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LESSON #1 FEELING THE SCRIPTURES (MOSIAH 25)
OBJECT
A chair. A comfortable chair to sit in and place it at the front of the classroom.
ICEBREAKER
Then for an icebreaker, for fun, I like to do this little activity with my students. I sit down in the chair and tell them that I'm going to teach them a very important but technical scripture study skill. I sit down in the chair, and then tell them to put their hands straight out in front of them with their thumbs pointing up. Then, they are to turn their hands so that their fingers are pointing at each other. I do this all very methodically. Then very carefully, and slowly they are to move their hands towards each other and interlace their fingers with the other hand. Then very delicately and steadily so as not to injure themselves they should arch their arms backwards in a continuous motion until their hands rest on the backs of their heads. Now, the finishing touch. They should lean back ever so slightly and glance heavenward with a quizzical look on their face. This, I tell them, is a professional pondering pose. Now I know that's kind of cheesy way to go about it, but they usually get a kick out of it, and it makes the point. This is a skill that can help them to get far more out of their experience of studying the scriptures. We need to stop and ponder what we’re reading. And seriously, some of the best experiences I’ve ever had with the scriptures have come at times when I’m not even looking at them. But when I’m pondering them and thinking about what I’ve read. When I stop to ask questions and contemplate their possible answers. I think sometimes we only engage our eyes when we read, but do we engage our minds and our hearts in the process. Do we take the time to really internalize the experience. Remember, these are stories and people that are NOT fictional. These were real people, and their experiences can teach us much about life, the gospel, and the plan. We’ve got to give the Holy Ghost a chance to teach and inspire us. But when we just race quickly through, we don’t even give him space to say anything to us. So ponder, give the Spirit space to teach you and I think you’ll find that you learn and understand a lot more.
SEARCH
A group of people that I feel really exemplify the power of engaged, conscious scripture study are the Nephites in Mosiah chapter 25. And allow me to give you a brief summary of what’s happening here to help set the stage. At this point in the Book of Mormon, the Mulekites, King Mosiah’s people, Limhi’s people, and Alma’s people are all united in the city of Zarahemla. We have the establishment of a community collectively called Nephites or the people of God, and in this chapter we have King Mosiah commissioning Alma to set up a church or different congregations of the church throughout the land. And then, one of the first things King Mosiah does with this unified group of Saints is to read to them the records of both Zeniff and Alma’s people to the crowd. And watch how they react? What was that experience like for them?
5 And it came to pass that Mosiah did read, and caused to be read, the records of Zeniff to his people; yea, he read the records of the people of Zeniff, from the time they left the land of Zarahemla until they returned again.
6 And he also read the account of Alma and his brethren, and all their afflictions, from the time they left the land of Zarahemla until the time they returned again.
7 And now, when Mosiah had made an end of reading the records, his people who tarried in the land were struck with wonder and amazement.
8 For they knew not what to think; for when they beheld those that had been delivered out of bondage they were filled with exceedingly great joy.
9 And again, when they thought of their brethren who had been slain by the Lamanites they were filled with sorrow, and even shed many tears of sorrow.
10 And again, when they thought of the immediate goodness of God, and his power in delivering Alma and his brethren out of the hands of the Lamanites and of bondage, they did raise their voices and give thanks to God.
11 And again, when they thought upon the Lamanites, who were their brethren, of their sinful and polluted state, they were filled with pain and anguish for the welfare of their souls.
12 And it came to pass that those who were the children of Amulon and his brethren, who had taken to wife the daughters of the Lamanites, were displeased with the conduct of their fathers, and they would no longer be called by the names of their fathers, therefore they took upon themselves the name of Nephi, that they might be called the children of Nephi and be numbered among those who were called Nephites.
So what was it like? They experience a whole gamut of emotions, don’t they? They seem to have some conflicting feelings. At one moment they are filled with wonder and amazement, the next they have exceedingly great joy, then they’re weeping with sorrow, then they raise their voices in gratitude and then they are filled with pain and anguish for the Lamanites. It’s a bit of a roller coaster. It reminds of that scene from Tangled when Rapunzel is going back and forth with how she feels about leaving the tower, excitement to guilt, freedom to distress. And then Flynn Ryder comes up and says, “You seem at war with yourself.” That’s what’s going on here. Back and forth. But what a great example of the power of engaged scripture study. These people are internalizing the scriptures. And what words in the scriptures suggest pondering? “Struck” with wonder and amazement. They knew not what to THINK, When they THOUGHT of their brethren. When they THOUGHT of the immediate goodness of God. When they THOUGHT upon the Lamanites. Their minds and their hearts are connected to the people and the message of the scriptures. They open their minds and hearts to God’s word. And then, a number of the people change their names to Nephites because of what they’ve learned from the scriptures. They apply the scriptures to their lives and makes changes. We could learn from them.
LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES
How do you study the scriptures? Do you engage with them mentally, emotionally, and spiritually? Do you ponder them? Do you rejoice when they rejoice, weep when they weep, mourn when they mourn, and learn when they learn?
TAKING IT TO HEART
What could you do to get more out of that experience?
