Scripture: Doctrine & Covenants 64:33
Song: “Love at Home”
Click on hymnal link to be directed to the Church’s Web site for accompaniment and lyrics.
Lesson: Elder David A. Bednar constructed this General Conference address on a revelation the Prophet Joseph Smith received in 1833— over 170 years ago— to rebuke members of the church to get their families in order.
Elder Bednar shares three suggestions to help us be more diligent and concerned at home:
1: Express Love—- and Show It
My wise mission president often refers to everyone being either a Mary or a Martha. When the Savior visited them, Mary sat at Jesus’ feet and listened to him, while Martha went about busily preparing or “serving” the Savior. Putting this story into our lives today– one was eager to sit, be patient, learn and participate while the other did the dishes, swept, mopped, fixed a huge meal + dessert, made a floral arrangement for the table and set out the finest dishes….. and wondered why she wasn’t getting any help.
Which one are you?!
Elder Bednar states…
“Each of us already knows we should tell the people we love that we love them. But what we know is not always reflected in what we do. We may feel unsure, awkward, or even perhaps a bit embarrassed.
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.”
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.”
2: Bear Testimony—- and Live It
Testimony comes in the act of bearing it. As we’ve often learned, our testimonies don’t have to filled with the most eloquent words or scripted– they become a part of us when they’re from our hearts and inter-most feelings. Our testimonies are strengthened each time we share them.
Elder Bednar states…
“Our testimony of gospel truth should be reflected both in our words and in our deeds. And 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.
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. Such testimony generates light in a world that grows increasingly dark. Such testimony is the source of an eternal perspective and of enduring peace.“
3: Be Consistent
You MUST Read This Story from Elder Bednar’s talk— No one can say it better than this about the importance of being consistent:
As our sons were growing up, our family did what you have done and what you now do. We had regular family prayer, scripture study, and family home evening. Now, I am sure what I am about to describe has never occurred in your home, but it did in ours.
Sometimes Sister Bednar and I wondered if our efforts to do these spiritually essential things were worthwhile. Now and then verses of scripture were read amid outbursts such as “He’s touching me!” “Make him stop looking at me!” “Mom, he’s breathing my air!” Sincere prayers occasionally were interrupted with giggling and poking. And with active, rambunctious boys, family home evening lessons did not always produce high levels of edification. At times Sister Bednar and I were exasperated because the righteous habits we worked so hard to foster did not seem to yield immediately the spiritual results we wanted and expected.
Today if you could ask our adult sons what they remember about family prayer, scripture study, and family home evening, I believe I know how they would answer. They likely would not identify a particular prayer or a specific instance of scripture study or an especially meaningful family home evening lesson as the defining moment in their spiritual development. What they would say they remember is that as a family we were consistent.
Sister Bednar and I thought helping our sons understand the content of a particular lesson or a specific scripture was the ultimate outcome. But such a result does not occur each time we study or pray or learn together. The consistency of our intent and work was perhaps the greatest lesson—a lesson we did not fully appreciate at the time.
In my office is a beautiful painting of a wheat field. The painting is a vast collection of individual brushstrokes—none of which in isolation is very interesting or impressive. In fact, if you stand close to the canvas, all you can see is a mass of seemingly unrelated and unattractive streaks of yellow and gold and brown paint. However, as you gradually move away from the canvas, all of the individual brushstrokes combine together and produce a magnificent landscape of a wheat field. Many ordinary, individual brushstrokes work together to create a captivating and beautiful painting.
Each family prayer, each episode of family scripture study, and each family home evening is a brushstroke on the canvas of our souls. No one event may appear to be very impressive or memorable. But just as the yellow and gold and brown strokes of paint complement each other and produce an impressive masterpiece, so our consistency in doing seemingly small things can lead to significant spiritual results.
Talk: “More Diligent and Concerned at Home” ~ Elder David A. Bednar
Discussion: When is the last time you told your spouse, child, loved one that you love them- and took the extra time to let them know you really mean it? How is this an important principle?
Why do we bear testimony? How do we bear testimony?
What areas in your life have you seen the wisdom in being consistent? What areas have you seen that have suffered from being inconsistent? Why would Elder Bednar include this as an important principle to get our families in order?
Activity:
Young Children: Color Page from The Friend: Family Scripture study
Older Children:
Build a pyramid using plastic or Styrofoam cups of the same size. Start with a base of 5 cups and build up until you have one at the top.
Write the name of the family members on each one of the cups– so each person gets a cup. If you have only a couple of people in your family, write other names of family members or friends. Write “Jesus Christ” on one of the cups and have him be the top cup.
While a pyramid is formed– ask questions about the lesson in regards to how persons on the cup have acted or haven’t acted.
For example, Mom forgot to bear her testimony of prayer when one of the children said they hated praying.
*After Mom shares this example- pull out the cup marked “Mom.”
Mom can then share how she can do better about sharing her testimony about important truths of the gospel.
Everyone gets a turn to talk about how to share love more, bear testimony more often and being consistent.
As you pull out family member’s cups– the top one– marked, Jesus Christ, will fall down. You can then explain how we don’t want to let Jesus down. We want to uphold him by upholding the teachings of the living prophets.
Treat:
Banana Pudding– 10 minute treat from Betty Crocker!
Your Thoughts~