Family Home Evening for Revelation 15-22

 Read Revelation 19:7-9

7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.

8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.

Lesson

Look at some wedding pictures of yourself, ancestors, friends, etc. Discuss what kind of preparation went into planning and preparing for a wedding. What did you do to prepare? How long did it take to prepare? What things did you have to consider?

Now, consider the covenants that you have made with the Lord. Discuss what you did to prepare for these covenants. What did you do to prepare? How long did it take to prepare? What things did you have to consider?

Discuss

Now that you have discussed a wedding and a covenant, why is a marriage a good comparison for the Lord’s covenant with His Church?

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Family Home Evening for Christmas 2023

 For Christmas, find a way to celebrate the life of Jesus Christ, that we have studied in such great depth this year. You can create a family nativity, act out the birth story of our Savior, go do service for someone, etc.

One thing that we are doing is studying some of the names of our Savior. Here is a list that we have:

Son of God- Luke 1:35

Root of David- Revelation 22:16

King of Kings- Revelation 19:16

Wonderful Counselor- Isaiah 9:6

I Am- John 8:58

Jesus- Matthew 1:21

Immanuel- Matthew 1:23

Prince of Peace- Isaiah 9:6

The Way the Truth the Life- John 14:6

Branch- Isaiah 4:2

However you decide to celebrate our Savior, remember this beautiful quote by President Gordon B. Hinckley, taken from his talk in December 2000, titled The Wonderous True Meaning of Christmas

“Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: …

“… He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed” (Isa. 53:4–5).

This is the wondrous and true story of Christmas. The birth of Jesus in Bethlehem of Judea is preface. The three-year ministry of the Master is prologue. The magnificent substance of the story is His sacrifice, the totally selfless act of dying in pain on the cross of Calvary to atone for the sins of all of us.

The epilogue is the miracle of the Resurrection, bringing the assurance that “as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive” (1 Cor. 15:22).

There would be no Christmas if there had not been Easter. The babe Jesus of Bethlehem would be but another baby without the redeeming Christ of Gethsemane and Calvary, and the triumphant fact of the Resurrection.

I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Eternal, Living God. None so great has ever walked the earth. None other has made a comparable sacrifice or granted a comparable blessing. He is the Savior and the Redeemer of the world. I believe in Him. I declare His divinity without equivocation or compromise. I love Him. I speak His name in reverence and wonder. I worship Him as I worship His Father, in spirit and in truth. I thank Him and kneel before His Beloved Son who reached out long ago and said to each of us, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28).

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Family Home Evening For Revelation 6-14

 Read Revelation 7:14-17

14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

15 Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.

16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.

17 For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.

Lesson

When we get baptized, we take upon us the name of Jesus Christ. We promise to always remember Him, and He promises us to always have His Spirit with us. 

When we make sacred covenants with Heavenly Father, at baptism and in the temple, we wear white clothing. This is symbolic that we are coming out of sin, and we can become as clean and pure as fresh, white snow because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

Because we are made clean through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we can someday return to the presence of our Heavenly Father, led by Jesus Christ. There will be no more suffering and God will be there to help us be happy for all eternity.

Discuss

How can His promises help us when we are in “great tribulation”? (verse 14).

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Family Home Evening for Revelation 1-5

 Read Revelation 3:15-16

15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.

16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

Activity

Give your children a drink that should usually be hot and give it to them cold, then lukewarm, and then hot. How can we compare this activity to our spiritual “temperature?”

Discuss

What does it mean to be spiritually cold?

What does it mean to be spiritually lukewarm?

What does it mean to be spiritually hot?

Where is your family on this spiritual scale? Are there any places where you can improve?

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Family Home Evening for 1-3 John; Jude

 Read 3 John 1:4

4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.

Discuss

What does it mean to walk in truth? To help your children understand, tell family members how you have seen them walk in truth and talk about the joy this brings you. Explain that if it brings you this much joy, imagine how much it brings Heavenly Father when He sees His children walk in truth.

 What are other ways that you can walk in truth? Write down some things you can do, and post them in your home.

