Boys: Clipart
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Choose the Right: Review
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Choose the Right – Review
Preparation
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Print the review cards onto card stock. Cut each card out, and glue or tape a large Popsicle stick to the back of each card. Note: I didn’t save the original file when I made these cards, so the new file is a little different than the pictured items.
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You may want to review the cards with the children before using them. Explain that red heads can be included when the blond hair card is shown, and black hair can be included when the brown hair card is shown. Also, green eyes can be included when the blue eyes card is shown.
Activity
To add some variety to learning and reviewing the song “Choose the Right”, I added an idea from Monica Hudson on Sugardoodle to the game board activity. I used the “Choose the Right” game board as the visual aid, but instead of playing the game while they sang the song, I had senior primary move one seat to the right every time they sang the word “right”. When they came to the end of the row they went around to the start of the row behind them, or if they were in the last row they went to the start of the first row. For junior primary I had them turn in a circle one time to the right.
To add some variety to learning and reviewing the song “Choose the Right”, I added an idea from Monica Hudson on Sugardoodle to the game board activity. I used the “Choose the Right” game board as the visual aid, but instead of playing the game while they sang the song, I had senior primary move one seat to the right every time they sang the word “right”. When they came to the end of the row they went around to the start of the row behind them, or if they were in the last row they went to the start of the first row. For junior primary I had them turn in a circle one time to the right.
The following week after doing the above activity, I added some more variety by using the review cards. Only those people who matched what was on the card was supposed to find the next available seat to the right in senior primary, or turn to the right in junior primary. This additional idea was also by Monica Hudson. Thank you Monica!!
To help motivate the children to sing well during the activity, invite children who sing their best to help with the cards.
Note: Make sure you have the teachers and children clear the seating aisles of all bags and items before doing this activity. Also make sure to tell the children to keep their legs tucked in and out of the way when other children are moving past them so nobody trips.
Lesson 23 – Alma Counsels His Sons Helaman and Shiblon
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Alma Counsels His Sons Helaman and Shiblon
Preparation
• Items needed: some vegetables, matches, a winter hat and gloves, a display board, a writing instrument for the display board, a page protector with a piece of cardstock in it, tape, a Book of Mormon for each child, and one to two Tootsie Pop suckers for each child.
• Print two copies of the treasure chest onto cardstock. Cut out the treasure chests and glue the halves together with strong glue. Finish putting together the treasure chests by folding them and taping the parts together where indicated. (The treasure chest is from the June 2000 Friend,”One of God’s Greatest Gifts.”)
• Print the scripture references and matching word strips onto cardstock, and cut them out. Tape one scripture reference to each Tootsie Pop stick. (Optional: tie a gold ribbon on each Tootsie pop.) Color the bottom of each Tootsie Pop with a different colored crayon or marker. Put each scriptures color on the back of its matching word strip. (Check the game answers found in the lesson to see which scripture goes with each word strip.) Divide the Tootsie Pop suckers between each treasure box. Put the word strips on the page protector with rolled pieces of tape.
• Make a Nakamura lock paper airplane and practice using it before class according to the directions in the lesson.
• Make two treasure maps using the instructions as a guide. Before teaching this lesson, hide the treasure boxes in the locations marked on the maps.
• Print the reading chart.
Attention Activity
Show the children the vegetables, the matches, and the winter hat and gloves. Ask what words of counsel and warning their parents have given them concerning these items. (Eat their vegetables, don’t play with fire, and wear gloves and a hat in the winter.)
• Why did your parents give counsel and warning about these items? (Because their parents love them and want them to be safe, healthy, and happy.)
Point out that our parents give us counsel and warning about many things in life because they love us. Explain that in today’s lesson they will learn some important counsel the prophet Alma gave to his sons Helaman and Shiblon. The counsel is recorded in the scriptures because it is applicable to us too. We first read about the counsel Alma gave to his son Helaman. Helaman is to be the next spiritual leader of the people. He is also to keep a record of the people and keep the past records safe. Alma stressed the importance of the scriptures in his counsel to his son Helaman. Alma told Helaman that keeping the records was a small and simple thing, but it would bring to pass great things. (Alma 37:6-7)
Activity
Show an example of how small things can bring about great things by showing the children the paper airplane you prepared. Explain that airplanes and ships have a small item on the back of them called a rudder. The rudder controls the direction a plane or a ship goes. Demonstrate this by bending the back vertical edge of the airplane to the right. Fly the plane and it should go to the right. Also demonstrate bending it to the left so it will fly left.
Explain that just as a small rudder determines the direction a large plane or ship goes, so can reading the scriptures, and doing the things found in them, change the course and direction of many people’s lives.
Have the children look up Alma 37:8 and list on the board the great things the scriptures did for the Nephites and Lamanites who heeded them.
1. Enlarged the memories of the people. The people could fall into sin if they did not have a written record of God’s word to remind them of the right things they needed to do. Read Mosiah 1:5-7
2. Convinced many of the error of their ways, bringing them to repentance. Alma 37:9 reminds us that the people of Ammon (who had once been Lamanites) would not have changed from their evil and murderous ways if it had not been for the scriptures Ammon taught them.
3. Brought many to a knowledge of their God to the salvation of their souls. In Alma 37:4 it talks about the scriptural records of the Nephites going forth to every nation so people could know the mysteries they contain. A mystery is something people don’t understand. Through the scriptures we get to know and understand God and his purposes. His purpose is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. He gives us commandments and scriptures to show us how to gain eternal life and bring salvation to our souls.
Treasure Map Activity
Show the children the treasure map and explain that just like a treasure map shows how to find a treasure, the scriptures show us how to obtain the treasure of eternal life. Ask what would happen if they went to look for the treasure but chose not to look at the map to see how to find it. They wouldn’t find the treasure. Have the children read Alma 37:46.
• What happens if we have the scriptures but are slothful and choose not to do the easy and simple thing of reading and following them? We would not gain the treasure of eternal life.
Tell the children that you have hidden two treasure boxes somewhere in the building or outside in the grounds. Divide the children into two groups and give each group a map. Have the children follow the treasure map and find the treasure you have hidden. Tell the children to bring back the treasure box without opening it. When they are all seated and you have their attention, open the treasure chests and show them the treasure. Ask how they would feel if they had not found a treasure box because they chose not to follow the map, and how they would feel if they saw the other group with their treasure and saw what they could have had.
• How will it feel in heaven if we don’t follow the map (the scriptures), but eternally we realize the treasure we could have had? What can we do to make sure we follow the map while we are on the earth?
• What age should we start following the map? Alma explains in 37:35 that children should learn wisdom and learn to keep the commandments in their youth. Point out that the scripture means we should begin to study and learn the way to eternal life from the time when we are very young.
Story
President Gordon B. Hinckley explained why we should learn wisdom in our youth by telling the story of a young tree he had planted. After planting the young tree, he hadn’t paid much attention to it. But after several years he looked out the window and noticed it was leaning, misshapen, and out of balance due to a strong east wind that hit that part of the yard the hardest. When he saw the damage done to the tree, he tried to straighten the tree, but by that time the trunk was a foot in diameter and he couldn’t budge it. He had to cut a huge branch off the tree to balance it, which left a big scar on the tree and was probably very traumatic for the young tree. President Hinckley wished he had taken the time to attach a support system to the tree while it was young to shore it up and keep it straight and true.
(Ensign, November 1993, 59)
In President Hinckley’s story, the tree represents a person who did not gain needed gospel training in their youth. The wind represents Satan’s temptations. Because the person wasn’t supported with a knowledge of the scriptures and other gospel truths as a child, he/she was susceptible to the warping influence of Satan’s temptations throughout their life.
If we are wise we will learn good habits in our youth and take the time to properly shape who we will become by reading and applying the scriptures in our lives. Sin can damage a person’s life and leave huge scars that are difficult to heal. Sin is so damaging that it is the one thing a Book of Mormon prophet (Alma) counseled us to have an everlasting hatred toward. (See Alma 37:32)
Alma didn’t want the damaging effects of sin in his son’s lives, so he counseled his sons Helaman and Shiblon on how to grow straight and true so they could gain the greatest treasure of all, which is eternal life. Remind the children that a straight and true person means someone who follows what is right and doesn’t bend and go with Satan’s temptations. Alma’s counsel to his sons also applies to us and teaches us how to grow straight and true.
Game
Once again show the children the treasure of Tootsie Pops. Point out the sticks on the Tootsie Pops and explain that the stick helps support the wonderful treat so it stands straight and makes it easy to get access to it. Also show the children the scripture references that are taped to the Tootsie Pop sticks. Explain that each of the scripture references is an item of council that Alma gave his sons. Just like the Tootsie Pop sticks gives easier access to a wonderful treat, if we will do the things found in the scriptures we will stand straight and true and gain access to the greatest treasure of all – eternal life.
Show the children the word strips, and tell them they are going to do a matching game with the scripture references. Have the children take turns choosing a Tootsie Pop from a treasure box, looking up and reading the scripture reference out loud, and then choosing which word strip best describes what they learn from that scripture. (You may wish to have the scriptures bookmarked in your scriptures for quick and easy access for the children to read, or you may wish to have all the children look up each scripture.) Have the child check to see if it is a correct match by checking the bottom of the stick and then checking the back of the word strip. The colors should match if it is a correct match. Each child gets to keep the tootsie pops they match up. (You may wish to have them tape the matching word strip to their Tootsie Pop stick to remind them what the scripture says.)
