1. From Breakfast to
Bedtime
Meaningful celebrations to teach the
gospel in the home
Lani Hilton

2. (Ensign, April 2009)
―The question should not be
whether we are too tired to
prepare to teach doctrine or
whether it would be better to
draw a child closer by just having
fun or whether the child is
beginning to think that we preach
too much. The question must be,
―With so little time and so few
opportunities, what words of
doctrine from me will fortify
them against the attacks on their
faith which are sure to come?‖
The words you speak today may
be the ones they remember. And
today will soon be gone‖

3. Who? Why? What?

―We call upon parents to devote their
best efforts to the teaching and rearing
of their children in gospel principles
which will keep them close to the
Church... (First Presidency Letter, 11
February 1999, emphasis added).

4. If you keep doing what you’ve been
doing….You will keep getting the results
you have been getting

5. Who Has Walked Up the Down
Escalator?

7. Elder Henry B. Eyring
“Raise the Bar”
http://web.byui.edu/presentations
―As the challenges around us
increase, we must commit to
do more to qualify for the
companionship of the Holy
Ghost. Casual prayer won’t be
enough. Reading a few verses
of the scripture won’t be
enough. Doing the minimum
of what the Lord asks of us
won’t be enough... Only a
steady, ever-increasing effort
will allow the Lord to take us
to higher ground… You can
set the bar for yourself a little
higher and then a little higher,
again and again.‖

8. Increase our effort through:
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1. Daily devotionals
2. Significant /Historic dates
3. Already calendared holidays
4. The Holy Sabbath

9. Daily Devotional
set ph

10. Big five—For a day of power
1 Scripture Shared
2. Express Love
3. Testify
Prayer
5. Hymn
4.

11. Deuteronomy 6:6-7
And these words which I command thee this day
shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them
diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them
when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou
walkest by thy way, and when thou liest down,
and when thou risest up.

12. "I have a vision of
thousands of
missionaries going into
the mission field with
hundreds of passages
memorized from the
Book of Mormon so
that they might feed the
President Ezra Taft Benson,
needs of a spiritually
October 1988 General Conference
famished world."

13. Elder Gene R. Cook, Searching
the Scriptures, pg. 114
"I have discovered that
many times you don't fully
understand a scripture
until you memorize it….
When you find a passage
that particularly impresses
you, consider taking the
time to commit it to
memory, word perfect.

14. Elder Scott, General Conference
2013
―Great power can come
from memorizing scriptures.
To memorize a scripture is
to forge a new friendship. It
is like discovering a new
individual who can help in
time of need, give
inspiration and comfort, and
be a source of motivation
for needed change.‖

15. Helaman 5:12
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Actions that a three year old can do

16. 
Deut 6:9 And thou shalt write them upon the
posts of thy house, and on they gates.
Post them where all can see.
Write just the first letter of each word.
Do actions
Words to songs, made up or familar
Review, repeat*
Write them out

17. Express love
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―We can begin to become more diligent and
concerned at home by telling the people we love
that we love them. Such expressions do not
need to be flowery or lengthy. We simply should
sincerely and frequently express love…
We should remember that saying ―I love you‖ is
only a beginning. We need to say it, we need to
mean it, and most importantly we need
consistently to show it. We need to both express
and demonstrate love.‖ Elder Bednar Oct 2009

18. Elder Bednar quoting President
Monson

President Thomas S. Monson recently
counseled: ―Often we assume that [the people
around us] must know how much we love them.
But we should never assume; we should let them
know. … We will never regret the kind words
spoken or the affection shown. Rather, our
regrets will come if such things are omitted from
our relationships with those who mean the most
to us‖ (―Finding Joy in the
Journey,‖ Liahona and Ensign, Nov. 2008, 86).

