FHE - Let the Blessings FLOW!

"If the Saints obey this counsel [to hold regular family home evenings], we promise that great blessings will result. Love at home and obedience to parents will increase. Faith will be developed in the hearts of the youth of Israel, and they will gain power to combat the evil influence and temptations which beset them." (First Presidency letter, 27 April 1915 - Joseph F. Smith, Anthon H. Lund, Charles W. Penrose, emphasis added) (Uh.....sign me up!)

We strive to have family home evening every Monday even though some things get in the way of our efforts. Some things happily help our efforts, like the Primary activity Sam attended some weeks ago. Sam came home with a family home evening presentation he made at the activity. We were happy to have him give the lesson tonight.

Sammy's Lesson on GRATITUDE

As a child, I remember my family always tried to have one day a week for a special time together. My dad wasn't always available on Monday nights (the traditional day set aside by the Church for FHE) so we selected different days to accommodate his changing schedule.

FHE had an impact on me. I remember the good feelings I had when we met together. My family certainly wasn't perfect, but I felt the Spirit profoundly as we gathered for a lesson, singing, games, and activities.

I remember years later bearing testimony in a Relief Society meeting of the importance of family home evening. I was a young mother at the time, but very confident in my witness of the blessings that come by faithfully having family home evening. I had experienced it. I oh so knew of it's spiritual significance and strengthening power. After the lesson, a sister approached me. She questioned whether such devotion would bring such great benefits. Her obvious doubts made me reflect on the story from the Old Testment of Naaman, who was "captain of the host of the king of Syria." He went to be healed of leprosy from the prophet Elisha:

"And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.

But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper.

Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage.

And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?

Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean."
(2 Kings 5:10-15)

I remember what I felt as a child. A simple weekly gathering has strengthened and blessed me and my family more than I know, then and now. I cannot deny it. I believe in the direction of a prophet of God. Our hearts and homes can easily be blessed like Naaman dipping himself in Jordan's waters. I know if we do it, the blessings will flow.