Game Answers
Discuss the scriptures with the children as they make their matches. (The bulleted items below may help with the discussion.)
Alma 38:11 & 14 – Be humble
• What problems does pride cause? Answers might include the following: thinking we are better than others, thinking we don’t need the Lord’s help, etc.
• How can we overcome pride? Acknowledge the Lords hand in our lives. Acknowledge our weaknesses.
Alma 37: 36-37 – Pray always
• How does prayer help us? We can get direction and help from a loving father who knows all things.
Alma 38:5 – Have faith in God.
• Trust the Lord that he can help you with your problems.
Alma 38:12 – Control your emotions. Avoid wasting time.
• Bridle means control, and passions are emotions and feelings. So we are to control our anger, impatience, and other emotions and not let them control us. Idleness means unwilling to work, or being lazy and wasting time.
Alma 38:1 – Be obedient to be blessed.
• When we are obedient we are blessed with his spirit to help guide us, but if we disobey we cut ourselves off from that help and guidance. Also see D&C 130:21 – When we obtain any blessing from God it by obedience to the law upon which is is predicated.
Alma 37:34 – Persist in doing good works for they will bring you joy. True joy comes from serving and loving others.
Alma 38:13 – Don’t exhibit or do your good works to gain the praise of others.
Alma 38:10 – Teach the word of God. Be hard working and self-controlled.
Alma 37:46 – Put effort into keeping all the commandments, even if they are easy.
• We are told to do some basic, simple things. An example would be to read the scriptures and say our prayers. Sometimes we don’t realize the important things we can gain from such simple acts, and so we don’t do them, and then we lose our opportunity for eternal life.
Alma 38:2 – Continue striving to do the right things throughout your life, until death.
Conclusion
Encourage the children to read their scriptures daily. Remind the children that the scriptures are a map that can lead us to the greatest treasure of all, eternal life. In order to gain the guidance the scriptures have to offer, we need to read them and apply the things we learn from them into our lives. Give the children the new reading chart, and encourage them to keep reading their reading assignments each week so that they can gain the important direction found in the scriptures.
Weekly Reading Assignment
Remind the children to do their scripture reading assignment for this week – Alma 37:1-20 &35–47 and Alma 38:1–15
Lesson 22 – Alma Teaches Faith
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Lesson 22
Alma Teaches Faith
Preparation
• Items needed: a 16 oz. empty water bottle, vinegar, baking soda, a balloon, an apple or orange seed, small Ziplock baggies, a disposable plastic cup of soil for each child, and a cantaloupe or watermelon seed for each child.
•Put two tablespoons of the vinegar into the plastic bottle and one teaspoon of the baking soda into the balloon. Put each cup of soil and seed in a Ziplock bag.
• Print and cut out the visual aids.
Attention Activity
Show the children the bottle and tell them that it contains vinegar. Allow them to smell it. Show the children the balloon and tell them it contains baking soda. Inform the children that if you were to put the balloon on the bottle and combine the vinegar and baking soda it would produce a gas that would inflate the balloon. Ask the children if they believe you.
Ask the children how they could find out for themselves if what you told them is true. (They would have to try it out to see if it works.) Allow a volunteer to try the experiment. Direct the volunteer to stretch the opening of the balloon over the opening of the bottle without spilling the contents of the balloon into the bottle. After the balloon is attached, direct the child to lift up the balloon and empty its contents into the bottle.
• After the balloon inflates, point out that they were able to discover the truth of what you told them by trying it out. Ask how they could use that same method to find out if a gospel principle is true? (Read Alma 32:27)
Explain that today’s lesson is about developing faith in God through experimenting on the word of God by applying it into our lives.
Scripture Story
Remind the children of last week’s lesson concerning Alma and his companions going to the land of the Zoramites to preach the gospel. After observing the prayers of the proud Zoramites on the Rameumptom, Alma and his companions commenced to preach the gospel. They began to have success among the poor because the poor were not allowed to worship God in the synagogues which they had help build. The poor had been cast out of the synagogues because of their coarse apparel.
One day a large group of the poor approached Alma as he was teaching. They told Alma they had no place to worship God, and they asked him what they should do. Alma taught them that they could worship God anywhere–in their fields, in their houses, and in the wilderness–and they needed to cry to Him in all their afflictions. Alma saw that their afflictions had humbled them, and they were ready to hear the word of God.
• How was being poor a blessing for the Zoramites? (Read Alma 32:12-13) It helped them to be humble and seek for wisdom from God.
The poor Zoramites were compelled to be humble by their poverty, but they still had the choice whether or not to listen to the words of the Lord, and because they chose to listen they were blessed.
• Read Alma 32:14-15. Why is it better to humble ourselves than to be compelled to be humble? We reduce the difficulties in our life that are sent as reminders for us to be humble. We also are blessed for being obedient.
• Why is it important for us to be humble? Those who are humble are more likely to listen to and obey the Lord’s instructions because they realize the need for the Lord’s help and direction in life.
• What is something that can lead people to humble themselves without the compulsion of difficulties? (See Alma 32:13- 14) The word of God. Explain that when we read the scriptures or hear a talk or lesson at church, we may experience a desire to repent of something we are doing that is not right.
Alma also taught the Zoramites about having faith in in the word of God.
• What is faith? (Read Alma 32:21) To believe in something that is real and true, even though we haven’t seen it for ourselves, is to have faith. The Lord wants us to faith in him: that he lives, loves us, and that his words are truth. Alma taught the poor Zoramites how to develop that faith in God.
Show the children the fruit tree seed and tell them what type of seed it is. Explain that the seed could grow into a large fruit tree. Ask the children what they would need to do first in order to get the seed to grow. (Plant it in soil.) (Show the children the illustration of the seed and the soil.)
Alma told the Zoramites that the word of God is like a seed. When we listen to and have a desire to believe in the teachings of Jesus Christ, we plant the word of God in our hearts.
• Where do we hear the word of God? In primary lessons, sacrament meeting talks, conference talks, family home evening lessons, family scripture study, etc.
• What happens to a seed when it is planted in the ground? If it is a good seed it begins to swell, and then it sprouts and begins to grow. (Show the picture of the growing seed.) (Alma 32:30)
Explain that after we have heard the word of God and have a desire to believe, we can then experiment on His words by trying them out. When we do this, a swelling of understanding in our heart begins to grow, and we see that the word of God is good. (Alma 32:28)
Once we see that the seed is good, the sprouting plants needs to be nourished in order to grow. (Alma 32:37)
• What does it mean to nourish a plant? (To feed it and provide all the things it needs in order to grow.) What kinds of nourishment does a plant need in order to grow? (Show the children the picture of the plant food, the watering can, the rain, and the sun cutout as each item is mentioned, and explain that we must make sure the plant gets enough water, sun, and fertilizer.)
•What kind of things will nourish our faith in the word of God? (Answers might include listening to the testimonies of others, seeking for the witness of the Holy Ghost concerning the truth of the word, listening to the words of the prophet, and continuing to exercise our growing faith through studying and acting upon the words of God.)
• What would happen if we neglected the care of a growing plant such as not watering it. (It would stop growing, and it would eventually wither up and die.) (Alma 32:38) Does that mean the seed was bad? (No, it means we didn’t do our part to help it grow, and because of that we will not enjoy the fruit that would have grown on it.)
•What happens if we neglect to nourish our growing testimony? (It could wither, die, and be cast aside.) Does that mean the word was not good? (No, it means we did not do our part to help our faith in the word of God grow.) (Alma 32:39)
• What happens when we nourish and take care of a young plant? (It grows) Show a picture of a young sapling tree and ask the children if the young tree is strong enough to withstand the damaging forces in the world. Explain that weeds could choke it out, bugs and animals could eat it, and wind and objects could knock it over and break its tender trunk. A young growing plant needs continual care and protection from damaging influences.
• How can we protect our growing testimony from the harm and damaging influences of the world? (Pull out the weeds of sin that choke out our desire for good, put protective barriers around ourselves by avoiding things that would tempt us, and attach supporting lines of strength by going to church and mingling with others who are also seeking to grow strong testimonies.)
• Ask the children if they believe a small sapling can grow into a big tree with proper care. How long would it take for this to happen? (Many years)
Alma tells us we need to have patience and diligence in nourishing our faith as it develops and grows. (Alma 32:41)
• Show a picture of a full grown tree and ask if the children think it is stronger than a sapling. Point out the tough bark, the wide trunk, and the thick branches that help protect it from damage. Explain that when we develop strong faith in Jesus Christ and his words, we are less likely to be influenced by the harmful evils that are around us.
• Once a fruit tree has grown, it begins to produce fruit and then the harvest comes. What is the fruit of faith? Alma said the fruit of the tree is sweet above all that is sweet, and that it is white, precious, and pure. If we partake of this fruit and feast upon it we will be filled and not hunger or thirst. The fruit is the blessings that come from living the gospel, which include the blessings and joys of eternal life. (Alma 32:42)
• When a tree is grown and producing fruit are we done? (No, we need to continue to nourish it, take care of it, and protect it from harm. If we don’t do these things the tree may suffer from neglect, become open to disease and bug damage, and it may stop producing good fruit.)
