Isaac's 12 Days of Priesthood Begins

We started the 12 days of priesthood this morning for Isaac.  We had to adjust our schedule up a little bit to accommodate an earlier ordination date.  Due to Mother's Day being the Sunday after his birthday, we made arrangements for him to receive the priesthood on his actual birthday.

So I broke out the bag I had made for Jared's 12 days of priesthood and we put it out this morning.

This morning he received a letter from Grandpa Carter about the priesthood.  Isaac was so excited to start receiving the things he had watched Jared get almost 2 years ago.

Isaac is Turning 12 Soon

If you will remember, back when Jared turned 12, we planned and carried out the "12 days of Priesthood".  In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, when a boy turns 12, he has the opportunity to be given the Aaronic Priesthood.  This will be a big step for Isaac and, like Jared, we want to make sure he understands what this means and what is expected of him. 

Also, like Jared, Nathan and I have decided to implement the idea of a "gift" each day leading up to his ordination.  We will also focus our family home evening lessons on the priesthood leading up to the big day.

This is the list we came up with for family home evening topics.  The links are to the lessons we did last year, so we may or may not follow the same lesson plan.

March 30 -  What is the priesthood?
April 6 - What are my duties as an Aaronic Priesthood holder?
April 13 - How does worthiness affect priesthood power?
April 20 - What are the keys of the priesthood?
April 27 - How does the priesthood bless me?
May 4 - How was the priesthood restored?

Most of the information for these lessons come from the Youth lessons for June.  You can find the lesson outlines here and here. 

The gifts for each day are roughly outlined as follows.  We've still got time to tweak and plan here, so the ideas are rough:

• day 1 - letter from Grandpa Harwood.  his testimony of the priesthood and how it has helped him and how he has helped others.
• day 2 - letter from Grandpa Carter.  same as above.
• day 3 - Framed picture for his bedroom of something gospel related.
• day 4 - Letter from Grandma C.  Her testimony of the priesthood and how the priesthood has helped her and blessed her.
• day 5 - An inspirational gift.  I am going to give him a "hold to the rod" key-ring.  You can see what this is here, but it is a terrible picture.  With Jared, we also ended up giving him a key to our home and talked to him about the responsibility that comes along with having "keys".  It was a perfect tie in!!
• day 6 - fhe lesson on how the priesthood was restored.
• day 7 - priesthood line of authority bookmark.  You can request your line from the church.
• day 8 - for the strength of youth book, fulfilling my duty to god book, and true to the faith book.
• day 9 - letter from mom.  my testimony of the priesthood and how the priesthood has helped and blessed me.  plus whatever else i decide to write.
• day 10 - date with dad.  they'll go somewhere great and discuss any questions Isaac may have and how he's feeling.
• day 11 - 
• day 12 - today's the day.  his gift today will be his ordination to the aaronic priesthood.

I tried to take into account weekends and family home evening nights.  I've already given the grandparents a heads up so that they could start thinking about their letters.

The inspiration for the 12 days of priesthood came from a friend of mine, "12 days of priesthood".

Thoughts on Priesthood Ordinances

In “The Family: A Proclamation to the World, we read, “all human beings – male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has divine nature and destiny.”

Our divine nature and destiny is to gain eternal life and exaltation. To qualify for eternal life and exaltation, each of us needs to receive priesthood ordinances and keep their accompanying covenants. Through the saving ordinances of the priesthood, we are eligible to receive eternal life and exaltation.

But how do we start down the path to these ordinances?

We must follow the example of our Savior, Jesus Christ. In 2 Nephi 31, we learn that Christ’s mission was:

1. He came to do the will of the Father

2. He was obedient in keeping the commandments

3. He was baptized to fulfill all righteousness

4. He showed us the gate and strait and narrow path to eternal life

5. He set the example for us to follow

In 2 Nephi 31:21, we read:

And now, behold, my beloved brethren, this is the way; and there is none other way nor name given under heaven whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God. And now, behold, this is the doctrine of Christ…

What must we do then?

