Alternatives to Obeying the Law

This thought starts with something not spiritual at all.  I drive according to the speed limit.  Admittedly, I used to be more careful, but I still consider it personally unacceptable to exceed that limit.  This means that I tend to drive slower than most people around me.  I don't mind that.  People tend to be polite and don't tell me I should drive faster, yet as with everything else, there is always a subtle pressure to conform to what everyone else is doing.  There are surely those who would look down on me for restricting myself to obeying a law that most people don't obey, especially in light of countless reasons to drive faster.  This was on my mind the other day, so I asked myself if I didn't follow the speed limit, what else would I do?

One of my options would be to match the speed of those around me, or, if I didn't happen to be in much traffic, to try to go as fast as I thought other people would drive if they were there.  I don't like this idea because I believe in acting out of principle.  I have a good mind that can think through problems and come up with reasons for taking any particular action, and I can use it when determining my driving speed rather than just going with the flow.  Sure, there are a lot of social conventions that are harmless to follow, where it would be more trouble than it's worth to defy, but if it comes to social pressure vs. principle, principle will always be more important for me.

Another option would be to increase my speed but limit myself to only going five miles per hour over the speed limit.  This is a pretty common practice, because people (like me) often want to take as little time as possible to get somewhere, but are content to get away with breaking the law a little bit when they know they won't get in trouble for it (which is not much like me).  In this case, people driving five-over are still constrained by the law without respecting it.  I don't like that.  To undermine one law is to undermine the rule of law in general, and I believe in law.  I believe that the commandments of God and usually the laws of the land are there for our benefit, and I don't want to undermine them.

I could also go flying down the road at very high speeds.  I see people do this commonly, and I always think poorly of their actions.  Not only would such an action show blatant disrespect for the law, but it can be very dangerous.  It also sends a clear message to everyone that the driver considers himself or herself to be more important than everyone else, because there's no practical way that everyone could drive recklessly on the road.  Even if I knew that there were no police officers or cameras on a given stretch of road, I wouldn't want to do this.

So the alternatives to obeying the law aren't acceptable to me.

I made the distinction between God's commandments and the laws of men.  In matters such as the payment of tithing, no one is going to fine me or imprison me for not obeying the law.  If I were to openly break the Word of Wisdom I wouldn't get tossed in jail either.  So when I choose to obey the commandments, it's because I know the value of the law and the blessing I receive from obeying it.

As with man-made laws, people tend to have social conventions regarding obedience to the laws of God.  The social pressure in a given context may be to obey the commandments or to disobey them.  I don't ever want to obey commandments only because it's the socially acceptable thing to do, and I do want to obey them even if it's not popular.  I'm not immune to social pressure; I do worry about being too concerned with what people think of me, and there have surely been times when social pressure has led me to do the right thing when I wouldn't have otherwise, but I believe in doing what is right just because it is right.

As a disclaimer, when my baby was born recently I sped while driving from an airport to the hospital.  I bear in mind President Monson's words that "it is easier to keep the commandments 100 percent of the time than it is 98 percent of the time."  But especially after missing the birth of my last child, I wanted to be there for this one.  So my obedience to law is evidently not perfect, but after this experience I've continued in my regular driving habits.

Last thoughts for now:
I believe in obeying the commandments because they are God's will and He loves us and knows what is best for us.  I believe in doing the right thing out of principle.  What's really most important to me is knowing that I stand well with God and with myself.  I will need the mercy of Jesus Christ, but I want to merit it by truly being His disciple.

A Full Quiver

I believe it was at my sister's wedding shower, at my Uncle Dale and Aunt Diane's house during some regular conversation, that Diane said one of those very simple things that I have always remembered (much like another simple statement about parenthood I mentioned before at http://inspirationandmusings.blogspot.com/2008/11/joy-of-fatherhood.html).  We were discussing family and I made some generic comment about them having quite a few children.  (They have eight.)

