Tag Archives: Zerahemnah

Aug 2 2020

Alma 43-52

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Lessons

Lesson 25: Captain Moroni Defeats Zerahemnah

Story

Book of Mormon Stories “Chapter 31: Captain Moroni Defeats Zerahemnah” Images and Video

I can find spiritual protection in the gospel.

Alma 43:17–21; 48:7–8; 49:1–5; 50:1–6

Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Book of Mormon 2020 “Alma 43-52”

Help the children make a shield out of a large piece of paper or cardboard, and ask them to write on it things that protect us spiritually. Give each child a piece of paper, and invite the children to write something bad that Satan might tempt us to do (such as lie, steal, or be unkind). Ask them to crumple their papers into balls and throw them at the shield to illustrate how the gospel can keep us safe from Satan (see also Ephesians 6:16).

Draw a child on the board, and help the children think of things that protect us spiritually as armor protects our bodies (for example, prayer, scripture reading, or keeping the commandments). Each time something is mentioned, draw a piece of armor on the child on the board.

Friend August 2020 “Come Follow Me for Little Ones” Read Alma 49:28 together and help your little ones say, “The gospel helps protect us.” Cut out or draw pictures to represent parts of the gospel—like scriptures, a temple, etc. Tape them to a plastic lid, piece of cardboard, or pillow. Then use it as a shield! One person could throw crumpled balls of paper while the other person blocks the attack.

Primary 4: Book of Mormon “Lesson 25: Captain Moroni Defeats Zerahemnah” 

  1. Play a matching game (see “Teaching from the Scriptures,”p. vii. Write the names of the following pieces of armor on six cards and what they symbolize on another set of six cards. Have the children match the name of the piece of armor to what it symbolizes in our armor of God.

Using Ephesians 6:13–18, help the children memorize what each piece of the armor of God symbolizes. Name a piece of armor as you toss a beanbag or ball to a child. Have the child give the meaning of that piece of armor and then name a different piece of armor while tossing the ball to another child, who will give the meaning and choose a new piece of armor, and so on.

Ask the children what types of things Satan uses today to try to wound or kill us spiritually. They may mention such things as certain movies, television programs, videos, books, or magazines; temptations to break the Word of Wisdom; temptations to not go to church; and so on. Discuss what the children are doing to strengthen their spiritual armor, such as having personal and family prayers, having personal and family scripture study, having family home evenings, attending church, and so on.

Primary 4: Book of Mormon “Lesson 26: Captain Moroni and the Title of Liberty”

Discuss how Captain Moroni tricked the Lamanite army, as told in Alma 43:31–42. Use the chalkboard to illustrate the position of the Nephite and Lamanite armies.

More Armor of God ideas (stories, songs, etc.)

Friend August 2020 “Happiness and Obedience” Captain Moroni gave the Nephites shields to help keep them safe. On each shield, write a gospel standard from the list below that can help you stay safe and strong.

I can be faithful like Captain Moroni.

Alma 46:11–16; 48:11–13, 16–17

Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Book of Mormon 2020 “Alma 43-52” Ask the children to tell you about some people they want to be like and why they want to be like them. Read Alma 48:11–13, 16 then share with them some words from Alma 48:11–13 that describe Moroni. Encourage the children to think of specific things they can do to be more like Moroni.

New Era August 2020

Friend August 2020 “What is Your Focus” Moroni’s focus was “inspired by a better cause” (Alma 43:45). Where do you place the focus in your life?

Lesson

Lesson 26 – Captain Moroni and the Title of Liberty

Story Ideas

Book of Mormon Stories “Chapter 32: Captain Moroni and the Title of Liberty” Video and Images

Book of Mormon Stories for Young Readers “Captain Moroni’s Flag” Video and Images

Latter Day Kids “Spiritual Battles” Video and lesson ideas.

Lesson Ideas

Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Book of Mormon 2020 “Alma 43-52” Read together Alma 46:11–16. What did Moroni want the Nephites to remember? (see verse 12). How did he help them remember these things? Ask the children to list some things Heavenly Father wants us to remember. Let the children design their own “titles of liberty” with phrases or pictures that will help them remember these things.

Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families: Book of Mormon 2020 “Alma 43-52” The title of liberty inspired the Nephites to keep the commandments of God and defend their faith. What inspires us to do the same? Perhaps your family could create your own title of liberty—a flag or banner with words or images that remind you to keep the commandments of God each day.

Friend August 2020 “Family Night Fun”

  • Captain Moroni made a flag out of his coat to remind his army that they were fighting for their families, their faith, and their freedom (see Alma 46:12). This flag was called the title of liberty.
  • Make your own flag! On a piece of paper, draw pictures of what’s important to you and your family, such as who they are, what they enjoy, who they hope to be, and what they stand for. You might share some symbols that represent these things. Hang it up as a reminder.

Friend July 1988 “Follow Righteous Leaders”

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As your family reads about the Nephites’ fortifications, you could discuss how you are fortifying your home against the adversary. Children might enjoy building a fort out of objects like chairs and blankets, or they could draw what they imagine the Nephite fortifications looked like.

Ensign August 2020 “Family Study Fun”

Alma 50 describes how Captain Moroni protected his people against their enemies.

  1. Read Alma 50:1–6 and make a list of what the Nephites did to defend themselves: dig up heaps of earth, build a timber wall, and so on.
  2. Come up with an action to represent each defense. For example, pretend to shovel dirt for “digging up heaps of earth.”
  3. Now play a Book of Mormon version of Simon Says. One family member starts by saying “Captain Moroni says to …” and then picks one of the defenses. The rest of the group should quickly do the corresponding action. Then Captain Moroni gives a new command.
  4. If Captain Moroni gives a command without first saying “Captain Moroni says,” anyone who does the action is out.

Discussion: What spiritual dangers exist in the world? What can we do to protect ourselves and our homes from the adversary? For further insights, read and discuss Alma 43:19, 23–24.

Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Book of Mormon 2020 “Alma 43-52”

Book of Mormon Coloring Book “Moroni’s Title of Liberty”

Activity Ideas

Book of Mormon Coloring Book “Moroni’s Title of Liberty” Coloring Page

Friend July 1987
Friend July 1987

Satan tempts and deceives us little by little.

Alma 47

Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Book of Mormon 2020 “Alma 43-52” Read together selected verses from Alma 47:4–19, and explain to the children how Amalickiah gained control of Lehonti’s army, even though the members of the army were “fixed in their minds” that they would not be forced to fight the Nephites. What would have happened if Amalickiah had told Lehonti what he planned to do from the beginning? What do these verses teach us about how Satan tries to deceive us?

Satan knows that most of us aren’t willing to commit big sins or believe big lies. Therefore, he uses subtle lies and temptations to lead us into seemingly small sins—as many as he thinks we will accept. Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families: Book of Mormon 2020 “Alma 43-52”

He wishes to destroy our lives and bring us into captivity through getting us to sin. Demonstrate how Satan takes away our freedom through sin by doing the following object lesson.

Object Lesson
Ask for a volunteer. Have the volunteer put their hands together. Wrap one layer of the masking tape around their fingers and thumbs. Ask them if they can break free. Explain that when we first make a mistake or sin we are easily able to break free of its grasp and repent. But Satan knows that if he continue to gets us to sin, little by little, eventually the sin will become accepted and then we become bound in captivity to the sin because it becomes a habit or an addiction. (Wrap the tape around the child’s hands several times, layering one area around the fingers and thumbs.) Ask the child to try and break free from the bindings. They shouldn’t be able to. Satan wants us to be miserable like he is, and he knows that sin binds us in captivity and destroys lives.

“The traitorous Amalickiah urged Lehonti to ‘come down’ and meet him in the valley. But when Lehonti left the high ground, he was poisoned ‘by degrees’ until he died, and his army fell into Amalickiah’s hands (see Alma 47). By arguments and accusations, some people bait us to leave the high ground. The high ground is where the light is. … It is the safe ground” (“Christian Courage: The Price of Discipleship,”Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2008, 74).

Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Book of Mormon 2020 “Alma 43-52” Show a picture of a house that is well maintained and a house that has been neglected, or show a picture of a healthy garden and a garden full of weeds. Let the children talk about what they see in the pictures and how these changes might have happened over time. What could the owner of the house or garden have done to prevent this? Explain that people can gradually become sinful if they do not resist Satan’s temptations to commit small sins (such as being dishonest or looking at pornography) and then bigger sins. What are some bad things that we need to resist doing in our lives?

Unity brings safety.

Alma 50–51

In the circumstances recorded at the beginning of Alma 50, it looked like the Lamanites had no chance against the Nephites. The armor, fortifications, and unified efforts of the Nephites made them seem unconquerable (see Alma 49:28–30and 50:17–20). But the Lamanites soon captured many of their cities—including those that Moroni had fortified (see Alma 51:26–27). How did that happen? Look for answers as you read these chapters (see particularly Alma 51:1–12). Ponder what warnings this account may have for you and your family. Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families: Book of Mormon 2020 “Alma 43-52”

Book of Mormon Stories “King-Men Verses Freemen” Images and Video

Friend May 1988 “Scriptural Giants: Teancum, Fighter for Freedom”

Mar 9 2012

Lesson 25: Captain Moroni Defeats Zerahemnah

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Lesson 25
Captain Moroni Defeats Zerahemnah

Preparation

  • Items needed: paper, crayons, and a pencil for each child. You will also need an orange, tape, two page protectors, a dry erase marker, an empty binder, one 3X5 card for each child or some strips of paper, and some removable double-sided tape.
  • Print and cut out the Armor of God pictures.  Also print one set of the small version of the armor of God per child. If possible, quickly cut out the small pieces of armor. If not, provide scissors for each child to cut out the pieces.
  • Print the Game Items. Put each of the game boards into a page protector. Tape one of the game boards to the inside cover of the binder.
  • Be prepared to play the video of chapter 31 of Book the Mormon Stories. The Book of Mormon Stories DVD can be checked out from your meetinghouse library, or the video “Captain Moroni Defeats Zerahemnah” can be downloaded and watched on a laptop computer.

Attention Activity

Show the children the orange. Ask a child to catch it and then toss it back. Do this a couple more times. Ask what would happen to the orange, as it is tossed around, if didn’t have a protective shell on it. (It would quickly become dirty and damaged.) Ask the children if they can think of other items that have protective outside coverings. Items might include: bananas, eggs, nuts, etc.

• For what reason might a person wear a protective outside covering such as armor? To protect their body in dangerous situations such as war.

Scripture Story
Tell the children they are going to watch a video about a battle that occurred between the Nephites and Lamanites. Tell them to watch carefully to see what the Nephites do to protect themselves against the Lamanite’s attacks.

Before starting the video, first tell a little of the background story. Ask the children if they remember who the Zoramites were. They were a people so wicked that they cast out anybody who believed in the prophet Alma’s teachings. The people they cast out were taken in and cared for by the people of Ammon. This made the wicked Zoramites angry, and they stirred up the Lamanites against the people of Ammon and against the Nephites. The Lamanite army (which included the Zoramites who had joined the Lamanites) attacked the land of Jershon where the people of Ammon resided.

Have the children watch chapter twenty-five of the Book of Mormon Stories video. After the video ask the children the following questions:

• What methods did Captain Moroni use to protect his people against the Lamanites? He had his soldiers wear armor, he consulted with the prophet for guidance and help, he had faith in the Lord, and he used cunning and strategy against the Lamanites.

• Explain to the children that we are also fighting a daily battle against an enemy who is trying to destroy us. Who are we battling against? Satan and his temptations.

• What can we do to protect ourselves from Satan’s attacks? (Read Ephesians 6:13–18) Put the picture of the soldier on the board. Have the children read along with you from Ephesians. Stop as each piece of armor is mentioned, explain what it represents, and then put it on the soldier.

