Life's Journey To Perfection: Family Home Evening on Being the Light to Others

For tonight's Family Home Evening the topic in which I have chosen is:

Being a Light to Others

Preparation: 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.

Updates: After doing the Family Home Evening with my family I have added some updates, all updates will be in red.

Invite a member of the family member say the prayer

Sing: "Teach Me to Walk in the Light" Children's songbook pg 177

Discuss any family business

Follow-up with last weeks FHE.

Scripture: Read: D&C 50:24

Family Home Evening Instruction:

There were two talks from this General Conference, October 2015, that really stood out to me in regards to Being a Light to Others. These two talks were: "Choose the Light" By Elder Vern P. Stanfill and "Be an Example and a Light" By President Thomas S. Monson. For tonight's Family Home Evening, I'm going to focus on Elder Stanfill's talks

Begin Family Home Evening, by showing your family a pumpkin. Explain that this pumpkin came from a patch full of lots of other pumpkins, it was picked out of the patch, brought home and washed. Ask your family if the pumpkin can show light through it right now? No it can't what do we need to do so the pumpkin can let it's light shine? First, we need to cut the top off of the pumpkin. Invite your family member's to help you scoop out all of the stuff from the inside. Put the seeds aside so you can make dried pumpkin seeds later, here is the recipe to do so. Why do we need to clean out all of the yucky stuff? Do we sometimes have yucky stuff in our lives that prevent the light of Christ to enter our lives and prevent us from shining our light? Explain that in the mortal life we experience trials, we will make mistakes along the way, we will need the Savior's help to overcome the yucky parts of life. As you are cleaning out the pumpkin explain to your family that the atonement of Jesus Christ helps us to remove all of that yucky stuff we might find within ourselves, which is preventing us from letting the light of Christ enter our lives. The atonement helps us to become clean. It helps us remove the things from us that are keeping us from being like the Savior. Once the pumpkin is cleaned out ask your family what needs to be done next to allow the pumpkin's light to shine through? Begin cutting out a pumpkin face. Explain that as we become clean through the atonement, we will have peace and find joy. We will have allowed Heavenly Father and the Savior to carve us into the person that will allow our light to shine. Once the face is carved out, place a light inside of the pumpkin. Ask your family how they can have the light of Christ in their lives? What is something they can do each day to have that light, and what can they do to shine that light to others? Explain that as we partake of the atonement and strive to be more like Christ we will take on the light of Christ and be able to be a light to others.

Read from Elder Stanfill's October 2015 General Conference address, "Choose the Light". You might choose to summarize it. Point out the three lessons he learned from the experience.

Lesson 1: "First, no matter how intense the darkness of doubt, we choose how long and to what extent we allow it to influence us." Like the pumpkin we can get rid of the darkness inside. The stuff that is preventing us to be filled with his light. It is up to us to do this, it takes action on our part.

Lesson 2: "Second, we must trust in the Lord in order to develop spiritual strength within ourselves." The trust would be our willingness to let him carve us and sculpt us into the person that will allow the light to shine through, like carving the face on the pumpkin. We understand that our Heavenly Father knows all and knows best, we have faith that as we endure and live righteous lives will be be blessed with the spiritual strength.

Lesson 3: "Third, there is no darkness so dense, so menacing, or so difficult that it cannot be overcome by light." Our Heavenly Father is the master and the creator of all things. His light and the light of the Savior are so bright and powerful. If we will allow the atonement to work in our lives and strive to let the light of Christ shine in our lives, our light will shine out in the darkness. Just as a light placed in the pumpkin will illuminate the night.

Close by sharing your testimony and inviting family members to share their's also.

Close with a Family Prayer.

Want a fun idea for a treat??? What about decorating Marshmallow Ghosts or Caramel Apples. Here are the links to each