From Breakfast to

BedtimeMeaningful celebrations to teach the

gospel in the home

Lani Hilton

(Ensign, April 2009)

―The question should not be whether we are too tired to prepare to teach doctrine or whether it would be better to draw a child closer by just having fun or whether the child is beginning to think that we preach too much. The question must be, ―With so little time and so few opportunities, what words of doctrine from me will fortify them against the attacks on their faith which are sure to come?‖ The words you speak today may be the ones they remember. And today will soon be gone‖

Who? Why? What?

―We call upon parents to devote their

best efforts to the teaching and rearing

of their children in gospel principles

which will keep them close to the

Church... (First Presidency Letter, 11

February 1999, emphasis added).

If you keep doing what you’ve been

doing….You will keep getting the results

you have been getting

Who Has Walked Up the Down

Escalator?

Elder Henry B. Eyring

“Raise the Bar”http://web.byui.edu/presentations

―As the challenges around us increase, we must commit to do more to qualify for the companionship of the Holy Ghost. Casual prayer won’t be enough. Reading a few verses of the scripture won’t be enough. Doing the minimum of what the Lord asks of us won’t be enough... Only a steady, ever-increasing effort will allow the Lord to take us to higher ground… You can set the bar for yourself a little higher and then a little higher, again and again.‖

Increase our effort through:

1. Daily devotionals

2. Significant /Historic dates

3. Already calendared holidays

4. The Holy Sabbath

Daily Devotional

set ph

Big five—For a day of power

1 Scripture Shared

2. Express Love

3. Testify

4. Prayer

5. Hymn

Deuteronomy 6:6-7

And these words which I command thee this day

shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them

diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them

when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou

walkest by thy way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

President Ezra Taft Benson, October 1988 General Conference

"I have a vision of thousands of missionaries going into the mission field with hundreds of passagesmemorized from the Book of Mormon so that they might feed the needs of a spiritually famished world."

Elder Gene R. Cook, Searching the Scriptures, pg. 114

"I have discovered that

many times you don't fully

understand a scripture

until you memorize it….

When you find a passage

that particularly impresses

you, consider taking the

time to commit it to

memory, word perfect.

Elder Scott, General Conference

2013

―Great power can come

from memorizing scriptures.

To memorize a scripture is

to forge a new friendship. It

is like discovering a new

individual who can help in

time of need, give

inspiration and comfort, and

be a source of motivation

for needed change.‖

Helaman 5:12

Actions that a three year old can do

Deut 6:9 And thou shalt write them upon the

posts of thy house, and on they gates.

Post them where all can see.

Write just the first letter of each word.

Do actions

Words to songs, made up or familar

Review, repeat*

Write them out

Express love

―We can begin to become more diligent and

concerned at home by telling the people we love

that we love them. Such expressions do not

need to be flowery or lengthy. We simply should

sincerely and frequently express love…

We should remember that saying ―I love you‖ is

only a beginning. We need to say it, we need to

mean it, and most importantly we need

consistently to show it. We need to both express

and demonstrate love.‖ Elder Bednar Oct 2009

Elder Bednar quoting President

Monson

President Thomas S. Monson recently

counseled: ―Often we assume that [the people

around us] must know how much we love them.

But we should never assume; we should let them

know. … We will never regret the kind words

spoken or the affection shown. Rather, our

regrets will come if such things are omitted from

our relationships with those who mean the most

to us‖ (―Finding Joy in the

Journey,‖ Liahona and Ensign, Nov. 2008, 86).

Express love

Verbal I love you

Looking in the eye

Kindness, gentleness,

Hugs, hugs, hugs –minimum of 10 a day!!!

Express gratitude/ Smile

S E T P H

Testify

―Our testimonies are proclaimed and lived most

powerfully in our own homes. Spouses, parents,

and children should strive to overcome any

hesitancy, reluctance, or embarrassment about

bearing testimony. We should both create and

look for opportunities to bear testimony of

gospel truths—and live them.‖

Elder David A Bednar October 2009

Testify

As we profess truth rather than admonish,

exhort, or simply share interesting experiences,

we invite the Holy Ghost to confirm the verity

of our words…Feeling the power, the

edification, and the constancy of testimony from

a spouse, a parent, or a child is a rich blessing.