• When we have developed a strong faith in Jesus Christ and his words, are we done working? (No, we must continue doing all the things that made our faith strong. We must continue caring for and nourishing our testimony. If we neglect to do this we may become open to the damaging influences and temptations of the world, which could cause the loss of the blessings we worked so hard for.)
Conclusion
Emphasize that just as a good seed with proper care and nourishment can eventually become a fruit bearing tree, if we will learn the word of God, plant it in our hearts, and properly nourish it, our faith in God will grow strong and produce many blessings.
Give each child a cup of soil and a seed. Tell them they can plant the seed in the soil, but they must nourish and take care of it if they want it to grow. Explain that if they will put the plant in their garden after it begins to grow and then continue to take care of it, within a few months it will produce a delicious fruit. Explain that the plant will be a reminder for them to nourish their faith in God and to have patience and diligence as they do this. If they will do the things necessary to nourish their faith, their faith will grow and produce many wonderful blessings.
Weekly Reading Assignment
Remind the children to do their scripture reading assignment for this week: Alma 32:1-43
Lesson 21 – Zoramite’s Prayers on a Rameumptom
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Lesson 21
Zoramite’s Prayers on a Rameumptom
Preparation
- Items needed: tape, wet wipes, a paper plate, two mixing bowls, a half cup measure, a tablespoon measure, two wooden spoons, and the ingredients to make the peanut butter candy recipe (the recipe can be found in the visual aid file). Also bring some strange and unusual substitute ingredients such as bread crumbs for the graham crackers, applesauce for the sweetener, whole peanuts for the peanut butter, dried pieces of prunes for the chocolate chips. (Important Note: Be aware of any food allergies before giving children food.)
- Print and cut out the activity and scripture story visual aids. Cut apart each level of the Rameumptom so there are seven pieces. Be prepared to build the Rameumpton on the chalk board.
Attention Activity
Put the bowl, spoon, and measuring items on the table and explain to the children that you are going to make some peanut butter candy for them. Show them the recipe, but then toss it aside. Tell the children that you have decided not to follow the recipe because you want to try some different ingredients. Show the children the substitute ingredients you brought, and then mix together various amounts of those ingredients. (Be sure to mention the correct recipe ingredients as you do this. For example: “The recipe calls for peanut butter, but I want the candy to be really crunchy so I think I will add whole peanuts.”)
After combining the substitute ingredients show the children the results. Ask them if they think the mixture looks like peanut butter candy.
Ask the children what the results would be if someone tried to make up their own ingredients for gaining salvation instead of following Heavenly Father’s plan. Would they get the desired results? Tell the children that in today’s lesson they will be learning about a group of people who tried to do just that.
Scripture Story
Remind the children of last week’s lesson about Korihor. Ask if they remember what happened to him after he lost his ability to speak. (He found it necessary to beg for food, and eventually he was trodden down among a people that called themselves the Zoramites.) The Zoramites had once been members of the church, but they had fallen away and apostatized. Apostasy means a turning away from something. The Zoramites had turned away from the teachings of the church and had tried to make up their own form of religion and own ingredients for salvation.
• Why might some people try to make up their own form of religion? One reason is to make a religion agree with what they want. What did the Zoramites desire? (Read Alma 31:24-25) They wanted to indulge in wickedness and the pride of worldly riches.
The Zoramites had discontinued obeying the commandments, they had stopped praying to God daily, and they had altered the teachings of the church to suit what they desired. (See Alma 31:9-11)
The Zoramite people lived near the borders of the wilderness, and the wilderness was full of Lamanites. Because the Zoramites had dissented from the Nephites, the Nephites were afraid the Zoramites would try to join with the Lamanites.
Alma knew that the word of God had a powerful effect upon a man’s heart, so he and several others (including two of his sons, three of the sons of Mosiah, Amulek, and Zeezrom) went to preach the word of God to the Zoramites.
• Ask the children if they can recall a time when a scripture they read or a teaching they heard at church motivated them to change.
When Alma and his companions came into the land of the Zoramites, they were astonished at what they found. The Zoramites were gathering once a week in synagogues they had built (houses of worship), but their worship was not like anything Alma and his companions had ever seen before. In the center of the synagogue was a tower where one person at a time could stand. This tower was called a Rameumptom – meaning holy stand. (Put the picture of the Rameumptom and the worshiper on the board.) Whoever desired to worship would go onto the Rameumptom, stretch up his arms toward heaven, and speak with a loud voice the following prayer: Read Alma 31:15-16
• Why did the Zoramites choose to believe in incorrect principles about God, and why did they not want to believe in Christ? One possible reason may have been to deny the doctrine of the plan of salvation – of coming to earth to get a body and be tested. They wanted to think they were elected (chosen) to be saved regardless of what they did. They did not want to believe in sin or the need for a Savior.
• In the Zoramite’s prayer they did not ask God for help in dealing with the challenges of life. Did the Zoramites have faith in God answering their prayers? Faith in God comes through learning of Him and doing His will.
Above the picture of the person worshiping on the Rameumptom put up the sign that says “The Zoramite’s Prayer.” Underneath the picture put up the sign that says “1) lacked faith in God and in Christ.”
Have a child read out loud the next part of the Zoramite prayer found in Alma 31:17-18. Put the next sign up that says “2) was selfish and prideful.” Explain that the Zoramites wanted to view themselves as the chosen and saved ones and that all others would suffer in hell.
• If the Zoramites did not have faith in God, what might have been the purpose of their elaborate prayers? They may have been using the prayers to reinforce their false beliefs, and they also appeared to be using the prayers to elevate themselves above others and declare that they were better than everyone else.
• In what ways might people think they are better than others and become lifted up in pride? Answers might include the following: people may think they are better than others because of how smart, pretty or handsome, athletic, wealthy, or talented they are. (Build the Rameumptom tower on the board as each answer is given.)
After hearing a Zoramite prayer Alma and his fellow missionaries were astonished. As they continued to watch, they realized that every man who went onto the tower offered the same prayer. Then, after the Zoramite people had offered up their prayers, they returned to their homes, not speaking of God again until they had assembled themselves together again at the Rameumptom. Put up the last sign “3) were repetitious and insincere.”
When Alma saw the prayers of the Zoramites his heart was grieved for he saw they were a wicked people. He lifted his voice up to heaven in prayer. (Put the picture of Alma praying on the board.) Alma prayed for strength and patience in afflictions. He prayed for comfort for himself and his companions, and he prayed for success in bringing souls to Christ.
Put the sign “Alma’s Prayer” above the picture of Alma. Underneath the picture put up the following signs as you read and discuss each one.
1) showed faith in God and Jesus Christ
Alma petitioned the Lord for blessings in his prayer. He had faith that the Lord would bless and help him.
2) was humble and not selfish.
Alma prayed for others.
• How can we humble ourselves so we are not lifted up in pride? (Have the children take off a level of the Rameumpton tower for every answer they give.) Answers may include the following: by remembering that our gifts, talents, and abilities come from the Lord, by praying for humility, by looking for the good in others, by building love for others by praying for them and serving them.
3) was not repetitious or insincere
Alma prayer was not repetitious or insincere because he was praying for specific needs.
• What happens if we don’t pray daily and sincerely? We tend to lose the guidance of the Spirit, which is essential for managing the challenges and temptations of life. What was the result of the Zoramites not praying daily? They succumbed to Satan’s temptations.
After Alma said the words of his prayer, he put his hands upon his companions, which probably meant he set them apart for their assignments or gave them a special blessing to face the difficult challenges ahead. As he did this they were filled with the Holy Spirit.
Conclusion Activity
Remind the children of the wrong ingredients used for making peanut butter candy, and remind them of the wrong ingredients for salvation that the Zoramites followed.
Point out that just as there are wrong ingredients for making peanut butter candy and wrong ingredients to gaining salvation, there are also right ingredients. Show the children the right ingredients for the peanut butter candy.
• What would be some of the right ingredients for gaining salvation? Obey God’s commandments, gain an understanding of correct doctrine, have faith in Jesus Christ, be humble, pray daily, etc.
Measure out and mix the correct candy ingredients. Have the children wash their hands with wet wipes, and then give them each a spoonful of the mixture. Have them roll their candy into balls and then coat them with coconut or sprinkles. Invite them to taste the finished product. Point out how sweet and delicious it is. Explain that just as we enjoyed the benefits of following the correct recipe for peanut butter candy, if we will follow the correct steps for attaining eternal salvation we can one day enjoy all the wonderful blessings related to gaining eternal life.
Weekly Reading Assignment
Remind the children to do their scripture reading assignment for this week: Alma 31:1-25
Lesson 20 – Korihor, the Anti-Christ
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Lesson 20
Korihor, the Anti-Christ
Preparation
• Print the scripture story visuals aids. (The scripture story visuals come from chapter twenty-seven of Book of Mormon Stories.)
• Items needed: a fake diamond jewelry item and a real diamond jewelry item (or pictures of real and fake diamonds), a set of scriptures for each child, tape, a display board, and a writing instrument for the display board.
•Print and cut out the activity visuals.
Attention Activity
Show the children the jewelry items. Explain that one of the jewelry items has fake diamonds in it and one has real diamonds in it. Ask the children how much value a fake diamond would have. Then ask how much value a real diamond would have. Ask the children if they can tell which diamond is real and which is fake. Reveal which diamond is real.
