This family home evening lesson is based loosely on “Life’s Lessons Learned” by Elder Joseph B Wirthlin. He gave the talk at the last General Conference. In the talk he shared stories of pivotal moments in his life, especially in his youth. This would be a great talk to adapt for a family home evening lesson, especially if you have teenagers.
You can start out the lesson by reading Joshua 24:15. You can point out that we each must make the choice to keep the commandments and live the laws of the gospel. It is important to realize that we only have to make the choice once, and then we just stick to that choice. You may want to stress how much the gospel has blessed your life. Then you can share the story of when Elder Wirthlin had the opportunity to move the football to win the game, but chose not to. You can ask your children what he meant about this being a big decision for him and it set him down the right path. You may ask your children to list the big decisions that they may be faced with. You should emphasize the law of chastity, the Word of Wisdom and integrity specifically.
You may want to talk about the other stories mentioned in the talk as well. President Wirthlin grew up knowing the value of service, and with the influence of great leaders. You can encourage your children to help those around them. You may also talk about the importance of being a good influence for others.
If you have younger Primary children you may want to focus more on telling the truth and being kind to others. You can talk about the importance of obeying the commandments and having integrity. You may want to share the story of Abinadi who chose to remain righteous in bad circumstance. The story of Daniel and the Lion’s Den would work as well.
You can sing “Choose the Right” p 239 in “Hymns” or “Dare to Do Right” p 158 in “The Children’s Songbook.” Remember to have an activity as a family and to have refreshments. It is a great time of the year to do something outdoors.
Related Articles:
General Conference: “Life’s Lessons Learned”
General Conference: “Let Us Be Men”