LDSLiving Fhe

FHE from A to Z
52 Complete Family
Home Evenings
Shauna Gibby
f.h.e from A to Z
Table of Contents
AGENCY.....................................................................2
LOVE........................................................................ 62
APOSTLES.................................................................4
MARRIAGE............................................................. 64
ATONEMENT...........................................................6
MISSIONARY WORK........................................... 66
BAPTISM....................................................................8
MODESTY............................................................... 68
BLESSINGS..............................................................10
PATIENCE.............................................................. 70
THE BOOK OF MORMON................................. 13
PATRIARCHAL BLESSINGS...............................73
COMMANDMENTS.............................................16
PERSONAL REVELATION................................. 76
COVENANTS..........................................................19
PIONEERS.............................................................. 78
THE CREATION....................................................21
PLAN OF SALVATION........................................ 80
DISCIPLESHIP...................................................... 23
PRAYER................................................................... 82
DIVINE NATURE.................................................. 25
PRIESTHOOD....................................................... 85
EDUCATION..........................................................27
PROPHETS............................................................. 88
ENDURING............................................................ 29
REPENTANCE....................................................... 90
ETERNAL LIFE....................................................... 31
THE RESTORATION........................................... 93
FAITH....................................................................... 34
RESURRECTION.................................................. 96
FAMILIES................................................................ 36
SABBATH DAY...................................................... 98
FAMILY HISTORY................................................ 38
THE SACRAMENT..............................................101
FASTING................................................................. 40
SCRIPTURE STUDY.......................................... 103
FORGIVENESS...................................................... 42
SERVICE................................................................ 105
GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT........................................ 45
TALENTS...............................................................107
GODHEAD..............................................................47
TEMPLES...............................................................110
GRATITUDE........................................................... 50
TESTIMONY......................................................... 112
HONESTY............................................................... 52
TITHING................................................................ 114
INTEGRITY.............................................................55
WORD OF WISDOM.......................................... 117
JESUS CHRIST...................................................... 58
WORK..................................................................... 119
KINDNESS.............................................................. 60
ZION........................................................................ 121
F.H.E. FROM A TO Z SHAUNA GIBBY
f.h.e from A to Z
Agency
Our agencyour ability to choose and act for ourselveswas an essential element
of this plan. Without agency we would be unable to make right choices and
progress. Yet with agency we could make wrong choices, commit sin, and lose the
opportunity to be with Heavenly Father again.
(Robert D. Hales, Agency: Essential to the Plan of Life, Ensign, Nov. 2010, 24274.)
Song:
Know This That Every Soul Is Free, Hymns, #240
Scripture:
The Lord said unto Enoch: Behold these thy brethren; they are
the workmanship of mine own hands, and I gave unto them their
knowledge, in the day I created them; and in the Garden of Eden,
gave I unto man his agency. (Moses 7:32)
Lesson:
On a large sheet of paper, write the following statement by the
Prophet Joseph Smith (see Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith,
181): The devil has no _____ ____ __ ____ __ __ ______ ___.
Write the following words (the rest of the Joseph Smith statement)
on separate strips of paper and mix them up: power, over,
us, only, as, we, permit, him. Invite your family to
reassemble the individual words in a way that they think best
finishes the Prophets statement. Ask:
What does this statement by Joseph Smith teach you about the
excuse The devil made me do it?
Why is it important to know we have power to act and choose
for ourselves? (See 2 Nephi 2:27.)
When have you seen Satan use peer pressure to get people
today to make bad choices?
Refreshment
Chewy Chex Mix

This treat is a hit with all ages.
8 cups Rice Chex (or the Chex
cereal of your choice)
1 cup coconut
1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup chow mein noodles
1/4 cup butter or margarine
6 cups miniature marshmallows
Combine Chex, coconut, almonds,

and noodles in a large bowl. Melt
butter over medium heat; blend in
marshmallows and stir until melted.
Pour over cereal mixture; spread
on waxed paper to cool. Store in
an airtight container or individual
plastic bags. Makes about 10 cups.
(Julie Badger Jensen, The Essential Mormon
Cookbook, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book,
2004] p. 130.)
How does allowing the devil such power affect our ability to make correct choices?
Challenge your family to think seriously about some of their recent choices and where they might lead. Have them
think of ways they can prevent the devil from having power over them in their personal lives.
(Dennis H. Leavitt and Richard O. Christensen, Scripture Study for Latter-day Saint Families: The Old Testament,
[Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2009], p. 7.)
Agency
Story:
U-Dandy Resented Restraint

David O. McKay
Recently I had great pleasure in training a well-bred colt. He had a good disposition, clean, well-rounded eye, was
well-proportioned, and all in all, a choice equine possession. Under the saddle he was as willing, responsive, and
co-operative as a horse could be. He and my dog Scotty were real companions. I liked the way he would go up to
something of which he was afraid. He had confidence that if he would do as I bade him he would not be injured.
But U-Dandy resented restraint. He was ill-contented when tied and would nibble at the tie-rope until he was
free. He would not run away, just wanted to be free. Thinking other horses felt the same, he would proceed to untie
their ropes. He hated to be confined in the pasture, and if he could find a place in the fence where there was only
smooth wire, he would paw the wire carefully with his feet until he could step over to freedom. More than once
my neighbors were kind enough to put him back in the field. He learned even to push open the gate. Though his
depredations were provoking and sometimes expensive, I admired his intelligence and ingenuity.
But his curiosity and desire to explore the neighborhood led him and me into trouble. Once on the highway he was
hit by an automobile, resulting in a demolished machine, injury to the horse, and slight, though not serious, injury to
the driver.
Recovering from that, and still impelled with a feeling of wanderlust he inspected the fence throughout the entire
boundary.
He even found the gates wired. So, for awhile we thought we had U-Dandy secure in the pasture.
One day, however, somebody left the gate unwired. Detecting this, U-Dandy unlatched it, took Nig, his
companion, with him, and together they visited the neighbors field. They went to an old house used for storage.
U-Dandys curiosity prompted him to push open the door. Just as he had surmised, there was a sack of grain. What
a find! Yes, and what a tragedy! The grain was poison bait for rodents! In a few minutes U-Dandy and Nig were
in spasmodic pain, and shortly both were dead.
How like U-Dandy are many of our youth! They are not bad; they do not even intend to do wrong, but they are
impulsive, full of life, full of curiosity, and long to do something. They, too, are restive under restraint, but if they are
kept busy, guided carefully and rightly, they prove to be responsive and capable; but if left to wander unguided, they
all too frequently find themselves in the environment of temptation and too often are entangled in the snares of evil.
(Linda Ririe Gundry, Jay A. Parry, and Jack M. Lyon, editors, Best-Loved Christmas Stories of the LDS People, [Salt
Lake City: Deseret Book, 2001] p. 429.)
Activity:
Give everyone a sheet of paper and have them make a paper airplane. See which ones fly the farthest, highest,
loopiest, etc.
f.h.e from A to Z
Apostles
It has always seemed a remarkable thing to me that, although the Lord chose
twelve Apostles to assist him in the work of the ministry, and to extend it following
his death; and that although Paul, who was an Apostle, declared that the Church
should be built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets . . . the office of
Apostle, and certainly a Council of Twelve Apostles, is not found to my knowledge
in other Christian churches.
(Gordon B. Hinckley, Special Witnesses for Christ, Ensign, May 1984, 49)
Song:
The Fifth Article of Faith, Childrens Songbook, p.125.
Scripture:
And as I said unto mine apostles, even so I say unto you, for you are
mine apostles, even Gods high priests; ye are they whom my Father
hath given me; ye are my friends. (Doctrine and Covenants 84:63)
Lesson:
Show your family a picture of each member of the Quorum of the
Twelve Apostles and First Presidency, but do not show their names.
(These pictures can be found in a recent May or November Ensign.)
Let each family member see how many of these men they can name.
Explain that Jesus also called Twelve Apostles when He was on
earth. Have your family try to name as many of Jesus original
Twelve Apostles as they can. Ask family members to read Mark
3:1621 and find the names of the original Twelve Apostles.
Discuss the following questions:
According to Mark 3:1315, what did Jesus ask these men to
do?
According to the Bible Dictionary (Apostle, 612), what is the
principal responsibility of an Apostle?
How do Apostles witness that Jesus is the Christ today?
Refreshment
Honey Candy
2 cups honey
1 cup sugar
1 cup cream
Combine ingredients in heavy

saucepan. Stir over low heat until
sugar is dissolved. Cook, stirring
as little as possible, until mixture
reaches hard ball stage (260
degrees). Remove from heat; pour
onto buttered shallow pan or
buttered platter. Turn edges in with
spatula so they will not harden and
candy will cool more quickly. When
barely cool enough to handle, pull,
using only buttered finger tips, until
light and fluffy. Twist into ropes of
desired thickness. With scissors cut
into pieces of desired size.
(Winnifred C. Jardine, Mormon Country
Cooking, [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1980] p.
301.)
What messages do you remember from the Apostles in the last

conference?
Apostles
Invite family members to share feelings, testimonies, or personal experiences they may have had with todays
Apostles.
(Dennis H. Leavitt and Richard O. Christensen, Scripture Study for Latter-day Saint Families: The New Testament,
Story:
Heber J. Grant
Forty years ago this October conference [1922], I met the late Elder George Teasdale at the south gate of the
Tabernacle grounds. He shook hands with me and said: Brother Grant, I am delighted to see you. You and I are going
to be and he stopped suddenly and his face turned red. But the Lord gave me the balance of the sentence. Four
times in my life I have been permitted to read the thoughts of people. The balance of Brother Teasdales sentence
wassustained this afternoon as apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ to fill the vacancies in the Quorum. And that
went through me like a shock of electricity.
I came to the Sunday afternoon meeting of the conference, because of this partial sentence, and the balance that was
given to me, with the assurance in my heart that Brother Teasdale and myself would be sustained as apostles. Those
of you who were at that conference remember that it adjourned without filling those vacancies. I do not believe that
any mortal man ever more humbly supplicated God during the next few days to forgive him for his egotism than I
did for thinking I was to be chosen as an apostle. As you are aware, within a week a revelation came to John Taylor
calling Brother Teasdale and myself to those positions.
It has never ceased to be a wonder to me that I do represent the Lord here upon the earth. My association from
childhood with the remarkable and wonderful men that have preceded me has made it almost overwhelming to think
of being in the same class with them.
I have felt my own lack of ability. In fact when I was called as one of the apostles I arose to my feet to say it was
beyond anything I was worthy of, and as I was rising the thought came to me, You know as you know that you live
that John Taylor is a prophet of God, and to decline this office when he had received a revelation is equivalent to
repudiating the prophet. I said, I will accept the office and do my best. I remember that it was with difficulty that I
took my seat without fainting.
. . . But from that day I have never been bothered, night or day, with the idea that I was not worthy to stand as an
apostle, and I have not been worried since the last words uttered by Joseph F. Smith to me: The Lord bless you, my
boy, the Lord bless you; you have got a great responsibility. Always remember this is the Lords work and not mans.
The Lord is greater than any man. He knows whom He wants to lead His Church, and never makes any mistake. The
Lord bless you.
(As quoted in Jack M. Lyon, Linda Ririe Gundry, and Jay A. Parry, Best-Loved Stories of the LDS People, [Salt Lake
City: Deseret Book, 1997], p. 258262.)
Activity:
Working together as a family, memorize the names of the First Presidency and Twelve Apostles in order. (Note: If
youd like to do it to music, see LDS Apostle Song-April 2009 on You Tube.)
f.h.e from A to Z
Atonement
The Saviors atoning sacrifice has made it possible for you to be forgiven of your
sins. . . Determine to partake worthily of the sacrament each week and fill your life
with virtuous activities.
(Mary N. Cook, A Virtuous LifeStep by Step, Ensign, May 2009, 11719.)
Song:
He Sent His Son, Childrens Songbook, p. 34.
Refreshment
Chip/Vegetable Dip
Scripture:
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting
life. (John 3:16)
8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 cup sour cream
1 cup grated cheese
1 16-ounce package frozen broccoli,
chopped
1 package Italian dressing mix
Object Lesson:
Materials needed: An eraser.
Procedure: Ask the class to suppose that at the beginning of each
school year each student was given an eraser to use. When a mistake
was made, the eraser would be used to correct it instead of writing
over it or crossing it out. This would allow the student to correct the
error and learn from it. It would not be important how much of the
eraser was left at the end or the year. What would matter would be
that it was used each time it was needed. Therefore, even a student
who made many errors could finish the year successfully.
Combine all ingredients in a

medium-sized baking dish and bake
at 350 F. for 15 to 20 minutes.
Serve with your favorite chips or raw
vegetables.
(Janeen W. Baadsgaard, The LDS Mothers
Almanac, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book,
2003], p. 331.)
Explain that as children of God we have been given an eraser to take care of our mistakes. It is repentance. It is
important that we dont cover up or ignore our shortcomings. We must use the process our Saviors atonement
made possible for us to correct the errors in our lives. In the end it will not matter how often we have had to rely on
repentance. What will matter is whether we did repent every time it was needed. By doing this we can finish this
earth life successfully.
(Beth Lefgren and Jennifer Jackson, More Power Tools for Teaching, [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1991], p. 61.)
Atonement
Story:
I once asked a young boy graduating from Primary what was his favorite scripture story. The Tower of Babel,
he quickly responded. His answer was somewhat of a shock for me, so I asked him what that story taught him. It
teaches me that there is only one way to get to heaven, he said.
We cannot build our own stairway to heaven; we must climb the one the Lord has provided. This stairway is
constructed by the Lord, for He stands waiting for His children to climb toward Him. Far too many people want to
build their own stairway, and though they may proceed with their construction plans, they never reach high enough
to achieve the goal of reunion with our Father in Heaven. There is no other stair!
(S. Michael Wilcox, Dont Leap With the Sheep, [Salt Lake City, Deseret Book, 2001], p. 166.)
Activity:
Show the family a picture of Jesus Christ.
Pass the picture around the family. As each family member holds it, have them express their feelings for the Savior.
f.h.e from A to Z
Baptism
Baptism is a sign to God, to angels, and to heaven that we do the will of God.
(Joseph Smith, History of the Church, 4:555.))
Song:
Refreshment
Baptism, Childrens Songbook, 100.
Scripture:
Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
And he commandeth all men that they must repent, and be baptized
in his name, having perfect faith in the Holy One of Israel, or they
cannot be saved in the kingdom of God. (2 Nephi 9:23)
2 cups boiling water
Lesson:
4 eggs
Baptism is a commandment. Find 3 Nephi, chapter 27, verse 20 in

the Book of Mormon. Complete the following sentence:
2 teaspoons vanilla
When Christ was teaching the Nephites, he told them, Now this
is the _____________; ______________, all ye ends of the earth, and
come unto me and be _______________ in ______________ name.
2 cups raisins
3 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups shortening
1 cup raisin liquid
5 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons each of soda, salt,
cinnamon, and cloves
4 cups quick oats
When we are baptized, we obey Christs commandments. But

we also promise to live Gods principles. We promise to be good
members of the Church of Jesus Christ. We promise to help other
people. We promise to show others how a good member of Christs
church acts. We promise to serve God. And we promise to keep His
commandments.
If you have already been baptized, you should keep your promises
to Heavenly Father. If you have not been baptized, you should try to
keep the promises anyway. Trying to keep promises before you are
baptized helps you keep them after you are baptized.
True or false?
Preheat oven to 350 F. Bring 2 cups of

water to a boil in a medium saucepan.
Add raisins to boiling water. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl cream sugar and
shortening until fluffy. Stir in eggs one
at a time. Strain raisins from liquid and
add 1 cup of liquid to the sugar and
shortening mixture. Add vanilla. Mix until
well blended. Discard remaining liquid.
In a separate bowl, mix together flour,
baking powder, soda, salt, cinnamon,
cloves, and oats. Add to the creamed
________ You make promises when you are baptized.

________ Someone who is eight years old may be baptized.
________ Anyone can perform baptisms.
________ A person who is baptized does not have to go all the way
under the water.
mixture. (This may require hand mixing.)

Carefully stir in the raisins. Scoop walnutsized scoops onto ungreased cookie
sheets and bake for 12 minutes. Makes
approximately 12 dozen cookies.
(Lion House Desserts, [Salt Lake City: Eagle
Gate, 2000], p. 104.)
Baptism
________ Your little brother who is five years old may be baptized.
________ You do not need to repent before you are baptized.
(Ann Laemmlen and Jackie Owen, Articles of Faith Learning Book, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1990], p.47, 51.)
Story:
Georges Birthday Present

George was a little boy who lived in Salt Lake City. At that time the temple had not yet been completed and there
were few meeting houses. When boys and girls became eight years old, they were baptized in nearby streams or
ponds. All the Cannon children were baptized on their eighth birthday in the Jordan River, which ran near their
grandfathers home.
A few weeks before George was to be eight years old, he became very ill with typhoid fever. When his birthday came,
George was still too weak to walk. At first, both Father and Mother said they thought he was not well enough to be
baptized on his birthday. However, the boy insisted.
Please Father, he begged, take me to the Jordan River in your buggy. If you will carry me down to the river to be
baptized, I know Ill be able to walk out afterward by myself.
Father and Mother looked at the eager face of their little boy. They could not question the faith of this child who had
been so sick.
It was a beautiful morning, warm and sunny. Father brought the horse and buggy around to the front door. He carried
George to it and tucked a light blanket around Georges legs. Mother climbed in beside him, and the family drove to
the Jordan River.
George J. Cannon often told about the feeling of strength that spread through him after he came up out of the water of
baptism: I walked from the river and ran to the buggy, he would say. This was a moment I can never forget.
(Lucile C. Reading, Shining Moments: Stories for Latter-day Saint Children, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1985], p.
1718.)
Activity:
Show your family the picture of Alma baptizing at the Waters of Mormon (In a paperback copy of the Book of
Mormon or use Gospel Art Picture Kit, no. 309 available at lds.org). Discuss ways this picture shows the importance
of baptism to these people.
On a sheet of paper make two columns. Label one column I Covenant, and the other That I May. As you read
Mosiah 18:810, have a family member list what we covenant to do at baptism and what we will receive of the Lord
if we keep our covenants. Ask how Almas people felt about the covenants they made with the Lord. (See Mosiah
18:11.) How will keeping our covenants show the Lord how we feel about our baptism? Discuss as a family ways
they can mourn with, comfort, share a witness with, or bear the burdens of another person, especially other family
members. Challenge them to do a specific service this week and then later report how it made them feel.
(Dennis H. Leavitt and Richard O. Christensen, Scripture Study for Latter-day Saint Families: The Book of Mormon,
f.h.e from A to Z
Blessings
When we encounter challenges and problems in our lives, it is often difficult for
us to focus on our blessings. However, if we reach deep enough and look hard
enough, we will be able to feel and recognize just how much we have been given.
(President Thomas S. Monson, The Divine Gift of Gratitude, Ensign, Nov 2010, 87.)
Song:
Refreshment
I Think the World is Glorious, Childrens Songbook, p. 230.
Scripture:
And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed
and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For
behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual;
and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into
heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of neverending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true;
for the Lord God hath spoken it. (Mosiah 2:41)
Lesson:
Sing Count Your Blessings (Hymns, no. 241) with your family.
Ask them how long they think it would take to name all the Lords
blessings one by one.
Take turns reading aloud Helaman 6:713. Have each family member
identify a way the Lord blessed the Nephites or Lamanites and how
it is similar to a blessing the Lord has given that family member.
Read aloud verse 17 and ask:
What happened when the Lord abundantly blessed the
Nephites and Lamanites for a long time?
Why do you think this happens so often?
How could they have prevented such attitudes and actions?
How is our family doing at staying close to the Lord rather than
setting [our] hearts upon [our] riches?
Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 3/4 cups softened butter
1 3/4 cups brown sugar
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs
5 1/2 tablespoons water
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
6 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3 cups chocolate chips
Line cookie sheet with waxed paper;

set aside. In large mixing bowl,
cream butter and sugars. Add eggs,
water, and vanilla; mix until creamy.
Add flour, salt, and baking soda; mix
well. Gently fold in chocolate chips,
mixing only until chips are evenly
distributed. (Over mixing results in
broken chips and discolored dough.)
Drop by spoonfuls onto prepared
cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees
for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden
brown. Makes 5 to 6 dozen 3 12-inch
cookies.
(Lion House Classics, [Salt Lake City: Shadow
Mountain, 2004], p. 110.)
(Dennis H. Leavitt and Richard O. Christensen, Scripture Study for

Latter-day Saint Families: The Book of Mormon, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2003], p. 254.)
10
Blessings
Story:
Virginia Driggs Clark

Blessings in Disguise
I have had an experience that I think others might like to hear. It was mine to havebut not mine to keep.
Two months before our baby boy was born, the doctors found it necessary for me to have a major operation for cancer.
During the time of my convalescence and while we awaited the arrival of the baby, we had frequent prayers. The
stake, under the leadership of President Ezra Taft Benson, united in fasting and prayer. I was administered to often;
and many, many times the voices of our three children (the baby could not talk) were raised in the petition, Help
Mother to get well soon. The doctors shook their heads. I had one chance in one thousandit was only a question of
time.
What I want others to know is the experience that came because of this illness. The spirit of humility was poured
down upon us, and the knowledge that God is all-powerful was made known to us. Through frequent prayers, we
were led to trust in his plan and to know that all would be well.
The spirit of repentance permeated our home. We felt that we must live better and do better if we would expect the
Lord to bless us and give us what we wanted so very much.
The spirit of our love toward each other and our children, and of the children toward each other, was felt. We
showed each other every day the affection and appreciation we had for each other. Days might be numbered, but love
would guide us through.
The spirit of appreciation for our blessings came to us, and we felt as if our cup would run over. Our little boy was
born and was perfect. The children remained well. My husband, Harold, was blessed with health to carry on his
work and church activities. Life took on new meanings. God had been good to us.
And there came to us a display of friendliness. A neighbor across the alley, whose antagonism against anyone who
would have so many children in the city had made little unpleasantries on various occasions, sent with the children
large bouquets of flowers that she had grown and picked from her own garden; and for the first time in the year we
had lived there, she smiled and waved to me.
There came to us gifts of all kindsflowers, food, and clothes. Money came to us through the mail with the simple
greeting, Merry Christmas. Interested friends who knew we had not been able to can during the summer brought to
us over a hundred quarts of fruits and vegetables. A young lady who had never met me knitted a wool sweater for the
baby.
Blessings came to us because Harold continued in his calling as a bishop. When asked about financial arrangements,
the doctors said, Youre a bishop in your church. We will give you service at a minimum charge.
When I returned to the hospital for the second time for an operation, there was no one to care for the family. A young
lady who was visiting her sister volunteered to come into our home. She had never met us, but for two weeks she
had complete charge of five children and the house. When she was ready to return to her family we gave her a little
gift and hid some money in the packagemoney that we knew she would not accept outright. The next day she
came back with it, and with tears in her eyes she said, It has been an honor for me to be in the home of the bishop.
My husband is in the South Pacific, and I do not want to be deprived of any blessings by taking pay. I know that my
reward will come in other ways. She would not accept any remuneration.
11
Blessings
People say to me, Oh, how terrible! What an awful experience your sickness has been. You must try to forget it and
start a new life.
It must not be that way! I never want to forget. And so I put these things down in writing that I may remember. I
know that the memory of it will make me a happier and better person.
(Leon R. Hartshorn, Remarkable Stories from the Lives of Latter-day Saint Women, vol. 2, [Salt Lake City: Deseret
Book, 1975].)
Activity:
Before FHE, prepare slips of paper with the following blessings (or others you choose). House, Doctor, Food, Shoes,
Vision, School, World, Work, Scriptures, Hearing, Friends, Flowers, Clothes. Put the folded slips in a bowl or basket.
Family members take turns .pulling a slip of paper out of the bowl and drawing a picture for the rest of the family to
guess the blessing.
12
f.h.e from A to Z
The Book of Mormon

I would like to discuss one of the most significant gifts given to the world in
modern times. The gift I am thinking of is more important than any of the
inventions and technological revolutions. This is a gift of greater value to mankind
than even the many wonderful advances we have seen in modern medicine. It is
of greater worth to mankind than the development of flight or space travel. I speak
of the gift of the Book of Mormon.
(Ezra Taft Benson, The Keystone of Our Religion, Ensign, Jan. 1992, 2)
Song:
The Golden Plates, Childrens Songbook, p. 86.
Scripture:
And upon these I write the things of my soul, and many of the scriptures which are engraven upon the plates of
brass. For my soul delighteth in the scriptures, and my heart pondereth them, and writeth them for the learning and
the profit of my children. (2 Nephi 4:15)
Lesson:
Write the last part of D&C 42:12 on a poster board: Teach the principles of my gospel, which are in the Bible and the
Book of Mormon, in the which is the fullness of the gospel.
Cut the poster board with the verse on it into several pieces, similar to a jigsaw puzzle.
Give the members of your family some of the pieces of the puzzle. (Reserve a few key pieces that would keep the
family from being able to read the verse.) Invite the family to put the puzzle together on a table or other flat surface.
Ask them if they can read the verse. They wont be able to because of the missing pieces. Tell them that like the
puzzle, the Bible is missing some of theplain and most precious parts (see 1 Nephi 13:26) of the gospel. The Book
of Mormon fills in some of those missing pieces and gives us the fullness of the gospel.
Use the missing pieces to complete the puzzle. Invite the family to read the scripture.
(Beth Lefgren and Jennifer Jackson, Building Blocks for Better Lessons, [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1998], 14.)
13
The Book of Mormon
Story:
Refreshment
The Cheapest Book in the Store

Robert E. Wells
I listened to this experience at a stake conference as told by a
member who had been asked to give his testimony about his
conversion.
The brother said he rode to and from work about an hour each
way on a company bus to a sugar mill outside of town. He liked to
read books on the boring ride but did not have the money to buy
new books. He had a favorite bookstore which also sold used and
secondhand books. One day, with very little money, he entered the
store and asked the owner what the cheapest big book was, of over
two hundred pages, in the entire place.
The owner pointed to a box of very old books in a corner. Those
are about to be junked, he said. The prices are marked, but I might
even lower it more if you find something you like.
The interested reader dug through the box of dusty and discarded
volumes. The cheapest one in the whole box was a very tattered,
coverless, stained, but intact Book of Mormon. He bought it because
it had over five hundred pages and was the cheapest book there.
He had already read the Koran, the Talmud, and the Bible, so he
thought the Book of Mormon would be as educational as any other
religious book. He was a voracious reader and liked the printed
word, he explained to the store owner.
On the bus he started to read the old, beaten Book of Mormon.
He did not mind the double columns with every verse numbered,
because he felt it gave a certain dignified importance to each
thought. He did not mind the lack of illustrations, nor did he expect
any in such a book. But the spirit of the contents intrigued him.
He liked the old-fashioned and unique way the story began. He
followed it carefully, pondering over what he was reading.
This fellow got all the way to 2 Nephi chapter 2, when something
strange began stirring within him. . . .
The brother giving his conversion story went on to say that as he
read in this chapter he felt an urge to pray to God for the first time in
his adult life. He said he had gone to Mass as a boy with his mother
until he was about twelve; then, since his father never went, he
decided that he was grown up enough that he did not have to go to
Mass nor pray anymore.
Chocolate Crackle
Cookies
1/4 cup shortening, melted
1/4 cup cocoa
1/2 cup oil
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)
1/2 to 1 cup powdered sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a

large mixing bowl, cream together
shortening, cocoa, oil, sugar, eggs,
and vanilla until well mixed. Add
flour, salt, and baking powder. Mix
well, then add walnuts and chocolate
chips, if desired. (Dough will be very
sticky and almost runny.) Refrigerate
dough for 2 to 3 hours or overnight.
Drop and gently roll dough by
tablespoonfuls in powdered sugar,
being careful not to overhandle
dough. Place on a greased or wax
papercovered cookie sheet. Bake
for 9 to 10 minutes. Do not overbake.
The cookie dough may be stored
in the refrigerator for up to 5 days;
baked cookies will store for at
least 2 weeks, if well covered and
refrigerated. These cookies freeze
beautifully. Makes approximately 5
dozen cookies.
Mountain, 2004] p. 10.)
14
The Book of Mormon
Now he offered a simple prayer to God in his mind, saying, God, what is this book? What am I feeling? What am I
supposed to do about it?
He said his answer was nothing more than the impression to wait and God would tell him more. That night, the
fellow was reading in his humble home when two missionaries on their way home felt a distinct inspiration to stop
at his door. They followed the Spirit. As the man opened the door to their knock, the entry light fell on the Book
of Mormon that one of the missionaries held in his hand in such a way that the title was easily visible to him. He
exclaimed, Youve got my book! The missionary held his book more tightly, thinking, No, this is my book. The
fellow explained, Noits just that I have never seen a Book of Mormon with a cover on it. Come on in! I want to
talk to you. He later joined the Church.
(Sunshine for the Latter-day Missionary Soul, [Salt Lake City: Eagle Gate, 2000], p 17.)
Activity:
Play Scripture Chase.
Have each family member write a topic (that could be found in the Book of Mormon) on a slip of paper. Put all the
slips into a bowl or basket. Take turns drawing a slip of paper out of the bowl. Give everyone a set amount of time
(possibly 2 minutes) to find a scripture with that topic. Very young children can be teamed up with an older family
member. The first person or team to find a scripture gets two points. Everyone who finds a scripture in the allotted
time gets one point. Have each person read aloud their scripture before drawing the next slip.
The person with the most points at the end of the game wins.
15
f.h.e from A to Z
Commandments
The effect of Gods commandments and laws is not changed to accommodate
popular behavior or desires. If anyone thinks that godly or parental love for an
individual grants the loved one license to disobey the law, he or she does not
understand either love or law.
(Dallin H. Oaks, Love and Law, Ensign, Nov 2009, 2629.)
Song:
Keep the Commandments Childrens Songbook, p. 146.
Scripture:
Consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed
in all things, both temporal and spiritual. (Mosiah 2:41)
Object Lesson:
Draw a large square on a piece of paper. Tell your family that it represents the four sides of a fence. Explain that many
people might consider this fence restrictive and try to jump or climb over it. Others would consider the fence as a
way to keep anything from hurting them.
Heavenly Father has given us a protective fence called the commandments. Invite family members to name some of
the commandments. Write them around the outside of the square. Ask how each of these commandments protects us.
(Beth Lefgren and Jennifer Jackson, Sharing Time, Family Time, Anytime: Book Two, [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft,
1994], p. 6566.)
Story:
Listening to the Right Sources of Power

Harold B. Lee
A very grievous case came before a high council and stake presidency that resulted in the excommunication of a
man.
The very next morning I was visited in my office by the brother of this man. He said, I want to tell you that my
brother wasnt guilty of what he was charged with.
How do you know he wasnt guilty? I asked.
Because I prayed, and the Lord told me he was innocent, the man answered.
I asked him to come into the office. As we sat down, I asked, Would you mind if I ask you a few personal
questions?
16
Commandments
He said, Certainly not.

