In the Service of Your God, by Walter Rane

April 20–26

Mosiah 4–6

“A Mighty Change”

Read Mosiah 4–6, and record your spiritual impressions. As you receive impressions, you might ask, as Elder Richard G. Scott suggested, “Is there more I should know?” (“To Acquire Spiritual Guidance,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2009, 8).

Record Your Impressions

Invite Sharing

You may want to begin your class discussion by asking class members to share one of King Benjamin’s teachings from Mosiah 4–5 that they would like to better apply in their lives.

Teach the Doctrine

Mosiah 4:1–12

Through Jesus Christ, we can receive and retain a remission of our sins.

• Some people have the mistaken idea that repentance requires little effort; others believe it requires too much effort. To help class members better understand what is required to receive a remission of sins, you could invite them to search King Benjamin’s teachings in Mosiah 4:1–12, looking for the conditions under which Heavenly Father grants a remission of our sins. Class members could list on the board what they find. Ask them to think of an analogy to help explain what they learned. For example, they could compare remission of sins to a creditor “remitting” or canceling a debt. Or they could compare retaining a remission of our sins to caring for something that needs constant maintenance, such as a garden or a home.

• Consider asking class members what they would say to someone who wonders if repentance is worth the effort. How would they help someone who is discouraged and feels that overcoming sin and weakness is impossible? You could help prepare class members for such conversations by asking them to spend a few minutes searching King Benjamin’s words in Mosiah 4:1–12 for truths that could help someone in one of these situations. Class members could then share the truths they discovered with someone sitting nearby.

Mosiah 4:11–27

As we repent, we will be filled with the love of God.

• How do we know if we have received a remission of our sins? King Benjamin described some results of true repentance—invite members of your class to find them in Mosiah 4:13–16. You could also invite them to ponder their own lives and evaluate how well they are living the teachings in these verses. What signs do class members see that they are being converted? How do our relationships with others change as we come unto Christ through repentance? Perhaps class members could share how they have seen this happen in their lives.

• Mosiah 4:11–12 and 14–16 could prompt a discussion about what inspires righteous parenting. What do these verses teach about how to become better parents?

• If you feel inspired to have a discussion about King Benjamin’s teachings about caring for the poor and needy, you could invite class members to take turns reading verses from Mosiah 4:16–27. After each verse is read, the person who read could summarize in his or her own words what King Benjamin taught. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland’s message “Are We Not All Beggars?” (Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2014, 40–42) could be used to supplement this discussion. How can we follow King Benjamin’s counsel to not “run faster than [we have] strength”? (Mosiah 4:26–27). How does the commandment to “impart of [our] substance to the poor” relate to the remission of our sins?

Mosiah 4:29–30

We must watch our thoughts, words, and deeds.

• Sometimes it seems like it would be easier if the Lord gave us a detailed list of every possible sin. Instead, He tells us, “Watch yourselves … and continue in the faith of what ye have heard concerning the coming of our Lord” (Mosiah 4:30). To help your class discuss this principle, you could ask them questions like these: How do our thoughts, words, and deeds affect ourselves and others? What does it mean to “continue in the faith”? What advice can we share with each other to help us “watch” ourselves?

Mosiah 5:1–7

The Spirit of the Lord can cause a mighty change in our hearts.

• To begin a discussion about the incomparable change that the gospel of Jesus Christ can bring to our lives, you could invite class members to share some reasons why it is often difficult to make lasting changes in our lives. Then invite them to read Mosiah 5:1–5, looking for the “mighty change” that King Benjamin’s people experienced. What truths about a change of heart do we learn from their experience? Consider asking a few class members to share how the Holy Ghost has helped them change their hearts. You could also watch one of the videos suggested in “Additional Resources.”

• After discussing the truths in Mosiah 5:1–7, some class members may wonder why their change of heart does not seem as dramatic or immediate as the experience of King Benjamin’s people. The statement from Elder D. Todd Christofferson in “Additional Resources” addresses this question. What can we learn from Elder Christofferson about conversion?

  

  The Savior can change our hearts and our lives. Healing Hands, by Adam Abram

Mosiah 5:5–15

God invites me to make covenants with Him.

• Mosiah 5:5–15 can help class members understand the blessings they receive when they make and keep covenants with God. You could invite them to review these verses with baptismal covenants and the ordinance of the sacrament in mind and share what they learn. (See also Doctrine and Covenants 20:77, 79.)

Encourage Learning at Home

Many members of your class may be experiencing or have recently experienced a personal struggle or trial. Tell them that in Mosiah 7–10 they will read about a group of people who learned how to trust the Lord during their times of trial.

Additional Resources

Videos on ChurchofJesusChrist.org about a “mighty change” (Mosiah 5:2).

• “Daily Bread: Change”

  Daily Bread: Change

• “A Change of Heart”

  A Change of Heart

• “A Mighty Change: Conversion”

  A Mighty Change: Conversion

Change is often a process.

Elder D. Todd Christofferson spoke of the mighty change of heart described in the scriptures:

“You may ask, Why doesn’t this mighty change happen more quickly with me? You should remember that the remarkable examples of King Benjamin’s people, Alma, and some others in scripture are just that—remarkable and not typical. For most of us, the changes are more gradual and occur over time. Being born again, unlike our physical birth, is more a process than an event. And engaging in that process is the central purpose of mortality.

“At the same time, let us not justify ourselves in a casual effort. Let us not be content to retain some disposition to do evil. Let us worthily partake of the sacrament each week and continue to draw upon the Holy Spirit to root out the last vestiges of impurity within us. I testify that as you continue in the path of spiritual rebirth, the atoning grace of Jesus Christ will take away your sins and the stain of those sins in you, temptations will lose their appeal, and through Christ you will become holy, as He and our Father are holy” (“Born Again,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2008, 78).

Improving Our Teaching

Look for good examples in the scriptures. As you read King Benjamin’s address to his people, look for lessons in his example that can help you become a better teacher. For instance, what did King Benjamin do to find out if his people understood what he was teaching?