Choosing Right from Wrong under Pressure
By C.S. Bezas

Times are increasing in challenge. With recent news of the Fanny Mae and Freddy Mac loans nearing potential collapse, things may only feel more intense. What is a family to do during all this pressure?

Here is a simple and fun Family Home Evening lesson to help teach an important concept. Time for some FHE Fun!

FHE Fun!

Opening Song: #239 Choose the Right

Opening Prayer: By invitation.

Devotional: Turn the time over for spontaneous scripture sharing. Has anyone found a cool scripture this past week during private scripture study? Please share it and why it is awesome. (Even if individuals aren't currently reading their scriptures, simply by asking this each week, eventually you will experience more and more participation in this spiritual portion of FHE.)

Activity:

Items needed:

• 36" pre-cut pieces of yarn or string (one length per person)
• one pair of scissors per person (only for those children who are old enough)
• set of scriptures per person
• paper and pens (one set per person)

1. Pass out a string to each person along with a pair of scissors.

2. Instruct them to cut each string in as many pieces as they would like. If they want to know how many, simply say, "It's your choice. As many as you feel is good."

 Allow some time for the group to accomplish the assignment.

3. Now instruct them that for each piece of string they have, to find a scripture on agency or examples of individuals who made choices — be they good or bad choices.

 Some children's eyes may get very big, for some of them will have had fun cutting their string into many, many pieces. Simply smile and encourage them to get to work. Remain strong! You may want to put on some quiet thinking music to encourage the spirit, which is sure to come from this activity.

4. Give them five minutes to work. Then, even if not finished (and in mercy), invite them to rest for a moment. Ask each one to share at least one of the scriptures or scripture stories they found and why they selected it.

5. Once the sharing is done, ask what their thoughts were when they discovered that for every cut they made in the string, there was a scripture to find. How is this like choice, consequence, and the work that is required after poor choices?

 Read from page four in "For the Strength of Youth" pamphlet on "Agency and Accountability." (If you don't have the booklet from the Church, your Young Men or Young Women president can get you one. I've included the quote here for your convenience. And remember, this principle on agency is for both adults and children.):

Wherefore, men … are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death (2 Nephi 2:27).

Your Heavenly Father has given you agency, the ability to choose right from wrong and to act for yourself. You have been given the Holy Ghost to help you know good from evil. While you are here on earth, you are being proven to see if you will use your agency to show your love for God by keeping His commandments.

While you are free to choose for yourself, you are not free to choose the consequences of your actions. When you make a choice, you will receive the consequences of that choice. The consequences may not be immediate, but they will always follow, for good or bad. Wrong choices delay your progression and lead to heartache and misery. Right choices lead to happiness and eternal life. That is why it is so important for you to choose what is right throughout your life.

You are responsible for the choices you make. You should not blame your circumstances, your family, or your friends if you choose to disobey God's commandments. You are a child of God with great strength. You have the ability to choose righteousness and happiness, no matter what your circumstances.

You are also responsible for developing the abilities and talents Heavenly Father has given you. You are accountable to Him for what you do with your abilities and how you spend your time. Do not idle away your time. Be willing to work hard. Choose to do many good things of your own free will (see Matthew 25:14-29). 

Summary

To close, ask the family for four ideas how to stand firm in today's troubled times. Teach them that just as each of them needed to deal with how many cuts they'd personally made in the string, each of us are also responsible for the choices we individually make.

Remind them there is a Savior to help them avoid heartache if they will turn to Him in prayer and scripture study (thus, the symbolic time spent in the scriptures after cutting the string). Remind them He stands there to help them, even if they've erred. It was for this purpose He came.

Bear your testimony that they are each divine. They have come from God's presence. They are His children. Let them know as a family, your family will go into the eternities together as each one supports the other in the power of choice.

Closing Song: #160 Choose the Right Way

Closing Prayer: By invitation.

Refreshments: Licorice ropes would be a fun and delightful treat to finish up this particular FHE. Allow them to use the scissors to cut the licorice strings into pieces, if they so choose. This will give them opportunity to ponder on the message, even if done in fun.

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C.S. Bezas graduated from BYU in communications, with an emphasis in human resource development and training programs. She also took seminary teacher-training classes while studying at BYU, looking forward to the day when she might join the ranks of the Lord’s seminary teachers. She now teaches early-morning seminary in the southeastern portion of the United States. Additionally, she has conducted trainings and workshops for audiences on a variety of topics and has won recognition for her writings and stage musicals.

C.S. Bezas has appeared as a keynote speaker and before audiences on television, stage, and film. Her book Powerful Tips for Powerful Teachers has been called essential for those who work with teens and for parents. She is the creator of a soothing-music CD series found at CSBezasMusic.com. She and her husband have four children and relish the gospel of Jesus Christ.