How old are you?
Forty-seven.
What priesthood do you hold?
He said he thought he was a teacher.
Do you keep the Word of Wisdom?
Well, no. He used tobacco, which was obvious.
Do you pay your tithing?
He said, Noand he didnt intend to as long as that blanketyblank-blank man was the bishop of the ward.
I said, Do you attend your priesthood meetings?
He replied, No, sir! and he didnt intend to as long as that man
was bishop.
You dont attend your sacrament meetings either?
No, sir.
Do you have your family prayers? and he said no.
Do you study the scriptures? He said well, his eyes were bad, and
he couldnt read very much.
I then said to him: In my home I have a beautiful instrument called
a radio. When everything is in good working order we can dial it
to a certain station and pick up the voice of a speaker or a singer
all the way across the continent or sometimes on the other side of
the world, bringing them into the front room as though they were
almost right there. But after we have used it for a long time, the little
delicate instruments or electrical devices on the inside called radio
tubes begin to wear out. When one of them wears out, we may get
some staticit isnt so clear. Another wears out, and if we dont
give it attention, the sound may fade in and out. And if another one
wears outwell, the radio may sit there looking quite like it did
before, but because of what has happened on the inside, we can hear
nothing.
Now, I said, you and I have within our souls something like
what might be said to be a counterpart of those radio tubes. We
might have what we call a go-to-sacrament-meeting tube, a keepthe-Word-of-Wisdom tube, a pay-your-tithing tube,a have-yourfamily-prayers tube, a read-the-scriptures tube, and, as one of the
Refreshment
Chocolate Marshmallow
Surprises
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoons each of soda and salt
1/2 cup each of cocoa and shortening
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
20 marshmallows, cut in half
Chocolate Icing (see recipe)
Nut topping, if desired
Chocolate Icing
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
Dash salt
3 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon each of butter and
shortening
Preheat oven to 350 F. Stir together
flour, soda, salt, and cocoa; set aside.
In a separate bowl, cream together
shortening, vanilla, sugar, and egg.
Alternately blend in dry ingredients
and milk. Drop batter from a teaspoon
2 inches apart on ungreased baking
sheet. Bake 8 minutes. Remove cookies
from oven, set one marshmallow half
on each cookie and return to oven for 1
minute more. Remove from oven and set
aside for 1 minute; then drop a spoonful
of icing on each marshmallow-topped
cookie, letting it drizzle over all. Sprinkle
with crushed nuts, if desired. Makes 3 to
4 dozen cookies.
For icing, combine powdered sugar,
cocoa, and salt. Heat together milk
and butter and beat enough of it into
the powdered mixture, along with
shortening, to make a soft icing.
(Elaine Cannon, compiler, Five Star Recipes
from Well-Known Latter-day Saints, [Salt Lake
City: Eagle Gate, 2002], p. 239.)
17
Commandments
most importantone that might be said to be the master tube of our whole soulwe have what we might call the
keep-yourselves-morally-clean tube. If one of these becomes worn out by disuse or inactivityif we fail to keep the
commandments of Godit has the same effect upon our spiritual selves that a worn-out tube has in a radio.
Now, then, I said, fifteen of the best-living men in that stake prayed last night. They heard the evidence and every
man was united in saying that your brother was guilty. Now you, who do none of these things, you say you prayed
and got an opposite answer. How would you explain that?
Then this man gave an answer that I think was a classic. He said, Well, President Lee, I think I must have gotten my
answer from the wrong source. And, you know, thats just as great a truth as we can have. We get our answers from
the source of the power that we wish to obey. If were following the ways of Satan, well get answers from Satan. If
were keeping the commandments of God, well get our answers from God.
(Jay A. Parry, Jack M. Lyon, Linda Ririe Gundry, editors, Best-Loved Stories of the LDS People, Vol. 2, [Salt Lake City:
Deseret Book, 1999].)
Activity:
Divide the family into two teams and give each team a piece of paper. Tell them to number from one to ten on their
paper. Ask each group to work together and list, in order, as many of the ten commandments as they can. Turn to
Exodus 20:1-17 and correct each groups answers.
18
f.h.e from A to Z
Covenants
Father in Heaven knows us as individuals. The covenants we make with Him are
performed one on one.
(Bonnie D. Parkin, Celebrating Covenants, Ensign, May 1995, 78)
Song:
Refreshment
I Love to See the Temple, Childrens Songbook, p. 95.
Scripture:
And now, because of the covenant which ye have made ye shall be
called the children of Christ, his sons, and his daughters; for behold,
this day he hath spiritually begotten you; for ye say that your hearts
are changed through faith on his name; therefore, ye are born of him
and have become his sons and his daughters. (Mosiah 5:7)
Banana Bread
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
Lesson:
3 ripe bananas, crushed
Ask your family to think of a time when someone made a promise to

them but never kept it. Ask how it made them feel. Then ask them to
think of the last promise they made to someone. (You might have a
family member share their promise.) Ask:
2 eggs
Why do we make promises?

What do we call promises we make with Heavenly Father?
(Covenants.)
Why is it important that we keep our promises and covenants?
1/2 cup chopped nuts
Preheat oven to 350 F. Sift

together flour and soda, then mix all
ingredients together and pour into a
greased loaf pan and bake 1 hour.
Makes 1 loaf.
(Elaine Cannon, Five-Star Recipes from
Well-known Latter-day Saints, [Salt Lake
City: Deseret Book, 2002] p. 28.)
Take turns reading D&C 3:1620 and ask the following questions as
you read:
What did the Lord promise He would do for His people? (Give them knowledge of the Saviorverse 16.)
To whom did the Lord make that same promise in verses 17 and 18? (The descendants of the Nephites and
Lamanites.)
How will the Lord keep His promise? (By preserving the Book of Mormon record.)
What part can we play in helping the Lord to fulfill this promise? (Do missionary work.)
(Dennis H. Leavitt and Richard O. Christensen, Scripture Study for Latter-day Saint Families: The Doctrine and
Covenants, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2003], p. 7.)
19
Covenants
Story:
Her Mother Died Before the Salt Lake Temple Was Completed
Heber J. Grant
I shall always be grateful, to the day of my death, that I did not listen to some of my friends when, as a young man
not quite twenty-one years of age, I took the trouble to travel all the way from Utah County to St. George to be
married in the St. George Temple. That was before the railroad went south of Utah County, and we had to travel the
rest of the way by team. It was a long and difficult trip in those times, over unimproved and uncertain roads, and the
journey each way required several days.
Many advised me not to make the effortnot to go all the way down to St. George to be married. They reasoned that I
could have the president of the stake or my bishop marry me, and then when the Salt Lake Temple was completed, I
could go there with my wife and children and be sealed to her and have our children sealed to us for eternity.
Why did I not listen to them? Because I wanted to be married for time and eternitybecause I wanted to start life
right.
Later I had cause to rejoice greatly because of my determination to be married in the temple at that time rather than to
have waited until some later and seemingly more convenient time.
Some years ago . . . I was out in one of the stakes attending a conference, and one of my daughters, who was the
representative of the Young Womens general board at the conference, said: I am very grateful to the Lord that I was
properly bornborn under the covenant, born of parents that had been properly married and sealed in the temple of
the Lord.
Tears came into my eyes, because her mother died before the Salt Lake Temple was completed and I was grateful that
I had not listened to the remarks of my friends who had tried to persuade me not to go to the St. George Temple to be
married. I was very grateful for the inspiration and determination I had to start life right.
(Leon R. Hartshorn, Classic Stories from the Lives of Our Prophets, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 1971].)
Activity:
Have family members take turns sitting back-to-back on the floor. As they work together and push against each others
back they can stand up without using their hands. Compare this to the two-way promises of a covenant.
20
f.h.e from A to Z
The Creation
I testify that God lives! Jesus is the Christ and Creator! He is Lord over all the earth.
As beneficiaries of the divine Creation, what shall we do? We should care for the
earth, be wise stewards over it, and preserve it for future generations.
(Russell M. Nelson, The Creation, Ensign, May 2000, 84)
Song:
Refreshment
My Heavenly Father Loves Me, Childrens Songbook, p. 228
Scripture:
And I, God, saw everything that I had made, and, behold, all things
which I had made were very good; and the evening and the morning
were the sixth day. (Moses 2:31)
Object Lesson:
Take a click-style ball-point pen apart (top, bottom, ink cylinder,
and spring) and show all the little parts that make it work. Ask: Do
you think that these parts could put themselves together to form a
pen? Put them in a paper sack and have two or three family members
shake the sack and see if the pen reassembles itself.
Explain that the world and our bodies are much more complicated
than the pen. They could not have been created by chance. There
must have been a creator, and he is our Heavenly Father.
(Alma Heaton, Tools for Teaching, [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1979],
p. 10.)
Story:
Heavenly Father asked Jehovah to make an earth for us to live on. He
told Jehovah how to create the earth and Jehovah obeyed.
Bavarian Mints
These mints are out of this world.

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened

condensed milk
2 (8-ounce) Hershey bars
1 (1-ounce) square unsweetened
chocolate
2 tablespoons butter
3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
In the top of a double boiler combine

all ingredients except peppermint
extract and vanilla. Stir over low heat
until melted. Add peppermint extract
and vanilla. Pour into a greased 8x8inch pan. Let cool until firm. Cut into
squares. Makes 25.
2004] p. 134.)
First, Jehovah divided the light from the darkness. He called the
light day and the darkness night. When he finished, he called that
time the first day.
Next Jehovah made the sky over the earth. He divided the waters above the sky from the waters under the sky. When
he finished, he called that time the second day.
Jehovah separated the waters below the sky from the dry land. He called the land earth and the waters seas. He
commanded the earth to bring forth grass, seed, and fruit. When he finished, he called that time the third day.
21
The Creation
Next Jehovah placed lights in the sky. He made stars and a moon to rule the night. He also made the sun to rule the
day and give light to the earth. When he finished, he called that time the fourth day.
Jehovah next made fish to swim in the seas and birds to fly in the air. When he finished, he called that time the fifth
day.
Jehovah put animals and insects and worms on the earth. Then Heavenly Father said, Now let us make man in our
image. Let them rule over the fish of the sea, over the fowl of the air, over the cattle, and over all the earth.
So Heavenly Father and Jehovah created man in their image, male and female. They named the man Adam, and
Adam named the woman Eve. Heavenly Father put Adam and Eve in a beautiful garden called Eden. Heavenly Father
said, It is good, and he called that time the sixth day.
Then Heavenly Father and Jehovah rested. This time of rest was the seventh day. Because of this, Heavenly Father
made the seventh day of every week holy. He called it the Sabbath.
(Sherrie Johnson, Bible Treasury for LDS Children, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1999], p. 4.)
Activities:
Give some modeling clay or salt dough to each family member. Assign one to shape a sun; another, a moon; one, the
earth; and the rest, stars. Place the creations where all can see them.
Play In the Beginning. It says, In the beginning God created something that begins with . . . (any letter). The
others try to guess what it is thinking of. The correct guesser becomes it for the next time.
(Alma Heaton, The LDS Game Book, [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1968], p. 53.)
22
f.h.e from A to Z
Discipleship
The pure love of Christ is expressed as we give selfless service. Helping one
another is a sanctifying experience which exalts the receiver and humbles the
giver. It helps us become true disciples of Christ.
(Silvia H. Allred, The Essence of Discipleship, Ensign, May 2011, 84.)
Song:
Love One Another, Childrens Songbook, p. 136.
Scripture:
Refreshment
Coconut Macaroons
By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love
one to another. (John 13:35)
2 cups coconut
Lesson:
1 cup flour
As a family, sing or read the words to Love One Another. (Hymns,

no. 308.) Ask your family where these words came from. Read John
3:3135 and have your family watch for the words they have just
sung. Ask:
2 1/4 cups granulated sugar

Pinch of salt
1 1/2 tablespoons corn syrup
3/4 cup hot water
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup milk chocolate chips, melted
How did Jesus exemplify these words?

How will people know if we are disciples of Jesus Christ?
What can we do to love each other in our home?
If we show love to one another, what are we becoming? (Verse
35.)
Set a goal to have each family member memorize John 13:3435.
When all have accomplished that goal, plan a special activity the
family will enjoy and that will allow all family members to feel each
others, and the Saviors, love.
(Dennis H. Leavitt and Richard O. Christensen, Scripture Study
for Latter-day Saint Families: The New Testament, [Salt Lake City:
Deseret Book, 2006], p. 131.)
Story:
Mix coconut, sugar, flour, and salt

in a mixing bowl. In a separate
bowl, add corn syrup to water and
dissolve. Add eggs and vanilla. With
a mixer on low speed, add liquid
ingredients to dry ingredients and
mix until evenly blended. Allow
mixture to rest and absorb moisture
for 30 minutes. Scoop onto cookie
sheet with an ice cream scoop. Bake
at 350 degrees F. for 1820 minutes.
For added flair, dip half of the cookie
in melted chocolate chips and place
on wax paper to set up.
(Recipes from the Roof, [Salt Lake City:
It is easy to treat certain people kindly because we like them, for

they are part of our group. But as true disciples of the Lord, we will endeavor to treat everyone kindly. As we do, we
will find more and more people we like, including those whom we thought we might never like in the beginning. We
23
Discipleship
will not experience in this mortal sphere the capacity to love as Christ loved, but in our feeble effort to make daily
progress, the Lord will hear our earnest prayers, our desire to be a true disciple, and with his help we can participate
in life-changing experiences for ourselves and for others.
One time when I was speaking to an adult fireside, I felt impressed to share something concerning my love and
appreciation for an individual struggling to overcome the devastating problem of alcoholism. Upon my return home,
I received a letter from someone in that audience, a stranger until that night, and now a friend. A woman suffering
from the effects of alcoholism in her own life wrote, Since that Saturday night that I met you, Ive been so filled with
the Spirit, I have walked around for days now with a lump in my throat. For the first time in years I have prayed to
my Father in Heaven, and I feel hope. Im longing to come home. I feel such an urgency to change. Ive always felt
like the last leaf on the tree, clinging for all its worth, not courageous enough to let go and fall, afraid the fall will
hurt. I hang on all alone. Its as though you reached out your hand and said, Its okay, let go. Ill be here. Youre not
alone. This fall as I watch the golden leaves break loose and drift from their branches, I will think of you. Maybe
someone else will regain their testimony because of your love and concern. Maybe they, like me, have found the
courage to let go because a hand was there to hold.
If love can be expressed and felt between two people in an entire congregation, think what can happen when you
express love to one another in small groups or just one to another. We need each other.
What will you do this year about love? Will this year be a retread, same old habits, liking some people, disliking
others, ignoring or rejecting others? It is said that to ignore or to reject is even more devastating to people than to
dislike them. Could you raise your voice to express a friendly hello to a fellow traveler who might be carrying a load
on his back?
(Ardeth Greene Kapp, Joy of the Journey, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1992].)
Activity:
Play Ringleader.
1. Send one person out of the room.
2. Select one person in the room to be the ringleader. Everyone else will mimic his movements and gestures as he
make some kind of motion every few seconds. For example, he may scratch his nose, pat his head, or rub his leg.
3. Call the other person back into the room to see whether he can guess who the ringleader is while everyone else
mimics the ringleader. If the person who went out can guess within three guesses who the ringleader is, then the
ringleader becomes the guesser for the next round. If he cannot guess the ringleader, then he continues as the
guesser for the next round.
Explain that just as they followed the ringleader, it is more important to follow Jesus Christ.
(George and Jeane Chipman, Games! Games! Games!, [Salt Lake City: Shadow Mountain, 1983], p. 144.)
24
f.h.e from A to Z
Divine Nature
Remember who you are! You are elect. You are [children] of God.
(Elaine S. Dalton, Remember Who You Are!, Ensign, May 2010, 12023.)
Song:
Refreshment
I Am a Child of God, Childrens Songbook, p.2.
Scripture:
I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High
(Psalms 82:6)
A Bunch of Crunch
1 package (any size) cornflakes
1 package (any size) oven-toasted rice
Object Lesson:
Materials Needed: One apple and a knife.
cereal
2 cups flaked coconut
1 lb. (4 cups) salted peanuts
Procedure: Cut the apple in half widthwise, and show the inner part.
Tell the class that every apple has a similar five-sided star inside that
holds seeds. No matter what the condition of the apple is (withered,
bruised, or ready for picking) the star and its seeds are still inside.
Explain that we are like the apple. Each of us has the potential (seed)
of becoming like Heavenly Father. No matter what happens to us, we
still have the seeds of a divine nature and the potential of godhood.
(Beth Lefgren and Jennifer Jackson, Power Tools for Teaching, [Salt
Lake City: Bookcraft, 1988], p. 19.)
Story:
I was once driving on a dirt road far from any town, when I rounded
a corner and saw a large flock of buzzards feasting on some carrion
in the middle of the road. Buzzards are ugly. They have no feathers
on their heads, and their skin is red. Their feathers are dusty brown.
They have their purpose, but not many really admire them. There
must have been about fifteen of them squabbling and fighting over
the dead animal in the road.
2 cups sugar
2 cups white corn syrup
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
In a large bowl mix together cereals,

coconut and peanuts. In medium
saucepan combine sugar, corn syrup
and milk; cook and stir until mixture
reaches soft ball stage, washing
down sides of pan. Remove from
heat; stir in vanilla. Pour over cereal
mixture; stir until entirely coated.
Turn out onto counter top; separate
into pieces to cool. Store in a cool
dry place.
(Winifred Jardine, Mormon Country Cooking,
[Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1980] p. 302.)
One of them however, looked much larger than the others. I had never before seen a buzzard that big. He towered
above the others. As my truck drew near, the buzzards began to fly offall but the large one in the center. He seemed
hesitant to leave the carrion and stayed long after the others had scattered. I had to slow down to avoid hitting him.
When I was very close, I could see that he was not a buzzard at all but a golden eagle.
I love to see eagles circle and ride the air currents of the canyons. This was the first time I had seen such a
magnificent bird accompanied by buzzards feasting on road kill. I felt a stab of sorrow that such a beautiful bird had
25
Divine Nature
stooped to sharing such an unwholesome meal with such unwelcoming fellows.

I believe that the one doctrine Lucifer fears the most, and wants most to keep deeply veiled, is the conviction that
we are literal sons and daughters of God. Lucifer hopes that if he can get us to see ourselves as belonging with the
buzzards, to acquire a taste for carrion, we will forget our true identity and lose our taste for eternal things.
(S. Michael Wilcox, Dont Leap With the Sheep, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2001], pp. 111, 113.)
Activity:
Have each family member write classified ads about another member of the family. You can only take five minutes
to write it, and everything stated must be positive. At the end of the time, each person reads their ad aloud and the
others guess whom it was about.
Sample ads:
For Sale: Eleven-year-old girl. Easy to love. Fun to be with. Never lies. Always ready to help out. Very clean and pure.
Doesnt get involved with bad people or bad things. Is very sweet and considerate. Awakens with a great big smile.
For Sale: One thirteen-year-old man. Does work and babysits for only a small plate of food. Knows how to clean
house and can save you money by balancing your books. Does light yard work and likes animals. Showers regularly.
If interested call GOOD GUY.
(Mina S. Coletti and Roberta Kling Giesea, The Family Idea Book Two, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1982], p. 219.)
26
f.h.e from A to Z
Education
You need all the education you can get. Sacrifice a car; sacrifice anything that is
needed to be sacrificed to qualify yourselves to do the work of the world. That
world will in large measure pay you what it thinks you are worth, and your worth
will increase as you gain education and proficiency in your chosen field.
(Gordon B. Hinckley, A Prophets Counsel and Prayer for Youth, Ensign, Jan. 2001, 2)
Song:
Refreshment
Teach Me to Walk in the Light, Childrens Songbook, p. 117.
Scripture:
Norwegian Pancakes
But to be learned is good if they hearken unto the counsels of God.

(2 Nephi 9:29)
4 eggs
Object Lesson:
1 teaspoon vanilla
Materials: A bowl filled with wheat or other whole grain.

Presentation: Ask what would happen if this grain was left in a dry
place. Ask what would happen if it was planted and given water.
Discuss.
1/2 cup warm water

1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup melted butter
1 1/4 cup flour
1 cup milk
Toppings: powdered sugar, butter, jam,
syrup, or fruit topping
Give a definition of wisdom (ability to judge what is right or true).

Explain that the grain is like knowledge. To become wisdom,
experience and time must be added. Ask what kind of experience
can help make knowledge into wisdom (education).
(Beth Lefgren and Jennifer Jackson, More Power Tools for Teaching,
[Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1991], p. 102.)
Story:
Walk in My Zori
There is a saying in the American West about walking in the other
persons moccasins. Well, in Hawaii we have Japanese slippers
called zori instead. These slippers are very special to me, because
my life literally would not have been the same except for many pairs
of zori.
My parents had little education themselves. Mother loved school but
had to drop out in the sixth grade to care for her two younger sisters
Butter a saut pan or griddle. Beat

eggs, water, and vanilla. Beat in
sugar; then butter, flour, and milk,
beating after each addition. Heat
pan to medium; then pour batter
by scoopfuls onto griddle (or single
scoop for saut or crpe pan). Turn
quickly and do not overcook. Stack
the crpe-like pancakes and keep
in warm place until serving. Serve,
buttered and rolled with topping like
a crpeor serve flat and sprinkled
with powdered sugar, allowing
individual choice of toppings.
(5 Star Recipes from Well-Known Latter-day
Saints, [Salt Lake City: Eagle Gate, 2002], p.
171.)
27
Education
after her mother died. My parents wanted me to get an education so that I could have a better future than being a
plantation laborer, as they were.
From the time I was fifteen, I lived away from home, working as a maid to put myself through high school. Then
later, when I was going to college in Honolulu, I worked selling jewelry at Sears-Roebuck and as a clerk at the
Swedish consulate. My burning desire was to become a teacher. My parents helped me with the tuition, but there was
never very much money. I had to be careful of every penny. I thought that the money for my tuition came from my
fathers earnings, and it was only after I had graduated from college that I learned differently. My family earned my
tuition fifty cents at a time by making zori.
Think of it. Each week, a contractor would bring a huge pile of lauhala leaves to our village and pick up the finished
zori, which were sold all over the islands, or maybe in the Far East, and in import-export stores. The lauhala leaves
are long, with a row of spines running down each edge, and very fibrous. My two little brothers, Hiro and Tsugio,
would prepare the leaves by scraping off the spines. Im sure there were many times when their fingers would bleed
from being torn by the thorns. Then they would scrape the fleshy part of the leaf away, leaving only the flat, fibrous
part, soak this in water to make it pliable, and then roll it up into a little bundle to be stored until my parents could
work on it. My father would slice the leaves with his sharp razors and weave the strips into the zori fabric. My
mother would sew the fabric on her little foot-powered treadle sewing machine to a pattern form, trim the top edge
and roll it over and sew it so that it wouldnt unravel, and then sew it to the fabric sole to finish the zori. My tuition
was about three hundred dollars per semester, so at fifty cents a pair that meant my family would have to make six
hundred pairs of zori every three or four months.
Whenever I went home for vacations, I always helped with the zori. Everyone in our little village was poor and
anxious to do any kind of piece work they could, and I just thought this was part of our familys work. I did not
realize that this was the sacrifice of my whole family for my education.
Every time I see these zori, I think of my family sustaining me so that I could walk forward into my future. And I
appreciate that sacrifice.
(Chieko N. Okazaki, Lighten Up! Finding Real Joy in Life, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1993], p. 29.)
Activity:
Have everyone sit or stand on the floor, single file and facing forward, train-style. Have a simple object drawn on a
piece of paper and show it to the last person in the line. They are to draw this object with their fingers on the back of
the person in front of them. That person draws the same object on the back of the person in front of him, and so does
each person up the line. The first person in the line will draw the object on paper. See if the beginning and ending
pictures resemble each other. Trade places and draw a new picture.
(Clark L. and Kathryn H. Kidd, Kent D. and Shannon Pugmire, Ward Activities for the Clueless, [Salt Lake City:
Bookcraft, 2001], p. 294.)
28
f.h.e from A to Z
Enduring
A ward, as well as a family, draws closer together as it endures togetherwhat
happens to one happens to all.
(Richard C. Edgley, Enduring Together, Ensign, Nov 2007, 911.)
Song:
I Will Be Valiant, Childrens Songbook, p. 162
Scripture:
Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the
patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is
very pitiful, and of tender mercy. (James 5:11)
Lesson:
Ask family members to share any experiences they have had with
racing. Invite a family member to read Hebrews 12:1 and discuss the
following questions:
What kind of a race do you think Paul was referring to? (The
race of life.)
Is the race of life like a sprint or a marathon?
What weights should we set aside to enable us to run better?
How is enduring to the end like finishing a race?
(Dennis H. Leavitt and Richard O. Christensen, Scripture Study

for Latter-day Saint Families: The New Testament, [Salt Lake City:
Story:
On the fourteenth of September, Brigham Young left his home at
Montrose and started for England. He had been prostrated for some
time by sickness, and at the time of starting on his mission was so
feeble that he had to be assisted to the ferry, only some thirty rods
from his house. All his children were sick, and he left his wife with
a babe but ten days old, and in the poorest circumstances, for the
mobs of Missouri had robbed him of all he had. After crossing the
river to the Nauvoo side, Israel Barlow took him on a horse behind
Refreshment
Chocolate Cheesecake
2 cups Oreo cookie crumbs, rolled
fine
3 packages (8 ounces each) cream
cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1/3 cup chocolate syrup
1 pint sour cream
3 tablespoons sugar
Chocolate chips
Crush whole Oreo cookies, including

frosting centers, to make 2 cups fine
crumbs. Press evenly onto bottom
and sides of 10-inch springform
pan. Whip cream cheese in mixer
bowl; gradually add sugar, then
eggs one at a time. Stir in vanilla.
Stir in chocolate syrup. Pour filling
into crust. Bake at 300 degrees for
55 minutes. Whip sour cream; add
sugar and vanilla. Spread on top
of cheesecake and return to oven.
Bake 10 more minutes. Cool before
removing sides from springform pan.
Garnish with a few chocolate chips.
Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Makes 10 to 12 servings.
Mountain, 2004] p. 103.)
29
Enduring
him and carried him to the house of Elder Heber C. Kimball, where his strength altogether failed him, and he had
to remain there for several days, nursed by his wife, who, hearing that he was unable to get farther than Brother
Kimballs, had crossed the river from Montrose to care for him.
On the eighteenth of the month, however, Elder Young, in company with Heber C. Kimball, made another start. A
brother by the name of Charles Hubbard sent a boy with a team to take them a days journey on their way. Elder
Kimball left his wife in bed shaking with ague, and all his children sick. It was only by the assistance of some of the
brethren that Heber himself could climb into the wagon. It seemed to me, he remarked afterwards in relating the
circumstance, as though my very inmost parts would melt within me at the thought of leaving my family in such a
condition, as it were, almost in the arms of death. I felt as though I could scarcely endure it.
Hold up! said he to the teamster, who had just started. Brother Brigham, this is pretty tough, but let us rise and
give them a cheer. Brigham, with much difficulty, rose to his feet, and joined Elder Kimball in swinging his hat and
shouting, Hurrah, hurrah, hurrah for Israel! Sisters Young and Kimball, hearing the cheer came to the doorSister
Kimball with great difficultyand waved a farewell; and the two apostles continued their journey without purse,
without script, for England.
B. H. Roberts, A Comprehensive History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 6 vols. (Salt Lake City:
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1930), 2:23-24.
Activity:
Play Bumblebee Buzz.
Two family members stand back to back. At the signal they take a long breath, turn and face each other, and begin
to buzz like bees. The one wins who buzzes the longest with one breath without stopping. If one starts laughing and
thus stops buzzing he loses. Continue until a champion is determined.
30
f.h.e from A to Z
Eternal Life
I testify that the only way we and all mankind can come unto our Heavenly Father
and know Him, and thus obtain eternal life, is to come unto the Lord Jesus Christ
and know Him.
(John M. Madsen, Eternal Life through Jesus Christ, Ensign, May 2002, 78)
Song:
I Lived in Heaven, Childrens Songbook, p. 4
Scripture:
And, if you keep my commandments and endure to the end you shall have eternal life, which gift is the greatest of all
the gifts of God. (Doctrine and Covenants 14:7)
Lesson:
From colored paper, cut a set of six 2- to 4-inch circles for each family member. Label the six circles PRE-EARTH
LIFE, BIRTH, EARTH LIFE, DEATH, SPIRIT WORLD, and LIFE WITH HEAVENLY FATHER. Punch a hole in the top
of each circle. Give each person a hanger, some string or yarn, and a set of circles. Have each person cut the string
into 6 lengths, then tie one end of each sting through the hole in each circle. Tie the other end of each string to the
hanger to make a mobile. Talk to the children about how each of us is a spirit child of our Heavenly Father. Explain
the phases of the plan of salvation as follows:
1. Pre-Earth Life. Before the earth was created, we lived with Heavenly Father. In this pre-earth life, Heavenly
Father taught us about his plan and how we could become like him.
2. Birth. Eventually, each of us left the pre-earth life and the presence of our Heavenly Father. We were born on
earth with a body of flesh and bones.
3. Earth Life. On earth, we have the chance to learn about the gospel and to make righteous choices.
4. Death. As our bodies become old, or sick, or are damaged by accidents or injuries, they stop working, and we
die. At death our bodies and spirits are separated.
5. Spirit World. After we die, our spirits will go to the spirit world to receive further teachings.
6. Life with Heavenly Father. After our time in the spirit world, we will be resurrected and our spirits and physical
bodies will be united. Those who are worthy will be able to live with Heavenly Father and Jesus.
(Shauna Mooney Kawasaki, My Family Can Be Forever, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2003], p. 12.)
31
Eternal Life
Story:
David heard a thud in the family room. Oh no, he thought, a bird
must have flown into the window. He raced outside and found
that, unfortunately, he was correct. There on the ground was a tiny
sparrow, stunned from the blow. Carefully he picked up the pile of
warm feathers and carried it into his sisters bedroom.
Melissas room smelled like a doctors office. But at least she was
home now, instead of at the hospital. She sat up in her bed, trying to
be cheerful.
Look what just hit the window, said David, holding out the
sparrow. I think its still alive. What should I do?
Melissa pointed to her closet. Get a shoe box and a washcloth.
Weve got to keep it warm, if its going to make it.
Melissa had become an avid bird-watcher ever since her illness. Her
family had hung birdhouses and feeders just outside her window.
The jays and finches kept her company during the long hours that
David was in school.
Refreshment
Angel Food Cake

