Family Home Evening Ideas

This issue contains articles and activities that could be used for family home evening. The following are some examples.

family praying

“Preparing a Place for the Lord,” page 34. Bishop Caussé reminds us of our responsibility to prepare for the Savior’s coming. One way to prepare a place for the Lord is by helping people who need a home. Consider volunteering at a homeless shelter, gathering supplies for refugees, raising funds to contribute to the Church’s humanitarian fund, or getting involved with service activities in your community. You might also discuss long-term ways that you can serve the displaced, such as by fostering friendships. Find additional ideas and inspiration using the videos in the Give Back Series (lds.org/go/GiveBackE1216).

“The 10th International Art Competition: Tell Me the Stories of Jesus,” page 38. Jesus Christ certainly is the reason for the season, but you might consider ways that you can remember the Savior’s example all year long. As you and your family explore the art featured in this article, you could brainstorm ways to create a more Christ-centered home, like displaying a picture of the Savior in your house, memorizing weekly scriptures about the Savior, or taking extra care to prepare for the Sabbath day. Create plans to implement your ideas and record in your journal how your efforts have helped you draw closer to Christ.

A Spend-Less Christmas

Hoping to direct more attention toward each other, and to keep our Christmas budget in check, we proposed to our family at home evening our plan for a “spend-less Christmas.” Each family member would make an inexpensive gift that expressed love for another family member (selected by drawing). Christmas morning we would take turns sharing our gifts and expressing our warmest feelings for the recipients. The rest of the Christmas budget would be divided among us and spent during the post-holiday sales on items each needed. We enjoyed our new tradition so much that we started drawing names each summer so we would have plenty of time to make our secret gifts for our family members.

Vaughn C. Emett, Utah, USA