Post # 227 -- Come follow Me -- Week # 24 -- June 15–21

-- Alma 13–16 -- “Enter into the Rest of the Lord”

Dear Family and Friends

How  are you all doing on this beautiful Sunday?? I am

afraid that this weekend has been another one of those

that I have pretty much slept through. I know it is sad

but true. I wake up early  and I might do a few things

then I fall back to sleep. And I sleep and I sleep.

Then pretty soon half the day is gone.

 I am hoping that your weekend has been a bit more

productive than mine. Although I should probably

mention that I am trying to take a class and I have

been working on the lessons every spare moment

that I have had all week long, Which  has sometimes

put me up into the night. 

I am only half way through the course so I will still need to put

in a few more hours every day til I am done with this course.

I must pass this course in order to have the correct amount of

hours to keep my license current.

How did your lesson go with your family and friends today? Did

your family and friends enjoy learning about Alma and Amulek?

They were very powerful missionaries in their day. They are a

great example for us to emulate. 

You know even when we are rejected when we share the gospel

we must not give up. We must continue to do our best every day.

Remember we are helping the Lord in His work. We are preparing for His Second Coming as we prepare the people by sharing His gospel with those we meet.

Do you and your family members try to seek , for spiritual

experiences throughout your week? If not this is probably

something that you might want to work on with me. I mean

that I  too need to work on this! What are some ways that

you and your family members and friends can do this? I

think we should pray for spiritual experiences

Something crazy is that i had thought that i had already

done this lesson and had it ready to post ‘after looking i

could not find it amongst my class notes so here we go and

i am sorry that this post is a bit late. Hopefully I will be

back on track for next week’s lesson for you. Let’s get

right to our lesson shall we”

At this point you may want to ask your family members and

friends to share with one another the experiences they have

each had with learning and living the gospel?  Maybe you

could share an insight or two that you have found or your

family members and friends could share what they found

these chapters in Alma 13–16.

In your sharing it may be  something that you and/ or they

found to be a bit of a surprise to you or you / they  found

that it was something that you and/ or they had never even

thought of before This first section comes to you directory

from our Come, Follow Me for Individuals and Families manual: 

The inspiration you receive as you ponder the scriptures is precious. You

can show that you treasure it by recording and acting on it.

In many ways, life in Ammonihah had been good for both Amulek and

Zeezrom. Amulek was “a man of no small reputation,” with “many

kindreds and friends” and “much riches” (Alma 10:4). Zeezrom was

“one of the most expert” among the lawyers and enjoyed “much

business” (Alma 10:31). Then Alma arrived in Ammonihah with a

divine invitation to repent and “enter into the rest of the Lord”

(Alma 13:16). For Amulek, Zeezrom, and others, accepting this

invitation required sacrifice and even led to almost unbearable

adversity.

But of course the story doesn’t end there. In Alma 13–16, we learn

what ultimately happens to those who believe “in the power of Christ

unto salvation” (Alma 15:6). Sometimes there’s deliverance, sometimes

healing—and sometimes things don’t get any easier in this life. But

always, “the Lord receiveth [His people] up unto himself, in glory”

(Alma 14:11). Always, the Lord grants “power, according to [our]

faith which [is] in Christ” (Alma 14:28). And always, that “faith on

the Lord” gives us “hope that [we] shall receive eternal life”

(Alma 13:29). As you read these chapters, you can take comfort in

these promises, and you may come to understand better what Alma

meant when he spoke of “the rest of the Lord.”

Alma 13:1–19

Priesthood ordinances help God’s children

receive redemption through Jesus Christ.

There may be some of your family members and friends

who may have found something  as they were studying

Alma 13, that has deepened their appreciation for the

priesthood. It may be good for you to read together 

with your family members and friends verses 2 and 16. 

Alma 13:2, 16 Book of Mormon

2 And those priests were ordained after the order of his Son, in a

manner that thereby the people might know in what manner to look

forward to his Son for redemption.

16 Now these ordinances were given after this manner, that thereby

the people might look forward on the Son of God, it being a type of his

order, or it being his order, and this that they might look forward to him

for a remission of their sins, that they might enter into the rest of the Lord.

After you have finished reading these verses you can ask

your family members and friends the following questions;

'“How do the priesthood and its ordinances help you ‘look

forward to [God’s] Son for redemption’?” If it’s helpful, a

list of ordinances can be found in True to the Faith, 109–10.

