Family Home Evening - White As Snow

For Family Home Evening tonight, I wanted to incorporate one of my favorite childhood desserts into our lesson.

Of course, more important than that, I needed to find a General Conference talk!

And I found the perfect talk: “I Am Clean” by President Gordon B. Hinckley, April 2007

The talk wasn’t available in audio or video . . . but, better yet, I was able to print out selected parts of the text and distribute it among our children so we could read and discuss it together.

They loved the story of Joseph F. Smith and it was after reading this did we discuss what it meant to be clean. One of our children said, “Baptism Clean.”

But, as we all know, we are only “Baptism Clean” for a very, very short time.

And this is where the Atonement, the sacrament and repentance comes in.

This is where the great invitation we read in Isaiah comes in:

“Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; Learn to do well; … Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool” (Isaiah 1:16–18).

One of my favorite things about winter (because I am not a cold-weather friend) is the day after a fresh snowfall. When all the world around me is covered in fresh, white, glistening snow. It is a reminder to me of how beautiful repentance is and how I want to return to my Father in Heaven. It is a testimony of the Atonement of the Savior and how He will cover my sins if I repent.

We also talked about different way to avoid repenting, because of better choices. We continued from the counsel given by President Hinckley on being clean—in language, in thought, in body, in dress.

Then it was time for the long-awaited dessert. I had made SNOW PUDDING. The ingredients are very simple: lemons, sugar, gelatin and egg whites with a custard topping.

So to begin, we had our children each lick a small piece of a lemon. We related a lemon to the sourness/bitterness of sin. And that without a Savior it would never change. But, because of the Atonement, coupled with our repentance, those lemons could change and we could be “white as snow.”  Then we served them the Snow Pudding.

It was fun for them to try something I loved as a child and tasted so “snowy” to them. And also a reminder of Isaiah 1:16-18.

SNOW PUDDING
3/4 cup sugar
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup COLD water
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup COLD water
2 egg whites

In medium saucepan, combine sugar, gelatin, salt and ½ cup COLD water. Stir ingredients over low heat until dissolved. Remove from heat. Add ¾ cup COLD water, lemon peel and juice. Place in refrigerator and chill until partially set. Turn into large mixing bowl. Add egg whites. Beat with electric mixer until mixture begins to hold its shape and turns very white. Pour into individual pudding cups or in a 9x13 baking dish. Chill. Serve with Custard Sauce.

CUSTARD SAUCE
In heavy saucepan mix 4 beaten egg yolks. 1/8 teaspoon salt and ¼ cup sugar. Gradually stir in 2 cups milk that has been scaled and slightly cooled. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture coats spoon.

Remove from heat. Cook saucepan at once in cold water. Stir a minute or two. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla. Chill.