FHE Lessons About The Family Proclamation & Scripture Study On The Go

Lara is my "Ripples of Birthday Service" friend, and I am happy to have her share this great idea for keeping family centered on Christ even during those busy, busy days!

Lara also shares all of her family's FHE lessons online for you to download here.
Remember that today's link-up theme is FHE ideas pertaining to The Family Proclamation...
Please feel free to link-up at the end of this post.

Here's Lara!

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“Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ.”   


Happiness.  Isn’t that what we’re all seeking in this life?  But how do you take the crazy life with kids, with their sports’ practices, music lessons, church activities, chores, hanging out with friends and homework and center family life “upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ”?  The greatest resource to learn the teachings of Jesus Christ is in the scriptures.  Indeed, we are instructed to feast upon the words of Christ.
 

With five kids ages 5-15, there are some days when I feel like half our lives are spent in the car rushing to another sports practice or church activity.  We often roll into our driveway just in time to rush the kids off to bed, hoping they (and I) get enough sleep to repeat the craziness again tomorrow.  Sadly, with our busy schedule wreaking havoc with our scripture reading routine, we felt like we were barely nibbling on the scriptures, much the less feasting.  

I don’t remember how it all started, but one day we decided that it was time to stop using the excuse of being too busy to read the scriptures together, and start using our time together in the car, while everyone’s buckled into place, to invite the spirit into our lives and better keep up with our routines and that is how our “Scripture Study On-the-Go” routine was born.  


Basically how it works is that on those crazy nights we find ourselves in the car approaching bedtime (or on vacation), we work on memorizing scriptures in the car rather than waiting until we get home (and probably skipping scripture reading altogether since it’s late).


We teach them scripture mastery scriptures from our seminary days, articles of faith, and other scriptures that have caught their attention.  It usually takes a couple of car rides before they have it completely memorized, then after that we just go around the family and “say our scriptures”.  They usually keep the same scripture for a couple of months and then we’ll challenge them to learn a new one.

It’s not exactly scripture study per se, but it is highly effective for getting the kids (and us) to keep up the routine of scripture reading on those crazy days.   One of the beautiful things I love about this tradition is that because of the repetition, each child usually knows not only their own scriptures, but most of the rest of the family’s scriptures as well.  I feel like it’s really embedded these scriptures into their minds and hearts from their earliest years.

We have found that the kids can usually start memorizing scriptures when they are about four-years-old, but can participate when they are much younger (about 2-years-old) by repeating scriptures phrase by phrase that a parent or older child is reciting.  

Our rules for this routine are pretty loose.  Basically we don’t allow repeats on the same night and we don’t allow super short scriptures like “Jesus wept,” or anything.

We usually combine our scripture recitation with a round of songs because it’s something the kids have always enjoyed.  Plus we like the fact that singing is a great tool for further inviting the Spirit.


Sample of our family’s Scripture Study On-the-Go:
Dad:  Ellie, choose a song.
Ellie:  “Jesus Once was a Little Child”
All of us:  ♪♫♪♫♪
Dad:  Okay, Adam what song would you like to sing?
…on it goes through the whole family picking a song and then all of us singing along
Dad:  Ellie, can you say your scripture?
Ellie:  We believe in God the eternal father…
Dad:  It’s your turn Adam.
….on it goes with the whole family reciting their memorized scriptures.

Total time elapsed (including a full round of songs):  5-10 minutes.

(Okay, so this is a posed picture, but it shows a little glimpse of our family having a “Scripture Study On-the-Go”.  Of course, normally everyone is buckled and my oldest son is not giving me dirty looks for asking him to pose for a picture.)  :)


This routine does not preclude our actual reading of the Book of Mormon together,  rather we save this routine for those crazy nights when we would most likely skip reading, since we’re getting home so late.  I feel like the two routines--reading straight from the scriptures and reciting our memorized scriptures in the car--are a great complement to each other.   Some weeks it seems like we do the “Scripture Study On-the-Go” almost every night and other weeks hardly at all.  For us, it’s all about balance and consistency.   One huge bonus about being in the car too, is that it practically guarantees that no one will get up and walk to the bathroom in the middle.  :)  


Perhaps “Scripture Study On-the-Go” does not rise to the level of a feast, but we feel that it has added a few more mouthfuls of the words of the Savior for our family to carry in our hearts during our daily lives.  Over the years that we’ve implemented this new element to our scripture study, I truly feel that it has helped bring us a little closer to what was meant in the Proclamation to base our family life upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ.

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“Each family prayer, each episode of family scripture study, and each family home evening is a brushstroke on the canvas of our souls. No one event may appear to be very impressive or memorable. But just as the yellow and gold and brown strokes of paint complement each other and produce an impressive masterpiece, so our consistency in doing seemingly small things can lead to significant spiritual results. “Wherefore, be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great” (D&C 64:33). Consistency is a key principle as we lay the foundation of a great work in our individual lives and as we become more diligent and concerned in our own homes.”  Elder David A. Bednar

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Thanks, Lara! I love that picture of your kids! Too funny!


Now it's your turn to share...Please share your FHE Proclamation posts here.

And here are the party favors for this final week of our celebration!





"Family: for time & eternity" wooden sign
by Love Letters





Personalized FAMILY NIGHT Magnet Set
by Primary Bird





Family Home Evening Jar - PDF
by JuBEAN Designs




"Love Is Spoken Here" Print
by Sugar Fresh



Young Women's Virtue Charm Bracelet
by Serendipity Beaded Creations





2010 Family Home Evening Manual - PDF
"I Know My Savior Lives"
by Becca Stoker of Just Beccuz


To win one of these lovely party favors, simply comment or link-up all this week.


And as always, please remember to check out Chocolate On My Cranium
and be sure to
THANK MONTSERRAT for bringing us all together for this wonderful celebration!