Family Home Evening Advance Preparation: Set up a tent with lots of pillows and blankets to lie on. Gather items that could be used as musical instruments.  (Our family has a Musical Moment Bag which contains a small flute, harmonica, a wooden clapper, a strap with bells attached, 2 blocks with sandpaper attached to the bottom to rub back and forth, 2 drum sticks, maracas, etc...) Prepare Lehi Snacks consisting of sunflower seeds, nuts, raisins, etc. Review 1 Nephi 16 Print out Rules for the Week (See below) Print quote from President Gordon B. Hinckley: "Cultivate a spirit of gladness in your homes.  Subdue and overcome all elements of anger, impatience and unbecoming talk one to another.  Let the light of the gospel shine in your faces in wherever you go and whatever you do." Activity: Tell family members that we will be having Family Home Evening outside.  Invite them into the tent which has been set up.  As they enter, use dishtowels to wrap around the boys heads as turbans and put scarves or towels on the girls to use as veils. Using the musical instruments, invite family members to play the instruments and sing together: Children's Songbook - "If You're Happy" pg. 266.  Repeat song for as many family members in attendance.... taking turns changing the action in the song to something of their choosing.  Such as changing "If your happy and you know it clap your hands" with...."click your fingers". Pass out Lehi Snacks for family to munch on during lesson. Lesson:  Explain that it is fun to have Family Home Evening in a tent.  It is fun to go camping in a tent.  But would it be fun to leave your home, your possessions, your friends, your activities...and actually live in a tent?  Let the family members comment on what they would miss and how they would feel.  What if we just packed up and had no idea where we were to go?  Tell the story of Lehi and how he was told by the Lord to leave his home and possessions and go into the wilderness.  How much faith did Lehi have?  He did what the Lord commanded and trusted that He would provide a way for him to know which way to go. One day as Lehi awoke and came from his tent he found a strange brass ball that had two spindles or pointers on it.  What did one of the pointers show them?  (Have a family member read 1 Nephi 16:10 and decide what the answer is.) "And it came to pass that as my father arose in the morning, and went forth to the tent door, to his great astonishment he beheld upon the ground a round ball of curious workmanship; and it was of fine brass. And within the ball were two spindles; and the one pointed the way whither we should go into the wilderness." They called the brass ball the Liahona.  Does anyone know what that word means? (Compass)  Lehi led his family into the wilderness by following the direction that the Liahona told them to go.  As long as the family worked together and were righteous the Liahona would work and direct them to the most fertile areas of the wilderness so that they could obtain food. One day, Nephi's bow broke.  As he was in charge of getting the family's food with the bow, the family became hungry and angry with Nephi for breaking his bow and started to become contentious with each other.  They even started murmuring about the Lord and how He could take them from their home of plenty and send them to this forsaken wilderness.  What happened with the Liahona as the family were bickering and contending with one another?  (It stopped working) Have a family member read: 1 Nephi 16:21 "21 Now it came to pass that I, Nephi, having been afflicted with my brethren because of the loss of my bow, and their bows having lost their springs it began to be exceedingly difficult, yea, insomuch that we could obtain no food. 22  And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did speak much unto my brethren, because they had hardened their hearts again, even unto complaining against the Lord their God. 23  And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did make out of wood a bow, and out of a straight stick, an arrow; wherefore, I did arm myself with a bow and an arrow, with a sling and with stones. And I said unto my father: Whither shall I go to obtain food? 24  And it came to pass that he did inquire of the Lord, for they had humbled themselves because of my words; for I did say many things unto them in the energy of my soul. 25  And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord came unto my father; and he was truly chastened because of his murmuring against the Lord, insomuch that he was brought down into the depths of sorrow. 26  And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord said unto him: Look upon the ball, and behold the things which are written. 27  And it came to pass that when my father beheld the things which were written upon the ball, he did fear and tremble exceedingly, and also my brethren and the sons of Ishmael and our wives. 28  And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld the pointers which were in the ball, that they did work according to the faith and diligence and heed which we did give unto them. 29  And there was also written upon them a new writing, which was plain to be read, which did give us understanding concerning the ways of the Lord; and it was written and changed from time to time, according to the faith and diligence which we gave unto it. And thus we see that by small means the Lord can bring about great things." When did the Liahona start working again?  (When the family repented and stopped contending with each other.)  Instead of complaining about their plight, Nephi went to work constructing a new bow and asking his father where he should go for food.  When the family repented and the Liahona started working again, Nephi was able to be given directions where he would find food for his family. The brass ball had another place on it where instructions from Heavenly Father would appear from time to time.  In the scriptures that we just read, how did the family feel as they read what the Lord wanted to say to them? (Review verses 26 and 27.  The family read the things on the ball and did fear and tremble exceedingly.)  Ask family members to finish this statement: "The families of Lehi and Ishmael learned that in order for the Liahona to work they had to have ___(faith)___ and be ___(diligent)____ in obeying what the Lord wrote on the brass ball and follow the directions that the brass ball would point. Ask the family members if we have a Liahona today.  (Holy Ghost)  Can the Holy Ghost direct us and point us in the right direction if there is contention and bickering in our family?  Just as the words of God were written on the brass ball from time to time, we can receive the word of God in our minds and hearts through the Holy Ghost.  Ask family members to comment on what small things we can do in our family that would help keep the contention out. Show and read the quote from President Hinckley.  How can we cultivate a spirit of gladness in our home?  What does it mean to let the "light of the gospel" shine in our faces?  How can we show that in each of our faces? Challenge:  Explain that for the next week we will try to implement President Hinckley's quote in our family.  We will try hard to bring happiness and the light of the gospel into our family.  By doing this we will be assured that our family's Liahona (the Spirit) will continue to guide and direct us in our home.  Here are the rules for the week which will be posted by our Family Home Evening Duty Board so that we will be reminded daily. 1)  Do not mention anything negative or that seems wrong this week.  Work hard to think before speaking out. 2)  Think of two different things each day that has made you happy or you are grateful for and share it with someone in the family.  Record those two things in your journal before bed. 3)  Look around you and be thankful for all that you have.  Do not think "If only I had....I would be happy".....instead think "Because I have......I am happy." 4)  Show a happy, positive, cheerful attitude in wherever you go and whatever you do. 5)  Give thanks to your Heavenly Father each day for your many blessings. Let us remember that by SMALL THINGS the Lord can bring about GREAT THINGS......our family can be great by small acts of kindness  and small smiles of gratitude and love. Back to Family and Home Directory