President Dallin H. Oaks
The Message
President Oaks taught that Jesus Christ is the way and invited us to draw closer to Him by developing faith in God and in the mission of Jesus Christ. He taught that faith grows through daily effort prayer, scripture study, keeping the commandments, honoring covenants, partaking of the sacrament, and temple worship.
He also taught that we are all works in progress and are at different places on the covenant path. We should be patient with one another and sometimes with ourselves as we build faith, strengthen humility, and learn to trust the Lord’s timing.
Start the Conversation
Read the summary of the messaged the Try This at Home ideas with your family.Then say: Let’s choose one way each of us could draw a little closer to Jesus Christ this week?
Try This at Home
Practice Your Patience
Use the words “Practice your patience” as your family reminder for the week. When someone is getting impatient, anyone can gently say the words. The reminder belongs to everyone including parents.
Make Prayer More Personal
Before family prayer, let each person name someone or something they would like remembered in the prayer.
Find One Verse
Choose one verse about Jesus Christ and read it together. Let each person share one word or phrase that was important to them.
Prepare for the Sacrament
Before church, have each person choose their favorite story about Jesus they want to think about during the sacrament.
Find It in the Scriptures
Read 2 Nephi 26:33, a scripture President Oaks used in his message. Look for the words that show Jesus Christ invites everyone to come to Him. Discuss what that teaches us about how we should treat other people.
Choose Your Own
Choose another part of President Oaks’s message that your family would like to work on together
Make a Plan
Decide when your family will practice the idea you chose.
“We’ll choose our story about Jesus on the drive to church.”
“When one of us gets impatient, we’ll say, ‘Practice your patience.’”
What is one small thing I can do today?
Pray when you wake up.
Read a few verses.
Prepare more thoughtfully for the sacrament.
Keep one commitment you’ve made.
Be a little more patient with someone including yourself.
Then tomorrow, take another small step.
Don’t measure your faith by how far you still have to go. Notice whether you are moving toward Christ.
Check Back In
At the end of the week, talk as a family about what you noticed. Did anything change? What was challenging? What felt easier than you expected? How did it make you feel? What did you learn about yourselves or each other? Did your experience help you better understand how the gospel of Jesus Christ is for all?
No pointing fingers. No guilt. Just notice what happened.
