Come, Follow Me Daily Study Guide for the week of August 3-9, 2020 covering Alma 43-52. For personal and/or family study of the scriptures, geared towards families with teenagers, single adults, and empty nesters.
*This is a suggested outline that coincides with the Come, Follow Me manual. There is not just one right way when it comes to studying the scriptures. Everyone should study in a way that is best for them, but I do hope that you find these outlines helpful.
**I highly suggest getting a scripture journal. Throughout the year there will be several times that I will suggest jotting something down in your scripture journal. These are also great for writing down any impressions or “Aha” moments that you might have as you study the scriptures.
***A free PDF DOWNLOAD of the Study Guide is available at the bottom of this post, making it easy for those who’d like to print out a copy. OR you can add Melanie’s Library to your mobile device home screen by following these instructions, click HERE
****SONGS – For a list of suggested songs for each day of the week, be sure and check out the blog called Music for Latter-day Life by clicking HERE
FHE DAY
Start the week off right with a Family Home Evening that is focused around the upcoming week’s Come, Follow Me. Sign up for the Teach Me FHE email group and receive an FHE outline delivered right to your inbox every Sunday morning. Sign up at the bottom of this post.
IF ALL MEN HAD BEEN LIKE UNTO MORONI
BACKGROUND/SCRIPTURE
GAME: Play a quick 12 question Kahoot! quiz called Commercials by hgriffin2, click HERE
*The person who will be the “Teacher” in the game, use the link above. Be sure your laptop is in a position where everyone can see it or project your phone/device onto your TV. For everyone else, have them login on their devices on the Kahoot! app.
*If you’ve never played Kahoot! before, check out this post Kahoot! by clicking HERE
AFTER THE GAME: Point out how easily our minds fill up with information when we are exposed to it repeatedly. If we do not actively fill our minds with good books, scriptures, good movies and games, then other things which may not be so pleasant or good will take their place.
Do you think Moroni felt that what we put in our minds was important? (Yes!)
READ: Alma 48: 7
MINI LESSON
At one time during the war between the Lamanites and the Nephites, Moroni and his army had the Lamanites surrounded. Moroni could have easily commanded his men to kill the Lamanites as soon as they had them surrounded but instead, Moroni who was a man of faith and who stood as a witness of God at all times and in all places, bore his testimony and gave them the opportunity to surrender.
READ: Alma 44: 3
POEM: All the Water in the World, click HERE
Sometimes we may feel like that little ship, surrounded by all the water in the world. We may feel threatened and overwhelmed with the evil that is around us. Just has Zerahemnah was persistent in seeking to ruin and destroy God’s people, we too can be as bold as Moroni and declare, “Ye cannot destroy this [my] faith.”
Faith is a decision we get to make. No one can ever destroy it unless we allow them to. When we chose faith, we chose to have the Lord with us. He is the Captain of our souls. He gives us the strength and courage to tell our enemies they have no power here.
PONDER & DISCUSS
When Moroni heard there were dissensions among the Nephites, read what he did. (Read the scripture verses and show the picture. On Wednesday we’ll discuss more about what caused the dissensions)
READ: Alma 46: 11-13
What difference can one man make?
QUOTE: “It does not take long for a people who are full of pride to ‘forget the Lord their God’ and ‘be led away by the evil one.’ One wicked individual can cause great wickedness to take place among such a people. On the other hand, one righteous person can make a difference in such a setting. Captain Moroni reacted to this situation by making a banner….He prayed fervently to the Lord…This became such an important time for Moroni that he challenged all his supporters to ‘enter into a covenant'” (Garrett, Inspired by a Better Cause; The Book of Mormon Study Guide Start to Finish)
What opportunities do we have to make a difference for righteousness with those around us?
READ: Alma 48:17
Ponder what you feel inspired to do to follow Moroni’s example and become more like the Savior.
STAY ON SAFE GROUND
BACKGROUND
*Do the Object Lesson and Story found below. You don’t need to do the Scripture Heroes or Mormonad that is included in the post, just the object lesson and story.
OBJECT LESSON & STORY: Living on the Edge, Is it Worth It? Click HERE
SCRIPTURE/MINI LESSON
In the story of Lehonti, found in Alma 47, he and his men were at the top of a mountain “being fixed in their minds with a determined resolution that they would not be subjected to go against the Nephites.” Amalickiah, being an evil and cunning man, tricked Lehonti into bringing his men down the mountain. This act of listening to and trusting in Amalickiah eventually led to Lehonti’s death.
QUOTE BY ROBERT D. HALES: “The traitorous Amalickiah urged Lehonti to ‘come down’ and meet him in the valley. But when Lehonti left the high ground, he was poisoned ‘by degrees’ until he died, and his army fell into Amalickiah’s hands (see Alma 47). By arguments and accusations, some people bait us to leave the high ground. The high ground is where the light is. … It is the safe ground.” (“Christian Courage: The Price of Discipleship,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2008, 74).
Amalickiah was a Nephite by birth but became a Nephite dissenter. He eventually killed the Lamanite King and married the Queen.
READ: Alma 47: 35-36 to learn who he ruled over
Who did Amalickiah rule over?
According to verse 36, how would you describe Nephite dissenters?
Why do you think they became more hardened and wicked than the Lamanites?