Such testimony fortifies faith and provides

direction.

Elder Bednar October 2009

Testify What this looks like:

There should be no question in the minds of your

children about what you believe.

I know that is true.

I have seen that in my life.

I have the felt the spirit testify of this.

I felt this was true when…

Are you feeling the power in

prayer

3 Nephi 18 : 21 Pray in your families unto the

Father, always in my name that your wives and

your children many be blessed.

Alma 5: 46 I prayed many days that I might

know these things

D & C 10:5 pray always that ye may come of

conqueror

1 John 3: 22 Whatsoever ye ask ye receive

A hymn a day keeps Satan away

―Music has boundless powers for moving

families toward greater spirituality and devotion to

the gospel…Ours is a hymnbook for the home as

well as for the meetinghouse…Teach your

children to love the hymns. Sing them on the

Sabbath, in home evening, during scripture study,

at prayer time. Sing as you work , as you play, and

as you travel together. Sing hymns as lullabies to

build faith and testimony in your young ones.‖

-First Presidency preface to the hymnbook

What this looks like…

Piano Practice

You sing a solo/Everyone sings together

You choose/ Children get to choose

Same hymn every day

Rotate five hymns each week

Sing same hymn for a month

Background music, arrangements from the

internet: general conference music/

youth.lds.org

Elder L. Tom Perry, Living with

Enthusiasm, “Meaningful

celebrations” p. 82

―I hope that … we always

celebrate with a purpose. I

pray that we will make our

celebrations more

meaningful by reaffirming

significant spiritual,

political, cultural and

social values.‖

Joseph Smith’s birthday

December 23 in Sharon Vermont

Read first few pages of Joseph Smith History

Draw pictures of his family with names and

faces of his brothers and sisters

Read D&C 135 that talks about Joseph Smith

doing more for our salvation than any other

man save the Savior

Birthday treats especially for those who can

retell the facts or recite the scripture

Angel appears to the prophet

He receives the plates September 21 and 22nd

Read the ―Testimony of the Prophet Joseph

Smith‖ at the beginning of the Book of Mormon

Discuss principles, act them out

Make paper angels, cupcakes with angel decor,

or make with powered sugar on your pancakes

Act out receiving the gold plates, running with

them, protecting them, play hide and seek or

other hiding games with them—running from

the bad guys

Restoration of the Priesthood May 15th on banks of the river (go to a river)

Show pictures from gospel art

Show pictures & tell stories from your family

Celebrate with special treats, games, going out

D&C 13 read and memorize the whole section!!

To tune of ―down by the bay‖: Down by the

banks of the Susquehanna; where the Priesthood

was restored to man; by Peter, James, and John;

the latter-day work had now begun (lyrics by

Jennifer Pond)

The birthday of the church

April 6 in Fayette New York

Read Doctrine and Covenants Section 21 and

talk about the first commandment given to the

church and the promises given—they are

beautiful

Sing Happy Birthday

Have a birthday celebration

Testify

Publication of the Book of

Mormon

March 26th

Tin foil and toothpicks,

Read Title Page and Introduction

Everyone share a favorite story

Make treats shaped like the book or reformed

egyptian characters, a cake with blue frosting, or

pretzels on nutella on a cracker

Monopoly money $3000

Ancestor Day Feb 4

Do activities specific to your heritage

ex: Root beer, crossing a body of water

Talk about them, ask guests to share about theirs

Act out their stories

Make it a fun, memorable holiday

Celebrate heritage

Show a chain and share President Hinckley’s

quote on not being a weak link

Celebrate with a purpose

through already calendared dates

New Years Eve/ New Years Day

February 14; celebrate God’s love, family love

Easter Week

Father’s Day/Mother’s Day

Children’s birthdays: celebration of their life, the

plan, miracle of their birth

Marriage Anniversary-birthday of our family/

Our first date

Other holidays already established

Celebrate love Look up love phrases in the scriptures write

them on paper hearts for decoration

Hang large hearts from the ceiling and write

what you love about family members

Scriptures and devotional for the month focus

on this theme. We need to feel more and be

reminded more of God’s love for us

Extra loving things with a love jar

For neighbors : Give heart attacks with heart

shaped cookies; scriptures from the Bible, 1

John 3 & 4

Power love phrases

―If ye love me, keep my commandments‖ (John

14:15)