Priesthood ordinances help us look to Jesus Christ for

redemption.’

As you have probably noticed there were quite a few of

the people in Ammonihah who were followers of Nehor.

Those who taught others the false ideas about what they

thought about the role of priests were his followers. 

Tio learn about the true nature of the priesthood, you

might consider asking your family members and friends

to contrast the view that Nehor had of what priests

should do as found in Alma 1:3–6,  with what Alma taught

us about it as found in Alma 13:1–12. 

Alma 1:3–6 Book of Mormon  

3 And he had gone about among the people, preaching to them that

which he termed to be the word of God, bearing down against the

church; declaring unto the people that every priest and teacher ought

to become popular; and they ought not to labor with their hands, but

that they ought to be supported by the people.

4 And he also testified unto the people that all mankind should be

saved at the last day, and that they need not fear nor tremble, but

that they might lift up their heads and rejoice; for the Lord had

created all men, and had also redeemed all men; and, in the end,

all men should have eternal life.

5 And it came to pass that he did teach these things so much that

many did believe on his words, even so many that they began to

support him and give him money.

6 And he began to be lifted up in the pride of his heart, and to wear

very costly apparel, yea, and even began to establish a church

after the manner of his preaching.

Alma 13:1–12 Book of Mormon

1 And again, my brethren, I would cite your minds forward to the time

when the Lord God gave these commandments unto his children; and

I would that ye should remember that the Lord God ordained priests,

after his holy order, which was after the order of his Son, to teach

these things unto the people.

2 And those priests were ordained after the order of his Son, in a

manner that thereby the people might know in what manner to look

forward to his Son for redemption.

3 And this is the manner after which they were ordained—being called

and prepared from the foundation of the world according to the

foreknowledge of God, on account of their exceeding faith and good

works; in the first place being left to choose good or evil; therefore they

having chosen good, and exercising exceedingly great faith, are called

with a holy calling, yea, with that holy calling which was prepared with,

and according to, a preparatory redemption for such.

4 And thus they have been called to this holy calling on account of

their faith, while others would reject the Spirit of God on account of

the hardness of their hearts and blindness of their minds, while, if it

had not been for this they might have had as great privilege as their

brethren.

5 Or in fine, in the first place they were on the same standing with

their brethren; thus this holy calling being prepared from the

foundation of the world for such as would not harden their hearts,

being in and through the atonement of the Only Begotten Son,

who was prepared—

6 And thus being called by this holy calling, and ordained unto the high

priesthood of the holy order of God, to teach his commandments unto

the children of men, that they also might enter into his rest—

7 This high priesthood being after the order of his Son, which order

was from the foundation of the world; or in other words, being without

beginning of days or end of years, being prepared from eternity to all

eternity, according to his foreknowledge of all things—

8 Now they were ordained after this manner—being called with a holy

calling, and ordained with a holy ordinance, and taking upon them the high priesthood of the holy order, which calling, and ordinance, and

high priesthood, is without beginning or end—

9 Thus they become high priests forever, after the order of the Son,

the Only Begotten of the Father, who is without beginning of days or

end of years, who is full of grace, equity, and truth. And thus it is.

Amen.

10 Now, as I said concerning the holy order, or this high priesthood,

there were many who were ordained and became high priests of God; and it was on account of their exceeding faith and repentance, and

their righteousness before God, they choosing to repent and work

righteousness rather than to perish;

11 Therefore they were called after this holy order, and were

sanctified, and their garments were washed white through the

blood of the Lamb.

12 Now they, after being sanctified by the Holy Ghost, having their

garments made white, being pure and spotless before God, could

not look upon sin save it were with abhorrence; and there were

many, exceedingly great many, who were made pure and entered

into the rest of the Lord their God.

You can follow up this reading with the following

questions:In what ways are Nehor’s teachings similar

to the world’s views about power and leadership? How

are Alma’s teachings different? Now read with your

family and friends Alma 13:1–19. 

 In  doing so this could lead into a discussion about us

being “prepared from the foundation of the world”for

our responsibility in doing the work of the Lord. Wow!

Did you catch that phrase? We were prepared from

the foundations of the world to do the Lord’s work!

