In “A House of Sequential Order“, Elder Vaiangina (Vai) Sikahema states “‘Sequential Order’ is a simple, natural, and effective way for the Lord to teach us, as His children, important principles.” He goes on to describe how God has created a house of order that helps us return to His presence. God has told us “Behold, mine house is a house of order, saith the Lord God, and not a house of confusion.” (Doctrine and Covenants 132:8).

God has also told us “Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing, and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God;” (Doctrine and Covenants 109:8). How do we create such a house? Luckily, God has given us the tools to do so.

Come Follow Me

The Come Follow Me curriculum was part of creating a home-centered church-supported faith for its members. The goal is to have families center their faith at home and have the church support them in raising up members to the Lord.

Come Follow Me is, therefore, an important tool in creating a house of order. In our family, we use the lessons as part of our scripture study. I would love to say that this happens nightly, but we do have our studies several times during the week.

We don’t just use the Come Follow Me manual. We utilize other works that help with our understanding. On Sunday nights we gather for family council and part of that council is to watch the “Line Upon Line” for Come Follow Me channel by Living Scriptures. These short videos explain the week’s lesson in a format that is enjoyable and entertaining.

Another resource that Cheryl and I use is “Don’t Miss This” by Emily Belle Freeman and David Butler. Their once-a-week video goes into more details than the Come Follow Me lesson and has helped us when discussing the lesson with our children. They have also helped us understand the passages of scripture in ways that we hadn’t thought of.

During the week, we will gather in the evening and read the chapters in the lesson. We set a timer for three minutes and just read the verses to ourselves. After the three minutes have elapsed, each person gets a chance to share the verse that affected them most. We have had great conversations on why that verse was important to the person.

Family Prayer

We have found that our house is more in order when we have consistent family prayer. Family prayer allows us to gather as a family, recap the day and bring the spirit into our house. Usually, this happens in the evening right after we finish reaching scriptures.

Are these grand prayers and orations to God? Not really. In fact, a lot of times our children’s prayers are very short. We try to emphasize what things we should pray for and to remember others. We try to remember the events that are upcoming for each member of the family, or a blessing they may need in the next few days.

Family Council

I mentioned above that we watch “Line Upon Line” during our family council. Each Sunday after dinner we gather to have a family council. This is a time when we “kick off” the week. We discuss the week’s events and make sure that events are appropriately captured in our calendar. We talk about the upcoming Come Follow Me lesson and finish off with family prayer.

A family council is also a time for anyone to bring up other items of interest or import. We allow each person time to discuss anything they would like. We have had discussions around things such as “how much time should the children get on electronics each day” or “what do we want to do on family vacation” or “what rules we should reevaluate”. Our children have enjoyed these opportunities and feel that they have a say in the things we do together.

Companionship Time

To have a house of order, parents need to be on the same page. This is not always easy, but we do have tools to help us. These include companionship prayer, study, and council. Carving out time to strengthen our companionship leads to an orderly house.

Not all companionship time needs to be spiritual. We have found that having a weekly date night is an important part of keeping our bond strong. Sometimes we just go out to dinner. Others we go to an event like a movie or show. Still other times we order in and sit and watch a favorite show. It’s not so much what we do, but rather being together and strengthening our bond that is most important.

Attend Church

The last thing I want to mention to create a house of order is to attend church. This is a weekly refreshing of our covenants. The dedicated time to worship allows us to focus on the things that are most important. We partake of the Sacrament and renew our covenants. We are taught and participate in lessons that we can then bring back to our families. We get to escape the world for a little while and just bask in the Spirit.

Conclusion

Creating a “house of order” takes effort. We have been given the tools to help us in this effort. If we take the time to use those tools, our homes will be blessed with the Spirit. Our homes will become a safe haven from the world. Our children will learn where to turn for peace and hope. We will be happy.