Diane responded, saying, "If I could do it again I would have them closer together, so that I could have more."

That quotation might not be word-for-word, but the idea is clear.  It is a sentiment that is vastly different from the majority of people in the world.  Many have few children, and some have none at all by their own choice.  People often enough speak of children as being a burden or a hassle, and in some ways it's very easy to sympathize with them.  But Diane saw a value in her children that inspired her to keep having them until she no longer could.

As for myself, I see parenthood as a great task, a great honor, and a great joy.  Psalms 127:4-5 reads, "As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.  Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them".  My quiver now has five children; I don't think that's quite "full", but each of my children makes me happy.

Maybe I value my aunt's words partially because I like to think differently from the worldly masses, but I felt truth in what she said, or rather in the implication that it is a great blessing to have many children, and that the attitude that will be the best for us is one that brings us to seek out the joys of parenthood in great measure.  I know that many people are medically unable to have children, or to have more children, and I know I am very blessed with the children I have.

Last thoughts for now:
I'm grateful for my children, and grateful to my wife for not only bearing them for me but also for showing such astounding dedication to raising them well and for supporting me as I follow my heart in parenting, even when it means doing some unusual or uncommon things.  I don't know how many children I'll end up with, but I'm glad for those who are with me.

No Regrets About Temple Service (and No Boredom)

It was ironic that I passed up an opportunity to serve in the temple yesterday, and then in the Elders' Quorum today we had a lesson about temples.  During the lesson I spoke to a thought I've had before: I never regret going to the temple.  And I know I should go very soon.


I've heard the life philosophy that people should live their lives without regret.  There's potentially something laudable about this way of thinking and it could potentially also be eternally disastrous.  Regret and sorrow are an enabling and motivating factor in repentance, which is crucial to our salvation; some people ignore feelings of regret and thus never right the wrongs they commit, which is detrimental beyond mortal understanding.  However, if we're determined to do what we know is right regardless of other consequences, taking action without fear of regret could be a good thing.


A determination to do what is right is what is important.  Something I've also heard is that a way to judge our actions is by asking ourselves, "Will I regret this later?", and the other way of living with less regret is to deliberately choose to do what we know God desires of us.


There have certainly been times in the past when I knew I could go serve in the temple, but didn't feel that I wanted to.  I felt like doing other things.  Admittedly, I'm selfish, and I like to do things that are fun.  But every time I choose temple service in spite of those feelings, I'm glad I did.  I've never regretted temple service; I've never walked away saying, "Man, I wish I'd done that other thing instead."


I never walk away from the temple with more money, in better shape, or higher in the esteem of the world, but I walk away with a simple peace and certainty that I did what I should.


While I'm on the topic of "never" and the temple, I'll note that despite the fact that temple service is both very quiet and very repetitive, I'm never bored there.  Ever.  To an outsider looking in, I imagine that would be remarkable.


Last thoughts for now:
The goal, moving forward, will be for me to remember that I'll be glad I went to the temple, and use that knowledge as motivation for me to go.  I'll never have to doubt that it's a good way to use my time, and I'll never have to doubt that it's God's will.  And I'll never be bored with it.

Fairness

I recently heard a Gospel Doctrine class instructor comment about how she felt bad for the five foolish virgins and the slothful servant spoken of in Matthew 25.  I sympathize.  Granted, these story characters are fictional, but the reason that the parables are so poignant is that the characters have real-life applicability is that people around us make the choices that these characters make.

So I feel bad for them, too.  I don't think what happens to them is unfair or unjust; it's completely fair for an authority to decree terms and reward only those who abide by those terms.  I feel bad that they make the wrong choices and earn their just but unpleasant rewards.

(Granted, I fully acknowledge that sometimes I make bad choices and deprive myself of blessings, but I certainly hope to be faithful and fulfill God's plan in my life.)

I would think that the average person would agree that God's judgments are just (and certainly in our own judgment day, faced with full knowledge, it would be pointless to argue), but what some people might say is unfair is that while all ten virgins had an equal chance of succeeding, the three servants clearly had different circumstances to begin with, having been given different amounts of "talents".

