Family Home Evening on Heavenly Father has a Plan for His Children

 I hope and pray that you can use these ideas as a guideline and adjust them to the needs of your own specific family.  Our prophet President Monson says, "We cannot afford to neglect this heaven-inspired program. It can bring spiritual growth to each member of the family, helping him or her to withstand the temptations which are everywhere. The lessons learned in the home are those that last the longest."  On Lds.org there are resources available in helping to make your Family Home Evenings successful, here is a link to that site on Family Home Evenings.

It's the second family home evening this month, so it is when I focus on the Primary theme for this month. This month's Primary theme is "Heavenly Father has a Plan for His Children".  I thought I would use some of the examples in this month's issue of the "Friend". The children can even help teach this topic, since they have already been learning about it in sharing times.

Welcome everyone to Family Night

Sing: "I Will Follow God's Plan" pg 164 Children's Songbook

Have a member of the family member say the prayer

Introduce this weeks Topic: Heavenly Father has a Plan for His Children.

Discuss any family business

Follow-up with last weeks FHE.

Scripture: Read and Mark: Mosiah 2:41

Discuss what the scripture means. Discussion might include that we are happy when we keep the commandments. We will be blessed if we remain faithful and endure, then wen can live with our Heavenly Father in never-ending happiness.  That is all part of his plan.

Article of Faith: #2 "We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam’s transgression." Repeat this Article of Faith as a Family.  Help each family member memorize the Article of Faith.

Choose a room in your home that is quiet and where the spirit can be felt. Gather all family member's into this room. Before hand use the below printables and label each area with the signs. Example: First room will be Pre-mortal life, second room would be Mortal life, hallway would be Spirit world, final room would be the Celestial Kingdom.  Explain that the Family Home Evening lesson will be about our Heavenly Father's plan of Happiness.  Explain that the room you are in is going to represent Heaven.  Have a picture of the Savior.  Ask the family members who lived in Heaven, which we call our pre-mortal life.  Answers should include: Jesus, Heavenly Father, everyone.  Explain that we are God's spirit children and dwelt with him in heaven.  Explain that Heavenly Father presented his plan of happiness. Part of that plan was for us to come to earth to gain a body. We would be tested and tried on earth.  Because, we would make mistakes and experience pain and sorrow, our Heavenly Father would send his son Jesus Christ to earth to atone for those pains. We accepted his plan and left his presence to come to earth.  Have one family member at a time, starting with the oldest, leave the room they are in and enter another room.  In this room have pictures of baptism, temples, Christ's atonement, Prayer, etc. When everyone has entered the room, explain that we each came to earth and have a physical body that has been created in God's image.  While on the earth we are to gain knowledge, strengthen our testimonies, and obtain sacred ordinances.  Ask the family members what are some things we need to do on earth to help us to return to our Father in Heaven? Answers could include: Be baptized by immersion, Keep the commandments, Follow Jesus' Example, Read our Scriptures everyday, Repent of our sins, Go to the temple for our endowment and to be sealed as a family (married and sealed in the temple), Pray to our Heavenly Father always.  Explain that everyone will have to experience death, it is part of God's plan.  One at a time leave the room and enter the hall. Explain that once we die our spirit will go to the spirit world to await the Resurrection.  When the Resurrection comes our bodies and spirits will re-unite and be made perfect and whole. We will never have to experience death again. We will then be judged and will be rewarded according to our works.  Those who have followed God's plan will live with him and his son Jesus Christ in the Celestial kingdom.  Have the family member's go to the room that symbolized Heaven.  Explain that we will be eternally happy here, with our families, the Savior and our Heavenly Father. 

Play the Video: "Our Eternal Life"

Discuss this video with your family.

Make a commitment as a family for each member to live faithfully, keep the commandments and follow our Heavenly Father's plan so every member of the family will obtain eternal life and happiness with their Father in Heaven. 

Bear testimonies on Heavenly Father's plan for His Children.

Close with a Family Prayer.

Free Printables:

Either click image to save to computer and print as a jpeg image or click this link "Plan of Happiness Signs" and it will open in Google Docs where you can download the image.

Google doc Eternal Life image