Celebrating Family

Instructions: If the pictures do not appear, click the x in the box in the upper right hand corner and then enjoy the slide show!

Happy Father's Day - Justin, Jeremy, John, & Jason

Family Home Evening Lesson Idea:

Study just one sentence from the Family: A Proclamation to the World on Father's Day.

"The family is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan. Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity. Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities. By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners."

Activity: Make A List of What You Remember Your Dad Teaching You.

Consider this Classic: Advice From my Dad for Father's Day

by Harvey MacKay

There's an English proverb that goes: "One father is worth more than a hundred schoolmasters."

Fathers can teach their children many important lessons. Father's Day is Sunday, June 15, and it brings to mind some of the valuable lessons I learned from my father, Jack Mackay. I've shared many of them with you in my books and columns, but here they are, in one nice package, for the 64.3 million fathers out there.

My dad headed the Associated Press in St. Paul, Minn., for many years. He lived by deadlines. When he told his 10-year-old fishing partner, "Be at the dock at 7:30 a.m." and I arrived at 7:35, I would be holding my fishing pole in one hand and waving bon voyage with the other. Time management 101.

When I began my career selling envelopes, I asked my father how I could make twice as much money as my fellow sales reps.

He asked me how many sales calls my peers made every day. I told him that everyone made about five calls a day, and I could match them call for call.

"No good," he said. "Do what they do and you'll make what they make. Figure out how you can get to 10 calls a day and your income will double."

We worked out a game plan, which became a life plan. I learned when the buyers were in the office and worked according to their schedules, which sometimes meant anytime from 6 a.m.-8 p.m. and Saturday mornings. I quit making cold calls, was among the first to get a cell phone and learned many other time management tips from my father.

TRUST is the most important five-letter word in business and in life. When I was only eight years old, he said: "Son, would you like to learn a lesson that might save your life some day?"

"Sure I would, Dad," I answered.

"Just slide down the banister and I'll catch you," he urged.

I slid ... and landed on the carpet. As I dusted myself off, he announced, "Never trust anyone completely. Keep your eyes open and your wits about you."

Similarly, my father encouraged me at a young age to keep track of all the people I met on Rolodex cards, now on my computer. He was a master networker. He knew where to get stories, much like I learned where to get sales.

Maybe the most important lesson my father taught me was that your best network will develop from what you do best. In my case that was golf. When I joined the sales game after college, where I had been a varsity golfer at the University of Minnesota, my father suggested I join Oak Ridge Country Club, which I couldn't afford. Because Oak Ridge was historically at the bottom of the city golf league, I offered to play for them and try to win them a championship. Six months and numerous meetings later, I was admitted to the club where I gained access to many of the major companies around town.

My father also taught me that the big name on the door doesn't mean diddly. You have to know who the decision makers are.

In addition, he warned me against telling anyone how I vote. That's why it's a secret ballet. The Democrats think I'm a Republican, and the Republicans believe I'm a Democrat.

My father's greatest professional attribute was his nose for a good story and his indefatigable zeal in getting it. He taught me the same desire, determination and persistence for sales.

After a skiing accident that landed me in the hospital for 35 days in neck traction, he told me, "You can take any amount of pain as long as you know it's going to end."

My father taught me many more life lessons, among them:

* They don't pay off on effort . . . they pay off on results.
* No one ever choked to death swallowing his pride.
* He who burns his bridges better be a darn good swimmer.
* Education is like exercise. As soon as you quit you begin to lose the benefits.
* It's hard to soar like an eagle when you're dressed like a turkey.
* If you win say little. If you lose say less.
* We are judged by what we finish, not by what we start.

Mackay's Moral: One person can make all the difference in the world—a father, for example.

Memorable Quote:

Treat a man as he appears to be and you make him worse.

But treat him as if he already were what he potentially could be,

and you make him what he should be - von Goethe

Activity: Make Flannel Board Characters of Families from Scriptures and talk about the role of the father in telling the story.

The Kindergarten Graduate

Grace had her kindergarten graduation last week. She is the one front and center in the white dress. She sang out the songs loud and clear. Kind of surprising for our shy little Gracie.

