“Lesson 44: Moroni and the Book of Mormon Promise,” Primary 4: Book of Mormon (1997), 156–59

“Lesson 44,” Primary 4, 156–59

Lesson 44

Moroni and the Book of Mormon Promise

Purpose

To encourage the children to gain a personal testimony of the Book of Mormon and study it and live its teachings throughout their lives.

Preparation

Prayerfully study Moroni 10 and Joseph Smith—History 1:30–35, 59–60. 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.)
Additional reading: Mormon 8:1–4, 16 and the title page of the Book of Mormon. Note: The title page is a translation from the last leaf of the gold plates (see History of the Church, 1:71).
Select the discussion questions and enrichment activities that will involve the children and best help them achieve the purpose of the lesson.
Make a wordstrip of the word Testimony.
Materials needed:
1. A Book of Mormon for each child.
2. Pictures 4-2, Moroni Hides the Plates in the Hill Cumorah (Gospel Art Picture Kit 320; 62462); 4-55, Moroni Appears to Joseph Smith in His Bedroom (Gospel Art Picture Kit 404; 62492); 4-3, Joseph Smith Receives the Gold Plates (Gospel Art Picture Kit 406; 62012); and 4-56, Angel Moroni on the Temple.

Suggested Lesson Development

Invite a child to give the opening prayer.

Attention Activity

Display the picture Moroni Hides the Plates in the Hill Cumorah. Explain that this picture depicts Moroni near the end of his life on earth. Tell the children that their class study of the Book of Mormon is also coming to an end.

Review the following things about Moroni’s life:

Moroni had completed the sacred record. His father, Mormon, had been killed; his relatives were dead; he had no friends. The arrows, swords, and shields of battle were left on the battlefields. There was destruction everywhere. For years Moroni had been living alone, hiding from the Lamanites and protecting the sacred records. He had abridged (summarized) the twenty-four gold plates (book of Ether) and finished his own writing on the plates his father had given him.

Referring to the picture, explain that Moroni is about to place the gold plates in a stone box in the Hill Cumorah. Moroni made a special promise to all those who read the Book of Mormon. This promise is one of the last things Moroni wrote on the gold plates. It is a promise about getting a testimony of the Book of Mormon.

Display the wordstrip “Testimony.” Tell the children that during this lesson they will discover the steps to take to gain a testimony of the Book of Mormon (see enrichment activity 1). They will also learn about the promise Moroni gave us.

Scripture Account

Teach the accounts of Moroni’s fulfilling his father’s commandment to finish the sacred record, of his promise to the faithful and his farewell found in Moroni 10, of his hiding the record in the earth, and of his appearing 1,400 years later to Joseph Smith, found in Joseph Smith—History 1:30–35, 59–60. (For suggested ways to teach the scripture accounts, see “Teaching from the Scriptures,” on p. vii.) Use the pictures at appropriate times.

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 did Moroni want us to remember? (Moroni 10:3.)
What did Moroni say we should do to find out if the Book of Mormon is true? (Moroni 10:4.)
Who will help us know the Book of Mormon is true? (Moroni 10:5.)
What is Moroni’s promise to us? (See enrichment activity 4.)
How can we recognize the power of the Holy Ghost when he is testifying to us that the Book of Mormon is true? (Explain that the Lord prompts us most often through our feelings. The Holy Ghost often gives us a feeling of peace that something is right and good. It may be a warm feeling inside us.)
What is the most important thing you can learn from studying the Book of Mormon? (That Jesus is the Christ. [See the title page of the Book of Mormon.])
What did Moroni say about the coming forth of the Book of Mormon? (Mormon 8:16.) By what power would the Book of Mormon come forth?
Who received the gold plates and translated them into the Book of Mormon?
Now that the work of the Book of Mormon prophets and the Prophet Joseph Smith has been completed, what responsibility do we have to the Book of Mormon? (To study it, gain a testimony of it, live its teachings, and share our testimony with others.)

Enrichment Activities

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

Make the following wordstrips: “Read,” “Remember,” “Ponder,” “Pray.” Allow the children to take turns turning the wordstrips over and reviewing the steps Moroni gave us for gaining a testimony. Discuss how the children can use these steps to gain their own testimony:

Gaining a Testimony of the Book of Mormon

Read (Explain that the first step in gaining a testimony of the Book of Mormon is to read and study it.)

Remember (Moroni said we should remember how kind and merciful Jesus Christ is and we should fill our hearts with gratitude for him. This love and gratitude will prepare us for the spirit of revelation.)

Ponder (We must ponder or think in our hearts and minds the things we have learned about Jesus Christ and his teachings in the Book of Mormon.)

Pray (We must pray sincerely, asking God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, if the Book of Mormon is true.)
Share with the children the following statement from President Ezra Taft Benson, the thirteenth President of the Church:

“There are three great reasons why Latter-day Saints should make the study of the Book of Mormon a life-time pursuit.

“The first is that the Book of Mormon is the keystone of our religion. … A keystone is the central stone in an arch. It holds all the other stones in place, and if removed, the arch crumbles.

“There are three ways in which the Book of Mormon is the keystone of our religion. It is the keystone in our witness of Christ. It is the keystone of our doctrine. It is the keystone of testimony. …

“The second great reason … is that it was written for our day. …

“The third reason … is [that] it helps us draw nearer to God. …

“There is a power in the book which will begin to flow into your lives the moment you begin a serious study of the book. You will find greater power to resist temptation. You will find the power to avoid deception. You will find the power to stay on the strait and narrow path” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1986, pp. 4–6; or Ensign, Nov. 1986, pp. 5–7).
Show the picture Angel Moroni on the Temple. Explain that we learn in Revelation 14:6 and Doctrine and Covenants 133:36 that an angel (Moroni) returned the “everlasting gospel” to the earth. Invite the children to look for the golden statue of Moroni on top of some of our temples and remember Moroni, who never failed in his testimony of Jesus Christ: “And I, Moroni, will not deny the Christ” (Moroni 1:3).
Invite the children to read and memorize part or all of the promise of the Book of Mormon (Moroni 10:4–5) or the eighth article of faith.
Explain that when we gain a testimony of the Book of Mormon, we also gain a testimony that—
- Jesus is the Christ.
- Joseph Smith is a prophet of God.
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the true church of God.
Invite the children to share their favorite accounts from the Book of Mormon. (They might want to role-play these accounts.) Ask them what important lessons they have learned from each account.
Sing or read the words to “Search, Ponder, and Pray” (Children’s Songbook, p. 109).

Conclusion

Testimony

Testify to the truthfulness of Moroni’s promise in Moroni 10:3–5 and that each child in your class can have his or her own testimony that the Book of Mormon is true.

Invite the children to bear testimony of the Book of Mormon.

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.”