Deseret Book

Packet #080505

Family Home Evening Materials

Theme: 9th 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.

9th Article of Faith

Thought: Revelation was required to establish this Church. Revelation has brought it from its humble beginnings to its present course. Revelation has come like flowing, living water. Continuing revelation will lead it forward to the windup scene.
(James E. Faust, Continuing Revelation, Ensign, Aug. 1996, 2)

Purpose: To help our family understand the Ninth Article of Faith. Song: I Pray in Faith Childrens Songbook, p. 14.

Scripture: We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.
(Article of Faith 1:9)

Object Lesson:

Place a cloth over a picture of Christ and the Children (such as Gospel Art Kit, 608). Tell your family that reveal means to uncover something that has been covered. Point to the picture that is covered with the cloth. Tell them you have covered a picture. Uncover a small portion at a time, until the whole picture of Christ is revealed. Tell your family that with every revelation from God we are able to uncover (learn) more about Christ.
(Christena C. Nelson, Sharing the Articles of Faith, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1994], p. 42.)

Story:

(Virginia Budd Jacobsen,)

The question is often asked, "Do we really have revelation today?" A very impressive incident which happened while I was filling a mission in Hawaii is an answer to this question. In 1921, President [David O.] McKay and Elder Hugh Cannon were making a tour of the missions of the world. After a day of inspiring conference meetings in Hilo, Hawaii, a night trip to the Kilauea volcano was arranged for the visiting brethren and some of the missionaries. About nine o'clock that evening, two carloads, about ten of us, took off for the then very active volcano.

We stood on the rim of that fiery pit watching [the volcano], our backs chilled by the cold winds sweeping down from snowcapped Mauna Loa, and our faces almost blistered by the heat of the molten lava. Tiring of the cold, one of the elders discovered a volcanic balcony about four feet down inside the crater where observers could watch the display without being chilled by the wind. It seemed perfectly sound, and the "railing" on the open side of it formed a fine protection from the intense heat, making it an excellent place to view the spectacular display. After first testing its safety, Brother McKay and three of the elders climbed down into the hanging balcony. As they stood there warm and comfortable, they teased the others of us more timid ones who had hesitated to take advantage of the protection they had found. For quite some time we all watched the everchanging sight as we alternately chilled and roasted. After being down there in their protected spot for some time, suddenly Brother McKay said to those with him, "Brethren, I feel impressed that we should get out of here." With that he assisted the elders to climb out, and then they in turn helped him up to the wind-swept rim. It seems incredible, but almost immediately the whole balcony crumbled and fell with a roar into the molten lava a hundred feet or so below. It is easy to visualize the feelings of those who witnessed this terrifying experience. Not a word was said . . . the whole thing was too awful, with all that word means. None of us, who were witnesses to this experience could ever doubt the reality of "revelation in our day!" Some might say it was merely inspiration, but to us, it was a direct revelation given to a worthy man.
(David O. McKay and Clare Middlemiss, Cherished Experiences from the Writings of President David O. McKay)

Activity:
Play pictionary with your family. Have each member take turns drawing one of the items listed below. The other members should guess what they are portraying. After they guess correctly, ask your family what revelation was shown by the drawing, and how that revelation teaches us about Christ. Repeat until all the items have been represented. 1. (HAS) Draw Noah gathering animals into the ark. (Revelation: Noah should build an ark to save his family from the flood that would destroy all that was unclean.) 2. (HAS) Draw Moses holding the tablets with the Ten Commandments. (Revelation: Moses should write the laws of God and ask the people to covenant to live them.) 3. (HAS) Draw Nephi obtaining the Brass Plates from Laban. (Revelation: Nephi should kill Laban because Lehis family would need the written law to help them believe in Christ.) 4. (HAS) Draw the angel Gabriel announcing to Mary that she would be the mother of the Savior. (Revelation: The Savior would be born to a mortal woman named Mary.) 5. (HAS) Draw Amulek feeding Alma. (Revelation: Amuleks family would be blessed if he would return home and feed a holy prophet.)

6. (NOW) Draw Joseph Smith translating the Book of Mormon from the golden plates. (Revelation: Joseph Smith should translate the Book of Mormon.) 7. (NOW) Draw a temple. (Revelation: We should build temples so we can make covenants with God.) 8. (NOW) Draw a family inside a circle. (Revelation: Families can be sealed together and live forever with Heavenly Father and Jesus. 9. (NOW) Draw a sun, a moon, and the stars. (Revelation: There are three degrees of glory in the next life: the celestial, like the brightness of the sun; the terrestrial, like the moon; and the telestial, like the stars.) 10. (YET) Draw a beautiful city, New Jerusalem. (Revelation: We will be commanded to build the New Jerusalem in Jackson County, Missouri.) 11. (YET) Draw the golden plates and the scriptures. (Revelation: We will receive additional scriptures from records that have been lost and from the sealed portion of the Book of Mormon. 12. (YET) Draw many temples all over the earth. (Revelation: We will be commanded to build many more temples all over the earth, wherever there are enough members of the Church.)
(Christena C. Nelson, Sharing the Articles of Faith, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1994], p. 43.)

Extras:

Which of these things might God reveal? Put an X next to the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. __ What people should be taught about the Church. __ What kinds of activities are appropriate for Sunday. __ The score of next weeks football game. __ How to prepare for the future. __ Where to go on your vacation. __ Who should be invited to your birthday party. __ Where and when new temples should be built.

Snowballs

Refreshment

Vanilla ice cream Toasted coconut or chopped pecans Chocolate, caramel, or other favorite topping Maraschino cherries Scoop ice cream with large ice cream scoop into desired size balls. Make balls as rounded and smooth as possible. Drop ice cream balls into bowl of chopped pecans or toasted coconut and roll around until well coated. Place on cookie sheet that has been lined with wax paper or plastic wrap. Make an indentation on the top of each snowball with your thumb. (This is to put the maraschino cherry in before serving.) Place pan in freezer until time to serve. At serving time, place snowballs in individual serving bowls. Pour a small amount of chocolate, caramel, or other favorite topping on top of snowball and top with a stemmed maraschino cherry. To toast coconut: Place desired amount of coconut on a cookie sheet and put in the oven at 350 F. for 3 to 5 minutes or until light golden brown. Coconut will continue to brown a little after you remove it from the oven. Note: Snowballs can be made up to one week ahead, if they are well covered after they are frozen solid.
(Lion House Desserts, [Salt Lake City: Eagle Gate, 2000], p. 58.)

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