So we are going at molasses rate for our family proclamation lessons we started a month or so ago! We had our 2nd lesson: The Family is Central to his Plan.
Materials: The Family Proclamation, toy dolls/family figures, picture of your family, plan of salvation visuals, temple picture
Opening Song: “Families Can Be Together Forever” CS, 188.
Lesson:
1. Read the first paragraph of the family proclamation. Emphasize the word central and ask "what does 'central' mean? Central = center, middle, essential, most important.
From left to right: Kevin, me (you love it, right?), Allie, Collin, Maddie, Zane.
We need some boy dolls at home because all they found was a dollhouse boy, and Metro Man! But so funny that they found dolls with dark hair like them.
They were pretty bummed that there was no "hair-y" doll for Zaners.
2. "Scavenger Hunt": Ask the children to go and round up toy dolls/figures to make a family similar to yours. Our kids really enjoyed looking for the right dolls to represent us. See photo above.3. After the children return, show a picture of your family. Emphasize the following points:
- It was part of Heavenly Father's plan for each of us to come to earth AND belong to a family.
- Families help us grow and learn how to return to Him someday. We can be like our Heavenly Father.
4. Tell the plan of salvation story using visuals. I used the visuals from the following site: The Red Headed Hostess. Emphasize the following points:
- Life will be hard, and Heavenly Father knew that. Share the following quote:
Elder Joe J. Christensen, former member of the Presidency of the Seventy, observed, “How many truly great individuals do you know who never had to struggle?” The family is the primary support structure in God’s plan to help us resist evil, overcome weakness, and work out our salvation. For this reason we should do all we can to strengthen the family in these days of confusion and opposition.”
- Through birth, you gained a body!
- Living in a family helps us to grow and learn to be like Jesus and Heavenly Father.
- You have agency to choose good or evil. It is our responsibility as parents to teach the gospel to the children. Some wonderful choices you get to make are: baptism (age 8), mission (age 19), temple marriage. Then you get to be a parent too (hopefully) and start your own family just like Mom and Dad did. Getting married and having a family is all part of Heavenly Father's plan!
- Being a parent and raising kids help us learn to be more like our Heavenly Parents. It is hard and it is a big responsibility but the rewards are great. Express your love to your family and gratitude for temples (show temple picture) and the sealing ordinance that binds us together forever.
5. Close with song and prayer. Example: Home, CS 192 or #294 Love At Home.
Notes: The kids really enjoyed the activity at the very first part of the lesson. Maddie even got out our wedding album that we flipped through with them at our first lesson thinking we were going to do that lesson again. Cute!