You will find Alma 13:1-12 above then you can read

the verses 13-19 below:

Alma 13:13–19 Book of Mormon

13 And now, my brethren, I would that ye should humble yourselves

before God, and bring forth fruit meet for repentance, that ye may

also enter into that rest.

14 Yea, humble yourselves even as the people in the days of

Melchizedek, who was also a high priest after this same order which

I have spoken, who also took upon him the high priesthood forever.

15 And it was this same Melchizedek to whom Abraham paid tithes;

yea, even our father Abraham paid tithes of one-tenth part of all he

possessed.

16 Now these ordinances were given after this manner, that thereby

the people might look forward on the Son of God, it being a type of

his order, or it being his order, and this that they might look forward to

him for a remission of their sins, that they might enter into the rest of

the Lord.

17 Now this Melchizedek was a king over the land of Salem; and his

people had waxed strong in iniquity and abomination; yea, they had

all gone astray; they were full of all manner of wickedness;

18 But Melchizedek having exercised mighty faith, and received the

office of the high priesthood according to the holy order of God, did

preach repentance unto his people. And behold, they did repent; and

Melchizedek did establish peace in the land in his days; therefore he

was called the prince of peace, for he was the king of Salem; and he

did reign under his father.

19 Now, there were many before him, and also there were many

afterwards, but none were greater; therefore, of him they have more

particularly made mention.

Here's a question for you to ask yourself and your family

members and friends: What does Alma 13:3 suggest about

the way we should view or approach these responsibilities?

This scripture is backed up in Doctrine and Covenants 138:56.

Alma 13:3 Book of Mormon

3 And this is the manner after which they were ordained—being called

and prepared from the foundation of the world according to the

foreknowledge of God, on account of their exceeding faith and good

works; in the first place being left to choose good or evil; therefore they

having chosen good, and exercising exceedingly great faith, are called

with a holy calling, yea, with that holy calling which was prepared with,

and according to, a preparatory redemption for such.

Doctrine and Covenants 138:56 Doctrine and Covenants

56 Even before they were born, they, with many others, received their

first lessons in the world of spirits and were prepared to come forth in

the due time of the Lord to labor in his vineyard for the salvation of the

souls of men.

This section with ideas for personal scripture study

comes to you directory from our Come, Follow Me for

Individuals and Families manual: 

Ideas for Personal Scripture Study

Alma 13:1–19

Priesthood ordinances help me receive

redemption through Jesus Christ.

You might recall that in Alma 12, Alma taught about God’s plan of

redemption (see Alma 12:24–27). In chapter 13, he spoke about the

priests whom God ordained “to teach these things unto the people”

(Alma 13:1). Alma’s words reveal many powerful truths about the

priesthood. Perhaps you could try to identify at least one truth per

verse in Alma 13:1–9. Here are some ideas to get you started:

Verse 1.

The priesthood is also called “the order of [God’s] Son”

(see also Doctrine and Covenants 107:1–4).

Verse 2.

God ordains priests to help people look to His Son for redemption.

Verse 3.

Priesthood holders were prepared for their responsibilities “from

the foundation of the world.”

What else do you find? How do you feel about the priesthood as you

ponder these truths? How have priesthood ordinances helped you

look to Christ for redemption?

It’s interesting to note that many of the people in Ammonihah were

followers of Nehor (see Alma 14:18; 15:15). How were priests of

Nehor’s order (see Alma 1:3–6) different from the priests ordained

“after the Order of the Son of God” (Doctrine and Covenants 107:3),

whom Alma described? (see Alma 13:1–19).

See also Dale G. Renlund, “The Priesthood and the Savior’s Atoning

Power,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2017, 64–67.

 

Alma 13

The Lord invites us to enter into His rest.

It was in Alma 13:16 where is was Alma himself who taught

us that the priesthood is what helps us to “enter into the

rest of the Lord,”  You could have a discussion with your

family members and friends about this topic after they

you read together the following passages: Alma 13:6,

12–13, 16, and 29 .  

Alma 13:6, 12–13, 16, 29 Book of Mormon

6 And thus being called by this holy calling, and ordained unto the high

priesthood of the holy order of God, to teach his commandments unto

the children of men, that they also might enter into his rest—

12 Now they, after being sanctified by the Holy Ghost, having their

garments made white, being pure and spotless before God, could not

look upon sin save it were with abhorrence; and there were many,

exceedingly great many, who were made pure and entered into the

rest of the Lord their God.

