“Alma 33: Teaching the Savior’s Gospel,” Book of Mormon Teacher Manual (2024)
“Alma 33,” Book of Mormon Teacher Manual
Alma 33
Teaching the Savior’s Gospel
Have you ever felt a desire to follow the Lord more closely but did not know what to do? The poor among the Zoramites asked the prophet Alma how “they should begin to exercise their faith” (Alma 33:1). Alma’s response is important for all disciples of Jesus Christ to understand. This lesson can deepen your understanding of steps you can take to exercise more faith in Jesus Christ.
Give students opportunities to teach. Look for opportunities to allow students to teach sections of lessons. Encourage them to see seminary as a safe place to practice teaching.
Student preparation: Invite students to read Alma 33 at home and choose a verse or group of verses they would like to understand better.
Possible Learning Activities
Gospel questions
Consider inviting students to answer the following question with a partner or small group.
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If you had the chance to ask the prophet of God one or two questions, what would you want to know? Why?
In Alma chapter 32, the prophet Alma had invited the Zoramites to strengthen their testimonies by nurturing the word of God in their hearts. They responded by asking him some important questions.
Read Alma 33:1, looking for the questions they asked the prophet.
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How do you think a teenager today might reword the question “in what manner they should begin to exercise their faith”?
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How would you answer that question based on what you know about the gospel of Jesus Christ?
Exercising faith is more than simply believing in Jesus Christ. We exercise faith when we do what the Savior asks and intentionally seek to follow Him. Alma responded to the Zoramites’ question by teaching them multiple ways we can exercise our faith in Jesus Christ.
Choose one of the following three options from Alma’s response that you would like to better understand. Prepare as if you were going to teach a five- to seven-minute lesson about the option you choose. Consider thinking about someone you know and prepare as if you were going to share the lesson with them. You might want to use some of the ideas listed under “Lesson Preparation Ideas” later in the lesson to help you prepare.
Inform students that they will have the opportunity to teach the lesson they prepare to a small group of classmates. Offer alternatives to students who may feel too anxious to teach aloud. These include handing in an outline of their lesson or working with a partner who has more confidence or experience. If you choose not to have students prepare lessons, consider using the ideas after each study option on how to teach the different sections of the lesson.
It may help students if you briefly model how to prepare a short lesson. Or you could invite experienced students to share ideas by asking questions such as the following: “From your experience, what are your first steps in preparing a lesson?” or “What does a typical lesson plan look like for you?” or “Where do you go to find more information on your subject?”
Consider writing the following three options on the board for students to choose from.
Option 1: We can exercise faith in God through worshipping Him in prayer. Alma 33:3–11
Additional scriptures to consider: Alma 34:17–27
If you decide to study Option 1 as a class rather than have students prepare to teach it, consider inviting students to make a list of truths they learn about prayer from these verses. You might also discuss some of the misconceptions people have about prayer that the truths from these verses address and correct.
It may be beneficial to invite students to search the hymnbook for phrases about prayer that have meaning to them. They could share personal experiences that the lyrics reflect.
Option 2: We can exercise faith through believing in God’s Son. Alma 33:12–18
Additional scriptures to consider: John 3:16; 2 Nephi 2:6–8
If you decide to study Option 2 as a class rather than have students prepare to teach it, consider inviting students to mark Alma 33:14, 18. Then ask students to find and share favorite passages about the Son of God from any book of scripture. They could use a list of doctrinal mastery passages from all four courses as a resource if needed.
Option 3: We can exercise faith through looking to Jesus Christ for healing. Alma 33:18–23
Additional scriptures to consider: Numbers 21:4–9; Helaman 8:14–15
If you decide to study Option 3 as a class rather than have students prepare to teach it, consider displaying the images from the Gospel Art Book “Moses and the Brass Serpent” and “The Crucifixion” while students read the passages above. Invite them to discuss reasons people today may choose not to look to Jesus Christ for spiritual healing, and the sources that people might look to instead. Ask students what they would say to someone who wonders whether Jesus Christ can really help them.
If students will be preparing and teaching the lesson, consider providing the following handout to help with their preparation.
Consider also providing students with relevant materials in the “Commentary and Background Information” section as needed.
Lesson Preparation Ideas
Book of Mormon Teacher Manual (2024)—“Alma 33: Teaching the Savior’s Gospel”
Which option did you choose to focus on?
Consider using some of the following prompts to help you prepare your outline.
Key phrases from verses you might suggest those you teach could mark:
What these verses could help those you teach to understand or feel about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ:
How this truth could impact the lives of those you teach:
Object lessons, or good examples of people living this truth:
Questions you might ask to help those you teach to ponder what Alma taught:
Experiences you have had with what Alma taught:
Additional scriptures or statements from Church leaders:
What you might invite those you teach to do because of what they learned:
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Invite students to take turns teaching their lessons to partners or small groups. Be careful not to force students who are too anxious to teach their lessons aloud. Consider inviting some willing students to teach the whole class.
Prayerfully consider how you might share what you learned with the person you had in mind when you prepared this lesson.
Invite students to share their insights from Alma 33 with the class using questions like the following:
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What insights did you gain about exercising faith in Jesus Christ today?
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How did preparing a lesson about it help you gain those insights?
You might share a meaningful insight from Alma 33 that you received as you prepared to teach it.