“Alma 32: ‘Strengthen Your Faith,’” Book of Mormon Teacher Manual (2024)
“Alma 32,” Book of Mormon Teacher Manual
Alma 32
“Strengthen Your Faith”
Many different objects can be used to help us understand the gospel of Jesus Christ. As Alma taught the Zoramites, he compared the word of God to a seed we can plant in our hearts that can eventually become “a tree springing up unto everlasting life” (Alma 32:41). This lesson is intended to help you plant the word of God in your heart and nourish your testimony of it.
Teach the sacred nature of spiritual experiences. Remind students of the sacred nature of spiritual experiences. Students should never feel forced to share their feelings or experiences. Encourage them to share personal experiences appropriately when prompted by the Spirit.
Student preparation: Invite students to ask a loved one who has a testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ what has helped him or her receive or strengthen it.
Possible Learning Activities
Comparisons
Display the following incomplete sentences. You could choose different sentences that will interest your students, but consider using the final comparison to help transition into the lesson content.
Making comparisons can be an effective way to teach and learn the gospel of Jesus Christ. Fill in the following blanks. Be creative and see if there is more than one way you could complete the sentences.
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Life is like because .
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Smartphones are like because .
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Gaining a testimony is like because .
As Alma and Amulek were serving among the Zoramites, a group of people expressed concern that they couldn’t worship God since they had been cast out of their places of worship because of their poverty (see Alma 32:5). While we know the Lord has clearly taught the importance of attending His Church on the Sabbath, Alma responded by teaching those who were not allowed to attend Church important truths about worship that can take place in our hearts, regardless of our physical location.
Read the first sentence of Alma 32:28, then read verse 41 and look for a comparison Alma used that can apply to you as well.
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What similarities do you see between growing a fruit tree from a seed and growing your testimony of Jesus Christ and His teachings?
If students are unsure what a testimony is, help them understand that it is “knowledge and a spiritual witness given by the Holy Ghost” (Guide to the Scriptures, “Testimony,” scriptures.ChurchofJesusChrist.org).
Alma’s comparison of the word of God to a seed can be applied to gaining a testimony of any aspect of the gospel. Yet Alma later explained that it is a testimony of Jesus Christ that he hoped those Zoramites would plant in their hearts (see Alma 33:22–23).
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Why is belief in the Savior such an important “seed” to plant in your heart?
Take a moment to think about the current strength of your overall testimony of Jesus Christ and His teachings. Also, ponder if there are specific aspects of your testimony that you would like to strengthen such as Heavenly Father’s love for you or the reality of Joseph Smith’s First Vision. As you continue to study today, look for truths that can help you better understand how to obtain or strengthen your testimony.
Consider dividing the students into small groups and giving each student a copy of the following handout. Invite the students to read and discuss the materials under the “Planting the seed” heading together as a group. It may be beneficial to assign one student from each group to be the discussion leader.
You could then mix up the groups and have the students discuss the materials under the “Nourishing the seed” heading with their new group.
Planting and Nourishing the Word of God in Our Hearts
Book of Mormon Teacher Manual (2024)—“Alma 32: ‘Strengthen Your Faith’”
Planting the seed
Read Alma 32:21–23, 26–30, and mark words and phrases that help you understand how to begin growing a testimony.
Share with your group the words and phrases that stood out to you and why. Then discuss the following questions:
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What do you think it means to “give place” in your heart for the Savior and His teachings?
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What can make it difficult for people to do this?
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According to verses 28–30, what can happen when we make room in our hearts for Jesus Christ and His teachings?
Write a one-sentence summary of what you learned from these verses about helping your testimony in its beginning stages.
Nourishing the seed
Alma taught that planting the seed and discovering that it is good is only the first part of growing a testimony. Read Alma 32:37–43, looking for teachings that help you understand how to help a testimony continue to grow.
Share with your group the words and phrases that stood out to you and why. Then discuss the following questions:
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What did you learn from verses 38–40 about what happens if we neglect the word of God that has been growing in our hearts?
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What are some examples of how someone could neglect his or her testimony of Jesus Christ and His teachings?
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What are some ways you can nourish your testimony of Jesus Christ and His gospel to help it grow stronger?
Write a one-sentence summary of what you learned from these verses about strengthening a testimony that is already growing inside of you.
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After students have finished studying and discussing the previous verses with their groups, have a class discussion about what they learned. You might choose a few of the questions from the handout to discuss as a class to ensure that students understand the concepts taught in these verses. Invite a few students to share their one-sentence summaries from each section of the handout.
As part of this discussion, be sure that truths similar to the following are mentioned: If we give place in our hearts for Jesus Christ and His teachings, then our testimony will begin to grow (see Alma 32:28–30); As we diligently nourish God’s word in our hearts, our testimony of Jesus Christ and His gospel will continue to grow (see Alma 32:37, 40–42).
Your testimony
To help you see how Alma’s comparison relates to your testimony of Jesus Christ and His gospel, draw a diagram like the following into your study journal. Spread your picture out across the page so there will be room to write under each growth stage.
Display or draw these images on the board for students to copy into their study journal.
Take a moment to compare your testimony of the Savior and His teachings to the growth of a fruit tree. Choose several aspects of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and write each one under the growth stages that you feel best represent your current testimony in those areas.
For example, one person could write “Jesus Christ lives” under the fruit tree and “priesthood power” under the seed. That person could then write other aspects of the Savior’s gospel, such as “a living prophet,” “temple work,” “the Book of Mormon,” and “prayer,” under the growth stages that represent his or her testimony in each of those areas.
Consider using the drawing on the board to share the growth of part of your testimony from a seed to a tree. Be careful not to use rare examples that might be hard for students to relate to. Help them see that steady growth through experiences with the Spirit leads to increased faith and a stronger testimony over time. You might also invite students to share a similar process about part of their testimony.
Make a plan for how you will try to apply Alma’s teachings to your life. You could think of what you might do to “give place” in your heart and life for an aspect of your testimony to sprout. You could also consider how you can “nourish” the parts of your testimony that have already started growing. Record your thoughts, impressions, and goals in your study journal.