What do magnifying glasses, books, and eternity have to do with each other? A little bit of curiosity and a whole lot of learning. Time for some FHE Fun!
Opening Song. #78 I’m Trying to Be Like Jesus
Opening Prayer. By invitation.
Emergency Preparedness Moment. What emergency preparedness activity would you like to do this week for your family? Make this a matter of prayer and you will be surprised at the promptings you can receive. These few minutes every seven days during FHE can help your children be ready for a variety of emergencies. Problem solving skills, first aid skills, putting together backpack 72-hour kits, or any other kind of creative endeavor shows your family you love them and teaches them how to take care of themselves in tough scenarios. What will you choose this week?
Devotional. Devotionals can be a way to bring a sweet spirit to FHE and to show your children you value the scriptures. Try using a “favorite verse” time to jumpstart the actual FHE lesson. A moment of short-verse-reading-and-testimony-sharing can bring a powerful spirit to your home and help settle the children for a more spiritual FHE learning time.
Lesson. Feel free to get ideas from the sample lesson listed below, but make sure to go to the Lord in prayer to determine what your family really needs for this week. You are the one the Lord has blessed to know your family’s spiritual needs during your weekly FHEs.
Items Needed:
Magnifying glass
(Hidden under a tablecloth) Display of scriptures, uplifting literature, classics, school books
Pass the magnifying glass to the person closest to you in the room. Invite him to take ten seconds to find something new with the magnifying glass he’s never noticed before – without leaving his seat! Then, without him sharing what he found, have him pass the magnifying glass to the person closest to him. Have her do the same.
Continue to pass the magnifying glass around the room, giving each person – without leaving his or her seat – the opportunity to discover something close up and in detail.
Once everyone has had a turn to play “Sherlock Holmes” with the magnifying glass and their immediate surroundings, invite the sharing of discoveries, whether it’s a loose thread, a vein under the skin barely visible through the magnifying glass, or some other find.
When the group is finished sharing, ask: What was cool about what you discovered? Why did it take a magnifying glass to notice this? Why does it take focus to learn new things? What will the eternities be like if we don’t take time now to love learning, to value what God has created and surrounded us with currently?
Remove the tablecloth to expose the display of uplifting literature (not pop culture books). Then lead into the next part of the discussion by asking: How are quality books like magnifying glasses?
Enjoy their responses. Then read this poem quoted by President Monson:
“Books are keys to wisdom’s treasure;
Books are gates to lands of pleasure;
Books are paths that upward lead;
Books are friends. Come, let us read.”
President Monson also stated:
“Reading is one of the true pleasures of life. In our age of mass culture, when so much that we encounter is abridged, adapted, adulterated, shredded, and boiled down, it is mind-easing and mind-inspiring to sit down privately with a congenial book.
“Young children also enjoy books and love to have their parents read to them.
“The Lord counseled, “Seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith” (Thomas S. Monson, “Hallmarks of a Happy Home,” Liahona, Oct 2001, 3).
He also has quoted frequently the following poem:
“You may have tangible wealth untold;
Caskets of jewels and coffers of gold.
Richer than I you can never be-
I had a Mother who read to me” (Thomas S. Monson, “If Ye Are Prepared Ye Shall Not Fear,” Liahona, Nov 2004, 113-16.)
Reading is not just for obtaining joy. From the earliest days of the church, members have been instructed to “become acquainted with good books and to study history, geography, languages, and many other disciplines” (Milton V. Backman Jr., “Kirtland: The Crucial Years ,” Ensign, Jan 1979, 24).
Why? How does knowledge about a wide variety of subjects protect us and especially help us avoid being deceived?
“Those who do not remember the past,” said George Santayana, “are compelled to live it” (International Dictionary of Thoughts, Chicago: J. G. Ferguson Publishing Company, 1969, p. 543, and as quoted by G. Homer Durham in “Why Study History?,” Ensign, Sep 1978, 59).
Invite the family to set a time to research books that not only are fun to read, but are ones that feed the soul and are books that illustrate true valor in uplifting ways. Here are a few that my family has thoroughly enjoyed, to get you started! As a parent, I’ve noticed that quality books help children recognize truth in their personal lives, while they read about courageous kids in fictional worlds:
Tristi Pinkston’s Strength to Endure. This is a riveting story about a girl who must find courage to face down the hurtful acts of others toward her friends and family.
James Dashner’s Thirteenth Reality: The Journal of Curious Letters. Atticus Higginbottom must make a choice between valor and fear.
J. Scott Savage’s Far World: Water Keep. A story of two handicapped youth seeking to make their individual worlds a better place.
There are also poetry books, science books, and many other choices. Enjoy this week setting aside perhaps quiet time to read each evening as a family.
Closing Song. #90 Truth From Elijah.
Closing Prayer. By invitation.
Struggling with your teens? C.S. Bezas’ book is an essential help for parents and youth leaders. Powerful Tips for Powerful Teachers teaches you how to create powerful change. Visit your local LDS bookstore or get your copy online here.
