YOUTH CAN TEACH
STRIVE TO OBEY PARENTS (Youth Goal Planner)
HOW CAN I OBEY MY PARENTS (as they lead in righteousness)?
YOUTH CAN TEACH with this YOUTH GOAL PLANNER to make an effort to listen to and do as parents ask, without being reminded for two weeks. Discuss ways to be more obedient and respectful to parents.
ADDITIONAL IDEAS:
Honoring your parents is a principle with a promise in Exodus 20:12 “Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.” You won’t appreciate this promise until you are older and cherish every breath. However, think about it, making any righteous choice can affect you not only for this life, but throughout eternity.
Elder Randy D. Funk (Of the Seventy) said, “My life has been happier because I trusted my parents’ righteous teachings.” Read HERE about his experience, not listening to his father’s advice, where he said, “Every bad consequence he mentioned happened,” and what he came to realize about his father’s wisdom.
In For the Strength of Youth, we read: “Honor your parents by showing love and respect for them. Obey them as they lead you in righteousness.”
DISCUSSION IDEAS
• Talk about Honoring and Obeying:
– Showing love and respect.
– Obey parents as they lead in righteousness.
– Happiness and joy can come when both show mutual respect.
• Discuss What Family Life Participation Can Do For the Family:
– Develops trust.
– Invites a better, kinder, more loving, agreeable atmosphere.
– Helps family members become peacemakers (avoid quarreling and tension).
– As both youth and parents show interest, it helps the family openly share thoughts and feelings (without being judgmental), creating a loving atmosphere.
• Talk about Ways to Express Love and Gratitude:
– Learn to freely express gratitude to your parents.
– Recognize the things they do for you and tell them you appreciate their sacrifices.
– Tell them you appreciate the things they do to strengthen your family.
SHOWING LOVE TO MY PARENTS
• Learning and Growing: Take an interest in your parents’ lives. Ask them to share their life experiences to create a stronger connection.
• Supporting the Family: Help with chores and family activities. Show an interest in your siblings’ interests. Help them with their challenges. By contributing to family unity you will strengthen your family ties!
• Developing a Positive Attitude: Being cheerful, helpful, considerate, and unselfish contributes to a more positive family environment.
• Seeking Communication and Counsel: Seeking counsel and guidance from your parents can be difficult at first but as you do, communication with them will become a natural part of your life. An added benefit is that YOU WILL LEARN valuable life lessons that may help you avoid pitfalls and challenges ahead.
• Setting Boundaries: Talk about boundaries with your parents. Seeking to understand their boundaries will help you form your boundaries and how to articulate them for greater understanding.
Source: Divine Nature 5 Goal
MORE LESSON ACTIVITIES
MUTUAL NIGHT OR ANYTIME ACTIVITIES:
COMPARE LASTING FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS WITH FADING FRIENDS: Talk about getting along with your family now because family relationships are those that last. Bring pictures from your childhood (e.g., you in kindergarten, grade school, junior high, high school, your best friend in high school, or college, your boyfriends). As you show them, you might say, “I’m not as close to them now as I once was. The people who matter now are my family, but at the time I gave up spending time with them to be with these short-term relationships.” Give the youth some time and stationery to write a long overdue note of appreciation to a family member.
“RELATIVE”-LY FUN NIGHT: Create a fun night for youth to bring one of their favorite relatives they are close to. Take time to introduce the relative and allow them to share with the group special moments.
SOURCE Divine Nature #5 “Strive to Obey Parents
