This lesson on Divine Nature is the first in an 8-part FHE series featuring the Young Women's values. Get the other 7 lessons here.
Song: “O My Father” (Hymns, no. 292), “I am a Child of God” (CS, no. 2)
Focus: Value Experience #3
Color Meaning: The color blue looks like the sky, pointing us towards heaven where we came from and reminding us we are children of divine parents.
Lesson:
Show family members this Mormonadand read the scripture at the bottom (1 Pet. 2:9).
Have a family member read the following story told by President Harold B. Lee in a 1973 BYU devotional titled “Be Loyal to the Royal Within You”:
“One of our Latter-day Saint men during World War II was over in England. He had gone to an officer's club where they were holding a riotous kind of celebration. He noticed off to the side a young British officer who didn't seem to be enjoying himself at all. So he walked over to him and said, ‘You don't seem to be enjoying this kind of a party.’ And this young British officer straightened himself a few inches taller than he was before and replied, ‘No, sir, I can't engage in this kind of a party, because, you see, I belong to the royal household of England.’
As our Latter-day Saint boy walked away he said to himself, ‘Neither can I, because I belong to the royal household of the kingdom of God.’ Do you realize that, you young people? There are things that you cannot and must not do if you remember your heritage.”
Read the color meaning of Divine Nature, then ask family members the following:
If you were a member of the royal family in England, how would you behave? How would you speak to family members, friends, or strangers? How would you dress and act in public? How would you respond if someone was disrespectful or rude to you?
We may not all be part of a royal family on earth, but we are all part of a heavenly family. If we truly understand our heritage as children of God, then just like the royal family in England, we will want to act respectfully and appropriately. How would a child of God dress and act in public? How would a child of God respond if someone was disrespectful or rude? How would a child of God speak to family members, friends, or strangers?
Talk about ways that you can strengthen each other in your family, such as not judging or criticizing, writing notes of encouragement, finding ways to serve, etc. and have everyone make an individual goal to do one of them for the next week.
* For those completing the value experience, continue your efforts for two weeks and then share your experiences with a family member, parent, or leader.
Additional Resources:
If you have children in your family or love to read, check out You Are Special by Max Lucado, available at Deseret Book and deseretbook.com.