Family Home Evening based on the April 2014 General Conference talk, "The Cost—and Blessings—of Discipleship", BY ELDER JEFFREY R. HOLLAND

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.

For tonight's Family Home Evening the topic in which I have chosen is:  Based on the April 2014 General Conference talk,  "The Cost—and Blessings—of Discipleship", BY ELDER JEFFREY R. HOLLAND

Preparation: Read "The Cost—and Blessings—of Discipleship", BY ELDER JEFFREY R. HOLLAND

Welcome everyone to Family Night

Sing"Stand for the Right"  Children's Song Book Pg  159

Have a member of the family member say the prayer

Discuss any family business

Follow-up with last weeks FHE.

Introduce this weeks Topic:   "The Cost—and Blessings—of Discipleship", BY ELDER JEFFREY R. HOLLAND

Scripture: Read and Mark: 1 Nephi 19:9

Article of Faith: #7: "We believe in the gift of tongues, prophecy, revelation, visions, healing, interpretation of tongues, and so forth." (Pearl of Great Price)

Family Home Evening Instruction:

Begin Family Home Evening by inviting one of your family member's to read the story about the sister missionaries found in the April 2014 General Conference Talk, 
 "The Cost—and Blessings—of Discipleship", BY ELDER JEFFREY R. HOLLAND:

“My companion and I saw a man sitting on a bench in the town square eating his lunch. As we drew near, he looked up and saw our missionary name tags. With a terrible look in his eye, he jumped up and raised his hand to hit me. I ducked just in time, only to have him spit his food all over me and start swearing the most horrible things at us. We walked away saying nothing. I tried to wipe the food off of my face, only to feel a clump of mashed potato hit me in the back of the head. Sometimes it is hard being a missionary because right then I wanted to go back, grab that little man, and say, ‘EXCUSE ME!’ But I didn’t.”

Invite a member of the family to read this quote by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland from the same General Conference talk,

"With admiration and encouragement for everyone who will need to remain steadfast in these latter days, I say to all and especially the youth of the Church that if you haven’t already, you will one day find yourself called upon to defend your faith or perhaps even endure some personal abuse simply because you are a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Such moments will require both courage and courtesy on your part."

Discuss with your family ways you can have courage to stand up for your beliefs and remain steadfast. Also, discuss why it is important to show courtesy to others and how to do so.

Continue to read,

"Be strong. Live the gospel faithfully even if others around you don’t live it at all. Defend your beliefs with courtesy and with compassion, but defend them. A long history of inspired voices, including those you will hear in this conference and the voice you just heard in the person of President Thomas S. Monson, point you toward the path of Christian discipleship. It is a strait path, and it is a narrow path without a great deal of latitude at some points, but it can be thrillingly and successfully traveled, “with … steadfastness in Christ, … a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men.”( 2 Nephi 31:20). In courageously pursuing such a course, you will forge unshakable faith, you will find safety against ill winds that blow, even shafts in the whirlwind, and you will feel the rock-like strength of our Redeemer, upon whom if you build your unflagging discipleship, you cannot fall."

Invite a member of the family to come up and stand on one foot. As they do so gently pull them towards you. In doing so they will not be able to remain on the one leg they will fall forward or they will put the other leg down.  Then invite them to stand there with two feet firmly planted on the ground, as you gently full them forward they will not fall forward as easily. But will be able to stand there.  Explain that when we have both feet  firmly planted in the gospel trying to keep all of our Heavenly Father's commandments we will be able to have a stronger testimony, an unwavering testimony. This will help us as we are faced with instances where we need to stand up for our beliefs or endure persecution.  

Discuss with your family how our Savior was the perfect example to us.  He served his Father in Heaven in all that he did throughout his life. He was unwavering as he lived the gospel and taught of it. Even as he was ridiculed, questioned, experienced physical  pains, rejection and ultimately death. He remained firm in his teachings and beliefs and did so with unconditional love. He had a knowledge of the grand plan of the Father and understood his role in that plan. 

Give each family member a piece of paper and have them write somethings they can do each day to strengthen their testimonies so they can be better disciples of the Savior.  Encourage them to keep the paper where they will be able to view it and to do the things they have written. So, when the time comes when they will be faced with having to stand up for their beliefs, they will be able to do so with both feet firmly set in the gospel and their testimony strong and unwavering. 

Read,

"And therein lies a message for every young man and young woman in this Church. You may wonder if it is worth it to take a courageous moral stand in high school or to go on a mission only to have your most cherished beliefs reviled or to strive against much in society that sometimes ridicules a life of religious devotion. Yes, it is worth it, because the alternative is to have our “houses” left unto us “desolate”—desolate individuals, desolate families, desolate neighborhoods, and desolate nations." -"The Cost—and Blessings—of Discipleship", BY ELDER JEFFREY R. HOLLAND

Invite family members to bear their testimonies about being a disciple of Christ no matter the cost and the blessings that come from doing so. 


Close with a Family Prayer.

Free Printables: Best way to print printables is to click on the image and save it to your computer. You will then be able to print the image from your computer.





For More Family Home Evening Ideas Click this Link: Family Home Evening Ideas

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