CONCLUSION
I promise that the scriptures will come alive for us when we do that. They are designed to cover the full range of human emotion and experience. That’s why I love them so much and why, as old as they are, they never seem to get old.
LESSON #2 THE RISING GENERATION (MOSIAH 26)
ICEBREAKER
I think there is a crucial lesson for parents and children in these first couple of verses. And as an icebreaker it might be kind of fun to get your students thinking about how things have changed from their parent’s generation to their generation. So I’d ask: How is your generation different from your parent’s generation? And that can be a fun conversation to have. I’m sure they’ll bring up things like clothing styles, music, television shows, catchphrases and the like. But they also might bring up deeper differences. One generation was more frugal, another more ambitious. One generation is more conservative in values, another more generally liberal. One generation valued hard work higher than leisure and vice versa. These generational transformations can be so pronounced that we even begin to distinguish them with labels. You have the greatest generation, baby boomers, generation X, millennials and so on.
DISCUSSION
Well, in Mosiah 26:1 we have two forces or mindsets that are often at opposition with one another. One looking forward and the other looking back. Can you find those two forces or phrases in that verse? On the one hand you have the rising generation and on the other, the tradition of their fathers. And in this case, those two forces are at odds with each other. They’re in conflict here in Mosiah 26. The rising generation in Zarahemla is rejecting the traditions of their fathers. And I’m sure we’ve all seen this type of dynamic played out in our own lifetimes as well where the younger generation seeks to throw off the conventions and values of the former. I think that every generation in some way faces this issue, but there are some more pronounced examples of this within the past century. You have the youth of the 1920’s casting off THE traditional Victorian ideals of the preceding decades. You have the counter-culture movement of the 1960’s throwing off the idealized morality of the greatest generation. And now I believe we’re seeing another pronounced break between the baby boomer generation and millennials. I mean, just the very label itself of millennial perhaps fans the flame of them feeling like they’re different, and new. It’s a new time, a new millennium. I know that I’ve personally witness some confrontational attitudes coming from both sides of that gap. The older generation dismissing the younger as irresponsible and tech addicted, and the younger generation rolling their eyes at the older. The question: Does it always have to be that way? Is one side bad and the other good? Are generations doomed to be just one knee-jerk reaction after another to the previous generation? I don’t think so. I feel both sides have something positive to offer and some pitfalls to be aware of. And if both sides can understand that, maybe we can reconcile the two and get them moving in the same direction.
So what positives do the rising generation bring to the table? I would say vitality, ambition, the ability to look at old problems in new ways, and a willingness to embrace change. Those are good things that should be encouraged and admired.
However, there is a caution the rising generation needs to consider. Don’t overdo it. In your efforts to be different and progressive and open-minded, don’t give in to the temptation to completely reject the past. Don’t separate yourselves from your heritage, your legacy, and from the tried-and-true values of the past. While it is often healthy to throw off provincial cultural norms and embrace new policies, be careful not to throw out doctrine, and morality, and standards in the process.
Now for the "tradition of the fathers side” or the (I don’t want to say older ) but established generation. Their positive side is their loyal "true to the faith that our parents have cherished” attitude. They find stability and meaning and inspiration in their connection to their heritage and roots. They help protect society from repeating the same mistakes over and over again. Their experience and wisdom should be recognized and respected. But there are some warnings for them as well. They tend to be more narrow-minded, clinging to past practices and sometimes they can struggle to distinguish between that which is eternal and that which is merely customary or cultural. Sometimes they clutch at certain practices because, well, that’s how it's always been done.
So some advice to both the fathers and the rising generation. Tradition of the fathers side? Be open to change, seek to recognize the difference between eternal principles and that which may only be cultural. Be careful not to quickly dismiss the views and ideas of the rising generation. Embrace their vitality and innovation. Rising generation, don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. When we disconnect ourselves from our heritage, we do so at our own peril. They also need to seek to recognize that which is eternal in nature, even when it may be difficult to live. The rising generation may also struggle more with a desire to fit in and to go with the flow of modern thought and practice. This cannot be. Following Christ will always require sacrifice, faith, and a willingness to be separate from the world. We can’t and must not do away with the things that matter most.
If we can just strike the proper balance between these two things, Instead of being in opposition, wouldn’t it be great to just get both the rising generation energy to match the tradition of the fathers energy and move them in the same upward trajectory. Just think, if the rising generation were able to completely take charge of the church, what vital standards, eternal principles, and critical practices might be cast aside in the naivety of youth. No wonder our church is led by those of the established generation. But also, just think, if the church had never been willing to progress with the rising generation and make changes? Would women still be wearing pioneer dresses and remain confined to the home without the vote? I’ve often wondered if our policy on race and the priesthood in the past falls into this category of a cultural phenomenon that thank heavens changed. A gift from the rising generation. How wonderful that the church has been able to make progress along with the rest of society. Some things need to remain stable, and some things need to move. Like in the solar system. The sun remains stable, but the earth moves. The church is the same way. I love how the Doctrine and Covenants describes the church. In Doctrine and Covenants 1:30, it’s called the true and living church. Two very important descriptive terms. So you have true-foundational, eternal, unchanging, tradition. But it’s also living, change, progress, adaptability, vitality, rising generation. The church has to be and is both.
