Scripture
Malachi 4:6
And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.
Hymn
1. Turn your hearts; the Lord is coming,
Malachi the prophet said.
Turn your hearts in preparation
To the work of exaltation
For the living and the dead.
2. In the latter days Elijah
Will renew the plan sublime.
He will teach you and remind you
Of the promises that bind you
To all men throughout all time.
3. Turn your hearts toward your parents–
Generations gone before.
May you seek until you find them;
In the temple seal and bind them
To your hearts forevermore.
4. Turn in love to all your children–
Generations yet to be.
May your deeds of gospel giving,
Temple service, righteous living,
Bless them all eternally.
Lesson
*Suitable for All Ages*
Begin by gathering photographs of your ancestors. They can be recent or old. Consider including someone you have personally been inspired by or who you admire. Start the lesson by showing these pictures to the group, explaining who they are, and sharing any interesting stories.
Read aloud: These are some of our ancestors. Even though we may not have met them, they are still part of our family. By learning about their lives, we can be unified. We can feel the spirit of Christ in our home. They have a lot of lessons to teach us.
Ask: Why is it important to remember our ancestors? Has someone in our family ever taught you something you were grateful to learn?
Read aloud: The work of learning about our ancestors is called genealogy or family history work. Heavenly Father wants us to do this work! It is a part of the gospel plan. Family history work includes finding out who our ancestors are, learning who they are, taking their names to the temple, and recording our own stories so we can help future generations, just to name a few.
We owe a lot to our ancestors. Without them, we would not be here. We can bless their lives and ours by doing family history work.
Ask: What are some of the blessings of doing family history work?
Share any personal experiences or blessings you have received from doing family history work. Make one goal together on how you are going to work on your family history in the upcoming week. See the activity below and fill out a genealogy chart together.
Featured Products
These genealogy charts are a colorful and personalized way to remember your family. You can get them here!
Treat
Treat
Easy Chocolate Ice Cream
Ingredients:
-2 cups cold heavy whipping cream
-1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
-3/4 cup chocolate syrup
Directions:
In large mixing bowl of stand-mixer or in a large bowl and using an electric hand mixer, add all the ingredients: heavy whipping cream, sweetened condensed milk, chocolate syrup and/or sea salt (optional).
Whip the chocolate heavy cream mixture on high speed until stiff peaks form (to prevent massive splattering, start out at a slower speed and as the cream thickens, increase the speed). Be careful not to over mix or “break” the whip cream mixture.
Pour the whipped mixture into a freezer safe container. Cover and freeze for about 4-5 hours. In about 3-4 hours you can have a “soft serve” type ice cream. If you prefer a more firm texture, freeze for at least 5-6 hours or overnight.
Now eat and enjoy this creamy, luscious, delicious dessert!
(Courtesy of Best Recipe Box)
Activity
ActivityPedigree Chart
Fill out a pedigree chart together as a family. You can order one online, like the one above, here or you can draw one yourself. Fill in each name with as much information as you have available. Talk about who the people are and what you know about them. Commit to filling in any blank spots or searching out stories.
Aleah is a graduate of Southern Virginia University, where she studied English, Creative Writing, and Dance. She now works full time as a marketing and product manager, writer, and editor. She currently hosts the podcast “Single to the Glory” about singlehood in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Aleah served a mission in California and loves baking, Lang Leav poetry, Gaynor Minden pointe shoes, and Bollywood movies.
