Families Can Be Together Forever

Opening Song: Families Can Be Together Forever 

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/music/library/childrens-songbook/families-can-be-together-forever?lang=eng

Opening Prayer:

Scripture: Moses 1:39 " For behold, this is my work and my glory-to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man."

Activity: Show a map prepared with clues to leads to a treasure. Explain that if they do what the map says and follow the clues they will find a treasure. Be sure to emphasize there will be enough for everyone!

For the treasure hunt place the following clues near the objects/person in your home (the underlined words) by using the following song titles from the Children's Primary Book. Each clue leads to the next towards a treasure. 

• Popcorn Popping "I looked out the window and what did I see?"
• Search, Ponder, and Pray "I love to read the holy scriptures"
• The Chapel Doors "The chapel doors seem to say to me shh"
• Book of Mormon Stories "Book of Mormon Stories that my teacher tells to me"
• The Nativity Song "this is the manger, sweet hay for bed"
• For Health and Strength "For health and strength and daily food (kitchen)..."
• Mother tell me the Story "Mother tell me the story that I love to hear"

Mother will show the treasure: A picture of a family at a temple (such as this one here).

Discussion: Heavenly Father has a special treasure for you too! 

-What do you think is the special treasure that He has for you? (Eternal Life with our Families)

-What do you think the picture of the map represents? (Heavenly Father gave us a map to help us find our way home to him to live with our families forever.)

-What are some of the things Heavenly Father has given us to help us find our way back home to him? 

(Some ideas may include: Parents, Scriptures, The Family: A Proclamation to the World, Prophets, and other church leaders).

Introduce The Family: A Proclamation to the World

One of the maps Heavenly Father has given us to find our way successfully back to Him is The Family: A Proclamation to the World. This proclamation was given in 1995 by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints President, Gordon B. Hinkley to remind the world of God's purposes for families as established by God with Adam and Eve since the beginning of time (Church of Jesus Christ, 1995). Since the apostasy, the world had forgotten the doctrine of eternal families and had no knowledge of God's plan of happiness. Today restored priesthood keys have been re-established through the prophet Joseph Smith allowing for the necessary ordinances, covenants, and blessings of eternal families to come forth on the Earth again (Judd, D.,2012). 

Read the second paragraph of The Family: A Proclamation to the World

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/the-family-a-proclamation-to-the-world/the-family-a-proclamation-to-the-world?lang=eng

Discussion: What are some truths that are found within this paragraph that you can see?

• All of us, male and female were created in God’s image (read Moses 2:26-27, Genesis 1:26-27). 
• We have heavenly parents (a Father and a Mother). 
• We are spirits created by God. 
• Our identity as male and female have a divine nature, identity, and purpose

Family relationships are fundamental to our progression here on earth. Those who live the principles and teachings found in the proclamation all will have added strength, blessings, and happiness in this life and in the next. When we follow the teachings and admonitions in the proclamation we will find happiness in this life and in the next when founded on the teachings of Jesus Christ.

Read: From the beginning and read The Family: A Proclamation to World as a family. Look for the promise mentioned specifically for the blessings of happiness. When it is found read it: "Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ."

Discussion: Each of us has a divine destiny and purpose. What are some ways that we can individually contribute to our family having the spirit of Christ in our homes so we can be a happy family? 

Testimony: Our family has never been sealed together.  Heavenly Father's plan of agency for us is part of the outcome of that but I know Heavenly Father is in the details of our lives.  I know that His  Plan of Salvation is a privilege extended for all His children.  No matter how our families look, we can still choose for our own lives as we grow and develop, to enjoy the blessings that come from choosing to be sealed to a partner of our own someday in the temple of the Lord. If we live worthy and adhere to the council in The Family: A Proclamation to the World, we too will enjoy the happiness and rich treasure of being sealed to our families for eternity with our Father in Heaven. 

 Closing Song: The Family is of God 

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/media/video/2014-01-0070-the-family-is-of-god?lang=eng

 Closing Prayer

References

Judd, D., “The eternal family: a plain and precious part of the plan of salvation” (2012), Hawkins, A. J., In Dollahite, D. C., & In Draper, T., Successful Marriages and Families: Proclamation Principles and Research Perspectives.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. (1995). The Family: A Proclamation to the World. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/the-family-a-proclamation-to-the-world/the-family-a-proclamation-to-the-world?lang=eng