This week's FHE lesson topic comes from the Come, Follow Me reading in Joseph Smith—Matthew 1, Matthew 25, Mark 12–13, and Luke 21. Check out this week's Come, Follow Me study ideas on LDS Living for additional resources and suggestions.
Thought
“The Lord entrusts all of His servants . . . with spiritual talents. The Lord, who endows us with these talents, tells us: 'I believe you can. I believe you can.' While we are not all equal in experience, aptitude, and strength, we have different opportunities to employ these spiritual gifts, and we will all be accountable for the use of the gifts and opportunities given to us.”
(James E. Faust, “I Believe I Can, I Knew I Could,” Liahona and Ensign, November 2002)
Scripture
“For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath” (Matthew 25:29).
Lesson
Read Matthew 25:14-30, the parable of the talents. Reenact what is happening in this parable by giving one person two pieces of candy (or something else that represents talents), another five pieces, and another one piece. Have them explain or reenact what each of them did with their “talents” (based on what is written in Matthew 25). Ask:
Why was the one servant scolded when he didn’t lose anything? In what ways do we tend to “bury” our talents? Why do you think it is important to continue to grow spiritually?
Read this quote from Verse by Verse vol. 1: “The parable is not about three levels of goodness but about doing the best we can with what we’ve been given. (As our leaders have often counseled us, it is not where we serve but how we serve that matters.) The servant who doubled his two talents earned the same reward as he who doubled the five talents. They were both faithful, and the faithful, in the end, will be given all that the Father has.”
Sometimes, comparing how many talents we have lead us to want to hide what we do have for fear it would be taken away. Why does the Lord want us to share our gifts with others? Discuss this question, and then have each member of the family share one way they are going to develop and share one of their “talents” or gifts this week.