1. Have faith – faith leads to repentance

2. Repent – faith and repentance lead to a change of heart or no more desire to do evil.

3. Be baptized – take Christ’s name upon us and promise to keep the commandments

4. Receive the Holy Ghost

5. Endure to the End

This “pattern” is mentioned over and over again in the Book of Mormon.

Sound familiar?  This truth is taught in the 4th Article of Faith.

We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.

A few years ago, our ward held a Book of Mormon Invitation.  Each member of the ward, 12 and older, were given a copy of the Book of Mormon and were invited to read it in a certain amount of time.  We were asked to read through with someone specific in mind that we wanted to give the book to when we were done.  I accepted the challenge, but wasn't really sure who I would end up giving the book to.  As I read, I became aware of the above pattern; faith, repentance, believe in Christ and be baptized, receive a witness from the Holy Ghost, and endure.  Each time I came across this pattern, I marked it.  I called it "the path" or "the way".

As I neared the end of the book, I felt that I needed to give the book to my brother.  Several months later, when the time was right and the Spirit prompted me, I gave the book to my brother Eric.  Eric hasn't been active in the church for over 20 years.  I asked him to read the book, and he told me he didn't know if he would.  I asked him to at least read the marked passages and he agreed to do that.  It wasn't until a couple months later that I realized why I had been prompted to mark and highlight passages having to do with getting on the gospel path.  My brother Eric, one day, will have a guide to find his way back into church activity and the blessings available to him through that choice.

How can we teach or help others to get on the gospel path?

In Alma 31:5 we read:

And now, as the preaching of the word had a great tendency to lead the people to do that which was just—yea, it had had more powerful effect upon the minds of the people than the sword, or anything else, which had happened unto them—therefore Alma thought it was expedient that they should try the virtue (power) of the word of God.

President Boyd K Packer has said:

The study of doctrines of the gospel will improve behavior quicker than a study of behavior will improve behavior.  ... That is why we stress so forcefully the study of the doctrines of the gospel.

So what is it about these doctrines that we need to understand?

• The Doctrine does not change; it is eternal. Christ’s doctrine is that he came into the world to do the will of the Father, to carryout the Atonement, and to set an example for us to follow.
• Gaining a testimony of the doctrine leads men and women to the principles of the gospel. We learn in the 4th Article of Faith that these principles are faith and repentance.
• Faith and Repentance, the principles of the gospel, lead us to receive ordinances where we make covenants with our Heavenly Father.

Through these saving ordinances of the priesthood, we are eligible to receive eternal life and exaltation.

Sister Carole M. Stephens in October 2013 Conference, spoke about these saving ordinances. She said:

We need baptism. When we are immersed in the waters of baptism, we covenant to take Christ’s name upon us, always remember Him, keep His commandments, and serve Him to the end, that we may always have His Spirit to be with us. We need the gift of the Holy Ghost. Through that ordinance, we can have access to the constant companionship of the Spirit.

We need to receive the temple endowment. Elder M. Russell Ballard said: “When men and women go to the temple, they are both endowed with the same power, which by definition is priesthood power. … The endowment is literally a gift of power.”

We need the sealing ordinance, which leads to eternal life, “the greatest of all the gifts of God.” This priesthood ordinance is received only by a man and a woman together. Elder Russell M. Nelson taught, “Priesthood authority has been restored so that families can be sealed eternally.”

We need the opportunity to renew our covenants each week as we partake of the sacrament. Latter-day prophets and apostles have taught that when we worthily partake of the sacrament, we can renew not only our baptismal covenant but “all covenants entered into with the Lord.”

These priesthood ordinances and covenants provide access to the fullness of the blessings promised to us by God, which are made possible by the Savior’s Atonement. They arm sons and daughters of God with power, God’s power, and provide us with the opportunity to receive eternal life...