One way that you can walk in truth is by serving others. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints invites us to serve others by remembering the true meaning of Christmas by Lighting the World, each Christmas season. There is a link to their website in the description box below. On the website, there is a downloadable checklist of ideas and even an interactive idea generator. There is also information about the Giving Machine. It’s kind of like a vending machine, but instead of dispensing sodas and snacks, it dispenses donations to causes around the world! You can purchase anything from donating clean water to a country that doesn’t have any to donating money to refugees. Check it out and give Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ joy as you walk in truth this Christmas season!

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Family Home Evening for 1 and 2 Peter

 Read 1 Peter 3:15-17

15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

16 Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.

17 For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing.

Discuss

When we are having conversations about religion, it is possible for them to turn to anger very quickly. It is important to remember to always be respectful of other people, and remember that you represent Jesus Christ in all that you do. The best thing to do is think about some questions that some people might ask you, and think about, ponder, and pray about how you would answer them.

Here are some commonly asked questions:

Q: Are you a Mormon?

Possible A: Though others may refer to me as a Mormon,  I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. 

Q: Why does your church have such a long name?

Possible A: When Jesus Christ was on the earth, He established His church, The Church of Jesus Christ, upon the earth. After His apostles died, His church was removed from the earth. In the Latter-Day, His church was again restored to the earth and again called by His name, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and that is the church that I am a part of.

Q: Do you worship Joseph Smith?

Possible A: No, we don’t worship Joseph Smith. We respect him as a prophet of God. Just as Jesus called apostles and prophets in the church, when He was on the earth, He has again called prophets and apostles to His church. Joseph Smith was the first prophet called in the latter days, and President Russell M. Nelson is the prophet today.  We only worship Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ as deities.

Q: Do you have another Bible?

Possible A: We have the Book of Mormon that is another testament of Jesus Christ. We also read and study the Bible as one of our standard books of scripture.

Q: Are you a Christian?

Possible A: Yes. I am a believer and follower of Jesus Christ. I believe that Jesus Atoned for my sins and because of Him, I can be resurrected and receive eternal life.

Discuss

What are some other questions that you might encounter? Discuss these as a family.

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Family Home Evening for James

 Read James 1:5

5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

Lesson

James was the son of Mary, so he was Jesus’s half brother. It seems right that he would write one of the most powerful scriptures to open the last dispensation of the fullness of time. 

Sometimes just one verse of scripture can change the world. This scripture seems simple—if you need wisdom, ask God. But when 14-year-old Joseph Smith read that verse, “it seemed to enter with great force into every feeling of [his] heart” (Joseph Smith—History 1:12). When Joseph wondered which church to join, he sought wisdom from God through prayer. And God did indeed give liberally, giving Joseph one of the most remarkable heavenly visitations in human history—the First Vision. This vision changed the course of Joseph’s life and led to the Restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ on the earth. All of us are blessed today because Joseph Smith read and acted on James 1:5.

Discuss

What are some questions that you “lack wisdom” in? Teach your children how to ask Heavenly Father for answers.

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Family Home Evening for Hebrews 7-13

 Read or Summarize Hebrews 12:5-7, 9-11

5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:

6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?

9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?

10 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.

11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

Activity

In the following scenario Johnny made a poor choice.  

Johnny played all day and made a big mess. His room was so messy that when his mom went in to put his laundry away, she tripped over his toy car. Though she wasn’t really hurt, she told Johnny that he was old enough to clean up after himself, and he needed to learn how to take better care of his toys. What did Johnny’s mother teach him while chastising him?

Here is a scenario of a time that the Lord chastised someone for a poor choice.

