Independence Day FHE ideas from my package of 52 cards: “Family Night Made Easy: A Year of Instant Lessons and Uplifting Activities”.

The United States Independence Day is next week! Here’s a free, fast FHE on to help you celebrate! It’s one of the family home evening ideas from my newest project: Family Night Made Easy: A Year of Instant Lessons and Uplifting Activities.

All 52+ recipe-card-sized cards are formatted like the one on the right. The left side of the image shows what’s one the front of the card; the right side shows the back. The text for the Independence Day card, along with a couple comments, is below.

FAVORITE IDEAS

My personal favorite part of this lesson is the last link: Military.com article “Flag Etiquette Do’s and Don’ts” I really appreciate having the time set aside during family home evening to talk about things that are important to me and my husband. How to respect our country’s flag is one of those things, and this article helps us teach our kids more than just the few basics most people are aware of.

My favorite treat for this family home evening is Healthy Fourth of July Dessert, which I also call “Fully Fruit Salad”. Directions are also included with three other fast treat ideas – 5 minute blender ice cream, Nutty spiced apples, Berries and Chocolate Plate – here.

FOR MORE FREE FHE IDEAS

You can get another free family home evening lesson by signing up to my blog (on the right). A lesson will be sent to you immediately, along with a few emails of tips for making family home evening smooth and easy on a regular basis. Then you’ll get an email about once a month with free family home evening ideas. So sign up today if you haven’t already done so, and share this offer with your LDS friends and family.

Enjoy!

Independence Day

“The Spirit of God … is also the spirit of freedom.” (Alma 61:15)

Music from Children’s Songbook and Hymns

My Country (CS, 224) and My Flag, My Flag (CS, 225)
The Star-Spangled Banner, or your national anthem (Hymns, 340, Patriotic hymns Hymns, 338–341)

Quote

“We must put our trust in Him who has promised us His protection—and pray that he will intervene to preserve our freedom just as He intervened in our obtaining it in the first place.” (Ezra Taft Benson, “A Witness and a Warning,” Ensign, Nov. 1979. GAP #112)

Scripture Stories

Captain Moroni makes the title of liberty, dresses in his armor, prays mightily for God to bless his people with freedom, and raises the title of liberty. Everyone runs toward him and pledges that they will fight for their freedom and be faithful to God. (See Alma 46:10–21. GAP #79)

Activity

Whether or not you live in the United States, the US Independence Day is part of your heritage as a member of the Church. The Church could not have been restored without the freedom to worship as one chooses. The best-known symbol for the United States is its flag. Take a moment and discuss ways people show respect for the flag. The US flag has thirteen alternating red and white stripes and a blue rectangle in the top left corner with fifty small, white stars. The common understanding is that red stands for courage, white stands for purity, and blue stands for justice. Discuss courage, purity, and justice. Why do you think they were chosen as values for the United States? Think about what three characteristics you would like to be known for as individuals and as a family. How could you design them into a personal flag and/or a family flag? Invite people to pick three important characteristics for their own personal flag, choose which colors will symbolize each characteristic, and sketch some ideas. If you want, you can sketch ideas for a family flag as well. If desired, continue working on your flags over the week.

Scriptures (For our family scripture study, we read one of the references below each day throughout the week.)

Alma 61:15, D&C 98:8–10, Mosiah 29:31–32, 34; D&C 101:77, 80; 2 Nephi 1:6–7, 2 Nephi 10:10–11, D&C 98:5–6

Links seen as QR codes and short URLs on the cards

LDS.org Image “Tabernacle Interior in July”

Military.com article “Flag Etiquette Do’s and Don’ts”

HAPPY HOME EVENINGS!