Not all priesthood ordinances are essential for salvation and exaltation. But all priesthood ordinances bless our lives.

Bishop H. Burke Peterson mentioned other ways in which priesthood ordinances can bless us: 

If we live for it, ours can be a power given us from our Heavenly Father that will bring peace to a troubled household. Ours can be a power that will bless and comfort little children, that will bring sleep to tear-stained eyes in the wee hours of the morning. Ours can be the power that will… calm the unsettled nerves of a tired wife. Ours can be a power that will give direction to a confused… teenager. Ours, the power to bless a daughter before she goes on her first date or before her temple marriage, or to bless a son before his departure for a mission or college. …Ours can be the power to heal the sick and comfort the lonely.

I am grateful for the priesthood ordinance of blessings in my life. When I read this quote to my husband we exchanged a smirk when I read the part about calming the nerves of a tired wife.  I told him that I wasn't sure the word "tired" was the word I would use to describe myself.  Maybe "crazy" or "neurotic"!

There have been many times in my life when something is troubling me, or I just can't seem to muster the strength and courage to face all that life seems to be throwing at me. (I recently wrote about such a time.)  In these times, I personally pray and seek for guidance and strength, but when I remember to seek out a priesthood blessing, the peace and comfort is usually always immediate.

I am truly grateful for the priesthood power that my husband holds and with which he blesses me.  I am also grateful for a loving Father in Heaven who has provided a way and means for me to one day return to live with him.

For more information about Why are Ordinances Important in My Life, go here.  A couple of more quotes about priesthood ordinances that provide some food for thought:

Elder Ballard also taught:

Our Father in Heaven is generous with His power. All men and all women have access to this power for help in our own lives. All who have made sacred covenants with the Lord and who honor those covenants are eligible to receive personal revelation, to be blessed by the ministering of angels, [and] to commune with God.

Sister Carole M Stephens:

We are beloved spirit sons and daughters of heavenly parents, with a divine nature and destiny. Our Savior, Jesus Christ, loved us enough to give His life for us. His Atonement provides the way for us to progress on the path to our heavenly home, through sacred priesthood ordinances and covenants.

Elder D. Todd Christofferson:

In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is found the priesthood authority to administer the ordinances by which we can enter into binding covenants with our Heavenly Father in the name of His Holy Son. … God will keep His promises to you as you honor your covenants with Him.

Priesthood Ordinances (Jared's First Youth Speaker Talk)

Nathan asked Jared to speak in Sacrament Meeting this past Sunday on Priesthood Ordinances.  He wrote the talk mostly by himself and got most of his information from here.  I only switched up the order of some of the paragraphs to help it flow a little better.  He did a great job!

An Ordinance is a sacred, formal act performed by the authority of the priesthood. 

 

In D&C 84:19-21 it says,

 19 And this greater Priesthood administereth the gospel and holdeth the key of the mysteries of the kingdom, even the key of the knowledge of God.

 20 Therefore, in the ordinances thereof, the power of godliness is manifest.

 21 And without the ordinances thereof, and the authority of the priesthood, the power of godliness is not manifest unto men in the flesh;

 

Some ordinances we must do are called saving ordinances.  Saving ordinances include baptism, confirmation, ordination to the Melchizedek Priesthood (for men), temple endowment, and marriage sealing (in the temple).  When we perform these saving ordinances, we enter into solemn covenants with our Heavenly Father. 

 

In Mosiah 3:17, we read

 17 And moreover, I say unto you, that there shall be no other name given nor any other way nor means whereby salvation can come unto the children of men, only in and through the name of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent.

 

This means that we can only be saved and have eternal life by relying on Jesus Christ.  As we partake of the sacrament, which represents Christ, we renew our covenants we made when we performed our saving ordinances.