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sifted cake
flour
1 1/2 cups sifted sugar
1 1/4 cups (10 to 12) egg whites, at
room temperature
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
Preheat oven to 375 F. In a medium
bowl, sift flour and H cup sugar together.
Set aside. Combine egg whites, salt,
cream of tartar, and flavorings in large
bowl. Beat with flat wire whip, sturdy
Melissa gently placed the birds trembling body under the washcloth
in the box. David secured the box near a warm furnace vent for the
evening.
The next morning, David had to go to school. But Melissa diligently
fed the sparrow with an eyedropper several times during the day.
Her feathered friend started sitting up, begging for more. It seemed to
be gaining strength.
First thing Saturday morning David rushed to take his turn at the
feedings. But when he lifted the washcloth, the sparrow was dead.
Davids heart sank. He carried the shoe box into Melissa, and started
to cry.
Melissa tenderly stroked the cold feathers with her pale fingers.
Dont worry, David, she said. This little sparrow will live again.
When something dies, its spirit leaves its body. Thats why its body
feels cold and cant move. But remember how Jesus was resurrected?
Because he died for us, and was resurrected, all of us will be
resurrected someday.
David looked into his sisters eyes. He knew she was not just
thinking about the sparrow. He, too, had worried what would
happen if Melissa died.
egg beater, or at high speed of electric

mixer until soft peaks form. Add
remaining 1 cup sugar gradually, G cup at
a time, beating well after each addition.
When beating by hand, beat 25 strokes
after each addition. Sift in flour mixture
in four additions, folding in with 15 foldover strokes each time and turning bowl
frequently. (Do not stir or beat.) After
last addition, use 10 to 20 extra folding
strokes.
Pour batter into ungreased 9- or 10-inch
tube pan. Bake 35 to 40 minutes for
9-inch cake and 30 to 35 minutes for
10-inch cake, or until cake springs back
when pressed lightly. Cool cake in pan,
upside down, 1 to 2 hours. Then loosen
from sides and center of tube with knife
and gently pull out cake. (An angel cake
pan with a removable bottom is ideal for
removing cake in perfect condition.)
Gate, 2000] p. 29.)
A few months later, Melissa did die. David loved and missed his
sister very much. He was sad. But he often remembered her stroking
32
Eternal Life
the feathers of the bird and saying, Dont worry, David. This little sparrow will live again.
(Christena C. Nelson, Sharing Times for Special Occasions, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1993], p. 18.)
Activity:
Make a one-year time box for your family to open the following Easter. Have each family member write a letter of his
or her testimony of Christ. Then have everyone write down three things that they want to do better. Draw pictures
and write what you think you will be doing the following year at this time. Weigh and measure everyone, and, last of
all put in hand prints. Seal the box and put it in your Easter Holiday box to be opened next Easter. It is exciting to see
how your family has grown spiritually and physically in a year.
(Jeni Gochnour, Family Home Evening Games, [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1999], p. 65.)
33
f.h.e from A to Z
Faith
Regardless of what may come, may faith, immovable and constant, shine above us
as the polar star. Please, dear Father, bless us with faith.
(Gordon B. Hinckley, Till We Meet Again, Liahona, Jan 2002, 1045)
Song:
Faith, Childrens Songbook, p. 96.
Scripture:
But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a
rewarder of them that diligently seek him. (Hebrews 6:11)
Object Lesson:
Ask the following three questions of your family.
1. What would happen if you sat in one of the chairs in the room? (It would hold you up.)
2. What would happen if you turned the light switch off? (The lights would go out.)
3. What would happen if you pressed a [pencil] against [a piece of paper] and moved it around? (It would write.)
Now try all three of the experiments. Afterwards ask the children how they could know the results of the
experiments before they happened.
They were able to know because they have experienced these things over and over again. They have begun to trust
the results. Share an example. The first time a baby turns a light switch off and on, it surprises him. But as he does it
again and again it doesnt surprise him anymore. He has developed faith in that light switch.
(Beth Lefgren and Jennifer Jackson, Sharing Time, Family Time, Anytime, [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1992], p. 16.)
Story:
For a number of years, I was privileged to work with the wonderful Saints in the islands of the sea. All my life I have
seen the power of the priesthood used to heal and bless in many ways. But I have seen the Polynesian Saints, through
their faith and through the power of the priesthood literally control the elements.
Elder L. Tom Perry, Elder Robert L. Simpson, and I, accompanied by our wives, were assigned to hold a great regional
conference in Tonga. The meeting was attended by thousands and thousands of Church members. Our conference
was to be held in an open soccer stadium of the Liahona High School. No building on the island could hold such a
large gathering.
It rained intermittently prior to the meeting, and I said to the local Tongan brethren, What are the Saints going to do
if it rains during the meeting?
34
Faith
Their answer was, without hesitation, It is not going to rain.

I responded, I certainly hope that is true. But what will we do if it
rains?
The brethren said, Elder Faust, it will not rain. And it did not rain
until our meeting was over. I have seen this same kind of faith many
times.
(James E. Faust, Stories From My Life, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book,
2001], p. 79-80.)
Refreshment
Caramel Apple Squares

1 3/4 cups unsifted flour
1 cup quick cooking oatmeal
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Activity:
Write the following names on word strips: Adam and Eve, Noah,
Joseph, Mary and Martha, Lehi, King Benjamin, Joseph Smith.
Gather pictures of each of these people (available at lds.org). Place
pictures on one side of a display area and names on the other. Both
should be in random order.
Tell your family that there are many stories in the scriptures about
people who showed faith in Heavenly Father. Explain that you will
read a clue about one of the people in the scriptures and they must
guess who that person is. When they guess the name, have them
choose the correct picture. Place the name by the picture. Repeat
until all the pictures have been identified.
Use the following clues:
Adam and Eve: Even though this couple was banished from their
first home, they still had faith that Jesus Christ would pay for their
sins through the Atonement.
Noah: This man showed great faith by building a large boat, even
though it was probably far from any ocean.
Joseph: Even when he was sold and put in prison, he still knew that
Heavenly Father loved him and would care for him.
Mary and Martha: Their faith made them send for Jesus when their
brother became ill.
Lehi: When the Lord told him that his city would be destroyed, he
left his home and traveled in the wilderness with his family.
King Benjamin: He taught his people about faith and the plan of
salvation in ancient America.
1 cup butter, cold

1 cup walnuts, chopped
20 caramels, unwrapped
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 21-ounce can apple pie filling
In a large bowl, combine the flour,

oatmeal, brown sugar, baking soda,
and salt. Cut in the butter until
crumbly. Reserve 112 cups of this
crumb mixture; press the remaining
mixture on the bottom of a 9x13-inch
baking pan.
Bake at 375 for 15 minutes; remove
from oven. Add the nuts to the
reserved mixture and set aside.
In a heavy saucepan over low heat
(or in a microwave-safe bowl) melt
the caramels with the condensed
milk, stirring until smooth. Spoon the
apple filling over the baked crust.
Top with the caramel mixture, then
crumble the reserved crumb mixture
over the top.
Bake 20 minutes or until set. Cool
and cut into squares. This may be
served warm with ice cream. Makes
24 squares.
(Lion House Entertaining, [Salt Lake City:
Eagle Gate, 2001], p. 123.)
Joseph Smith: He knew that Heavenly Father would answer his prayer if he prayed in faith.
(Beth Lefgren and Jennifer Jackson, Building Blocks for Better Lessons, [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1998], p. 2122)
35
f.h.e from A to Z
Families
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 our consistency in doing seemingly
small things can lead to significant spiritual results.
(David A. Bednar, More Diligent and Concerned at Home, Ensign, Nov 2009, 1720.)
Song:
Love is Spoken Here, Childrens Songbook, p. 190
Scripture:
Wherefore, be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the
foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that
which is great. (Doctrine and Covenants 64:33)
Object Lesson:
Display glue, tape, and staples. Ask what they have in common.
(They all hold or bind things together.) Compare this to love in the
family. Love is the most important element to strengthen family
relationships and hold them together.
(Beth Lefgren and Jennifer Jackson, Building Blocks for Better
Lessons, [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1998], p. 25.)
Story:
Tamra Christensen
Out of school for the summer, my three boys were racing in and out
of the house while I chased after their two-year-old sister, Sarah,
who was doing her best to keep up with them. Desperately needing
to get some housework done, I asked my oldest son, Jason, if he
would watch her, which he reluctantly agreed to do.
A little while later, Jason came walking into the kitchen to find
something to eat. Realizing he was alone, I asked him, Wheres
Sarah?
Refreshment
Birds Nest Cookies

1 (12-ounce) bag butterscotch chips or
chocolate chips
1 (12-ounce) can Chinese noodles
1 cup miniature marshmallows
Melt the butterscotch or chocolate

chips in the microwave in a medium
bowl. To do so, microwave on high
power for 1 minute and stir. Return to
microwave in 30-second increments,
stirring each time, until melted and
smooth.
When all the chips are melted and
the mixture is smooth, add the
remaining ingredients and stir well.
Use a tablespoon to drop the batter
onto a cookie sheet that has been
lined with waxed paper. Refrigerate
until the cookies are firm.
Makes 2 dozen cookies.
(Clark L. and Kathryn H. Kidd, 52 Weeks
of Recipes for Students, Missionaries, and
Nervous Cooks, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book,
2007] p. 71.)
Looking at me as if I were questioning his ability to keep track of her,

he sarcastically said, Oh, shes out playing in the street.
Even though I knew he wasnt serious, I let out a sigh of relief when I heard her singing softly as she walked up the
stairs from our basement. My five-year-old son, Adam, however, overheard Jasons remark but apparently didnt know
36
Families
that Sarah really was in the house. Suddenly, with a worried look on his face, he jumped off the couch and ran out to
search for his little sister.
From our front window I could see him frantically running up and down the street, calling, Sarah, Sarah!
As I opened the door to call for Adam, what I saw touched my heart. There was my little boy kneeling on the
sidewalk with his head bowed and his little hands clasped together. I could see his lips moving as he quietly prayed
for help to find Sarah.
Gratitude welled up inside me as I saw the love Adam had for his little sister! Seeing him there on his knees,
oblivious to the cars whizzing by, I knew that , had Sarah actually been lost, Heavenly Father would have answered
his prayer. And from Adams point of view, He did.
(Sunshine from the Latter-day Saint Childs Soul, [Salt Lake City: Eagle Gate, 2001], p. 21.)
Activity:
Divide the family into pairs, and give each pair a piece of paper and something to write with. Have family members
write down on their pieces of paper the first, middle, and last names of everyone in the room.
Explain that they have five minutes in which to make as many words as they can from the letters found in each
persons full name. The words cannot be proper nouns. Each word must be at least three letters long. The words must
be formed using only one persons complete name and then moving quickly onto the next complete name for more
words. For example, from the name Lee Ann Smith you could form time, mile, eat, etc. From George Thomas Smith
you could form math, moth, home, etc.
At the end of five minutes have everyone share the words they have formed. The words they have formed. The words
are worth one point for each letter, with a bonus of five points if no other group formed the same word.
At the end of the activity explain that their names are very important. Their actions will determine what people will
think of their names. Have everyone share one thing they think of when they hear the name of Jesus Christ. Point out
to the family that every family member determines what people think of when they hear your family name.
(Allan K. Burgess and Max H. Molgard, Fun For Family Night: Book of Mormon Edition, [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft,
1990], p. 174.)
37
f.h.e from A to Z
Family History
An eternal perspective of gospel conversion and temple covenants can help us see
rich blessings in each generation of our forever families.
(Elder Gerrit W. Gong, Temple Mirrors of Eternity: A Testimony of Family, Ensign, Nov 2010, 36.)
Song:
Families Can Be Together Forever, Childrens Songbook, p. 188.
Scripture:
And now, my dearly beloved brethren and sisters, let me assure you
that these are principles in relation to the dead and the living that
cannot be lightly passed over, as pertaining to our salvation. For
their salvation is necessary and essential to our salvation, as Paul
says concerning the fathersthat they without us cannot be made
perfectneither can we without our dead be made perfect. (Doctrine
and Covenants 128:15)
Lesson:
Prior to the lesson, cut out long strips of paper that can serve as
chain links. You will also need markers and a stapler or tape.
Invite your family members to take a paper strip and write their
name on it. Making a paper chain, have them staple or tape their
link to the parents links. Then have them make links for their
grandparents and great-grandparents as far back as you wish and
connect them to the chain. Read Malachi 4:56 together and ask:
What is the great and dreadful day of the Lord?
As you look at our chain, who are the fathers and who are the
children?
Why do our hearts need to turn to each other before the Second
Coming?
To help answer this question read together D&C 128:18. Discuss the
following questions as you read:
How is our family chain like the welding link the prophet
spoke of?
Refreshment
Fresh Cherry Cobbler

4 cups fresh sour cherries, washed and
pitted*
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon instant tapioca
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
In a saucepan, combine cherries,

1 cup sugar, tapioca, vanilla, and
lemon juice. Stirring frequently, heat
over medium-low heat until sugar is
dissolved. Mix together flour, 1 cup
sugar, milk, and baking powder. Melt
butter in 9inch square baking dish
in 350degree oven. Pour batter
on top of melted butter, and spoon
cherries on top of batter. Bake
uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 to
35 minutes.
*Note: 4 cups canned or bottled
sour cherries may be used instead of
fresh cherries. Drain and proceed as
directed.
(Paula Julander and Joanne Milner, Utah State
Fare, [Salt Lake City: Shadow Mountain, 1995],
p. 178.)
How does baptism for the dead link our family together? (We
38
Family History
can be baptized for our ancestors who did not get the chance when they lived.)
What are some other ways for our hearts to turn to our ancestors? (Genealogy, family histories, temple work.)
According to this verse why is it so important that our family be sealed together? (We cannot get to the celestial
kingdom (be made perfect) without them.
Story:
For eight years my father, Carl L. Vance, had been working on his family history.
A member of the Show Low 1st Ward, Show Low Arizona Stake, he had found most of what he needed except for the
marriage certificate for his parents.
He had looked everywhere. He had even traveled to a courthouse in South Dakota to search for any kind of proof.
Relatives and friends had no records either.
Some of the temple work had been done for part of his family, but still my father longed to do the sealings for his
parents.
It looked like all hope was lost until July 11, 1991.
On that date, my father traveled to the county dump to unload some yard scraps.
After visiting with some men for a few minutes, my father proceeded to empty his pickup truck. He kicked some
scrap lumber out of his way. Underneath one of the boards, he spied an old, dirty envelope with oil smeared across
the front.
Out of curiosity, he picked it up and saw a return address of Pierre, S.D., the county in which his parents had lived.
On the envelope there was no address to which the letter might have been sent. The labeling had been torn off, but
the postmark date was March 8, 1987.
Excited about finding something from his home state, he opened the envelope, which had already been partially
opened, and pulled out its contents.
To my fathers disbelief, inside was his parents certificate for which he had been searching for eight years.
What my father had prayed, hoped for and wished for was right there in his hands at the county landfill.
Amid all the rubbish, he found a treasure that would make it possible for my grandparents to be sealed together and
to establish that vital link that would connect our family with generations of ancestors through the eternities.
(Polly Adams, Family History Moments: Junkyard Treasure, LDS Church News, June 6, 1992.)
Activity:
Talk about the countries your ancestors come from. Learn something about the geography or culture of one of them.
39
f.h.e from A to Z
Fasting
Fasting, coupled with mighty prayer, is powerful. It can fill our minds with the
revelations of the Spirit, it can strengthen us against times of temptation.
(Joseph B. Wirthlin, The Law of the Fast, Ensign, May 2001, 73.)
Song:
Bless Our Fast, We Pray Hymns, 138.
Scripture:
And on this day thou shalt do none other thing, only let thy food
be prepared with singleness of heart that thy fasting may be perfect,
or, in other words, that thy joy may be full. Verily, this is fasting
and prayer, or in other words, rejoicing and prayer. (Doctrine and
Covenants 59:1314)
Object Lesson:
Show a coat. Explain that coats are designed to keep us warm and
to protect us from the cold. Yet they can only offer us this service if
we wear them. Sometimes we dont want to take the time to put one
on; other times we dont want to be encumbered with one; and still
other times we are embarrassed to wear one because it isnt quite
fashionable. So we deny ourselves the comfort our coats could give
us and instead we suffer with the cold.
Point out that living the principle of fasting is similar to wearing a
coat. Fasting can offer us protection and comfort, yet at times we
wont make the effort to live the principle. So instead we suffer with
the cold discomforts of a worldly life.
Refreshment
Fruit & Yogurt Parfait

1 quart blueberry yogurt
1 quart peach yogurt
1 quart raspberry yogurt
1 16-ounce box granola cereal
4 cups raspberries
4 cups strawberries, quartered
4 cups blueberries
Raspberries, for garnish
Mint sprigs, for garnish
In tall parfait-style glasses alternate

yogurt, granola cereal, and berries
to fill each glass. Garnish top with
whole raspberries and a sprig of
mint. Makes 20 parfaits.
(Lion House Weddings, [Salt Lake City: Eagle
Gate, 2003], p. 65.)
Story:
He Fasted, and He Prayed

Matthew Cowley
Two boys in New Zealand graduated from a high school down there. The principal came to me and he said,
President Cowley, these two boys should go on in their education. . . .
Then he told me this story about one of them.
40
Fasting
This young man came to me one day. He was living in the dormitory. He was what they called the monitor. It wasnt
a native high school, but he was a native. He came to me one day, and he said, Mr. Hogan, I want to go home for
three days.I said, Why, you cant go home, you have a job here. What do you want to go home for?He said, Well, I
am preparing to take my matric,[as they call it down there, matriculation examination for entrance into a university].
He said, I want to go home for three days and fast and pray.
I was astonished. I excused myself and went to my office and called up one of your members, one of our native
members, and I said, Listen to me, do you people have in your Church something you call fasting?He said, Yes.I
said, What do you do it for?When we want a blessing, we fast and pray.I said, Well, I have read about it in the
Bible, but I have never heard of anybody doing it.I went back to the young man and said, You go home for three
days.He went home, and he fasted, and he prayed, and he was the top man in passing his matric examination.
So he and his cousin went on to the universityone to study dentistry and one to study medicine.
(Jay A. Parry, Jack M. Lyon, and Linda Ririe Gundry, editors, Best-Loved Stories of the LDS People, Volume 2, [Salt
Lake City: Deseret Book, 1999], p. 63.)
Activity:
Play My Eyes Are Open.
From one to four people are sent out of the room and an object is hidden in plain sight. The people come back and
try to see the object. When one person sees it, he returns to his seat and says, My eyes are open. Continue until all
have found it. Play as many times as youd like.
Remind your family that sometimes we cant see things that are right before our eyes. We need to use spiritual insight
as well as physical vision. Fasting can increase our spirituality and help us see the things the Lord wants us to do.
41
f.h.e from A to Z
Forgiveness
Yes, to be in the right we must forgive, and we must do so without regard to
whether or not our [enemy] repents, or how sincere is his transformation, or
whether or not he asks our forgiveness.
(Spencer W. Kimball, The Miracle of Forgiveness, 28283.)
Song:
Help Me, Dear Father, Childrens Songbook, 99.
Scripture:
I, the Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to forgive all men. (Doctrine and Covenants
64:10)
Lesson:
Before beginning this activity, give each family member a small pebble to hold.
Share one or more of the following case studies with your family, or create some of your own. Ask family members to
think about how they would feel and what they would do if this happened to them.
You have worked hard drawing a beautiful picture. You leave the room for just a few minutes, and when you
return, you discover that your little sister came in and scribbled all over it. What would you do?
You are carrying an armful of things down the hall at school. Some kids are goofing around, and one of them
bumps into you, scattering your things all over the floor. The person who bumped into you laughs and runs off.
What would you do?
You tell a friend something very personal, and the friend promises not to tell anyone. Later you find out that
your friend broke the promise and even told other things about you that are not true. What would you do?
Ask your family to put the pebbles they are holding into one of their shoes. Have each person walk around and
describe about how uncomfortable it is. Ask, How can a little pebble be compared to feelings we have when we
dont forgive a person who has offended us? (Those little pebbles are like the feelings we have when we dont
forgive someone who has offended us. They can start out small but then feel bigger and bigger. Walking around with
a pebble in your shoe is like carrying a grudge and refusing to forgive someone who offended you.)
42
Forgiveness
Story:
Refreshment
Tears Began to Run Down One Boys Face

Elder Joseph F. Merrill
Bishop M. O. Ashton told two stories that deeply impressed me.
Each story was about a bishop and some boys. In the first one, a
group of boys engaged in some Halloween pranks of a rather serious,
provocative nature. The bishop secured the names of the boys
and charged them to come to the sacrament meeting and publicly
ask forgiveness for engaging in the pranks committed, on pain of
excommunication for failure to do so. In consequence there are in
that community today a number of families that grew up outside of
the Church.
In the second case a group of boys and a bishop were involved. A
wedding party was held at the bishops home. A big freezer of ice
cream waited on the back porch for the refreshment hour. When
the ice cream was to be served, it was observed that the freezer was
empty. Pondering over the matter the bishop decided to invite the
guilty boys to an ice cream festival and provided two freezers of ice
cream for the occasion. All the boys accepted the invitation. When
the lads were seated at the feast, it was noticed that tears began to
run down one boys face. Soon all the other boys were in tears also.
From among that group have come some of the finest leaders in their
community.
Those were the factual stories told by Bishop Ashton. The two
bishops of the story were undoubtedly actuated by the best of
motives. Not for a moment would I question that. But one bishop
was wise and the other unwise. The thought in the mind of one was
to use persuasion, long-suffering, gentleness, meekness, and love . .
. In the case of the other bishop he seems to have acted impulsively.
. . . He forgot the scriptural injunction found in the Doctrine and
Covenants 64:9-10:
Wherefore, I say unto you, that ye ought to forgive one another; for
he that forgiveth not his brother his trespasses standeth condemned
before the Lord; for there remaineth in him the greater sin. I, the
Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to
forgive all men.
Mud Pie Brownies

4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa, or 2
squares melted unsweetened
chocolate
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 cups chopped pecans or walnuts
1 cup flaked coconut
1 (7-ounce) jar Marshmallow Creme
1 recipe Chocolate Frosting (below)
In a large bowl, beat together eggs,

sugar, and butter or margarine.
Beat in cocoa or melted chocolate
and flour. Stir in nuts and coconut.
Pour batter into a greased 9x13inch aluminum pan. Bake at 350
degrees for about 30 minutes.
While brownies are baking, make
Chocolate Frosting. Remove
brownies from oven. While hot,
spread with Marshmallow Creme,
then swirl in Chocolate Frosting.
Makes 15 brownies.
Chocolate Frosting
In large saucepan, melt butter over
medium heat. Stir in milk, cocoa,
and vanilla until well blended. Add
powdered sugar and stir in. Use hand
mixer to beat until smooth.
(Julie Badger Jensen, Essential Mormon
Celebrations, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book,
2005], p. 24.)
(Leon R. Hartshorn, Exceptional Stories from the Lives of Our

Apostles.)
43
Forgiveness
Activity:
Get a large, thick stocking and place ten household items inside it such as a spoon, a small ball, a stapler, a small toy
soldier, tweezers, an audiotape, a small ruler, a screwdriver, etc. Tie the end of the stocking closed.
Allow each family member two minutes to feel the contents of the stocking. During the two minutes, the person tries
to identify and privately write down what he or she thinks the items are. When everyone has had a turn, the contents
are shown as each person checks the answers on his or her paper.
This activity demonstrates that it is difficult to judge whats inside something. This is especially true of people. We
can see what people do, but we cannot see inside to understand how they feel.
(Max H. Molgard and Allan K. Burgess, The Best of Fun For Family Night, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2003], p.
68.)
44
f.h.e from A to Z
Gifts of the Spirit

How should we lay hold of the Holy Ghost and claim its powers in our behalf?
. . . Have you tried to apply that to gain those powers? Have you asked God with a
sincere heart and real intent? . . . You cant gain or exercise one of those gifts of the
Spirit without putting forth the effort.
(Teachings of Harold B. Lee)
Song:
I Will Follow Gods Plan, Childrens Songbook, p. 164
Scripture:
For all have not every gift given unto them; for there are many gifts, and to every man is given a gift by the Spirit of
God. (Doctrine and Covenants 46:11)
Lesson:
Share the following list of some less-conspicuous gifts that Elder Marvin J. Ashton compiled:
The gift of asking; the gift of listening; the gift of hearing and using a still, small voice; the gift of being able to weep;
the gift of avoiding contention; the gift of being agreeable; the gift of avoiding vain repetition; the gift of seeking
that which is righteous; the gift of not passing judgment; the gift of looking to God for guidance; the gift of being a
disciple; the gift of caring for others; the gift of being able to ponder; the gift of offering prayer; the gift of bearing a
mighty testimony; and the gift of receiving the Holy Ghost. (There Are Many Gifts, Ensign, November 1987, p. 20.)
Elder Dallin H. Oaks said that spiritual gifts come to those who have received the gift of the Holy Ghost, but that
they do not come visibly, automatically, and immediately to all. . . .
The scriptures tell us that we should desire and zealously seek spiritual gifts. (See D&C 46:8; 1 Cor. 12:31; 14:1, 11.)
. . . In every case, the receipt of spiritual gifts is predicated upon faith, obedience, and personal righteousness. . . .
We should seek after spiritual gifts. They can lead us to God. They can shield us from the power of the adversary.
They can compensate for our inadequacies and repair our imperfections. (Spiritual Gifts, Ensign, September 1986,
pp. 6869, 72.)
Story:
Many years ago I went to the hospital to give a blessing to a young man named Nick and his sister Michelle. Nick is
a friend of mine and former home teaching companion, and his young life was threatened by diseased kidneys. Nick
had not been well for a long time. Nicks older sister Michelle had offered one of her own kidneys.
45
Gifts of the Spirit
The operation was successfully performed, but still in question was

whether or not Nicks body would accept this priceless gift from
Michelle. You see, Michelle had given the gift not knowing if it
would be accepted. Fortunately it was accepted. In like manner, our
Heavenly Father has given us so many wonderful gifts, regardless
of whether they will be accepted. He has offered us his peace,
his comfort, his love. All we have to do to accept his gifts is to be
obedient and follow him.
(James E. Faust, Stories From My Life, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book,
2001], p.44.)
Activity:
Prepare enough strips of paper (approximately 1 x 8) for each
family member to have two or three. Have each person put their
name on their strips and list one spiritual gift, special ability, or
specific personality trait. Glue or tape the strips into circles and
connect them together to form a chain. Hang your spiritual gift
chain in your home for each family member to see.
(Adapted from: Shauna Mooney Kawasaki, I Belong to the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, [Salt Lake City: Eagle Gate, 2002],
p. 12.)
Refreshment
Chiffon Cake
1 14 cups sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 14 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon salt
12 cup salad oil
5 egg yolks
34 cup water
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup (7 to 8 large) egg whites
12 teaspoon cream of tartar
Lemon Chiffon Cake Frosting