19. Express love
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S
Verbal I love you
Looking in the eye
Kindness, gentleness,
Hugs, hugs, hugs –minimum of 10 a day!!!
Express gratitude/ Smile
E
T
P H

20. Testify
―Our testimonies are proclaimed and lived most
powerfully in our own homes. Spouses, parents,
and children should strive to overcome any
hesitancy, reluctance, or embarrassment about
bearing testimony. We should both create and
look for opportunities to bear testimony of
gospel truths—and live them.‖
Elder David A Bednar October 2009

21. Testify
As we profess truth rather than admonish,
exhort, or simply share interesting experiences,
we invite the Holy Ghost to confirm the verity
of our words…Feeling the power, the
edification, and the constancy of testimony from
a spouse, a parent, or a child is a rich blessing.
Such testimony fortifies faith and provides
direction.
Elder Bednar October 2009


22. Testify
What this looks like:
There should be no question in the minds of your
children about what you believe.
I know that is true.
I have seen that in my life.
I have the felt the spirit testify of this.
I felt this was true when…

23. Are you feeling the power in
prayer
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3 Nephi 18 : 21 Pray in your families unto the
Father, always in my name that your wives and
your children many be blessed.
Alma 5: 46 I prayed many days that I might
know these things
D & C 10:5 pray always that ye may come of
conqueror
1 John 3: 22 Whatsoever ye ask ye receive

24. A hymn a day keeps Satan away
―Music has boundless powers for moving
families toward greater spirituality and devotion to
the gospel…Ours is a hymnbook for the home as
well as for the meetinghouse…Teach your
children to love the hymns. Sing them on the
Sabbath, in home evening, during scripture study,
at prayer time. Sing as you work , as you play, and
as you travel together. Sing hymns as lullabies to
build faith and testimony in your young ones.‖
-First Presidency preface to the hymnbook

25. What this looks like…
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Piano Practice
You sing a solo/Everyone sings together
You choose/ Children get to choose
Same hymn every day
Rotate five hymns each week
Sing same hymn for a month
Background music, arrangements from the
internet: general conference music/
youth.lds.org

27. Elder L. Tom Perry, Living with
Enthusiasm, “Meaningful
celebrations” p. 82
―I hope that … we always
celebrate with a purpose. I
pray that we will make our
celebrations more
meaningful by reaffirming
significant spiritual,
political, cultural and
social values.‖

28. Joseph Smith’s birthday
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December 23 in Sharon Vermont
Read first few pages of Joseph Smith History
Draw pictures of his family with names and
faces of his brothers and sisters
Read D&C 135 that talks about Joseph Smith
doing more for our salvation than any other
man save the Savior
Birthday treats especially for those who can
retell the facts or recite the scripture

29. Angel appears to the prophet
He receives the plates
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September 21 and 22nd
Read the ―Testimony of the Prophet Joseph
Smith‖ at the beginning of the Book of Mormon
Discuss principles, act them out
Make paper angels, cupcakes with angel decor,
or make with powered sugar on your pancakes
Act out receiving the gold plates, running with
them, protecting them, play hide and seek or
other hiding games with them—running from
the bad guys

30. Restoration of the Priesthood
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May 15th on banks of the river (go to a river)
Show pictures from gospel art
Show pictures & tell stories from your family
Celebrate with special treats, games, going out
D&C 13 read and memorize the whole section!!
To tune of ―down by the bay‖: Down by the
banks of the Susquehanna; where the Priesthood
was restored to man; by Peter, James, and John;
the latter-day work had now begun (lyrics by
Jennifer Pond)

31. The birthday of the church
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April 6 in Fayette New York
Read Doctrine and Covenants Section 21 and
talk about the first commandment given to the
church and the promises given—they are
beautiful
Sing Happy Birthday
Have a birthday celebration
Testify

32. Publication of the Book of
Mormon
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March 26th
Tin foil and toothpicks,
Read Title Page and Introduction
Everyone share a favorite story
Make treats shaped like the book or reformed
egyptian characters, a cake with blue frosting, or
pretzels on nutella on a cracker
Monopoly money $3000

33. Ancestor Day Feb 4
Do activities specific to your heritage
ex: Root beer, crossing a body of water
 Talk about them, ask guests to share about theirs
 Act out their stories
 Make it a fun, memorable holiday
 Celebrate heritage
 Show a chain and share President Hinckley’s
quote on not being a weak link

34. Celebrate with a purpose
through already calendared dates
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New Years Eve/ New Years Day
February 14; celebrate God’s love, family love
Easter Week
Father’s Day/Mother’s Day
Children’s birthdays: celebration of their life, the
plan, miracle of their birth
Marriage Anniversary-birthday of our family/
Our first date
Other holidays already established