And I think we will always be safe if we're following the living prophets. Just look at our current leadership in the church. Many changes have been made that I think most of us would agree could be labeled as progressive and transformative. Changes in our youth programs, church meeting duration, policies regarding the gay community, adjustments to the temple ceremony and so on. At the same time, you see them firmly rooted in and committed to our past. The new proclamation to the world just released in General Conference is a good example of this-firmly rooting the church in the bedrock of the restoration. I believe the brethren strike the perfect balance between the new and the old, the rising and the tradition. Let’s be sure to keep our eyes and hearts on the brethren. And I bear witness that if we do that, we will never go wrong.
And maybe I spent a little too much time on that, but I feel that’s an important dynamic to understand which can be highlighted here in Mosiah 26. Because that’s what you have happening here. The rising generation is rebelling against the tradition of the fathers. I believe that this is a fear that all faithful parents harbor. I know I worry about this. I ask myself "Will I be able to pass my faith onto my children? Will I be able to raise and teach them in such a way that they will remain true to the faith? Can I pass the flame of faith from me to them like an Olympic torch?
In this case, the flame has not been passed. And we have to be careful about being too quick to blame the parents in these cases. You’ll see that here, there is no blame assigned to the Moms and Dads of Zarahemla. I mean, I don’t see that message in there. Parents can do almost everything right and still have children who stray. Perhaps sometimes it’s just the flow of the time that seems to sweep up even good children into its current. Rather than blame Fathers and Mothers here, Mormon describes what he felt happened to this generation. And if we can understand what happened, maybe we can take steps to prevent it from happening to us.
SEARCH
I think I see a progression in these first few verses of Mosiah 26. From verses 1-4. Read them and put the following statements in chronological order.
(Mix these)
They don’t believe in traditional gospel principles
They lack understanding of the word of God.
Their hearts become hardened
They refuse to make covenants
They separate themselves from God’s people
They won’t call upon God
They remain in their carnal and sinful state indefinitely.
The first problem is that they did not believe. They didn’t believe the tradition of their fathers, they didn’t believe in the resurrection, and they didn’t believe in the coming of Christ. Just as faith is the first principle of the gospel, anti-faith is the first step away from it.
What does an absence of faith cause in vs. 3? A lack of understanding.
Now I see that it does say that the reason they didn’t believe is because they could not understand the words of King Benjamin because they were little children at the time he spoke to them. To me the not understanding in verse 1 is different from the not understanding of vs 3. The understand in vs 1 is a mental or cognitive understanding. They didn’t understand because they were infants and toddlers. They couldn’t even grasp the concept of language at that point let alone the message being taught. So yes, in that sense, we do need to be intellectually aware before we can have faith. But the not understanding in vs. 3 is the not understanding of the heart, not the mind. And that’s the critical issue here.
And a lack of understanding leads to a hardened heart.
A hardened heart leads to a refusal to make covenants,
Which leads you to separate yourself from God’s people.
And if you separate yourself from God’s people, you won’t call upon God.
And as long as they refuse to call upon God they will remain in their carnal and sinful state indefinitely.
You may have wanted to put not calling upon God as the last step, but that is the cause of their final state of remaining sinful, so I put that step second to last.
I think the world often gets things backwards especially when it comes to matters of faith. The world says, I’ll believe it when I see it. Or, I’ll believe it when I understand. But I don’t understand why I have to follow all these rules. I won’t pay my tithing because I don’t understand why I should have to. I won’t keep my media choices pure because I don’t understand why it’s a big deal. I won’t get baptized or serve a mission or get married in the temple because I don’t understand the importance of these things. But God says, no. Faith first. Believe and then you will see. Believe enough to act on these things, to experiment upon my word. If you want to understand tithing, believe in the principle of tithing enough to pay it, then the testimony and the understanding will come. Believe in the principle of commandments and standards enough to live them, then the belief or understanding will come. Jesus Christ taught this principle in John 7:17 If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself. Believe enough to do, then the knowledge and the understanding is sure to come.
LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES
So what’s a parent to do? How can parents help the rising generation to maintain their vitality but embrace and respect the traditions of the fathers. Look at our list and think of specific ways we might prevent that problem from occurring? One thought. When your children are young, when they are still believing and naturally trusting of you as their parents, be sure to help them to do what a disciple does. If you wait until their teenage years, it may be too late. Be sure to take them with you each week to church, study the scriptures with them, pray with them, help them to pay their tithing, let them see you doing all these things. I know of a father who for a time did not really emphasize going to church with his family. Their attendance was very sporadic. Instead they would often go boating, on vacations, or to sporting events on Sunday instead. He felt justified by saying that spending recreational time with his family was, in his eyes, just as beneficial as church. That same father was very dismayed when his children, one by one, as they got older, decided not to serve missions, or marry in the temple, or to go to church at all. To my knowledge, none of his children are active in the church to this day. So start young. Let them see you living and loving your faith. Let them hear you bear testimony, let them catch you studying your scriptures, or saying your prayers, or sharing the gospel. This isn’t a fail-proof strategy. I mean you can do almost everything right and still lose them, but you can stack the odds in your favor that a legacy of faith will be passed to the rising generation by focusing on that essential first step.
