Spirituality Matters “May it be our resolve this year to build a gospel-centered home, a safe harbor from the storms of the adversary.” L. Tom Perry Scriptures - Family and personal scripture study is essential to our spiritual well being. Regarding 2 Nephi 31:20 President Dieter F. Uchdorf said, “Feasting includes searching, pondering, asking, praying, and living the word of God. Read the holy scriptures as if they were written for you—for they are.” Gene R Cook Prayers — Both family and personal are very important. Help your children wrote, “…if children truly recognize answers to their prayers. pray and read the scriptures on their own, that may be the best insurance of all that – We have been promised by the prophets that children will ultimately when we make the effort to have a weekly FHE, our families and our children achieve [serving a full will be so much the better. It is not always easy, but it is so worth the effort. time mission and President Gordon B. Hinckley said, “We have a family home evening program once marrying in the .]” a week [Monday night] across the Church in which parents sit down with their Raising Up a Family children. They study the scriptures. They talk about family problems. They plan Unto the Lord, family activities and things of that kind. I don’t hesitate to say if every family pp. 18 in the world practiced that one thing, you’d see a very great difference in the solidarity of the families of the world” Temple Attendance - David B. Haight said, “When you return from “President Kimball stated, ‘In the past, having family prayer the temple, share with your children and loved ones at home your feelings once a day may have been all about what you experienced. Speak not of the sacred ordinances but of right. But in the future it will not the love and power manifest by them…Let your children see you behave— be enough if we are going toward them and your eternal companion—in kindlier, more loving ways. to save our families.” Your consistently positive expressions about what you experience in the James E Faust, temple will create in your children a desire to receive those same blessings Ensign, Oct. ‘05 and provide them with strong motivation to resist the temptations which could disqualify them from temple blessings.” Baptisms for the Dead (in YM, YW), Youth Activities, Firesides, Devotionals etc. – Why pass up an opportunity for your child to have a spiritual experience?

Strength of Youth & My Gospel Standards – These are standards the church has given to our youth and to us. Showing our children we support the guidelines the church gives, gives them the strength to follow them too. Earl C Tingey said, “In the For the Strength of Youth booklet, the…standards, among others, are like a North Star to you.” Friend/New Era – L. Tom Perry said, “We do have one media source, however, that reaches the entire Church—it is our wonderful Church magazines. These magazines come into our homes regularly and are another way of delivering information to help strengthen the family.” “May I now direct your attention to the importance Church Attendance & Talks at Church – Set an example and of attending all of your encourage church attendance. When you get home, ask your kids about Church meetings. Faithful attendance at Church what they’ve learned. meetings brings blessings you can receive in no General Conference – Your kids are not too young to watch all other way.” Pres. Benson, four sessions of conference. Even a three year old can draw pictures “To the ‘Youth of what they are talking about or a picture of the speaker. of the Noble Wonderful Conference activities are available on www.lds.org Help Birthright them to understand the importance of listening and following the prophets and apostles. “…As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord…” Joshua 24:15 Testimony – You can encourage your kids to share their testimonies during Family Home Evenings. This is a great place to educate kids about what a testimony is, what is appropriate when bearing a testimony, and how to bear it. “A study of the scriptures will help our testimonies and the testimonies of our family members. Our children today are growing up surrounded by voices urging them to abandon that which is right and to pursue, instead, the pleasures of the world. Unless they have a firm foundation in the gospel of Jesus Christ, a testimony of the truth, and a determination to live righteously, they are susceptible to these influences. It is our responsibility to fortify and protect them.” President Thomas S. Monson Journals – Even small children can tell you what to write for them. They can draw pictures about their day. Older kids can write entries and especially when they turn eight. Have them record their feelings and experiences. If kids don’t know what to write about, you could make a list of questions that “Parents should act to would be great for them to answer about them-their likes and preserve time for family prayer, dislikes. President Kimball said, “I urge all of the people of this family scripture study, family home church to give serious attention to their family histories, to evening, and the other precious encourage their parents and grandparents to write their togetherness and individual one-on-one time that binds a family together and fixes children’s journals, and let no family go into eternity without having left values on things of eternal worth. Parents their memoirs for their children, their grandchildren, and their should teach gospel priorities through what they posterity. This is a duty and a responsibility, and I urge every do with their children…The First Presidency has person to start the children out writing a personal history and called on parents “to devote their best efforts to journal.” the teaching and rearing of their children in gospel principles. … The home is the basis – Eight is a great time to start fasting. Kids have of a righteous life, and no other instrumentality can take its place … become members of the church and this is a perfect way for in … this God-given responsibility.” them to fulfill their covenants. You can even start with one Dallin H. Oaks, meal on Fast Sunday’s. By the time they’re twelve they should Ensign, Nov. ‘07 be able to complete a 24 hour fast. Encourage kids to start and end their fasts with prayer. Help them to find specific things to fast for. Reminder signs in the kitchen help kids to remember it’s fast Sunday. – President Boyd K Packer said, … “Today if you could ask our adult sons “ You should always take care of your body. Take nothing what they remember about family prayer, into your body that will harm it, such as we are counseled scripture study, and family home evening, I in the Word of Wisdom: tea, coffee, liquor, tobacco, or believe I know how they would answer. They likely anything else that is habit-forming, addictive, or harmful.” would not identify a particular prayer or a specific instance of scripture study or an especially Tithing – Teach your children while they are young to meaningful family home evening lesson as the pay tithing. Paying one penny on a dime is a life learned defining moment in their spiritual development. What they would say they remember is that as a lesson. If you start when they are young it doesn’t family we were consistent. … The consistency of become such a shock or a hard thing to do when they are our intent and work was perhaps the greatest older. They don’t know any difference. It is also lesson—a lesson we did not fully appreciate important for them to pay their tithing prior to buying. at the time.” David A. Bednar, Teach them tithing comes first. Ensign, Nov. ‘09

“Understand that the home is the basic unit created by God for our service and learning. Out of this understanding grows a commitment to make our time spent with family a top priority ….We see sisters who truly desire their children to partake of the fruit of the gospel by going on missions and marrying in the temple, so they spend time holding meaningful family home evenings, family scripture study, and prayer, and in regular personal temple attendance.” Mary Ellen Smoot