  • Loins Girded in Truth – Knowing truth helps us be prepared to make right choices concerning many things including virtue.
  • Breastplate of Righteousness – Represents making righteous choices.
  • Feet Shod in the Gospel of Peace – Our knowledge of the gospel helps guide the direction we go in life.
  • Shield of Faith – Having faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
  • Helmet of Salvation – Salvation was made possible through the Savior’s atonement. We need to always remember Him and His teachings.
  • Sword of the Spirit –  The guidance of the Spirit and the guidance found in the revealed word of God helps us in our fight against Satan’s attacks.

• What happened to the Lamanites because they did not have armor to protect them? (They were overcome.) What could happen to us spiritually if we do not clothe ourselves in the armor of God? (We may fall to Satan’s temptations and suffer spiritual injury or even spiritual death.)

Activity
Give each child a piece of paper, crayons, pencil, and a small copy of each piece of armor. Have them draw a picture of themselves on the paper, a size that would fit the small set of armor.  Have them attach their armor pieces to the drawing of themselves using small pieces of removable double-sided tape. Remind them what each piece represents and have them write it on their paper next to the armor piece.

• Each protective piece of armor relates to our knowledge, understanding, and practice of the word of God. How can we build up our protective armor? (Have them write the answers on their papers.) Answers might include: Have personal and family scripture study, have family home evening, attend church, listen to the words of the prophet, call on God for help through prayer, keep the commandments, listen to the promptings of the Holy Ghost.

• What other ways can we protect ourselves from Satan’s attacks? Moroni used cunning and strategy to protect the Nephites from the Lamanites attacks. We can also use cunning and strategy by planning ahead what we will do when temptation is confronting us.

Have each of the children think of a temptation and write it on one of the 3×5 cards. Mix the cards up and have the children take turns choosing one, reading it, and then telling what they could do if they were in that situation. Point out that they are using strategy by planning ahead what they would do when confronted with certain temptations.

Review Game
If time permits play the following scripture story review game.
Explain that the review activity is like the game Battleship, but instead of trying to find ships, they will be trying to find the Lamanite army. After they find the Lamanites, they will then try to collect the Lamanite’s weapons and oath of peace.

Put the game board on the display board and show the children the game pieces. Open the binder and stand it up so the teacher game board is facing you and the children cannot see it. Explain that you will be putting the game pieces on the hidden game board, and that it is identical to the one on the display board.

Put the pieces on the teacher game board, and then put one location point of the Lamanite army on the prophet card, and put the card next to the game board. The prophet card will be available for additional help, but only if they ask for it. Or they can use it when question #7 is answered.

Explain that you will be asking them questions about the story, and if they get the answer right they can guess a location on the board where the Lamanites might be. If they guess the location correctly they can circle that spot on the game board (with the dry erase pen). If the location is wrong they can mark the spot on the game board with an x. Explain that the army takes up four spaces, the weapons and oath each take up three spaces. The army, weapons, and oath could be vertical or horizontal. The children must find the army first. If they make a hit on the other items before finding the army, they can circle it, but you will inform them it is not the army, and they must then look elsewhere.

Have the children take turns answering the questions. Let them know they can get help from another person if needed, or they can look up the scripture reference to find the answer.

Questions

1. What was the Lamanite’s motive for coming to war against the Nephites? The Lamanite desired the war because they wanted to rule over the Nephites and bring them into bondage. (Alma 43:8)

2. What was the Nephites motive for battling the Lamanites? To protect their wives, children, homes, privileges, liberties, and their right to worship God according to their desires. (Alma 43:9) (Read Alma 43:46-47)

3. What was the name of the chief captain of the Nephites?  The man appointed to be the chief captain over the Nephites was called Moroni. (Have the children guess how old he was when he was appointed to be chief captain.) He was appointed when he was only 25 years old. (Alma 43:16-17)

4. What was the name of the chief commander of the Lamanite army? (Zerahemnah)  Zerahemnah appointed Nephite dissenters as the chief captains to insight the Lamanites to aggressiveness and hostility because the Nephite dissenters were more wicked and murderous than the Lamanites. (Alma 43:5-7)

