Alma 43-52
"Stand fast in the faith of Christ"
Materials: picture of the USA flag (or flag from your country), 1 sq. yard of fabric (see below), pole, permanent markers
Opening Song: "We are all enlisted" (Hymns, 250)
Opening Prayer:
Scripture: Alma 46:20 Behold, whosoever will maintain this title upon the land, let them come forth in the strength of the Lord, and aenter into a covenant that they will bmaintain their rights, and their religion, that the Lord God may bless them.
Show the United States flag (or if you live somewhere else the flag of your country). Why do we have a flag? What does the flag remind you of? The symbols and the colors on the flag are symbolic. They are supposed to remind us of special things. What do the colors and symbols on our flag mean? (For information on the US flag see here.)
Lesson:
The plates passed from Alma the younger to his son, Helaman. The leader of the Nephite armies was 26 year-old Captain Moroni who just won a major battle against the armies of the Lamanites. Even though the Nephites were blessed with victory on the battlefield, there were still a lot of people who were prideful.
A man named Amalickiah did not believe the words of Helaman and wanted to be king. He used flattering words to lead many others into wickedness. Many believed his words and left the church. Amalickiah wanted to destroy the church of God and their liberty.
Captain Moroni did not want others to leave the church. He took his coat (like a cape or robe) and tore it to make a flag. He wrote on it, "In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children." He fastened the fabric to the end of a pole and put on his armor. Then Captain Moroni prayed; he asked God for continued liberty as long as there were faithful Christians in the land. After his prayer, Moroni took his flag, which he called "the title of liberty," and he went out into the city waving the flag and showing it to the people.
Read Alma 46:20. Captain Moroni wanted to remind the Nephites that they were blessed with freedom and liberty--that they should defend their freedom against would-be kings like Amalickiah. He wanted to remind them to keep the commandments that God may bless them. He asked them to make a covenant, or promise, to keep the commandments and not fall away from the church. Read Alma 46:21. Captain Moroni's title of liberty was effective. It led people to make their own covenants to keep the faith. Moroni gathered up all the people against Amalickiah, and he fled into the wilderness. The Nephites copied the title of liberty and they hoisted it above every tower in the land as a reminder of their covenants and their freedom.
We have all been enlisted in a war--a war against Satan. We battle against sin and wickedness. We have been enlisted in the Lord's battalion by President Nelson and the prophets who have gone before him. We are armed with the word of God and our faith in Christ.
Activity: Family Title of Liberty
The Nephites needed a reminder of their faith. What reminds you of your faith in Christ? What reminds you to keep the commandments and hold to your covenants?
Take a square yard piece of fabric (one that you can write on) and have your family decorate it with pictures and words that remind them to keep the commandments. After it is decorated, cut slits into the side of the fabric and tie it onto a pole. Display it in your home during the next week as a reminder of the lesson.
Closing Song: "Whose on the Lord's Side" (Hymns, 260)
Closing Prayer:
Refreshment: Hawaiian Cheesecake Bars recipe here
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