Susie went shopping with her Mom. While she was at the store, she saw a toy that she really wanted. She asked her mother for it, but her mom told her, “no.” Instead of putting it back, she stuck it in her pocket. Her mom didn’t know about it, and so they went home. When Susie went home, she was laying in her bed, and looking at her new toy. Susie looked on her bedroom wall and saw a picture of Jesus. She thought about her baptismal covenants and knew that what she did was wrong. She didn’t want to get in trouble with her mom, so she decided not to do anything. After a few days, her new toy was not very fun anymore. Everytime she looked at it, she felt the Holy Ghost tell her that it was wrong for her to take that toy home without paying for it. Susie went to her Mom and told her what she had done. She emptied her piggy bank and went to the store to purchase the toy that she had taken. She apologized to the store owner for what she had done. When she got home, she said a prayer and asked Heavenly Father to forgive her for not being honest. She felt a warm feeling in her heart and felt peaceful again. She knew that Heavenly Father had forgiven her.

Conclusion

According to the scripture above, God says that He chastises those He loves. God’s chastisements help us to become better people and “partake of His holiness.”

Just like our parents teach us to be better people and become better people, the Lord’s goal is to help us be happy and receive exaltation in the kingdom of God. As we are repenting and receiving the Lord’s chastisements, it can be very difficult, but this scripture promises us, “afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness…” Just remember that The Lord loves you, and you are never “too late” to repent and receive the peaceable fruit of righteousness, that comes when we are forgiven for our sins.

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Family Home Evening for Hebrews 1-6

 Read Hebrews 2:9-10

9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.

10 For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

Lesson

Ask your children to tell you what a captain is. They may think of Captain America, the captain of a ship, the captain of a sports team, etc. What characteristics does a captain have? Make a list of these attributes. 

The scripture above says that Jesus is the Captain of our Salvation. How do the attributes that you listed above compare to the attributes that the Savior has? Verse 9 lists some special attributes that help us understand how Jesus is the Captain of Our Salvation. Discuss these as a family.

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Family Home Evening for 1 and 2 Timothy; Titus; Philemon

 Read 1 Timothy 4:12

12 Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.

Lesson and Activity

This scripture teaches us that even though you are young, you can be an example of a believer of Jesus Christ. Talk about or act out ways that you can be an example of a believer. Use the ways, given in the scripture, for guidance.

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Family Home Evening for 1 and 2 Thessalonians

 Read 1 Thessalonians 5:14-25

14 Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.

15 See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men.

16 Rejoice evermore.

17 Pray without ceasing.

18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

19 Quench not the Spirit.

20 Despise not prophesyings.

21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.

22 Abstain from all appearance of evil.

23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

24 Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.

25 Brethren, pray for us.

Activity

Have each family member find a phrase that the family could focus on. Find creative ways to display these phrases in your home as a reminder. For example, each person might find or draw pictures that illustrate or reinforce the phrase he or she chose.

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Family Home Evening for Philippians and Colossians

 Read or Summarize Philippians 4:13

13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Lesson

Sometimes, life gets really hard. It can feel like we are being pushed beyond what we are capable of handling. It feels like we are pushing a giant rock up a hill, or carrying a heavy burden, while blindfolded, so we can’t see where we are going or how much longer we have to endure our suffering. We can find strength in remembering the Atonement of Jesus Christ. We can find strength in knowing that Jesus suffered all things, and endured all of our trials to the very end. He is there, cheering us on and lifting us up, and encouraging us to endure just a little longer. 

In trials, I like to think that Jesus says to me, as he did to Joseph Smith, in Liberty Jail, “ My [child], peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes.” (D&C 121:7-8)

President Russell M. Nelson said, “When the focus of our lives is on … Jesus Christ and His gospel, we can feel joy regardless of what is happening—or not happening—in our lives. Joy comes from and because of Him. He is the source of all joy.” (“Joy and Spiritual Survival,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2016, 82).

Discuss

When have you found strength through Christ to do hard things?

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Family Home Evening for Ephesians

 Read or Summarize Ephesians 6:10-18

10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

Activity

Use household items and/or cardboard boxes to make the Armor of God. Have one of your children dress in the Armor of God. As you dress your child, discuss the different parts of the armor and what they represent. Have the other family members throw “fiery darts.” This could be foam darts, wadded up paper, or some other projectile. As they throw them at the person in armor, point out that with the armor on, they are fully protected, just as we are fully protected from Satan.

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