Family Night Lesson: Straighten Up and Fly Right

Here is a quick and easy family night lesson based of the General Conference Talk by Robert D. Hales. “Meeting the Challenges of Today’s World”.

Opening Prayer: By invitation

Opening Song: Choose the Right Way

Lesson:

• What are the challenges our youth are facing today?

(Their answers may vary with their age. Pornography, bad language, mean kids at school, not having enough time to play Pokemon, having to clean their room, etc)

You are living through a critical period of your life. The choices you make—mission, education, marriage, career, and service in the Church—will shape your eternal destiny. This means you will always be looking ahead—looking to the future.

When Elder Hales was a boy and about to make a poor choice is dad would say, “…straighten up and fly right!”

When Elder Hales was in the Air Force he learned the principal never fly deliberately into a thunderstorm.

Beloved young adult brothers and sisters, I want to help you “fly right” in the gathering storms of the last days. You are the pilots. You are responsible to think about the consequences of every choice you make. Ask yourself, “If I make this choice, what is the worst thing that could happen?” Your righteous choices will keep you from getting off course.

Think of it: If you choose not to take a drink of alcohol, you will not become an alcoholic! If you never choose to go into debt, you will avoid the possibility of bankruptcy!

• What examples from literature have we seen when characters have avoided danger or stayed away from temptation or evil?
• What examples from scriptures have we seen when people have chosen to avoid temptation or evil?

Heavenly Father warned these believers. Similarly, He will help us know whether to fight, flee, or go with the flow of our unfolding circumstances. He will speak to us through prayer, and when we pray, we will have the Holy Ghost, who will guide us. We have the scriptures, the teachings of living prophets, patriarchal blessings, the counsel of inspired parents, priesthood and auxiliary leaders, and, above all, the still, small voice of the Spirit.

We can make good choices. One of the good choices we can make is education. Robert D. Hales says this… (Have some one read this next paragraph)

Education prepares you for better employment opportunities. It puts you in a better position to serve and to bless those around you. It will set you on a path of lifelong learning. It will strengthen you to fight against ignorance and error. As Joseph Smith taught: “Knowledge does away with darkness, suspense and doubt; for these cannot exist where knowledge is. … In knowledge there is power.”⁹ “To be learned is good if they hearken unto the counsels of God.”¹⁰ Education will prepare you for what is ahead, including marriage.

Elder Hales continues on ways we can seek better choices.

Remember, no one can reach upward on your behalf. Only your faith and prayers will cause you to lift yourself and have the mighty change of heart. Only your resolve to be obedient can change your life. Because of the Savior’s atoning sacrifice for you, the power is in you.¹⁷You have your agency, you have strong testimonies if you are obedient, and you can follow the Spirit that guides you.

Have your children role play what to do when other people present temptation. Talk about deciding now what to do will make it easier when those times come. Give each family member a chance to answer.

• What will you say if someone wants you to cheat? Use bad language? Try alcohol? View pornography? Ditch school? Join in picking on someone?

Close with your testimony that as we seek to fly right we will be blessed. We can make choices now to obey the commandments. We can be proactive now so we can help and lift others later in life.

Closing Prayer: by invitation

Family Activity: Make Paper Airplanes and race them.

Family Night Treat: Airplane Cookies. A treat even President Uchtdorf would love!