YOUTH CAN TEACH with these LESSON LIFESAVER activities.
FOREVER FAMILY
Fun Activities for CHURCH & HOME
“Marriage and family are ordained of God. The family is the most important social unit in time and in eternity.
Under God’s great plan of happiness, families can be sealed in temples and be prepared to return to dwell in His holy presence forever. That is eternal life!” – Russell M. Nelson, Talk “Thanks Be to God”
Start with these 19 FOREVER FAMILY activities
Part 1 How Can Families Be Together Forever?
Part 2 How Can Families Prepare For Temple Blessings?
FIND MORE
• See our FAMILY LOVE Index (HERE).
• See more of our YOUTH CAN TEACH posts (HERE).
PART 1
How Can Families Be Together Forever?
WHY WE NEED TEMPLES to Create Eternal Families
“The priesthood power to bind families eternally is one of the greatest gifts of God. Every person who understands the plan of salvation longs for that lasting blessing.
Only in sealing ceremonies performed in dedicated temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints does God offer the promise that families can be bound together forever.”
– President Henry B. Eyring “Families Can Be Together Forever”
HOW CAN I BE WITH MY FAMILY FOREVER?
YOUTH CAN TEACH the children that our Heavenly Father has a plan in place that makes it possible for families to be together forever. That plan includes sealing families in His holy temples. The HOME ACTIVITY helps children talk to their parents about temples and forever families.
ACTIVITY:
Cut the handout into a puzzle (cutting out individual family members).
Explain that after a couple is married they can be sealed to each other in God’s holy temple. Their children are born in the covenant and sealed to their parents. Some families are sealed in the temple after the children are born (put the puzzle together as you discuss this).
Take away one family member and place him/her in an envelope as you say, “When we die, we are separated for a time, but we can have joy knowing we are sealed together (seal envelope by taping it shut).
After we are resurrected, we can be with our family again (unseal the envelope and have the children put the puzzle together again).
PREPARE FOR THE TEMPLE:
Word of Wisdom, Tithing, Prayer, Attend church, Love others, Obedience.
Discuss the HOME ACTIVITY.
HOW CAN FAMILIES PREPARE FOR TEMPLE SEALINGS?
YOUTH CAN TEACH children that the temple is a holy place where families can be sealed together forever. They can prepare to enter God’s temple by doing important things. This “LET’S BE TOGETHER FOREVER” wheel is a fun way to learn how to prepare.
ACTIVITY:
President Nelson said, “The home is to be God’s laboratory of love and service.”
The home is the best place to learn how to love and serve each other. Children can learn at home how to prepare to enter God’s holy temple, by doing the things found on the wheel:
• Obey the commandments
• Love one another
• Obey the Word of Wisdom
• Pay their tithing
• Attend church
• Be honest
CAN I LIVE WITH MY FAMILY AFTER DEATH?
YOUTH CAN TEACH by sharing the visuals to teach this song, e.g.
“Fam’lies can be together forever
Through Heav’nly Father’s plan.
I always want to be with my own family,
And the Lord has shown me how I can.
The Lord has shown me how I can.” …
ACTIVITY:
There is great comfort knowing we can be with our family forever. Ask the children to think about these words to the song and how they make them feel.
• “I have a family here on earth, they are so good to me.”
• “I want to share my life with them through all eternity.”
• “While I am in my early years, I’ll prepare most carefully.”
You can also ask questions relating to forever families then have children answer the questions using the words from the songs. For example: (1) “What do we need to do to be with our family through eternity?” The answer would be “marry in God’s temple for eternity.” Or, “Through Heavenly Father’s plan.” (2) “Who can show us how we can live with our families forever?” The answer would be “the Lord . . ..”
WHAT ARE THE KEYS THAT BIND Families Together Forever?
“The priesthood keys that make this possible were restored to the earth by the prophet Elijah to Joseph Smith in the Kirtland Temple. Those priesthood keys have been passed in an unbroken line through living prophets in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to the present day.”
– President Henry B. Eyring “Families Can Be Together Forever”
WHAT PRIESTHOOD IS NECESSARY TO DO GOD’S WORK?
YOUTH CAN TEACH @
HOW CAN MY MARRIAGE LAST AFTER DEATH?
