FHE Lesson on Likening the Scriptures

 Family Home Evening

Objective: I want my children to see how the people in the scriptures are like us and that we can learn how to use what we learn in the scripture in our own life.

Opening Song: Search, Ponder and Pray

Opening Prayer:

Lesson: Liken the Scriptures

Tonight we are going to learn how we can apply what we read in the scriptures in your life.

(Open scriptures to 1 Nephi 19:23)

“… I did liken all scriptures unto us, that it might be for our profit and learning.”

What does it mean to “liken all scriptures unto us”?

(You try to use what you learn from the scriptures in your own life.)

(We see how our life is similar to the lives of the people we are reading about.)

I am now going to share a story I read in the Friend(January 2014 issue, “Just Like the Scriptures!) about a ten year old boy who learned that he can relate what happens in his life to what he reads in the scriptures. The story is called “Just Like the Scriptures.”

Ten-year-olds are pretty smart. We like to figure things out on our own.

My dad always tells me to liken the scriptures to myself. Liken means that you try to use what you learn from the scriptures in your life. So, when we’re reading together as a family, I sometimes blurt out something before Dad can explain it to us. Like, “I know, Dad. We’re supposed to fast and pray, like it says in the scriptures.”

He smiles because I always get the right message.

But one time I found out that the scriptures really can be a lot like my life! It all happened when we went on a backpack trip for a family reunion.

I carried my own backpack and sleeping bag, and I didn’t complain. After all, it was only supposed to be four miles to the lake. I could make it, no problem.

The hike wasn’t too hard, but I was glad to stop for a rest after two miles. Then we saw the first trailhead sign. It said that the lake was still six miles away. My dad didn’t have to tell me that the trail was really twice as long as we first thought. I already figured that out. He did need to remind us to make our water last longer.

My dad’s advice was important but hard to follow. The afternoon sun was hot, and we hardly had any shade on the trail. It seemed like we were never going to reach the lake.

The grown-ups stayed in the back with the youngest kids, and the older cousins went on ahead. I stayed with three cousins my age, and we ended up somewhere in between.

When we couldn’t see anyone ahead or behind us anymore, we started to get nervous. Our backpacks felt heavy, and our water bottles were empty. How much farther did we have to go?

Finally we got so worried and tired that we decided to stop and pray.

After the prayer we picked up our backpacks and trudged on.

Just a little while later, we heard hoofbeats coming up the trail. We waited and saw a man on a horse riding toward us.

He stopped and gave us some water. He explained that our older cousins had hurried to the lake with a water filter to start pumping water to bring back to us. The man heard about how we needed water and had agreed to help. “Do any of you need help with your backpacks?” he asked.

I looked at my cousins, and they smiled back at me. We actually felt pretty good!

“You better go on and help the others,” we said to the man. “We’re fine.”

And it was true! The rest of the way to the lake it felt like angels were lifting our packs and pushing us along.

A week later my family was reading the Book of Mormon. My eyes opened wide when we read these words: “And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs” (The scripture he read is in Mosiah 24:14).

“That’s what happened on the trail!” I blurted out. I didn’t have to think about how to use this scripture in my life. It described something that had already happened in my life! It was amazing! I could hardly wait to find other scriptures that were like my life.

And that’s how I learned I could liken the scriptures to me, and I could also liken me to the scriptures!

Now we are going to do an activity to see if we can figure out if we can see how the scriptures are like our own life.

On one side of the board, we have pictures of different scripture stories. Each picture has some scriptures that we need to read. On the other side of the board, we have cartoon pictures. Decide which scripture story picture goes along with which cartoon picture.

*Picture of Enos praying

Enos 1:1-8

1 Behold, it came to pass that I, Enos, knowing my father that he was a just man—for he taught me in his language, and also in the nurture and admonition of the Lord—and blessed be the name of my God for it—

 2 And I will tell you of the wrestle which I had before God, before I received a remission of my sins.

 3 Behold, I went to hunt beasts in the forests; and the words which I had often heard my father speak concerning eternal life, and the joy of the saints, sunk deep into my heart.

 4 And my soul hungered; and I kneeled down before my Maker, and I cried unto him in mighty prayer and supplication for mine own soul; and all the day long did I cry unto him; yea, and when the night came I did still raise my voice high that it reached the heavens.