STORY: …The Prophet [Joseph Smith] observed that his greatest difficulties came at the hands of those who had once tasted of the things of the Spirit and then turned against them. To this, Elder Behunnin remarked: “If I should leave this Church, I would not do as those men have done; I would go to some remote place where Mormonism had never been heard of, settle down, and no one would ever learn that I knew anything about it.”
Joseph Smith replied: “Brother Behunnin, you don’t know what you would do. No doubt these men once thought as you do. Before you joined this Church you stood on neutral ground. When the gospel was preached, good and evil were set before you. You could choose either or neither. There were two opposite masters inviting you to serve them. When you joined this Church you enlisted to serve God. When you did that you left the neutral ground, and you never can get back on to it. Should you forsake the Master you enlisted to serve, it will be by the instigation of the evil one, and you will follow his dictation and be his servant.” (As cited in Joseph Fielding McConkie and Robert L. Millet, Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon)
PONDER & DISCUSS
How might Satan be trying to deceive you?
What can you do to ensure that you stay on safe ground?
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES (optional)
CONFERENCE TALK: Christian Courage: The Price of Discipleship by Elder Robert D. Hales
VIDEO: (1:22) Satan Seeks to Deceive Us
VIDEO: (3:24) The Cheetas and Topis
GOOGLE SLIDES & OBJECT LESSON: Seven Lies Satan Wants You to Believe
UNITY BRINGS SAFETY
BACKGROUND
VIDEO: Elder Stevenson and his wife on fortifying our homes (3:47), click HERE *Scroll down to almost the very bottom. It is the only video on this page.
How are we fortifying our home against the adversary?
READ: Alma 48:9
SHARE INSIGHT BY DAVID BUTER: (Taken from Don’t Miss This)
Anticipating an attack from their enemies, Chief Captain Moroni fortified and strengthened the Nephite cities against a worst-case scenario situation. Interestingly, and wisely, he strategically placed greater numbers of men in the spots that he considered the weakest…
Recently, a close friend of mine confided in me about a temptation and struggle he was battling. I am certain it was not easy to bring up the topic, and it certainly wasn’t an enjoyable conversation for either of us to have. He risked being judged, looked down upon, and seen as weak. In order to save face and avoid risk, he could have ignored the weakness or pretended it wasn’t there. Instead, he gathered people he trusted around that spot – a “greater number” – to stand guard and to watch over him. His courage is inspiring. His wisdom is supreme. His humility gave him great strength. It will make all the difference in the war.
How can you gather people to your weakest places for strength?
MINI LESSON/SCRIPTURE/PONDER & DISCUSS
STORYTELLING: As a family take a couple of minutes to make up a story. Have one family member begin the story and then each person picks up the story where the last person left off. (Be sure and have fun with this story)
Some suggested beginnings:
It was a cold, dark, and stormy night…
One day, as I was sitting on the couch, the doorbell rang. To my surprise it was…
I came home from work to find…
Standing in line at Wal-mart, I saw…
Making up that story was something we were able to accomplish together. We were unified in our goal, we all contributed, we all had fun doing it, and there was no contention.
At one point during the war between the Lamanites and the Nephites, the Lamanites had no chance against the Nephites. The Nephite’s armor, unity, and fortifications on their cities made the Nephites seem unconquerable BUT the Lamanites still captured many of their cities. The reason? It was because there was contention amongst the Nephites.
READ: Alma 51: 1-12, 22 and 27 to learn what the contention was all about and what happened because of it
What were they fighting about?
What do these verses teach about what can happen within our family when we have contention?
Moroni understood the destruction that contention could cause.
READ: Alma 51: 16
SHARE INSIGHT BY EMILY BELLE FREEMAN: (Taken from Don’t Miss This)
When my boys were young, they used to fight all the time over everything. Toys, who got the biggest piece of cake, what movie to watch on TV. I quickly learned to step in within the very first minute the contention and dissension started. If I stepped in at the beginning, I could mediate the situation, the problem would be resolved, and the day would continue in peace.
In those early years, keeping the Spirit in our home became my first care.
It is still true today.
When contention arises or I feel dissension enter a conversation, it is my first care to put an end to it and invite the Spirit to return.
President Russell M. Nelson counseled, “In coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost”…In order to have the constant influence of the Holy Ghost, we must learn to put an end to contention and dissension, which are some of the quickest ways to lose the Spirit.
It must become our first care.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES (optional)
CONFERENCE TALK: The Canker of Contention by Russell M. Nelson
ENSIGN ARTICLE: Dealing with Anger and Contention
GENERAL CONFERENCE DAY
Study a recent General Conference talk. A great way to study a conference talk is to have your own conference issue of the Ensign and a highlighter. Listen to the talk and as you listen, highlight the part(s) that stands out to you. Then after the talk, review and/or share and discuss what you have highlighted.
THIS WEEK’S TALK: Hear Him By President Russell M. Nelson, click HERE
CATCH UP DAYS
Do one of the days that you missed OR any of the additional resources listed.
Yours Truly,
P.S. For more Come, Follow Me resources, check out my post Your Ultimate Guide to Come, Follow Me. It lists over 100 Come, Follow Me resources that are available online starting with the church’s resources at the top. You can find it by clicking HERE.
P.P.S. Sign up here for the Teach Me FHE email group and receive FHE outlines delivered right to your inbox every Sunday morning.
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