest of the family what their analogy teaches about controlling their speech. Invite them to share what they can do to control their speech.

This Week's Challenge: Encourage each member of your family to join the No Cussing Club and challenge your family to watch what they say this week and how they say it. See what happens to the Spirit of your home when language and word choice is better controlled!

Week 38: Tithing

Song: I'm Glad to Pay a Tithing (CS. 150)

Thought: Tithing has been established in these latter days as an essential law for members of the Lord’s restored Church. It is one of the basic ways we witness our faith in Him and our obedience to His laws and commandments. Tithing is one of the commandments that qualifies us, by our faith, to enter the temple—the house of the Lord. (Robert D. Hales)

Object Lesson: M&M's and Tithing

Video: Tithing

Lesson Activity: Prepare for the following activity by doing the following: Ask your family to search Malachi 3:8–10 and D&C 64:23 and share the promises made to tithe payers. Ask them to find out what the Lord expects us to pay in tithes by reading D&C 119 (explain that “interest” is our annual “income”). Hand out tithing receipts, and let them explain to each other how to use them. Share how you have been blessed for paying tithing.

Materials Needed: 3 buckets or containers, 3 beanbags or rolled socks to toss into the buckets.  You'll also need  pretend money denominations, blank tithing slips. Each bucket should have a money piece in the bottom to indicate the value of the bucket. Keep secret the value of each bucket.

Play: Give the player three beanbags to toss. When he or she has tossed the three beanbags, total up the dollar value.  At the end of their turn, give that person the amount earned and have them figure out how much tithing they need to pay.  (HINT:  It's best to give the earned amount in things easily divisible by ten, i.e. ten dimes for a dollar, etc., so they can count out ten on their own to figure out which part is owed to tithing.)  Change the money pieces after each turn so that each buckets value remains a secret.  At the end of the game, help each person practice filling out a tithing slip with their amount of tithing. Tithing Toss

This Week's Challenge: Discuss the individual circumstances of your family/family members as far as income is concerned. Identify ways to make it easier to live the law of tithing both individually and as a family. Encourage and support each other to not only be full tithe payers, but to find ways to contribute to the other offerings.

Week 37: Honesty

Song: I Believe in Being Honest (CS. 149)

Thought: Be honest with yourself, others, and God at all times. Being honest means choosing not to lie, steal, cheat, or deceive in any way. When you are honest, you build strength of character that will allow you to be of great service to God and others. You will be blessed with peace of mind and self-respect. You will be trusted by the Lord and will be worthy to enter into His holy temples. (For the Strength of Youth: Honesty and Integrity)

Object Lesson: Get an empty soda bottle. Put it on the table with the lid on it. Have someone come up and try to smash it. Tell them that they can hit it all they want, drop it, etc. and the soda bottle remains intact. Then take the lid off. Have someone come up and try to smash it. It smashes easily. Tell them that the lid is like honesty. It's such a small thing, but when it's fixed tightly, it helps you to withstand the trials that you may face. (Staying Firm)

Video: Honesty: You Better Believe It!


Lesson Activity:
For young children consider this from The Friend:
I Believe in Being Honest
The Book of Mormon tells us about a special group of people who were honest and true to their faith. They were Lamanites who heard the gospel of Jesus Christ, had faith in Him, repented of their sins, and were baptized members of His Church. They called themselves Anti-Nephi-Lehies. Because they learned that it was wrong to fight, they buried their weapons of war in the ground and made a covenant with Heavenly Father that they “never would use weapons again” (Alma 24:18). They kept this covenant and all the commandments so faithfully that they were known for being “perfectly honest and upright in all things” (Alma 27:27).

The Anti-Nephi-Lehies taught their children to be honest. They wanted their sons and daughters to be true to the gospel and righteous in their dealings with each other and with Heavenly Father. Because the example of their parents was so great, the children wanted to be just as honest and just as true to the gospel themselves.

The Book of Mormon says this about the boys when they grew up: “And they were all young men, and they were exceedingly valiant for courage, and also for strength and activity; but behold, this was not all—they were men who were true at all times in whatsoever thing they were entrusted” (Alma 53:20).

These young Anti-Nephi-Lehies became famous as “Helaman’s stripling warriors.” (See Ensign, May 1987, page 16.) Because of their honesty and their spiritual strength, they were a great help to their people.

You can be like the army of Helaman. You can follow the example of the righteous Lamanites and be honest and true.

For older children consider this from Come, Follow Me:
Read to the your family the story about a man stealing corn in Ann M. Dibb’s talk “I Believe in Being Honest and True.” Stop reading just before the little boy says, “Father, there is one way you haven’t looked yet!” Ask them what the little boy might say to his father. Then read his comment. Ask them to discuss choices they face in which they must choose to be honest.