Is it unfair?

Prophets have made a comparison stating that this mortal life is merely the second act in a three-act play.  What appears to be the beginning is, in fact, not the beginning at all.  Similarly, in the parable of the talents, the beginning of the servants' story is really not their beginning.  We might ask, "Why would the lord give his servants unequal portions?"  The answer is simple: he knew them.  These were not servants he had just hired off the street, but probably servants he'd had in his household for years, and "he gave...talents...to every man according to his several ability" (verse 15).  He gave five talents to one because, after observing him and coming to know him, the lord knew that he would make good use of those five talents.

Of course, we still are free to choose what we do with the "talents" that the Lord gives us, and sometimes even a five-talent child of God ruins his or her opportunity, but He still gives us an opportunity.  How did the lord of the parable treat the slothful servant?  He surely didn't expect as much of that one, but still gave him a great opportunity.  One talent is no small amount of money.  If it is likely that the servant will waste his opportunity, wouldn't squandering five talents be even worse than squandering one?

Another point of fairness is the reward for the faithful.  Regardless of the size of the stewardship, the reward is the same.  The lord's words to his faithful servants were identical, and they surely would have been the same for the third servant if he'd been faithful also.  The end goal of the Plan of Salvation is the greatest possible: "all that [our] Father hath shall be given unto him."  (Doctrine and Covenants 84:38)  If a five-talent servant and a two-talent servant both end up with everything, neither has anything to complain about.

Last thoughts for now:
I keep going to church, praying with my family, and doing a lot of other things while maintaining a religious focus in all aspects of my life because I know the Plan of Salvation is true and good, and I hope to receive what God wants to give me.  I hope he'll say, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant".  If, however, I failed, I would always admit that His gifts to me and His judgments were fair.

A Few First Steps in Member-Missionary Work

I was called to serve as a ward mission leader while we still lived in Logan, Utah, in the Logan University 52nd Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

On a side note, our ward was miniscule geographically.  The congregation lived in apartments within a four square block chunk of town next to the hospital.  But, given that there were a lot of married student church members there, our ward was normal-sized for meeting attendance.

Utah is kind of a tricky place for missionary work.  One tends to expect that everyone has heard of the Church in some way or another, and some residents who are not members of the Church, who have already decided that they will never want to join, can be frustrated by the continual exposure to Church culture and by the frequent attempts at proselytization.  So it's easy to expect that if one is to approach a neighbor with a message about the restored Gospel, the neighbor will know about it already and will either already be a member or will be aggravated by the message.  Truthfully, there are still quite a few people who will be glad to hear the message, but it's still a challenge to know how to approach missionary work in the area.

As a ward mission leader I had to create a ward mission plan, hold regular meetings with ward missionaries, and then actively provide guidance during Sunday meetings.  There are a few things I did that I truly felt were inspired, and which I believe still are or would be useful today.

I made the ward mission plan in three parts.  The first page was a plan for the entire ward, and it was more general.  The second page was specifically for ward missionaries, and it including activities and goals for the ward mission.  The third page was for me, and it again contained specific goals.

One of my favorite items on the plan was that ward members "3. Meet our neighbors in the immediate neighborhood and know at least their names," which would be made easier as we would "4. Sit with another family at church and know at least their names."  It's a simple thing to just know someone's name, yet it's usually a prerequisite to any other extensive conversation, especially about the Gospel.  Perhaps unsurprisingly, a reluctance to actively share the Gospel with others was seen first in members' reluctance to merely go out of their way to learn someone else's name.  As church members made this first step at church they would become more enabled to do so elsewhere.  I always felt very confident that God was pleased with this simple goal.

