Joseph F. Smith was the president of the Church when FHE was inaugurated as a once-a-month activity.

Joseph F. Smith was the president of the Church when FHE was inaugurated as a once-a-month activity.

As many of you know, last year was the 100 year anniversary of FHE. That means a full 100 years ago, the first presidency – Joseph F. Smith, Anthon H. Lund, and Charles W. Penrose – inaugurated FHE. Why? In short, to keep the family close to each other and to God. At the time, only once a month was to be designated for family home evening.

It became a once a week tradition in 1965 when David O. McKay was the Church president and the first family home evening book was published. In 1999, the first presidency reinforced the importance of having daily family prayer and scripture study along with having weekly home evenings.

We call upon parents to devote their best efforts to the teaching and rearing of their children in gospel principles which will keep them close to the Church. The home is the basis of a righteous life, and no other instrumentality can take its place or fulfill its essential functions in carrying forward this God-given responsibility.

We counsel parents and children to give highest priority to family prayer, family home evening, gospel study and instruction, and wholesome family activities. However worthy and appropriate other demands or activities may be, they must not be permitted to displace the divinely-appointed duties that only parents and families can adequately perform.

—February 11, 1999 Letter from the First Presidency, Gordon B. Hinckley, Thomas S. Monson, and James E. Faust, printed in the Liahona, Dec. 1999

Despite all the good reasons for developing these family traditions, it can still be difficult to make them happen on a day-to-day, week-to-week basis. (See Elder Bednar’s delightful story about his family’s challenges here) My own challenges inspired me to create FHEasy to help families make these traditions not only doable, but fun. For a free sample lesson, sign up on the sidebar. Or check it out on Amazon here.

Happy Home Evenings!

 

 

 

 

 

*Photo Credit: By First_Presidency_1905_large.jpg:Charles Roscoe Savage (1832–1909)Alternative namesCharles R. Savage, C. R. SavageDescriptionEnglish photographerA landscape and portrait photographer who produced images of the American West, and it is best known for his 1869 photographs of the linking of the first transcontinental railroad.Date of birth/death16 August 18323 February 1909Location of birth/deathSouthhampton, England.Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.Work periodfrom 1856 on.Work locationAmerican WestAuthority controlVIAF: 15075395BnF: cb15372419tULAN: 500005101ISNI: 0000 0000 6660 6444 – First_Presidency_1905_large.jpg, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8525961

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