 

There are other ordinances that are not required for our salvation, but they are still helpful to us.  These ordinances include: naming and blessing children, consecrating oil, patriarchal blessings, and administering to the sick and afflicted.  These ordinances provide guidance, strengthen us, and increase our faith.  They also strengthen the person giving the blessing because they have a greater love and understanding of the person they are giving the blessing to.

 

These ordinances are not required for our salvation, but they will help us to keep us on the path back to God.  The ordinances also help us feel comforted and remind us of our duty to God.  The Lord has given us these ordinances to help us return to him and receive eternal life and exaltation.  When we honor these ordinances, God will bless us.  

Doing a saving ordinance requires permission from a priesthood leader who holds the correct keys to do so.  This permission is also required to bless a child, prepare, bless and administer the sacrament, as well as some other ordinances.

 

As a Melchizedek priesthood holder, my dad and other men in the congregation can consecrate oil, administer a blessing to the sick and afflicted, and give father’s blessings.

 

Ordinances are an important part of salvation.  Articles of Faith 3-5 talk about ordinances.

3.       We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.

This means that we are saved when we are obedient and perform our required ordinances.

4.      We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.

This Article of Faith tells us which ordinances needs to be done first to get us on the gospel path.

5.      We believe that a man must be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority, to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof.

This teaches us that in order to perform an ordinance, a man must have priesthood authority to do that ordinance.

When we receive opportunities to participate in priesthood ordinances, do all you can do to prepare for receiving the ordinance.  You can prepare to receive an ordinance by praying, fasting, talking with priesthood leaders, and reading and studying the scriptures. 

 

If you are a priesthood holder, you should also prepare spiritually to perform the ordinance by living a clean, worthy life and strive to have the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost.

 

Bear Testimony

Jared Turned 12 - He's a Deacon Now!

Last Thursday, my oldest turned 12.  We celebrated the day at Seven Peaks where I did not take any pictures...

The next day, we ate cake and ice cream.

Jared opened a few presents.

Then on Sunday, he was conferred the Aaronic Priesthood and ordained to the office of Deacon by Nathan. Both grandpas, Richard and Bruce, stood in the circle as well as Bishop Rob Lund.

Nathan and Jared (in his new suit - his last 12 days of Priesthood gift).  See more about that here.

What handsome men!

My little deacon.

Jared and I

Nathan, Jared and I

After his ordination the Bishop asked me if I would like to say a few words.  I let Jared know that I was proud of him and the efforts he has made to better himself in preparation for this new responsibility.  I told him that his desire to question things and know the "why's" were not a bad thing, but that they would help him as he develops a testimony of the church.  I also pointed out his leadership abilities and told him to use them to set a good example to those around him.

I can't believe my oldest is 12!

Priesthood Line of Authority Bookmark

I posted the other day that we started the 12 days of Priesthood at our house, since Jared will be turning 12 very soon.

As a quick review, when Jared turns 12, and after he has a worthiness interview with our bishop, Nathan will have the opportunity to confer the Aaronic Priesthood on Jared.

We've been preparing him for this responsibility for his whole life really, but we've stepped up the preparation over the last couple of months.  We've had special family home evening lessons and we've started a 12 day countdown to his ordination.

The other day, he received 3 books that will help him now that he is going into the Young Men's program. The books he received were For the Strength of Youth, Fulfilling Our Duty to God, and True to the Faith.  I know that if he will take the time to study and ponder the words in these books, he will know his responsibilities, gain a greater testimony of the gospel and have a desire to live the way Heavenly Father wants us to live.

For one of his gifts leading up to the big day, I wanted to give him a bookmark that he could keep in his scriptures with his Priesthood Line of Authority.  We talked about the restoration of the priesthood in our last Family Home Evening lesson and also about Nathan's priesthood line of  authority.  

I looked online and couldn't really find anything that I was in love with, so I made my own.  It's not fancy, but I think it will be great.

If it were for a girl, I would have punched a hole in the top and put some ribbon through, but it's for my son and the more simple the better.  I laminated the bookmarks so they would be a little more durable. 

