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Come Follow Me: Book of Mormon, Teaching Ideas and Free Resources
ALMA 32 – 35
QUESTIONS TO PONDER:
Each Come Follow Me Lesson asks important and reflective questions. When I first began my individual study these questions threw me off. Simply because many of these questions required so much depth and individual reflection in order to answer honestly. My first approach to come follow me was to get in, get out, get it done, check it off. These questions simply didn’t allow me to do so. In fact, I felt a little sick when I would read a question like, “How does the spirit speak to you?” and I wouldn’t know the answer right away. After a time, and pondering on that specific question I realized IT’S OKAY. In fact, I think these questions were meant to be set aside, thought about, and pondered. When we try and come up with the quick easy, obvious, answer, we are depriving ourselves of an opportunity to reflect, ponder, pray, and RECEIVE REVELATION. Is this not the whole reason for Come Follow Me? Are we not trying to finetune and recognize how we, and how to receive personal revelation.
So each week I will list out some of the questions issued in Come Follow Me. Maybe you pick to ponder about all of them, maybe you pick just one. Whatever you do, ponder on this for the ENTIRE week. Pray about it, discuss it with loved ones, then at the start of the new week, take the time to write down your impressions or thoughts, share them with your family, testify of powerful insights.
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As you read Alma 32:1–16, think about how you prepare to hear the word of God. What experiences have humbled you?
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What have you done to become more humble? These verses could teach you how to choose humility rather than be compelled to be humble. For example, what is the difference between being “poor as to things of the world” and being “poor in heart”? (verse 3).
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What does it mean to “humble [yourself] because of the word”? (verse 14).
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- Why do you think Alma spoke about planting a seed in response to the Zoramites’ questions about worship?
- What is the seed that Alma spoke of? (see Alma 32:28; 33:22–23). As you read Alma 32:17–43, note words and phrases that help you understand how to exercise faith in Jesus Christ and His word.
- What do you learn about what faith is and what it is not? Then, as you read chapters 33–34, search for answers to the Zoramites’ question “How [do we] plant the seed?” (Alma 33:1).
- (see Alma 31:12–23). How will the things you learn from these verses affect the way you pray and worship?
- As you read Alma 34:30–41, consider how you might “improve [your] time while in this life” (verse 33). How can repentance and patience help you prepare to meet God? Are there changes you need to make that you have been procrastinating? Be sure to act on any spiritual impressions you receive.
- Alma 32:9–11; 33:2–11; 34:38–39 What would it be like if we were allowed to worship and pray only on Sunday? As you read these verses together, family members could discuss how they can worship every day and why they are thankful that they can.
- Alma 33:2–11; 34:17–29: What do these verses suggest about how we can improve our individual and family prayers?
- Alma 34:31 What experiences have shown us that when we repent, we begin “immediately” to experience the blessings of the plan of redemption?
- Alma 34:33–35 Does your family know what it means to procrastinate? Maybe someone can share examples of procrastination and its negative consequences. What does it mean to “procrastinate the day of [our] repentance”?
Lesson:
We’re taking it back to one of my favorite Elementary school Activities for this week’s lesson. All you need is a bean, seed, pea…etc of some sort, a plastic bag, wet paper towel, a window and some tape. I loved the activity suggestion from Come Follow Me this week, and thought this Bean Sprout activity would be the perfect way to illustrate it!
Show the children a seed, and read to them the first few lines of Alma 32:28. Tell the children that the word of God is like a seed. Ask how we help a seed grow. Let the children pretend to plant a seed, water it, and help it grow. Point out that we can’t see the seed after we plant it, but we know it’s there and growing; we also can’t see Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, but we know They are real and They love us. Help the children think of things they can do to help their faith in Jesus Christ grow.
Wet a paper towel. Squeeze most of the water out.
Step 2
Fold the paper towel to fit into the Ziploc bag. Place in the bag.
Step 3
Insert one or beans, seeds…etc per bag in between the paper towel and the side of the bag. Do not seal the bag completely.
Step 4
Tape the bag to a sunny window, with the bean or seed facing the window.
Step 5
Monitor the Ziploc bag, making sure that the paper towel stays moist while the bean/seed sprouts. Pinto beans will germinate quickly, sometimes overnight.
Step 6
Plant the bean sprout in a paper cup with potting soil or in the garden. Handle the root gently. It breaks easily. Water the sprout thoroughly after planting.
Lesson Suggestion from Come Follow Me:
Maybe each family member could plant a seed and discuss what we need to do to help it grow. Over the coming weeks you could check on your seeds and remind each other of the need to continually nourish our testimonies.
Because I can’t help myself and it seems to tie in so perfectly I wanted to share an excerpt from a favorite book that I would read with my students while teaching 5th grade. This excerpt in my mind ties back last week’s lesson perfectly. The idea that ALL things denote there is a God. This excerpt is from the novel, “The City of Ember.” Essentially, a community is living in secluded darkness, their survival depends on resources, food, supplies, and electric systems that were set up by their ancestors. This snippet comes from a dialogue between the main character Lina and her friend|gardener Clary.