13 And now, my brethren, I would that ye should humble yourselves

before God, and bring forth fruit meet for repentance, that ye may also

enter into that rest.

16 Now these ordinances were given after this manner, that thereby

the people might look forward on the Son of God, it being a type of his

order, or it being his order, and this that they might look forward to him

for a remission of their sins, that they might enter into the rest of the Lord.

29 Having faith on the Lord; having a hope that ye shall receive eternal

\life; having the love of God always in your hearts, that ye may be lifted

up at the last day and enter into his rest.

After  your reading is done you could share with your

family members and friends or you could ask them to

share with you which verses teach about “the rest of

the Lord.”  you  could also identify or have one of your

family members and friends identify the characteristics

of those people who do “enter into the rest of the Lord.” 

And  now another question for you: What can we do to

experience the rest of the Lord during our mortal lives?

This is such an important question for each of us to ask

of ourselves:)This section with ideas for personal

scripture study comes to you directory from our Come,

Follow Me for Individuals and Families manual: 

Ideas for Personal Scripture Study

Alma 13:3

Are priesthood holders the only people

“called and prepared from the foundation of

the world”?

Alma’s teachings in Alma 13:3 refer specifically to priesthood holders.

However, the principle he taught—that individuals received

assignments and prepared to fulfill them “from the foundation of

the world”—applies to all of us. President Spencer W. Kimball

said: “In the world before we came here, faithful women were

given certain assignments while faithful men were foreordained

to certain priesthood tasks. While we do not now remember the

particulars, this does not alter the glorious reality of what we

once agreed to” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Spencer

W. Kimball [2006], 215–16; see also

Doctrine and Covenants 138:55–56).

Alma 14

In times of trial and tragedy, we must trust

 the Lord.

You know with all that is going on in our world right now

this is really a good lesson to remind us that in times of

trial and tragedy, we truly must rely and trust the Lord. 

So, after reading Alma 14  with your family members and

friends it might be just the opportunity for you to have

a discussion together.

This discussion would be  on how we can respond faithfully

when we or one of our loved ones -- our family members

and friends face some form of persecution or trials at

times even when you or they are trying to be righteous. I

remember hearing the following: The Lord never said that

it would be easy, He only said that it would be worth it!

You could ask your family members and friends to close

their eyes and try to imagine that you and they are each

journalists who are reporting on an event which you have

]found in Alma 14.. You will need to ask and answer the

following questions: What kinds of questions might they

ask Alma or Amulek about the event? 

For example, “Why did the Lord allow you and other

righteous people to suffer?” or “What advice do you have

for those who are experiencing difficult trials?” Based on

what we know from Alma 14, how might Alma or Amulek

answer these questions? You might want to consider

making a chart of the events and how Alma and Amulek

responded to those events in your reporting role:)

You know I bet most of us can probably relate somewhat

to the way that Amulek felt when he was a witness to the

suffering of those people, the ones  of Ammonihah who

were such faithful people: we “ also [are] pained” as it

says in Alma 14:10.

Alma 14:10 Book of Mormon

10 And when Amulek saw the pains of the women and children who

were consuming in the fire, he also was pained; and he said unto Alma:

How can we witness this awful scene? Therefore let us stretch forth our

hands, and exercise the power of God which is in us, and save them

from the flames.

I believe that Alma and Amulek could have saved the

people but it was not what they were supposed to do

with their power from the Lord.  I believe that the

Lord automatically took those people right up to the

celestial kingdom to live with Him.

Here’s another question for you: What do we learn from

what Alma said in this situation? As found in Alma 14:8–13

 Alma 14:8–13 Book of Mormon

8 And they brought their wives and children together, and whosoever

believed or had been taught to believe in the word of God they

caused that they should be cast into the fire; and they also brought

]forth their records which contained the holy scriptures, and cast

them into the fire also, that they might be burned and destroyed by fire.

9 And it came to pass that they took Alma and Amulek, and carried

]them forth to the place of martyrdom, that they might witness the

destruction of those who were consumed by fire.

10 And when Amulek saw the pains of the women and children who

were consuming in the fire, he also was pained; and he said unto

Alma: How can we witness this awful scene? Therefore let us stretch

forth our hands, and exercise the power of God which is in us, and ]

save them from the flames.

