In honor of the Fourth of July holiday, this week’s family home evening will be based on patriotism and the wonderful liberties that we enjoy. If you do not live in the United States, you should be able to adjust the lesson accordingly. Most of the article links I have included are not specific to a single country.
Open your lesson by reading Article of Faith 1:12. As a family discuss what it means. It is important that we each remain loyal to our country and take part in the political processes of our country. Since it is the Fourth of July you may want to read the Declaration of Independence. You can give the history of how and why our country is formed. You should then list the things that you appreciate about the country. You may want to include freedom of religion, freedom to choose where you live, the ability to take part in the voting process and the other blessings that we enjoy as a country. You can have your children list the reasons that they appreciate the country as well. If you want to incorporate a scripture story into the lesson Captain Moroni and the Title of Liberty is a great story. You can find flannel board figures for it here.
Some additional ideas for Primary age children include this word search and patriotism quiz. If you have youth you may want to read “The Message: Liberty” and “The Message: America’s Promise.” If you are teaching adults “The Perfect Law of Liberty” and “Teaching Patriotism in the Home” are excellent articles to incorporate into the lesson.
An easy way to extend this lesson is to participate in Fourth of July celebrations in your community. You can show your children that other people appreciate living in this wonderful country. If you live outside of the United States, you may consider touring a local government building and explaining the way your system of government works. Don’t forget to provide refreshments for your family.