Tell the children that there has been an increasing amount of imitation diamonds introduced into the world that some people try to pass off as the real thing. It can be very difficult to tell the difference between the real and the fake. Many people are fooled into paying large amounts for fake items that are worthless.
Also explain that there has been an increasing amount of false teachings about religion being spread throughout the world, and many people have a hard time telling the difference between what is priceless truth and what is worthless lies. People are paying dearly with the consequences of buying into the deceptions.
Explain that in today’s lesson they will be learning how to distinguish between the false teachings and the truth.
Scripture Story
Tell the following story using the scripture story visual aids.
The Nephites were enjoying a time of peace and righteousness, but this period was disrupted when a man named Korihor came into the land of Zarahemla. He was an Anti-Christ.
• What is an Anti-Christ? It is someone who is in opposition to Christ and His gospel.
(Put the word strips of Korihor’s false teachings on the board as each is mentioned.) Korihor preached against the prophecies concerning the coming of Christ. He said that no man can know of things to come. He said there can be no such thing as an atonement and no need for one because whatever a man does is not a crime. He said people prospered because of their own intelligence and strength, and their beliefs in Christ were foolish traditions that were binding them down. He also said he did not believe in the resurrection. He taught that when a man died, that was the end. Korihor’s preaching’s lead away the hearts of many to wickedness.
• Why was Korihor able to lead away people with what he taught? The things he taught were attractive to the carnal mind, the side that wants to enjoy the carnal pleasures of the world without consequences.
• Do some people in the world today teach the same philosophies of Korihor?
After teaching in Zarahemla, Korihor tried his preachings upon the people of Ammon. The people of Ammon had once been Lamanites, and they would not listen to Korihor. He was cast out of their land.
• Why do you suppose the people of Ammon would not listen to Korihor? The people of Ammon had lived most of their lives following Korihor-like-beliefs, and they knew the heartache, the misery, and the destruction it can cause in people’s lives.
Ammon’s people provide good examples of how we should respond when we are confronted with people like Korihor. We should not listen to those who would tear down our faith.
Korihor also tried to preach in the land of Gideon. He was eventually bound and taken before the chief judge and before Alma the high priest.
• What law did Korihor break that caused him to be brought before the chief judge? He wasn’t taken before the chief judge for preaching his beliefs. Everyone was free to choose what they believed, but there was a law against unbelievers persecuting members and seeking to destroy the church, and Korihor had been breaking that law.
When Korihor was brought before Alma, Korihor condemned the priests of the land and began contending that they were teaching about Christ to get power and authority over the people so they could glut themselves upon the people’s labor.
Alma knew the truth of the matter. He pointed out that Korihor knew that neither he nor his bretheren had ever received any money for their labors in behalf of the church. Alma had labored with his own hands for his own support. The only profit he and his bretheren recieved for the labor they performed in the church was to rejoice in the happiness of their brethren.
• Why would Korihor try to falsely condemn the priests of taking advantage of the people for profit? To deceive people into leaving the church.
Alma asked Korihor if he believed there was a God. Korihor said he did not believe there was a God. Alma asked what evidence Korihor had that there was not a God.
In Korihor’s preaching’s he had said that we can’t know of things we have not seen. He argued that a person who had not seen God could not know of his existence.
• Ask the children to think of a place they have never visited that exists. Why do you believe that place exists? Just as we have other’s accounts to help us know of places we have not seen, we have the testimonies of prophets, the scriptures, and the Holy Ghost to help us know that God exists.
• Alma stated that Korihor did know there was a God, but he was lying because the devil had power over him. How was Alma able to discern that Korihor was lying? Through the Holy Ghost
Korihor said if Alma would show him a sign of the power of God then he would believe. Alma said Korihor had signs enough through the scriptures, the testimony of others, the words of the prophets, all things on the earth, and the regular movement of the planets. All these things indicate there is a God who is the supreme creator.
Alma was grieved at the hardness of Korihor’s heart. He also grieved that Korihor’s soul would be destroyed, but Alma felt it was better that one soul be lost than Korihor should be the means of the destruction of many souls by his lying and flattering words. Alma told Korihor that if he denied God again then God would smite him, and Korihor would become dumb and not be able to speak his deceit any more.
Korihor once again said he did not believe there was a God. Through the power of God, Korihor was then struck dumb. When the chief judge saw this he wrote to Korihor, “Are you now convinced of the power of God?” Korihor wrote that only the power of God could strike him dumb, and that he had always believed there was a God.
Korihor said the devil deceived him; that he appeared to him in the form of an angel and told him to go and reclaim the people because they had all gone astray after an unknown God. The devil had said there was no God, and he taught Korihor what he should say.
• Why would Satan want people to believe there is no God? One reason is that when a belief in God and his teachings are taken away, living a moral and virtuous life no longer seems important. Satan wants to destroy people’s lives through getting them to sin.
• Why did Korihor teach what Satan told him? (See Alma 30:53) Korihor was attracted to what Satan taught because it was pleasing to the carnal mind.
• What does it mean to be carnally minded? It means to focus on physical pleasures and material things.
Korihor wrote some words beseeching Alma to pray to God to have the curse removed. Alma said that if the curse was removed from Korihor he would once again lead away the hearts of the people.
• Why would Korihor continue to do evil even after seeing the truth? Remind the children that carnal desires were very pleasing to Korihor. Satan had a strong hold on Korihor.
The curse was not taken from Korihor, and he found it necessary to go from house to house begging for food in order to sustain himself. Korihor had taught that people prospered because of their own intelligence and strength, but he learned that we are dependent on the Lord for everything we have.
The knowledge of what happened to Korihor was published throughout all the land. The people who had believed the words of Korihor were told they should speedily repent lest the same judgments come upon them. They repented, and that was the end to the iniquity of Korihor.
As Korihor went around begging for food, he went to a people that had separated themselves from the Nephites. They taught Korihor-like-beliefs in their community. They were called Zoramites. As Korihor went among them he was trampled to death.
• Why would a people, who believed the same as Korihor, treat him in such a way? Their beliefs promoted the idea that they should look down on those who were less fortunate than themselves. They also believed that no matter what they did, their actions were not considered to be sin.
•Would beliefs such as these cause a lot of suffering and pain in the world?
• Does Satan support those who serve him? (See Alma 30:60) What does Heavenly Father do for those who serve him? (See Mosiah 2:41)
Conclusion Activity
Remind the children of the real and fake diamonds. Explain that Satan has a counterfeit or opposite teaching for every teaching of Jesus Christ, but because Satan’s counterfeits are worthless they do not bring real happiness or satisfaction.
• How can a person tell if a diamond is real or fake? It takes special equipment and study to be able to tell the difference.
• What is the special equipment we have been given to help us identify the difference between false teachings and true teachings? The scriptures, the Holy Ghost (remind the children that Alma was able to discern Korihor’s lies through the Holy Ghost), and we also have access to trained experts through the living prophets.
Post the cutout diamonds on the board next to the false teachings of Korihor. Explain that the diamonds represent real diamonds and true doctrine. Have all the children look up the first diamond scripture. Have one child read the scripture out loud. Discuss the scripture and point out that there are many more scriptures about the same subject. Explain that the more we learn about something, the more expert we become at telling the difference between the truth and its fake imitation.
Instruct the child to take the opposing counterfeit teaching off the board. After all the scriptures have been read, and all the counterfeit teachings are off the board, explain that there are many more false beliefs and ideas Satan is spreading throughout the world. Satan uses many marketing strategies to spread and sell his false doctrines such as media, music, movies, commercials, books, etc.
• What will be the price we pay if we “buy” into Satan’s false doctrine? Unhappiness, loss of eternal salvation, etc.
Remind the children that when we take advantage of the tools and experts that we have been given, then we can have the satisfaction and joy of enjoying true doctrines of great worth that bring real happiness.
Weekly Reading Assignment
Remind the children to do their scripture reading assignment for this week: Alma 30:5-60
Answers to Diamond Activity:
False Doctrine Truth
There will be no Christ for no man can know of things to come. D&C 76:10, 8
Whatever a man does is no crime. There is no such thing as sin. 2 Nephi 2:13
There is no need for, and can be no such thing as an atonement. Alma 34:9
People prosper because of their own intelligence and strength. D&C 130:20-21
Foolish beliefs in Christ bind you down. John 8:32 -36
There will be no resurrection, no life after death. Alma11:42-43
Lesson 18 – King Lamoni’s Father
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Lesson 18
King Lamoni’s Father
Preparation
- Print the scripture story visual aids. Cut each page in half (except for the last page) so that one picture is on each half. Number the back of each picture according to the order they were printed. Roll the last printed page into a scroll and tie it with a string. (Note: The visual aids are from chapters twenty-four and twenty-five of Book of Mormon Stories.)
- Items needed: a television, a DVD or video player, a shirt that can be damaged, a bar of soap, a large plastic garbage bag, items that can be used to stain the shirt such as chocolate syrup, mustard, mud, ketchup, oil, etc.
- Obtain the video or DVD of Book of Mormon Presentations from your meetinghouse library, or download chapter 30 “The Mediator” onto your computer.