2 cans lemon pie filling
1 carton (8 ounces) Cool Whip
In mixing bowl, sift dry ingredients

together. Add oil, egg yolks, water,
and vanilla; beat until smooth. Beat
egg whites with cream of tartar
until stiff. Pour yolk mixture over
whipped whites, folding together
until blended. Bake in ungreased
10-inch tube pan at 325 degrees for
55 minutes. When cake tests done,
invert tube pan and let hang until
cool.
Cut chiffon cake horizontally into 3
layers. Separate layers. Spread a thin
layer of lemon pie filling on cut side
of bottom layer, then place the next
layer on top of the pie filling and
spread the top of that layer with pie
filling. (It should take about 12 can
for each layer.) Fold 34 can of pie
filling into the Cool Whip and frost
inside the hole, outside the cake,
and on top of the cake. Cut, and
enjoy! This cake must be kept in the
refrigerator.
Mountain, 2004] p. 99.)
46
f.h.e from A to Z
Godhead
We declare it is self-evident from the scriptures that the Father, the Son, and the
Holy Ghost are separate persons, three divine beings.
(Jeffrey R. Holland, The Only True God and Jesus Christ Whom He Hath Sent, Ensign, Nov 2007, 4042)
Song:
The First Article of Faith Childrens Songbook, p.122.
Scripture:
The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as mans; the
Son also; but the Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones, but
is a personage of Spirit. Were it not so, the Holy Ghost could not
dwell in us. (Doctrine and Covenants 130:22)
Lesson:
Invite your family to list the three members of the Godhead. Then
talk about whether the members of the Godhead are three separate
beings or one person. (See D&C 130:22.) Read Mosiah 15:1 and ask:
Which member of the Godhead came to earth and was born of a
virgin? (Jesus.)
What name was Jesus known by in the Old Testament? (See D&C
110:14.)
From what youve just learned, who was Abinadi referring
to when he said, God himself shall come down among the
children of men?
Families with older children can also read Mosiah 15:2 and ask:
How is Jesus Christ both the Father and the Son?
Write the following statement on a piece of paper and show it to
your family: All fathers are sons, but not all sons are fathers.
Discuss whether or not your family thinks that statement is true, and
help them understand what it means.
Refreshment
Chocolate Balls
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened
condensed milk
1/4 cup cocoa
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
6 to 8 tablespoons chocolate-flavored
sprinkles
Small foil or paper decorator cups
(optional)
Combine condensed milk, cocoa,

and butter or margarine in a medium
saucepan. Cook over medium-low
heat, stirring constantly for 7 to 8
minutes or until candy forms a ball
around the spoon and pulls away
from the sides of the pan. Remove
from heat and allow to cool to
room temperature. Place chocolate
sprinkles in a small dish. Butter your
hands and shape cocoa mixture
into 1-inch balls. Gently roll balls in
the chocolate sprinkles and place in
individual decorator cups. Cover and
chill before serving. Makes about 2
dozen balls.
(Lion House International, [Salt Lake City:
Deseret Book, 1997] p. 124.)
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland explained, There are ways in which Christ

is so united with his Father that in some assignments he rightfully plays a fatherly role and rightfully bears the title
of Father in doing so. (Christ and the New Covenant, p. 183.) To help more fully explain this difficult doctrine, you
47
Godhead
may wish to review the following scriptures with your family: Hebrews 1:2; Moses 1:33; D&C 19:16.
Story:
Helen Patten was in the fifth grade when she began writing to a pen pal by the name of Charlotte Alvoet in Dundee,
Scotland. Helen told her what she did in Primary, later Mutual, and sent pictures of the Churchs temples and other
buildings, and places of interest in Utah.
An elder from Helens ward, Bruce Draper, was called on a mission to Scotland. Since Helen secretly wished that
he might teach the gospel to Charlotte, she wrote a letter to Elder Draper, telling him about Charlotte and giving her
address in case he should be assigned to work in Dundee.
About a week later Charlotte wrote to Helen telling her of the visit of two Yanks. It so happened that Charlotte had
gone to a concert, so she was not home when they first called. The elders waited about two hours for her return but
finally they had to leave. They left word with her grandmother that they wanted to call again the following Saturday.
Charlotte returned home about fifteen minutes after they left. When she heard of the visit, she was so anxious to see
these young men that she wrote to Helen that she could hardly wait for the next Saturday to come.
The next letter Helen received began, Guess who was baptized yesterday! Guess who will be confirmed tomorrow!
Guess who is the happiest girl in the world! ME ME ME! She went on to write that both she and her mother had
been converted in only two weeks.
Subsequent letters told of her interest in church activities, her new friends, and her part in the branchs roadshow.
On August 21, she wrote the following:
I just had to write this to you. I absolutely had to. I guess if I did not I would burst. Oh, the marvelous happening all
because of being a Mormon. I must tell you from the beginning or Ill get too mixed up.
You see, [my school] is a Presbyterian school, where pupils of all Protestant faiths attend (Methodists, Episcopalian,
and all that). In school we have one period each week for instruction in religion, and this is in the Presbyterian faith.
Well, when I was baptized, there was little change since all we did was read the Bible. But this year our teacher
decided that our religion period should be informal and should be a period for debate, so he said he would ask us to
write one question that he would try to answer and that the class would discuss.
I didnt ask one questionI asked six! I knew all the answers, but I wanted to explain our teachings and doctrine to
him. . . . [One of the questions I asked was concerning] the nature of the Godhead (if they were three in one or three
separate beings).
None of my friends had questions, so mine were all copied. Well, a fortnight later (yesterday) the teacher decided
that we would discuss the question concerning the personality of our Father in heaven. He blithered on for a wee
while about heathens and atheists. Then we got down to business. I brought up the belief of some that our Father,
Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost are three in one. Since we dont believe that, I told him so. He asked me for proof,
and was he surprised when I rattled off a list of scriptures! You see, I had sat up the night before reading the books I
was given when the elders were teaching me. I read scriptures concerning our Father being separate from Jesus Christ
and the Holy Ghost. After I had proved my point that they were not three in one, my master went on to another
subject, saying, `Of course, we all know God is a spirit, and I read more scriptures about our Father in heaven having
a body, hair, eyes, and back parts. It was marvelous. One thing led to another, and soon I was deep in telling the class
48
Godhead
the Joseph Smith story. I was inspired, and I know I had the Holy Ghost and the Spirit of the Lord within me as I
talked. At the end I took over the class and was answering questions. Now twenty-one people know about Joseph
Smith and heard my testimony as I bore it to them. They also saw the Book of Mormon.
May God bless you always,
Love, Charlotte
(Leon R. Hartshorn, Inspiring Stories for Young Latter-day Saints, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1975].)
Activity:
Make a collage. You will need a big piece of paper, old magazines, scissors, and paste. Find pictures in the magazines
of things God made and cut them out. Paste them on the paper.
(Ann Laemmlen and Jackie Owen, Articles of Faith Learning Book, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1990], p. 16.)
49
f.h.e from A to Z
Gratitude
I have come to feel that one of the most important ingredients for a happy lifea
life of joy, contentment, hope, and peaceis gratitude. Surely gratitudebeing
thankful, being aware, and expressing appreciationis one of the most important
of all heavenly virtues.
(Mary Ellen Edmunds, You Can Never Get Enough of What You Dont Need, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2005], p.
138.)
Song:
Because I Have Been Given Much, Hymns, 219.
Scripture:
And he who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious; and the things of this earth shall be added
unto him, even an hundred fold, yea, more. (Doctrine and Covenants 78:19)
Lesson:
When we focus on blessings, expressing gratitude along the way, we will become increasingly aware of all that has
been so generously shared with us. We notice what were thinking about, dont we?
My friend Sharon told about a friend who did this exercise with her school class (Try it with your family):
She would tell them, Look around the room and find all the things you can that are purple. After they had a few
minutes to do so, she had them close their eyes. Then she said, Okay, now tell me all the things you saw that were
yellow. And they couldnt do it. Thats because they had focused so intently on the purple that they didnt even
notice the yellow things. . .
You can see the application to contentment and gratitude. When we focus on what we dont have, pretty soon thats
all we can see, so we become discontented, and whiny, and unsatisfied. But when we focus on our many amazing
blessings, we become more and more aware of them, and thus more and more content and humble and grateful. And
I might add, happier. And more peaceful.
(Mary Ellen Edmunds, You Can Never Get Enough of What You Dont Need, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2005], p.
153.)
Story:
I think of Rica, a wonderful woman who helped us while I was on my first mission in the Philippines. She was so
tiny but did so much to help us. I think we could not have accomplished much without her doing the laundry, going
to the market, fixing us food, and helping us clean our place. Without her wed have to do everything ourselves, and
there wouldnt have been much time left for missionary work!
Rica lived with her three children, two daughters and a son, near a river. Her home was very small and very simple.
50
Gratitude
As I remember, she was a widow, raising her children alone. During

the time she was with us, she joined the Church. What a happy time
that was! She continues to be a faithful member of the Church.
In 1964 there was a terrible volcano with subsequent fires and
flooding. Many had been killed, and many were homeless and
suffering. Rica came to our home to say, We should be helping these
poor peoplewe are members of Jesus church!
She then showed that shed brought two things to share: a bucket
and a pair of her sons pants. She explained that someone could use
the bucket to haul water, and that Johnny had two pair of pants,
and he only needs one.
Does it strike you that this was like the parable of the widows mite?
We had thought she was poor, yet she found something she could
share.
(Mary Ellen Edmunds, Happiness: Finders, Keepers [Salt Lake City:
Deseret Book, 1999], p. 11920.)
Activity:
Play alphabetical gratitude. Go around the room and have each
person say something he is grateful for. The first person names
something that starts with the letter a, and the next person names
something beginning with the letter b. Continue around the room as
many times as necessary until the entire alphabet is complete.
(Kimberly L. Bytheway and Diane H. Loverage, Traditions, [Salt Lake
Refreshment
Pumpkin Cheesecake
1 12 cups graham cracker crumbs,
rolled fine
3 tablespoons butter or margarine,
melted
3 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese,
softened
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 13 cups plus 2 tablespoons pumpkin
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Mix graham cracker crumbs and

butter or margarine. Press firmly
onto bottom and sides of 9- or 10inch springform pan. Whip cream
cheese in mixer bowl; gradually add
sugar, then eggs one at a time. Stir
in vanilla. In separate bowl, combine
pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger,
cloves, and salt. Mix well; add to
cream cheese mixture. Pour filling
into crust. Bake at 300 degrees for
55 minutes. Whip sour cream; add
sugar and vanilla. Spread on top
of cheesecake and return to oven.
Bake 10 more minutes. Cool before
removing sides from springform pan.
Garnish with a sprinkle of nutmeg.
Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Mountain, 2004], p.102.)
51
f.h.e from A to Z
Honesty
Those who are living the principle of honesty know that the Lord does bless them.
Theirs is the precious right to hold their heads in the sunlight of truth, unashamed
before any man.
(Gordon B. Hinckley, We Believe in Being Honest, Ensign, Oct. 1990, 2)
Song:
Refreshment
Jesus Loved the Little Children, Childrens Songbook, p. 59
Scripture:
And let every man deal honestly, and be alike among this people,
and receive alike, that ye may be one, even as I have commanded
you. (D&C 51:9)
Lesson:
Shortly after the Revelation recorded in Doctrine and Covenants
section 50 had been received, the Saints from Colesville, N. Y., began
to arrive in Ohio. They had been directed to gather in that locality
and they had been promised that there they would receive The
Law. The Saints in Ohio had been instructed to divide their land
with their brethren, and it was the duty of Edward Partridge, who
had been appointed Bishop to take care of the newcomers, as far as
possible. Under the circumstances, Bishop Partridge asked for divine
guidance. The Prophet inquired of the Lord for him, and received
Section 51 as the answer to his prayers.
Have your family turn to D&C 51:9 and see how every man is
supposed to deal with others? (Honestly.)
Latter-day Saint Families: The Doctrine and Covenants, [Salt Lake
Story:
Wayne B. Lynn
Speedy Cinnamon
Sticks
These breadsticks are fast and fun.

1 loaf frozen bread dough

12 cup brown or white sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
14 cup butter, melted
Thaw frozen bread dough for about

3 hours. Mix sugar with cinnamon.
Cut loaf lengthwise into 4 strips.
Cut strips horizontally in thirds,
making 12 strips. Combine sugar and
cinnamon. Roll each piece of dough
in butter, then in sugar cinnamon
mixture. Stretch and twist. Place on
greased baking sheet and let raise
1 hour; bake at 400 F. for about 12
minutes or until lightly browned;
sprinkle with additional sugar. Makes
12 cinnamon sticks.
2004], p. 153.)
I had stressed the need for honesty, explaining to my students that

many times we dont even know our integrity is being tested. I had shared with them experiences like Mr. Larkins at
the corner drugstore. He had told me that Alfred could not be trusted.
How do you know? I inquired.
52
Honesty
Well, he said, often when I have lots of customers and Im the only salesperson in the store, I let young people
make their own change from the cash drawer. I started coming up short, so I carefully counted out the cash before
and after several youngsters had made their own change. They were all honest with me except Alfred. I gave him two
chances, and he failed me both times. So now I know that Alfred cant be trusted.
Have you told him? I asked.
No, I never have. I just watch him very closely. I hope he never asks me for a job or for a recommendation.
So my class should have been prepared for the snap quiz I gave them that Thursday afternoon. It was a twentyquestion, true-or-false test covering material we had discussed during the week. They finished the test just as the bell
rang for dismissal.
Please pass your papers to the center of the aisle, I instructed.
Later that evening I very carefully graded each paper, recording the score in my grade book but leaving no marks on
the papers.
When the class assembled the next morning, I passed the papers back and, as usual, asked that each student grade his
own paper.
I read each question aloud and with a word of explanation announced the correct answer. Every answer was
accompanied by the usual student groan or sigh of relief at having given a wrong or right response.
Please count five off for each one missed and subtract the total from one hundred, I instructed. Your scores please.
John?
85.
Susan?
95.
Harold?
80.
Arnold?
90.
Mary?
The response could hardly be heard: 45.
I went on, putting the grades in my grade book, carefully recording each oral report next to the grade I had recorded
the night before. The comparison was revealing.
A stillness settled on the class when I explained what I had done. Many did not look up from their desks; others
exchanged furtive glances or quick smiles.
I spoke quietly to my students. Some of you may wish to talk to me privately about our experience here today. I
would like that.
53
Honesty
This was a different kind of test. This test was a test for honesty. Were you true or false? I noticed that many of you
looked at Mary when she announced her score of 45. Mary, if you dont mind, would you please stand up? I want
each of you to know that in my book Mary just achieved the highest score in the class. You make me feel very proud,
Mary.
Mary looked up rather timidly at first, then her eyes glistened as she broke into a smile and rose to her feet. I had
never seen Mary stand so tall.
(Jay A. Parry, editor, Everyday Heroes, [Salt Lake City: Eagle Gate, 2002], p. 1.)
Activity:
Seat everyone on the floor in a large circle with one person blindfolded in the center. This person is the watchdog.
Place a wooden spoon beside the dog. This is the bone.
The object is for people in the circle to sneak up quietly to the watchdog and steal the bone without being heard. No
throwing of the bone is allowed.
When the watchdog hears someone approaching, he points in their direction and says, Bow wow. If the watchdog
points at someone out of place, that person has to return the bone and go back to his place. The game then continues
as before.
If someone successfully steals the bone without the watchdog pointing to him, he trades places with the dog, and the
play continues.
Gospel application: Since the watchdog is blindfolded, everyone must be honest and admit when they are caught.
54
f.h.e from A to Z
Integrity
My brothers and sisters, let us live true to the trust the Lord has placed in us. Let
us strive for personal, practical integrity in every endeavor, regardless of how
mundane or inconsequential it may seem. The small matters accumulate to shape
the direction of our lives.
(Joseph B. Wirthlin, Personal Integrity, Ensign, May 1990, 30)
Song:
Primary Colors, Childrens Songbook, p. 258.
Scripture:
And again, verily I say unto you, blessed is my servant Hyrum Smith; for I, the Lord, love him because of the
integrity of his heart, and because he loveth that which is right before me, saith the Lord. (Doctrine and Covenants
124:15)
Lesson:
Explain to your family that Integrity can be defined as having your actions match what you know is right. Read the
six scenarios and ask family members to respond with the correct action for each situation.
1. Stephanie went grocery shopping with her mom. While she was at the store, she saw a candy bar that she really
wanted. Stephanie didnt have any money. She put the candy bar in her pocket anyway. Was this right? What
should Stephanie do?
2. Jason wanted to go to the school football game with his friends. His mom said he couldnt go to the game, but
could go to a Church activity instead. Jason agreed, but when he left the house, he went to the football game
instead of the Church activity. Was this honest? What should Jason do?
3. Megan was having a hard time in her math class at school. The final exam was coming quickly and she hadnt
studied for it. Her best friend, Lisa, said Megan could look at her answers during the test. Is Megan being
honest? Is Lisa being honest? What should they do?
4. Amy told her best friend, Melissa, a personal secret. Melissa promised not to tell anyone. When Amy wasnt
around, Melissa told Amys secret to others. Was this right? What should Melissa do?
5. Cory and Daniel were good friends at school. Cory always talked about the pets he had at home. Daniel doesnt
have any pets, but he told Cory he has a dog and talked about his dog all the time. Is this honest? What should
Daniel do?
6. Matthew used Dads tools to try to fix his bike, then he left them out. When Dad got home, he couldnt find his
tools and asked if anyone had seen them. Matthew didnt say anything. Is this showing integrity? What should
Matthew do?
55
Integrity
(Deborah Pace Rowley, Before They Turn Twelve, [Salt Lake City:
Story:
Hugh B. Brown
While I was in training [for the military], a young Mormon boy came
into the camp. He was awkward. He was not educated very well, but
he was a young Mormon boy who had been taught to live the gospel.
After one parade, when he had gone through everything backwards,
he was called by the captain to come into his office. The captain
said, I have noticed you, young fellow. You are from Cardston,
arent you?
He said, Yes, sir.
You are a Mormon, I suppose.
Yes, sir.
Well, I just wanted to make friends with you. Will you have a glass
of beer?
Sir, I do not drink liquor.
The captain said, The you dont. Maybe you will have a
cigar then.
He said, Thank you, sir, but I do not smoke.
The captain seemed much annoyed by this, and he dismissed the
boy from the room.
When the young man went back to his quarters, some of the lesser
officers accosted him angrily and said, You fool, dont you realize
the captain was trying to make a friend of you, and you insulted him
to his face?
The young Mormon boy answered, Gentlemen, if I must be
untrue to my ideals and my people and do things that I have been
instructed all my life I should not do, Ill quit the army.
When the time came for the final examinations in that camp, the
captain sent this young man down to Calgary from Sarcee Camp to
do some work for him, and they were having examinations while he
was gone. When he returned the captain said, Now you go in the
other room there, and I will give you the list of questions, and you
can write your examination.
He went in and returned and said, Sir, all the books we have
studied are there on that desk. Surely you dont want me to write my
Refreshment
Annas Apple Streusel

1 package (1 tablespoon) active dry
yeast
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup warm water
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 to 2 cups flour
3 or 4 large apples, peeled and sliced
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2
1/2
1/2
1/4
Streusel Topping
cup flour
cup sugar
teaspoon cinnamon
cup butter or margarine
In a bowl, combine yeast, sugar, and

warm water; stir to dissolve. Set aside.
In a saucepan, scald milk. Add oil, sugar,
and salt; stir to dissolve sugar. Pour
milk mixture into a large mixing bowl,
and add egg and 1 cup of the flour to
make a paste. Stir in yeast mixture. Add
remaining flour to make a soft dough.
On a floured board, roll out dough about
1/2 inch thick. Place dough on a greased
cookie sheet, and let rise in a warm place
for 10 minutes.
Place apple slices in a mixing bowl.
Combine cinnamon and sugar, and
sprinkle over apples. Mix well. Arrange
apple mixture on dough and sprinkle
with Streusel Topping (instructions
below). Bake at 350 degrees for 20
minutes. Serve warm or cold with
sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice
cream. Makes 12 servings.
For Streusel topping: In a bowl, combine
flour, sugar, and cinnamon. Cut butter or
margarine into flour mixture to resemble
size of peas. Sprinkle on Apple Streusel
as directed above.
p. 152.)
56
Integrity
examination there where I can turn to those books.

The captain said, That is just what I do want. I know from my knowledge of you that you will not open a one of
those books. You will be honorable, you will be honest, and I trust you.
Well, that young man, while overseas later on in the war, was sent for by his captain, who had then become a
lieutenant colonel, in response to a call from general headquarters for the best man he had in his battalion. They had
a special mission for him to perform. They said, We dont care anything about his education or his training. We
want a man who cant be broken when put under test. We want a man of character.
(Edited by Jay A. Parry, Jack M. Lyon, Linda Ririe Gundry, Best-Loved Stories of the LDS People, Volume 2, [Salt Lake
City: Deseret Book, 1999], 181)
Activity:
Play Hunt the Ring.
It stands in the middle of a circle of players. A piece of string long enough to go around the circle is slipped
through a ring and the ends tied. All players in the circle grasp the string. It counts to ten with eyes closed so as
not to see the ring passed initially. The ring is concealed under a players hand and is passed from player to player.
It must find the player under whose hand the ring is concealed. The player caught with the ring becomes it.
(Deborah Pace Rowley, Before They Turn Twelve, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2007], p. 72-3.)
57
f.h.e from A to Z
Jesus Christ
As a special witness of the Only Begotten Son of our loving Heavenly Father, even
Jesus Christ, I testify that . . . He lives. I promise that if you and those you love will
seek Him in all humility, sincerity, and diligence, you will know with a surety too.
(Robert D. Hales, Seeking to Know God, Our Heavenly Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ, Ensign, Nov 2009, 2932.)
Song:
I Feel My Saviors Love, Childrens Songbook, p. 74.
Scripture:
And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God,
and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. (John 17:3)
Lesson:
Refreshment
Blueberry Pizza
Crust:
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup powdered sugar
Have each family member give a name or title for Jesus Christ. Go
around as many times as needed until no one can think of any more
names.
1 cup flour
Divide your family into two groups and give each a blank sheet of
paper and a pen. Invite them to read 3 Nephi 9:1518 and write
down as many names and titles of the Savior as they can find there.
After they have completed their lists, ask:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
What are some of the important roles Jesus Christ plays in

Heavenly Fathers plan?
Are there any of the names or titles that you do not understand?
If we combined our lists and then added the important roles,
how many names, titles, or roles would we come up with?
Turn to page 633 of the Bible Dictionary and show the family the
section titled Christ, names of. Have your family guess how many
actual names, titles, and roles of the Savior are listed there. (Nearly
200.)
Filling:
1 cup powdered sugar
2 cups whipped topping
8 ounces blueberry jam
Mix crust ingredients and pat into a

well-greased round pizza pan. Bake
for 15 minutes at 325 degrees. Let
cool.
Beat powdered sugar and cream
cheese; fold in whipped topping and
spread over crust. Top with jam and
chill.
(Hollee Eckman and Heather Higgins, All
that Jam, [Salt Lake City: Shadow Mountain,
2003], p. 102.)
Ask your family to share which role of the Savior means the most to them and why. Invite family members to share
their feelings about the Savior.
58
Jesus Christ
Story:
A man in India was accused of stealing a sheep. He was brought before the judge, and the supposed owner of the
sheep was present. Both claimed the sheep, and had witnesses to prove their claims, so it was not easy to decided to
whom the sheep belonged. Knowing the habits of the shepherds and the sheep, the judge ordered the animal to be
brought into court, and sent one of the two men into another room, while he told the other to call the sheep, and see
whether it would come to him. But the poor sheep, not knowing the voice of a stranger, would not go to him. In the
meantime, the other man in the adjoining room, growing impatient, gave a kind of chuck, upon which the sheep
bounded away towards him at once. This chuck was the way in which he had been used to calling the sheep, and
it was at once decided that he was the real owner.
Just as the sheep know the shepherd, we should be familiar with our Saviors voice. We know that the Lord will
never lead us astray or give us untruth, we need to learn to distinguish His voice from the noise all around us.
(edited by Rick Walton and Fern Oviatt, Stories for Mormons, [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1983], p.74.)
Activity:
Review the First Article of Faith until everyone can repeat it from memory.
59
f.h.e from A to Z
Kindness
Kindness is the essence of a celestial life. Kindness is how a Christlike person treats
others.
(Joseph B. Wirthlin, The Virtue of Kindness, Ensign, May 2005, 26)
Song:
Ill Walk With You, Childrens Songbook, p. 140.
Refreshment
Scripture:
And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them
likewise. (Luke 6:31)
Lesson:
Print Kindness is a way of showing love on a large strip of paper.
Print the following words on slips of paper: PARENTS, BROTHERS
AND SISTERS, FRIENDS, PLANTS AND ANIMALS. Obtain five
pictures of Christ: Jesus healing the blind (Gospel Art Kit 213),
Sermon on the Mount (GAK 212), Christ and the Children (GAK
216), boy Jesus in the temple (GAK 205), Mary and Martha (GAK
219).
Hold up the pictures of the Savior. Ask the children what Jesus
was doing (helping, serving, loving, and so on). Point out that Jesus
always helped in a kind way. Tell the children that Jesus taught us to
always show kindness. Being kind was one way Jesus showed love.
Post the wordstrip and read it with your family.
Have family members take turns selecting a word slip. Have them
discuss how they can show kindness to the subject on their paper.
Remind them that being kind is more that just hugging and speaking
nicelykindness is also doing things for others.
Scotch Shortbread
Cookies
2 cups (1 pound) butter, softened
1 cup sugar
4 cups flour
Cream butter and add sugar; beat

until light and fluffy. Add flour and
mix well. Chill several hours. Roll
out about 14-inch thick on floured
board. Cut into 2x2-inch squares and
place on ungreased baking sheet.
Prick each cookie several times with
fork. Bake at 325 degrees about 30
minutes, until cookies are delicately
brown. Cool slightly before removing
from cookie sheet. Makes about 40
cookies.
Mountain, 2004], p. 108.)
(Beth Lefgren and Jennifer Jackson, Sharing Time, Family Time,

Anytime: Book Two, [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1994], p. 59.)
Story:
Love requires courage. To share in Christs way is a courageous undertaking. Do it. Do it now. Respond to promptings
that come. If we feel compassion or empathy without doing something, we may diminish our power to act, to
respond.
I find that I think of kind things more often than I do kind things. Ill get an idea, a prompting, but then too many
times I chicken out. When I do respond, I have great adventures.
60
Kindness
Once I was in a store standing in line to check out. (I have lots of experiences with that particular activity, and I
almost always get in the slowest line; I dont know if its a gift or a talent.) Anyway, I noticed that the woman behind
the checkout counter seemed to be in a less-than-pleasant mood. She kind of locked horns with a person ahead of
me in line. I couldnt really hear or tell exactly what happened, but the clerk was not happy. A little prompting came
inside of me: Say something nice to her. I dont want to. She needs it. (Do you ever have conversations like
this with the still small voice?) Shell bite my head off. Back and forth it went. I was getting closer. My heart was
pounding the way it does when you sit in a testimony meeting and you know youre going to get up and you also
know youre going to die at the pulpit.
And then I was there, right up close to her. She was punching the keys and all. And this is what came out of my
mouth: Are you having a bad day? It came out kindly and gently and seemed to catch her way off guard. She
looked at me, getting ready to bite, and then said, Does it show? Kind of. She then told me that yes, she was
having a very hard, bad, ugly day, and she told me some of the reasons why.
I didnt know what to do. I was screaming at the still small voice in my mind, Now what? You didnt tell me what
to do next! But it came out: Can I do anything to help you? She looked at me with this what-in-the-world kind of
look. It was an awkward moment. Then I said, I know how to take out the trash. And we both laughed.
We continued talking to each other as she finished ringing up my purchases. She thanked me as I left, and I felt so
happy I was grinningnot just smiling, but grinning. I felt good all over. Im not sure if that little exchange did much
for the woman at the checkout, but it made a huge difference in my day and is a sweet memory even now, years later.
(Mary Ellen Edmunds, Love Is a Verb, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1995], p. 34.)
Activity:
Play Candy Hunt.
1. Hide several dozen pieces of wrapped candy in a room.
2. Divide the family into two teams and choose a captain for each.
3. Have the teams search for the hidden candy. When someone sees a piece of candy, only his team captain may
pick it up.
4. After all the pieces have been found, each team divides up the candy and eats it.
61
f.h.e from A to Z
Love
This principle of love is the basic essence of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Without
love of God and love of neighbor there is little else to commend the gospel to us as
a way of life.
(Gordon B. Hinckley, Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1997], p. 317.)
Song:
Refreshment
Love One Another, Childrens Songbook, p. 136.
Scripture:
Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
(1 John 4:11)
Lesson:
Read the words of the hymn, Dear to the Heart of the Shepherd
(Hymns, no. 221). Ask:
Drop Doughnuts
2 eggs
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons melted shortening
1/3 cup milk
2 cups flour, stirred and measured
According to the hymn, what are a shepherds responsibilities?

