General Conference Family Home Evening: “The Three Rs of Choice”
Nov. 2003 New Era Magazine, pg. 45
Purpose: On the second Monday of the month, we prepare a Family Home Evening lesson from the most current General Conference address. This month, the lesson is from President Thomas S. Monson’s talk “The Three Rs of Choice” from the Oct. 2010 General Conference meetings.
Scripture: Doctrine & Covenants 8:2
Song: “The Still Small Voice”
Lesson: (Quotes from President Monson’s talk are in BLUE)
1. Right~ One of the greatest gifts our Father in Heaven gave to us was the gift of agency– our own ability to choose right from wrong. It was Lucifer’s plan to take that agency away from us. Without being able to make our own choices, we wouldn’t be able to learn, grow and experience all that we need to in order to become like our Father in Heaven.
“Within the confines of whatever circumstances we find ourselves, we will always have the right to choose.”
2. Responsibility~ With every choice or decision comes a consequence. President Monson teaches us that, “by choosing our path, we choose our destination.”
Making everyday decisions based on what clothes to wear will not effect us eternally; however, choices that we make daily to obey the commandments, stay away from immoral photos or Web sites, and so forth do carry eternal consequences.
“With the right of choice comes the responsibility to choose. We cannot be neutral; there is no middle ground. The Lord knows this; Lucifer knows this. As long as we live upon this earth, Lucifer and his hosts will never abandon the hope of claiming our souls.
Our Heavenly Father did not launch us on our eternal journey without providing the means whereby we could receive from Him God-given guidance to assist in our safe return at the end of mortal life. I speak of prayer. I speak too of the whisperings from that still, small voice within each of us, and I do not overlook the holy scriptures, written by mariners who successfully sailed the seas we too must cross.
Each of us has come to this earth with all the tools necessary to make correct choices. The prophet Mormon tells us, “The Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil.”
The Lord didn’t leave us alone– after baptism we receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost which can and will help us make the correct choices and have proper control of our responsibilities.
“Decisions are constantly before us. To make them wisely, courage is needed—the courage to say no, the courage to say yes. Decisions do determine destiny.”
3. Results~
“All of our choices have consequences, some of which have little or nothing to do with our eternal salvation and others of which have everything to do with it.”
May we keep our eyes, our hearts, and our determination focused on that goal which is eternal and worth any price we will have to pay, regardless of the sacrifice we must make to reach it.
Discussion: Read the following story President Monson shares in this talk to discuss the the 3 Rs of Choice:
I speak of Brother Clayton M. Christensen, a member of the Church who is a professor of business administration in the business school at Harvard University.
When he was 16 years old, Brother Christensen decided, among other things, that he would not play sports on Sunday. Years later, when he attended Oxford University in England, he played center on the basketball team. That year they had an undefeated season and went through to the British equivalent of what in the United States would be the NCAA basketball tournament.
They won their games fairly easily in the tournament, making it to the final four. It was then that Brother Christensen looked at the schedule and, to his absolute horror, saw that the final basketball game was scheduled to be played on a Sunday. He and the team had worked so hard to get where they were, and he was the starting center. He went to his coach with his dilemma. His coach was unsympathetic and told Brother Christensen he expected him to play in the game.
Prior to the final game, however, there was a semifinal game. Unfortunately, the backup center dislocated his shoulder, which increased the pressure on Brother Christensen to play in the final game. He went to his hotel room. He knelt down. He asked his Heavenly Father if it would be all right, just this once, if he played that game on Sunday. He said that before he had finished praying, he received the answer: “Clayton, what are you even asking me for? You know the answer.”
He went to his coach, telling him how sorry he was that he wouldn’t be playing in the final game. Then he went to the Sunday meetings in the local ward while his team played without him. He prayed mightily for their success. They did win.
That fateful, difficult decision was made more than 30 years ago. Brother Christensen has said that as time has passed, he considers it one of the most important decisions he ever made. It would have been very easy to have said, “You know, in general, keeping the Sabbath day holy is the right commandment, but in my particular extenuating circumstance, it’s okay, just this once, if I don’t do it.” However, he says his entire life has turned out to be an unending stream of extenuating circumstances, and had he crossed the line just that once, then the next time something came up that was so demanding and critical, it would have been so much easier to cross the line again. The lesson he learned is that it is easier to keep the commandments 100 percent of the time than it is 98 percent of the time.
General Conference Talk: “The Three Rs of Choice”
Activity:
Gather in one room where the children can walk safely from one side to the other. On one wall, put up a poster/sign that says “Good Choice” and the other wall “Bad Choice.”
Read the following sentences and have the children go to the correct wall for their choice in doing the following:
I come to Primary.
I thank my teacher.
I poke my friend instead of folding my arms.
I sing when asked to sing in Primary.
I say, “excuse” me.
I keep my eyes open when the prayer is said.
I bring a friend to Primary.
I yell in the chapel.
I whisper to my friend during the sacrament.
I push a friend away from the drinking fountain.
I walk quietly going to my classroom.
I laugh when another child falls down.
I raise my hand in class before talking.
I make noises during class or during Family Home Evening.
I help the teacher with an activity.
I fold my arms.
I laugh and make fun of someone in class.
I say “please” when I need help.
I listen quietly when my teacher tells a story.
I choose the right.
I help at home.
I don’t make my bed.
I feed the dog.
I thank my teacher.
I poke my friend instead of folding my arms.
I sing when asked to sing in Primary.
I say, “excuse” me.
I keep my eyes open when the prayer is said.
I bring a friend to Primary.
I yell in the chapel.
I whisper to my friend during the sacrament.
I push a friend away from the drinking fountain.
I walk quietly going to my classroom.
I laugh when another child falls down.
I raise my hand in class before talking.
I make noises during class or during Family Home Evening.
I help the teacher with an activity.
I fold my arms.
I laugh and make fun of someone in class.
I say “please” when I need help.
I listen quietly when my teacher tells a story.
I choose the right.
I help at home.
I don’t make my bed.
I feed the dog.
(Idea sentences from SugarDoodle.net)
Treat:
5-minute Brownie in a Mug
4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
dash of salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons water
1/3 teaspoon vanilla
small handful of chocolate chips (optional)
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
dash of salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons water
1/3 teaspoon vanilla
small handful of chocolate chips (optional)
Whisk together dry ingredients in a coffee mug, standard size (11 oz.) or larger. Add oil, water, and vanilla and mix thoroughly–making sure to scrape the bottom and sides so that it’s all incorporated. If you’d like, mix in chocolate chips.
Microwave on high for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. The finished product will be soft-ish and chewy.
Cool for a minute. Eat right out of the mug!
Your Thoughts~