And then perhaps the opposite progression will happen. Instead of not believing, they will gain faith, and with that faith, they will understand the word of God, and if they understand, their hearts will be softened, and they’ll be willing to make a covenant, and if they’re willing to make a covenant, they will have a desire to associate with other members of Christ’s church, and if they’re willing to associate with the Church, they will call upon God, and if they call upon God, they will be better able to put off a carnal and sinful state.
TRUTH
To pass the flame of faith, preceding generations must seek to find ways to stir up the faith of their children, and the rising generation must be willing to respect and honor tradition.
THE TAKEAWAY
So parents and established generation. Look to the rising generation. I think it behooves us to do everything in our power to pass our faith and understanding on to them through example and love. Let’s not seek to criticize, or belittle, or strong-arm them, but embrace and value their vitality and forward movement. And rising generation, look to the fathers. Learn from them and recognize their experience and wisdom. Root yourselves firmly in the past at the same time as you stretch your branches higher into the skies. Together, we’ll avoid this Zarahemla type setback, and move our true and living church closer and closer to Christ’s millennial reign.
LESSON #3 FUNDAMENTAL FORGIVENESS PHRASES
ICEBREAKER
As an icebreaker to this next lesson, I would consider sharing the incredibly inspiring story of the Irish priest Hugh O’Flaherty who lived and served in the Vatican during World War II. His story is told in one my favorite movies of all time, The Scarlet and the Black. And perhaps my favorite part of that movie comes at the very end in this short postscript that rolls across the screen. But let me give you a quick synopsis of the movie first. In the film, O'Flaherty (played by Gregory Peck) uses his position and the neutrality of the Vatican to help Allied prisoners of war and Jewish refugees escape from Nazi-occupied Rome. He and a group of others create an extensive network of safe houses and escape routes, risking his own life to save thousands from the Gestapo, led by Colonel Herbert Kappler. And Kappler, all throughout the movie does everything he can to try and capture O'Flaherty and have him executed. And he’s just a terrible, terrible man. But, O’Flaherty manages to evade capture over and over again. Sadly though, some of the members of his organization are captured, tortured, and killed by Kappler. Well the climax of the movie comes when the Nazi’s are suddenly forced to abandon Rome due to an Allied invasion and Kappler realizes that he won’t be able to get his family safely out of the city. And so what does he do. He goes to O’Flaherty and asks for his help, because he knows he has the resources to move people secretly and quietly throughout the city. And you’re watching this, and you think, “Oh, no way. I wouldn’t do it. This guy has been trying to kill you, and he has killed people you love, and made your life horrendous. And now he wants you to help him! Never.” But, after Kappler is captured he discovers that his family has been aided, and that they have escaped out of Italy. And who was responsible for this deed. Hugh O’Flaherty. But that’s not all. Like I said. One of my favorite parts is the postscript. It tells us that in the years following World War II, Colonel Kappler only had one visitor. Hugh O’Flaherty, who eventually baptizes him into the Catholic Church. It’s just such an inspiring and touching story of the power of forgiveness. Forgiveness can change people. People who we might be tempted to think don’t even really deserve forgiveness. Well, thank heavens we believe in a God that exudes the principle of forgiveness and mercy. I would argue that it is THE defining quality of our Father in Heaven and His Son. And Mosiah chapter 26 contains and teaches us some powerful ideas on the subject.
BACKGROUND
Some background though. Remember that the chapter begins with a description of the rebellious souls of the rising generation. And they’re beginning to persecute the members of the Church and seek to draw others away. So Alma offers a very troubled prayer to God asking him what he should do about it. And in God’s answer, he explains some key principles regarding forgiveness of the penitent. You know, there will be some people who will wish to change and repent and return back to the Church. Here’s how you should approach that Alma, with these forgiveness principles in mind. In fact, this chapter gives us some of my favorite fundamental forgiveness phrases.
HANDOUT
So what I’ll do here is I’m going to give you the key verses and invite you to just pull out your favorite phrases that teach you a principle of forgiveness. To make it easier to compare these verses, I would give my students the following handout and to mark at least two phrases in these verses that teach them truths about forgiveness. And then to explain in the spaces below why they chose those phrases and what they taught them. Now, as usual, my phrases are not “the correct” phrases. You very well may come up with different ones, but I would like to share mine with you. And these all come from Mosiah 26 except for one that I pull from Mosiah 25.
25:10
26:22
26:30
26:31
25:10 I love the phrase “the immediate goodness of God”. Not just goodness of God, but immediate goodness. Immediate can have two meanings. It can mean, to be nearby, or close to. Like, you have an immediate family member. God’s goodness and mercy is always right there for us. It can also mean, instantaneous, or done at once. God is ever ready to lend us a listening ear and an understanding heart and a gracious pardon. He never leaves us; we only walk away from Him. So like the parable of the prodigal son, as soon as that boy makes his way back home, his father’s forgiveness is immediate. He doesn’t even let his son explain before he’s running to him and embracing him and planning a celebration for him. Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t believe that repentance is immediate, or easy, we’ll take a look at that principle later, but I do believe that forgiveness is.
