The next topic in the “For the Strength of Youth” pamphlet is “Entertainment and the Media.” This is an important section to discuss with your children, because it is an issue that they have to deal with on almost a daily basis. It makes a great topic for family home evening.
Begin your family home evening lesson by reading Moroni 7:12-19. After you have read that read the “Entertainment and the Media” section from the pamphlet, as a family. Ask your children what the scripture tells us about judging media. Discuss with your children the different things, which make entertainment acceptable or unacceptable. You can use “Choose the Right . . . Media,” an article found in the New Era, as a basis for the discussion. You may also want to talk about what to do when they find themselves in a situation where they need to turn off the entertainment or leave. Share a story of your own or you can read “Walking Out” to your children. As a family make a commitment to only watch entertainment which invites the spirit. Read Articles of Faith 1:13 as a conclusion.
If you have primary age children you may want to read “The Choice” and “The Decision” to your family as well. Both stories are found in “The Friend,” and they are about children choosing not to view negative media influences. There are also reminder badges that your children can color and attach to the TV and computer to remind your family to watch wholesome entertainment. These badges are found in “Sharing Time: Clean Thoughts.” You may want to go over the suggestions in the story that accompanies the badges as well.
If you are preparing a lesson primarily for adults, you should still read the standards outlined in the pamphlet. You then can read and discuss “Let Our Voices Be Heard” by M Russell Ballard and “You Can’t Pet a Rattlesnake” by David E Sorensen. These are both excellent talks about choosing wholesome entertainment. The standards in the For the Strength of Youth pamphlet apply to all of us as members of the church, not just the youth.
You can choose a favorite hymn or primary song for the opening and closing songs. Do not forget to have refreshments. You can also choose to watch a good movie, as a family, at the conclusion of the lesson.