I uploaded my document to Scribd in case anyone else wants to save themselves some trouble.  Just download it as a .docx file and you will be able to open it in Word and edit the names and dates.

Priesthood Line of Authority by Wendy H

You'll see that I made two different sets.  One is in blue and one is red of course, but I also couldn't decide which of Nathan's Priesthood Lines of Authority to use.  One is from him being conferred the Melchizedek Priesthood and being ordained to the office of Elder, and the other is from his ordination to the office of High Priest in the Melchizedek Priesthood.  Since Nathan's paternal grandfather didn't ordain Nathan's dad to either office, and each ordination was done by a different man, the lines are different.

I did find it interesting though that there is a commonality in both lines (besides the originations) - on 11 June 1961, two men Milton Reed Hunter and Seymour Dilworth Young were both ordained to the office of High Priest.  These were performed by different men, but on the same day.  I don't know that there is any significance to it, but I thought it was interesting.

Family Home Evening Lesson: How was the Priesthood Restored?

You can get some great information on this topic from here and here.

I decided to start out by showing parts of this video.

Although the video is very good, I was afraid that my kids might have a hard time understanding some of it.

I decided to play the first segment, titled, "How did the Apostles receive authority at the time of Christ?"  This segment is 1 minute long.  Then I stopped the video and we discussed what we just saw and heard.

After going to a mountain to pray and ponder, the Savior selected and called his 12 Apostles.  When his earthly ministry was over, he bestowed upon Peter all of the keys to lead the church.

The second segment is "How was the authority eventually lost?"  I did not show this segment, I just explained to my children that back in those days there weren't phones or television or magazines.  The only way people learned the gospel or were taught how to be good members of the church, or how to correctly perform ordinances was from face to face contact.  They did write some letters, but it could take a long time for letters to get from one place to another.  If people had questions about doctrine, they were pretty much left to themselves to figure it out.

I gave each of my children a key that I had printed out (see the bottom of this post for the keys).  I explained that when Jesus called his Apostles, he gave conferred upon them the priesthood and gave them keys. After Christ's death, the Apostles tried to teach people the correct way to do things, but because they were unable to meet together often, people changed teachings and changed the way ordinances were performed. Over time, they were killed or died.  (As I explained this, I took the keys away one by one.)

I explained that soon Heavenly Father's priesthood wasn't on the earth anymore.  No one had the priesthood keys to lead and guide the affairs of the church.  Thus a restoration was necessary.

Then I showed the segment that starts at 2:00 (from Elder Perry's video above), "What Led to the Priesthood Being Restored?"

We also watched this video.

I finished up by asking the kids the following questions to make sure they understood what we had learned:

1. Who called and ordained the 12 Apostles during Christ's time on Earth?
2. Before Jesus went to live with Heavenly Father, who did he give the priesthood keys to?
3. When someone holds and can exercise all of the priesthood keys, what position do they hold in the church? (This is technically a review question from other lessons, but it was applicable.)
4. What happened when all of the Apostles died or were killed?
5. How was the priesthood restored to the earth during our day?
6. Why was a restoration of the priesthood necessary?

Finish up the lesson by showing the Priesthood Line of Authority for the patriarch in your family.   This was important  for me to show to my family as Jared would be receiving his own line of authority the next day as part of his 12 Days of Priesthood.

Keys by Wendy H  - I got the clipart for these keys from here.

12 Days of Priesthood Begins

Yesterday was the beginning of our 12 Days of Priesthood.  I need a way to present to Jared the tangible items from our list.

So, I purchased a red bag (red because that is his favorite color), then I printed out a picture of John the Baptist conferring the Aaronic Priesthood to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery.  I cut out the picture and attached it to one side of the bag.

Then I put the bag in an obvious place.  Currently it is sitting on a banister that is visible as soon as you enter our home.

As a review, here is our tentative list with some slight modifications already.

