Deseret Book

Packet #080305

Family Home Evening Materials

Theme: 7th Article of Faith

5 tips for successful Family Home Evenings

1. Pray. Pray about the needs of your family as you consider topics for home evenings, and pray as you prepare. 3. Involvement. Involve everyone in the family; help little children take part.

2. Prioritize. Make Family Home Evening a priority; learn to say no to other activities. 4. Commitment. Be committed and be consistent. Set a designated time and stick to it. Holding Family Home Evening on a weekly basis takes dedication and planning on the part of all family members. 5. Relax and enjoy it. The most important thing your children will remember is the spirit they feel in your family home evenings and activities. Be sure the atmosphere is one of love, understanding, and enjoyment.

7th Article of Faith

Thought: The purpose of the gift of tongues is to preach the gospel among those whose language is not understood.
(Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, sel. Joseph Fielding Smith [1976], 14849.)

Purpose: To help our family understand the Seventh Article of Faith. Song: The Hearts of the Children Childrens Songbook, p. 92.

Scripture: We believe in the gift of tongues, prophecy, revelation, visions, healing, interpretation of tongues, and so forth.
(Article of Faith 1:7)

Object Lesson:

Have ready a radio and a television with a church video. Tell your family you are going to show them some miracles. Turn on the radio and let them listen for a few seconds. Then play a small segment of the video. Ask them if they thought that was amazing. No, radio and television seem normal to us. But to a person living hundreds of years ago, radio and television would be miracles. Spiritual gifts are like this. To God they are normal. To us they seem miraculous.
(Christena C. Nelson, Sharing the Articles of Faith, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1994], p. 30.)

Story:

In September, 1847, we found that the Pioneers and others of the Saints that had gone into the Valley shortly after them, had been hard at work sowing (planting) all the winter. Such numbers, however, had arrived in the Valley, that the vegetables raised by our brethren went but a little way, it was a rarity to get any vegetables until the following June, fourteen months from the time we left Winter Quarters, when we partook of vegetables raised by ourselves. Our bread also became very scarce before the wheat put in by the Saints generally was ready to harvest. Some persons lived for three months on their cattle, which they had to kill for food, and on roots which they dug up. Of course, after a time, our clothes and farming implements began to wear out. Things looked alarming. Matters were at this crisis, when one day Elder Heber C. Kimball stood up in the congregation of the Saints, and prophesied that "in a short time" we should be able to buy articles of clothing and utensils cheaper in the Valley than we could purchase them in the States. I was present on the occasion, and with others there, only hoped the case might be so. We

thought that "if the Lord would make windows in heaven, might this thing be," but without an absolute miracle there seemed no human probability of its fulfillment. However, Elder Kimball's prophecy was fulfilled in a few months. Information of the great discovery of gold in California had reached the States, and large companies were formed for the purpose of supplying the gold diggers with food and clothing, and implements of every kind for digging, etc. Numbers of substantial wagons were prepared, stored with wholesale quantities of clothing of every kind, spades, picks, shovels, chests of carpenters' tools, tea, coffee, sugar, flour, fruits, etc. When these companies arrived within a short distance of Salt Lake City, news reached them that ships had been dispatched from many parts of the world, fitted out with goods for California. This threatened to flood the market. So these companies brought their goods into the Valley, and disposed of them for just what could be gotprovisions, wagons, clothes, tools, at least at half the price for which the goods could have been purchased in the States. Many disposed of their wagons because the teams gave out, and could not get on any farther. Some sold almost all they had to purchase a mule or a horse to pack through with. Thus were the Saints amply provided, even to overflowing, with every one of the necessaries and many of the luxuries of which they had been so destitute, and thus was the prediction of the servant of the Lord fulfilled.
(Gems for Young Folks: Faith Promoting Series no. 4)

Activity:
Find the words that describe spiritual gifts in the word search. T A M Z Z G E B E N G O E N B N O T K O U N N O T I P L C I R R W G Q L T S W T S F L U U A R X O A P R O P H E C Y P L V B F S E H S W N E M S U S N O I S I V Y P D G H H N Y U E O S T F I G C Z S R

tongues healing revelation

gifts prophecy

(Ann Laemmlen and Jackie Owen, Articles of Faith Learning Book, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1990], p. 93.)

Extras:

Discuss each family members spiritual gifts. Pass a small wrapped box (gift) around the group as music is played. When the music stops, the person holding the gift must think of one of the gifts mentioned in the seventh Article of Faith and explain how it works.

Refreshment
Layered Cookies
14 1 1 1 1 1 1 pound butter or margarine cup graham cracker crumbs cup coconut cup chocolate chips cup butterscotch chips cup nuts can sweetened condensed milk

Melt butter in 9x13-inch pan. Sprinkle remaining ingredients over butter, in layers. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Immediately after removing from oven, cut cookies away from sides of pan. Cut in squares while still warm.
(Lion House Classics, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2004], p. 108.)

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