How would you describe a shepherd that fails to care for the
flock?
Read together Zechariah 11:1517 and notice how the shepherds of
Zechariahs day fulfilled their duties. Ask:
Who is the flock these shepherds are supposed to take care of?
(The Lords people.)
How do you think the Lord feels about these types of
shepherds?
Who are our shepherds today? (Priesthood leaders, parents, etc.)
1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Beat eggs until very light. Add

sugar, melted shortening and milk.
Add dry ingredients which have
been sifted together. Mix well.
Drop by teaspoonfuls into deep
hot oil (375 degrees). Fry on all
sides until golden brown. Drain on
unglazed brown paper; sprinkle with
confectioners sugar.
(Winnifred C. Jardine, Country Cooking, [Salt
Lake City: Bookcraft, 1980] p. 47.)
What could happen if our parents and leaders do not care about
us?
What blessings come from parents and leaders who do their best to help us?
When have you been blessed by the love and caring of your shepherds?
How do you think it feels to have the responsibility of a shepherd?
62
Love
Bear your testimony of the joy that comes from serving and caring for those you love.
Story:
Angie Olson
I am a mom with three children who at times can be a handful. Elizabeth, my youngest, is seven years old and may
very well be the most mischievous child youll ever meet. Shes conniving and fun all at once. Shes the one who
frustrates us the most but who also keeps the laughter in our home. She recently taught me about serving others
through kindness.
As I got home Friday evening, April 30, I was greeted at the door by Elizabeth, who shared with me some May Day
hanging art she had created in school. As I reached to take it from her and hang it in the living room, she looked at
me and said with conviction, Im going to give this to the man next door! A little hurt by her desire to share with
him and not me, I questioned her to make sure the man she was talking about was the man I was thinking about.
The neighborhood kids named our neighbor to the east the mean man. He spends a lot of time and money on his
yard, and it is absolutely beautiful. If any child is caught in his yard, he threatens to call the police. He doesnt say
anything to anyone and, from what Ive seen, doesnt smile. I verified with her that this indeed was the man she was
speaking of. I thought to myself, Lets see if she follows through on this one.
The next morning was both May Day and Elizabeths birthday. I really thought that with so much excitement and lots
of things to do, shed forget about her plan. But as we headed out to take her brother to Scouts, she got into the car
with the hymnbook (a hard surface to write on) and a plain piece of white paper for the note. We got very busy, and
she was happy and thoughtful toward everyone all day.
After lunch she announced to me that she had done it. I left if for him on his porch! she said.I wonder if hes
found it and if he likes it.
The next morning I asked her about the note shed delivered with her gift. Although somewhat reluctant to share it
with me, she told me that the note simply said, I love you, Your neighbor. I have ever been grateful for her example
to me. We now know almost all our neighbors, and we have discovered that the mean man next door isnt so mean
after all.
(Good Deeds: True Stories of Good Deeds, Charitable Acts, and Selfless Service, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2003],
p. 25.)
Activity:
Play Guess Who Loves Me. The person who is it thinks of something that someone in the family has done for
him that showed love for him. The rest of the family tries to guess who did it. The one who guesses is it next time.
63
f.h.e from A to Z
Marriage
I believe in marriage. I believe it to be the ideal pattern for human living. I know it
to be ordained of God.
(Boyd K. Packer, Marriage, Ensign, May 1981, 13)
Song:
Love At Home, Hymns, # 294.
Scripture:
Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the
woman without the man, in the Lord.
(1 Corinthians 11:11)
Object Lessons:
Take two magnets and show how they attract one another. Explain
that love brings two people together. After they are married and have
children, love unites the entire family. Then turn them around so
they repel rather than attract each other. Without love the family will
lack strength and fall apart.
Take a plastic easter egg apart and attempt to roll the two halves
across the table. (They will not roll because of their shape.) Put
the halves together. Show how they roll smoothly across the table.
Explain that if two people are truly united they can move together
toward eternal life.
(Alma Heaton, Tools for Teaching, [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1979],
p. 17, 25.)
Story:
The Quiche Mayas of Guatemala

(President Milton R. Hunter)
Refreshment
Easy Cherry Cheesecake

2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup melted margarine or butter
1 8-ounce package cream cheese,
softened
2 tablespoons milk
2 cups whipped topping (1 envelope
mix prepared by package
directions)
1 can cherry pie filling
In a 9x13x2-inch pan, mix graham

cracker crumbs with melted
margarine. Use a fork and level well,
then press firmly in bottom and
along sides of pan. In a medium
bowl, combine and mix the cream
cheese, milk, powdered sugar, and
vanilla until smooth. Fold in the
whipped topping. Spread over
cracker crumbs, then cover with
chilled cherry pie filling. Chill 2 hours.

I had been informed that the Quiche Mayas of Guatemala still
Gate, 2000] p. 15.)
retained many of their ancient traditions, some of which evidently
had their roots in Book of Mormon times, and so when I received
the assignment to tour the Central American Mission, I wrote to
President [Edgar] Wagner and requested that his missionaries arrange for me to interview some of the old Quiche
Maya Indians at Totonicapan.
64
Marriage
When I arrived at Totonicapan I found that the missionaries had engaged the services of a man named Jesus Caranza
Juarez. Mr. Juarez was a very intelligent person. He had a thorough understanding of the traditions and religion of the
Quiche Maya people.
I asked one of the missionaries to act as an interpreter. I said to the missionary, Do not give Mr. Juarez any leading
questions that might indicate to him the kind of answers that we desire to receive. I want to know the exact and
accurate traditions of his people, and so I would suggest that you ask simple, straightforward questions.
The first question I asked was: What are the Quiche Maya practices and teachings regarding marriage?
Mr. Juarez immediately replied: Marriage is the most sacred, the most revered, the most holy, and the greatest of all
the religious teachings and practices in the Quiche Maya religion. We have two kinds of marriages. In one kind the
ceremony is performed by the priest. Only the good people marry in this kind of marriage. By good people I mean
those who do not get drunk, those who do not steal nor lie, and those who are morally cleanin brief, the people
who live in accordance with all the teachings of the Quiche Maya religion.
Then he said, The priest performs the marriage ceremony for those good people; and when he marries them, they
are married not only for this life but for the next world also. They remain husband and wife forever.
I was surprised, in fact astonished, to get such an explanation regarding the marriage custom of the Quiche Maya
Indians. . . .
Although I was greatly surprised to find that the Quiche Maya Indians practice a form of marriage that they believe
will endure throughout the next world, I was pleased to learn that such was their tradition because I have understood
that every time the gospel of Jesus Christ has been on the earth in its fulness, Gods true law of celestial marriage has
constituted part of that gospel.
I also know that the true gospel of Jesus Christ was had in ancient America in Book of Mormon days, and certainly
the Nephites would have had the true order of celestial marriage. Thus the Quiche Maya Indians of Guatemala, being
descendants of the Book of Mormon peoples, have preserved in their system of marriage certain things that hold a
resemblance to the true order of marriage as given by the Lord to the Nephites.
(Leon R. Hartshorn, Outstanding Stories by General Authorities, vol. 3)
Activity:
Give each person a copy of the mixed-up quote below by Elder Bruce R. McConkie. Explain that there are seven
important words in the quote that have been scrambled. Have them see if they can unscramble the words to find out
what the quote really says.
Discuss as a family what kind of commitments and choices need to be made in order for us to marry the right person
in the right place by the right authority. Review together what the words peace, joy, and exaltation mean.
There is not a single thing that any Latter-day Saint will ever do in the world that will compare in importance to
rirmygan the right nrspoe, in the right epacl, by the right hiuaottyr, because that order and system opens the door to
eeapc, and yjo hre and eternal aiaenoxttle hereafter.
Bruce R. McConkie
(Max H. Molgard and Allan K. Burgess, The Best of Fun for Family Night, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2003], p.
90.)
65
f.h.e from A to Z
Missionary Work
I have always felt the best way to show love to others is to share the gospel with
them.
(Martha Cummings Kern, Church News, 2 Dec. 1978, p. 5.)
Song:
Called to Serve, Childrens Songbook, p. 174.
Scripture:
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of
the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. (Matthew 28:19)
Lesson:
Ask your family what they think makes a person rich, and how they
might identify a rich person. Have your family silently read D&C
6:17 and then discuss the following questions:
What great harvest is the Lord speaking of in these verses?
(Missionary work.)
Why is sharing the gospel with others such a great and
marvelous work?
What are the Lords faithful servants promised in verse 3?
(Everlasting salvation.)
According to verse 7, what makes a person rich?
Why would eternal life and everlasting salvation be better
than earthly riches?
Story:
Kingston, Ontario, a cold and very old city in Eastern Canada, was
called Stony Kingston by the missionaries. There had been but one
convert to the Church in six years there, even though missionaries
had been continuously assigned in that city during the entire time.
No one baptized in Kingston. Time in Kingston was marked on the
Refreshment
Peanut Butter and Jam

Treats
10-ounce can flaky biscuit dough
10 tablespoons peanut butter
10 tablespoons your favorite jam
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 to 2 teaspoons milk
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Separate dough into 10 biscuits;
separate each biscuit into two
layers. Spoon 1 tablespoon peanut
butter onto the center of each of
the first layer of biscuits. Place the
other biscuit half on top of each
and pinch the edges to seal. Place
the biscuits in greased 9-inch round
cake pan. With your thumb, make
an indentation on the top of each
biscuit and fill with 1 tablespoon of
jam.
Bake for 23-28 minutes or until
golden brown.
In a small bowl, combine the sugar
and enough milk to reach desired
consistency. Drizzle over warm rolls.
(Hollee Eckman and Heather Higgins, All
That Jam, [Salt Lake City: Shadow Mountain,
2003], p. 8.)
66
Missionary Work
calendar like days in prison. A missionary transfer to another placeany placewould be uppermost in thoughts,
even in dreams.
While praying about and pondering this sad dilemma, for my responsibility then as a mission president required
that I pray and ponder about such things, my wife called to my attention an excerpt from the book A Childs Story of
the Prophet Brigham Young by Deta Petersen Neeley (Salt Lake City: Deseret News Press, 1959). She read aloud that
Brigham Young entered Kingston, Ontario, on a cold and snow-filled day. He labored there thirty days and baptized
forty-five souls. Here was the answer. If the missionary Brigham Young could accomplish this harvest, so could the
missionaries of today.
Without providing an explanation, I withdrew the missionaries from Kingston, so that the cycle of defeat might
be broken. Then came the carefully circulated word to the missionaries: Soon a new city will be opened for
missionary work, even the city where Brigham Young proselyted and baptized forty-five persons in thirty days. The
missionaries speculated as to the location. Their weekly letters pleaded for the assignment to this Shangri-la. More
time passed. Then four carefully selected missionariestwo of them new, two of them experiencedwere chosen for
this high adventure. The members of the small branch pledged their support. The missionaries pledged their efforts.
The Lord honored both.
In the space of three months, Kingston became the most productive city of the Canadian Mission. The gray limestone
buildings stood unchanged; the city had not altered its appearance; the population remained constant. The change
was one of attitude. Doubt had yielded to faith.
Thomas S. Monson, Inspiring Experiences That Build Faith: From the Life and Ministry of Thomas S. Monson, [Salt
Lake City: Deseret Book, 1994].)
Activity:
Have a Missionary Olympics, with such events as shirt-ironing, simple clothing repair, simple bicycle repair,
suitcase-packing, door approaches, and memorization of missionary scriptures.
Bookcraft, 2001], p. 124.)
67
f.h.e from A to Z
Modesty
If you are well groomed and modestly dressed, you invite the companionship of
the Spirit of our Father in Heaven and exercise a wholesome influence upon those
around you. . . . Dress and groom to show the Lord that you know how precious
your body is.
(Boyd K. Packer, Ensign, November 2000, pages 72)
Song:
The Lord Gave Me a Temple, Childrens Songbook, p. 153.
Scripture:
Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of
God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. (1 Corinthians 3:16-17)
Story:
A group of choir students from American Fork, Utah, were traveling in New York City. On Sunday morning many
of the students walked through the hotel lobby to board the bus that would take them to a local ward for Church
services. A young woman was sitting in the lobby wearing a modest dress. She approached the group.
Are you LDS? she asked. When the students responded that they were, she smiled. Are you going to church?
Again they answered, Yes. The young woman explained that she was from another state and was traveling with her
school sports team. She was the only member of the Church on her team. That morning she had prayed she would
be able to find some way to attend church. She had gone down to the lobby to wait. When the group of LDS youth
walked in, she knew her prayer had been answered.
(Deborah Pace Rowley, Before They Turn Twelve: Helping Children Gain a Testimony of the Lords Standards, [Salt
Lake City: Deseret Book, 2007], p.38.)
Object Lesson:
After you have shared the above story, discuss with your family the following questions:
How did this young woman know that the students she saw were members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints? Was it how they were dressed? How do people throughout the world know that the young men and
women they see are Mormon missionaries? What do our clothes say about us?
Have the family look through several contemporary magazines. Find pictures of models and try to describe what
their clothes are saying about each one. Many of the models in these types of magazines are dressed immodestly.
What messages are we sending when we dress immodestly? Possible messages include: I dont respect my body as
a sacred gift from Heavenly Father. I dont know what the prophet has said about modesty or I dont care. I want
you to notice my body first before anything else.
Point out that the person dressing immodestly isnt bad; they just havent been taught about the importance
68
Modesty
of modesty or dont understand what their clothes are saying

about them. Dressing immodestly can also make other people
feel uncomfortable and embarrassed. When someone dresses
immodestly, it is hard to notice anything but the persons clothes.
(Deborah Pace Rowley, Before They Turn Twelve: Helping Children
Gain a Testimony of the Lords Standards, [Salt Lake City: Deseret
Book, 2007], p.38.)
Activity:
Play Suitcase relay. Divide the family into two teams. A suitcase
for each team is at the goal line filled with articles of clothing. The
players must run to the suitcase, open it and put on some article
of clothing. They then run back and tag the next player. The team
finishing first wins.
Refreshment
Chocolate Cream
Crunch
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup finely chopped pecans
12 cup margarine, softened
softened
1 8-ounce tub Cool Whip, thawed
and divided
1 6-ounce package instant chocolate
(Alma Heaton, The LDS Game Book, [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft,
1968], p. 202.)
pudding
1 6-ounce package instant vanilla
pudding
3 cups milk, divided
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make

crust by combining flour, pecans,
and margarine in a small bowl. Press
into bottom of 9x13-inch pan. Bake
20 minutes. Cool completely on wire
rack.
Blend cream cheese and powdered
sugar with an electric mixer until
fluffy. Fold in 1 cup of the Cool
Whip. Blend well and spread over
cooled crust. Chill. Combine instant
chocolate pudding and
1 12 cups milk. Mix until smooth.
Pour over cream cheese layer. Chill.
Pudding will thicken in refrigerator.
Repeat with instant vanilla pudding.
Chill. Frost with remaining Cool
Whip. Cut into 4-inch squares and
serve.
Makes 28 squares.
(Jill McKenzie, 52 Weeks of Proven Recipes for
Picky Kids, [Salt Lake City: Shadow Mountain,
2008], p. 115.)
69
f.h.e from A to Z
Patience
Patience is not passive resignation, nor is it failing to act because of our fears.
Patience means active waiting and enduring. It means staying with something and
doing all that we can. Patience is not simply enduring; it is enduring well!
(Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Continue in Patience, Ensign, May 2010, 5659.)
Song:
Pioneer Children Sang as they Walked, Childrens Songbook, p.
214.
Scripture:
And now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon
Alma and his brethren were made light; yea, the Lord did strengthen
them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they
did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord.
(Mosiah 24:15)
Refreshment
Mango Mash-up
3 mangoes, peeled and sliced
1 tray ice cubes
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
34 cup frozen orange juice
Lesson:
Ask your family members if they have ever heard the phrases hold
your horses or keep your shirt on. Ask, What quality is being
requested by those phrases? (Patience.)
Have family members read Romans 5:15 and look for what Paul
taught about patience. Ask:
How can we have peace with God?
What did Paul say helps us learn patience?
Whom should we learn to rely on when faced with tribulation?
concentrate
1 2-liter bottle of ginger ale
Combine mangoes, ice, lime juice,

sugar, vanilla, and orange juice
concentrate in the jar of a blender.
Pulse until well blended. Add ginger
ale until blender jar is nearly full.
Blend again and enjoy.
Serves 4.
(Jill McKenzie, 52 Weeks of Proven Recipes for
Picky Kids, [Salt Lake City: Shadow Mountain,
2008], p. 73.)
What blessing comes to us through the Holy Ghost?
Read the following by Elder Neal A. Maxwell: Patience is tied very closely to faith in our Heavenly Father. Actually,
when we are unduly impatient, we are suggesting that we know what is bestbetter than does God. Or, at least, we
are asserting that our timetable is better than his. Either way we are questioning the reality of Gods omniscience
[knowledge]. (Ensign, Oct. 1980, 28.)
Ask:
How can we show our faith in Heavenly Father?
70
Patience
Why is it important to recognize that God knows what is best for us?
How might this knowledge help us get through trials?
Testify to your family that patience is one way we come to be more Christlike. Remind your family that patience
gives us the hope that Christs Atonement will save us.
(Dennis H. Leavitt and Richard O. Christensen, Scripture Study for Latter-day Saint Families: The New Testament,
Story:
Patience was required of Noah and his family. We talk about forty days and forty nights as though they had to live
in the ark with all those animals for a month and a half. Well, forty days and forty nights was only a fraction of their
endurance. For instance, do you remember that after they went into the ark and closed the door, they were inside
the ark for seven days before the Flood began? (Genesis 7:10.) Now, would that be a test of faith or what? Would you
decide, about the fifth day, that it would be awfully nice to spend the weekend picking buttercups in the meadow
rather than cleaning the elephants stalls and that maybe Noah had made a big mistake?
Then the rains began. The scripture tells us that on the same day all the fountains of the great deep [were] broken
up, and the windows of heaven were opened. (Genesis 7:11-12.) It was not until the fortieth day of this torrential
downpour and flooding that the water was deep enough to lift [the ark] up above the earth. (Genesis 7:17.) And
then the waters prevailed upon the earth an hundred and fifty days. (Genesis 7:24.) Were up to 197 days so far.
The scripture doesnt tell us how many days it took for the waters to recede, but it says that the ark came to rest on
the mountains of Ararat on the seventeenth day of the seventh month (Genesis 8:4), and it took until the first day
of the tenth month for the tops of the mountains to become visible. If we hypothesize a month of thirty daysand I
realize that there are Bible scholars who make careers out of figuring out the calendarthen we need to add another
seventy-three days. Then they waited forty days to send out the raven and the dove, seven more days for the second
flight of the dove, who returned with the olive branch, and a final seven days for the third flight. It sounds as if it
then took another month plus twenty-seven days before they received the command of the Lord to go forth from the
ark. (Genesis 8:3-6, 10, 12-14.) According to my addition, this comes to a total of 401 days. Thats a long time to be
cooped up in a floating zooa year, a month, and six days!
So the story of Noah teaches us that there will be adversity, that it will last a long time, and that it will require
reserves of patience that seem superhuman.
(Chieko N. Okazaki, Aloha!, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 1995].)
Activity:
Instruct the family that on the word go you are going to start measuring one minute by the clock. They should also
try to measure one minute, but without the clock. (Hint: While the time is running, talk to the family and ask them
questions. It will make it hard for them to count in their heads when they have to think about what you are saying.)
When they think one minute is up they are to say Stop. When the first person says Stop, you look at the clock. If
they are on time within ten seconds either way, they receive two points. If they are within five seconds they receive
five points. If the guess was exactly right, they receive ten points.
Play for five rounds.
71
Patience
Ask what was difficult in this activity. One of the hardest things to do is to wait. Discuss as a family times we have to
wait. One time we have to wait is when we pray to Heavenly Father. We have a hard time being quiet and waiting for
Heavenly Father to answer us.
(adapted from Allan K. Burgess and Max H. Molgard, Fun For Family Night: Book Two, Church History Edition, [Salt
Lake City: Bookcraft, 1992], p. 221.)
72
f.h.e from A to Z
Patriarchal Blessings
The same Lord who provided a Liahona for Lehi provides for you and for me today
a rare and valuable gift to give direction to our lives, to mark the hazards to our
safety, and to chart the way, even safe passagenot to a promised land, but to
our heavenly home. The gift to which I refer is known as your patriarchal blessing.
Every worthy member of the Church is entitled to receive such a precious and
priceless personal treasure.
(Thomas S. Monson, Your Patriarchal Blessing: A Liahona of Light, Ensign, Nov. 1986, 65)
Song:
Refreshment
I Am A Child of God, Childrens Songbook, p. 2.
Scripture:
And again, verily I say unto you . . . that my servant Hyrum may
take the office of Priesthood and Patriarch, which was appointed
unto him by his father, by blessing and also by right; That from
henceforth he shall hold the keys of the patriarchal blessings upon
the heads of all my people. (Doctrine and Covenants 124:9192)
Hot Spinach Dip

1 package (10 ounces) frozen creamed
spinach, thawed
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese
14 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons chopped green onion
Object Lesson:
Obtain a world or country map, state map, and city map. As a family
decide together on a special place you would like to visit such as a
zoo or a museum. Using the world map, ask the family to find the
destination. Now, using the state map, ask the same question. Tell
the family that the maps can probably help you get to the city, but
you would need to rely on road signs or other people to help find
the destination or the best way to go.
Find the destination using the city map. Talk about how you use the
state map to get you into the city, an then, using the city map, decide
the best way to get to your destination. Show how the city map
indicates one-way streets, dead ends, and important intersections.
9 tablespoons grated Parmesan

cheese
Mix all ingredients except half the

Parmesan cheese. Spread in 9x9inch pan, and sprinkle other half
of Parmesan on top. Bake at 350
degrees for 25 minutes. Serve with
chips or crackers.
Mountain, 2004], p. 5.)
Liken the maps to the scriptures and patriarchal blessings. Scriptures have answers for getting back to our eternal
destination, but patriarchal blessings are given to us by Heavenly Father as personal guides (like a city map).
Patriarchal blessings give us individual blessings, warnings, guidance, and information on our strengths. Tell your
family that when we use our patriarchal blessings prayerfully, the road back to Heavenly Father can be easier to
follow.
1994], p. 73.)
73
Story:
A Patriarchal Blessing
Carl W. Buehner
I want to talk a little about another patriarchal blessing; and I hope you will pardon me if this gets a little personal.
I know about this and have seen it fulfilled. I have also heard of many others, until I have a great faith and a great
belief that these blessings can be very important in directing our lives, if we live to make these blessings come true.
I think many of you know that I am just a little immigrant kid, who was brought to this country by parents who were
converted to the gospel in a foreign land. My father and mother were converted to the Church shortly after they were
married. As soon as they could accumulate enough means to get across the ocean to America, they came here to settle
in Salt Lake City, as thousands of others have done.
Two years after arriving in Salt Lake City, my father had a desire to become a cement contractor. Cement was sort of a
miracle product that had not been on the market too long, and he saw in it great possibilities. He had had no previous
experience other than working for a contractor for about a years time; but already, he could see that out of cement
could be made many things that had never been tried before. He, and one or two men whom he had employed, began
working with cement. In a short period of time, they made the first cast concrete products that had ever spanned over
an opening, such as over windows or doors. As a mason laying brick got up to a certain point, he could pick up a
piece of stone that had been made, lay it in place, and continue his work. This had not been done before. Even the art
of making ornamental stone progressed, as the years went by, until there seemed no limit to its possibilities.
While this art was still in its very elemental stage, my father received his patriarchal blessing. Among other
wonderful things said in this blessing was the statement that he and his sons would help erect temples for this
church. At the time this blessing was given, there was no possibility or idea in the world that such a thing could
ever happen. I was the oldest of eight sons, and I had two sistersten children altogether in our family. All of the
surviving sons are still in business together. I can tell you that as of today, we have done considerable work on ten of
these temples. My father has been dead for twenty-five years; and yet, I have seen this fulfillment of his patriarchal
blessing all but to the letter. . . .
When the [statue of the] Angel Moroni, now located on the highest spire of the Los Angeles Temple, was completed
in clay in our shop here in Salt Lake City, 15,000 people came to see it before it was covered with plaster. The mold
was sent back east to be cast in aluminum. The entire exterior walls of that Los Angeles Temple were made right
here in our little factory. The same is true of the outside walls of the Idaho Falls Temple and the large addition to the
Canadian Temple. We have modeled in our factory the oxen that support the baptismal fonts for the Swiss Temple,
the London Temple, the New Zealand Temple, the Idaho Falls Temple, and we have done considerable work on other
temples.
I have seen that part of a patriarchal blessing fulfilled verbatim. I do not know how a patriarch, in about 1910 or
1911, could have foreseen what would happen fifty years later, had it not been that the inspiration of the Lord was
heavily upon him. He could see that if a man was faithful in the future to the Church and lived for the fulfillment of
the blessing, everything stated in his blessing could come to pass.
(Leon R. Hartshorn, Powerful Stories from the Lives of Latter-day Saint Men)
74
Activity:
Give each family member a copy of a patriarchal blessing, their own if possible, or an ancestors blessing. Each
blessing has three important kinds of information: lineage, blessings, and warnings. Have family members read their
copy and underline, in pencil, the lineage. Then have them use one color marker to highlight blessings and another
color for warnings or guidance. Remind everyone that patriarchal blessings are sacred and personal and should be
shared outside the family only when the Spirit prompts.
1994], 74.)
75
f.h.e from A to Z
Personal Revelation
The ability to qualify for, receive, and act on personal revelation is the single most
important skill that can be acquired in this life.
(Julie B. Beck, And upon the Handmaids in Those Days Will I Pour Out My Spirit, Ensign, May 2010, 1012.)
Song:
Refreshment
Tell Me Dear Lord, Childrens Songbook, p. 176.
Scripture:
Be thou humble; and the Lord thy God shall lead thee by the hand,
and give thee answer to thy prayers. (Doctrine and Covenants
112:10)
Almond Chocolate Pie

