Lesson 21: Mosiah 29- Alma 4

May 25-31

Mosiah 29- Alma 4
"They were steadfast and immovable"

Materials: scriptures, coloring page 
Opening Song: Keep the Commandments (Children's Songbook, 146)
Opening Prayer:
Scripture: Alma 1: 30 And thus, in their ^aprosperous circumstances, they did not send away any who were ^bnaked, or that were hungry, or that were athirst, or that were sick, or that had not been nourished; and they did not set their hearts upon ^criches; therefore they were ^dliberal to all, both old and young, both bond and free, both male and female, whether out of the church or in the church, having no ^erespect to persons as to those who stood in need.

Attention Activity:
Who has ever gotten a birthday card, maybe from Grandma or Grandpa? Have you ever opened it to see money inside the card? How do we usually get money? We usually have to work to get money. Is having a lot of money a good thing or a bad thing? We need to have enough money to pay for the essentials of living like our homes and our food. But, it is important to remember that all the money and the success receive are blessings from our Heavenly Father.




Lesson:

We are going to learn today about the Nephites and the effects that money had on them and their standing with the Lord. Read Alma 4:6-9. How were the Nephites doing at this moment? They were wealthy but they were also living is sin. They were spending their wealth on gold, silver, and "precious things". What kind of clothes were they buying? (Fine silks, fine-twined linen, costly apparel). We hear the term "costly apparel" often in The Book of Mormon just like we hear the term "precious things" often. The Nephites' priorities were all mixed up. They were too focused on things. 

In the book series The Lord of the Rings, there is a character named Gollum. While out fishing, Gollum finds a beautiful shiny gold ring. Overtime, he becomes possessive and greedy. He pushes all others away and the ring consumes him until he becomes a grotesque creature. He calls the ring his "precious" and even commits murder to possess it. His love for a worldly possession ruins his whole life and even leads to his death. 

Photographs were copyright free images taken from pixabay.com

Let us learn from Gollum's mistakes. Although it is nice to have material things, true joy and happiness can only come through living the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

Split your family into two groups have half our your family read Alma 4:12-14 and the other read Alma 1:27-31. How does the righteous spend their wealth? What differences could you see between what we just read in our groups and what we read before? It is not sinful to earn a lot of money as long as you use that money to help others. In fact, it is made quite clear in Alma 1 that Heavenly Father blesses the righteous with success and wealth so they can use it to help others.

Read Alma 1: 27 again. What kind of clothing did the righteous Nephites wear? (not costly, but neat and comely) This doesn't mean that we can't get dressed up or wear nice clothes, but rather that our clothes should not be the center of our attention. In the For Strength of Youth pamphlet it says, "Prophets of God have continually counseled His children to dress modestly. When you are well groomed and modestly dressed, you invite the companionship of the Spirit and you can be a good influence on others. Your dress and grooming influence the way you and others act." (pg. 6) What does it mean to dress modestly? It is important that you practice dressing modestly now, because later you will make a covenant to do so when you attend the temple to receive your endowment. 

The Nephites have a complicated relationship with wealth and pride. We will talk about this even more in later chapters when we study the pride cycle. Jesus Christ and the prophets of the Lord have made it clear that our priorities should not revolve around money or "stuff". We should use our blessings to help those around us and build up the kingdom of God. 

Activity: Coloring Page (link here) and Service Activity
The next time you go to the grocery store have every member of your family choose one can of food to purchase and drop off at the local food bank. 


Closing Song: "I'm Trying to Be Like Jesus" (Children's Songbook, 78)
Closing Prayer:
Refreshment: Banana Carmel Ice Cream Pie Recipe here

Lesson 20: Mosiah 25-28

May 18-24
Mosiah 25-28
"They were called the people of God"

Materials: video (link below, coloring page)
Opening Song: "Keep the Commandments" (Children's Songbook, 146)
Opening Prayer:
Scripture: Mosiah 27: 25 And the Lord said unto me: Marvel not that all mankind, yea, men and women, all nations, kindreds, tongues and people, must be ^aborn again; yea, ^bborn of God, ^cchanged from their carnal and ^dfallen state, to a state of righteousness, being redeemed of God, becoming his ^esons and daughters;

Attention Activity:
Last week we talked about the baptismal covenant. Did you know that all baptismal fonts are  below ground? This is symbolic of spiritual rebirth. Today, we are going to talk about spiritual rebirth as we learn about the life of Alma the Younger, Alma's son. 

Conversion of Alma the Younger (The Conversion of Alma), by Gary L. Kapp

Lesson:
Have your family watch the Book of Mormon video "Alma the Younger Is Converted unto the Lord" from thechurchofjesuschrist.org (about 12 min.) Alma tried to lead people away from the church. What changed Alma's mind about God? Most of us do not get to see angels like Alma or Paul. But like Alma the Younger, we all need to become truly converted to the gospel. Read Mosiah 27: 25. Being born again is a term that means being converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ. We are born again when we are baptized and take upon ourselves the name of Christ. We renew our covenant to be "born again" every time we take the sacrament. 

"Just as a cucumber is transformed into a pickle as it is immersed in and saturated with salt brine, so you and I are born again as we are absorbed by and in the gospel of Jesus Christ...And after we come out of the waters of baptism, our souls need to be continuously immersed in and saturated with the truth and the light of the Savior’s gospel" (Elder David A. Bednar, "Ye Must Be Born Again" April General Conference, 2007). In other wards being "born again" is an ongoing process. We must try everyday to immerse ourselves in the gospel, trying to live a disciples of Christ. 

Alma had an amazing spiritual experience that helped strengthen his testimony. Elder Neil L. Anderson said in April 2020 General Conference, "Along with the peaceful direction we receive from the Holy Ghost, from time to time, God powerfully and very personally assures each of us that He knows us and loves us and that He is blessing us specifically and openly." We all have had spiritual experiences that have helped to develop our faith. What experiences have you had that have helped you to see that God is real and that he loves you? Read Mosiah 27: 16 . The angel told Alma the younger to remember all the things that God has done for his people. "What 'great things' has the Lord done for you or your family that you should 'remember'?" (CFMFIAF Manual) 

Elder Anderson went on to say, "Embrace your sacred memories. Believe them. Write them down. Share them with your family. Trust that they come to you from your Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son. Let them bring patience to your doubts and understanding to your difficulties. I promise you that as you willingly acknowledge and carefully treasure the spiritually defining events in your life, more and more will come to you. "

We will have times in our lives where we will have to draw from our testimony and our spiritually defining memories. These times will be easier for us to cope with, if we are able to do as Elder Bednar directs and immerse ourself in the gospel--to constantly choose to be born again every week as we partake of the sacrament. Bear your own testimony. 

Activity: Alma the Younger Coloring page 


Closing Song: "Book of Mormon Stories" verse 3 (Children's Songbook, 118)

Alma was rebellious, and he fought against the right.

Then one day an angel came to turn him to the light.

Struck before his brethren, Alma learned humility.

Then he taught in the land righteously.

Closing Prayer:

Refreshment:
Perfect Fried Pickle recipe here