Family Home Evening™ Quick Tips
Follow the Liahona
Ensign, Aug.
2002, 73
Families
who like the outdoors will enjoy this family home evening activity based
on the Liahona. The only materials required are a copy of the Book of
Mormon, a pencil, slips of paper, and masking tape. Optional supplies:
(1) a picture of Lehi holding the Liahona or (2) a compass or Styrofoam
ball painted gold to look like the Liahona.
Start the activity by reading 1
Nephi 16, which describes how Lehi found the Liahona in front of his
tent. Ask questions such as “What did the Liahona do?” “In
what ways did it guide Lehi’s family?” and “How are
the scriptures like the Liahona?” Emphasize that the Liahona pointed
the way the family should go in the wilderness and that writing appeared
on it from time to time.
Next, leave a trail of notes giving directions to
the “promised land.” You could leave the notes in your backyard,
a park, or even a trail in a nearby canyon or forest. (Just be sure the
children remove the notes after reading them.) When our family held this
activity on a canyon trail, my wife walked with the children, and I was
waiting at the end of the trail to give each person a big hug.
Here are some possible messages to write:
- At the top of each note, write, “Follow
the Liahona.”
- Where children have to choose to go left or
right, leave a message saying, “Choose the right.”
- Where they should keep going straight, write,
“Follow the strait and narrow path.”
- Where the trail leads to a dead end, write,
“Detours can be dangerous.”
- Near the end of the journey, write, “You
are almost to the promised land. Endure to the end.”
- The last note could say, “Well done! You
have reached the promised land!”
- You could liken the notes to messages from the
scriptures and compare reaching the promised land to entering into Heavenly
Father’s presence. You could also leave notes with brief messages
about the first principles and ordinances of the gospel.
This activity took only a few minutes to prepare,
but it proved to be a memorable adventure for our youngsters.
—Devan Jensen, Windsor Seventh Ward,
Orem Utah Windsor Stake
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