According to the website for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints “Family home evening is a time to strengthen family ties. We do this by learning the gospel together, by listening to each other’s feelings, thoughts and ideas, and by enjoying activities together. It is usually held on Monday evenings.”
However, according to the young single adult population of Utah County, Family Home Evening is a time to get together and play juvenile games, flirt with someone to find a husband or wife and eat treats.
Now, I am not saying either is inherently bad but what I am going to say is why instead of mingling with a bunch of twenty something year olds, you will find me watching Monday Night Football. In fact, I would even argue why watching MNF is more closely aligned with the LDS church’s definition of FHE than what is currently practiced.
First, I just want to talk about a graphic used on the LDS church’s website. When I was looking at what it is that “makes FHE successful” the graphic that is used to represent this is chocolate chip cookies. Now, I don’t really need to get into my unnatural love for chocolate chip cookies but this is the one time I find the use of its image absolutely ridiculous. So, you’re telling me out of all of the images in this world that could be used to sum up success in FHE they chose a cookie? If that is the image that is going to be used then excellent, I will eat my cookies at my home while watching football.
I’ve heard the argument that we need to form these habits now in order to continue these habits when we are older and married. Well, then great, lets not make poor habits people of the way we spend our family nights.
Aside from the “learning the gospel together” piece of what the church says, Monday Night Football has all of the pieces.
I typically have a lot of thoughts, feelings and ideas to share while watching football. I feel angry when my team screws up a play; I feel overjoyed when they play well and score points. In fact, I feel a roller coaster of emotion during a game and I always share those feelings. I also quite often share my thoughts and ideas; “RUN THE BALL YOU IDIOT,” or “YOU HAVE TO COMPLETE THOSE PASSES,” are among some of my favorite ideas I come up with. And, as far as enjoying activities together, how can you not enjoy a night of watching football with friends or family? My family lives all over the country, but we come together via the wonderful invention of technology to bond and enjoy activities together. It looks like the only element to add is a little lesson before the game and offer up a prayer for my family to bond while my team wins.
And, if all these reasons aren’t enough for you to be convinced that Monday Night Football is how you should be spending your FHE then let us remember the last part of the LDS church’s definition: “usually held on Monday evenings.” This means I can watch football on Monday and then have “family night” with a bunch of random people that aren’t even in my family on Tuesdays or Wednesdays when there is no football to watch.