26:22 My favorite phrase? Him will I “freely forgive”. God is the type of being that can freely forgive. Synonyms for freely? Quickly, readily, willingly, unreservedly, matter-of-factly, candidly, eagerly. God loves to forgive people. It’s almost as if he’s standing there with his hand out just anticipating, waiting, hoping you’ll reach out to it, and as soon as you do, he’ll grab it, and forgive. That’s his character. Something that is free is not paid for. We don’t earn forgiveness any more than we earn our salvation or our exaltation. We don’t earn our way into heaven. The forgiveness is given freely and willingly. The real work of repentance isn’t trying to convince God to forgive us and if I just do this and this, then eventually, maybe I can convince God to forgive me. No, the real work of repentance is changing our hearts and our actions.
26:30 My favorite phrase here: "as often”. As in “as often as my people repent, will I forgive them” . Forgiveness is not a one and done kind of thing any more than repentance is a one-time thing. Some feel that once they repent that they they’ve used their “Get out of Jail free” card and if they fail again, then good luck ever being forgiven again. They picture God saying, "You had your chance, and you blew it.” or "3 strikes and you're out”. No, the phrase is, as often as you repent. I’ll forgive you as many times as your heart turns sincerely to me. God asks us to forgive until 70 times 7 and he would never ask us to do something he’s not willing to do himself. God can and will forgive often and repeatedly.
26:31 The phrase here? Forgive one another. I suppose if there is a prerequisite to obtaining forgiveness, this would be it. If somebody wanted to argue that forgiveness isn’t free, they could very well point to this verse. There is a condition to forgiveness, forgiving your fellow man. Remember the parable of the unmerciful servant where a man owes 10,000 talents to his Lord and he has not wherewith to pay, and will never be able to pay it off. And yet his master forgives him all that debt, and he does it immediately, and freely. But then that same servant demands payment of a man who owes him a very repayable debt. A small sum in comparison, and yet he won’t. In consequence, his Lord retracts his former forgiveness, and he is delivered into prison. So, if somebody came to me as a bishop and asked what they needed to do to repent, instead of going into an explanation of the importance of recognizing the sin, feeling remorse, or making restitution, maybe I should just begin by saying, “Well, have you forgiven all others?” Perhaps that’s the critical step we need to take if we ourselves wish to obtain forgiveness. God looks at us and says, I forgive immediately, freely, and as often as you need, do the same for your fellowman as well. Perhaps the real unpardonable sin then, is not forgiving others.
TRUTH
The truths you gain from this lesson will be varied depending on what your students share, but here are a few of the principles they might highlight:
God’s forgiveness is immediate—near and swift.
God freely and willingly forgives his children.
God will forgive us as often as we sincerely repent.
If we refuse to forgive others, God will not forgive us.
TAKING IT TO HEART
When have you seen the power of forgiveness in your life? And that could be a time when you received forgiveness from God, a time when you forgave somebody, or a time when you were forgiven by someone. When has this principle touched you?
THE TAKEAWAY
Well, just like the story of Hugh O’Flaherty in the Scarlet and the Black, these verses remind us of how forgiveness can bless and touch not only the person who is forgiven, but the person who forgives as well. We all need forgiveness, and we all need to forgive. I pray that we are frequently moved and affected by this most beautiful of Godly attributes.
LESSON #4 SNATCHED (MOSIAH 27)
And now, with those phrases in mind, let’s move on to Mosiah 27. I don’t believe it’s a coincidence that Mosiah 27 follows Mosiah 26, besides the obvious reason. But thematically, the story of Mosiah 27 is an example of the principles that were just taught in Mosiah 26. It’s like Mormon is saying, I just taught you the principles of forgiveness in theory, now let’s see them in action. Let me show you just how immediate my goodness is, let me show you how freely I can forgive, let me show you how often I can forgive. This, I feel, is the archetypal story of forgiveness in the Book of Mormon. If I were to ask somebody what Book of Mormon stories come to mind when you say the word forgiveness, 9 out of 10 times it’s going to be Alma the Younger. His name is almost synonymous with forgiveness, and its counterpart, repentance.
ICEBREAKER
For an object lesson/icebreaker I like to begin with a little magic trick—a good attention getter, especially for the youth. And this magic trick is very simple to perform but will require a small purchase in order to do it. It’s called “Nickels to Dimes” and I’ll include a link in the video description below if you’re interested. But the effect is that you hold a stack of nickels in front of your class and then cover the nickels with a brass cap. After tapping on the cap you lift it back off to reveal that the four nickels have actually changed into four dimes. A complete transformation! Magical, right? Almost unbelievable that something could change so completely. Well, in this lesson, we’re going to witness an even more miraculous transformation, an even greater change. But keep your eyes open for the power that made it possible.
SEARCH ACTIVITY-HANDOUT
To begin a study of this story, we’ll do the following secret phrase handout. If you’re not into handout though or activities like this, you can always invite your students to take two different colored pencils and mark the selected phrases in two different colors. And when I do this activity I like to tell my students that we’re going to compare and contrast two very different groups of people. With the handout, they search up the verses that are listed and fill in the blanks with the correct words. Those words should fit into the boxes next to them. Then they use the numbered boxes to find a secret phrase that will teach them one of the great truths of this story.