Attention Activity
Show the children the shirt you brought, and lay it on top of a spread out plastic garbage bag. Explain to the children that sin is like dirt and stains. Apply staining items to the shirt as you mention sins that stain our spirits, such as lying, stealing, hate, etc. (The garbage bag is to help prevent spills on the carpet.) Ask the children how they would feel if they had to wear the dirty shirt and how they would feel if they could never change the shirt or take a shower.
• Would it be difficult going out among people in that state? Would we feel comfortable in heaven being among spiritually clean people if we have stains of sin upon us?
Show the children the soap and explain that just like we have soap to clean our bodies and our clothes, Heavenly Father has provided a way for us to become clean from our sins. He provided a Savior for us who took upon himself our sins.
The Lamanites were a people who did not know they could be cleansed of their sins. They lived daily with the guilt and horror of their sinful actions.
Tell the children that in today’s lesson they will learn about a Lamanite king who learned about the atonement of Christ and about how he could be free of sin through repentance.
Scripture Story
Tell the following story using the pictures from chapters twenty-four and twenty-five of Book of Mormon Storiesas visual aids. Before telling the story, put all the pictures on the chalk board in random order. As you tell the story, stop at the end of each numbered paragraph and have the children find the picture that goes with that part. Check the number on the back of the picture to make sure if it matches the paragraph’s number. Before starting, remind the children of Ammon and the conversion of King Lamoni and his people. (Note: It is important to make time for the video presentation in this lesson. Simplify the scripture story by cutting out the activity part if needed.)
1) After the church was established among King Lamoni’s people, the king wanted Ammon to go with him to the land of Nephi to meet his father who was king over all the land. But the Lord told Ammon he should not go to the land of Nephi because Lamoni’s father would seek to kill him. The Lord told Ammon that instead he should go to Middoni because his brother Aaron and a couple of his companions were in prison there. Ammon told Lamoni what the Lord had told him. Lamoni said he would go with Ammon to help get his brethren out of prison.
2) As they were traveling to Middoni they met Lamoni’s father. Lamoni’s father asked Lamoni why he had not come to the feast he had prepared, and he asked where Lamoni was going with a Nephite. Lamoni told his father that he and his people had received the word of God from Ammon, and that he was going to help get Ammon’s brethren out of prison.
3) Lamoni’s father was angry with Lamoni for helping a Nephite, and he commanded his son to slay Ammon. He called Ammon a thief and a liar. Lamoni refused to slay Ammon. He told his father that he knew Ammon and his brethren were just men and prophets of God.
4) When Lamoni’s father heard this he became very angry and drew his sword to smite Lamoni.
• Would Lamoni’s father have regretted it if he had hurt his son? Most likely. One reason the Lord tells us we should not become angry with others is because it can lead to bigger sins. Anger can cause us to say and do things that could seriously hurt others. It is an easy thing to get angry, but it shows strength to control our emotions.
5) When the king tried to smite Lamoni, Ammon stood forward and prevented him from harming Lamoni. The king tried to kill Ammon instead. Ammon withstood him and overpowered him.
6) The king pled with Ammon to spare his life, and he offered Ammon whatever he wished, even half his kingdom. Ammon made the king promise to help him get his brethren out of prison.
7) He also wanted the king to allow Lamoni to retain his kingdom and govern it without interference. The king was surprised that Ammon asked nothing for himself. He was also astonished when he saw the love Ammon had for his son.
8) He told Ammon he would grant his desires, and he asked that Ammon and his brethren come to his kingdom so he could learn more about what they were teaching.
• Why had it been better for Ammon to meet Lamoni’s father away from the king’s own lands? If Lamoni’s father had met Ammon in his palace and lands, he would have had Ammon killed or imprisoned without getting to know him. Because of the way they met, Lamoni’s father had the opportunity to see Ammon’s good example of love, kindness, and unselfishness.
9) After the encounter with Lamoni’s father, Ammon and Lamoni proceeded to Middoni and were able get Ammon’s brethren released. Ammon was sorrowful when he saw how badly his brethren had been treated and how much they had suffered.
Aaron and his companions had fallen among a stiff-necked and hardened people. These hard hearted people were a sect of Nephite apostates. These apostate people would not listen to them, and they mocked Aaron and his companions and treated them harshly.
Aaron and his companions had been patient in their afflictions because the Lord had told them if they were patient in affliction he would bless them with success as missionaries.
• What did Aaron and his companions do after being released from prison? (See Alma 21:15) After Aaron and his brethren were released from prison they continued preaching in the land.
10) They were led by the spirit to the Land of Nephi where Lamoni’s father dwelled. Aaron and his brethren went to the king’s palace and introduced themselves as the brethren of Ammon.
11) The king wanted to learn about what they were teaching. Aaron taught him from the scriptures.
• What was the first thing Aaron taught Lamoni’s father? (See Alma 22:7–8) That there is a God.
• Why did Aaron first teach Lamoni’s father about a belief in God before teaching him anything else? People will not obey God until they know and believe that there is a God. They also need to understand God’s plan: that he created the earth for us to gain bodies, and he gave us commandments to help us become like him. Aaron also taught that because of mortality and the weaknesses of the flesh, we will all make mistakes and sin. He taught that we needed a Savior in order to return to God’s presence and gain eternal life.
12) The king wanted to know what he needed to do to gain the eternal life which Aaron had taught him about. He said he would give all he possessed, even his kingdom, to gain this great blessing and joy. Aaron told the king that he needed to bow down before God, repent, and call upon God in faith and belief.
13) Others had bowed down to the king during his life, now he must bow down before the greatest of all kings. The king got upon his knees and cried mightily unto God. He wanted to know that there is a God.
14) When the king said these words, he was struck as if dead. The servants ran and told the queen all that had happened. When she saw the king lying as if he were dead, and Aaron standing over him, she was angry and commanded the servants to take Aaron and his brethren and slay them. But the servants had seen the cause of the king’s fall, and they dared not to touch Aaron and his brethren. When the queen saw the fear of the servants, she began to fear Aaron also, so she sent the servants to call the people so that they might slay Aaron.
15) When Aaron saw the determination of the queen, and because he knew the hardness of the hearts of the people, he took the king’s hand and raised him. When the queen and the servants saw this they marveled and began to fear. The king ministered to them, and the whole household was converted.
16) A multitude had gathered because of the commands of the queen, and they were murmuring because of Aaron and his brethren. The king went among them and ministered to them, and they were pacified. When the king saw they were pacified, he had Aaron and his brethren preach to them.
They king had experienced a conversion similar to his son Lamoni. He had been overcome by the power of the Spirit because he had the desire to learn the truth. This type of conversion is unusual, but because of the things these two leaders learned from the Spirit, many others were influenced as well.
The king sent a proclamation to all his people. (Show the scroll to the children and ask them what they think the king told his people, then have someone read the scroll out loud.) After this proclamation, Aaron and his brethren went from city to city preaching and establishing churches. They began to have great success, and thousands were brought to the knowledge of God.
Video Presentation
Heavenly Father’s plan of salvation included a Savior to pay the price for our sins. Without Jesus Christ’s atonement we could not be forgiven of our sins. To help the children understand this concept show them the ten minute video of “The Mediator.” Ask the following questions after the video.
• In the video a man borrowed a large amount of money. He was warned by his friends not to take on the debt. What did the debt represent? Our wrong actions (sins) we commit on earth. The man in the video got into debt because he wanted to do and have the things he wanted right then. He thought he could pay the debt back later, just like some people think that they can commit sin and then repent and fix the sin later.
• Why was the man not able to pay back the debt? The debt was too big for him to handle. He also wasted time he could have put toward working to pay it back. Sin is too big for us to fix on our own, and sometimes we waste our opportunities to try and fix our mistakes.
• What did the settlement day (the day the loan was due) represent? Judgment Day, which is when we will be judged according to what we did in mortal life. We will be held accountable for our sins and have to pay the price for them.
• What was going to be the price the man had to pay because he couldn’t pay his debt? He was going to lose everything and go to prison.
• If justice demanded the man pay the debt, why would mercy interfere with justice? If mercy is extended then justice is not met.
• What is needed for both mercy and justice to be served? A mediator. Someone who will pay the contract price that is due.
• The man in the video had a friend who paid the debt for him, but the amount was probably a big sacrifice for his friend to pay. Why did the man’s friend pay his debt? The friend loved him and didn’t want to see him go to prison.
• Who did the friend represent? Jesus Christ
• How did Jesus pay our spiritual debt for sin? He took upon himself our sins and suffered and paid the price for them.
* Jesus Christ took upon himself our debt. How can we repay him? We can never repay the debt we owe the Lord, but He offers us forgiveness of our sins if we abide by the terms which He has set, which is to repent and keep the commandments.
Remind the children of the object lesson at the beginning of the lesson, and remind the children of how wonderful it is that we can be clean of sin because of what the Jesus Christ did for us. Bear testimony of your gratitude for the atonement.
Weekly Reading Assignment
Remind the children to do their scripture reading assignment for this week:
Alma 20:1-30, Alma 22:1-26, and Alma 23:1, 4-5
Lesson 17 – Ammon – A Mighty Missionary
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Lesson 17
Ammon – A Mighty Missionary
Preparation
• Items needed: several wrapped treats, a plate or platter for the treats, tape, marbles (or some other small, heavy items), a few small vegetables, a Kleenex, a large rubber band, a large clear vase or jar, 26 inches of cord or twine, a small piece of thick cloth, several four inch square pieces of paper, and some thick thread.
