Another Talk

Annie is giving another talk in church today. She has the same talk Sabrina had last week. Last week we forgot about Sabrina's talk until 5 minutes before she was supposed to give it. :) We sat for a few minutes together and put an outline down on paper. I was so pleased with her as she stood up there and gave her talk with only an outline to guide her words. It is a bit scary to do more of an impromptu talk. She did a fabulous talk.

I would share it but since we didn't actually write it ... well I think I would have a hard time remembering all she said. The topic for both girls was Prophets Teach us to Strengthen our Families. Sabrina's outline highlighted that Family Home Evening, Family Prayer and Scripture Study and Having Love in our Home are thing that prophet have taught us to do that also strengthen our family.

Annie and I just put her talk together. I helped her find the quotes from the Gospel Art Kit. She did the rest. My favorite part is the insight she gives on why her little sister Lauren always wants to say the family prayer. Here it is:

I am doing a talk about how prophets teach us to strengthen our families. I will tell you what three different prophets have taught us about families.

First – President Joseph F. Smith SHOW PICTURE

In 1915, when Joseph F. Smith was President of the Church, the First Presidency wrote a letter encouraging families to hold “home evening activities. They promised blessings to families who would participate. President Smith promised, “If the Saints obey this counsel, we promise that great blessings will result. Love at home and obedience to parents will increase. Faith will be developed in the hearts of the youth of Israel, and they will gain power to combat the evil influence and temptations which beset them.”

HOLD UP FAMILY HOME EVENING BOOK

Family Home Evening is a great thing to have. I like having Family Home Evening because it has lots of activities and it teaches us lessons and everybody has fun doing it.

HOLD UP PICTURE OF PRESIDENT HINCKLEY

President Gordon B. Hinckley said four simple things we can do to help make our families strong. “Let parents and children (1) teach and learn goodness together, (2) work together, (3) read good books together, and (4) pray together.”

We teach and learn goodness together in family home evening. We work together. Yesterday we cleaned our whole house. I like doing it together as a family because we help each other. It would be hard to clean the whole house by yourself. I am glad my whole family can help me. We also read good books together. Right now we are reading this book. HOLD UP TENNIS SHOES BOOK It is a fun book about kids who go back in time and live in Book of Mormon times. We also like to pray together. Lauren my little sister always likes to do the prayer because she wants to make hers short.

HOLD UP PICTURE OF PRESIDENT MCKAY and FAMILY TOGETHERNESS PICTURE

President David O. McKay said “I know of no other place where happiness abides more securely than in the home. It is possible to make home a bit of heaven. Indeed, I picture heaven as a continuation of the ideal home.”

We can do the four things President Hinckley told us to do to make heaven come to our homes. When heaven is in our home it feels really good because it is all calm and no one is fighting. Everyone plays good games and it just feels like everything is Right. I really like it when Heavenly Father is our home because He helps our home feel good. When heaven is in our home it feels like my little sister Camille is there too. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.