“Alma 8: Hearing and Obeying Heavenly Father,” Book of Mormon Student Manual (2024)
“Alma 8,” Book of Mormon Student Manual
Alma 8
Hearing and Obeying Heavenly Father
Obeying Heavenly Father can be difficult, but it leads to the greatest happiness. As Alma and Amulek exercised faith and followed God’s instruction, God blessed them and those around them. This lesson can help you hear and obey Heavenly Father in your life.
Following Heavenly Father
Think about how you would feel if Heavenly Father asked you to do the following and why you would feel that way:
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Share the gospel with someone who has rejected your invitations in the past.
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Befriend and help someone in your school who is disliked or rejected.
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What are some other commandments or promptings Heavenly Father may give us that could be difficult to accept and obey? Why might these situations be so difficult?
In the chapter you will study today, God instructed Alma to face a situation similar to the first scenario above, and Amulek faced a situation similar to the second. Take a moment to ponder whether there are commandments or promptings from God that are difficult for you to obey. As you study, look for how Alma and Amulek overcame their challenges and followed God’s commandments. Seek Heavenly Father’s help to know how you can better hear and follow Him.
Alma’s experience
Read Alma 8:8–18, looking for what God asked Alma to do and why it may have been difficult for him. Try to visualize the events as you read them. You may want to watch the video “Alma and Amulek Are Delivered by the Power of God” from time code 0:36 to 2:22, available at ChurchofJesusChrist.org, and follow along in your scriptures.
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Amulek’s experience
Read Alma 8:19–21; 10:4–11 to see what happened next. (It may be helpful to know that Amulek related his experience in Alma 10:4–11.) Try to visualize the events as you read them. You may want to continue watching the video “Alma and Amulek Are Delivered by the Power of God” from time code 2:22 to 4:03, available at ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
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What do we learn in Alma 10:4–6 about Amulek? Why might these factors have made it difficult for him to obey God?
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Why do you think Heavenly Father continued to reach out to Amulek even though He had not obeyed in the past?
Read Alma 8:26–32 to see how Amulek and Alma were blessed for their actions.
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What principles did you learn from the account of Alma and Amulek?
One of the principles you may have identified is when we hear and obey Heavenly Father, He blesses us and others. We can hear God’s word in a variety of ways. For example, Alma and Amulek both heard God’s word from an angel.
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List as many ways as you can that Heavenly Father communicates with us in our day. If you need help, consider reviewing “Revelation,” in Guide to the Scriptures.
Hearing Him
Amulek said, “I was called many times and I would not hear” (Alma 10:6). Earlier in his life, Alma also did not listen to God for a time (see Mosiah 27:8).
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Write your response to the following activity.
Imagine that someone you know is having a difficult time hearing and obeying God. Take a few minutes to brainstorm what might motivate that person to trust in the Lord. This may include the following:
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Alma and Amulek’s example of obedience
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Examples of the Savior’s obedience to the Father
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Other scripture stories when someone heard and obeyed God
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Blessings you have experienced as you have tried to obey God
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Consider watching the video “Faith Is Not by Chance, but by Choice” from time code 1:40 to 4:25, available at ChurchofJesusChrist.org. In the video, Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles describes a young man who faithfully and obediently acts on a prompting during a time of uncertainty.
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Take some time to record any impressions you may have had from Heavenly Father. Think about what you can do to act on those impressions. This may include committing to obey specific commandments or promptings and any steps you should take. If obeying these commandments is difficult, consider praying that Heavenly Father will help you.