• Print and cut out the activity visual aids. Tape each gospel blessing card to a wrapped treat.
• Tape the pictures of the sheep to the inside of the large clear vase. Separate the two layers of a Kleenex sheet. Cover the top opening of the vase with one layer of the Kleenex. Put a large rubber band around the Kleenex to secure it. The Kleenex should be stretched tight across the opening of the vase.
• Print the scripture story visual aids. Cut the pages in half, and number the back of each page to help keep them in the correct order. (The scripture story visuals come from chapter twenty-three of Book of Mormon Stories.)
• Make an example slingshot. Cut two, thirteen inch pieces of cord or twine. Cut out a piece of thick cloth 1¾ inches by 4 inches. Put one inch of the cord on top of one end of the fabric. Gather the fabric around the cord end and tightly wrap a piece of tape around it. Wrap thick thread around the tape several times and tie it off. Do the same with the other piece of cord and the other end of the fabric. The fabric should form a pocket when you are done. Also make several paper balls by tightly crumpling 4 inch square pieces of paper. Try out the slingshot by using the instructions found in the lesson.
Attention Activity
Show the children the treat you brought. Point out how wonderful and mouth watering it looks. Take a bite and describe the texture and flavor; tell them how delicious it is. Ask the children how they would feel if you ate the treat in front of them and didn’t share.
Show the treats with the gospel blessing labels attached. Explain to the children that the labeled treats represent the many blessings they enjoy because they are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Read the labels to the children. Ask if it would be fair or right if we kept the blessings of the gospel to ourselves and didn’t share with anyone else.
• Tell the children that you brought treats to share with each of them. Ask how that makes them feel. Inform the children that in today’s lesson they will learn of the joy experienced by the Lamanites when a missionary named Ammon shared the gospel with them.
Ammon was one of the sons of Mosiah. The sons of Mosiah desired to share the joy of redemption they had found in the gospel. They had sinned much in their youth. They had felt the sorrow and suffering that occurs when someone realizes the awfulness of their sins. They wanted to go on a mission and teach repentance to the Lamanites because they could not bear the thought of any human soul suffering the consequences of sin.
• If you were given the choice between serving a mission to a people who regarded you as their enemy or becoming a king with great power and honor, which would you choose? Mosiah was king of the Nephites and his sons were the heirs to the throne, but the sons of Mosiah gave up the throne to serve a mission to the Lamanites. Mosiah’s sons were taking on a very difficult task. The Lamanites were a wild and ferocious people, and they hated the Nephites.
Before leaving on their mission, the sons of Mosiah prepared diligently. They searched the scriptures, fasted, and prayed.
• Why did they search the scriptures, fast, and pray to prepare for their mission? (To help the children learn the answer to this question have them do the following role play activity.)
Role Play Activity
Choose a child to pretend to be an investigator, and give that child the list of questions they will ask. Have the other children take turns pretending to be missionary companions responding to the investigator’s questions. When they are done, ask the children if it was hard to answer the questions.
• How can someone gain the knowledge to answer those kinds of questions? Missionaries must study the scriptures to gain a knowledge and understanding of the gospel, and they must fast and pray for divine help in teaching and testifying about those gospel precepts.
The sons of Mosiah had searched the scriptures, fasted, and prayed so they could effectively teach the gospel with the Spirit and bring the Lamanites to a knowledge of the truth.
Scripture Story
Tell the following story using the pictures from chapter twenty-three of Book of Mormon Stories as visual aids. (Optional activity: Put the pictures on the board in random order and have the children choose a picture that depicts what happens next after each story part is told.)
When the sons of Mosiah arrived in the land of the Lamanites they separated and went to different parts of the land.
One of the sons, whose name was Ammon, went to the land of Ishmael. As he entered the land of Ishmael the Lamanites took him, bound him, and carried him before their king to decide whether he should be killed, imprisoned, or thrown out of their land. The king’s name was Lamoni.
Ammon told the king he wanted to dwell among the Lamanites. King Lamoni was so pleased with Ammon that he offered Ammon one of his daughters as a wife. Ammon declined the generous offer and said he would be the king’s servant. The king assigned him to help watch the flocks.
As Ammon and the other servants were driving the flocks to water, thieving Lamanites scattered the king’s flocks to plunder them. The servants were afraid. They said the king would kill them because the flocks were scattered and lost. They were so afraid they wept.
• In Alma 17:29 it says that Ammon’s heart swelled with joy when he saw the fears of the servants. Why do you think he felt that way? Ammon was looking for an opportunity to win the hearts of the servants and show them the power of God.
Ammon convinced the servants to search for the flocks and gather them back together. After they had gathered the flocks, the wicked Lamanites sought to scatter them again because they delighted in the destruction of others. Ammon told the servants to watch the flocks and that he would go and contend with the evil, trouble causing Lamanites.
The wicked Lamanites did not fear him. They thought one of their men could easily slay Ammon. Ammon began to cast stones at them with his sling.
Activity
• How does a sling work? Show the children the example sling you made. Demonstrate how to use it by holding one string firmly in your fist. Hold the other string in the same hand between your thumb and index finger. Put a paper ball in the pouch of the sling. Whirl the sling around your head and let go of the string between your thumb and index finger. Hold the other string tightly. Let a few of the class members try and throw a paper ball at a target. Ask them if it was difficult. (Teaching the Scripture Readers pg.75)
Ammon was probably very practiced at using a sling, but he also had the power of God with him. Ammon cast the stones with so much power and accuracy that he killed several of the evil Lamanites who were maliciously trying to destroy him and his companions.
The wicked Lamanites were astonished at Ammon’s power, but they were also angry because he had slain some of their companions They tried to throw stones at Ammon. They could not hit him because he was under the Lord’s protection, so they attacked him with their clubs. With his sword, Ammon smote off the arm of every man that lifted his club to smite him. The wicked Lamanites ran away in fear.
The servants told the king what had happened, and they showed him the arms that had been smitten off by Ammon. When the king learned of the faithfulness of Ammon in preserving his flocks, and had heard of his great power in contending against those who sought to slay him, he was astonished. The king thought Alma was more than a man, that he must be the Great Spirit.
Lamoni asked the servants where Ammon was. When Lamoni heard that Ammon was carrying out his orders to prepare the horses and chariots, he was even more astonished because of the faithfulness and diligence of Ammon.
When Ammon finished preparing the horses and chariots, he went to the king to ask what the king desired him to do next. The king did not answer him. Ammon, being filled with the Spirit of God, perceived the thoughts of the king. He asked the king why he was marveling at the deeds he had done. King Lamoni was astonished even more because Ammon could discern his thoughts.
King Lamoni asked Ammon if he was the Great Spirit. Ammon told him he was not, that he was just a man. Lamoni wanted to know by what power Ammon was able to do the things he had done.
Ammon taught Lamoni of God and told him that the Lord had given him the power to contend with the wicked Lamanites. Ammon also taught Lamoni many other things about God and about the words of God found in the scriptures. The king believed his words, and he cried unto the Lord for mercy and forgiveness.
• Would the king have listened to Ammon’s message if Ammon had tried to teach him the first time they had met? Why not? The king didn’t know Ammon then. He might not have trusted or believed the message because he didn’t know what Ammon’s intentions were.
• Why did the king believe Ammon after seeing his actions? Through Ammon’s actions the king got to know that Ammon sincerely cared about his welfare and the welfare of his servants. He came to trust Ammon.
When the king cried to the Lord for mercy, he fell to the earth as if he were dead. Lamoni lay as if he were dead for two days and nights. His wife and children mourned over him.
The servants were about to take his body to be buried, but Lamoni’s wife did not believe that her husband was dead. She sent for Ammon. Ammon told the queen that the king was not dead, and that on the next day he would rise.
The next day Lamoni rose according to the words of Ammon. The king said, “Blessed be the name of God.” Then he told the queen that he had seen the redeemer. He was filled with great joy.
Lamoni taught his people about Jesus Christ and God. Many who heard his words were converted. Those who believed were baptized and they became a righteous people.
Conclusion
The Savior once told his disciples, “Feed my sheep”, which means to teach the people and feed them spiritual food. While Ammon was on his mission to the Lamanites, not only did he feed and take care of the king’s flocks he also fed the people of the land spiritually.
• Remind the children of the treats at the beginning of the lesson, and ask if they remember what the treats represent. (The gospel blessings) Explain to the children that the Lord has asked us to share the gospel with others and help feed his children spiritual food so they can enjoy the blessings of the gospel too.
• Do you have to be an adult before you can be a missionary? Latter day prophets have told us that every person in the church should be a missionary. We should all share the gospel with the people we know and associate with.
Activity
Show the container with the sheep inside it. Point out the Kleenex, and explain that it represents the barrier that people put up against things they don’t trust or understand. Put some vegetables onto the Kleenex, and tell the children the vegetables represent the gospel, which is food for our spirits.
Tell the children they are going to do an activity where they will share ways to help feed Heavenly Father’s children. Remind the children of Ammon’s example and how he showed the king that he cared and that he could be trusted. Have the children think of ways they can show neighbors and friends that they care about them and that they are trustworthy. Also have the children think of ways they can be good examples of gospel standards. Have them take turns telling their ideas and then putting a marble or other weighted item on the Kleenex. (Eventually the barrier will break and the food will pour out.) (If the items you chose aren’t very heavy, have the children put several on the Kleenex each time they give an answer. Experiment with this activity before teaching the lesson.)