YOUTH CAN TEACH @
ACTIVITY:
(referring to the picture in the activity above):
“From my office window I see brides and grooms every day having their pictures taken among beautiful flowers and shooting fountains. The groom often carries his bride in his arms, at least for a few staggering steps, while the photographer shoots wedding pictures. Every time I see that, I think of couples I have known who in time—sometimes in a very short time after their wedding day—had to carry each other in other ways when life became hard.” … Continued … read to the last paragraphs about the trials in marriage HERE in “Families Can Be Together Forever” talk by Presiden Henry B. Iring. “The Savior, through the power of His Atonement, makes possible the change in our hearts we need to make in order to enter holy temples, make covenants we can then keep, and in time live in families forever in celestial glory—home again.”
HOW AND WHERE ARE FAMILIES SEALED FOR ETERNITY?
“Only in sealing ceremonies performed in dedicated temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints does God offer the promise that families can be bound together forever.
The Savior in His mortal ministry spoke of the power to seal families in words to Peter, His chief Apostle, when He said, ‘Whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven’ (Matthew 16:19).”
– President Henry B. Eyring “Families Can Be Together Forever”
Also, see this same verse in Matthew 18:19 (see scripture poster below) where “All of the Twelve receive the keys of the kingdom.”
HOW AM I SEALED TO MY FAMILY?
YOUTH CAN TEACH @
HOW CAN I BE WITH MY FAMILY IN HEAVEN?
YOUTH CAN TEACH by helping youth memorize and talk about this Proclamation “Sacred ordinances and covenants available in holy temples make it possible for individuals to return to the presence of God and for families to be united eternally.”
WHERE DO WE LIVE WITH OUR FAMILIES FOREVER?
“It is only in the celestial kingdom that we can live in families forever. There we can be in families in the presence of our Heavenly Father and the Savior. The Prophet Joseph Smith described that wonderful experience this way in the Doctrine and Covenants:
“When the Savior shall appear we shall see him as he is. We shall see that he is a man like ourselves.
‘And that same sociality which exists among us here will exist among us there, only it will be coupled with eternal glory, which glory we do not now enjoy’ (D&C 130:1–2).”
– President Henry B. Eyring “Families Can Be Together Forever”
HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT ONE TO MARRY?
YOUTH CAN TEACH views of a latter-day Apostle in this quote to memorize: “Celestial marriage is a pivotal part of preparation for eternal life. It requires one to be married to the right person, in the right place, by the right authority, and to obey that sacred covenant faithfully.” – Bruce R. McConkie
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE?
YOUTH CAN TEACH @
SEALING ANCESTORS TO OUR ETERNAL FAMILY
“We can care enough about our family members, living and dead, to do all that we can to offer them the priesthood ordinances that will bind us in heaven.
Many of you, young and old, are doing that. You have looked for names of ancestors who have not yet received the ordinances that can seal you together.”
– President Henry B. Eyring “Families Can Be Together Forever”
HOW CAN I SEAL ALL MY FAMILY TOGETHER?
YOUTH CAN TEACH @
HOW 2?
YOUTH CAN TEACH @
PART 2
How Can Families Prepare For Temple Blessings?
WITH GOD’S HELP WE CAN BE TOGETHER FOREVER
“My assurance to you is that, with the Lord’s help and with repentant hearts, we can catch a glimpse in this life of the kind of life we want to have forever. Heavenly Father loves us. He wants us back with Him.
The Savior, through the power of His Atonement, makes possible the change in our hearts we need to make in order to enter holy temples, make covenants we can then keep, and in time live in families forever in celestial glory—home again.“
– President Henry B. Eyring “Families Can Be Together Forever”
#1
I CAN PREPARE TO GO TO THE TEMPLE slideshow (ages 1-5)
HOW 2?
YOUTH CAN TEACH @
HOW AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO PREPARE FOR THE TEMPLE?
YOUTH CAN TEACH @
HOW SHOULD I LIVE MY LIFE TO BE TEMPLE WORTHY?
YOUTH CAN TEACH @
HOW DO I SUPPORT MY FUTURE COMPANION?
YOUTH CAN TEACH @
I am raw html block.
Click edit button to change this html
HOW CAN HELP MY FAMILY TO BE HAPPY?
YOUTH CAN TEACH about these principles “Successful . . . families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities.”
HOW 2?
YOUTH CAN TEACH children show-and-tell how they can listen to and do the good things parents ask them to do with this smiling house. By pulling the images through they can spotlight specific ways to follow the teachings of Jesus.
WAYS: To Pray, Be Kind, Love Each Other, Choose the Right, Help, Tell the Truth.
HOW @?
YOUTH CAN TEACH @
