Supporting Family Members

This is the handout I’ve made to go along with YW manual 1 lesson 10, Supporting Family Members. The cross-stitch is inspired from this quote from Susan W. Tanner:

I remember a simple sampler that I cross-stitched as a young Primary girl. It said, “I will bring the light of the gospel into my home.” I wondered, “What is that light?” Jesus Christ Himself explained it best when He was teaching the Nephites. He said, “Therefore, hold up your light that it may shine unto the world.” Then He explained, “I am the light which ye shall hold up—that which ye have seen me do” (3 Ne. 18:24; emphasis added).

I like this idea of starting by talking about the light we can each bring into our homes, that… “We must be the light to help our families overcome sin, anger, envy, and fighting. We can pray together, weep for each other, heal each other’s wounds, and selflessly love and serve one another.”

From there we will go into the manual and talk about the different roles of family members and how we can appreciate and support one another. I’ve attached a download of my lesson plan – but it is still a little rough. I plan to scribble on it throughout the week and add questions and personal stories as I think of them.

At the end of the lesson I will bring out some Jenga blocks. I’ve added some masking tape to one side that the girls can write on as we build a tower. I will have them open their For the Strength of Youth  books to the chapter on Family, and a sentence at a time, pick out things to write on the blocks that build up families. We will build a tower with the blocks and talk about how it represents our homes. We’ll then remove blocks Jenga-style and relate the missing blocks to selfish or unkind actions, teasing, fighting quarelling, disobedience, etc. The tower (our families) get weaker with each block that is removed. If we strive to support and love our family members our family stays strong. (I adapted this idea from Sugardoodle.)

I was really touched by this video, Fathers and Sons, and may try to fit it in – but I doubt there will be time. If I can’t get to it, I may try and send it afterwards to everyone as a link in an email or facebook.

You can download my lesson plan and handout here.

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7 Responses to Supporting Family Members

  1. Jaala Allen says:

    The Jenga idea is great! I will definitely be using this idea for my lesson! Thanks for sharing!!!

  2. Mari says:

    I love the Jenga idea…. and we tweaked it and used it for tonight’s lesson as we were doing some PP work on the For The Strength of Youth booklet. Wrote the standards and keywords on the blocks, built the tower and talked about how the tower (us, individually and collectively) is stronger when all the standards are in place. If we remove any standards, we become less secure and our towers are at risk of wobbling or falling all together. Thanks for sharing the idea!!!

  3. HighDesertGal says:

    I don’t know who else is old enough to remember but when I read “I Will Bring the Light Of the Gospel Into My Home” I was to complete it. Was it primary or mutual…I need help here, “by serving gladly” is the only one I can remember. One was about “beginning the day with a song” (I think?) Any one else know what I am talking about??
    Nancy

    • Laurel says:

      The complete motto was: “I will bring the light of the Gospel into my home by greeting the day with a song, by giving joy to others, and by serving gladly.” (Each of the last three phrases was associated with one particular year — Gaynotes, Firelights, or Merrihands.)

  4. HighDesertGal says:

    Okay, so I re-read the lesson and it was Primary as I thought because I cross-stitched the sampler. We also had to learn to crochet and to knit. But what was the third one? and did I remember the others correctly? I hate forgetting and getting old (except for grandchildren)

  5. I used this handout and jenga for my lesson yesterday, thanks for the tips!

  6. ellymorlintaylor says:

    you have a wonderful gift in being able to teach so creatively and make learning Gospel so memorable and fun. Thank you for sharing it! Your ideas have helped me so much tonight. Tomorrow’s FHE is going to be great thanks to you! xx

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