Mosiah 18-24
"We have entered into a covenant with Him"
Materials: Bear pictures, baptism paper craft printout (link below), scissors, construction paper, brads, glue, crayons.
Opening Song: "When Jesus Christ was baptized" (Children's Songbook, )
Opening Prayer:
Scripture: Mosiah 18:13
Attention Activity:
Have two family members come to the front. Tell your family you're going to give them a clue the pair will have to act out like charades. The word is "baptism."
Lesson:
Alma was a priest of wicked King Noah who fled when Noah tried to kill him. Alma had believed the words of Abinadi and repented of his sins. He went secretly among the people teaching them the words of Abinadi about Christ, the redemption, and the resurrection. Alma and his followers came to a beautiful place called the "Waters of Mormon" and Alma taught the people there. Alma taught that in order to become "into the fold of God," they needed to be willing to do certain things.
Alma Baptizes in the Waters of Mormon, by Arnold Friberg (62332); GAK 309
Show bear picture below. The first thing they needed to do was to be willing to take upon themselves the name of Jesus Christ and "be called His people." When we become members of the church we covenant to bear His name. This means that we are representatives of Him and His gospel. We need to act like His disciples.
The next thing that Alma said they needed to do was to "bear one another's burdens, that may be light." This means that we need to be willing to help others. We need to be compassionate and kind, "willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort." As a member of the church we covenant to do these things. A good question to ask yourself regularly is how you are doing on this topic. Are you nice to your fellow men? Do you treat your family with kindness? Do you compassionately minister to those around you?
The last thing that Alma said the people needed to do was to "stand as a witnesses of God at all times, and in all things, and in all places." This means that we need to bear testimony of the gospel to others and to stand for the right like we talked about last week.
Read Mosiah 18:10. Alma said that if we are willing to bear the name of Jesus Christ, bear one another's burdens, and bear testimony, we should be baptized members of the Church. Alma's followers desired to be baptized and he baptized 204 people in the waters of Mormon.
Ask your family members who have been baptized to raise their hands. When you were baptized you covenanted with him to do the things that Alma described. Invite your family members to share about their baptisms or how keeping their baptismal covenants have helped them.
Activity:
Baptism paper craft. Link here. Directions: print out and cut the pieces to of the paper craft. Have your family color the pieces. Glue the background with clouds to the construction paper. Make two vertical slits on the lines on the background. Take a brad and attach the Jesus and John piece to the background. Take the water piece and stick the ends into the vertical slits in the background and glue. When assembled, Jesus and John should be able to look like the are going in and out of the water.
Closing Song: "When I am baptized" (Children's Songbook, )
Closing Prayer:
Refreshment:
Blueberry Pie Bars Recipe Here
