Establishing a Christ-Centered Home, RS Lesson, August 28, 2011

Our Teaching for Our Times Lesson was taken from Elder Richard J. Maynes' talk in April General Conference titled, Establishing a Christ-Centered Home and taught by Sister Valerie Cleverly.

Living in a family is central to Heavenly Father's plan, it is central to our gospel understanding.
From an early age, we teach our children that they have a Heavenly Father who loves them when we teach them "I am a Child of God". We need to teach them what that song means.

We need to point out those tender mercies to our children; we need to show them that daily experiences and simple things like sunsets come from Heavenly Father, they aren't just coincidences.

D&C 130:2
And that same sociality which exists among us here will exist among us there, only it will be coupled with eternal glory, which glory we do not now enjoy.

Families are eternal.  Our happiness is not part of Satan's plan.  He knows our eternal happiness lies within our families.

Every day we should try and live a Christ-like life.  Would we change things if we knew the Savior was listening or visiting?

How do we have a Christ-centered home?  We do the basics:
1. Family Prayer
2. Family Home Evening
3. Scripture Study

Other things we can do:
1. Put up pictures of the Savior and the temple not only in your home, but in your children's rooms as well.
2. Play good music: hymns and primary songs.
3. Posters: My Gospel Standards or Mormonads

Children notice and remember. While everyone is responsible for the family, parents bear the brunt of responsibility.  Our children see what is important to us. Children echo and value what is important to us.

Strenghtening Families - Joint RS/Priesthood Lesson, January 30, 2011

For our fifth Sunday combined Priesthood/RS Meeting, we spent the first 10 minutes or so learning about the ward website and some of the features that make it helpful in planning family activities, etc.  You can find the ward website here, click under the word "tools".   If you don't already have an lds.org account, you can set one up very easily.  You just need your membership number, which you can get from Brother Yancey if you don't know it.

After the website lesson, the bishop spoke about strengthening families and we watched this short video message.


Several people shared some experiences about those who influenced each of them as youth.  Bishop Hansen told us that as a ward, we need to reinforce what is taught in the home and at home we need to reinforce what is learned at church.

"If you live the Gospel principles, it will set you free."

We never know how we might influence another.  When the youth know that their leaders love them, it makes all the difference.