Family Home Evening

   Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have customs and practices that are not found in any other denomination. The Sunday services consist of the passing of the Sacrament followed by prepared talks by members of all ages on subjects assigned to them by the Bishopric. The Sunday meetings are three hours long. Latter-day Saints do not drink alcohol, coffee or tea. The do not smoke and are encouraged to get regular exercise and rest. Members are assigned to visit other members to check up on them and to assist them with needs they might have. Young men are strongly encouraged to spend two years serving a mission before completing their education and starting a family. Young women and older couples may also serve missions and these missions range from proselytizing to service, to retrieving and recording records for those who are researching genealogy.
  Many comedians and comic writers have made a lot of money mocking the beliefs of members and some of their practices. (I'm thinking about the musical Book of Mormon which according to Forbes magazine January 2013 has grossed 200 million) Members are used to this and take it in stride.
  One things that the Church does believe in is strong families. Church members are taught that the best place to teach children about the faith is in the home. Yes, there are Sunday schools, Nursery and Primary programs, but these are just to supplement the teaching that should be going on the homes of each member family.
  One practice that the LDS have is called Family Home Evening. This is one night, Monday, that is set aside for members to spend times with their families. Church buildings and temples are closed on this day. Meetings are not scheduled. Everyone is encouraged to have a Family Home Evening. Those that are single will sometimes gather in small groups on Monday nights.
  There is no set format for a FHE. Members are encouraged to do what best suits their particular situation. It can involve playing games, making treats or studying Scripture. A short lesson is involved. All the members of the family are encouraged to participate. Some times family members will take turns planning the evening's activity. The Church does provide ideas to help people get started.
  Family Home Evening is not a new idea. The suggestion that members start doing this was made in 1915. Various Church leaders have encouraged it ever since. In the 1950s Edward R. Murrow featured the Family Home Evening of then Secretary of Agriculture, Ezra Taft Benson. The episode generated more mail than any other episode that year.
   C and I decided that we should start having our very own FHE. We alternate holding ours between Tuesday and Monday nights since I don't always have Monday night off. We thought it would be beneficial to us to have one set night where we could discuss things, make plans and enjoy each others company.
  We've had some really good discussions and made plans. We've hung a picture that has been sitting around for a long time and discussed other home improvements we'd like to make. We've only been doing this for about a month, but I really feel that knowing we have this time set aside is a great benefit to both of us.
  We hear all over the place about how families can become disconnected from each other. Setting aside time is good way for families to reconnect. It doesn't matter what kind of family you have. Couples, traditional families and single parent families can all find some benefit in time spent together.  If nothing else, at least you can get a treat out of it.

All the information regarding the history of FHE and Ezra Taft Benson Person to Person FHE are from various sources on the Internet. All errors are mine.