• day 1 - letter from grandpa c.  his testimony of the priesthood and how it has helped him and how he has helped others.
• day 2 - letter from grandma c.  same as above but from a grandma perspective.
• day 3 - an inspirational gift.  i am going to give him a "hold to the rod" keyring.  you can see what this is here, but it is a terrible picture.
• day 4 - letter from grandpa h.  same as the other letters.
• day 5 - a framed picture of the Book of Mormon Prophet, Ammon.
• day 6 - fhe lesson on how the priesthood was restored.
• day 7 - priesthood line of authority bookmark.  we requested nathan's line from the church and i am going to make him a bookmark to put in his scriptures.
• day 8 - for the strength of youth book, fulfilling my duty to god book, and true to the faith book.
• day 9 - letter from mom.  my testimony of the priesthood and how the priesthood has helped and blessed me.  plus whatever else i decide to write.
• day 10 - date with dad.  they'll go somewhere great and discuss any questions jared may have and how he's feeling.
• day 11 - a new suit.  (this will be just in time!  the one he has now is getting a little snug.)
• day 12 - today's the day.  his gift today will be his ordination to the aaronic priesthood.

FHE Lesson: How Does Worthiness Affect Priesthood Power?

Nathan gave this Family Home Evening lesson the other night.  We were a little off on our schedule so he combined this lesson with another topic we wanted to cover, "How does the Priesthood Bless Me?

Since it wasn't my lesson, I am just going to touch on a couple brief points.

To start out his lesson, he showed this video:

Since our boys really like football this video really caught their attention.  Nathan then talked to them about why it is important to live in a way that you can always be worthy to use the priesthood to bless others but also to live in a way that you feel confident using the priesthood.  If young men are gallivanting around, doing who knows what during the week, they will not feel confident in their ability to use the priesthood righteously when called upon to do so.  And rightfully so.  Men and young men can't feel confident in their ability to use priesthood power if they are choosing to not keep the commandments and do as they have been commanded.  

It reminded me of this scripture in D&C 121:45:

45 Let thy ^abowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and let ^bvirtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy ^cconfidence wax strong in the ^dpresenceof God; and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the ^edews from heaven.

During the lesson, Nathan also quoted 1 Corinthians 13:11

11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

We discussed what it meant to put away childish things and how this would apply to receiving the priesthood.  This of course doesn't mean that Jared and Isaac need to put away their toys and only "sit around" like adults do.  It's a difference in attitude.  A change in the way one behaves, speaks and thinks. It is an attitude of thinking outside of yourself, outside of your desires and wants and trying to help others.

Nathan closed his lesson by telling us how he feels that the priesthood blesses his life.  His words were sincere and touching.  I am truly grateful to be married to that guy.

family home evening - what are the duties of the aaronic priesthood?

last week for family home evening, i gave the lesson on "what are the duties of the aaronic priesthood?" to help prepare our son for receiving his ordination to the aaronic priesthood in august.  

preparation for the lesson:

• i cut a sheet of poster board in half and wrote "Aaronic Priesthood Duties" on it.
• then i got online and printed out pictures of the following (i just googled these terms adding "lds" top the end):
• a deacon passing the sacrament
• a tithing and fast offering slip
• teachers preparing the sacrament
• a young man home teaching
• priests blessing the sacrament
• a priest baptizing someone
• you could also print out a picture of young men performing service, a young man ushering at the chapel doors, but i wanted to keep it simple
• print out word strips with the 3 priesthood duties listed in the duty to god booklet.
• administer priesthood ordinances
• serve others
• invite all to come unto christ

this was the outline of our family home evening:

• welcome - jared conducting
• opening song: children's songbook #89 - the priesthood is restored
• opening prayer
• wiggle song for clara (we usually let her decide what the wiggle song will be and this time she chose - i am a child of God
• lesson by mom
• testimonies
• closing song: children's songbook #166 - a young man prepared
• closing prayer

after our opening song and prayer, i reviewed what we had learned the week before when dad taught us about what the priesthood is.  we reviewed that the preparatory priesthood is the aaronic priesthood and the higher priesthood is the melchizedek priesthood.

