Show STANDARD-EXAMINE- R SATURDAY NOV 18 1989 For LDS every week is Family Week National week for families starts Sunday By MARY LOU PHIPPEN Standard-Examine- Every year the nation celebrates “Family Week” an event that kicks off Sunday this year But the LDS church celebrates families every Monday when members all over the world observe Family Home Evening Some of them gather at the hearth but many families may roller skate play games in the park take family hikes and in the right season picnic or skL It’s part of a program launched by the Mormon Church in 1965 designed to bring families closer together and to enhance and encourage Scripture study Don LeFevre head of the church public communications department said that before 1965 the church frequently suggested that families spend at least one night weekly together “Families were urged to be flexible and to plan those activities best suited to bring them together” he said “Recognizing d that events sometimes stood in the way of church-sponsore- achieving this ideal leaders soon requested that Monday night be left free of all other church activities in favor of Family Home Evening “One of the most successful of all innovations in recent years the Monday Family Home Evening caught on throughout the church and is now an important and viable tradition” Now special home evening manuals from the church provide suggested lessons and activities One family taking the church's admonition to heart is the Bryan Gerritscn family of North Ogden Bryan his wife Becky and their seven children hold Family Home Evening regularly Paul 2 '’ Greg 6 Amy 8'A Jenny 10: Ben 12 Steve 14 and Travis 15 join in the planning When it’s Scripture study they may study in the park mountains or maybe by a lake “where we can enjoy the beauties of nature while studying gos- pel truths" said Becky Maranca 2 all look forward to this time with the family Linda said Some of their more exciting family activities including swimming seeing slides church vi- deos and they particularly enjoy doing anonymous good deeds for people They like to play “name that gospel tunc” and to make up menus for the “Family Town Restaurant” where each child has his or her own menu and chooses what heshe wants to eat Each week one family mem- ber is honored: everyone looks at that member's baby pictures awards and such and each member writes down why “we thought that person was special The children loved it" Linda said One exciting time was when they observed Halley’s Comet together |