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How can I prepare to establish a Christ-centered home?

How can I prepare to establish a Christ-centered home?

Prepare Yourself Spiritually

Building the kingdom of God begins with building a righteous home and family. The family is the most important unit of the Church. As members of the Church, we should establish a home where the Spirit is present. A Christ-centered home offers us a place of defense against sin, refuge from the world, and committed, genuine love. Whether our home is large or small, it can be a “house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God” (Doctrine and Covenants 88:119).

Resources to Help You Prepare

These resources are to help you prepare for the “Learn together” section of the meeting.

Questions to Ponder before You Teach

What do you do to make your home a defense against sin and a refuge from the world? What do you do to teach your children and family the gospel?

Consider the homes in which the young women live. What experiences are they having now that will help them raise their own righteous families?

What can the young women do to prepare to learn? For example, they could read a talk, watch a video, or study a scripture related to this doctrine.

Teaching in the Savior’s Way

The Savior asked His followers questions that caused them to think and feel deeply. He trusted them and prepared them. Consider how you will help the young women understand the importance of raising a righteous posterity and preparing to establish Christ-centered homes.

Video: “We Teach”

Meeting Outline

1. Counsel Together and Share Experiences

Led by a member of the class presidency; approximately 5–10 minutes

Lead a discussion about items such as the following:

  • Our class: Who is missing today? What visits do we need to make? Who should we invite to an upcoming activity? Who needs our help and prayers?

  • Our responsibilities: What assignments do we need to make? What assignments have we fulfilled? How have we invited others to come unto Christ, and how can we invite others now?

  • Our lives: Remind the class of the discussion from the last meeting. What experiences have we had with applying what we learned? What experiences have we had in the past few weeks that strengthened our testimonies of the gospel?

If possible, discuss these items beforehand in a class presidency meeting.

2. Learn Together

Led by a leader or teacher or a member of the class; approximately 25–35 minutes

After studying the above resources and following the inspiration of the Spirit, you may select one or more of the activities below to help class members understand the doctrine.

  • Divide the class into three groups, and assign each group to read one of the following scripture passages: Mosiah 4:14–15; Alma 53:20–21; 56:47–48. Invite the young women to make a list on the board of principles in these verses that will help them establish Christ-centered homes. Show one or both of the videos listed in this outline. Suggest that the young women think of themselves as mothers while they watch. After each video, ask the young women to discuss what the main message was and what additional principles they learned that will help them establish Christ-centered homes. Consider adding these principles to the list on the board. Invite them to share examples of these principles from their own families or other families.

  • Ask the young women to list on the board their best advice for a couple about to be married. Divide President Henry B. Eyring’s talk “To My Grandchildren” into sections, and give the young women portions of the talk to read. Ask them to add items to the list on the board that they find in President Eyring’s talk and to discuss what they can do now to prepare to establish a Christ-centered home.

  • Read as a class the five things parents can do to create stronger family cultures as described in Elder L. Tom Perry’s talk “Becoming Goodly Parents.” Ask each young woman to choose one of Elder Perry’s suggestions and share an example she has seen of families practicing the suggestion and how doing so helps establish a Christ-centered home. Ask the young women to read the last seven paragraphs of the talk and share reasons establishing a strong family culture is important. What can the young women do now to establish a strong family culture in their homes?

  • Why are patterns important? What is the pattern that Heavenly Father has given us for establishing a Christ-centered home? (see “The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” paragraph 7). What can the young women do now to prepare to build a home and family according to this pattern? Ask the young women what they would say to someone whose family situation does not match Heavenly Father’s pattern. Invite them to read the last paragraph of “Family” in For the Strength of Youth for some ideas.

  • Divide the class into groups, and divide Elder Richard G. Scott’s talk “For Peace at Home” among the groups. Ask the groups to study their sections of the talk, looking for descriptions or characteristics of a Christ-centered home. Invite them to share what they find by drawing pictures of what a Christ-centered home is like. What can the young women do to help their homes be more Christ-centered now? How can they prepare to establish Christ-centered homes in the future?

3. Plan to Act

Led by a member of the class presidency; approximately 5–10 minutes

  • Ask the young women to discuss any feelings or impressions they had during the meeting. What was meaningful to them? Is there something they can do personally or as a class to apply what they have learned?

  • Give the young women a few minutes to record what they will do in the coming weeks to act on their impressions. Invite them to share their ideas.

  • Remind the young women that they will have the opportunity to share their experiences at the beginning of the next meeting.

Related Youth Activities

Plan a Mutual activity that will help the young women apply what they learned in this lesson.