Table of Contents
Alma CHAPTER 39 Sexual sin is an abomination—Corianton’s sins kept the Zoramites from receiving the word—Christ’s redemption is retroactive in saving the faithful who preceded it. About 74 B.C.
Alma CHAPTER 40 Christ brings to pass the resurrection of all men—The righteous dead go to paradise and the wicked to outer darkness to await the day of their resurrection—All things will be restored to their proper and perfect frame in the Resurrection. About 74 B.C.
Alma CHAPTER 41 In the Resurrection men come forth to a state of endless happiness or endless misery—Wickedness never was happiness—Carnal men are without God in the world—Every person receives again in the Restoration the characteristics and attributes acquired in mortality. About 74 B.C.
Alma CHAPTER 42 Mortality is a probationary time to enable man to repent and serve God—The Fall brought temporal and spiritual death upon all mankind—Redemption comes through repentance—God Himself atones for the sins of the world—Mercy is for those who repent—All others are subject to God’s justice—Mercy comes because of the Atonement—Only the truly penitent are saved. About 74 B.C.
Book of Mormon Stories “Alma Counsels His Sons” Video and Images
Lesson 24: Alma Counsels His Son Corianton
Alma Counsels His Son Corianton
Alma 39
My good example can lead others to Christ.
Alma encouraged Corianton to learn from the good example of his brothers and warned Corianton not to be a negative example for others.
Come, Follow Me—For Home and Church: Book of Mormon 2024 “Alma 39-42”
- Alma’s counsel to Corianton can help your children understand the importance of being a good example. Consider reading together Alma 39:1. How was Corianton’s brother Shiblon a good example? Your children could find additional answers to this question in Alma 38:2–4.
- You could also play a game in which you and your children take turns following or imitating each other. Use this game to illustrate how our actions could help others make good choices.
Sing the song “Do as I’m Doing” (Children’s Songbook, 276). Let each child have a turn being the leader or example. Ask the children how they can be a good example to someone.
- Sing together “I Am like a Star” (Children’s Songbook, 163), and help your children think of ways they can be a good example.
Bring a flashlight or a picture of the sun, and compare light to the power of a righteous example. Just as the light from a flashlight or the sun can help us see a path we need to follow, a righteous example shows us what to do in order to follow Heavenly Father. Share an experience when someone’s good example helped you. Ask the children to talk about someone who is a good example for them. What can the children do to be a good example to others?
Show pictures of Jesus doing good things, and explain that He is our perfect example. Explain that we can be good examples, like Jesus was. Invite the children to draw pictures of themselves being good examples.
Friend December 2016 “A Shining Light”
- The videos “Shine Your Light So Others May See” and “Lessons I Learned as a Boy” can help your children discuss how their example can lead people to Christ.
Ask the children how the older boy was a good example.
Following righteous counsel and examples
Who were Corianton’s righteous examples? His father and older brothers. Alma told Corianton to counsel with his brothers. (Alma 39:10)
How can counseling with righteous family members help strengthen our resistance to temptation? They love us and want what is best for us, and being experienced in righteous living, they can help give advice on how to avoid temptation and difficulty.
Not only can we receive direction from righteous family members, but there may be other people around us who are also righteous examples.
From what other sources can you receive righteous counsel and examples?
Object Lesson: Fill two paper bags, one filled with garbage and the other filled with desirable items such as treats or little party favor toys. Show the children the two bags or boxes, and explain that one has something undesirable in it and the other has something desirable in it. Show one of the children what is in the bags. Tell the other children that they can ask the child yes or no questions about the items (with the exception of directly asking which is the good or bad container) until they can decide which is the good choice.
Ask the children if it helped to talk to someone who was informed about which was the bad choice and which was the good choice. Point out that it also helps to counsel with those who are experienced in righteous living in order to get help and direction in making good choices in life.
Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Book of Mormon 2020 “Alma 39-42”
- Explain that Alma’s son Corianton committed a serious sin while he should have been preaching the gospel. Read the last half of Alma 39:11 with the children, and ask them to listen for how Corianton’s sin affected the Zoramites. Help the children think of people who may be influenced by their actions. How can they be good examples for these people?
More Example teaching ideas.
Because of Jesus Christ, I can repent when I make mistakes.
Come, Follow Me—For Home and Church: Book of Mormon 2024 “Alma 39-42”
- Without going into detail about the nature of his sins, explain that Corianton made a wrong choice. What could we say to help him? Consider reading Alma 39:9 to your children, and help them understand what repent and forsake mean. Testify that repentance is possible through Jesus Christ and His Atonement.
Friend April 2006 “I Can Repent and Be Happy” Repentance is a way of removing and healing from a sin that hurts us spiritually. (See more at link) The first thing we need to do is to realize that we have done something wrong and to feel sorry that we did it. This feeling comes from the Holy Ghost. We must ask Heavenly Father and any people we have wronged to forgive us. We need to do the best we can to correct any problems caused because of our wrong choices. We must also decide not to do the wrong thing again. After we have done all that we can to repent, because of Christ’s Atonement, Heavenly Father will forgive us.
Game: You can play this game by yourself or with your family. Cut out the shape on page 15 on the heavy black lines. Fold it on the dotted lines to make a pyramid. Glue or tape the tabs so they are on the inside of the pyramid. Choose a case study from the list, toss the pyramid, and tell how to apply the part of repentance that is facing you to the situation described by the case study.
- Here’s an object lesson to illustrate the joy of repentance: Give a child something heavy to hold while you tell a story about someone who did something wrong and felt bad. Tell your children that the object is like the bad feelings we may have when we make a mistake. Take the heavy object from the child as you testify that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ can take away the heavy, bad feelings and help us be better as we repent.
Friend December 2022 “Lighten Your Load”
Friend September 2017 “The Sparkly Sticker” Emily and her friends teases a boy in an unkind way, and then Emily feels terrible about it. Her mom remind her that she can repent and make thinks right.
Latter Day Kids “Repentance” Lesson ideas
Find more repentance stories here
Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ can help me correct my mistakes.
Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Book of Mormon 2020 “Alma 39-42”
- Sing together a song about repentance, such as “Repentance”(Children’s Songbook, 98).
- Ask the children to share an experience when they got hurt. What did they do to help their injury heal? Explain that sin injures our spirits, but the Savior can heal us when we repent.
Friend July 2020 “My Family Night Fun” The prophet Alma had a son who made bad choices. Alma taught him to “repent and forsake [his] sins” (Alma 39:9). That means telling Heavenly Father you’re sorry, asking for forgiveness, and doing your best to not make the bad choice again.
Do the salt and pepper activity to teach your family about repentance. How is repentance like the spoon in the experiment?
Ensign August 2020 “Family Study Fun” Flip a Choice: Read Alma 42:4 together and talk about how this life is a time for us “to repent and serve God.”
- Sit in a circle and give each family member three index cards.
- On two of the cards, write good choices. On the third card, write a bad choice.
- Turn the cards face down and mix them up in the middle of the circle.
- Take turns flipping over one card at a time. When someone reads a good choice, give the person a high-five (or another gesture that means “Good job!” in your culture).
- When someone reads a bad choice, the person shares something they could do to repent and serve God instead.
Discussion: Testify that Jesus Christ makes it possible for us to change and become better people. How can we use our time this week to follow Him and serve God?
Come Follow Me Kid “The Great Plan of Happiness” Flip a Choice Cards
More Repentance teaching ideas.
Alma 40-41
After we die, our spirits go to the spirit world until the Resurrection and Judgment.
