Mormon Bloggers

With three of my five children now married I asked them if once a month they would like to get together for a Joint Family Home Evening (JFHE). Everyone agreed so we all met for the first time this month for the purpose of putting together our 72 hour emergency kits. We decided to gradually build up the kits over a period of months. Readers of my blog are welcome to add any words of advice as this is the first time most of us have tried to assemble a kit that one can actually carry any decent distance. Three categories I have ranked in order of importance: Water Food Shelter Water At our first JFHE the focus was on water. For the kits we assembled: Nine 20 fluid ounce bottles of water One 2/3 fluid ounce bottle of bleach One water filtration bottle Details The nine bottles in the photograph are used 20 fluid ounce Gatorade bottles, previously collected, filled with water. This amounts to a total of 1.41 U.S. gallons, or just shy of a half a gallon a day, or three bottles a day, for... Read the rest of this entry »

This week’s LDS Living Family Home Evening suggestion was on overcoming addiction. You can read more here. I’ve been trying to figure out in what context that FHE lesson could possibly make sense. I suppose that FHE lessons by nature tend to be general and require refinement for application in any given family. And the 12-step slogan, “Take what you want and leave the rest” applies, as well. If the lesson helps families to be aware of the church’s Addiction Recovery Program, then great. Elder Ballard’s talk on addiction, referenced in the material, is also great in its own right. But packaged as a Family Night lesson? I’m still trying to make sense of that. You see, I have addicted loved ones. I’ve been involved in a 12-step program for several years and my wife and I now serve in our stake’s application of the Addiction Recovery Program and the church’s pilot of the Family Support Group (for families of addicted persons). The lesson presented in the link introduces... Read the rest of this entry »

Today is definitely a very productive and busy day. Cleaning up after Megan is always a constant chore. My wife uses the analogy of trying to shovel away snow in a blizzard – you are not going to get very far. While there is still much to do around the house, the fact of the [...]  Read More →

Monday evenings are supposed to be Family Home Evenings for Latter Day Saints. “It [is] to be a time of teaching, of reading the scriptures, of cultivating talents, of discussing family matters.” – President Gordon B. Hinckley. Traditionally Family Home Evenings involve opening and closing prayers and songs, a gospel lesson, an activity and refreshments. When children are little, it can be hard to feel like they are listening or learning anything. When you have a large age range of children, it can be difficult to create lessons that accommodate the variance in learning styles. Additionally, establishing the habit of holding family home evening takes effort. This past General Conference again had a message of the importance of holding family home evening.  ”Courageous parenting does not always involve saying no. Parents also need courage to say yes to the counsel of modern-day prophets. Our Church leaders have counseled us to establish righteous patterns in... Read the rest of this entry »

I was recently given a set of FHE on DVD animated videos to review, and have to say I found them a delight. Watching them made me wish my children were all still young and at home for our family home evenings. Each DVD includes a 3-6 minute narrated lesson using the scriptures, with excellent illustrations, and a fun animated story, which I can imagine small children wanting to watch many times. The thing I particularly like, is the way the DVD suggests relevant scriptures to look up, then gives questions and allows as much time as you want for the family to answer and discuss. This lets you personalize the lesson to your own family situation. There is always a choice of familiar songs (different ones on each DVD) for opening and closing family night. I was excited to see one written by Mabel Gabbott who was a missionary with her husband in our ward in England many years ago. The DVD provides the music, and there are words for those old enough to read, and visuals for those who can’t.... Read the rest of this entry »

Family Home Evening Preparedness Activity Lesson B. Summary Earthquake Drill Feeling the effects of an earthquake is truly an unsettling experience. As we carefully prepare for this possibility, it will help to relieve stress and uncertainty for our families. When we practice safe behaviors for an earthquake beforehand, we increase the odds that we and our children will act appropriately when the real quake strikes. · Prior to Family Home Evening There is much excellent material in this lesson which should be taught. Select those that are most crucial according to the ages of your family members. You might need to purchase extra batteries, a tool for shutting off the gas, or supplies if you will be demonstrating how to set up an emergency toilet. · Activity 1. After dinner, turn off the lights and tell the family you are having an earthquake drill. Talk each other through the “quake”, moving to safe areas, and reassuring each other as you would do... Read the rest of this entry »