THE FEAST:

Tell the youth ahead of time that a BIG dinner will be served-so come VERY HUNGRY.

When they arrive, have one small beautifully decorated table arrayed with one irresistible, delectable dessert.  Tell the youth there will only be a tasting table. Leaders serve them one, bite size taste.  Ask the youth if they are still hungry? Do they want more?

Draw an analogy between their physical hunger and spiritual hunger. It is the same with the scriptures, if you just taste them, you will never be filled.  When you begin to hunger and thirst-to feast upon the word of God-you will be filled and you will find the answers to your deepest questions. You will find peace and joy in greater and greater abundance.

Direct the youth to another room where you have a beautiful table and "the feast" prepared. Have a set of scriptures and a place card by each place setting, with a current case study problem written on it. (For example: body image, peer pressure, popularity, Word of Wisdom challenge, fear of the future, family problems, loneliness, etc.) Have one youth read the problem and another youth with a matching number on the card look up the scripture and read the Lord's solution.

This activity was taken from the booklet Turning the hearts to the families.  I don't know how everyone else did this, but we really had a dinner set up for the kids in the next room. We had place cards with their names on them so they would not be all sitting by their buddies and we gave each table a problem to solve. We had them try to find the solution to the problem in the scriptures and we also had another card, but this one was the opposite-we had scriptures listed and they had to look them up and tell us what the problem was. It turned out pretty good.  Also for the beginning part in the first room, I had my Mia Maid class presidency practice and do a little script I had pieced together (Mia maids because they were in charge of the activity). Here is the script if anyone is interested:

Rita: Welcome to the Feast.

OPENING SONG: #277 AS I SEARCH THE HOLY SCRIPTURES

OPENING PRAYER AND BLESSING ON FOOD:

LEADERS PASS OUT FOOD

Rita: Didn't that taste good? Are you all still hungry? Do you want more? One bite just doesn't fill you up, does it? Well, it is the same with the scriptures. If you just taste them-just read one verse here and one verse there, you will never be filled.

Betsie: When you begin to feel hungry and thirst, you need food.  There are times when your Spirit feels hunger and thirst too. That is when you need to "feast upon the word of God." There are many scriptures to study to help you fill your soul.

Jaclyn: When you begin your "feast" with the scriptures, you will be filled and you will find answers to your prayers and answers to your deepest questions. You will find peace and joy. You will feel good about yourself and your relationship with your Heavenly Father.

Rita: Joseph Smith said this about the Book of Mormon, "[a person] would get nearer to God by abiding its precepts than by any other book." President Ezra Taft Benson really had a testimony of the Book of Mormon and how it could help us. He said, "There is power in the Book of Mormon which will begin to flow into your lives the moment you begin a serious study of the book. You will find greater power to resist temptation. You will find the power to avoid deception. You will find the power to stay on the straight and narrow path."

Betsie: Not only should we have our own scripture study program, but we should be studying the scriptures with our families. Here is another quote from President Benson, "Reading the Book of Mormon together as a family will especially bring increased spirituality in your home, and will give both parents and children the power to resist temptation and to have the Holy Ghost as their constant companion. I promise you that the Book of Mormon will change the lives of your family."

Jaclyn: In the April 1980 conference, Elder Marian G. Romney said, "I feel certain that if, in our homes parents will read from the Book of Mormon prayerfully and regularly, both by themselves and with their children, the spirit of reverence will increase, mutual respect and consideration for each other will grow. The spirit of contention will depart, parents will counsel their children in greater love and wisdom. Children will be more responsive and submissive to that counsel. Righteousness will increase. Faith, hope and charity-the pure love of Christ-will abound in our homes and lives, bringing in their wake peace, joy, and happiness."

Rita: We challenge each of you to listen to the prophets and leaders and start a scripture study program. Sometimes our parents get very busy and forget to have family scripture study. So we need to help them remember and help get our family together to read and study the Book of Mormon. Now would all of you please follow us to another type of "feasting."

Firesides