This Week's Challenge: Remind your family of the stories of the Anti-Nephi-Lehi people and the little boy. Challenge them to behave in a way where it could be said of them that they are "perfectly honest and upright in all things." Remind them not to forget that even if it seems like no one is watching, Heavenly Father is always watching us.

Week 36: Guarding Virtue

***It is my belief that the best place for children to learn about guarding virtue and resisting pornography is in the home with their parent's facilitating the discussion. Studies are showing that children as young as 8 are being exposed to pornography either online or through their peers at school. If these conversations are not had in the safe loving environment of our homes, they will be had elsewhere in settings where we have no control over what and how our children are taught. I would encourage each of you to spend some time prayerfully considering the appropriate way to teach this subject in your homes. Keeping the conversation age appropriate, but also understanding that "my children would never do that" is not a valid reason for not having the conversation at all.***

Song: The Lord Gave Me a Temple (CS. 153)

Thought: Virtue is a pattern of thought and behavior based on high moral standards. It includes chastity. We live in a world in which virtue is belittled and attacked. We can guard our virtue by avoiding impure thoughts, language, and actions. Pornography is especially dangerous. As we “put on the whole armour of God” (see Ephesians 6:11–17) and rely on the strength of the Lord, we can protect ourselves against the adversary’s attacks on virtue and keep our thoughts and actions pure. (How do I guard my virtue?)

Object Lesson: Ahead of time bake some chocolate cookies. In some of them add more salt (make sure to keep these ones separate!) Place the salty cookies on a plate and offer them to your family. When they eat them and discover that they are not good discuss with them how Satan will try to make bad things look appealing. Apply this concept to pornography and sexual purity. Talk with your family about how Heavenly Father views each of us and our value as sons and daughters of God. After this discussion offer your family the cookies that are sweet and talk about the difference between wholesome media and entertainment and pornographic/inappropriate forms. Even a little bit of salt can ruin a cookie, just like a "little bit" of swearing, sexual content, or other inappropriate things can ruin a movie and drive away the Spirit.

Video:
 
Show this video “To Look Upon,” and have your family tell you to pause the video each time David could have made a different choice. What happened to King David after this experience? How did it affect his family? Why is looking at pornography so dangerous? Briefly compare the results of King David’s actions and Joseph’s.

Lesson Activity: Invite your family to imagine they had the opportunity to tell a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles about the challenges youth today face regarding pornography. What might they say to him? Give each family member a copy of the six paragraphs from Elder Quentin L. Cook’s talk “Can Ye Feel So Now?” beginning with the phrase “Sexual immorality and impure thoughts.” Ask half of them to look for and share what Elder Cook learned from a 15-year-old young man, and ask the other half to look for and share the counsel Elder Cook gives. What can each of us do to help make our homes “places of refuge” from pornography?

This Week's Challenge: As a family try to identify any weaknesses in the defense of your home and spend time this week shoring up your defenses. Don't forget to talk about things we encounter outside of home and how to resist temptation while out in the world. (Ex: computers, television, movies, music, friends, books, smart phones, tablets, ipods, etc.)

Week 35: Keeping the Commandments

Song: Keep the Commandments (CS. 146)

Thought: “Our lives should be examples of goodness and virtue as we try to emulate His example to the world. Good works by each of us can do credit both to the Savior and His Church. As you are engaged in doing good, being honorable and upright men and women, the Light of Christ will be reflected by your lives.” Elder L. Tom Perry

Object Lesson: It Protects Us or you could adapt this object lesson for your family:
I used a wide shallow bowl full of water. I brought bright blue pebbles and let each girl name a way to break a commandment and drop a pebble and watch the ripple. Then they named a way to resist the temptation of breaking a commandment and dropped a pebble. We talked about how the ripple effect can be both good and bad. It's their decision.  It was an enlightening discussion for them. One of them brought up a particularly bad activity night where one girl acted out and the rest of them followed her. It turned into a way for them to brainstorm ideas of how to turn nights like that into good nights. I was impressed.  (Idea by Stephanie Thomas)

Video: Let Your Light So Shine (This video is available for download, but not to upload directly. Link is listed under "Prepare Yourself Spiritually.")
As you watch this video with your family look for ways that one families example of living the commandments affected the life of someone else.

Lesson Activity: Divide your family into small groups, and give each group a copy of Sister Ann M. Dibb’s talk “Arise and Shine Forth.” Assign each group to read one of the stories told in the talk (the stories of Samson, Daniel, Joanna, and Karen). Ask them to discuss what they learn about the power of example to influence others to obey or disobey the commandments. Invite each group to think of a creative way to share their story and what they learned with the rest of the family. (Come, Follow Me)
To involve young children in this have them be with groups learning about Samson and Daniel. Their job could be to color pictures (such as these below) that they can use to teach about the story.

This Week's Challenge: Invite your family to ponder the influence their example may be having on others, and encourage them to set personal goals to inspire others to keep the commandments by setting a good example.