The family is central to the gospel of Jesus Christ. As such, the is to hold weekly what is called “Family Home Evening.”

Usually Family Home Evening (or FHE is it’s often called) is held in the home, but really, it can be held anywhere. The entire point is to strengthen the bonds between family members through spiritually engaging means.

mormon family dinnerOften times my family will structure our FHEs through the following pattern. First, we will start by singing a hymn. Hymns will bring the spirit of God in amazing and profound ways. If you do not have a hymnal, here is a link to not only an online one, but you can also hear the music played for each hymn. This is a great way to learn beautiful new hymns of praise to the Savior. Each week you could pick a new hymn to learn as a family and then sing it throughout the rest of the week.

After my family has opened FHE with a hymn, then we as the parents invite a family member to pray. The person calls on Heavenly Father and gratitude is expressed for the amazing and bounteous blessings the Lord gives us. Perhaps the family is experiencing health problems, but my husband is still employed. Perhaps the children are struggling with their schooling, but they have good friends. Whatever the family and the situation, there truly are always blessings to thank God for. Additionally during this prayer, help is petitioned from the Lord. Finally we close in the name of Jesus Christ and the family joins in by saying, “Amen.”

After the opening song and prayer, we then gather round to share a favorite scripture verse. Or perhaps a family member had a wonderful experience sharing the good news of the gospel with a friend during the week. Whatever the experience or spiritual thought, we try to include this as an opener to the rest of our FHE.

Then comes the really fun part (at least for the little kids). One family member has prepared during the week an activity or even a lesson to share with the rest of the family. And even though the activity might be a zany game, like Simon Says, we work to have it symbolize a spiritual thought (such as, “Just because the world says to do something, do you do it?”). After playing the game, or doing an activity, or participating in the lesson, we spend a few minutes to close FHE by discussing how those things apply to our life. We also talk about or ask how we can help each other during the coming week.

Then we close by singing another hymn and then by praying. And then of course, there are refreshments afterwards. Nothing beats sitting around with your family members in a relaxed and casual state, munching and chatting about just life in general.

Yes, indeed, Family Home Evenings can be the glue that bonds a family together. And for more ideas, feel free to visit here.

About Cindy B

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