Come, Follow Me—For Home and Church: Book of Mormon 2024 “Alma 39-42”
It’s natural to wonder what happens to us after we die. What can you do to help your children find inspired answers? You could write death, spirit world (paradise and spirit prison), resurrection, and judgment on separate pieces of paper. Help your children understand what these words mean. As you read together Alma 40:6–7, 11–14, 21–23, your children could place the words in the order in which they occur in these verses.
Learn more about the Spirit World here.
- Older Children: Write on the board a list of questions that can be answered by Alma 40:6–7, 11–14, and 21–23, and invite the children to match each question with the verses that answer it. For example, “What will my body be like when I am resurrected?” can be answered by Alma 40:23. If necessary, explain difficult words to the children while they read. Encourage the children to share why they are grateful for Heavenly Father’s plan.
Do your children know someone who has died? Maybe you could talk briefly about that person. Bear your testimony that someday they—and everyone else—will be resurrected because of Jesus Christ. If needed, use this week’s activity page to explain what it means to be resurrected.
Come Follow Me Kid “The Great Plan of Happiness”
While you read Alma 40:23 aloud, have the children use this week’s activity page to help them visualize what this verse is teaching. Invite each child to use the activity page to teach another child what resurrection is.
Friend August 2024 “Come, Follow Me Activities: Resurrection Activity”
Alma taught about resurrection (see Alma 40:23). Make a puppet that looks like you! You can use a paper bag, piece of paper, or sock to make a puppet. Use markers, paint, yarn, or other things to decorate it. Your hand is like your spirit, and your puppet is like your body. Because of Jesus Christ, our body and spirit will be together again forever after we are resurrected.
For younger children: Do something to move your body, like dancing or playing! Then talk about how resurrection means we will have our bodies again after we die.
Latter Day Kids: Lesson Ideas
Friend July 2020 “Come Follow Me for Little Ones” Read Alma 40:23 together and help your little ones say, “Because of Jesus, we will live again.” Look at pictures of family members who have died. Help your children learn their names and faces. Testify that they can meet their family members someday.
For the Strength of Youth “A Plan of Mercy: The Power of Understanding the Plan: Corianton’s Story” See link for more understanding of the reason Alma taught Corianton the Plan of Salvation.
Library Topics and Questions “Paradise” Spirit World Gospel Study Guide “Spirit World”
More Resurrection teaching ideas.
Alma 42
Using the the time granted on earth wisely
Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families: Book of Mormon 2020 “Alma 39-42” You could play a game in which pieces of paper with Christlike attributes or gospel principles written on them are scattered around the room. You could see how many pieces of paper family members can gather in a certain amount of time, then discuss how the things written on the papers can help us become more like God. How is the “time granted” to us on earth like the time allotted in this game? How can we use our “probationary time” on earth to become more like the Savior?
Ensign August 2020 “Family Study Fun” Flip a Choice: Read Alma 42:4 together and talk about how this life is a time for us “to repent and serve God.”
- Sit in a circle and give each family member three index cards.
- On two of the cards, write good choices. On the third card, write a bad choice.
- Turn the cards face down and mix them up in the middle of the circle.
- Take turns flipping over one card at a time. When someone reads a good choice, give the person a high-five (or another gesture that means “Good job!” in your culture).
- When someone reads a bad choice, the person shares something they could do to repent and serve God instead.
Discussion: Testify that Jesus Christ makes it possible for us to change and become better people. How can we use our time this week to follow Him and serve God?
Justice and Mercy
Perhaps you could illustrate the relationship between justice and mercy by using a drawing of a simple scale to discuss questions like these: What happens to the scale when we sin? What does justice require for the scale to be balanced? How does the Savior meet the demands of justice and make mercy possible?
Ensign August 2020 “How is God Both Just and Merciful”
Additional Resources
News with Naylors Lesson ideas
The Cozy Red Cottage Lesson ideas
The Red Crystal Lesson ideas
Primary 4: Book of Mormon “Lesson 24: Alma Counsels His Son Corianton”