Explain to the children that each of our actions makes an impression, and when people realize they can trust us and that we care about them, then the barriers will come down and a way will open for us to share with them the spiritual food of the gospel.
Weekly Reading Assignment Remind the children to do their scripture reading assignment for this week: Alma 17:19-39, Alma 18:8-43 and Alma 19:1-36
Choose the Right: Song
Posted on
Choose the Right – Hymn #239
Preparation
- Items needed: 2 poster boards, 5 sheets of paper that match the color of the poster boards, 1 small bag, 1 sheet of brightly colored heavy paper, removable double-sided tape, magnets.
- Print and cut out the song pictures. Put the small pictures in the bag. Glue the picture of the girl and the picture of the boy onto a brightly colored heavy sheet of paper. Cut out to make a brightly colored border around each picture. Glue a strong magnet to the back of both those pictures.
- Print the word strips onto the papers that are the same color as the poster boards. Cut out the word strips, and using the double-sided tape, place the first five word strips, evenly spaced, across the top of one of the poster boards. Center the matching pictures below each word strip, and glue them onto the poster board. Continue doing each row in this manner. When you come to the point where no more pictures or word strips will fit on one poster board, butt the next poster board against the last line and glue or tape the two poster boards together. (If the word strips and pictures have been butted up against each other from top to bottom, the rest of the pictures and word strips should fit perfectly on the next poster board.) Put the large picture on the last square. Note: Be careful to put the word strips in the correct order because they are not in the right order on the printed papers.
Presentation
Using strong magnets, attach the poster to the chalkboard. Explain to the children that the pictures on the poster will be used as visual aids for the song, and the poster will also be used as a game that will help them memorize the song.
In senior primary go through and explain the pictures and words of each verse. You may wish to have them sing each verse after discussing it.
In junior primary go through and explain the pictures and words of the first verse. Then have the children sing that verse, but have them pay attention to the order of the pictures and words as they sing. Explain that after they sing the verse you are going to have two or three of them come up and put the lines of that verse in order on the board. Use the pictures with the words (cut each page in half vertically) for this activity. Take the poster off the board before they do the activity. Give the children magnets to attach the pages to the board. Hold up the poster so only the children in their seats can see it, and have them sing the song while the three children are putting the verse in order. This helps the junior primary get familiar with the words before they play the game. Do the same activity with the chorus, the second verse, and the third verse.
Below are some suggested explanations of some of the pictures and words:
Verse One
“In its right the Holy Spirit guides. And its light is forever shining over you when in the right your heart confides.” – Ask the children if they know what this means. Explain that if they have a sincere desire to know what is right, and they are doing their best to do the right things, the Holy Ghost will guide them and help them, especially when they confide in heart-felt prayer the choices and things they need help with.
Chorus
“Let wisdom mark the way before.” – A picture of an owl is used to represent the word wisdom. Owls are symbols of wisdom because of their ability to see in the dark, which is symbolic of using wisdom to do the right things in a dark world full of difficulty and temptations.
Verse Two
“Let no spirit of digression overcome you in the evil hour.” – Digression means to veer off the path you are on. So the spirit of digression means to think about veering off the right path during a time of temptation. The evil hour is a time of temptation.
“Be safe through inspirations power.”- If you follow the guidance of the Holy Ghost you will be safe from the harmful effects of wrong choices because you will be doing the right things and not the wrong.
Verse Three
“There is peace” – The picture shows a dove and an olive branch. One of the reasons the dove symbolizes peace is because the dove that Noah sent out of the ark came back with an olive branch, which meant that the world was at peace again, in many ways. Point out the picture of the world and ask, “If people around the world were choosing the right would their be any wars, anger, or hate?” Explain that they can find peace in their own lives as they choose the right – the peace of forgiveness, the peace from not feeling guilt, etc.
“There is safety for the soul.” When you are choosing the right you’re safe because your spirit isn’t being harmed by wrong and sinful choices. The boy in the picture represents being safe by obeying the laws and doing the right things.
Memorizing Activity Game
Once the words and pictures have been explained, and the children are familiar with the tune, play the following game to help them memorize the words. Show the children the pictures of the boy and the girl, and explain that they will use one or the other as the game piece that they will move across the board. Choose one of the pictures to use for the first time they play.
Show the children the bag and show some of the game pieces that are in the bag. Explain that there is a matching game piece in the bag for every picture on the game board (and a couple extra that are needed for certain pictures). Explain that the game starts at the top of the poster. A child will draw pictures from the bag until they find one that matches one of the pictures on the top row. That person then puts the picture of the child onto that square. Another person (probably the next person in their class or row) draws pieces until they get one that matches a square next to the square the picture of the child is on. It can be to the right or left, or diagonally down to the right or left, or straight down. They won’t want to go back up because the object of the game is to get to the square that says “Let God and heaven be your goal.” There is no game piece for the finishing square in the bag, so in order to move to that square they have to get a game piece that says CTR, because in order to return and live with God in heaven they have to choose the right while on earth.
All the children will be singing the song as the game is being played. They may have to sing the song several times before they get the picture of the child to the ending square, but as they get familiar with how the game is played you can have them try and get to the finishing square before they finish singing the song once.
Each time they sing the song take word strips off the game board. Start with taking all the “choose the right” word strips off, then take off the word strips for “in its light”. Then work on each section of the song, such as taking off the word strips for the chorus, then the word strips for the first verse, then the second, and finish with the third.
Note: You may want the older children be the first ones to play the game, because it may take a few times before the younger ones understand how the game works. You may also need to bring a stool so the younger children can reach the pictures at the top of the game board.
This activity will take several weeks to complete. To put some more variety in the activity, you may want to print off an extra set of the big pictures and use them to test the children. Stop playing the game now and then and take the poster board off the board. Have a couple children put the pictures of one of the verses or chorus in order on the board. They will have to sing it in their head to remember the right order. Have the other children be the judges of whether it is correct or not. If that is too difficult, use the pictures with the words at first to test them.
Note: I used several of the fun visual aids that Carrie on Sugardoodle used in her flip chart, so I appreciated her sharing her ideas.
Temples: Preparing to Go to the Temple
Posted onPreparing to Go to the Temple
Liahona October 2010 “Your Path to the Temple” What happens inside the temple, the temple recommend, preparing now to enter the temple.
Friend December 2023 “Preparing for More Covenants”
Liahona October 2021 “Teaching Your Children to Love the Temple” Below are some simple ideas to help our children learn to love the temple as they prepare to make and keep covenants there.
For 3–7-year-olds:
- Display a picture of the temple in your home.
- Talk together about the temple.
- Where possible, visit the temple grounds, touch the temple, or view temple photos online.
- Draw or build a model of your temple with readily available materials such as stones and mud, clay, play dough, or blocks. Later, do it again for a different temple.
- Engage in family activities provided on FamilySearch.org/discovery.
- Act out meaningful family stories or make traditional family recipes. Explain the importance of knowing about our ancestors.
For 8–11-year-olds:
- As a family, regularly read and discuss together the temple recommend interview questions. Encourage your children to be worthy of a recommend regardless of when they will be able to attend.
- Teach about the power, protection, and importance of keeping covenants and promises.4
- Review together information and videos at temples.ChurchofJesusChrist.org, like the virtual tour of the Rome Italy Temple.
- Share personal temple experiences or stories from family members, including extended family.
- As your child turns 10 or 11, create a simple calendar to count down the days, weeks, or months until they can enter the temple.
- Discuss together the scripture story of the Savior in the temple at age 12 (see Luke 2:42–51).
- Create a plan to prepare for your child’s first visit to the temple. Where possible, make it a family event. To help your child feel more comfortable, include talking about the practical aspects of temple baptisms and confirmations, such as what to wear to and in the temple, where they will enter the baptistry, who will help them, how baptisms and confirmations are performed, and the order of what will happen inside.
- Learn to do family history work and prepare family names to take to the temple.
Friend July 2022 “How Can I Get Ready for the Temple?”
Friend May 2023 “How Can I Get Ready for the Temple?” By Elder Quentin L. Cook
Come, Follow Me—For Primary: New Testament 2023 “Matthew 21–23; Mark 11; Luke 19–20; John 12”
- Invite one or more youth to come to class and talk about how they have prepared to enter the temple. If they have been to the temple, ask them to talk about how they felt when they were there.
- Cut a picture of a temple into puzzle pieces, and give each child one piece. Ask the children to write on the back of their puzzle piece one thing they can do to prepare to enter the temple. As each child shares an idea, add his or her piece to the puzzle.
Friend October 2021 “Build a Temple” Cut along the dotted lines to make a puzzle of what the Bangkok Thailand Temple will look like.
- On the board, write the following: can help me prepare to serve in the temple. Invite the children to suggest ways to complete this sentence. Some ideas might include “Keeping my baptismal covenants” or “The Holy Ghost.”
- “The Temple—I’m going There Someday” (August 2009 Liahona and Friend)
Draw word strips and move game pieces until everyone reaches the temple.
Friend October 2021 “Bright Idea” Look forward to the temple! Many blessings are waiting for you there.
