Lesson #7: Faith in Family Life

Opening Prayer

Opening Song:  True to the Faith #254

Lesson:  Faith in Family Life

Joesph Smith defined faith not only as belief but as "the principle of action in all intelligent beings" (Hawkins, Dollahite, Draper).  As stated in The Family: A Proclamation to the World, "Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith and prayer."

Ask this question:

Does faith influence family or does family influence faith?

Share this quote by William, A latter-day Saint father of six:

"When we work with people, it helps us to keep our own struggles in a better perspective and they don't become a burden, just a part of life...I personally believe that people are at their happiest when they're serving others.....Service in the church....is based on doing things for other people, [going] outside yourself."

Holding any religious affiliation is associated with reduced odds of marital infidelity verses those with no religious affiliation.  Also, differences in religious involvement seem to portend higher rates of both marital conflict and failure.

Share this quote by the Author Data:

"[If a faith is shared, then children] see that the parents are going to church....but if a house has a parent that's not going....that causes the child to have a misunderstanding of what you're really suppose to do.  So it's really beneficial....to be worshiping in the same church.  The benefits.....carry through....in the lives of your children."

When men attend church with their wives there are fewer disputes, not only over faith, but also over housework, money, how time is spent, and intimacy.  Significant religious differences among spouses have been linked to increased risk of violence and contention.  "The greatest blessings the faith has to offer in time and eternity are to be enjoyed by married couples who have jointly made and kept covenants of consecration" (Hawkins, Dollahite, Draper).

Praying together as a family and reading the scriptures together is the best thing you can do to pull towards Heavenly Father and each other.

Share this quote by Joesph, a non-denominational Christian father:

"There's something that.....when as a family your hearts are pointed together toward the same thing, and it's God, then parenting and economics and space and food and disagreements and hassles and joys and celebrations and all that other stuff.....it works different, it seems different, it feels different....Our family is all oriented in the same way.  Christ is king, He's the center, He's what it's all about.....Our faith informs our relationships and everything about us."

Faith serves as valuable coping resources that helps families to navigate the challenges that inevitably find us all.

Closing Prayer

Activity:

Find some old magazines in your house and cut out pictures to make up a story.  Share your stories with each other or create a fun story together!

Treat:  Truffle Fudge

You can the find the direct link to the recipe here

Ingredients:

• 2 packages (8 squares each) of Bakers semi-sweet chocolate, divided
• 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
• 3 tbsp. whipping cream
• 2 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

1. Line an 8 inch square pan with foil, the ends of foil extending over the sides.  Melt 4 chocolate squares in the microwave as directed on the package; spread onto bottom of prepared pan.  Refrigerate 10 min. or until firm.
2. Microwave remaining chocolate in the same bowl on HIGH 2 to 3 min. or until chocolate is almost melted; stir until completely melted.  Add cream and vanilla; mix well.  Spread over chocolate layer in pan. 
3. Refrigerate 2 hours or until firm.  Use Foil handles to lift fudge from pan before cutting into squares. 

Resources:

Text:  Hawkins, Alan J., David C. Dollahite, and Thomas W. Draper.  Successful Marriages and Families:  Proclamation Principles and Research Perspectives. Provo, Utah: Brigham Young University, 2012. Print.
Activity: http://www.niftydateideas.com/Pages/Cheap-Date-Ideas.html
Recipe: http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/truffle-fudge-128128.aspx