God so loved the world that he gave his only

begotten Son John 3: 16

Ye shall abide in my love John 15:10

1 John 4:7 Love one another for love is of God

1 Peter 1: 22 love one another with a pure heart

“A Christ-centered Easter”

by Joe and Janet Hales

Palm Sunday- Triumphal entry

Monday-Cleansing temple

Tues and Wednesday- acting out parables

Thursday –Passover dinner and symbolic food

Friday – darkness

Saturday plan of salvation treasure hunt,

Glorious Easter Sunday, Easter morning rolls

fish and honeycomb, special sunrise service

Conference weekend celebration

Tents facing the tv like king benjamen’s people

Conference candy

Big activity in between sessions, or simple picnic

Conference cake

Participate in all sessions, dress up

Keep notes and set goals together as a family

―His word ye shall receive as if from mine own

mouth‖

Lunch time, time to loveAt Home

Prayer, Verbal ―I love you‖

Activity to serve someone else

Activity to show love to that child/or children

not present

At School

Love note, Scriptures in lunches, treat in lunch

from memorizing the scripture

Invitation to do something kind for someone else

Bedtime

1-Family scripture study

2-Family Prayer/ individual prayers

3-Hymn/ cd of primary kids singing or

instrumental music from general conference as

they get ready for bed or fall asleep

4-Express love

5-Testify

Teach the gospel

1. Daily rituals/devotionals

2. Historic Significant dates

3. Calendared holidays

4. The Holy Sabbath

Elder John H Groberg 1984

―Does the Lord love and bless those who keep the

Sabbath day holy? I testify that he does in eternally

meaningful ways.‖

―There is a direct correlation between the proper

observance of the Sabbath and true reverence for

God, which includes obedience to his other

commandments.‖

The Holy Sabbath

missionary guests

Sabbath systems: by week or Sunday stations

split into 20 minute sections: at the table, in the

living room, individual study time

1st- magazine mania, 2nd church online

resources, 3rd family history week, 4th conference

reports

concentrated song time, Gospel 20 questions,

scripture charades

President Henry B. Eyring

April 2009

President Eyring taught, ―A wise parent would never miss a chance to gather children together to learn of the doctrine of Jesus Christ. Such moments are so rare in comparison with the efforts of the enemy. For every hour the power of doctrine is introduced into a child’s life, there may be hundreds of hours of messages and images denying or ignoring the saving truths.‖

President Eyring April 2009 ―The question should not be whether we are too

tired to prepare to teach doctrine or whether it

would be better to draw a child closer by just

having fun or whether the child is beginning to

think that we preach too much. The question

must be, ―With so little time and so few

opportunities, what words of doctrine from me

will fortify them against the attacks on their faith

which are sure to come?‖ The words you speak

today may be the ones they remember. And

today will soon be gone‖

(Ensign, May 2010)

―Youth of all ages, even

infants, can and do

respond to the distinctive

spirit of the Book of

Mormon. Children may

not understand all of the

words and stories, but

they certainly can feel the

―familiar spirit‖ described

by Isaiah‖

Elder Scott April 2013One of the greatest blessings we can offer to the

world is the power of a Christ-centered home

where the gospel is taught, covenants are kept, and

love abounds.

I bear testimony that living an obedient life, firmly

rooted in the gospel of Jesus Christ, provides the

greatest assurance for peace and refuge in our

homes. There will still be plenty of challenges or

heartaches, but even in the midst of turmoil, we

can enjoy inner peace and profound happiness.