11 But Alma said unto him: The Spirit constraineth me that I must not

stretch forth mine hand; for behold the Lord receiveth them up unto

himself, in glory; and he doth suffer that they may do this thing, or that

the people may do this thing unto them, according to the hardness of

their hearts, that the judgments which he shall exercise upon them in

his wrath may be just; and the blood of the innocent shall stand as a

witness against them, yea, and cry mightily against them at the last day.

12 Now Amulek said unto Alma: Behold, perhaps they will burn us also.

13 And Alma said: Be it according to the will of the Lord. But, behold,

our work is not finished; therefore they burn us not.

At this time you might consider sharing the following

statement from President Spencer W. Kimball as he

offers another perspective on this account and other

accounts that are similar throughout the world;

God does not always prevent tragedy.

President Spencer W. Kimball once commented on the many

seemingly inexplicable tragedies that happen in the world:

“Could the Lord have prevented these tragedies? The answer is,

Yes. The Lord is omnipotent, with all power to control our lives,

save us pain, prevent all accidents, … even [protect us] from

death, if he will. But he will not. …

“If all the sick for whom we pray were healed, if all the righteous

were protected and the wicked destroyed, the whole program of

the Father would be annulled and the basic principle of the gospel,

free agency, would be ended. No man would have to live by faith. …

“… If we were to close the doors upon sorrow and distress, we

might be excluding our greatest friends and benefactors. Suffering

can make saints of people as they learn patience, long-suffering,

and self-mastery. …

“… I am grateful that even through the priesthood I cannot heal all

the sick. I might heal people who should die. I might relieve people

of suffering who should suffer. I fear I would frustrate the purposes

\of God.

“Had I limitless power, and yet limited vision and understanding, I

might have saved Abinadi from the flames of fire when he was

burned at the stake, and in doing so I might have irreparably

damaged him. He died a martyr and went to a martyr’s

reward—exaltation.

“I would likely have protected Paul against his woes if my power

were boundless. I would surely have healed his ‘thorn in the flesh.’'

[2 Corinthians 12:7.] And in so doing I might have foiled the ]

Lord’s program. …

“I fear that had I been in Carthage Jail on June 27, 1844, I might

have deflected the bullets that pierced the body of the Prophet

[Joseph Smith] and the Patriarch [Hyrum Smith]. I might have

saved them from the sufferings and agony, but lost them to the

martyr’s death and reward. …

“With such uncontrolled power, I surely would have felt to

protect Christ from the agony in Gethsemane, the insults, the

thorny crown, the indignities in the court, the physical injuries.

I would have administered to his wounds and healed them,

giving him cooling water instead of vinegar. I might have saved

him from suffering and death, and lost to the world his atoning

sacrifice. …

“In the face of apparent tragedy we must put our trust in God,

knowing that despite our limited view his purposes will not fail”

(Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball [2006], 14–17, 20).

The next thing you may want to consider is summarizing

or having your family members and friends to summarize

the main message of President Kimball’s statement in

your own words or in the words of one of your family

members and friends. This section with ideas for

personal scripture study comes to you directory from our Come, Follow Me for Individuals and Families manual: 

Ideas for Personal Scripture Study

Alma 14

Sometimes God allows the righteous to suffer.

Alma 14 tells of righteous people who suffered and even died because

of their beliefs. You might wonder, as many do, why terrible things

happen to people who are trying to live righteously. You may not find

all the answers to this difficult question in Alma 14, but there is much to learn from the way Alma and Amulek responded to the situations

they faced. What do their words and actions teach you about why the

Lord sometimes allows righteous people to suffer? What do you learn

from them about facing persecution?

See also Matthew 5:43–44; Mark 14:55–65; Romans 8:35–39;

1 Peter 4:12–14; Doctrine and Covenants 122:5–9.

Alma 15:16, 18

Discipleship requires sacrifice.

If you have read through This week’s outline in Come,

Follow Me—For Individuals and Families suggests listing

what Amulek gave up and what he gained when he

embraced the gospel. It may be a good time to get out

your poster board at this time to make a chart with

Amulek’s things on it. Your chart might look like the

following:

What Amulek gave up	What Amulek gained

The following scriptures can help you and your family '

members and friends in filling out your chart:

Alma 10:4–5; 15:16, 18; 16:13–15; and 34:8.