Our first group of people:
A very wicked and IDOLATROUS man in 27:8
Led many people to do after the manner of his INIQUITIES. 27:8
A great HINDERMENT to the prosperity of the church. 27:9
STEALING away the hearts of the people 27:9
Giving a chance for the enemy of God to exercise his POWER over them 27:9
He was going about to DESTROY the church of God 27:10
They were going about REBELLING against God 27:11
They were the very VILEST of sinners 28:4
Now for our second group of people. What do we learn about them?
He began from this time forward TEACH the people 27:32
PREACHING the word of God in much tribulation 27:32
They did impart much CONSOLATION to the church 27:33
And thus they were INSTRUMENTS in the hands of God 27:36
And how BLESSED are they 27:37
They did publish PEACE; they did publish good tidings of good. 27:37
Now they were DESIROUS that salvation should be declared to every creature 28:3
So with those answers in place, what is the secret message? People can change. Because I’m not sure if you caught this, but all of these phrases are describing the same group of young men. Alma the Younger and the 4 sons of Mosiah. Yes I know I said that these were two different groups of people, but really they are. Even Alma himself says that they became new creatures in 27:26. They experienced a miraculous, complete reversal of character. But how did that happen? What is it that could transform the very vilest of sinners into individuals who want salvation declared to every creature? What could change an idolatrous person into an instrument in the hands of God? What could possibly cause somebody who spent all their energies seeking to destroy the church to someone who imparts much consolation to it? What took place here?
READ
This is a good place to just read the story. As you read these sections of the story, I invite my students to ponder a study question as they go.
Section 1-Mosiah 27:11-16
Question: Why did the angel visit Alma the younger? What was his purpose? Was it to call him to be a great missionary? Was it to change his heart and call him to the work? Read carefully. Now I’m not going to read each these sections verse by verse with you but perhaps give you some ideas and thoughts that could help with your class discussions.
So in this first section, we have the angel appearing to these rebellious boys. But why?
I know I’ve had some students make comments in the past that revealed their assumption that Alma the Younger was changed by the angel. That this happened because, well, it had to happen so that the church could grow in the future because God needed him on his side. I personally disagree with that theory. I think the church would have been just fine without Alma the Younger and the four sons of Mosiah. I don’t see the angel saying, “Boys, you need to change so that you can all become amazing missionaries and one day lead the church”. He doesn’t say that. All I see is a stern warning to Alma to stop seeking to destroy the church. To discontinue his current path or be destroyed himself. So basically, the angel was intervening here to say, “I’m not going to allow you to have this devastating effect on my people anymore. You, as the son of the prophet and the sons of the King are in a position of influence that you are using for evil. You are hindering my work of salvation, and I will not allow it anymore. You do what you want, but if you continue down this path, there will be consequences. You will be destroyed. So Alma, stop it! That’s basically the message. There’s no call to the work, there’s no expression of forgiveness, HERE, there’s no hint of future potential. It’s a warning. It’s also important to note that the angel says that his purpose for coming was to answer the prayers of his righteous father and the people, that their prayers may be answered. So this intervention wasn’t really for Alma’s sake, but for the sake of the prayers of the faithful. What follows in the story was not something forced on Alma the Younger. No, I think that was all him. This was him deciding not only to heed the angel’s warning, but to completely change his life around. There was no withdrawal of Alma’s agency.
Another discussion question to perhaps consider here: Does God still do things like this for people today? If so, how?
I believe that God can and does do this kind of thing for people today, but in a different way. It may not necessarily be through a heavenly messenger descending from heaven in a ray of light, but through some kind of experience or encounter. Perhaps this is what we pray for on behalf of those we love—for some kind of warning experience or wakeup call that will give them the opportunity to change. Obviously always honoring their agency. We spoke about Noah Moments a few lessons ago. Those can serve, at times, as these kinds of interventions. The loss of a loved one, an accident, a time of opposition, a dream, the advice of a friend, all of these can serve as “angels” sent to try and turn people around. I know of a man who completely changed his life around after his mother died. It woke him up. I know of another individual who turned back to God and the Word of Wisdom after a cancer scare. That woke him up. I know of a woman who made great changes in her life after a very realistic dream that showed her where her life was heading if she continued in her current actions, and she changed. I know of a youth that changed after he was arrested for shoplifting. And I know of another youth that changed when she saw her mother shed tears over her actions. I do believe that in circumstances like this, that God can send “angels” to give the wayward a chance to change. And it may not work. Laman and Lemuel had all sorts of these kinds of things happen to them and they still rebelled. But God tried, and I think he’ll try with our loved ones as well. Especially if we pray for it.
Section 2—Mosiah 27:17-22
I think I’d summarize verses 17-22. Alma falls to the earth and becomes dumb and weak. He enters into a kind of spiritual coma as he contemplates and considers the vision he’s just had. So the others pick him up and take him back to his father. Who, funnily enough, rejoices to see his son laid out in that state, after he understands what’s taken place. And then they all fast and pray for Alma’s well-being. And after two days and two nights, Alma wakes back up and shares his experience.
