By Alison Palmer
Scripture: Alma 5:33

Song:“Help Me, Dear Father,” Children’s Songbook, 99

Preparation:Find a bandana or other object that can be used as a blindfold.
Prayerfully read “Repent . . . That I May Heal You,” Neil L. Andersen, Ensign, November 2009, 40-42 and consider which thoughts and passages you would like to share with your family.

Lesson:

Begin by bringing two members of the family to the front of the room. Blindfold one child then instruct them to listen carefully. The other family member will silently move to an unknown location in the room then whisper the blindfolded child’s name. That child must turn and point to where the voice came from. Raise the difficulty by having two or three family members call the child’s name. They must then discern the voice they are supposed to be listening for and point to the right child.

Discuss Elder Andersen’s statement, “When we sin, we turn away from God. When we repent, we turn back toward God.”

Work together, using your scriptures, to create a working definition of sin. What is it? How does it affect our relationship with ourselves, others, and our Heavenly Father?
Read D&C 133:16 together. Discuss the concept of repentance, how, and why Jesus Christ would call to us and plead for us to willingly repent of our sins. Then, read the paragraph under Elder Andersen’s previous quote, beginning with, “The invitation to repent is rarely a voice of chastisement. . .”

Remind the family that Heavenly Father does not gain pleasure from watching His children struggle or from pointing out their sins to them. What He seeks is our willingness to put away things that keep us from being close to Him and feeling His love.

Discuss the places various members of the family like to go when they need to feel loved and safe.
Why do these places bring the comfort the person is seeking? Then review the following statement.

“The scriptures speak of His arms being open, extended, stretched out, and encircling. They are described as mighty and holy, arms of mercy, arms of safety, arms of love, ‘lengthened out all the day long.’”

It is Christ’s desire that we would seek Him out when we have let our human frailties wound our spirit. Emphasize His personal interest and understanding of the pain and difficulties we each face.
He wants only for us to find our way back to a place where He can offer love, comfort, and forgiveness. To repent is to single out His voice from all the others we might hear and turn toward
Him, just as the family did in the opening activity.

What other voices and obstacles might we have blocking our way when we try to repent and turn back toward Christ? Discuss the influence of friends, media, personal expectations, even loss of self-worth on an individual’s ability to repent and return to God.

Review any other portions of Elder Andersen’s talk that the Spirit prompts you to emphasize. Then discuss the steps of repentance and how they can be used to find Jesus’ comforting arms. Challenge everyone to examine their personal lives and choose a goal for the coming year that will increase their relationship with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Is there an area of their life where Christ would invite them to find a way to turn, to repent, and seek Him instead of the world?

Activity:

Young Children: Play Blind Man’s Bluff.

Older Children: Hold a scripture chase marathon to see who can find the most entries in the scriptures that discuss repentance and mercy without using the topical guide. Discuss the common themes that begin to appear.

Treats:

Apple or Cherry Turnovers