Family Home evening - My Gospel Standards: I Will Honor My Parents and Do My Part to Strengthen my Family

Family Home Evening Outline for: I will honor my parents and do my part to strengthen my family.

Welcome everyone to Family Night

Sing: "Families Can Be Together Forever" pg 300 Hymnal

Have a member of the family member say the prayer

Discuss any family business

Scripture:  Mosiah 13:20 "20 Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee."

Lesson: 
Read "The Family: A Proclamation to the World" (you might want to break it up into sections and have each family member that can read, read a part of it) ** After doing this with my young children, my advice would be not to read the whole thing, but to start at "Husband and Wife" and read until the end.

Explain that as a member of a family, you are part of a team.  In a team each member has a specific job.  If you were a point guard on a basketball team your job would be to control the ball for the offense and get the ball to the right players at the right time.  If you were the quarterback on a football team, your job would be to get the football into the en-zone, whether it be by throwing the ball, handing it off to someone else or running with the ball yourself.  If you were part of a dance team, your job would be to do the correct dance steps the best you could so the entire dance team looks good together.  In a family, each family member needs to do their part, so the family can be strengthened and happy. No matter what team you are a part of if each team member does their specific job the best they can then the team will be successful at their goal.

Give each family member a piece of paper and have them list some things that they can do individually to help strengthen their family and make a happy home. (doing this fulfills one of the "Faith In God" requirements)

Talk about these ideas and have each family member set a goal to do their part so the family can reach their goal of having a happy home.

Some ideas for parents might be: 

Preside: This means that Dad and Mom have the responsibility of giving direction to the family.

Preach The Gospel: Dad and Mom also get to teach their children the gospel. Helping each child understand the principles and doctrine and also that they are Heavenly Father's children. Family Home Evenings are a great time to do this.  Also, attending church meetings together and then talking about what each individual learned.

Be an Example: Parents can show their children how to keep Heavenly Father's commandments. And also show them how to repent of the mistakes they make themselves.

Provide: Parents have the sacred duty of providing for their children's spiritual and physical needs.

Some ideas for children might be:

Obey: Children can accomplish this by follow the rules the family decides on together.

Honor Parents: Children honor their parents when they show them respect.  When they do the things their parents have asked them to do.

Contribute:  Help out with household responsibilities.

Here is a great resource to get some ideas of Parents Responsibilities and Children's Responsibilities: "A House of Order" from the Family Home Evening Resource Book. (this is where I got some of the ideas of parent and children responsibilities.)

Bear testimonies on Honoring Parents and Doing our part to Strengthening Family.

Close with a Family Prayer.

Treat option:

Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Bites:

Warm chocolate chips up in a microwave safe cup in the microwave for 30 seconds, then stir, continue in 15 second intervals until chips are almost melted. Stirring after each interval.  Be careful to not cook too long.  Insert a toothpick, skewer or lollipop stick into a large marshmallow.  Dip marshmallow into the chocolate.  Coat entire marshmallow.  Then place either on wax paper or place stick into Styrofoam for the chocolate to dry.  Option: before it dries you can sprinkle with sprinkles, candy pieces, chopped nuts, or coconut.  Enjoy!