Assess Your Learning 7

Alma 53–3 Nephi 7

Reflecting on and assessing your spiritual learning can help you draw closer to the Savior. This lesson can help you remember and evaluate how your experiences with Alma 53–3 Nephi 7 have helped you grow spiritually.

Invite students to consistently assess their learning. By regularly reflecting on their learning and progress, students can better evaluate how they are applying gospel principles in their lives. Create opportunities for students to understand and feel the importance of the changes the gospel of Jesus Christ can make in their lives.

Student preparation: Invite students to review what they have learned in recent weeks and come to class prepared to share one way they might finish the following statement: “One lesson from Alma 53–3 Nephi 7 that I think is important for me to remember is … because …”

Possible Learning Activities

In this lesson, students will have opportunities to explain the role of prophets, evaluate their attitudes and desires, and reflect on plans they made to apply gospel teachings. Your class’s study of Alma 53–3 Nephi 7 may have emphasized truths other than those in the following activities. If so, you could adapt the activities to include those truths.

The importance of remembering

This portion of the lesson is intended to help students understand the importance of remembering valuable lessons they have learned while studying Alma 53–3 Nephi 7. This could be a good place to invite students to share their answers from the preparation activity.

President Spencer W. Kimball taught that the most important word in the dictionary could be remember. (See “Circles of Exaltation” [address to Church Educational System religious educators, June 28, 1968], 5.)

• Why do you think President Kimball said what he did about the word remember?

• What are some lessons you learned from Alma 53–3 Nephi 7 that would be important for you to remember? Why?

You may recall that Helaman encouraged his sons Nephi and Lehi to remember important lessons and people (see Helaman 5:4–14). Similarly, this lesson is intended to help you remember truths you have learned and commitments you have made in recent weeks.

Explain the role of prophets

In this part of the lesson, you will invite students to explain the role of prophets using the accounts of Nephi (Helaman 7–11) or Samuel the Lamanite (Helaman 13–16). You might consider placing students in pairs and letting each companion pick a different prophet to role-play the scenario below or a different scenario of your choosing.

Imagine you feel inspired to invite a friend to watch general conference with you. As you prayerfully prepare to act on this prompting, you decide to explain to your friend what a prophet is and why you are excited to listen to him. You remember that you have learned about some great prophets in the Book of Mormon that could help you explain the role of a prophet to your friend.

Students could refer to the journal entries under “Truths about the Lord’s prophets” from the “Helaman 7–10” lesson.

Select the account of either Nephi (Helaman 7–11) or Samuel the Lamanite (Helaman 13–15). Review their stories in the associated chapters by scanning the verses and looking at chapter headings or notes you may have made in your study journal.

• How could you use this story to explain the role of prophets to your friend?

• What verses from the scriptures might you include as part of your explanation?

  If students need help identifying scriptures, you might direct them to passages such as Helaman 7:29; 8:22–23; 10:4–7; 11:23; 13:5; and 14:11–12.

• What are some additional truths or personal experiences you could share to help your friend understand the importance of prophets?

When students have completed their review of prophets, consider inviting them to role-play the scenario above using what they have learned.

Evaluate your attitude and desires

This activity can help students evaluate their attitudes and desire to humbly live the gospel of Jesus Christ. Consider asking for a volunteer to draw the pride cycle on the board from memory. You could encourage classmates to help as needed.

As you look at this diagram, you may recall evidence of the pride cycle throughout Helaman 1–16 and 3 Nephi 1–7. You may also recognize examples you have seen in your own life or in the world around you.

Use any adaptations you may have made to the self-assessment portion of the “Helaman 11–12 lesson” to complete the following activity.

When you studied Helaman 11–12, you may have evaluated your efforts to be humble. You also may have recorded a commitment in your study journal to increase in humility and overcome pride. Review what you wrote and reflect on how you have done with that commitment. Ponder the following questions and record your responses in your journal.

Because of the personal nature of this activity, students should know that they will not share their responses.

• What have you done in recent weeks to remember the Lord and all He has done for you? How do you feel remembering the Lord has helped you remain humble?

• Are there any changes you want to make to help you remember the Lord every day and increase in humility?

Reflect on plans to build your foundation on Jesus Christ

This portion of the lesson can help students reflect on plans they made to build their foundations on Jesus Christ and withstand the temptations of the devil.

In recent lessons, you studied many accounts of individuals who overcame attacks on their lives, religion, and testimonies of Jesus Christ. While studying, you may have made some commitments to help you build a stronger foundation on Jesus Christ to withstand the attacks of Satan.

Invite students to reflect on and share accounts they have studied that have helped strengthen their foundation on Jesus Christ and overcome the attacks of Satan. If they need help identifying examples, consider displaying the following images with the accompanying references. You could divide the class into thirds and invite each group to review a different account and share with the class what they learned.

Lehonti and Amalickiah (Alma 47:10–18)

Captain Moroni building fortifications (Alma 50:1–6)

Helaman’s counsel to his sons (Helaman 5:12)

• What are some lessons we can learn from these accounts that can help us withstand temptation?

Explain to students that they will be invited to assess and evaluate goals they have made to build their foundations on Jesus Christ. They will then discuss some of their experiences and observations as a class.

You might bring building blocks, plastic cups, or other items to class that students could use to build a foundation. Give each student one of the building items, and invite them to ponder the questions below and evaluate their progress. After sufficient time, invite each student to share any answers they are comfortable sharing. As they share, they could add their item to a class structure, ultimately building a strong foundation. If buildable objects are unavailable, you could invite each student to draw a brick on the board as they share, adding to the drawings of other students to create a strong foundation. Help students understand that they can support one another as they strive to build their foundations on Jesus Christ.

Reflect on goals you have recently made to build your foundation on Jesus Christ.

• What successes have you experienced in your efforts to build your foundation on Jesus Christ?

• What obstacles have you seen in building a strong foundation? How have you tried to overcome them?

• How have you been blessed for striving to build your foundation on Jesus Christ? What difference has it made for you?

Read Helaman 5:12 again, and prayerfully consider if there is anything you should start, stop, or continue doing to build a stronger foundation on Jesus Christ. If you feel you need to adjust any goals you have made, you might write them in your study journal or somewhere else where you can regularly reflect on them.