 5 And there came a voice unto me, saying: Enos, thy sins are forgiven thee, and thou shalt be blessed.

 6 And I, Enos, knew that God could not lie; wherefore, my guilt was swept away.

 7 And I said: Lord, how is it done?

 8 And he said unto me: Because of thy faith in Christ, whom thou hast never before heard nor seen. And many years pass away before he shall manifest himself in the flesh; wherefore, go to, thy faith hath made thee whole.

Enos learned from his father that he should pray to God. Enos felt sad and he wanted to be forgiven for his sins. He prayed to Heavenly Father because he believed that God would answer his prayer. Enos prayed until Heavenly Father answered his prayers. Enos felt happy again.

Which picture do you think shows a child doing what Enos did? (picture of girl praying)

How can praying to Heavenly Father help you?

(Ask Him questions, Bless my family, Help me find something, Help me to feel safe and not alone, Help me to feel loved, etc…)

*Picture of King Benjamin teaching his people

Mosiah 2:16-18

 16 Behold, I say unto you that because I said unto you that I had spent my days in your service, I do not desire to boast, for I have only been in the service of God.

 17 And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.

 18 Behold, ye have called me your king; and if I, whom ye call your king, do labor to serve you, then ought not ye to labor to serve one another?

Even though King Benjamin was a King, he spent his time serving his people. He taught them that when we are serving others, we are serving our Heavenly Father.

Which picture do you think shows children doing what King Benjamin did and what he taught his people to do? (picture of children raking the leaves at an elderly woman’s home)

How can you serve other so that you can serve your Heavenly Father?

(Be nice to my brother or sister, share my toys, help a friend get up if they fall down, do my chores without being told to, write a letter to grandma or grandpa, clean up after myself, make a card for a friend who is sick and deliver it, invite someone who is alone to play with everyone)

*Picture of Samuel the Lamanite teaching the Nephites on the wall

Helaman 13:2-4

 2 And it came to pass that in this year there was one Samuel, a Lamanite, came into the land of Zarahemla, and began to preach unto the people. And it came to pass that he did preach, many days, repentance unto the people, and they did cast him out, and he was about to return to his own land.

 3 But behold, the voice of the Lord came unto him, that he should return again, and prophesy unto the people whatsoever things should come into his heart.

 4 And it came to pass that they would not suffer that he should enter into the city; therefore he went and got upon the wall thereof, and stretched forth his hand and cried with a loud voice, and prophesied unto the people whatsoever things the Lord put into his heart.

Helaman 16:1-3

 1 And now, it came to pass that there were many who heard the words of Samuel, the Lamanite, which he spake upon the walls of the city. And as many as believed on his word went forth and sought for Nephi; and when they had come forth and found him they confessed unto him their sins and denied not, desiring that they might be baptized unto the Lord.

 2 But as many as there were who did not believe in the words of Samuel were angry with him; and they cast stones at him upon the wall, and also many shot arrows at him as he stood upon the wall; but the Spirit of the Lord was with him, insomuch that they could not hit him with their stones neither with their arrows.

 3 Now when they saw that they could not hit him, there were many more who did believe on his words, insomuch that they went away unto Nephi to be baptized.

Even though Samuel already tried to teach the people of Zarahemla, God told him to go back. Samuel found a way to teach them about Christ even though some of the people were trying to hurt him. God protected him, so he could share his message.

Which picture shows someone doing something that is sometimes hard to do, but we know should? (picture of a boy saving his money instead of spending it on something he doesn’t need) If we always spend our money when we get it, we don't give ourselves the opportunity to save it for something better. It hard to save our money, but it is worth it in the end.

What are some other things that God wants us to do, but can be hard to do?

(doing my homework before playing, not going to a friends birthday party on Sunday, holding my parents hand when walking across the street, doing what my mom and dad tell me to do when I want to do what I want, not taking the toy or candy from the store when my mom or dad won’t buy it for me, coming home from a friends house when my parents tell me to, paying tithing)

Why is it important to do what God wants me to do, even when it is hard?

(so I don’t get a bad grade on my homework, I can keep the Sabbath day holy, my parents can keep me safe in case a car doesn’t see me, I am supposed to listen to what my parents say even though I don’t understand why I need to listen to them, stealing is wrong, I need to listen to my parents when they tell me to come home because I love them and they care about me, we are following a commandment given from God)

Share Testimony of learning from the scriptures and how the scriptures help me in my life.

Closing Prayer

Treats: Brownies and ice cream

(All pictures used come from lds.org in the media library.)