As we take time to share our experiences with our children, talk about the power and protection that come from keeping covenants, teach them the importance of the temple, testify of how we feel inside its walls, and share stories of our ancestors, we can foster in them a love for the temple in their earliest years. As you teach your children to love and prepare for the temple, you will be giving them one of the greatest gifts you can—a knowledge that families are forever and a desire to make and keep covenants that will unite their family for eternity.
Friend October 2021 “Loving the Temple” When he was a boy, President Ezra Taft Benson knew the temple was important. You too can learn to love the temple now. You too can learn to love the temple now. Some of you have pictures of temples in your homes. Many of you can visit temple grounds. Some may even be able to attend open houses when temples are built. (See more about family work in temples at article.)
Invite a member of the bishopric or a youth in your ward to share some things the children can do to prepare to enter the temple. Ask the children to add their ideas. Invite them to make a goal to go to the temple someday. (Come, Follow Me—For Primary: New Testament 2023 “1 Corinthians 14–16” )
March 2002 Friend “A House of God” Cut out the temple, fold the sides up on the dotted lines, and glue the tabs to the insides of the walls to form a box. Cut out the scripture reference bricks. They mention some things you can do now to build your life so that you will be worthy to enter the temple. Place the bricks in the temple box. Have a child choose a brick from the box, read it out loud, and tell how they could live that principle. Have the child glue the brick to the outside of the temple. When you have read and attached all the bricks, the temple will be complete and you will have a reminder of what you can do to be prepared to enter the temple. (Could make a copy for each child and the children could glue their matching brick to their temple as it is discussed.)
Friend October 2002 “Signs for Temple Preparation” If you can follow the signs that tell you how to prepare to go to the temple, they will lead you through the maze to the temple. Signs that tell you to break the commandments will not lead you to the temple.
Friend March 2019 Put a picture of the temple in your room. Find someone in your family tree who hasn’t been baptized yet. Talk about the temple with someone who has been inside.
Friend July 2021 “For Older Kids” If you can’t go inside the temple yet, you can visit the temple grounds to sit, think, or read scriptures. If you don’t live near a temple, draw a picture of one and hang it up!
Friend November 2023 “Akoni Prepares for the Temple”
To help those preparing to enter the temple, you could review the videos, photos, and instruction found at temples.ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
Temple Recommend
Friend March 2024 “What Is a Temple Recommend?” The year you turn 12, you can meet with your bishop or branch president for a temple interview. If you both feel you are ready and worthy, he will give you a temple recommend. This piece of paper shows that you are worthy to go inside the temple.
Friend December 2023 “Together Always”
Friend October 2021 “A Holy Place” The words are on every temple. “Holiness to the Lord” reminds us that we need to be worthy to go inside. Ways to prepare to go to the temple.
To enter the temple, we need “clean hands, and a pure heart.”
PSALM 24 David testifies, The earth is the Lord’s and the fulness thereof, he who has clean hands and a pure heart will ascend unto the hill of the Lord, and the Lord of Hosts is the King of Glory.
Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Old Testament 2022 “Psalms 1–2; 8; 19–33; 40; 46” As the children look forward to entering the temple someday, help them understand that they can prepare by becoming spiritually clean through the Savior’s Atonement.
- Show the children a picture of a temple. Invite them to read Psalm 24:3 and find words that remind them of the temple. Then read together verse 4 to learn who can enter the temple (define any unfamiliar words). How do our hands get physically dirty? How do our hands and hearts get spiritually dirty? How do we clean our hands physically? How does the Savior help us clean our hands and hearts spiritually? (If it is helpful, explain that “hands” in this verse can represent our actions and “heart” can represent our desires.)
For the Strength of Youth “Ascend into the Hill of the Lord”
Friend November 2022 “I Can Do What’s Right”
Recommend Interview
- Review with the children the requirements to receive a temple recommend (see Russell M. Nelson, “Closing Remarks,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2019, 120–22; or invite a member of the bishopric to discuss these requirements with the class). Invite the children to choose one thing they feel inspired to do to prepare to be worthy to enter the temple.
Friend September 2019 “What’s on Your Mind? The questions the Bishop or Branch President will ask during the temple recommend interview.
Friend October 2021 “Getting a Temple Recommend” s
Friend October 2021 “Ready for the Temple” Ajan will be turning twelve soon, but he lives far from a temple. Their ministering brother explained that he doesn’t get to go to the temple very often either, but his recommend reminds him to always be ready to go inside. Ajan wants to get a recommend and be ready too.
Friend September 2021 “For Older Kids” Temple Prep Tip: Even if you live far away from the temple, you can still get a temple recommend in January of the year you turn 12! Talk to a parent or leader about the temple recommend questions. What can you do now to prepare to get your recommend?
Friend September 2021 “For Older Kids”
Temple Prep Tip Even if you live far away from the temple, you can still get a temple recommend in January of the year you turn 12! Talk to a parent or leader about the temple recommend questions. What can you do now to prepare to get your recommend?
Friend October 2021 “Temple Countdown” You can receive your temple recommend in January of the year you turn 12! Follow these steps to find out how many years, months, and days you have until you can get yours.
Friend September 2021 “For Older Kids”
Temple Prep Tip: Even if you live far away from the temple, you can still get a temple recommend in January of the year you turn 12! Talk to a parent or leader about the temple recommend questions. What can you do now to prepare to get your recommend?
Practice Feeling the Holy Ghost
Friend July 2022 “For Older Kids”
First time to the Temple
Friend November 2024 “Tips for Your First Temple Trip”
Friend May 2023 “Answers about the Temple”
Friend October 2017 “Temple Trip Tips” List the things you would do under each of the below signs.
5 Tips for Your First Temple Visit
• Talk to a parent or teachers about what to expect.
• Look at pictures of the rooms inside the temple.
• Make an appointment with your bishop to get your recommend. He’ll talk with you about your testimony and about keeping the commandments.
• Find out about your own ancestors. If possible, find an ancestor you could be baptized for! Visit FamilySearch.org to learn more.
• Pray for the Holy Ghost to be with you. Then enjoy your first visit to the temple.
Friend October 2021 “My First Temple Trip” Elena’s step by step first visit to the temple to do baptisms for the dead.
Friend May 2023 “Temple Baptisms”
Friend November 2020 “Going Inside God’s House” Rachel was nervous about going to the temple for the first time to do baptisms. She said a prayer to feel more calm, and all the things she had worried about ended up being fine.
Friend May 2023 “Jimena’s Temple Miracle” Jimena and her parents were going to do baptisms in the temple for their ancestors, but Jimena was nervous because she wore an insulin pump to stay healthy. She took it off before going in the font and was blessed not to get sick while doing the baptisms.
Friend September 2019 “Peace in the Temple” Jose is a little nervous about his first time going to the temple. His grandmother assures him that there would be people there to help him the whole time. When he gets to the temple all his worries seemed to melt away. Everything was quiet and calm. He felt peace.
[unitegallery Sept2019]
Friend October 2017 “Finding Lydia” Lydia isn’t excited to be graduating from Primary and going to Young Women’s, but she becomes more excited when her mother finds some family names for her to do baptisms for in the temple, and one is named Lydia.
Friend July 2016 “Abraham Abraham” A boy does baptisms at the temple for the first time and learns its importance.
For additional lesson ideas see Temple, Resources for Teaching Children: Temples, & Resources for Teaching Children: Nauvoo, Illinois
Friend January 2017 “For Older Kids” See yourself in the temple
- Invite one child to read Doctrine and Covenants 88:68 aloud and another to read verse 74. Ask the children to listen for a phrase that is in both of these verses. How do we “sanctify” ourselves? (If needed, help the children look up “Sanctification” in the Guide to the Scriptures.) Draw a picture of a heart, a hand, and a foot on the board. Help the children think of what it might mean to “purify” and “cleanse” our hearts, hands, and feet. How does the Savior help us do this? How can we use our hearts, hands, and feet to become more like Jesus?
- Explain that the Lord wanted His people to be sanctified before they could go into the temple. Consider inviting a young man or young woman who has a temple recommend to visit the class. Invite him or her to show the children what a recommend looks like, discuss what they do to live worthy of it, and share why it’s important to have a temple recommend even if we don’t live close to a temple.
- Write on the board Do and Don’t. Invite the children to read Doctrine and Covenants 88:119–26 and list things the Lord wanted the Saints to do or not do to prepare to learn in the temple. They could look up unfamiliar words in a dictionary. Invite the children to choose something that they will start doing or something they will stop doing.
Friend November 2022 “Get Ready for the Temple!” Kids tell how they are preparing to go to the temple and what they expect. (See images at link.)
Friend September 2022 “For Older Kids” Practice keeping things clean
Friend October 2021 “Ready for the Temple” Ajan will be turning twelve soon, but he lives far from a temple. Their ministering brother explained that he doesn’t get to go to the temple very often either, but his recommend reminds him to always be ready to go inside. Ajan wants to get a recommend and be ready too.
Friend April 2017 “Prepare for the Temple Every Day” Sister Joy Jones prepared all her life to go to the temple.
Friend July 2022 “The Sweetest Goal” David can’t wait to go to the Dubai Temple when it is built. He was preparing by praying, reading the scriptures, and trying to follow Jesus. He tells his Aunt Ana about the temple and wants to invite her and his friends to come see it when it’s done.