One action I took during church meetings, specifically during an elders' quorum meeting as I recall, was "Giving each person present a small piece of paper and instructing them to silently pray and meditate for one minute, and to write the name of someone who would be blessed if that Church member shared the Gospel with them."  The single minute of silence was invaluable for seeking the guidance of the Holy Ghost.  It was a low-pressure activity, because everyone knew that they weren't going to have to give an accounting of their thoughts to me or anyone else, and consequently people seemed to feel little or no discomfort at the exercise.  At the same time, the simple act of quiet meditation and active seeking of revelation was something I felt had become too rare for many of us.  Of course, there are many steps to be taken beyond simply writing down a person's name before that person can be brought into the Church, but again, the simple act is both a useful and largely necessary act that is frequently neglected.  I remember feeling very distinctly that I had taken a correct action as the leader of missionary work in the ward.

Last thoughts for now:
I hope to strengthen my faith.  Someday I hope to find that I've been instrumental in helping others in their personal conversion to the Gospel.  Maybe my thoughts from my old ward mission plan will be useful to others someday, but either way, I hope to always be ready to take simple first steps (and then all the remaining steps as well).

The Mighty Man Shall be Humbled

It's been depicted, in film and otherwise, that a person who displays pride and strength is shown to be submissive to a mother or perhaps father (often to comical effect).  It's striking in a way, because these people are regarded as people of great presence, and as people who are pursuing a course deemed justifiable by many or perhaps even all, but then they are made very humble due to a natural relationship that existed before they ever came to have strength or influence.  The mothers or fathers knew them from when they were at their most weak and dependent point in their lives; beyond simply not being fooled by the image the sons or daughters present, they are also in a position of trust from which they can dispense humbling advice and correction.

Yet there are many in the world who decide to put themselves beyond this kind of vulnerability.  They are submissive to no one, and can be humbled by no one--not even parents.  Often enough they commit acts of great evil while in pursuit of some sort of worldly greatness.

It seems a fairly simple matter, to me, for people to convince themselves of something.  Especially given that we, in general, don't like to be wrong, it's really very common for us to cling all the more fiercely to ideas when they are threatened.  I'm reminded of the end of the Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis.  I hope to not make this a book spoiler.  At the end, a number of characters have effectively passed on to the next life, including a group of dwarves.  While others see beautiful countryside around them, the dwarves see only the filthy inside of a stable.  Some, including Aslan himself, want the dwarves to see things as they really are, but Aslan explains that they cannot be convinced.  The basic scenario, while tragic, is not hard to believe.

I wonder, though, how long such obstinacy can last.  It is written many times in scripture that "every knee shall bow" to God and that "every tongue shall confess" that Jesus is the Christ (Romans 14:11, Isaiah 45:23, Doctrine and Covenants 76:110, Mosiah 27:31, Doctrine and Covenants 88:104, Philippians 2:10-11).  It is also written that "the mighty man shall be humbled, and the eyes of the lofty shall be humbled" (Isaiah 5:15).  I get the idea that no matter how prideful a person may be, no amount of pride and obstinacy will endure forever.  Eventually God will give us his perspective on our lives, and we'll see how unimportant some of our supposedly great achievements were, and how terrible our evil acts were that we thought so little of.  Eventually we'll have to hear His words that we cannot dispute, and we'll know that they come from someone who is both perfectly wise and loving.  We will have no reason to do anything but trust those words.  "When our heavenly parents we meet" (Hymn 286, Oh, What Songs of the Heart) we'll know again that we are still children to Them.

Of course, having faced the truth, it always still remains for us to not only accept it but also to act upon it.  Many times in these films or other media we get the impression that a humbled villain will never really learn; that simply having their power or influence removed is resolution enough of the problems in the story.  Again, it's not hard to believe that some people, after having been humbled, will "be filthy still" (Revelation 22:11, Mormon 9:14, 2 Nephi 9:16, Doctrine and Covenants 88:35, 102).  But even if these people do not gain the faith and glory that God would otherwise desire for them, they eventually will no longer be able to deny the truth.

