“Lesson 14: Alma the Younger and the Sons of Mosiah Repent,” Primary 4: Book of Mormon (1997), 47–49

“Lesson 14,” Primary 4, 47–49

Lesson 14

Alma the Younger and the Sons of Mosiah Repent

Purpose

To teach the children that repentance is necessary for earthly happiness and eternal life.

Preparation

Prayerfully study Mosiah 27, 28:1–9 and Alma 36:11–24. Then study the lesson and decide how you want to teach the children the scripture account. (See “Preparing Your Lessons,” p. vi, and “Teaching from the Scriptures,” p. vii.)
Select the discussion questions and enrichment activities that will involve the children and best help them achieve the purpose of the lesson.
Materials needed:
1. A Book of Mormon for each child.
2. A backpack or bag and four or five heavy objects such as books, rocks, or bricks. Label each object with a sin such as lying, making fun of others, smoking, and so on.
3. Picture 4-26, An Angel Appears to Alma and the Sons of Mosiah.

Suggested Lesson Development

Invite a child to say the opening prayer.

Attention Activity

Bring a backpack or bag filled with several heavy objects to class. (You may know of particular things children this age might be tempted with. Use these on the labels.) Let the children take turns holding the heavy bag. Then have a child take each object out one at a time.

When all the “sins” are removed, the child’s “burden,” or heavy load, will be light. (You might want to keep the objects on display throughout the lesson so you can refer back to them.) Compare the weight of the heavy bag and the light bag. Jesus told us that if we come unto him through faith, repentance, and baptism, our burdens will be lightened. Repentance is being sorry for committing a sin, not doing it again, and then trying to live more like the Savior. In this lesson the children will see how Alma the Younger and the sons of Mosiah discovered the burden of sin and the happiness that comes when that burden is lifted through faith in Jesus Christ and repentance.

Scripture Account

Using the picture at an appropriate time, teach the story of the mighty change that took place in the lives of Alma the Younger and the sons of Mosiah as recorded in Mosiah 27 and Mosiah 28:1–9. (For suggested ways to teach the scripture account, see “Teaching from the Scriptures,” p. vii.) Help the children understand that this lesson is about Alma the Younger (his father, Alma the Elder, was the Alma who was converted through Abinadi’s preaching). Discuss the repentance process that Alma the Younger went through, which is the same process we must go through as we repent (see Alma 36:16–21):

Recognize sin.
Confess the sin and pray for forgiveness.
Do our best to make up for the wrong.
Forsake the sin.
Obey the commandments and live more like the Savior.

Discussion and Application Questions

Study the following questions and the scripture references as you prepare your lesson. Use the questions you feel will best help the children understand the scriptures and apply the principles in their lives. Reading the references with the children in class will help them gain insights into the scriptures.

What were the unbelievers doing to the members of the Church? What does it mean to be persecuted? Why do you think these people persecuted members of the Church? (Mosiah 27:1, 8–10.) In what ways might members of the Church be persecuted today?
Who prayed for Alma the Younger and the sons of Mosiah? For what did they pray? (Mosiah 27:14.) What do you think your parents pray about when they pray for you?
How must we pray in order to receive answers? (Mosiah 27:14.) Invite class members to share experiences when they have received answers to their prayers. You may also want to share such an experience.
How did Alma and his four friends experience Heavenly Father’s power? (Mosiah 27:11, 15, 18.)
What happened to Alma because of this spiritual experience? (Mosiah 27:19.) How was this a great blessing in Alma’s life?
What did Alma the Elder do when he heard what happened to his son? (Mosiah 27:20–23.) Why do our parents want us to obey Heavenly Father’s commandments?
How did Alma feel after the angel spoke to him? (Alma 36:11–17.) Why is it important for us to feel sorry for our sins?
How did Alma’s knowledge of Jesus Christ’s atonement help him repent? (Alma 36:17–18.) What did Alma do when he remembered the Savior? (Alma 36:18.) Why is it important to confess our sins and pray for forgiveness when we repent?
How did Alma try to make up for the wrong he had done? (Alma 36:24.) As part of repentance, why is it important for us to change and try to make up for the wrong things we have done?
When Alma the Younger and the sons of Mosiah had repented and changed from their evil ways, what did they want to do to help others? (Mosiah 27:32, 35; 28:1.) How can we be examples for good among our families and friends?

Enrichment Activities

You may use one or more of the following activities any time during the lesson or as a review, summary, or challenge.

Use a picture of a baby, or invite someone with an infant to bring their baby to class. Compare the purity of a baby with the purity of a person who has repented.
Invite a recent convert to share some of the ways repentance and baptism have affected his or her life and happiness.
Use a bottle of clear water as a representation of a person free from sin. Drop a small amount of food coloring into the water, and point out how the color spreads throughout the water. Compare this to sin. Then add a few drops of liquid bleach to clear up the color, and compare this to how repentance cleanses us from sin. (You might want to try this experiment in advance to know how much food coloring and bleach to use.)
Sing or read the words to “Help Me, Dear Father” (Children’s Songbook, p. 99).

Conclusion

Testimony

Bear testimony that it is only through repentance and the atonement of Jesus Christ that our burdens of sin can be lightened and we can receive forgiveness and a fulness of joy.

Suggested Family Sharing

Encourage the children to share with their families a specific part of the lesson, such as a story, question, or activity, or to read with their families the “Suggested Home Reading.”