Alma 10:4–5 Book of Mormon

4 And behold, I am also a man of no small reputation among all those

who know me; yea, and behold, I have many kindreds and friends,

and I have also acquired much riches by the hand of my industry.

5 Nevertheless, after all this, I never have known much of the ways of

the Lord, and his mysteries and marvelous power. I said I never had

known much of these things; but behold, I mistake, for I have seen

much of his mysteries and his marvelous power; yea, even in the]

preservation of the lives of this people.

Alma 15:16, 18 Book of Mormon

16 And it came to pass that Alma and Amulek, Amulek having

forsaken all his gold, and silver, and his precious things, which were

in the land of Ammonihah, for the word of God, he being rejected by

those who were once his friends and also by his father and his

kindred;

18 Now as I said, Alma having seen all these things, therefore he

took Amulek and came over to the land of Zarahemla, and took him

to his own house, and did administer unto him in his tribulations, and

strengthened him in the Lord.

Alma 16:13–15 Book of Mormon

13 And Alma and Amulek went forth preaching repentance to the

people in their temples, and in their sanctuaries, and also in their

synagogues, which were built after the manner of the Jews.

14 And as many as would hear their words, unto them they did

impart the word of God, without any respect of persons, continually.

15 And thus did Alma and Amulek go forth, and also many more

who had been chosen for the work, to preach the word throughout

all the land. And the establishment of the church became general

throughout the land, in all the region round about, among all the

people of the Nephites.

Alma 34:8 Book of Mormon

8 And now, behold, I will testify unto you of myself that these things

are true. Behold, I say unto you, that I do know that Christ shall

]come among the children of men, to take upon him the

transgressions of his people, and that he shall atone for the sins of

the world; for the Lord God hath spoken it.

 Now it’s time for a few more questions for you and

your family members and friends: Why was Amulek

willing to make such sacrifices? Why are we willing

to do so? How can we follow the example of Alma,

who “strengthened [Amulek] in the Lord”? This

section with ideas for personal scripture study

comes to you directory from our Come, Follow Me

for Individuals and Families manual: 

Ideas for Personal Scripture Study

Alma 15:16, 18

Discipleship requires sacrifice.

It might be interesting to make a list of the things Amulek gave up

to embrace the gospel (see Alma 10:4–5; 15:16) and compare it to

a list of what he gained (see Alma 15:18; 16:13–15; 34:8). What

are you willing to sacrifice in order to become a more faithful

disciple?

Alma 16:1–10

The words of the prophets will be fulfilled.

In reading through Alma 16 you may have noticed

that this chapter gives some examples of someone

who trusted a prophet and of those people who did

not trust in a prophet. You could consider the

following activity to help you and your family members

and friends to learn from these examples that are

found in Alma chapter 16,

You will need to get out your poster board and write at

the top of your chart two headings; Zoram and

People of Ammonihah. 

Zoram	People of Ammonihah.

To help complete your chart you could read with your

family members and friends Alma 16:1–10. Then you

could write down under each heading those words and

phrases that describe the attitude that these people

had toward the words of the prophet Alma.  and one

last question for you ; What are we doing to show

Heavenly Father that we have faith in the words of

the living prophets? 

With this question I might add: What will we do from

now on to show our Heavenly Father and His Son

Jesus Christ that we have faith in the words of our

living prophet, President Russell M. Nelson and his

counselors who are all prophets, seers, and revelators?

So, what can we do to learn about what they have

asked us to do?

Searching through the most recent general

conference talks would be a good place to start

looking for the revelation which they have given us.

To find out what they have asked us to do or warned

us not to do to make our lives better. I will look too,

and try to share these things in a later post. If i

forget, someone will need to send me a note and

remind me:)

Alma 16:1–10 Book of Mormon

1 And it came to pass in the eleventh year of the reign of the judges

over the people of Nephi, on the fifth day of the second month, there

having been much peace in the land of Zarahemla, there having

been no wars nor contentions for a certain number of years, even

until the fifth day of the second month in the eleventh year, there

was a cry of war heard throughout the land.

2 For behold, the armies of the Lamanites had come in upon the

wilderness side, into the borders of the land, even into the city of

Ammonihah, and began to slay the people and destroy the city.

