Free Forever, to Act for Themselves

Every FHE should be tailored to your specific family.

With younger kids, maybe just do one scripture, one quote and a fun activity.

With older kids delve into the scriptures and talks more and have conversation. Or find a happy medium somewhere between the two. Get everyone involved.

This is just a resource for quick reference, pick and choose what you want for your family that evening!

Free Forever, to Act for Themselves, by Elder D. Todd Christofferson

It is God’s will that we be free men and women enabled to rise to our full potential both temporally and spiritually.

Scriptures: 

1.  
   Doctrine and Covenants 101:78, 
   Moses 6:57, 
   Moses 6:55, 
   2 Nephi 2:26, 
   Doctrine and Covenants 3:2, 
   Acts 10:34, 
   Doctrine and Covenants 1:31, 
   Alma 42:24,
   Doctrine and Covenants 45:4., 
   Alma 42:13, 
   2 Nephi 31:19, 
   Alma 34:16,
    
   2 Nephi 25:23, 
    
   Moroni 10:31.
2. “If ye shall say there is no law, ye shall also say there is no sin. If ye shall say there is no sin, ye shall also say there is no righteousness. And if there be no righteousness there be no happiness. And if there be no righteousness nor happiness there be no punishment nor misery. And if these things are not there is no God. And if there is no God we are not, neither the earth; for there could have been no creation of things, neither to act nor to be acted upon; wherefore, all things must have vanished away.” 2 Nephi 2:13

 Articles of Faith 1:2  We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam’s transgression.

Music:
The Second Article of Faith (Children's Songbook, 122)
Tis Sweet to Sing the Matchless love, (Hymn, 176)

Quotes: 

"But God intends that His children should act according to the moral agency He has given them, “that every man may be accountable for his own sins in the day of judgment.”² It is His plan and His will that we have the principal decision-making role in our own life’s drama. God will not live our lives for us nor control us as if we were His puppets, as Lucifer once proposed to do. Nor will His prophets accept the role of “puppet master” in God’s place. Brigham Young stated: “I do not wish any Latter Day Saint in this world, nor in heaven, to be satisfied with anything I do, unless the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ,—the spirit of revelation, makes them satisfied. I wish them to know for themselves and understand for themselves.”

"Truly He loves us, and because He loves us, He neither compels nor abandons us. Rather He helps and guides us. Indeed, the real manifestation of God’s love is His commandments.
Our very presence on earth as physical beings is the consequence of a choice each of us made to participate in our Father’s plan.⁹ Thus, salvation is certainly not the result of divine whim, but neither does it happen by divine will alone."

"We rely “wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save”¹⁹ in the process of repentance, but acting to repent is a self-willed change. So by making repentance a condition for receiving the gift of grace, God enables us to retain responsibility for ourselves."

"Personal accountability becomes both a right and a duty that we must constantly defend."

"I know that beyond desiring His help, we must exert ourselves, repent, and choose God for Him to be able to act in our lives consistent with justice and moral agency. My plea is simply to take responsibility and go to work so that there is something for God to help us with."

Discussion starters:

Who bears responsibility for what happens in our lives?

We should (and we do) rejoice in the God-ordained plan that permits us to make choices to act for ourselves and experience the consequences, or as the scriptures express it, to “taste the bitter, that [we] may know to prize the good.”

as a consequence of being perfectly just, there are some things God cannot do. He cannot be arbitrary in saving some and banishing others. He “cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance.”¹³ He cannot allow mercy to rob justice.

A God who makes no demands is the functional equivalent of a God who does not exist. A world without God, the living God who establishes moral laws to govern and perfect His children, is also a world without ultimate truth or justice. It is a world where moral relativism reigns supreme.

“I shouldn’t be forced to believe something is true that I don’t like.” But that does not change reality.

Make it fun:

• Memorize Article of Faith #2 as a family.
• Have a puppet show depicting stories of making your own decisions and consequences of them. Just use various figurines/toys from around the house, get behind the couch and use the couch as the stage.

Prayer:

Treat: Caramel Popcorn

Guided Safely Home

Every FHE should be tailored to your specific family.

With younger kids, maybe just do one scripture, one quote and a fun activity.

With older kids delve into the scriptures and talks more and have conversation. Or find a happy medium somewhere between the two. Get everyone involved.

This is just a resource for quick reference, pick and choose what you want for your family that evening!

Guided Safely Home by President Thomas S. Monson

 We look heavenward for that unfailing sense of direction, that we might chart and follow a wise and proper course.

Scriptures: 

1.  
   Luke 18:22,
    
   1 Timothy 4:12, 
   Philippians 2:15,  
   Daniel 5:17, 
   Daniel 6:23, Jacob 7:5

Music:

Master, the Tempest is Raging (Hymnm #105)
I am a Child of God (Hymn, #301; Children's songbook pg. 2)

Quotes: 

"Like the vital rudder of a ship, brethren, we have been provided a way to determine the direction we travel. The lighthouse of the Lord beckons to all as we sail the seas of life. Our purpose is to steer an undeviating course toward our desired goal—even the celestial kingdom of God. A man without a purpose is like a ship without a rudder, never likely to reach home port. To us comes the signal: chart your course, set your sail, position your rudder, and proceed."

