I always love when President Eyring speaks at General Conference. This talk “When Two or Three are Gathered” really helped me feel the spirit. I knew I wanted to use this for a Family Night Lesson.
Opening Prayer: by invitation
Opening Song: Faith
Lesson:
President Eyring teaches us the when we gather, even in small numbers, and we gather in His name, we can receive the promise that He will be with us.
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, … where two or three are gathered together in my name, … behold, there will I be in the midst of them—even so am I in the midst of you” (D&C 6:32).
Where and when we feel the closeness of the Savior depend on each of us. He gave this instruction:
“And again, verily I say unto you, my friends, I leave these sayings with you to ponder in your hearts, with this commandment which I give unto you, that ye shall call upon me while I am near—
“Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you; seek me diligently and ye shall find me; ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you” (D&C 88:62–63).
- How can we draw near unto our Savior when we are in sacrament? In family home evening? Or in Primary?
(Invite one of your children to read the parable of the sower)
“And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:
“Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:
“And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.
“And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:
“But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.
“Who hath ears to hear, let him hear” (Matthew 13:4–9).
(For more understanding of this parable read Matthew 13: 18-23)
- What are the seeds compared to in our day?
- What happened to the seeds that fell upon thorns?
- What happened to the seeds that fell upon stony places?
- What can we do to keep our soil fertile?
- What am I doing to feel the love of The Lord?
President Eyring teaches that prayer can help soften our hearts and prepare us to hear the word of God. He teaches us that those who are singing or speaking at conference have been praying that our hearts will receive their message.
They have prayed to have the power to encourage you to make the choices that will create in your heart a more fertile ground for the good word of God to grow and be fruitful. If you listen with the Spirit, you will find your heart softened, your faith strengthened, and your capacity to love the Lord increased.
Your choice to pray with full purpose of heart will transform your experience in the conference sessions and in the days and months that follow.
( I love this message! I know my husband prays before he sings that those who listens will feel his testimony and that they will have their testimony strengthened. Recently a friend of mine whose son sings in the same choir shared with me that her son received a witness when he was singing about our Savior. If you have a time that you felt the prayers of others for you while you sang or when you had the chance to speak, share that with your family. Remember one of the most important things we can do for our children is to help them feel the spirit of The Lord.)
- When can we pray to receive, more fully, the word of The Lord?
- How will praying for speakers or those in musical performances strengthen our testimonies?
You might choose to pray as a speaker seems to be coming to an end of his or her message. He or she will be praying inwardly to the Father that the Holy Ghost will give him or her the words of testimony that will lift the listeners’ hearts, hopes, and determination to always remember the Savior and keep the commandments that He has given us.
The testimony will not be a recital of the message. It will be an affirmation of some truth that the Spirit can carry into the hearts of those who will be praying for help, for divine direction, and to receive the pure love of Christ.
True testimony will be given to the speakers. Their words may be few, but they will be carried into the heart of the humble listener who has come to the conference hungry for the good word of God.
Testimonies have the power to invite the spirit and witness the truths that are being born are true. They also can prompt the Holy Ghost to guide or direct the listener on what they should do. We should remember to always be especially reverent when testimonies are shared. And we must remember to bear our testimonies so others can feel the spirit as well. We can choose to have our hearts softened.
Invite family members to bear their testimony briefly before closing.
(Challenge your family to seek the spirit of Christ more fully by praying for speakers, performers, and others when we gather in Christ’s name. Bear your testimony that our Savior is near when two or three are gathered in His name. Encourage your family to always seek to hear the good word of God. And follow up next week on their progress.)
Activity: Planting some new plants.
Feel free to start your garden or simply buy some succulents or new herbs that your family can help grow as a reminder to nourish the good word of God. Have everyone help and take ownership of your plants. Perhaps you can take turns watering it during the coming weeks.
Treat Ideas: Dirt Cups
Make instant Jell-O Pudding and top with crushed Oreos. You could use pudding packs to save time. You can make fancy flowers to tape to the spoons (I used flowers from this birthday party) Or you can have your children draw flowers earlier that day.
Be sure to subscribe for more great family promoting posts. And if you missed the family night lesson from Thomas S. Monson be sure to check it out…