3 And now it came to pass, before the Nephites could raise a

sufficient army to drive them out of the land, they had destroyed the

people who were in the city of Ammonihah, and also some around

the borders of Noah, and taken others captive into the wilderness.

4 Now it came to pass that the Nephites were desirous to obtain those who had been carried away captive into the wilderness.

5 Therefore, he that had been appointed chief captain over the

armies of the Nephites, (and his name was Zoram, and he had two

' sons, Lehi and Aha)—now Zoram and his two sons, knowing that

Alma was high priest over the church, and having heard that he had

the spirit of prophecy, therefore they went unto him and desired of

him to know whither the Lord would that they should go into the

wilderness in search of their brethren, who had been taken captive

by the Lamanites./

6 And it came to pass that Alma inquired of the Lord concerning the

matter. And Alma returned and said unto them: Behold, the Lamanites

will cross the river Sidon in the south wilderness, away up beyond the

borders of the land of Manti. And behold there shall ye meet them, on

the east of the river Sidon, and there the Lord will deliver unto thee thy

' brethren who have been taken captive by the Lamanites.

7 And it came to pass that Zoram and his sons crossed over the river

Sidon, with their armies, and marched away beyond the borders of

Manti into the south wilderness, which was on the east side of the

river Sidon.

8 And they came upon the armies of the Lamanites, and the

Lamanites were scattered and driven into the wilderness; and

they took their brethren who had been taken captive by the

Lamanites, and there was not one soul of them had been lost that

were taken captive. And they were brought by their brethren to ]

possess their own lands.

9 And thus ended the eleventh year of the judges, the Lamanites

having been driven out of the land, and the people of Ammonihah '

were destroyed; yea, every living soul of the Ammonihahites was

destroyed, and also their great city, which they said God could not

destroy, because of its greatness.

10 But behold, in one day it was left desolate; and the carcasses

were mangled by dogs and wild beasts of the wilderness.

This section with ideas for family scripture study  and

family home evening ideas comes to you directory from

our Come, Follow Me for Individuals and Families manual: 

Ideas for Family Scripture Study and 

Family Home Evening

As you read the scriptures with your family, the Spirit

can help you

] know what principles to emphasize and discuss in order

to meet the needs of your family. Here are some ideas.

Alma 13

Your family might benefit from noting every time the

word “rest” appears in Alma 13. What other words and ideas appear with it?

How does this help us understand what

“the rest of the Lord” might mean? How is it different from physical rest?

Alma 13:10–12

To help your family visualize what these verses teach,

maybe you could wash something together—like some white clothing. 

]How do we feel when we are dirty? How do we feel when

we become clean again? How are these feelings similar to what we 

feel when we sin and then repent and become clean

through the Savior’s Atonement?

Alma 15:1–12

What do we learn from Zeezrom’s experience about the

Lord’s power to strengthen and heal us, even when we make mistakes?

What role can the priesthood play in our receiving His

strength and healing?

Alma 16:1–10

After reading these verses, you might read Alma 9:4. What do

we learn by contrasting the way Zoram felt about the

prophet’s words with the way the people of Ammonihah felt? What are ]we doing to be faithful to the words of our living prophet?

For more ideas for teaching children, see this week’s outline in Come, Follow Me—For Primary.

Suggested song: “Follow the Prophet,” Children’s Songbook, 110–11.

 

For next week you may want to consider asking your family

members and friends if they have ever wished that they

would be better at sharing the gospel? I know that I

certainly have had this experience before. Something

that might help uw can be found in Alma 17–22.  Our

reading of these chapters can help us accomplish this

goal to be better at sharing the gospel.

As always I want you to remember who you are!!! I

want to remind you to continue to say your prayers

every day morning and evening. Please continue to

study the Book of Mormon with me, and all of our

cyber study buddies out there in cyberspace:) You

are amazing and you are doing better than you think

that you are!!!

Please continue to study your scriptures with your

family members and friends, share what you are

learning in the Book of Mormon with them. This is

a wonderful book of scripture. I have found that

this book of scripture clarifies many things that

are found in the Bible. The Lord wants us to use

the Bible and the Book of Mormon together!!

I have made this a long post with putting in all of

the scriptures, but I want to make sure that you

are able to read them. For me it is easier to have

the passages right along with the questions and

the background stories that are sometimes found

in the lessons. So until my next post, you all have

a wonderful week and please continue to stay safe!!