"Our Father provided the sun, the moon, and the stars—heavenly galaxies to guide mariners who sail the lanes of the sea. To us, as we walk the pathway of life, He provides a clear map and points the way toward our desired destination. He cautions: beware the detours, the pitfalls, the traps. We cannot be deceived by those who would lead us astray, those clever pied pipers of sin beckoning here or there. Instead, we pause to pray; we listen to that still, small voice which speaks to the depths of our souls the Master’s gentle invitation, “Come, follow me.”

"The Apostle Paul admonished, “Be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.”³ He also wrote that the followers of Christ should be “as lights in the world.”⁴ Providing an example of righteousness can help to illuminate an increasingly dark world."

"Nothing will bring greater joy and success than to live according to the teachings of the gospel. Be an example; be an influence for good.”

Discussion starters:

*Read battleship story (paragraphs 2-5)

A well-known example of one who did not reach upward is that of Cain, son of Adam and Eve. Powerful in potential but weak of will, Cain permitted greed, envy, disobedience, and even murder to jam that personal rudder which would have guided him to safety and exaltation. The downward gaze replaced the upward look; Cain fell.

Throughout the history of the world, Satan has worked tirelessly for the destruction of the followers of the Savior. If we succumb to his enticings, we—like the mighty Bismarck—will lose that rudder which can guide us to safety.

Make it fun:

• Play the board game "Battleship" if you have it
• Use picture of a battleship to point out the parts of it mentioned in the talk.
• 
  

Prayer:

Treat: Banana Boats

Receiving a Testimony of Light and Truth

Every FHE should be tailored to your specific family.

With younger kids, maybe just do one scripture, one quote and a fun activity.

With older kids delve into the scriptures and talk more and have conversation. 

Or find a happy medium somewhere between the two. Get everyone involved.

This is just a resource for quick reference, pick and choose what you want for your family that evening!

Receiving a Testimony of Light and Truth by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Your personal testimony of light and truth will not only bless you and your posterity here in mortality, but it will also accompany you throughout eternity.

Scriptures: 

John 7:17, John 14:6, 1 Corinthians 1:18, 1 Corinthians 2:14, 3 Nephi17:3, Alma 32:27, Alma 5:26, Moroni 10:3-5, Moroni 10:32, , D&C 67:3, D&C 88:63 J D&C 82:10, 1 Corinthians 1:18

Music(opening and/or closing songs):

“I Know That My Redeemer Lives” (Hymns, no. 136).

“I Know My Father Lives” (Hymns, no. 302; Children’s Songbook, p. 5).

Quotes: 

"A personal testimony of the gospel and the Church is the most important thing you can earn in this life. It will not only bless and guide you during this life, but it will also have a direct bearing on your life throughout eternity." 

"Let us acknowledge that most often gaining a testimony is not a task of a minute, an hour, or a day. It is not once and done. The process of gathering spiritual light is the quest of a lifetime."

"Please consider the magnitude of this promise: The Everlasting and Almighty God, the Creator of this vast universe, will speak to those who approach Him with a sincere heart and real intent. He will speak to them in dreams, visions, thoughts, and feelings. He will speak in a way that is unmistakable and that transcends human experience. He will give them divine direction and answers for their personal lives."

"But I tell you this: God cares about you. He will listen, and He will answer your personal questions. The answers to your prayers will come in His own way and in His own time, and therefore, you need to learn to listen to His voice. God wants you to find your way back to Him, and the Savior is the way.⁵ God wants you to learn of His Son, Jesus Christ, and experience the profound peace and joy that come from following the path of divine discipleship."

"The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a place for people with all kinds of testimonies. There are some members of the Church whose testimony is sure and burns brightly within them. Others are still striving to know for themselves. The Church is a home for all to come together, regardless of the depth or the height of our testimony. I know of no sign on the doors of our meetinghouses that says, “Your testimony must be this tall to enter.”

Discussion Starters:
**Share the story (first section) of the talk which talks about the vastness of the universe and how we have used instruments to discover it.

Suppose you were able to travel back in time and have a conversation with people who lived a thousand or even a hundred years ago. Imagine trying to describe to them some of the modern technologies that you and I take for granted today. For example, what might these people think of us if we told them stories of jumbo jets, microwave ovens, handheld devices that contain vast digital libraries, and videos of our grandchildren that we instantly share with millions of people around the world?

It seems to be a trait of humanity to assume that we are right even when we are wrong. And if that is the case, what hope is there for any of us? Are we destined to drift aimlessly on an ocean of conflicting information, stranded on a raft we have poorly pieced together from our own biases? Is it possible to find truth?

Straight forward experiment, with a guarantee from God: First, you must search the word of God. Second, you must consider, ponder, fearlessly strive to believe. Third, you must ask your Heavenly Father, in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, to manifest the truth of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints unto you. fourth, when you are trying to verify the truth of gospel principles, you must first live them. 

Make it fun:

• Have everyone practice bearing their testimony or part of their testimony in front of the family.
• Bring out any space ship toys to use when you share the metaphor of the vast universe being discovered.
• If you have a telescope, use it to look at the stars. 
• If no telescope, go star gaze!

Challenge everyone to bear testimony in church next fast sunday.


Closing Prayer

Treat: S'mores Brownies