Alma 27-29
Reading Assignment for class on Wed. Jan. 31:Alma 27-29
Learning Activities:
1) Introduction: When the Lamanites were unsuccessful in their attacks on the Nephites, they turned their anger toward the Anti-Nephi-Lehies. Because of the covenant the Anti-Nephi-Lehies had made to never again shed the blood of others, they refused to take up arms to defend themselves. Ammon led the Anti-Nephi-Lehies to Zarahemla, where they received protection from the Nephites and became known as the people of Ammon. As the Nephites defended the people of Ammon against the Lamanites, thousands of Nephites and Lamanites perished in battle.
2) Read this quote from Pres. Eyring and then read Alma 27 and find a place it fits in your scriptures: “Once the Lord knows our faith is sufficient that He can be certain we will obey, He will send the Spirit to teach us more clearly and more frequently. The prayer of faith always includes a commitment to obey” (Henry B. Eyring, “The Spirit Must Be Our Constant Companion” [evening with a General Authority, Feb. 7, 2003], 1).
3) Search for and mark proof of this truth in Alma 28: Wickedness causes great sorrow, while righteousness results in hope and joy because of Christ.
4) What does this quote have to do with Alma 29:4-5?
“What we insistently desire, over time, is what we will eventually become and what we will receive in eternity. …Only by educating and training our desires can they become our allies instead of our enemies!” (Neal A. Maxwell, “According to the Desire of [Our] Hearts,” Ensign, Nov. 1996, 21, 22).
Want More?
Alma 28:11–12. Finding peace when death occurs
President Russell M. Nelson spoke about how our actions in this life can bring us peace when death occurs:
“Brothers and sisters, we live to die and we die to live—in another realm. If we are well prepared, death brings no terror. From an eternal perspective, death is premature only for those who are not prepared to meet God.
“Now is the time to prepare. Then, when death comes, we can move toward the celestial glory that Heavenly Father has prepared for His faithful children. Meanwhile, for sorrowing loved ones left behind … the sting of death is soothed by a steadfast faith in Christ, a perfect brightness of hope, a love of God and of all men, and a deep desire to serve them” (Russell M. Nelson, “Now Is the Time to Prepare,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2005, 18).
Elder Wilford W. Andersen of the Seventy related how some friends dealt with the death of their father:
“Recently a dear friend of mine passed away from cancer. He and his family are people of great faith. It was inspiring to see how their faith carried them through this very difficult time. They were filled with an inner peace that sustained and strengthened them. With their permission I would like to read from a family member’s letter written just days before her father passed away:
“‘The last few days have been especially difficult. … Last night as we gathered at Dad’s bedside, the Spirit of the Lord was palpable and truly acted as a comforter to us. We are at peace. … It has been the hardest thing any of us has ever experienced, but we feel peace in the knowledge that … our Father in Heaven has promised that we will live together as a family again. After the doctor told Dad in the hospital that there was nothing left to be done, he looked at all of us with perfect faith and boldly asked, “Does anybody in this room have a problem with the plan of salvation?” We … are grateful for a father and mother who have taught us to have perfect trust in the plan’” (Wilford W. Andersen, “The Rock of Our Redeemer,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2010, 17–18).