Last thoughts for now:
Someday we will all be brought low.  It will be better for us if that happens sooner, rather than later.  It will be better for us if we gain knowledge in our humility, and better for us if we use that knowledge to grow in righteousness.

Receiving and Knowing the Holy Ghost

In teaching youth each Sunday I get to observe them.  I've spent quite a bit of time instructing young men over the last seven years.  The boys I help teach right now are a bit hard to keep focused on the Spirit.  When I talk to them about knowing the Holy Ghost, and what the Holy Ghost produces inside us, I get the sense that they don't know the Spirit as well as they could.  They're not used to recognizing the Holy Ghost, and in a sense seem to be unaware of the very real presence that is there when we're correctly testifying of Christ and the Gospel.

It's understandable; I didn't have a full sense of what the Holy Ghost was like when I was young.  It took time to develop that sense.

There's also something else.  In the Missionary Training Center our teachers taught us of the importance of helping others to recognize and identify the Holy Ghost as we taught them.  This made sense to me in a basic way, but I struggled a bit initially.  I didn't feel like I was able to do it.  I went on with my time there, and one day, in the middle of a class, I thought to myself, "Wow; the Spirit is really strong here right now."  Then, I suddenly realized that I had done it.  I had recognized the influence of the Spirit.  What's more, I had done so many times in the past, but from that point on I learned to be more sensitive to the feelings that the Holy Ghost produces in us.

It's really more than just simple feelings, though we certainly do feel and experience the things described in Galatians 5:22.

My hope for the young men that I teach is that they also gain a greater sensitivity to the Spirit.

While in Afghanistan I had several discussions about science and religion with another officer.  I rather enjoyed the discussions, and I hoped in a way that one day he would be interested in seeking a testimony of the restored Gospel.  In one discussion he brought up a scientific study he'd heard of that involved people being attached to electrodes (around the brain) and feeling "the Spirit of God", or the same feelings that God produces in us, after being stimulated electrically.  He took it as proof that our feelings are not, in fact, from God.  I saw it quite in the opposite way; when I've felt the Holy Ghost many times in the past, I'm quite certain I didn't have electrodes hooked up to my brain, so the only other place the feelings could come from is God.

One of my favorite life experiences is to listen to the simple words of an Apostle during General Conference and feeling a strong witness from the Holy Ghost.  There's no inspiring music at that moment, no external influence of any kind, and of course no brain-wired electrodes that could possibly provide me a counterfeit feeling like that of the Holy Ghost.  The pure and beautiful truth that they speak, inviting the Holy Ghost to testify to us, is the only thing that it could possibly be.

Over the last few years, with some particular struggles, I've grown weaker at times.  When we receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, we're instructed with a specific verb: "receive".  We have to act in order to stay close to the presence of the Spirit of God.  Throughout our lives, we can draw closer to God or let ourselves slip farther away, and it's vital that we make daily efforts to move closer.

Last thoughts for now:
I hope to grow closer to the Spirit of God again and to be strong in service to my Heavenly Father and His children.  I hope to assist the young men I help teach to truly know the Holy Ghost, whose power and influence they so definitely need right now and will need in the future.

Love, Charity, Truth

Mark 12:29-31 -- "And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is...thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength...And the second is...Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these."

John 13:34 -- "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another."

Moroni 7:47 -- "...charity is the pure love of Christ"
Moroni 7:46 -- "...if ye have not charity, ye are nothing"

I've heard it said more than once that despite the commandment we've been given to love everyone, it's not possible.  I think it was spoken with a sense of practicality by people who readily acknowledged that there were people they knew whom they definitely did not love.  I understand that, and I appreciate their candor, but what they said wasn't true.  The fact is that we can love everyone.  Maybe we can't all to do so all at once, without growing and exercising ourselves to gain that love, and sometimes there are people who are particularly difficult to love and who may have injured us seriously in some way.  But we have great examples of others, Jesus Christ being the foremost but many more mere mortals as well, who have shown great love to others who were the most difficult to love or the least deserving.

