Being Like Shiblon

By Elder Michael T. Ringwood

Of the Seventy

“I say unto you, my son, that I have had great joy in thee already, because of thy faithfulness and thy diligence” (Alma 38:3).

My Book of Mormon hero is Shiblon. He was truly good. He didn’t worry about what other people thought about him. He only cared about obeying Heavenly Father. His dad, Alma the Younger, trusted him. Alma was glad that Shiblon had kept the commandments since he was young (see Alma 38:2).

And Shiblon kept choosing the right. He helped others because he loved them and because he loved God. He did what was right because he knew it was right. He wasn’t trying to get a reward.

On my mission in Korea, I worked with a missionary who was a lot like Shiblon. He was faithful and obedient to Heavenly Father. But other missionaries didn’t think he was a very good missionary. I wanted them to know they were wrong about him! But my mission president said, “Heavenly Father knows that he is a good missionary, and so do I. And now you know too, so who else really matters?”

We might think it’s too hard to be like Shiblon and do what is right just because it’s right. But the gospel can help us! When we are baptized, we start to become better people. When we take the sacrament, we renew our covenants. We can become like Heavenly Father wants us to be.

Finding Your Heroes

Lots of people in the Book of Mormon were good examples like Shiblon. Find some of them on this page. (Check answers below.) Who are your Book of Mormon heroes?

1. Unscramble the names.

lemuas
iabinad
pnieh
osne
ahirsa
mmano
jimnbena
mala
mronmo
sabih

2. Can you match the name of each hero with their description?

I am a king who built a tower to talk to my people. I taught them to serve others and follow Jesus.
I left everything behind to obey Heavenly Father and help lead my family to the promised land.
I am a Lamanite prophet who stood on a city wall and prophesied about Jesus Christ’s birth.
I collected Nephite records and wrote them on the golden plates. The Book of Mormon was named after me!
I preached repentance to King Noah. I stayed faithful to my testimony even when he burned me at the stake.
I had to get the brass plates and sail to the promised land. My faith in Jesus Christ helped me be brave.
I am a righteous Lamanite. When Ammon came and taught the king, I could finally share my testimony of Jesus.
I prayed all day and night to Heavenly Father. I prayed for Heavenly Father to bless my friends and my enemies.
I was wicked, but an angel told me to repent. I became a great missionary. I have the same name as my father.
I was a missionary to the Lamanites. I protected the king’s sheep from robbers.

3. Now find them in the word search!

L	L	M	U	E	Z	N	W	H	N
A	T	E	N	O	O	D	B	A	E
F	B	O	U	M	P	E	S	P
Z	S	I	R	M	N	X	A	R	H
E	O	O	S	J	A	J	A	A	I
C	M	H	A	H	B	S	Q	S	K
D	P	M	I	D	A	N	I	B	A
J	I	R	A	M	M	O	N	E	D
N	V	E	L	I	O	F	U	B	H
S	A	M	L	A	I	P	H	Z	V

L	L	M	U	E	Z	N	W	H	N
A	T	E	N	O	O	D	B	A	E
F	B	O	U	M	P	E	S	P
Z	S	I	R	M	N	X	A	R	H
E	O	O	S	J	A	J	A	A	I
C	M	H	A	H	B	S	Q	S	K
D	P	M	I	D	A	N	I	B	A
J	I	R	A	M	M	O	N	E	D
N	V	E	L	I	O	F	U	B	H
S	A	M	L	A	I	P	H	Z	V

L	L	M	U	E	Z	N	W	H	N
A	T	E	N	O	O	D	B	A	E
F	B	O	U	M	P	E	S	P
Z	S	I	R	M	N	X	A	R	H
E	O	O	S	J	A	J	A	A	I
C	M	H	A	H	B	S	Q	S	K
D	P	M	I	D	A	N	I	B	A
J	I	R	A	M	M	O	N	E	D
N	V	E	L	I	O	F	U	B	H
S	A	M	L	A	I	P	H	Z	V

L	L	M	U	E	Z	N	W	H	N
A	T	E	N	O	O	D	B	A	E
F	B	O	U	M	P	E	S	P
Z	S	I	R	M	N	X	A	R	H
E	O	O	S	J	A	J	A	A	I
C	M	H	A	H	B	S	Q	S	K
D	P	M	I	D	A	N	I	B	A
J	I	R	A	M	M	O	N	E	D
N	V	E	L	I	O	F	U	B	H
S	A	M	L	A	I	P	H	Z	V