5. The Lamanite army outnumbered the Nephite army, so why were the Lamanites frightened when they saw Captain Moroni and his army? Because Moroni had prepared his people with armor which include breastplatess, thick clothing, arm shields, and helmets to protect their bodies and heads. The army of Zerahemnah was not prepared with any such thing. They had on very little clothing. (Alma 43:19-21)

6. What did the Lamanites do when they saw the armor of the Nephites? They retreated into the wilderness and intended to come into the land of the Nephites at a different, secret location. (Alma 43:22)

7. Captain Moroni didn’t know where the Lamanites would secretly attack. How did he find out where he should send his army? Moroni sent men to inquire of the prophet Alma where the Nephite army should go to defend against the Lamanites. The word of the Lord came to Alma, and he told them where the Lamanites were going. (Alma 43:23–24) (If the children have not located the army yet, show the children the prophet card and explain that it has a location point for the Lamanite army.)

8. How did Captain Moroni set a trap for the Lamanites? He concealed his army on two sides of the river Sidon where the Lamanites were entering into the land. (Alma 43:31-32)

9. During the battle, the Lamanites fought fiercely which caused fear in the Nephites. The Nephites wanted to flee. What did they do to receive strength and courage? They cried to the Lord for help, and he strengthened them. (Alma 43:48–50) They had great faith in God. They had gained faith in him through their obedience. (Read Alma 44:3-4)

10. The Nephites surrounded the Lamanites. When the Lamanites saw they were surrounded they were filled with terror. What did Captain Moroni do to show compassion and mercy? He ordered the fighting to stop, and he promised to spare their lives if they would deliver up their weapons and make an oath to never come to war against them again (Alma 43:53-54; 44:6)

11. What did Zerahemnah do and say when he heard Moroni’s words? He delivered his weapons to Moroni, but he said he would not make an oath to never return. (Alma 44:8)

12. When Zerahemnah would not give an oath of peace, what did Moroni do? Moroni gave Zerahemnah back his weapons so they could end the conflict. He could not allow the Lamanites to depart without their oath of peace. (Alma 44:10-11)

13. What did Zerahemnah do when Moroni gave him back his weapons? He became angry and rushed at Moroni and tried to kill him. (Alma 44:12)

14. What happened when Zerahemnah tried to kill Moroni? One of Moroni’s soldiers blocked Zerahemnah, broke his sword, and cut off his scalp. (Alma 44:12)

15. What did the soldier say and do with the scalp of Zerahemnah that made many of the Lamanites give up their weapons and give an oath of peace? The soldier took the scalp off the ground and put it on tip of his sword and raised it up high. He said with a loud voice that even as the scalp of their leader had fallen to the earth, so would they fall if they didn’t relinquish their weapons and make a covenant of peace. (Alma 44:13-15)

16. What happened after many of the Lamanites gave up their weapons and were allowed to leave in peace? Zerahemnah was exceedingly angry and stirred up the remainder of his men, and the fighting commenced again. (Alma 44:16)

17. What made Zerahemnah finally surrender and give an oath of peace? The Lamanites began to rapidly be swept down by the sword because of their naked skin and bare heads. When Zerahemnah saw they were about to be destroyed, he called to Moroni and asked him to spare them. Zerahemnah agreed to make an oath to never come to war against the Nephites again. Moroni stopped the destruction and took their weapons and oath and allowed them to depart. (Alma 44:18-20)

Conclusion
The Nephites had prepared themselves both spiritually and physically for the battle against the Lamanites, and they were able to win the battle. We must also prepare ourselves to fight and win the battle against Satan’s attacks by putting on the whole armor of God.

Tell the children to put their armor of God picture somewhere in their bedroom to remind them daily of the things they need to do to help build up their protective spiritual armor.

Weekly Reading Assignment

Remind the children to do their scripture reading assignment for this week: Alma 43:4-54 & Alma 44:1-20