I try to love everyone.  I sure don't always succeed.  But I have felt that love for everyone before, and I try to keep it with me.  Interestingly, some of the times when I've most strongly felt the emotion of love for all were times when I was experiencing great trials.  Otherwise, when I feel the greatest love is when I am engaged in service toward them.  That service is a key component, and without taking the time for others I'm sure it would be impossible to gain or keep a love for them.

While service is essential, there are many good things which are not sufficient in and of themselves.  The words of 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 strike me particularly: "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.  And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.  And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing."

One way to serve others is by declaring truth in this world so full of falsehood and deception.  If we love those around us, we'll want the best for them.  We'll want to speak the truth to enlighten them, if we happen to have light to share.  (And we'll want to gain that light so that we can share it.)  However, we run a certain risk.  When we speak to what is true or right we either explicitly or implicitly speak to what is false or wrong.  In doing so, some will feel as if we're condemning ("judging") them.  Perhaps it's a rare thing these days for people to speak the truth while still genuinely loving those who don't seem to live by it, but I don't think that's the real problem.  I think instead the real problem is the underlying but widely prevalent message that to disagree with someone's actions or lifestyle is to hate them.  Love is preached to be synonymous with complete acceptance of not only the basic person but of everything they do.

The real challenge for me is to live in such a way that people know I love them.  When the situation arises in which they could interpret my words as either condemnation or encouragement, they won't just see me as a "sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal."  They will know that I really do want what is best for them and that I still love them even with their incorrect choices, just as I hope others will still love me despite my choices that either are wrong or seem wrong to them.

Last thoughts for now:
I know that some people will never feel the love I have for them even when I'm doing my very best to have that love.  I know that I haven't overcome selfishness and have certainly not achieved perfect charity in my heart.  But I know that it is right and good that I should have that love.  I know that I need to keep that love as a constant goal in my life and that without it, nothing else matters.  I hope that I can teach it to my children and encourage it in all those around me.  Charity is greater than hope, but I'll keep hope in a world that knows real charity.

Faith In God, Faith In Science

I recently read the book A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking.  I was enthusiastic to get into it; after all, Stephen Hawking is supposed to be one of the finest scientific minds of our day, and modern physics is fascinating stuff.

Well, I was disappointed.

Some of the theory seemed to be based on circular logic.  Having observed forces between matter particles, people search for an explanation as to what creates those forces.  They come up with the idea of force-carrying particles that are emitted by one matter particle and absorbed by another, which would change the velocity of each "just as if there had been a force between" them.  Hawking states that these force-carrying particles "cannot be directly detected by a particle detector.  We know they exist, however, because they do have a measurable effect: they give rise to forces between matter particles."

Really?  It makes me think that I could come up with my own theory for what causes forces between matter particles and use the same justification for believing in them.  Forces are caused by two-headed micro-demons that breath against pairs of matter particles, causing them to move away from each other.  These demons cannot be detected, but we know they exist because they have a measurable effect: the give rise to forces between matter particles.  That idea is facetious, but the logic behind "knowledge" of micro-demons is the same as that used for the "knowledge" of force-carrying particles.

At first the book was a fairly interesting read, but I soon saw that there was little I could do to think through the processes that modern scientists have used to develop their theories.  Hawking basically goes over the ideas they came up with, referring to calculations without showing them.  That's understandable, really; I wouldn't expect to understand in a few minutes or a few pages what very smart and educated people have taken years to develop.  Among the scientific community leading minds can compare notes and evaluate each other's detailed thoughts.  However, as the theories become as far-fetched as anything we read in scripture, what Hawking is telling the average person, through this book, is to accept the theories without seeing how they really work.

What he's asking us to do is to believe without seeing.

Isn't that the essence of faith?

Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."
Alma 32:21 "And now as I said concerning faith—faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true."