Future Robison Missionary Grandsons

Lesson for the Robison Grandchildren (taught by Sister Matsumori, 2nd Counselor in Primary Auxiliary for entire Church while training teachers how to teach children during recent visit to Guadeloupe)










Introduction

Question: To have Primary what do you need?

Answer: A child, a teacher (with a testimony)
Thought: We want each child to return to Heavenly Father. A teacher helps the child do that. (How can you tell if children want to do that?)

Ask: What prevents children from returning to Heavenly Father?


(Note: to effectively teach you need love, you need to teach the gospel, you need to feel the Spirit).

Demonstration

Show how a child should be welcomed to class. (Call the child by name and give him/her a big hug while telling them that you are so glad that they are here)

Demonstration: Show the picture of Samuel the Lamanite on the wall.



Question

Ask: What are the people doing to Samuel? What is Samuel doing? What do you think he is saying?

Tell: I am going to read you a scripture out of Helaman 13:2-3 When I read you the words, I want you to raise both hands high above your head and yell out "repent" each time I say the word Samuel. (Note: you substitute the word Samuel even when the scripture says him or his)

"And it came to pass that in this year, there was one Samuel, a Lamanite, came into the land of Zarahemla, and began to preach unto the people. And it cam to pass that Samuel did preach, many days, repentance unto the people and they did cast Samuel out, and Samuel was about to return to Samuel's own land. But behold the voice of the Lord came unto Samuel, that Samuel should return again, and prophesy unto the people whatsover things should come into Samuel's heart."

Ask: What does repentance mean?

A good object lesson is to take a jar of water. Explain to the children that we are like the water. As we sin we cause the water to become dirty. (Drop some food coloring into the water.) But as we repent and apply the atonement in our lives we can become clean again. (Add some bleach to the water until it becomes clear again.) This really illustrates the point of how we truly become clean again after we repent.

You could make a cube that talks about the different steps in the repentance process. It would be good to discuss with the children these steps and how they can apply them in their lives.

Repentance Steps


1. Recognize sin. (Know that you did wrong)

2. Confess the sin and pray for forgiveness (Tell Heavenly Father you did wrong)

3. Do our best to make up for the wrong. (Correct it)

4. Forsake the sin. (Don't do it again)

5. Obey the commandments. (Live more like Jesus lived)


(As you talk about repentance to the children, please bear in mind that if a child is struggling that it is probably not best to hone in on that child or his/her behavior. You can have a nice one-on-one chat with that child afterward, but I'm sure the child will appreciate not being made the specific focus of the lesson.)

Scripture Activity

Read D&C 97:15 "And inasmuch as my people build a house unto me in the name of the Lord, and do not suffer any unclean thing to come unto it, that it be not defiled, my glory shall rest upon it."

Question

Ask: Once we repent of our sins and are worthy, what house is the Lord talking about in this scripture?





Question

Ask: What unclean things can not enter into the temple? What is the Lord talking about? What does it mean when the Lord says "my glory shall rest upon it?








Sing: (I Love to See the Temple - p95)

I love to see the temple.
I'm going there some-day.
To feel the Holy Spirit,
To listen and to pray.
For the temple is a house of God,
A place of love and beauty.
I'll prepare myself
while I am young;
This is my sacred duty.

I love to see the temple.
I'll go inside some-day.
I'll covenant with my Father;
I'll promise to obey.
For the temple is a holy place
Where we are sealed together.
As a child of God,
I've learned this truth:
A family is forever.

Game






Circulate around the group some pictures: a big ear, a big mouth, a big hand, a pair of eyes and play the music. (Use one picture if the lesson is for just the family. Use all four pictures if the group is a big primary group.)

Play the music to "I love to see the temple" for a few bars while the children pass the picture from person to person. When the music stops, the child holding the picture answers this question:

Question: What do you do to go to the temple with that part of the body?

(Mouth - speak reverently and kindly; hand - help others; ear - listen to good music; and eyes - read the scriptures...look at good tv...etc.)


Game


Ask everyone to stand and grab the closest object that is next them them. Usually pick an adult or an older child. Invite the person to come to the front and teach an object lesson to the class. (For example, if a man grabbed a purse and went to the front of the room, he might say, "this is a special bag. It is holding something very special. Can someone tell me what is inside of this bag that is very, very special? ...Answer - the scriptures).