Section 3—Mosiah 27:23-31
Question: What words and phrases does Alma use to describe his feelings before he received forgiveness, and after? Now I would have my class read verses 23-31 together with this question in mind. There’s a great set of contrasting words and phrases here. You may even invite them to mark those phrases and words in two different colors. A “Before” color, and an “After” color.
And if you do that activity, the contrast couldn’t be more pronounced. Let me walk you through them in 27:28-30, on the before forgiveness side:
Wading through much tribulation (like through a swamp. I like to hike and a few years ago we hiked through a slot canyon in Southern Utah called Buckskin Gulch. And there was a section of that canyon where we had to wade up to our chests in the dirtiest, muddiest, smelliest, foul looking soup of sticks and stagnant filth to get to the other side. That’s what that phrase makes me think of. That’s like living in sin)
Repenting nigh unto death
Everlasting burning (It’s like being burned)
Gall of bitterness (It’s like swallowing something very bitter)
Bonds of iniquity (It’s like being wrapped in chains)
Darkest abyss (It’s like being plunged into darkness)
My soul was racked with eternal torment (Alma uses the word racked multiple times to describe his experience. To rack something is to cause extreme physical or mental pain. Torture) In fact there was a medieval device of torture called the rack. So he’s comparing the pains of sin to torture)
Now on the other side of the spectrum. How does Alma describe his feelings after his experience.
Redeemed of the Lord
Born of the Spirit
Born of God
Soul redeemed
Now I behold the marvelous light of God
My soul is pained no more
Section 4—Alma 36:11-24
Question: What words and phrases does Alma use to describe his feelings before he received forgiveness, and after? If you really wanted to get even more terms and a deeper understanding of this experience, you could take your students to Alma 36:11-24 and have them do the same activity. Before and After. Alma’s even more descriptive here. Some more “Before” words
Great fear
Amazement
Racked with eternal torment
Harrowed up to the greatest degree (A harrow is a farming tool with large spikes that is dragged across the dirt, and it tears into the soil, another vivid image, imagine a tool like that being raked across your heart and soul. So if you like the expression of “sowing your wild oats” and then repent later, just remember, that to get those wild oats out, you might have to use the harrow)
Racked with all my sins
Tormented with the pains of hell
The very thought of coming into the presence of my God did rack my soul with inexpressible horror
Oh, that I could be banished and become extinct both soul and body
Racked even with the pains of a damned soul
Racked with torment
Harrowed up
Gall of bitterness
Encircled about by the everlasting chains of death
(He’s very detailed in his description, isn’t he?)
I think it’s important to mention here that Alma didn’t feel this way immediately after he sinned. Like some individuals might rationalize sin away by saying “Well, I don’t feel guilty for what I’ve done, so it must not be that big a deal. What you call ’sin’ doesn’t bother me” . I imagine there were years of Alma’s life where he didn’t even feel a tinge of remorse for his sins. For his murders (that is his word for it in verse 14). Now he didn’t actually murder anyone physically, but spiritually, he had turned people away from God, and he felt like he had murdered their spirits. So we need to be careful of that rationalization. We may not feel chained, and racked, and harrowed at the moment but that doesn’t guarantee that we won’t feel it at some point in the future. It will most likely come.
But on the other side. After forgiveness comes,
I could remember my pains no more
I was harrowed up by the memory of my sins no more
Oh what Joy
What Marvelous light
My soul was filled with Joy as exceeding as was my pain (To the exact degree, and we know how deep his suffering was, his joy was just as high as his pain was deep)
Exquisite and sweet as was my joy (Something exquisite is something intensely felt)
My soul did long to be there (That stands in stark contrast to how he felt a few verses earlier where even the thought of appearing before God, filled his soul with inexpressible horror)
Exceeding joy
Filled with the Holy Ghost
Now that is quite a contrast isn’t it. You can’t get any more opposite than those descriptions.
Now our next discussion question. What made the difference, where does the switch come? What changed everything? Since we’re already here in Alma 36, read verses 17-19.
17 And it came to pass that as I was thus racked with torment, while I was harrowed up by the memory of my many sins, behold, I remembered also to have heard my father prophesy unto the people concerning the coming of one Jesus Christ, a Son of God, to atone for the sins of the world.
18 Now, as my mind caught hold upon this thought, I cried within my heart: O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me, who am in the gall of bitterness, and am encircled about by the everlasting chains of death.
19 And now, behold, when I thought this, I could remember my pains no more; yea, I was harrowed up by the memory of my sins no more.
It was the atonement and mercy of Jesus Christ. That’s what makes the transformation possible. And what two-word phrase does he use to describe what his mind did with that thought? It "caught hold” upon that thought. I love that. Because Alma is drowning here. He’s wading through affliction, he’s in the darkest abyss. If you think back to Lehi’s dream he’s in the filthy river drowning in bitterness and pain. As his head dips under the water, he has one last thought. Maybe that atonement, that Jesus I’ve so often heard my father speak about, will be there, for me? And he reaches his hand out just hoping to grasp something, and a hand catches hold on his. I remember when I was learning to swim (which I really, really struggled with) that my parents had the incentive that once we could swim across the pool, they would take us to Dairy Queen for a Peanut Buster Parfait. And I wanted that. And so one time I swam my hardest across that pool, but I couldn’t quite make it. My arms started to give out and I panicked. I started to flounder, and gasp, and that’ s a terrible feeling, nothing solid to grab on to. And I remember my head going under the water and reaching out my hand just hoping to feel something solid. And oh, what a relief it was to feel my Father’s hand grasp mine, and lift me up out of the water. That’s what Alma is experiencing here.