then i had everyone look up doctrine & covenants 107:99

 99 Wherefore, now let every man learn his ^aduty, and to act in the office in which he is appointed, in all ^bdiligence.

we talked about what the word duty means and what diligence means.  i told them that in order to do our duty, or in other words take care of our responsibilities, and to do them diligently (with our whole hearts) we had to know what those duties are and why we are doing them.

i introduced the 3 word strips and taped them on the chart, talking about what each of them meant as i presented them.

then i asked the kids to help me think of specific things we see the aaronic priesthood do.  as they listed them, i taped the picture to the board and we talked about what that ordinance or service was and why it was important.

by the time we were done, this is what our poster looked like. not the prettiest poster in the world, but it got the point across.

lastly, i showed them the back of the duty to god book where it reads...

“Behold, thou art my son; … and I have a work for thee” (Moses 1:4, 6)

we discussed that Heavenly Father loves each of us and want us to help him.  we help him by helping others and the priesthood is all about helping others.

my oldest will turn 12 soon

and in my church when a boy turns 12, he has the opportunity to be given the aaronic priesthood.  this is a big step for him and we wanted to make sure he understands what this means and what is expected of him.

a friend of mine posted a "12 days of priesthood" on her blog that i thought was a really great idea.  nathan and i had decided to implement the idea of a "gift" each day leading up to his ordination.  we also wanted to focus our family home evening lessons on the priesthood leading up to the big day.

so, a couple of weeks ago we sat down and had a pow-wow just the two of us to discuss what this would include. this is the list we came up with for family home evening topics.  nathan and i will take turns teaching the topics and nathan got us started with, what is the priesthood?  i may or may not post what we did for a few of these fhe lessons.  we'll have to see.

july 8 - what is the priesthood?
july 15 - what are my duties as an aaronic priesthood holder?
july 22 - how does worthiness affect priesthood power?
july 29 - what are the keys of the priesthood?
august 5 - how does the priesthood bless me?
august 12 - how was the priesthood restored?

a lot of these questions were covered in the "come follow me" lesson in june.  you can find the lesson outlines here and here.  these were the topics that we chose, they are by no means all inclusive, but we felt that they covered the basics and would provide jared with a good foundation.

we also decided the we wanted to do our own version of the "12 days of priesthood".  this is what our outline looks like as of right now.

• day 1 - letter from grandpa h.  his testimony of the priesthood and how it has helped him and how he has helped others.
• day 2 - letter from grandpa c.  same as above.
• day 3 - a framed picture for his bedroom of something gospel related.  i am thinking either a picture of his favorite book of mormon prophet or a picture of Christ.
• day 4 - letter from grandma c.  her testimony of the priesthood and how the priesthood has helped her and blessed her.
• day 5 - an inspirational gift.  i am going to give him a "hold to the rod" keyring.  you can see what this is here, but it is a terrible picture.
• day 6 - fhe lesson on how the priesthood was restored.
• day 7 - priesthood line of authority bookmark.  we requested nathan's line from the church 
• day 8 - for the strength of youth book, fulfilling my duty to god book, and true to the faith book.
• day 9 - letter from mom.  my testimony of the priesthood and how the priesthood has helped and blessed me.  plus whatever else i decide to write.
• day 10 - date with dad.  they'll go somewhere great and discuss any questions jared may have and how he's feeling.
• day 11 - a new suit.  (this will be just in time!  the one he has now is getting a little snug.)
• day 12 - today's the day.  his gift today will be his ordination to the aaronic priesthood.

we may do some tweaking as the days get closer, but i tried to take into account weekends and family home evening nights.  i've already given the grandparents a heads up so that they could start thinking about their letters.

see more about our 12 days of priesthood by clicking here.