More than 99% of all people who have ever lived have no hope of ever understanding modern physics, but everyone who knows how to read can investigate the scriptures and then turn to God in prayer to have their faith rewarded with knowledge.  Even those who cannot read can hear the word of God preached to them.  Anyone can listen to the Holy Ghost within their hearts.

Last thoughts for now:
I don't reject outright the world's best modern ideas in physics; I'm glad to have the technology we have that is based on those ideas.  It would be wildly interesting to study the best theories in depth and contribute to them.  But if the average person is to accept modern science on faith, is it unfair to ask them to accept the Atonement of Jesus Christ on faith?  Not at all.  Indeed, it is a wonderful thing to invite others to seek and test their faith in God and His Son, and to see that faith rewarded with sure knowledge.

Fisher Family Traditions: Family Time

I've always found it important to re-evaluate the way we do things and make changes as necessary (which should be normal, really, if we're repenting as we should).  However, when we think we've got a good idea we tend to want to hold onto it.  One of our favorite family traditions is something call Family Time.

Family Time is a lot like Family Home Evening, except that it's simpler and we do it every day.  In the Church we've repeatedly been counseled to pray together daily as a family and to read scriptures together daily.  We've also been counseled that music invites the Holy Ghost.  These things are the foundation of Family Time.

A while back we also picked up a part I called "gathering".  With that added in, here's how our tradition goes before the kids' bedtime:

Gathering consists of tidying up the living room (which helps Mama to keep the house clean) and then sitting reverently while I play some music on the piano (generally from the Children's Songbook).  I explain to the kids that when we're reverent, we listen to the Holy Ghost, and I sometimes ask what the Holy Ghost told them.  I figure that by practicing reverence at home, the kids will be better at being reverent at church and at other appropriate times.

After gathering, we sing a song together.  For now this is usually from the Children's Songbook instead of the Hymnal.  Sometimes we sing a song that we don't know well, and occasionally one that none of us has even heard before.  If we need to, one of the parents speaks a line of the lyrics before we sing them.  We then read several verses of scripture.  The passage could be as short as two verses (not very often at all) or even a whole chapter (also not very often), though usually it's closer to five or six verses.  The length of the passage is not really important; mostly we want to talk about whatever idea or ideas are contained in the given passage.  We've been reading the Book of Mormon from the beginning, and after a few years we're almost through 3 Nephi.  We give everyone a chance to "read"; the younger kids repeat back the words of a verse as a parent reads them. (At one point our three-year old displayed some unwillingness to participate; we used his natural sense of possessiveness to our advantage.  We ask, "Who gets to read Marshall's verse?" to which he happily raises his hand and says, "Me!"  It works almost without fail.)  As the kids participate this way they're also practicing their skills with either reading or memory.  Depending on what the passage, we might even act out what we've read so that the kids can better understand.  After we've read scripture we pray.  For this prayer we kneel in a circle, and lately we've taken to also holding hands as well.

We try to keep up the tradition even when it's not convenient, such as when travelling.  We've even had Family Time in the van.  Sometimes we cut it a little bit short if necessary, though I'm always wary of selling ourselves short.  The kids are accustomed to it and prod us as well.  When we've wanted to keep it short by just having a family prayer, our sweet little three-year-old reminds us that we "forgot to read scriptures".  Because of his encouragement, I've made sure to make the effort to read together even if it's late.

When we get the opportunity, we invite others to participate in our Family Time.  It's a treat for us, and it provides a missionary experience as well when our guests are not members of the Church.  I think it's one of the best ways to bring the Holy Ghost to people.

And, on Mondays, we have Family Home evening, which at a minimum also includes an opening prayer and a lesson but often also involves testimonies, an activity, and a treat.

Last thoughts for now:
Family Time is a wonderful tradition for us.  I know that our family and our individual children are strengthened because of it.  The kids expect it, and while we still need a lot of practice being reverent, they're learning a bit every day.  I'm grateful for the counsel of living prophets and am glad that we've found a good tradition by which we can obey that counsel.