Family Home Evening Lesson: It Wasn't Raining When Noah Built the Ark

We will be featuring a Family Home Evening (FHE) lesson the 3rd Monday of each month in place of the motivational thought. FHE's are brought to us by guest poster Tiffany. This is a great way to teach your families about the importance of being prepared.

Following the Prophets:

"It wasn't raining when Noah built the Ark"

Purpose: To learn & teach about food storage, self-reliance and why it is important.

Preparation: Read lesson to adapt to your family. Print and cut out clip art to use. Paper, crayons, makers etc.. to make and decorate your “Family Ark” sign.

Opening Song: ♫The Prophet Said to Plant a Garden page 237 CSB♫

Opening Prayer:
Scripture: D&C 1:12 Prepare ye, prepare ye for that which is to come, for the Lord is nigh;

Quote: “They teach and practice skills of sewing, canning, drying, and other food storage methods. With it went much of the food storage, but there was still the togetherness of a family that had learned to work together, to plan and prepare, and to face a difficulty head on.”

--L. Tom Perry The Need to Teach Personal and Family Preparedness, Ensign, May 1981

Ask what it means to be prepared. Explain that you are going to be talking about food storage which is in the temporal preparedness category.

Tell this story:

"The Andersons' Ark"

Make thee an ark of gopher wood; … And of every living thing … shalt thou bring into the ark, … And take … of all food that is eaten … ; and it shall be … for thee, and for them (Gen. 6:14, 19, 21).
“Hey, Mom, I’m home!” I yelled, closing the door. I hung up my coat (but it fell to the floor).
“Hello, dear,” Mom answered. “Come in here and see.” And—like every day—I knew where she’d be.
Hands sticky with dough, flour dusting her cheek, She looked at her bread loaves—enough for a week!
“All ready for baking,” she said with a smile.“ It’s good to make bread, though it does take a while.”
“Then why do you bother?” I asked, op’ning the door Of the oven. “Why don’t we buy bread at the store?”
“Now, that would be easy,” Mom said with a sigh.“ No wheat to be ground, no yeast cakes to buy,
“No mixing the flour, no bread dough to knead—All that takes much effort, and hard work, indeed.
“But if we don’t use what we keep stored away In our food storage room, it will spoil and decay.”
“So why do we store all the food that we do,” I questioned my mom, “when it’s so hard for you?”
“For years now,” Mom answered, “the Church leaders say To keep one year’s food saved for a rainy day.
“In fact, you might think—and not just as a lark—Our food storage room’s like our own Noah’s ark!
“We do as we’re told, just as Noah did back then. Remember, he built it before the rain came!”
“But an ark?” I asked Mother. “I don’t understand How an animal boat is like food, dried or canned?”
“Oh, you’d be surprised!” Mother said with a grin. “Would you take this flour back to its storage bin?”
So down to the basement and into the dark I hurried to board our own “Andersons’ Ark.”
There weren’t any lions there roaring aloud, But I saw all the fruit we had canned, and felt proud.
I didn’t see bears, either growling or funny, But I thought of the sweetness we get from our honey.
Though nary a glimpse of even one otter, We’d never go thirsty—we’d jugfuls of water!
No rabbits were hopping about to and fro, But canned garden veggies were neat in each row.
No cow was there to moo or to wink; However, we’d powdered milk our family could drink.
No elephant stood there to trumpet a call, But I saw our wheat stored—a half ton in all!
I looked everywhere, but there wasn’t a trace Of one single animal found in that place.
I saw enough food for my parents to feed The whole Anderson family if there’s ever a need.
We don’t know what problem, if any, we’ll face. It’s good to be ready, prepared, just in case.
I went back upstairs to where Mom was still cooking. “So how is our storage? You spent quite some time looking.”
“I know it’s important; I just can’t deny it. And without all those animals, our ark’s much more quiet!”
Debbie Davidson, “The Andersons’ Ark,” Friend, Nov 1990, 9–10

**Use Clip Art as the story is being told or after to explain… (Click on the pictures to enlarge so that you can save, print and cut them.)

Explain to your family that you are trying to heed the words of our prophets… Explain that you are doing this by stocking your food storage shelves and making 72-hour kits.
You can also show them your menus, your tracking sheets, your inventories. If you don’t have these here are some examples. If you need to start with menus, tracking sheets, and inventories involve the whole family in this process. Ask what their favorite meals are and see if it can be turned into something that is food storage appropriate.

Activity: Make your own Family Ark sign, for older children have them actually make the sign themselves; for younger children make the sign and have them color it… Find and designate a place for your food storage, if there is already a place established; make sure all family members know where it is. If possible hang your Family Ark sign by your food storage, if food storage is in numerous places, place the sign on your pantry as a reminder of what we should do to be prepared.


Closing Song: ♫Follow the Prophet page 110 CSB ♪
Closing Prayer:

Treat: Camille's Granola Bars

(See Safely Gathered In Recipes)

Remember Family Home Evening is a fun time for family to learn and grow together. Hope you enjoy this lesson and it works for your family.
Tiffany

Printable Version Here