1 graham cracker crust or baked 9-inch
pie shell
1/2 cup almond slivers, toasted
Lesson:
1 (7-ounce) chocolate bar
After reading 1 Nephi 17:45 with your family, tell them that
listening to the voice of the Lord is a little like listening to the radio.
Turn on a radio and tune it to a spot where all you can hear is static.
Ask how this radio signal is like what Laman and Lemuel received
from the Lord. Now tune the radio to a crystal-clear station. Ask how
this signal is like what Nephi heard.
1/2 cup half-and-half
Share the following statement from Elder Boyd K. Packer: The

scriptures generally use the word voice, which does not exactly fit.
These delicate, refined communications are not seen with our eyes,
nor heard with our ears. And even though it is described as a voice,
it is a voice that one feels, more than one hears. (Candle of the
Lord, Ensign, January 1983, p. 52.)
Ask your family why someone with a hard heart would have
difficulty hearing the voice of the Spirit. Bear your testimony of how
wonderful it is when you are able to feel communication from the
Spirit.
Latter-day Saint Families: The Book of Mormon, [Salt Lake City:
Story:
18 large marshmallows
1 cup heavy whipping cream
Place almonds on a cookie sheet

and bake for 5 to 7 minutes at 350
degrees F. Almonds should be light
golden brown. Remove from oven.
Be careful not to overcook; almonds
will continue to brown after being
removed from the oven.
Place the chocolate bar, half-andhalf, and marshmallows in the top
of a double boiler and heat until
chocolate bar and marshmallows
are melted. In a large bowl, whip
the cream until stiff; fold cream and
almonds into chocolate mixture.
Pour into crust and refrigerate to
cool. When cool, pace in freezer.
Remove from freezer 1 hour before
serving. Makes 1 pie.
(Lion House Pies, [Salt Lake City: Deseret
Book, 2010], p. 16.)
Several years ago I learned a great lesson while laboring as the

managing director of the Churchs Welfare Services Department. We
were at a critical stage in the history of Church welfare, and it was time to go through an agonizing reappraisal of the
program in light of current world conditions.
76
Personal Revelation
After praying for a solution to the problems we faced, I had a terrific thought: Glenn, you have access to the
Quorum of the Twelve and to a member of the First Presidency. What a resource! I called for appointments and met
individually with these great men. I poured out my concerns and added my feeling that we were at a stage where
further revelation on the subject was necessary. Then I sat back with my pen and yellow notepad and waited for
pearls of wisdom. I was devastated when their collective counsel amounted to this: Brother Pace, we commend
you for your concern and conscientiousness in finding solutions to these weighty matters. We, too, have some deep
concerns and anxieties, and you are absolutely rightwe do need revelation. Now, go get it!
Who, me? I was an employee of the Church, not a General Authority. However, I had been taught that I had the
responsibility to take to the Brethren well-thought-out recommendations that could be confirmed, modified, or
rejected in the appropriate forums. It was my obligation and right to receive inspiration. And I knew that inspiration
would come only after intense, agonizing study, research, and meditation. In other words, I learned that revelation is
95 percent hard work.
(Glenn L. Pace, Spiritual Plateaus, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1991].)
Activity:
Give everyone a pencil and a piece of paper with the word REVELATION written at the top.
At the signal to start, the players make as many words as they can in five minutes, using only the letters in the word
revelation.
The winner is the person with the most words after the time is up.
77
f.h.e from A to Z
Pioneers
It is not enough to study or reenact the accomplishments of our pioneers. We need
to identify the great, eternal principles they applied to achieve all they achieved for
our benefit and then apply those principles to the challenges of our day. In that way
we honor their pioneering efforts, and we also reaffirm our heritage and strengthen
its capacity to bless our own posterity and those millions of our Heavenly Fathers
children who have yet to hear and accept the gospel of Jesus Christ. We are all
pioneers in doing so.
(Elder Dallin H. Oaks, Ensign, November. 1997, 72.)
Song:
Whenever I Think about Pioneers, Childrens Songbook, p. 222.
Scripture:
Let every man use all his influence and property to remove this people to the place where the Lord shall locate a
stake of Zion. And if ye do this with a pure heart, in all faithfulness, ye shall be blessed; you shall be blessed in your
flocks, and in your herds, and in your fields, and in your houses, and in your families. (Doctrine and Covenants
136:10-11)
Lesson:
The saints moving west were allowed only 2,000 pounds in each wagon and 500 pounds in each handcart. Look
at the list of items below (and on the next page) and choose what you would put into your wagon or handcart.
Remember your mom, dad, sisters, and brothers. Their things also have to go inside. Dont forget that there will be
hot days, cold nights, cooking, and that you will have to set up a new house when you reach your destination.
flour
basketball rope
salt
seeds
blanket
sugar
video games
chicken
yarn
baseball and bat
extension cord
hammer
sling shot
needle and thread
saw
shoes
bonnet
soda pop
Book of Mormon
shirt
scissors
knife, fork, spoon
wheel
light bulb
journal
radio
pans
hat
harmonica dishes
dog
barrel
pen and ink
bellows
doll
fishing pole
microwave oven
umbrella
(Shauna Mooney Kawasaki, A Link to the Past: Fun with Church History, [Salt Lake City: Eagle Gate, 2000], p. 18.)
78
Pioneers
Story:
Lucina Mecham (Boren)
In the spring of 1853 [when I was 12 years old] we started for Utah.
We went a long way on a raft. I was always afraid of water. We
crossed the Missouri River on a ferry boat, which frightened me very
much, as the water was very high.
We left the Missouri River July 18th. My father started with two
wagons, one yoke of oxen, two yoke of unbroken steers, and four
cows. The man that sold Father the oxen had stolen them, and the
man that he had stolen them from came and took them from us, so
we only had one wagon and the cows.
The Indians were on the warpath, so we all had to travel together for
safety. We were stopped once by the Indians. I thought there were
one thousand of them! They could easily have killed us all, but we
gave them provisions by robbing ourselves and then suffering from
want of food.
We children had to walk most of the way. We stopped one day
each week for washday, and we were always allowed time to keep
ourselves clean. When we camped at night, the first wagon would
stop. The next wagon would stop at his side, and so on, till they
were all in a circle making a corral of the wagons and we would stay
inside for safety. After supper and the animals were taken care of,
we would sit around the fire, sing songs, tell stories, and those that
were not too tired would dance. One brother had a violin, and he
was very good at it for dancing.
Refreshment
Johnnycake
Johnnycake was a staple in the
pioneer diet because it used only basic
ingredients. It was often made with just
cornmeal and water. Here is a more
appealing recipe that can be made to
serve with the homemade butter.
2 eggs
1 cup water
3/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups yellow cornmeal
Butter
Mix the eggs, water, milk, oil, and salt
together in a bowl. Stir in the cornmeal
until smooth. Heat the griddle or frying
pan. Put a small amount of oil on the
griddle to keep the cakes from sticking.
Pour about 14 cup (less for bite-sized
samples) of batter onto the heated
griddle. Fry the cake until done on one
side, then turn over and cook the other
side. Makes twelve cakes.
(Clark L. and Kathryn H. Kidd, Kent D. and
Shannon Pugmire, Ward Activities for the
Clueless, [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 2001], p.
179.)
My sister Sarah and I stopped to rest one day, and the wagons
passed us. Sarah said she was not going any farther. I begged her to
come with me, but she said she would rather be eaten by wolves
than go on. She tried to get me to go and catch the wagons, but I told her I would not leave her. Then she said, I will
not see the wolves get you, so come on, let us go to camp.
When we were three days from Salt Lake, my cousin Daniel Mecham met us with a load of food, flour, meat, and
vegetables. And what a godsend it was, for we were out of food. The next day Brother Allen I. Stout, a friend of ours,
came with another load of food. We all rode in the extra wagons to Salt Lake. We arrived October 16, 1853.
(Susan Arrington Madsen, I Walked to Zion: True Stories of Young Pioneers on the Mormon Trail, [Salt Lake City:
Deseret Book, 1994].)
Activity:
Make Butter: You will need several of the smallest baby food jars you can collect and enough whipping cream to fill
the jars 14 to 12 full. Place a small amount of cream in each jar and have the children shake it vigorously until butter
is formed. Provide small sections of johnnycake (or bread) and a plastic knife to let them try their creation (see recipe
below).
Bookcraft, 2001], p. 178181.)
79
f.h.e from A to Z
Plan of Salvation
Every good thing you do in your life is following Gods plan. Every time you are
kind to another person, each time you have courage to do something difficult,
each time you do a thoughtful act without being asked, each time you say your
prayers, each time you read the scriptures, each time you go to church, each time
you help a friendyou are following Gods plan for you.
(Michaelene P. Grassli, I Will Follow Gods Plan for Me, Ensign, Nov. 1988, 90)
Song:
I Will Follow Gods Plan Childrens Songbook, p. 164.
Scripture:
For behold, this is my work and my gloryto bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. (Moses 1:39)
Lesson:
Prepare six paper circles. Write one of the following on each circle: PRE-EARTH LIFE, EARTH, SPIRIT WORLD,
TELESTIAL, TERRESTRIAL, and CELESTIAL. Prepare three word strips: BIRTH, DEATH, and JUDGMENT.
Have a child put up the circle PRE-EARTH LIFE. Briefly tell the family how we all lived with Heavenly Father in
the premortal existence. Talk about the war in heaven and their part in it. Let them know that they were on the
winning side. Explain that when it was time for us to be born as mortals, we left Heavenly Fathers kingdom and
came to earth. Put wordstrip BIRTH after the circle.
Have a child put up the circle EARTH. Tell the family that when we were born we forgot about the pre-earth life. This
needed to happen so that we could exercise faith and obedience. Briefly talk about why we wanted to gain mortal
bodies and prove ourselves. Explain about adversity and temptation and how it can help us. Help them understand
the Saviors important role. Put the wordstrip DEATH after EARTH.
Have a child put up the circle SPIRIT WORLD. Tell the family that after death and before resurrection we live in a
place called the spirit world. Help the children understand that this is not a spooky place but a place where many
important things happen. Put the wordstrip JUDGMENT.
Have a child put ut the three circles: TELESTIAL, TERRESTRIAL, and CELESTIAL. Explain that after we are judged
for what we did on earth, we will enter one of the three kingdoms. Ask which kingdom Heavenly Father lives in.
Tell the children that if they keep the commandments and follow the Saviors example, they will be able to enter the
celestial kingdom because of their faith and Gods grace. Tell them that Heavenly Father wants us all to come and
dwell with him because he loves us so much.
(Beth Lefgren and Jennifer Jackson, Sharing Time, Family Time, Anytime, [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1992], p. 64.)
80
Plan of Salvation
Story:
When I was a girl of about ten, one summer afternoon a friend and
I took blankets and crackers out into the hayfield behind our Idaho
home. The hay, in the middle of the summer, was sweet-smelling,
lush, and so tall that when we spread our blankets in the middle of
the field, we could sit on our blankets and eat crackers with the hay
making a wall around us and hiding us from sight. There we were in
a world all of our own.
We liked to pick the dandelions that grew large and abundantly
there. We split their stems lengthwisehave any of you ever done
that?and submerged the stems in the water of the irrigation ditch.
As we watched, the dandelion stems began to curl from the end. We
split the stem a little farther, and each piece curled until the entire
stem was a fluff of curly fibers.
It was an afternoon of wonder for us. We were there all alone under
that bright, blue, clean, warm sky. It seemed as if God had created
this day and dandelion stems especially for us to enjoy. I said to my
friend, Dont you just feel happy inside?
My friend looked at me and said, No, I dont.
I was shattered by her blunt, almost emotionless statement. Why?
I exclaimed.
Because it wont last, she said. You can be happy for a minute,
but not for very long. Life just doesnt make sense to me.
I didnt know what to say to my friend that day, but I do now. . . .
I wish that day in the green hayfield that I had been able to help my
friend. I knew the plan, but I didnt know that was what she needed
to hear. Life would have made sense to her had she known Heavenly
Fathers plan. I hope someone taught her. I wish I had been the one.
Todays world needs [children] who know the purpose of life and
who can with courage and sincerity make a declaration of their
determination to follow God.
(Michaelene P. Grassli, I Will Follow Gods Plan for Me, Ensign,
Nov. 1988, 90)
Activity:
With blocks, Legos, or other building components, construct a
building or tower with your family. Plan what you are going to build
first, then create what you planned. Talk about how knowing what
you were going to build, helped you create it.
Refreshment
Moon Cake
1 cup water
12 cup margarine
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 eggs
1 8-ounce package cream cheese
3 12 cups milk
5 3-ounce packages vanilla instant
pudding mix
1 12-ounce carton whipped topping,
thawed*
14 cup chocolate sauce
12 cup nuts, chopped
Preheat oven to 400. In a small

saucepan, mix the water and
margarine. Bring to a boil. Add the
flour all at once and stir rapidly until
the mixture forms a ball. Remove
from heat and cool.
With a wooden spoon or electric
mixer, beat in the eggs, one at
a time, beating well after each
addition. Spread dough on an 11x15inch ungreased cookie sheet. Bake
for 30 minutes. Cool. (Crust will look
like the moons surface, which is
how it gets its name.) Dont prick, let
stand as is.
Beat the cream cheese until it is
very soft. In another bowl, mix
the milk and pudding mix. Blend
cream cheese with pudding and mix
together until smooth. Spread on
crust; refrigerate 20 minutes.
Generously top with whipped
topping. Drizzle with chocolate
sauce and sprinkle with chopped
nuts. Makes 20 servings.
* Whipping cream may be
substituted.
(Lion House Entertaining, [Salt Lake City:
Eagle Gate, 2001], p. 115.)
81
f.h.e from A to Z
Prayer
Through prayer, we can show our love for God. And He has made it so easy. We
may pray to Him any time. No special equipment is needed. We dont even need to
charge batteries or pay a monthly service fee.
(Russell M. Nelson, Ensign, May 2003, p. 7.)
Song:
I Pray in Faith, Childrens Songbook, p. 14.
Scripture:
Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice. (Psalms 55:17)
Lesson:
Prepare four wordstrips:
DEAR HEAVENLY FATHER
THANKS FOR BLESSINGS
ASK FOR NEEDS
IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST, AMEN.
Mix them up and put them on a board or the floor. Explain that these wordstrips represent the four parts of prayer but
theyre not in the right order. Guide the children in putting the wordstrips in order as you discuss each part of prayer.
Mix the wordstrips up again and see if they can arrange them without your help.
(Beth Lefgren and Jennifer Jackson, Sharing Time, Family Time, Anytime, [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1992], p. 66-67.)
Story:
While our family was living in Montevideo, Uruguay, we were out for a drive one day when we passed a dog pound.
Our children had been after us for some time to buy a dog. . . We debated the issue for some time and finally went
inside, where we were surrounded by scores of dogs of all kinds. After looking around, we finally found hera
mongrel pup with curly golden hair. She seemed to have been made just for our family. We bought her and headed
home amid great noise and excitement.
Our oldest son, then eight years of age, soon became the one who took care of her. She responded to all of the family
but most of all to him. He fed her, took her on long walks, listened to her howl at night, and did all the rest that
comes with the proud ownership of a puppy. He named her Dixie. Dogs seem to exist to wag their tails and make
people happy, but Dixie did much more than that. She soon became an important part of the family.
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Prayer
One afternoon when I came home from work, I was met by our
oldest boy, who was crying. Dixie had been lost most of the day and
could not be found. The search had gone on for two or three hours.
My wife had driven several of the children, who had been praying
most of that time, to look throughout the neighborhood and in the
surrounding blocks. By the time I arrived home, they had lost nearly
all hope, as thievery ran high in that area, and the chances were
good that someone had stolen our pretty little pup.
However, the faith of our oldest boy was not diminished. He
tearfully told me that he had prayed and prayed, but that the Lord
had not yet helped him find Dixie. Yet in confidence and faith he
said, Dad, I knowif you will pray with the rest of the family, all
together in family prayer, Heavenly Father will show us where Dixie
is.
As we headed for the living room to have a prayer, my own faith
needed strengthening. How I prayed that the Lord would answer
this boy and strengthen his faith in prayer! Because the situation
was serious, and because it offered an opportunity to teach our
children about the power of prayer, each family member (all six
of us), from the oldest to the youngest, prayed aloud that the Lord
would show us where Dixie was. The oldest boy, guided by the
Spirit, prayed that wherever Dixie might be, she would be protected,
and that if someone had taken her and would not give her back, they
would love her and take good care of her.
After the prayer, we talked about the need to do all in our power
to find Dixie if we expected the Lord to help us. The whole family
got into the car, and we began backing out of the driveway to begin
another search. As the car reached the street, we saw a neighbor girl
running toward us. To our great joy, she was yelling, I have Dixie!
The dog had been trapped in the neighbors garage all that time.
As many little arms reached for her, my wife and I had much
gratitude in our hearts that the Lord had honored our prayers, even
in the moment when our prayers were being offered.
As things quieted down and we brought Dixie into the house, one
of the younger boys said how grateful he was and that we ought
to thank Heavenly Father. Thus again, on bended knee, the entire
family offered individual thanks to the Lord for having answered
our prayers.
Refreshment
Chocolate Pretzel
Passion Cookies
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated
sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tablespoons water
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
I teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups broken pretzel pieces
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
(maxi size)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In

a large mixing bowl, cream butter
until soft. Add sugars and beat until
well mixed. Add eggs, water, and
vanilla. Beat until fluffy. Add the
flour, baking soda, and salt and mix
until well incorporated. Add the
pretzels and chocolate chips and
mix briefly. Scoop with a tablespoon
for large cookies or with a teaspoon
for smaller cookies and drop onto
ungreased cookie sheets. Flatten
each dough ball slightly with a glass
or the palm of your hand. Bake 10 to
12 minutes. Baking times may vary
depending on the size of dough.
Makes 30 cookies.
(Lion House Bakery, [Salt Lake City: Deseret
Book, 2009] p. 78.)
(Gene R. Cook, Raising Up a Family to the Lord, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1993].)
83
Prayer
Activity:
Create two sets of game squares by writing words on small sheets of paper or index cards. The words are listed below.
Shuffle the A cards and lay them face down in a row on the floor or table. Then shuffle the B cards and place them
face down in a second row on the floor or table.
Every card in group A matches a card in group B. The object of the game is to make as many matches as possible.
Divide the family into two teams and have team one choose a card from group A and one from group B. If the words
match, team one receives a point and team two takes their turn. If the words do not match, turn the cards back over
and team two takes a guess. (Notice that even if a match is made, only one guess can be taken each turn.)
Play alternates until all nine of the matches have been made. The team with the most matches wins.
Fold / Arms
Kneel / Down
Close / Eyes
Bless / Food
Heavenly / Father
Morning / and Night
Thanks for / Blessing
Ask for / Needs
Prayers are / Answered
(Max H. Molgard and Allan K. Burgess, Fun for Family Night: Book of Mormon Edition, [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft,
1990], p. 63.)
84
f.h.e from A to Z
Priesthood
Brothers and sisters, can you imagine how dark and empty mortality would be if
there were no priesthood? If the power of the priesthood were not upon the earth,
the adversary would have freedom to roam and reign without restraint. There
would be no gift of the Holy Ghost to direct and enlighten us; no prophets to
speak in the name of the Lord; no temples where we could make sacred, eternal
covenants; no authority to bless or baptize, to heal or comfort. Without the power
of the priesthood, . . . there would be no light, no hopeonly darkness.
(Robert D. Hales, Blessings of the Priesthood, Ensign, Nov. 1995, 32)
Song:
Refreshment
The Priesthood is Restored Childrens Songbook, p. 89.
Scripture:
And also all they who receive this priesthood receive me, saith the
Lord. (D&C 84: 35)
Layered Cookies
14 pound butter or margarine
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
Lesson:
1 cup coconut
When I was a boy, sometimes Id bring things home that my mother

wished I hadnta snake or a turtle or a worm. Shed usually ask me
three questions:
1 cup chocolate chips

1 cup butterscotch chips
1 cup nuts
1 can sweetened condensed milk
What is that?
Where did you get it?
What are you going to do with it?
When you receive the Aaronic Priesthood and bring it into your
home, you mother will be thrilled. But if she asked you the same
three questions about the priesthood, how would you answer?
What is It? Im sure youve noticed the stars and planets shining in
the sky on a dark night. Do you know what holds them in place?
Priesthood. Do you know by what power they were created?
Priesthood. And do you know what power you have? Priesthood.
Melt butter in 9x13-inch pan. Sprinkle

remaining ingredients over butter, in
layers. Bake at 350 degrees for 30
minutes. Immediately after removing
from oven, cut cookies away from
sides of pan. Cut in squares while
still warm.
(Lion House Classics, [Salt Lake City: Deseret
Book, 2004], p. 108.)
Simply put, the priesthood is the power and authority of God, delegated to man on earth. We use the priesthood to do
the Lords work on earth.
Where did you get it? You got your preisthood from the person who ordained you, but it goes back a lot further than
that. In 1829, John the Baptist, the same person who baptized Jesus, appeared and ordained Joseph Smith and Oliver
85
Priesthood
Cowdery to the Aaronic Priesthood. A personal line of authority will show how your priesthood was passed from
Jesus Christ himself all the way down to you.
What are you going to do with it? You are going to serve, thats what. We use the priesthood to make others lives
better. Thats the Lords work on earth. The way to served God is to serve each other, and thats what Priesthood is all
about.
A big part of what you do with the priesthood is to help in performing ordinances. Ordinances include things like
baptism and administration of the sacrament.
(John Bytheway, Honoring the Priesthood as a Deacon, a Teacher, and a Priest, [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 2002], p.
714, abridged.)
Story:
Shortly after my call to the Council of the Twelve, one of my assignments was to direct missionary labors in the
missions of the West Coast of North America.
I held a meeting one day in San Mateo, California, and as I listened to the testimonies of the missionaries, I noted that
one elder had a terribly scarred face. The mission president, Howard Allen, advised me that Elder Nichols had been
thrown through the windshield of his automobile in a terrible accident just a few months earlier. He then pointed out
that Elder Nichols parents were nonmembers and were threatening to sue the Church due to the injury. Doctors had
despaired of the boy ever again regaining a pleasing appearance and felt that plastic surgery could do but little in his
particular case.
I felt the strong impression to give to Elder Nichols a blessing. President Allen and I took him aside and gave him
such a blessing. The spirit was surely present.
In the fall of 1969 my wife, Frances, and I were looking at carpeting in a store in Salt Lake City. The young man
handling the carpet came forward and asked if I remembered him. I told him that he looked vaguely familiar, but
that I couldnt quite place his name. He then stepped over and sat behind a lamp so that the light of the lamp cast its
brilliance upon his face. He said, Look closely at my face and then see if you can remember.
As I examined his face, I noted thin, scarcely discernable scars running across his nose, forehead, and cheeks. It was
then that I realized this was Elder Nichols, the horribly scarred boy who had received a blessing in San Mateo while
serving as a missionary in the Northern California Mission.
When I identified him, he smilingly said, Brother Monson, even the plastic surgeons have called my case a miracle.
I told them it was the intervention of Divine Providence through a priesthood blessing coupled with faith.
Elder Nichols was among the most handsome of young men.
(Thomas S. Monson, Inspiring Experiences That Build Faith, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1994], p. 126)
86
Priesthood
Activity:
Give each person a paper and pencil. Place a variety of household tools in a box. Have one family member take one of
the tools out of the box without the rest of the family seeing what the tool is.
Instruct the others that they should guess what the tool is. Each person may ask one question that can be answered
yes or no. They cannot ask directly if it is a certain tool. For example, they cant say, Is it a hammer?
After everyone has asked his question, have each write on his piece of paper what he thinks the tool is. When this
has been done, have the person show the tool. Next have each person tell one thing the tool can be used for. Begin
with the person who had the tool.
The next person takes a new tool out of the box. Be sure the other players dont see it and repeat the game. At the
conclusion of the game, see who guessed the most tools correctly.
(adapted from Allan K. Burgess and Max H. Molgard, Fun For Family Night: New Testament Edition, [Salt Lake City:
Bookcraft, 1995], 105.)
87
f.h.e from A to Z
Prophets
I have the sure knowledge . . . that God directs His prophet.
(Thomas S. Monson, Looking Back and Moving Forward, Ensign, May 2008, 8790.)
Song:
We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet, Hymns, 19.
Scripture:
We believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive
Church, namely, apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists,
and so forth. (Articles of Faith 1:6)
Lesson:
Discuss the prophets in the pictures used in the activity.
Refreshment
Spencer W. Kimballs
Raspberry Cheesecake
1 3-ounce package lemon gelatin
1 cup hot water
1 cup evaporated milk, chilled and
whipped
1. Noah: Told the people to repent and live the commandments or

Heavenly Father would punish them.
softened
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoons lemon juice
2. Isaiah: Saw the birth of the Savior.

3. Lehi: Preached to the people and told them to follow the
commandments or Jerusalem would be destroyed.
4. Daniel: Interpreted Nebuchadnezzars dream when no one else
could.
5. Samuel the Lamanite: Foretold the birth of Christ to the
Nephite people.
Tell the family that these prophets were very spiritual men.
They loved the Savior and tried to help people learn about him.
Sometimes the people listened to what the prophet said and
repented, and sometimes they did not. When a prophet said
something would happen, it happened. Heavenly Father helped
them know about future events. This is called revelation.
Ask: Why does Heavenly Father want us to have prophets?
(Following the prophet will help us choose the right, will make us
happy, will help us follow the Savior, etc.)
Who is our prophet today? What has he asked us to do? Why would
Heavenly Father want us to do these things?
1/2 cup butter

28 graham crackers, crushed
1 cup whipping cream, whipped and
sweetened
1 to 2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries
In a mixer bowl dissolve gelatin in

hot water; cool and blend in whipped
evaporated milk. In a separate bowl,
beat cream cheese with sugar.
Gently combine gelatin mixture with
cream cheese mixture; fold in lemon
juice. In another bowl, melt butter
and combine with cracker crumbs.
Place half of crumbs on bottom of
9x13-inch pan. Pour gelatin/cream
cheese mixture on top and sprinkle
with remaining crumbs. Chill at least
3 hours to set. Serve with whipped
cream and raspberries. Makes 10 to
12 servings.
Gate, 2000], p.14.)
88
Prophets
Tell the children that when we hear a prophet speak to us its as though Heavenly Father is speaking to us. If we obey
the words of a prophet, we will find happiness in all that we do and we will be able to follow Jesus.
(Beth Lefgren and Jennifer Jackson, Sharing Time, Family Time, Anytime, [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft,1992], p. 201.)
Story:
Arch Madsen
I remember being in New York when President [David O.] McKay returned from Europe. Arrangements had been
made for pictures to be taken, but the regular photographer was unable to go, so in desperation the United Press
picked their crime photographera man accustomed to the toughest type of work in New York. He went to the
airport, stayed there two hours, and returned later from the darkroom with a tremendous sheaf of pictures. He was
supposed to take only two. His boss immediately chided him. What in the world are you wasting time and all those
photographic supplies for?
The photographer replied very curtly, saying he would gladly pay for the extra materials, and they could even dock
him for the extra time he took. It was obvious that he was very touchy about it. Several hours later the vice-president
called him to his office, wanting to learn what happened. The crime photographer said, When I was a little boy, my
mother used to read to me out of the Old Testament, and all my life I have wondered what a prophet of God must
really look like. Well, today I found one.
(Edited by Jay A. Parry, Jack M. Lyon, and Linda Rire Gundry, Best-Loved Stories of the LDS People, Vol. 2, [Salt Lake
City: Deseret Book, 1999]. p.390.)
Activity:
Obtain pictures of five or six scriptural prophets, such as Noah, Isaiah, Lehi, Daniel, and Samuel the Lamanite. Have
one family member select a picture without letting anyone see what picture he has. The rest of the family can ask yes
or no questions to determine what the picture is.
89
f.h.e from A to Z
Repentance
One of the questions we must ask of our Heavenly Father in private prayer is this:
What have I done today, or not done, which displeases Thee? If I can only know, I
will repent with all my heart without delay.
(Henry B. Eyring, Do Not Delay, Ensign, Nov. 1999, 33)
Song:
Help Me Dear Father, both verses, Childrens Songbook, p. 99.
Scripture:
Therefore may God grant unto you, my brethren, that ye may begin to exercise your faith unto repentance, that ye
begin to call upon his holy name, that he would have mercy upon you. (Alma 34:17)
Object Lesson:
Items needed: First-aid kit.
Presentation: Show the first aid kit and ask the class what it could be used for. Explain that when someone is hurt
it can be an important tool for helping them get better. Ask: What would happen if a serious cut went untreated? (It
might get infected, bleed too much, cause more serious problems, etc.). Tell the class that usually we can use a firstaid kit to care for our own little injuries, but when an injury is serious, we must go to someone with more authority
an knowledge of first aid and medicine.
Tell the class that sin is like an injury to the spirit. If left untreated, it can also lead to more serious complications.
Briefly discuss what some of those complications might be. (More serious sin, apostacy, or spiritual death.) Tell class
members that we can take care of most of our spiritual injuries on our own. Discuss how this is done. Remind them
that when a sin is grievous, someone with authority must help us. Ask: Who would that person be? (The bishop.)
(Beth Lefgren and Jennifer Jackson, Object Lessons Made Easy, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2010], p.76.)
Story:
Two Years He Was an Honor Student

Elder Adam S. Bennion
The two following incidents, related by the principal of one of Utahs high schools, illustrate clearly the difference
between a repentant and a self-justifying attitude. Two boys had been caught stealingone had taken some money
from another students locker, and the other had stolen some tools from the manual training department. It is a
regrettable fact that stealing should be found in American schools where every possible advantage is given to boys
and girls, practically free of charge. But there are students who seem to have little self-respect and little respect for
the rights of others.
The boys were called into the office and each one was interviewed separately. The boy who had taken the money
90
Repentance
was resentful. He said that he was not the only boy in the school
who was stealing. Why did not the principal find the others and
punish them too? Anyway, he felt that he had a right to take money
if a fellow didnt know better than to leave it in a locker that wasnt
locked.
Refreshment
Easy Chocolate Mousse
The boy who had taken the tools felt altogether different. He was
ashamed to think that he would lower himself to the level of a
thief. He explained that he knew better than to steal but he had
seen the tools lying around, they were just what he needed in doing
some work at home, he couldnt afford to buy them, and thinking
that perhaps they would never be missed, he took them. When he
reached home, he could not make proper explanation to his parents
and he was sent back to the school to be disciplined.
This light and fluffy chocolate

mousse is stabilized with gelatin Try
it with a dollop of whipped cream
and some fresh berries for an easy,
yet elegant dessert.
The principal was anxious to help both boyshe not only wanted
them to finish their schoolinghe wanted them to learn one of lifes
greatest lessonsthat honesty is one of the grandest principles in
the world. He explained to them that they would have to appear
before the teachers of the school, make a statement of the whole
affair, and give assurances that such actions would never be
repeated.
heat it in a small bowl in your
The boy who had stolen the money flatly refused. He would rather
quit school than, as he called it, be disgraced. The law of the
school was enforced and he was asked to withdraw. He left the
school with defiance in his soul and with a sort of determination
that he would get even with somebodythough he didnt seem to
know just who it should be.
Out of the school he found that he had lost the respect of his old
comrades, and the new ones who took their places were of a far
inferior sort. He soon went from bad to worse until when last heard
of he had been sent to the State Industrial School where he might be
prevented from committing further crime.
1 teaspoon unflavored -gelatin

1 tablespoon cold -water
2 tablespoons boiling water (just
microwave)
12 cup -sugar
14 cup unsweetened cocoa -powder
1 cup heavy whipping -cream
1 teaspoon -vanilla
1. In a small bowl, combine gelatin

and cold water and allow to stand
for about 1 minute. While gelatin is
softening, bring 2 tablespoons water
to a boil in the microwave (see tip at
left). Whisk into the softened gelatin
and allow to cool.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine
sugar, cocoa powder, cream, and
vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer
until -medium--stiff peaks form. Mix
in gelatin mixture until combined
and refrigerate for 30 minutes. If
serving in individual cups, place
mousse in cups or bowls before
-refrigerating.
The boy, on the other hand, who had taken the tools agreed to do as
the principal required. It was a hard thing to do, of course. In fact, it
was the hardest he had ever encountered. He not only was ashamed
for what he had done, but how could he ever look those teachers
(Sara Wells and Kate Jones, Our Best Bites:
Mormon Moms in the Kitchen, [Salt Lake City:
in the face again? But feeling really sorry for the offense, he found
Shadow Mountain, 2011], p. 234.)
courage to take the penalty. He was so manly and frank about it that
every one of the teachers, who heard his confession, came to admire
him more than ever before. They became his friends and took
particular pains to help him find and develop his better self. When he was graduated from the school two years later
he was an honor studentrespected by every student who knew him. The humility of repentance had led him into a
new life.
(Leon R. Hartshorn, Exceptional Stories from the Lives of Our Apostles, pp. 80-83.)
91
Repentance
Activity:
Trace five footprints on colored paper. Label them as follows:
1. Admit you did something wrong.
2. Say, Im sorry.
3. Promise not to do the wrong again.
4. Correct what you did wrong.
5. Remember to forgive others.
Cut out the footprints and hide them around the room. Have the children find them, one at a time, and bring them to
the front of the room. Have another person put them in order. Talk about the steps and why repentance should follow
that order. Ask what would happen if we skipped a step.
(Shauna Mooney Kawasaki, My Family Can Be Forever, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2003], p. 37.)
92
f.h.e from A to Z
The Restoration
Sobered and humbled by the grandeur of the Restoration and all that it brings to us,
there should be times when you and I leave tears on our pillows out of gratitude for
what God has given us.
(Neal A. Maxwell, The Wondrous Restoration, Ensign, Apr. 2003, 30)
Song:
Refreshment
Joseph Smiths First Prayer, Hymns, 26.
Scripture:
Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto
his servants the prophets. (Amos 3:7)
Lesson:
Write each of the following scripture references on a slip of paper
and place them in a jar: 1 Nephi 14:7; 1 Nephi 22:8; 3 Nephi 21:9;
D&C 6:1; D&C 11:1; D&C 12:1. Ask family members to draw slips of
paper from the jar until it is empty. Have each person read aloud his
or her scripture verses. Ask:
Lion House Fruit