Now jump back to Mosiah 27 with me and you’ll find a very interesting companion word in both verse :28 and 29 to the phrase caught hold. What is it? He snatched him. Alma reaches out and catches hold, and Christ’s hand snatches him out of the river, or hell, or the chains. That suggests something about Christ’s forgiveness doesn’t it. It’s that immediate, freely given type of forgiveness that we were talking about earlier. To snatch something suggests eagerness, readiness, quickness, like he’s just waiting there, hand outstretched saying, come on Alma, just ask for it, I’m ready, waiting, willing. And as soon as Alma reaches out, Christ snatches him out of that pain and torment as Alma’s soul catches hold on the atonement of Christ. Sometimes I think we view repentance as a negative word, with negative connotations. I think to Alma, repentance was a beautiful word.
TRUTH
People can change and be freed from the pains and regrets of sin and be forgiven through the atonement of Jesus Christ.
TAKING IT TO HEART
How does the story of Alma the Younger give you hope?
And I pray that this story does give hope to any of you who have somebody you love who has strayed or if you are the one that has strayed yourself. Remember that people can change, even when you least expect it. I could give you example after example of people that I know personally who were so far off the strait and narrow that you would never imagine them coming back. And yet, they changed. Never give up hope in that possibility and never cease praying for it either. My grandpa is an example of this, my grandma is an example of this, various people I met on my mission are examples of this, individuals in my ward are examples of this. It happens more often than you might think.
A caution though. The message we don’t want to walk away with from this story, especially the youth, is “Hey, I guess I can live it up like Alma the Younger and rebel and do what I want now, and then later I’ll fix everything like he did”. That’s not the point of the story. We don’t have a lot of Alma the younger and Sons of Mosiah type stories in the scriptures but there are a few. Paul comes to mind. But for every Alma the Younger we have 10 Nephi’s, for every Paul, we have 10 Peters. I think God would prefer us to be Nephi’s and Stripling Warriors, and Joseph Smith’s and Samuels. That’s the preferred pathway. We don’t NEED to experience the depth of pain and suffering that Alma did in order to appreciate the power and love of Christ’s atoning sacrifice. Remember in 2 Nephi chapter 4 that Nephi sought redemption and forgiveness, and he received it. We all are going to need that power. But the Alma the Younger, 4 sons of Mosiah, Paul stories are in there too, and they serve a very important purpose. The scriptures often present us with these stories where principles are pushed to their edges. There’s a reason for that. If a man as wicked and evil and rebellious as Alma the Younger can repent, then anybody can repent. If God can forgive a man who caused so much trouble for God’s church, then God can forgive anyone. And not only that, if a man as depraved and vile as Alma could become the leader of the church, the prophet of the Nephites, then anybody who repents can not only return to full fellowship, but excel and even rise to leadership in the church as well. Like the prodigal son who only wanted to return and be a servant, it was clear from the very outset that his Father was going to treat him as a son. The same is true with us. When we return, we don’t return as servants, but sons and daughters. Therefore, we all have hope. We all fall into that glorious range of grace. And for those that struggle to forgive themselves, even after they’ve been assured by a priesthood leader that they have received forgiveness. Or, you’re a person whose life is free from serious sin, but you still struggle under a burden of not feeling like you measure up, that you’re still not good enough, or you worry that you’re not going to make it. Remember that if God can forgive someone in open rebellion, then how do you think he’s going to treat somebody who is striving, trying, and wanting to be good.
CONCLUSION
There is a challenge with teaching repentance to a group of students sometimes. Some may need one message emphasized while the others need the opposite side of the coin, and you may feel like splitting the room in two and teaching one message to this side and the other message to that side. Some need the carrot message, while others need the stick. The thing about the Alma the Younger story is that it does a pretty good job of teaching both. The awfulness of sin, and the hopefulness of mercy. But if I had to choose which one I felt was emphasized, I would say it’s the mercy and forgiveness side. The reaching, snatching, catching hold hand of Christ. The story of Alma the Younger(and the sons of Mosiah) is the embodiment of the immediate goodness of God, the freely forgiving God, and the “as oft” as they repent, forgiving God. Alma the younger is the prodigal son, the scarlet sinner who became white as snow. And I know that I have felt, as I’m sure you have, a measure of the bitterness of sin, and the pain of regret. I am so grateful for God’s incredibly forgiving nature. He’s lifted me, he’s saved me, and he will do the same for you, and he will do it as often as you need it, and freely, and immediately! If you ever feel yourself drowning in that guilt, sorrow, pain, or torment, the story of Alma the younger is in the Book of Mormon to show you there is a way out. We don’t have to feel that way forever. Reach out to your Savior from the depths of your pain, cry out to him, and I promise you there will be something to catch hold of. He will snatch you from that pain and bitterness. And oh, it will feel so good, to be free from that guilt. If HE was able to rejoice and embrace the marvelous light, so can we.
