Bringing Primary Home

Heavenly Father Hears and Answers My Prayers

You can use this lesson and activity to learn more about this month’s Primary theme.

Left: Illustration by Brad Teare; right: Queen Esther, by Minerva K. Teichert © William and Betty Stokes; detail from Nephi Writing on the Gold Plates, by Paul Mann © 1988; Joseph Smith Jr., by Alvin Gittins © 1959 IRI; illustration by Paul Mann © 1999 IRI

Have you ever had a problem that you felt very worried about? Alma and his missionary companions did. They had been trying to teach the Zoramite people about Jesus Christ, but the Zoramites would not believe them. The Zoramites thought they were better than other people. When they prayed at church, they went up onto a tall stand called the Rameumptom and said the exact same prideful prayer each time.

Alma decided to pray for help. He told Heavenly Father how sad he was that the Zoramites were so proud and unbelieving. He asked Heavenly Father to comfort him and his companions and give them strength in their difficult missionary work.

Heavenly Father answered Alma’s prayer. He comforted Alma and his companions and helped them feel strong. (See Alma 31.)

Heavenly Father always hears our prayers, and He answers us in different ways. His answers may not come right away or in the way that we expect, but He always answers us because He loves us.

Let’s Talk

What other scripture stories do you know where people prayed and received an answer? You can read one of these stories as a family and talk about some of the ways Heavenly Father answers our prayers.

How has Heavenly Father answered your prayers, and how did you recognize His answer? What problems do you have now that you could pray about?

Song and Scripture

• “A Child’s Prayer,” Children’s Songbook, 12–13

• Doctrine and Covenants 112:10

Prayers in the Scriptures

Below are some examples of people from the scriptures who prayed for help with different problems and received answers. Find the boxes that go together from each column. Use the scripture references beside each picture to help you.

Who Prayed	Why He or She Prayed	What Happened
Queen Esther (Esther 4–7)	They were afraid their language would be changed so they would not be able to understand each other.	Heavenly Father told him how to make tools and build a ship.
Nephi (1 Nephi 17:7–17; 18:1–4)	He needed to know which church he should join.	The king let her live, and she persuaded him to save her people.
Joseph Smith (Joseph Smith—History 1:10–19)	She needed to persuade the king to protect her people from being destroyed, but she could be killed for going before him without being invited.	The Lord had mercy on them and did not change their language.
The brother of Jared and his family (Ether 1:33–37)	He needed to build a ship to take his family to a new land, but he didn’t know how to build one and didn’t have the tools he needed.	Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ appeared to him and told him not join any of the churches.