35. Celebrate love
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Look up love phrases in the scriptures write
them on paper hearts for decoration
Hang large hearts from the ceiling and write
what you love about family members
Scriptures and devotional for the month focus
on this theme. We need to feel more and be
reminded more of God’s love for us
Extra loving things with a love jar
For neighbors : Give heart attacks with heart
shaped cookies; scriptures from the Bible, 1
John 3 & 4

36. Power love phrases
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―If ye love me, keep my commandments‖ (John
14:15)
God so loved the world that he gave his only
begotten Son John 3: 16
Ye shall abide in my love John 15:10
1 John 4:7 Love one another for love is of God
1 Peter 1: 22 love one another with a pure heart

37. “A Christ-centered Easter”
by Joe and Janet Hales
Palm Sunday- Triumphal entry
 Monday-Cleansing temple
 Tues and Wednesday- acting out parables
 Thursday –Passover dinner and symbolic food
 Friday – darkness
 Saturday plan of salvation treasure hunt,
 Glorious Easter Sunday, Easter morning rolls
fish and honeycomb, special sunrise service
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39. Conference weekend celebration
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Tents facing the tv like king benjamen’s people
Conference candy
Big activity in between sessions, or simple picnic
Conference cake
Participate in all sessions, dress up
Keep notes and set goals together as a family
―His word ye shall receive as if from mine own
mouth‖

40. Lunch time, time to love
At Home
Prayer, Verbal ―I love you‖
Activity to serve someone else
Activity to show love to that child/or children
not present
At School
Love note, Scriptures in lunches, treat in lunch
from memorizing the scripture
Invitation to do something kind for someone else

42. Bedtime
1-Family scripture study
2-Family Prayer/ individual prayers
3-Hymn/ cd of primary kids singing or
instrumental music from general conference as
they get ready for bed or fall asleep
4-Express love
5-Testify

43. Teach the gospel
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1. Daily rituals/devotionals
2. Historic Significant dates
3. Calendared holidays
4. The Holy Sabbath

44. Elder John H Groberg 1984
―Does the Lord love and bless those who keep the
Sabbath day holy? I testify that he does in eternally
meaningful ways.‖
―There is a direct correlation between the proper
observance of the Sabbath and true reverence for
God, which includes obedience to his other
commandments.‖

45. The Holy Sabbath
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missionary guests
Sabbath systems: by week or Sunday stations
split into 20 minute sections: at the table, in the
living room, individual study time
1st- magazine mania, 2nd church online
resources, 3rd family history week, 4th conference
reports
concentrated song time, Gospel 20 questions,
scripture charades

46. President Henry B. Eyring
April 2009
President Eyring taught, ―A
wise parent would never miss a
chance to gather children
together to learn of the doctrine
of Jesus Christ. Such moments
are so rare in comparison with
the efforts of the enemy. For
every hour the power of
doctrine is introduced into a
child’s life, there may be
hundreds of hours of messages
and images denying or ignoring
the saving truths.‖

47. President Eyring April 2009

―The question should not be whether we are too
tired to prepare to teach doctrine or whether it
would be better to draw a child closer by just
having fun or whether the child is beginning to
think that we preach too much. The question
must be, ―With so little time and so few
opportunities, what words of doctrine from me
will fortify them against the attacks on their faith
which are sure to come?‖ The words you speak
today may be the ones they remember. And
today will soon be gone‖

48. (Ensign, May 2010)
―Youth of all ages, even
infants, can and do
respond to the distinctive
spirit of the Book of
Mormon. Children may
not understand all of the
words and stories, but
they certainly can feel the
―familiar spirit‖ described
by Isaiah‖

49. Elder Scott April 2013
One of the greatest blessings we can offer to the
world is the power of a Christ-centered home
where the gospel is taught, covenants are kept, and
love abounds.
I bear testimony that living an obedient life, firmly
rooted in the gospel of Jesus Christ, provides the
greatest assurance for peace and refuge in our
homes. There will still be plenty of challenges or
heartaches, but even in the midst of turmoil, we
can enjoy inner peace and profound happiness.