Muffins
2/3 c. sugar
1/3 c. shortening
1 egg
14 c. honey
1 c. milk
2 c. flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
What phrase is found in all of these verses? (Marvelous work.)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 c. drained canned fruit, cut in small
What great and marvelous work do you think is being foretold

in these verses? (Share the following quotation from President
Howard W. Hunter: This church, . . . that had been prophesied
to be a latter-day marvelous work and a wonder, has come forth
from the most humble of beginnings. [Ensign, May 1991, 63.])
Which of these prophecies is the oldest? (1 Nephi 14:7, about
600 b.c.)
How does it feel to be a member of a Church that was
prophesied to come forth thousands of years ago?
What do you think the Lord expects of us because we have been
given such a wonderful blessing?
pieces
Cream sugar and shortening; add

egg and mix well. Add honey and
milk, scraping bowl often. Add sifted
dry ingredients and mix at low speed
just until blended. Fold in drained
fruit. Fill greased muffin tins 3/4 full.
Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.
Makes 1 dozen muffins.
Mountain, 2004], p. 89.)
93
The Restoration
Story:
Testify That Joseph Smith Is a Prophet

David O. McKay
My father . . . accepted a call to a mission about 1880. When he began preaching, in his native land, and bore
testimony of the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ, he noticed that the people turned away from him. They
were bitter in their hearts against anything Mormon, and the name of Joseph Smith seemed to arouse antagonism
in their hearts. One day he concluded that the best way to get these people would be to preach just the simple
principles, the atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ, the first principles of the gospel, and not bear testimony of the
restoration of the gospel. It first came simply, as a passing thought, but yet it influenced his future work. In a month
or so he became oppressed with a gloomy, downcast feeling, and he could not enter into the spirit of his work. He did
not really know what was the matter, but his mind became obstructed, his spirit became clogged, he was oppressed
and hampered; and that feeling of depression continued until it weighed him down with such heaviness that he went
to the Lord and said: Unless I can get this feeling removed, I shall have to go home. I cannot continue my work with
this feeling.
It continued for some time after that, when, one morning, before daylight, following a sleepless night, he decided to
retire to a cave, near the ocean, where he knew he would be shut off from the world entirely, and there pour out his
soul to God and ask why he was oppressed with this feeling, what he had done, and what he could do to throw it off
and continue his work. He started out in the dark towards the cave, and he became so eager to get to it that he started
to run and was hailed by an officer who wanted to know what was the matter, as he was leaving the town. He gave
some noncommittal but satisfying reply and was permitted to go on. Something seemed to drive him; he had to get
relief.
He entered that place and said: Oh, Father, what can I do to have this feeling removed? I must have it lifted or I
cannot continue in this work; and he heard a voice, as distinct as the tone I am now uttering, say: Testify that
Joseph Smith is a Prophet of God.
Remembering, then, what he tacitly had decided six weeks or more before, and becoming overwhelmed with the
thought, the whole thing came to him in a realization that he was there for a special mission, and that he had not
given that special mission the attention which it deserved. Then he cried in his heart, Lord, it is enough, and went
out from the cave.
(Linda Ririe Gundry, Jay A. Parry, and Jack M. Lyon, editors, Best-Loved Stories of the LDS People, [Salt Lake City:
Activity:
Play Graphic Evolution to illustrate the need for a prophet to restore the church after centuries of confusion and
darkness.
1. Write the title of a book, movie, or song at the top of a long sheet of paper. Pass the paper to the next person.
2. The next person draws a picture depicting the title as best he can, then folds over the title so it cant be seen.
The paper is handed to the next person.
3. The next person looks at the drawing and writes below the picture what he thinks the title is. he folds over the
picture so only the last title shows.
94
The Restoration
4. This process of guessing the title from the last picture or drawing a picture from the last title continues until
everyone has had a turn.
5. Read aloud the last title and the original title. Unfold the paper so everyone can see the graphic evolution.
6. You could also have everyone start a separate paper with a title and then trade papers until each person has
written or drawn on each paper.
95
f.h.e from A to Z
Resurrection
I express . . . my personal testimony as a special witness, . . . that God our Father . .
. had a Son who died, even Jesus Christ the Lord; that He is our advocate with the
Father, the Prince of Peace, our Savior and divine Redeemer, and one day we [will]
see Him face-to-face.
(Thomas S. Monson, Mrs. Pattonthe Story Continues, Ensign, Nov 2007, 2124)
Song:
Did Jesus Really Live Again? Childrens Songbook, p. 64.
Scripture:
And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He
is not here: for he is risen. (Matthew 28:56)
Object Lesson:
Materials needed: An ink pen with an ink cartridge that can be removed.
Begin this lesson by comparing the pen and ink cartridge with our body and spirit. When we are born, our spirit
enters our body. Place the ink cartridge inside the pen. Explain that we can accomplish many things when our spirits
are coupled with our mortal bodies. Draw a simple sketch with with the pen. When we die, our spirits are removed
from our bodies. Take the cartridge out of the pen, and lay the pen down. Explain that the mortal body is left behind
and the spirit goes on. The spirit can still do many things, though not as easily. Christ has promised us that someday
we will be resurrected, or that our spirits will be reunited with our bodies. Slip the ink cartridge back into the pen.
Explain that after our bodies and spirits are reunited, we are promised that they will never be separated again.
(Beth Lefgren and Jennifer Jackson, Power Tools for Teaching, [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1988], p. 73.)
Story:
I Forgot to Tell You, But He Rose Again

James A. Cullimore
The story is told of a man walking down a street in Chicago who came to a store window where there was displayed
a beautiful picture of the crucifixion. As he stood gazing spellbound at the vivid picture story, he suddenly became
conscious that at his side stood a little boy. The boy too was gazing at the picture, and his tense expression made the
man know that the crucifixion had really gripped the eager little soul. Touching the boy on the shoulder, the man
said, Sonny, what does it mean?
Doncha know? he answered, his face full of the marvel of the mans ignorance. That there man is Jesus, and them
others is Roman soldiers, and the woman crying is his mother, and, he added, they killed him.
The man was loath to leave the window, but he could not tarry always at the tragic scene, so he turned away and
96
Resurrection
walked down the street. In a few moments he heard pattering

footsteps, and there came rushing toward him the little boy.
Refreshment
Say, mister! he exclaimed breathlessly. I forgot to tell you, but he

rose again!
Yes, he rose again. The advent on earth of the Redeemer is of less
importance than the conquest of death and the grave, for it was only
by rising from the grave that he could redeem the world. Hence, his
resurrection signals the redemption of mankind and becomes one of
the greatest of all occasions for every child of God.
(Leon R. Hartshorn, Outstanding Stories by General Authorities, vol.
3, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1974].)
Activity:
Fill in the prices for all or some of the items on the list below.
Divide the family into two or three teams. Give each team a pencil
and paper.
Describe one of the items on your list and have the teams write
down how much they think the items sells for. The team that comes
closestwithout guessing a higher price than the actual price of the
itemscores five points. If everyone guesses too high, they all write
down new guesses. This is done until someone earns the five points.
Play continues until you have priced as many items as you desire.
The team with the highest number of points is declared the winner.
Have each family member share what worth they feel the gift of the
resurrection is. Christs resurrection made it possible for all of us to
be resurrected.
Paradise Cake
1 11.5-ounce can mandarin oranges,
with juice
4 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 package yellow pudding cake mix
1 20-ounce can crushed pineapple,
with juice
1 3-ounce package vanilla instant
pudding
1 8-ounce carton frozen whipped
topping, thawed
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9
x 13-inch baking pan. Combine mandarin
oranges, including juice, with eggs and
oil in a mixing bowl; beat well. Stir in
cake mix and beat again until well mixed.
Pour into greased baking pan. Bake for
30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted
in center of cake comes out clean. Cool
on a wire rack.
Drain pineapple, reserving all but onefourth of its juice. Make topping by
mixing crushed pineapple and reserved
juice, vanilla instant pudding, and
whipped topping. Spread onto cooled
cake in pan. Refrigerate until ready to
serve. Makes 12 to 16 servings.
(Lion House Christmas, [Salt Lake City:
The Price is Right

Ten gallons of gasoline
A bag of potato chips
A can of hair spray
A 21 television
A digital camera
A fly swatter
A frozen pizza
A living room sofa
A boys dress shirt
4 AA batteries
An MP3 player
A pair of tennis shoes
A frozen dinner
A container of ice cream
A garden hose
A mop
A wheelbarrow
A container of dish soap
A container of laundry detergent
A leather-bound triple combination
(Allan K. Burgess and Max H. Molgard, Fun for Family Night: New Testament Edition, [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft,
1995], p. 159.)
97
f.h.e from A to Z
Sabbath Day
Keeping the Sabbath day holy is much more than just physical rest. It involves
spiritual renewal and worship. . . . This need for physical, mental, and spiritual
regeneration is met in large measure by faithful observance of the Sabbath day.
(James E. Faust, The Lords Day, Ensign, Nov. 1991, 33)
Song:
The Chapel Doors Childrens Songbook, p. 156.
Scripture:
And hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and
you, that ye may know that I am the Lord your God. (Ezekiel 20:20)
Lesson:
Sometimes we concentrate on the things we shouldnt do on
Sundays instead of focusing on the things we can and should do.
Remembering that the Sabbath is a day set aside for us to do good,
to loose people from their bonds, to do the Lords work, and to draw
closer to God. Split the family into groups and see which group can
come up with the most ideas of acceptable things that can be done
on the Sabbath. After ten minutes, have each group share their ideas.
After each group has shared their ideas, you may desire to share
some of the following ideas that other families have come up with.
1. Read scriptures, Church magazines, and other uplifting books.
2. Sing Church music.
3. Look at family pictures, slides, or videos.
Refreshment
Dump Cake
1 (26-ounce) can cherry pie filling
1 (20-ounce) can crushed pineapple
1 package yellow or white cake mix
3/4 cup butter
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease

a 9 x 13-inch cake pan. Dump pie
filling in the bottom of pan and
spread as evenly as possible. Dump
crushed pineapple, with juice, evenly
over pie filling. Sprinkle cake mix
evenly over the fruit. Do not stir.
Slice butter thinly and place slices
over cake mix. Try to cover mix. Bake
45 minutes. Serve with a dollop of
whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla
ice cream.
(Lion House Bakery, [Salt Lake City: Deseret
Book, 2009], p. 93.)
4. Plan family night activities.

5. Take gifts to or spend time with those who are sick.
6. Prepare Church lessons and fulfill other Church assignments.
7. Write in ones journal or write personal history.
8. Write to or visit relatives and friends.
9. Write to missionaries.
10. Have family home evening or a gospel discussion.
98
Sabbath Day
11. Read with children.

12. Compile family history.
13. Visit the sick, the elderly, and the lonely.
14. Hold interviews with family members.
15. Attend Church meetings.
16. Give fathers blessings.
17. Do home or visiting teaching.
18. Visit the temple grounds.
19. Tell inspirational stories.
20. Play quiet, uplifting games as a family.
(Max H. Molgard and Allan K. Burgess, The Best of Fun for Family Night, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2003], p. 63.)
Story:
Eli Herring was an offensive lineman at BYU. He was very bighe kind of looked like a major appliance with legs.
USA Today said that he would go first round in the NFL draft. But as the time approached, he said, I dont want to
enter the draft. The entire media said, What! He said, I dont want to enter the draft. They said, Why? And he
said, Because. The games are on Sunday. I dont want to play on Sunday.
Eli Herrings father, David L. Herring, explained, Our great-grandfathers called it the Holy Sabbath day. Our
grandfathers called it the Sabbath. Our fathers called it Sunday, and now we just call it the weekend. Our family feels
like our great-grandfathers did about the Holy Sabbath day.
We have to ask, Where is it with me? Is it the Holy Sabbath, the Sabbath, Sunday, or is it just kind of the weekend?
The first summer of my marriage, I opened up my planner and it said August 9th. I thought, August 9th, what is
that? I should remember that. It took me a while to figure it outits not my birthday, its not my wifes birthday, what
is August 9th? Then I thought, Oh, that is the anniversary of our first date. So I thought, this will be fun, Ill write a
card or something. On the way home from work, I stopped at a florist and bought a rose and a vase. I wrote a card that
said, Dear Kim, Happy Anniversary of our first date. Love, John.
I put it on the table and thought, shell like that. Oh, my goodness, I had no idea how much shed like that. She said,
You remembered our first date! You are the best husband in the world.
I learned something Id heard a million times: actions speak louder than words. The words were Dear Kim, Happy
Anniversary of our first date. The actions were I remembered, I bought the rose, put the rose in the vase, put the vase
out on the table. The action said of course I would remember you on our day.
Lets broaden this little idea. Heres the Lord looking down on us and He says, Remember the Sabbath Day to keep
it holy. We can say, Soon as I get home from church, Im going to change my clothes, Im going to change my radio
station, Im going to change my attitude. Im going to act like it is any other day. Well, you can if you want, but
actions speak louder than words. Do you want to show the Lord how you feel about Him? One way to do that is how
you treat the Sabbath day.
99
Sabbath Day
(John Bytheway, Family Night With John Bytheway, DVD, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2010].)
Activity:
Create a Can-Do box for your family, similar to the one described below. Be creative and customize your Sunday
box with a variety of things. Church magazines, audiovisual materials, wholesome bookstheres so much to enjoy. If
everyone in the family is invited to contribute something, your can-do box will be filled with wonderful activities
for a Sabbath day.
Our family has a can-do box thats brimming with appropriate activities for Sabbath worship. Over time, weve
added or rotated many things, but we started with just a few dress-up items. It all began when we saw a Sunday
dress-up box that one of our ward members had. The children absolutely loved it because they could reenact
scripture stories in costume. Simple props like a bathrobe; an old dress; a childs plastic sword, shield, and armor;
and many other inexpensive or recycled items are possibilities.
We also wanted to encourage letter writing, so we added a container of writing supplies. We included addressed
envelopes, stickers, and colored markers and pens. Even our youngest child loved sending letters to ward
missionaries and family members.
Of course, we had to have a variety of wholesome games, including word searches and crossword puzzles. We even
recycled leftover Primary lesson materials and old singing time props. The children were delighted to play with these
appealing teaching materials.
(Stacilee Whiting, Our Sabbath Can-Do Box, Ensign, Sept. 2009, 70.)
100
f.h.e from A to Z
The Sacrament
In my judgment the sacrament meeting is the most sacred, the most holy, of all the
meetings of the Church. When I reflect upon the gathering of the Savior and his
apostles on that memorable night when he introduced the sacrament . . . my heart
is filled with wonderment and my feelings are touched. I consider that gathering
one of the most solemn and wonderful since the beginning of time.
(Joseph Fielding Smith, Conference Report, Oct. 1929, 6061.)
Song:
I Stand All Amazed, Hymns. # 193.
Scripture:
It is expedient that the church meet together often to partake of
bread and wine in the remembrance of the Lord Jesus (Doctrine and
Covenants 20:75)
Refreshment
Alices Navajo Fry Bread

4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
Object Lesson:
Show your family a piece of bread and glass of water. Ask them
what they think about when they see these emblems. Discuss the
following questions:
What are you usually thinking and feeling when the sacrament
is administered each week?
How might your thoughts and feelings change if the sacrament
were administered by the Savior himself?
What are some of the things that make it easier or harder to
think about the Savior during the sacrament in your ward or
branch?
What are some things the Aaronic priesthood could do to make
it a more spiritual experience?
What are some things you could do to focus more on the Savior?
2 cups warm water

Lard or shortening for deep-frying
In a large bowl, combine flour,

baking powder, and salt. Add water
in small amounts, mixing between
each addition. Knead dough till soft
but not sticky. Cover and let stand 15
minutes. Pull off egg-sized balls and
roll each into a round about G inch
thick. Prick with fork 3 or 4 times
to allow dough to puff up when it
is fried. Deep-fry in hot fat in heavy
skillet.
Fry bread is good spread with jam,
or sprinkled with powdered sugar or
salt. Makes 16 to 20 rounds.
p. 37.)

Latter-day Saint Families: Book of Mormon, [Salt Lake City: Deseret
Book, 2003], p. 300.)
101
The Sacrament
Story:
Elder Matthew Cowley
We had a young sailor who came into our home in New Zealand during the war. He was a convert to the Church.
Before he left San Francisco, he had been ordained a priest. And we asked him about his life on board ship. He was
the only member of the Church on this big transport.
He said, Well, whenever we stop at a port, the fellows all come around and kid me and say, Come on, lets go out
and have a good time, get on a binge, get some relaxation. But I do not go. You know the reason I do not go? You
know the reason I can stand up against those invitations and temptation? He said, It is because the captain on the
ship on Sunday gives me a little room, and I go into that little room all by myself. I have that little servicemans copy
of the Book of Mormon, so I take a little water and a piece of bread. I open up that Book of Mormon to Moroni, and
I get down on my knees. I bless the sacrament, and I pass it to myself. And he said, Then I am safe for another
week. He said, Nobody on earth can tempt me. He was learning how to live, fast, but not learning fast living. Just
remember, he was learning to live the simple life.
(Leon R. Hartshorn, Outstanding Stories by General Authorities, vol. 2)
Activity:
Play the following action memory game with your family. Have everyone stand up. Explain that you will do several
actions such as clapping, shaking your head, touching your elbow, and so on. The children must watch carefully.
They are to repeat your actions in the same order. Begin with only one action, and add an action each time. Challenge
them to see how many actions they can follow. Encourage them to help each other too.
Praise them for watching, remembering, and following so carefully. Liken this to remembering Jesus and following
his example.
1994], p.80.)
Extras:
Review the story of the Last Supper.
Find the sacrament prayers in the scriptures and read them together.
Remind your family that earth life brings many challenges and decisions. Jesus will always help us, if we
remember him. We must think of his example and ask ourselves, What would Jesus do? Then we must do our
best to follow that example.
102
f.h.e from A to Z
Scripture Study
The holy scriptures are for children, to fill their eager minds with sacred truth. They
are for youth, to prepare them for the challenges of our fast-moving world. They
are for the sisters . . . They are for the brethren of the priesthood.
(Thomas S. Monson, Ensign, December 1985, p. 48.)
Song:
Refreshment
Search, Ponder, and Pray, Childrens Songbook, p. 109.
Scripture:
And upon these I write the things of my soul, and many of the
scriptures which are engraven upon the plates of brass. For my soul
delighteth in the scriptures, and my heart pondereth them, and
writeth them for the learning and the profit of my children. (2 Nephi
4:15)
Granola Bars
1 14-ounce package caramels
2 tablespoons water
3/4 cup crunchy peanut butter
3 cups plain granola
1 cup golden raisins
Lesson:
After Jesus was baptized and received the Holy Ghost, he went to
be with God. Jesus fasted for forty days. He was very weak. Satan
thought he could take advantage of Jesus while he was tired.
First Satan tempted Jesus to prove he was Heavenly Fathers Son by
turning some rocks into bread. Jesus was very hungry. But he knew
the scriptures. He said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread
alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
He chose not to turn the rocks into bread.
1/2 cup salted peanuts
Melt caramels in water over medium

heat in heavy saucepan, stirring
often. Stir in peanut butter. Add
granola, raisins, and peanuts; mix
well. Pour into a buttered 9x13-inch
pan, and cool. Cut into 1x2-inch bars.
Makes about 32 bars.
Variation: Substitute chocolate
caramels for plain caramels.
Then the Spirit took Jesus to a high pinnacle of the temple. Satan
(Lion House Desserts, [Salt Lake City: Deseret
tempted Jesus to throw himself off of the pinnacle. Satan said if
Book, 2000] p. 129.)
Jesus was the Son of God, angels would not let him get hurt. Angels
would catch him. Jesus remembered another scripture. He said, It is
written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. Jesus chose not to jump off the pinnacle.
The Spirit took Jesus to to the top of a very high mountain. He was shown all the riches and kingdoms of the world.
Again, Satan tempted him. He told Jesus he would give him all the riches and kingdoms of the world if Jesus would
worship Satan. Jesus knew another scripture. He said, It is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him
only shalt thou serve. Jesus chose not to worship Satan. Satan left him. Angels came and helped Jesus.
If knowing the scriptures helped Jesus choose the right, knowing the scriptures will help us also.
(Christena C. Nelson, Choose the Right, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1996], p. 49.)
103
Scripture Study
Story:
Julie Sessions
The other night as I was putting the baby to sleep, I asked our two-year-old son to pick out some of his favorite
bedtime stories for me to read to him. When I went into his room, I immediately recognized Danny and the Dinosaur,
If You Give a Pig a Pancake, and The Cat in the Hat. I also noticed that he had taken the Book of Mormon off the
shelf. Before I could say anything, my sweet little boy said, I got some books. Will you read the scriptures first?
I was so touched that he wanted to read the scriptures first that I could hardly read for a few minutes. After we
finished reading, we talked about how much Jesus loves him. He wanted to read only one other book after that. He
was filled, and he closed his eyes with a big smile on his face. I felt the Spirit so strongly in his little bedroom that
night.
I feel like the special spirits that are being sent to the earth right now are yearning to feel the Spirit and learn truth
and righteousness. It is our joy and responsibility to teach them and learn from them.
(Sunshine from the Latter-day Saint Childs Soul. [Salt Lake City: Eagle Gate, 2001], 42.)
Activity:
Get a medium-size box or jar and decorate the outside any way you like. Have each family member write down
their favorite scriptures on pieces of paper (or use topics you would like to learn more about such as the Ten
Commandments, sacrifice, prayer, fasting, obedience, or love). Let everyone select a slip of paper and, using the
scriptures, learn something new about what theyve chosen.
(Candace Smith, The Sunday Activity Book, [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1983], p. 85.)
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f.h.e from A to Z
Service
Service is to be given unselfishly, with no thought of personal gain or reward. It is
to be given as needed, not when convenient.
(Steven E. Snow, Service, Ensign, Nov 2007, 1024)
Song:
Im Trying to Be Like Jesus Childrens Songbook, p.78, verse 2.
Scripture:
And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of
your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God. (Mosiah 2:17)
Lesson:
Gather items such as bathrobes, towels, and scarves to make simple costumes for the roleplay activity of the good
Samaritan.
Act out the story of the good Samaritan. You can review the story first in Luke 10:3037. You will need the following
characters: the traveler, a thief (or thieves), a priest, a Levite, a Samaritan, and the innkeeper. (If your family is large,
someone could even play the part of the donkey that the traveler rides on.)
When you have finished the role play, tell the family that the Savior told this story in answer to the question, Who is
my neighbor? What does this story teach us about who our neighbors are? Whom should we serve? Emphasize that
our neighbors can be anyone in need, people that we dont know as well as those on our street and even those in our
own home.
(Deborah Pace Rowley, Before They Turn Twelve: Helping Children Gain a Testimony of the Lords Standards, [Salt
Lake City: Deseret Book, 2007], p. 91.)
Story:
Steven was worried about his mother. She had been sick for several months. His father had put a bed in the living
room so that she could watch Father and Steven decorate the Christmas tree and participate in all the Christmas
activities. Christmas had been fun even though Mother was sick. She had been so excited about the tree. It had
always been her favorite part of Christmas. Sometimes when Steven sat beside her on her bed, she would say,
Steven, just look at that star. Doesnt it make you happy just to see it? When I wake up in the morning and open my
eyes, there it is. It is like having heaven in our very own house. It reminds me of Jesus, and when I think of him I
dont feel sick anymore.
Now the holidays were over and Father said they needed to take down the tree on Monday night. Steven worried
about what Mother would do without the star to look at every morning. He worried about it all through sacrament
meeting. It felt lonesome not to have Mother sitting next to him on the bench. He worried about it all during Primary.
Then during singing time, Sister Pope had the children sing Stevens favorite song, I Am like a Star. That was it!
105
Service
That was Stevens answer. He could be Mothers star. He would do

and say happy things all day. He would help in every way he could.
Mother didnt need to be sad because the star on the Christmas tree
was gone; Steven would be her star instead.
Steven didnt tell anyone about his plan. On Monday night he
was quick to help Father get out the box for the ornaments and
was careful taking the ornaments off the tree. He even got out the
vacuum and cleaned up the pine needles that dropped off the tree
when Father carried it out to the trash.
The next morning the house seemed empty without all the beautiful
Christmas decorations. But Steven remembered his plan. He looked
for ways to help and serve all day long. He brought Mother her
favorite magazine to read. He got her a drink of water when it was
time to take her medicine. He read her his favorite picture book. He
made his bed and cleaned his room even though Mother couldnt
come upstairs to see it. He sang Primary songs to Mother to help her
fall asleep and he played quietly while she was resting.
All week Steven tried hard to be helpful and happy just like a star
would be. Sometimes he would hum his favorite song just so he
could remember. On Saturday morning, Father sat in the living room
with Mother while she ate her breakfast.
Father said, Do you miss the tree, dear? I know how much you
liked looking at the star.
Mother looked at Steven and smiled. I dont miss the star on the
Christmas tree. I have my very own star that is shining brightly. My
special star makes me smile and reminds me of Jesus. With all this
help, I know I will be better soon.
Steven felt such a warm, good feeling inside he thought he must be
glowing just like a real star. Then the Steven Star gave Mother a great
big hug.
Gain a Testimony of the Lords Standards, [Salt Lake City: Deseret
Book, 2007], p. 90.)
Activity:
Make some star-shaped sugar cookies and deliver them to someone
in your ward or neighborhood. You may want to pray as a family
to decide who needs to receive a special treat to lift their spirits.
Include a note that says, You are stars to us! with the cookies.
Deliver the plate, ring the doorbell, and run!
Refreshment
Old-Fashioned Sugar
Cookies
1 12 cups sugar
23 cup butter or shortening (butter
makes a better-tasting cookie)
2 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 14 cups flour
2 12 teaspoons baking powder
12 teaspoon salt
Decorative toppings (below)
Cream sugar and butter or

shortening; add eggs, milk, and
vanilla. Sift dry ingredients together
and beat into creamed mixture,
combining thoroughly. With hands,
shape dough into a ball. Wrap and
refrigerate 2 to 3 hours or overnight
until dough is easy to handle.
Grease cookie sheets lightly. On
lightly floured board, roll onehalf or one-third of dough at a
time, keeping remaining dough
refrigerated. For crisp cookies, roll
dough paper-thin. For softer cookies,
roll 18-inch to 14-inch thick. Cut
into desired shapes with floured
cookie cutter. Reroll trimmings and
cut.
Place cookies half an inch apart
on cookie sheets. Sprinkle with
decorative toppings, if desired. Bake
at 375 degrees about 8 minutes or
until a very light brown. Remove
cookies to racks to cool. Makes
about 6 dozen cookies.
Mountain, 2004], p. 106.)

Gain a Testimony of the Lords Standards, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2007], p. 92.)
106
f.h.e from A to Z
Talents
You need never feel inferior. You need never feel that you were born without
talents or without opportunities to give them expression. Cultivate whatever talents
you have, and they will grow and refine and become an expression of your true
self appreciated by others.
(Gordon B. Hinckley, The Light within You, Ensign, May 1995, 99)
Song:
Refreshment
I Am Like a Star, Childrens Songbook, p. 163.
Scripture:
Apple Alice
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good
works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. (Exodus 35:1)
3 apples, peeled and sliced
Object Lesson:
1 cup sugar
Materials needed: A bottle of unpopped popcorn and a large bowl of

popped popcorn.
1/2 teaspoon salt
Hold up the bottle of unpopped corn. Ask the family if it can be

eaten as is. Is there a better way to eat it? What must be done to
make it better? Explain that when we apply heat the unpopped
popcorn becomes bigger and better.
Liken the popcorn to our talents. Until we apply work and effort,
talent remains a tiny kernel inside. It is only after we strive to
improve it that it expands and become better. Briefly discuss what
could happen if we did not develop our talents.
(Beth Lefgren and Jennifer Jackson, Building Blocks for Better
Lessons, [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1998], p. 70.)
Story:
No Two Diamonds Are Alike
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup flour
1 egg
Place apples in a 9-inch glass pie

plate. Combine cinnamon and sugar,
and sprinkle about half over the
apples. In a mixing bowl combine
flour and salt; cut in butter. Add
egg and mix lightly. With buttered
fingers, spread carefully over tops of
apples (they may not be completely
covered). Sprinkle with remaining
sugar and cinnamon. Bake at 375
degrees until apples are done and
top is golden brown, approximately
40 minutes.
p. 105.)
Ella struggled to hold back her tears as she ran along the stone walk
to Aunt Susans apartment at the rear of her home. As Ella rushed up
to her aunt, the tears, which had been too near the surface too much
of the time lately, spilled over. Oh, Aunt Susan, sobbed Ella, nobody likes me. Im just no good. I wish I werent
such a dumb More sobs blotted out the rest of her words.
107
Talents
Aunt Susan laid her knitting aside and waited for her young niece to go on with her problem. Why do you feel that
no one likes you? What makes you think youre dumb and no good? she encouraged.
Its just terrible, Aunt Susan, to live with Bevie and Ruth. They make me feel awful. Bevie is so friendly with
everyone and can always find so much to talk about. Everybody just loves her. Almost every phone call at our house
is for her. She gets invited to all the parties and has all the fun. Whenever Im in a group of people, I either say the
wrong thing oror else I cant think of anything to say at all. Bevie isnt afraid to talk to anyone, and shes so clever
and full of fun. Oh, I wish I could be like Bevie.
And Ruth makes me feel so dumb and stupid. She can do anything. Mother and Daddy are forever bragging about
her accomplishments. I never do anything worth mentioning. It seems all I hear around our house is talk about her
scholarship from the university, or how the new three-piece suit she just made is so beautiful, or something else she
has done. Even the bishop said the other day that when Ruth goes away to school he doesnt know what hell do for a
Sunday School organist. Shes always in demand for her piano playing. Everyone says things like `Theres just no one
quite like Ruth, or `Shes the most talented and capable girl Ive ever seen. It goes on and on, and the more she does,
the dumber I feel.
Aunt Susan thought for a long time before responding to Ella. Finally she said, I can understand how you feel,
Ella. It would be difficult to live with two very popular, talented older sisters. It could make you feel quite inferior.
I would like to make three suggestions to you. You might like to write them down and read them ofteneven
memorize themso that youll remember them for the rest of your life.
First, youre comparing yourself with someone else. This is unfair. Youre much younger than your sisters. Bevie has
had several years more practice talking with people and learning to express herself well and saying clever things. I
feel sure youll gain in confidence and will feel you have more to contribute to conversations as you grow older. Time
has done a lot for Ruth, too. As I think back to her piano playing when she was your age, it sounded just the way
yours does. Whos to say what accomplishments will be yours by the time you graduate from high school? Youve
been busy laying your foundation for life these past thirteen years. Its just about now that you can start to build
on that foundation and really do things. Its all wrong to compare yourself with others, Ella. The only real basis for
comparison is within yourself. Dont feel bad if your piano playingor anything elseisnt as good as Ruths. Just
make certain that you play better now than you did a year ago. Its wonderful to have people such as Ruth inspire you
to do better and reach loftier goals, but compete with yourselfnot someone else!
Now, the second thing I want you to remember always is this: What someone else does neednt detract from what
you do. Just because Bevie has lots of friends doesnt mean that you have any fewer friends of your own. Just because
someone has beautiful eyes doesnt mean that your eyes are ugly. Nothing Ruth knows or does or has need detract
from what you know or do or have.
And third and most important, Ella, our Father in heaven has taken great care to create each one of us individually.
Dont try to make yourself like someone else. Be grateful for your own talents and gifts and do your best to cultivate
them. Why, it was just last week at Relief Society that I heard several mothers discussing baby-sitters. They
mentioned your name and said how confident they feel when you are with their children and how much their
children enjoy you. Sister Astin said that because of your conscientiousness toward responsibility and your ability to
handle children exceptionally well, you make an ideal baby-sitter.
Have you ever realized, Ella, that when someone is ill, you know just what to do to bring the most comfort? I recall
my bout with rheumatism last winterit was you who took the time to run my errands, keep fresh flowers at my
bedside, and cheer me. You have a fine mind, Ella. Ive observed that you have a quest for knowledge. You love
school and do very well there. I could go on, Ella, for you have many gifts and talents that make you special just the
108
Talents
way you are.

I read something last week I want to share with you. I hope it will impress you as it did me. Did you know that no
two diamonds are, or ever have been, alike? This diamond I am wearing on my finger is unlike any other diamond
on earth. Thats one of the reasons the diamond has become, since ancient times, the gem of kings and emperors and
holds the greatest value of all worldly possessions. No two diamonds are alike, but they are all jewels. Never forget
that you are a jewel, Ella.
Ellas heart felt lighter than ever before.
(Daryl V. Hoole and Donette V. Ockey, With Sugar and Spice [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1966]).
Activity:
Children who have opportunities to perform often in their own homes are usually less frightened when they start
to perform outside the family. At family talent night, each child might perform individually or as a group. Singing,
dancing, or playing an instrument arent the only talents to share and display. Consider storytelling, poetry reading,
and displaying paintings, needlework, or handicraft. One family member might want to display his talent for making
people laugh with jokes or magic tricks.
(Janene W. Baadsgaard, The LDS Mothers Almanac, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2003], p. 384.)
109
f.h.e from A to Z
Temples
Each [temple] is blessing the lives of our members and is an influence for good
upon those not of our faith. The ordinances performed in our temples are vital to
our salvation and to the salvation of our deceased loved ones.
(Thomas S. Monson, As We Meet Together Again, Ensign, Nov 2010, 4.)
Song:
I Love to See the Temple, Childrens Songbook, p. 95.
Scripture:
And inasmuch as my people build a house unto me in the name of
the Lord, and do not suffer any unclean thing to come into it, that it
be not defiled, my glory shall rest upon it. (Doctrine and Covenants
97:15)
Lesson:
Show your family pictures of temples and talk about why we build
temples. Divide your family into two groups. Have both groups read
D&C 97:1017, with one group looking for how temples are built and
the other group looking for ways temples can bless our lives. Have
both groups report their findings. Ask:
How do these verses explain why we need a recommend to
enter the temple?
What does the Lord promise if we keep the temple undefiled?
Ask family members who have been to a temple to share their

testimony of feeling Gods presence in that holy place.
Refreshment
Lemon Bars
Light, lemony, and luscious!
2 cups sifted flour
12 cup sifted powdered sugar
1 cup butter or margarine
4 beaten eggs
2 cups sugar
13 cup lemon juice
14 cup flour
Sift together the 2 cups flour and

powdered sugar. Cut in butter
with pastry blender or knives until
mixture clings together. Press into
an 8x8-inch pan. Bake at 350 F.
for 20 to 25 minutes or until lightly
browned. Beat together eggs, sugar,
and lemon juice. Sift together the
14 cup flour and baking powder. Stir
into egg mixture. Pour over baked
crust. Bake at 350 F. for about
25 minutes longer. Sprinkle with
additional powdered sugar. Cool. Cut
into bars. Makes 9 bars.
(Essential Mormon Cookbook, [Salt Lake City:
Deseret Book, 2004] p. 59.)
110
Temples
Stories:
I Love to See the Temple

Fiona Howell
When my son Jonathan was four years old, he loved singing. He would sing to me and my husband all the time. He
often put on performances for us on his bed, on chairs, anywhere he felt he could provide his entertainment.
One night he was standing on our coffee table in the living room asking for requests. We requested a family favorite,
I Love to See the Temple.
At the top of his voice, he sang, For the temple is a house of God, a place of love and beauty. Ill repair myself
while I am young . . .
At the time we thought it was funny how he mixed up the word repair for prepare, but my mother reminded me
that not only do we need to prepare ourselves to enter the house of the Lord, in some cases we also need to repair
ourselves. The Lord has given us the law of repentance to do just that, repair ourselves so we may receive his
blessings, including those of the temple.
(Sunshine from the Latter-day Saint Childs Soul, [Salt Lake City: Eagle Gate, 2001], p. 149.)
Preparing for the Temple

Chad Hawkins
As the youngest of four children, I was not old enough to attend any of my siblings temple marriages. I remember
feeling sad because I couldnt be more involved in those special events, but I am grateful for the wonderful example
my brothers and sister set for me. While my sister was being married in the Idaho Falls Idaho Temple, I sat outside
on the temple steps, thinking that temples were for adults only and no place for a young boy like me. I have since
learned that I was wrong.
Though children cant participate in all the ordinances of the temple, the temple remains a special place for every
one of Heavenly Fathers worthy childrenthe young, middle-aged, and elderly. A person is never too young or too
old to become acquainted with the Lord. . . . Although your first trip to the temple may seem far off, you should begin
preparing now.
(Chad Hawkins, Youth and the Temple, [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 2002], p. 69.)
Activity:
Use building blocks or modeling clay to create a temple as a family or have each person draw a temple and share
their artwork with the family.
111
f.h.e from A to Z
Testimony
Clearly, in our world today it is a rare and precious thing to have a testimony
that God our Heavenly Father lives; that His Son, Jesus Christ, is our Savior and
Redeemer; and that priesthood authority to administer the gospel of Jesus Christ
has been restored once again upon the earth. The profound blessing of having a
testimony of these truths cannot be measured or ever taken for granted.
(M. Russell Ballard, Pure Testimony, Ensign, Nov. 2004, 40.)
Song:
The Church of Jesus Christ Childrens Songbook, p. 77.
Scripture:
Behold, I say unto you they are made known unto me by the Holy
Spirit of God. Behold, I have fasted and prayed many days that I
might know these things of myself. And now I do know of myself
that they are true; for the Lord God hath made them manifest unto
me by his Holy Spirit; and this is the spirit of revelation which is in
me. (Alma 5:46)
Object Lesson:
Materials needed: A flashlight, a lamp, and a candle.
Display the items on a table. Ask your family what they have in
common. (They provide light.) Ask when they would probably be
used. (At night.) Discuss why. Ask your family what they would do
if the light suddenly went out at night. Ask how easy it would be to
find a source of light in the dark. Discuss how knowing where the
source of light is and what condition it is in helps us to be prepared.
Explain that our testimony is like the light. We seldom appreciate
or even look for it in the daytime (good times). We really depend on
our testimony during the difficult time in our life. Discuss why it is
important to keep our testimony strong during the good times so that
we will be prepared for difficult times.
Refreshment
Strawberry Danish
Parfaits
These eye-catching treats are
beautiful and so easy to make.
14 cup sugar
3 cups sliced fresh strawberries
1 (4 34-ounce) package Strawberry
Danish Dessert
1 (6-ounce) package vanilla instant
pudding
2 cups milk
12 pint whipping cream
Sprinkle sugar over berries and

let stand about 15 minutes. Make
Danish Dessert according to
package directions for pudding.
Cool completely. Make vanilla instant
pudding according to package
directions, using only 2 cups milk.
Let set 30 minutes or longer. Whip
cream. Fold whipped cream into
vanilla pudding. Layer all ingredients
in parfait glasses, ending with
strawberries. Makes 6 parfaits.
2004], p. 13.)
112
Testimony
Story:
Steve often saw other people bear their testimonies and he wondered what it felt like. He had prayed a little bit but
still didnt feel that he had a testimony.
He remembered hearing about the seed of faith in a family home evening. If Heavenly Father wanted him to have a
testimony, then Steve had to believe that he could gain a testimony. He would have faith.
Every night before he went to bed Steve read some scriptures and prayed to Heavenly Father about his testimony.
Days turned into weeks as Steve continued to take care of that seed of faith about his testimony. Even though he
didnt feel any different he knew that Heavenly Father would give him that blessing if he just kept trying.
One fast Sunday, testimony meeting started and Steve listened very carefully to the many testimonies that were
given. More than anything else he wanted to stand and have a testimony to bear, to know that the gospel was true.
Then he realized that he could stand and tell about his blessings.
As he stood, a feeling of happiness came to him and he was able to speak the words he had worked so hard to earn.
I know that Heavenly Father loves me. I know that he answers prayers. I believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Steve
had a testimony.
(Beth Lefgren and Jennifer Jackson, Sharing Time, Family Time, Anytime [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1992], p.101.)
Activity:
Give each person a pencil and paper and have them trace their hand. On each finger have them write something they
have a testimony of (such as Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, Joseph Smith, the Book of Mormon, and current prophets
and apostles.) Have each person take turns and share their testimonies.
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f.h.e from A to Z
Tithing
To those who faithfully and honestly live the law of tithing, the Lord promises an
abundance of blessings. Some of these blessings are temporal, just as tithes are
temporal. But like the outward physical ordinances of baptism and the sacrament,
the commandment to pay tithing requires temporal sacrifice, which ultimately
yields great spiritual blessings.
(Robert D. Hales, Tithing: A Test of Faith with Eternal Blessings, Ensign, Nov. 2002, 26)
Song:
I Want to Give the Lord My Tenth Childrens Songbook, p. 150.
Scripture:
Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in
mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts,
if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a
blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. (Malachi
3:10)
Refreshment
Dilly Dip
This dip is great with crisp vegetables.
1 cup sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill weed
or 1 teaspoon dried dill weed
Object Lesson:
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
For this object lesson, you will need ten pieces of candy. Before
family scripture study, confide with a family member and explain
that at some point during scripture study you will give him or her
ten candies as a gift but then ask for one back. Tell the person to
resist and refuse to give one back.
1 green onion, chopped
As your family gathers together, find some reason to give the candy
to the particular family member as explained above. When the
person refuses to give one candy back, ask your family to silently
read 3 Nephi 24:812. Have them look for how these verses relate to
the experience they just witnessed. Read these verses again, aloud as
a family, and ask:
Why do some people not pay tithing?
What blessings will the Lord pour out upon a person who pays
tithing?
What are some blessings that are specifically mentioned in
verses 1112 and how can they be applied to our modern
situations?
1 teaspoon garlic salt

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Fresh, crisp vegetables, such as
carrots, celery, and pepper strips
Combine all ingredients, except

vegetables, in a medium bowl.
Refrigerate for at least one hour,
allowing flavors to blend. Makes 2
cups dip.
Serve with fresh vegetables such
as carrots, celery, pepper strips,
cauliflower, cucumbers, and zucchini.
For crisp vegetables, prepare and
place in Ziploc bags. Fill with small
amount of water and refrigerate
overnight. Drain and serve.
(Julie Badger Jensen, Essential Mormon
Celebrations, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book,
2005] p. 22.)
114
Tithing
This is also a good time to explain how tithing is calculated (see D&C 119:4) and to testify of the law of tithing.
Story:
That First Tithing Receipt

Spencer W. Kimball
When I was a little boy in Thatcher, Arizona, my father, desiring to teach his children industry, thrift, and tithing,
turned over to my sister Alice and me a patch of potatoes that he had planted.
I hoed the weeds and helped to irrigate the potatoes until they were ready to dig. Then Alice and I dug and cleaned
and sorted them. We took the larger ones of uniform size and put them in a box and loaded them in my little red
wagon. Then, after putting on clean clothing, we pulled the little red wagon with its contents to town. We sold our
merchandise to some of the neighbors, but a kindly sister who operated the hotel was our best customer. She looked
them over and bought from us regularly through the season.
After selling our first load we were so happy we could hardly wait to get home to tell our parents of our success.
Father listened to us count our moneya very great amount, it seemed to us. Then he said, Thats capital! Now
what will you do with your money?
We thought of ice cream cones and candy and Christmas presents we could buy. Then in his characteristic and
impressive way, our father said, Now you havent forgotten the bishop, have you? The Lord has been kind to us.
The earth is his. He sent the moisture and the sunshine and all we did was plow and plant and cultivate and harvest.
One-tenth we always give back to the Lord for his work. When you have paid your tithing to the bishop, then you
may use the balance as you wish.
I think I still have in my keepsakes that first tithing receipt.
(Leon R. Hartshorn, Classic Stories from the Lives of Our Prophets, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1971].)
Activities:
Place ten pennies on a table. Ask a family member to use the money you placed on a table, and demonstrate what
tithing would be on ten pennies. Discuss the following questions:
What is one tenth of $100? $1,000?
Do you think it is harder to pay tithing on a little or a lot of money? Why?
What is tithing used for? (Building churches and temples, and other church owned buildings, maintenance and
upkeep on the buildings, missionary work, paying church employees, and stake, ward, and branch budgets.)
What blessings have come to you from paying your tithing?
115
Tithing
Give each player ten pennies. Have them put one penny in a box labeled tithing and let them play with the rest.
Mark a line on the floor with tape, and put a metal pie tin about eight feet in front of the line. Let each player take a
turn tossing their pennies into the pie tin. The winner is the one who gets the most in the tin.
116
f.h.e from A to Z
Word of Wisdom
I am so grateful that the Lord cares for us so much that He tells us how to take
good care of our bodies and our spirits. Living the Word of Wisdom will truly give
you strength. It will help you run and not be weary and walk and not faint, all
because the Lord loves you.
(Darwin B. Christenson, Friend to Friend: The Word of Wisdom: A Blessing of Strength, Friend, Feb. 2003, 8)
Song:
The Word of Wisdom Childrens Songbook, 154.
Refreshment
Scripture:
Fruit Salad
Behold, verily, thus saith the Lord unto you . . . by giving unto you
this word of wisdom . . . all saints who remember to keep and do
these sayings, walking in obedience to the commandments, shall
receive health in their navel and marrow to their bones. (Doctrine
and Covenants 89:4,18)
1 package (3 ounces) cooked lemon

pudding and pie filling
1 can (about 16 ounces) fruit cocktail,
drained (reserve juice)
1 can (1314 ounces) pineapple tidbits,
Object Lesson:
Show the group a car owners manual. Explain that this manual
contains instructions from the manufacturer that enable the car
owner to take good care of his vehicle. Give some examples from
the manual, such as the type of oil to be used and the amount of air
pressure in tires. Point out that if these instructions are followed, the
vehicle will most likely function properly and have a long driving
life.
Liken the manual to the Word of Wisdom. Point out that the Lord
has given us a set of instructions for his creation (our bodies) to be
healthy, function properly, and most likely have long lives.
(Beth Lefgren and Jennifer Jackson, Sharing Time, Family Time,
Anytime: Book Two, [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1994], p. 102.)
Story:
Abraham Lincoln Keeps His Promise
drained (reserve juice)

Miniature marshmallows, as desired
1 cup heavy cream, whipped
2 bananas
Cook pudding as directed on

package, using reserved fruit juices
instead of water. Cool. Add drained
fruit, marshmallows, and whipped
cream. Slice bananas and add just
before serving. May also be served
as dessert. Makes 6 to 8 servings.
Note: Drained mandarin oranges and
fresh strawberries may be used in
place of or in addition to pineapple
and fruit cocktail.
Mountain, 2004], p. 27.)
One day Abraham Lincoln was riding in a stagecoach, as they rode in those days, in company with a Kentucky
colonel. After riding a number of miles together, the colonel took a bottle of whiskey out of his pocket and said, Mr.
Lincoln, wont you take a drink with me?
117
Word of Wisdom
Mr. Lincoln replied, No Colonel, thank you. I never drink whiskey.

They rode along together for a number of miles more, visiting very pleasantly, when the gentleman from Kentucky
reached into his pocket and brought out some cigars, saying, Now Mr. Lincoln, if you wont take a drink with me,
wont you take a smoke with me, for here are some of Kentuckys finest cigars?
And Mr. Lincoln said, Now, Colonel, you are such a fine, agreeable man to travel with, maybe I ought to take a
smoke with you. But before I do so, let me tell you a little storyan experience I had when a small boy. And this
was the story:
My mother called me to her bed one day when I was about nine years old. She was sick, very sick, and she said to
me, Abey, the doctor tells me I am not going to get well. I want you to promise me before I go that you will never use
whiskey or tobacco as long as you live. And I promised my mother I never would. And up to this hour, Colonel, I
have kept that promise. Now, would you advise me to break that promise to my dear mother and take a smoke with
you?
The colonel put his hand gently on Mr. Lincolns shoulder and in a voice trembling with emotion said: No, Mr.
Lincoln, I wouldnt have you do that for the world. It was one of the best promises you ever made. And I would give
a thousand dollars today if I had made my mother a promise like that and kept it as you have done.
(A Story To Tell: Second Edition, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2004], p.219.)
Activity:
Divide a poster or sheet of paper in half. On the top half write Keep out, and on the bottom half write Take in.
Have your family read D&C 89:59 and list all the items God said we should keep out of our bodies. Do the same
exercise for those items we should take into our bodies by having family members read D&C 89:1017.
Hold up a picture of a temple and ask:
Whose house is this?
Who can enter into the temples?
What is required for them to enter?
According to D&C 109:20, why should no unclean thing enter Gods temples?
According to 1 Corinthians 3:1617, what else does God consider a temple?
What does that teach us about what we take in or keep out of our bodies?
118
f.h.e from A to Z
Work
How beautiful is that home where lives a man . . . who teaches industry and loyalty,
not spoiling his children by indulging their every wish, but rather setting before
them a pattern of work and service which will underpin their lives forever.
(Gordon B. Hinckley as quoted in David C. Dollahite, Strengthening Our Families: An In-Depth Look at the
Proclamation on the Family, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2000], p. 86.)
Song:
Saturday Childrens Songbook, p. 196.
Scripture:
Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work; But the seventh
day, the sabbath of the Lord thy God, thou shalt not do any work.
(Mosiah 13:1718)
Refreshment
Peanut Butter
Mallow Bars
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine
Object Lesson:
1/2 pound marshmallows
Fill a box with various household tools (hammer, screwdriver,

wrench, etc.). Take one of the tools out of the box and give it to one
of the members of the family without the rest of the family seeing
what the tool is.
5 cups unsweetened cereal
Instruct the others that they should guess what the tool is. Each
person may ask one question that can be answered yes or
no. They cannot ask directly if is is a certain tool. For example,
they cant say, Is it a hammer? but they can ask, Is it used for
pounding nails? After the tool has been revealed have each person
tell one thing the tool can be used for. Begin with the person who
had the tool. Continue naming uses until no more can be named.
Give the next person a new tool out of the box. Be sure the other
players dont see it. Continue play until all the tools are gone out of
the box.
Melt together peanut butter, butter,

and marshmallows over low heat,
stirring constantly. Measure cereal
into large bowl. Pour peanut butter/
marshmallow syrup over cereal ,
blending well. Spoon mixture into
buttered 9-inch square pan. Cool.
Cut into 1 1/2-inch bars. Makes 3
dozen.
(Winnifred C. Jardine, Mormon Country
Cooking, [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1980], p.
279.)
Explain that there are many tools that help us do our work. Help them understand that working around the home
helps keep it clean and in good repair.
(Max H. Molgard and Allan K. Burgess, The Best of Fun for Family Night, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2003], p.
81.)
119
Work
Story:
George [Albert Smith]s father was called on a mission for the Church when George was thirteen. George went to
work at the ZCMI clothing factory, sewing buttons on overalls for two dollars and fifty cents a week. He used this
money to help the family while his father was gone.
[When he was fourteen] George asked Mr. Webber at ZCMI to hire him again. Mr. Webber offered him a job he did not
think George would takedriving a team of horses and feeding and currying them for one of the traveling salesmen.
George accepted the job. He took pride in all he did. On the way home from a selling trip to Southern Utah, he
cleaned the wagon in Provo; then, a little further on, he cleaned the horses. Mr. Webber praised him, saying no one
had ever brought the team back as clean as George had.
The next day Mr. Webber asked George to make cardboard boxes. George was determined to make more boxes than
the other workers, who usually made about sixty each day. The first day he made one hundred!
The manager then assigned him to work as a wholesale grocery salesman, and he soon became manager of all grocery
sales for ZCMI in Salt Lake City. By age twenty he had become a successful traveling salesman.
(Lynda Cory Robison, Boys Who Became Prophets, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1992, 1998], p.4849.)
Activity:
Make a Busy Bee Work Chart
Make copies of the beehive on the following page. Make one for each job in the family. Label with a job and color
as desired. Glue the beehives to a piece of cardstock. Copy the Busy Bees onto cardstock. Write the names of your
family members on the bees in the spaces provided. Let each person color their bee as they desire. (After Family
Home Evening you may want to take the chart and bees and have them laminated.)
Attach the bees to the hives with tape. Change them around as job assignments change. The children will think it is
fun to see where their Busy Bees are every day.
(Joanna Lewis and Brenda Luther, Gospel FUNdamental, [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1994], p. 139149.)
120
f.h.e from A to Z
Zion
In our families and in our stakes and districts, let us seek to build up Zion through
unity, godliness, and charity.
(D. Todd Christofferson, Come to Zion, Ensign, Nov 2008, 37.)
Song:
High on a Mountain Top, Hymns, #5.
Scripture:
Therefore, verily, thus saith the Lord, let Zion rejoice, for this is
Zionthe pure in heart; therefore, let Zion rejoice, while all the
wicked shall mourn. (Doctrine and Covenants 97:21)
Refreshment
Peanut Butter Cookies

5 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons soda
1 teaspoon salt
Object Lesson:
1 cup butter
Read as a family Moses 7:18 and look for four ways the Lord
describes Zion. (One heart, one mind, dwelt in righteousness, no
poor among them.) List these four things on a sheet of paper (or
poster board), leaving plenty of room between each item to write
more information. Have your family search D&C 82:820 for verses
that match the four items listed. Write these verses next to the
appropriate item as they are found. When they are finished, your
sheet of paper may look like the following chart:
Creating Zion
One heart:
1415, -19.
One mind:
1415, -19.
Dwelt in righteousness:
1011, 14-15.
No poor:
1213, 17-19.
Discuss the following -questions:

Which of these principles do you think is most important &
why?
How would you describe what living in Zion would be -like?
What do you think would be the best part of living in -Zion?
What can we do to create Zion in our -home?
3/4 cup shortening

1 3/4 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups packed brown sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup peanut butter
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line

a cookie sheet with waxed paper
and set aside. Mix flour, soda, and
salt together in a medium bowl and
set aside. Cream together butter,
shortening, sugar, brown sugar, eggs,
and vanilla in a large mixing bowl.
Then stir in peanut butter. Add flour
mixture and stir until well blended.
Drop dough by tablespoonfuls onto
cookie sheets. Using a fork dipped
in flour, flatten each cookie slightly
in a crisscross pattern. Bake for 8 to
10 minutes or until slightly golden
around the edges. Do not overbake.
Makes 5 dozen 3-inch cookies.
(Lion House Christmas, [Salt Lake City:
What could we do to help our own ward and stake become

more Zion--like?
121
Zion
Story:
As a young boy growing up in southern Utah, the concepts of Zion were much less clear to me than they are today.
We lived in a small town not far from Zion National Park. In church we often sang the familiar words:
Israel, Israel, God is calling,
Calling thee from lands of woe.
Babylon the great is falling;
God shall all her towrs oerthrow.
Come to Zion, come to Zion
Ere his floods of anger flow.
Come to Zion, come to Zion
Ere his floods of anger flow.
In my little-boy mind, I saw the magnificent cliffs and towering stone pinnacles of that national park. Meandering
through the high-walled canyons flowed a river of watersometimes placid, sometimes a raging torrent. You can
probably imagine the confusion experienced as this little boy tried to put together the words of the hymn with the
familiar surroundings of that beautiful park. Though it was not a perfect fit, lodged in my mind was the impression
that Zion was something majestic and divine. Over the years, a grander understanding has emerged. In the scriptures
we read, Therefore, verily, thus saith the Lord, let Zion rejoice, for this is Zionthe pure in heart.
(Keith B. McMullen, Come to Zion! Come to Zion! Ensign, November 2002.)
Activity:
Make the treat together and deliver some to your neighbors or someone who might be lonely.
122

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FHE from A to Z

THE BOOK OF MORMON................................. 13

SCRIPTURE STUDY.......................................... 103

GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT........................................ 45

WORD OF WISDOM.......................................... 117

F.H.E. FROM A TO Z SHAUNA GIBBY

Chewy Chex Mix

Combine Chex, coconut, almonds,

U-Dandy Resented Restraint

F.H.E. FROM A TO Z SHAUNA GIBBY

Combine ingredients in heavy

What messages do you remember from the Apostles in the last

F.H.E. FROM A TO Z SHAUNA GIBBY

F.H.E. FROM A TO Z SHAUNA GIBBY

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

Combine all ingredients in a

F.H.E. FROM A TO Z SHAUNA GIBBY

F.H.E. FROM A TO Z SHAUNA GIBBY

Baptism, Childrens Songbook, 100.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

2 cups boiling water

Baptism is a commandment. Find 3 Nephi, chapter 27, verse 20 in

When we are baptized, we obey Christs commandments. But

Preheat oven to 350 F. Bring 2 cups of

________ You make promises when you are baptized.

mixture. (This may require hand mixing.)

F.H.E. FROM A TO Z SHAUNA GIBBY

Georges Birthday Present

F.H.E. FROM A TO Z SHAUNA GIBBY

I Think the World is Glorious, Childrens Songbook, p. 230.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Line cookie sheet with waxed paper;

(Dennis H. Leavitt and Richard O. Christensen, Scripture Study for

F.H.E. FROM A TO Z SHAUNA GIBBY

Virginia Driggs Clark

F.H.E. FROM A TO Z SHAUNA GIBBY

F.H.E. FROM A TO Z SHAUNA GIBBY

The Book of Mormon

F.H.E. FROM A TO Z SHAUNA GIBBY

The Book of Mormon

The Cheapest Book in the Store

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a

F.H.E. FROM A TO Z SHAUNA GIBBY

The Book of Mormon

F.H.E. FROM A TO Z SHAUNA GIBBY

Listening to the Right Sources of Power

F.H.E. FROM A TO Z SHAUNA GIBBY

He said, Certainly not.

F.H.E. FROM A TO Z SHAUNA GIBBY

F.H.E. FROM A TO Z SHAUNA GIBBY

I Love to See the Temple, Childrens Songbook, p. 95.

3 ripe bananas, crushed

Ask your family to think of a time when someone made a promise to

Why do we make promises?

1/2 cup chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 350 F. Sift

F.H.E. FROM A TO Z SHAUNA GIBBY

F.H.E. FROM A TO Z SHAUNA GIBBY

My Heavenly Father Loves Me, Childrens Songbook, p. 228

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened

In the top of a double boiler combine

F.H.E. FROM A TO Z SHAUNA GIBBY

F.H.E. FROM A TO Z SHAUNA GIBBY

As a family, sing or read the words to Love One Another. (Hymns,