This dialogue, though insignificant has always been my favorite part of the story. There is life in that little bean or seed. Something inside it that acts in perfect obedience to the laws set upon it.
If you do any of these activities PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE take pictures and tag me! Post to the Facebook group, or tag @livingonlemonlane on Instagram! Don’t forget to pin these images to your Pinterest. This is a SMALL and SIMPLE way to support the efforts of Living on Lemon Lane and sharing these ideas with your friends and family.
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Make sure to tag a friend to help spread the word.
Teaching Ideas for Toddlers & Young Children
Watch or Listen To:
With a 2-year-old and 4-year-old, I understand the STRUGGLE and the attention span you are dealing with. Below are some of my favorite videos or audio recordings|podcasts you can listen to and watch with your children. My favorites right now are the Book of Mormon Story videos.**Different from the newly released B.O.M. videos. These are illustrated and READ stories to your children. THESE are PERFECT for when everyone is strapped in the car seat. My 4-year-old now requests these over the radio. Each segment is only 2-4 minutes long. This allows us to listen, review and discuss together, and listen again throughout the week. Many of the videos I share can be found on the Saint’s Radio Channel App. (Formerly Mormon Channel App, If you don’t already have this, DOWNLOAD NOW.)
I am absolutely LOVING the YouTube Channel, Latter Day Kids. Each week they put out a beautifully illustrated video meant for young children to be used in conjunction with the Come Follow Me Lessons. This week’s video is all about All Things Denoting there is a God! You can even head to their website to download discussion questions to go along with the video and a fun coloring page.
Click Here to access this week’s Printables and Activities
Click here to subscribe to Latter Day Kids
Drawn In: Free Sample of Subscription Videos
The ONLY Paid Subscription I use for Come Follow Me
I’ve recently teamed up with David Bowman artist, author and creator of the Drawn-In Video Subscription to bring a discount to all Living on Lemon Lane readers. This is the ONLY Paid Come Follow Me product that I have a subscription to, and it is worth every cent. Each week you get TWO engaging and fun videos (around 20 minutes long each!) as well as exclusive content and printables! Like his books, instead of just introducing the scripture story he explains a principle, then takes it a step further by exploring APPLICATION. Click here to watch his Free Videos, If you’re interested make sure to use the promo code LEMONLANE10 at checkout to receive 10% off of the yearly membership!
Click Here to Learn More, Use Code LEMONLANE10 for an exclusive discount off the yearly membership!Head to davidbowmanart.com to watch more FREE episodes and learn more about subscribing ($4.95 per month – gets you 2 episodes PER WEEK that go directly with Come Follow Me as well as supplemental PDF print outs)
Wonderful Podcast geared towards younger (Primary) reviewing some of the chapters this week.
If you are having trouble getting the podcast to play, try this link!
Read:
Activity
Come Follow Me Suggestions:
Show the children a seed, and read to them the first few lines of Alma 32:28. Tell the children that the word of God is like a seed. Ask how we help a seed grow. Let the children pretend to plant a seed, water it, and help it grow. Point out that we can’t see the seed after we plant it, but we know it’s there and growing; we also can’t see Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, but we know They are real and They love us. Help the children think of things they can do to help their faith in Jesus Christ grow.
Draw a tree on the board, and let the children add a leaf or a fruit every time they think of something they can do to help their faith in Jesus Christ grow. Invite them to do simple actions to represent the things they thought of.
- Sing a song that teaches the children about prayer, such as “A Child’s Prayer” or “We Bow Our Heads” (Children’s Songbook, 12–13, 25). Help them notice what the song teaches about prayer.
Click Here to Download the Coloring Page
Teaching Ideas for Families
Watch or Listen To:
Finding time to make Come Follow Me can be tough, it can also be tough to keep the attention of family members. The Book of Mormon videos recently released by the church are a WONDERFUL resource.
Read:
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- I LOVE using the Institute and Seminary Manuals to aid my study! They answer questions, provide insight and background coupled with beautiful quotes from Prophets and Apostles.
- From Seed to Tree: New Era Article
- How to Prepare for the Second Coming: Brief Address by Oaks
- Seek Learning By Faith: Bednar
- Script from Stories From General Conference Podcast on Faith
Activity Suggestions:
Come Follow Me Suggestions:
Alma 32:28–43: A picture of a tree accompanies this outline; you might use it to illustrate Alma’s words in these verses. Or your family could go for a walk to find plants at different stages of growth and read verses from Alma 32 that compare a growing plant to our faith. Maybe each family member could plant a seed and discuss what we need to do to help it grow. Over the coming weeks you could check on your seeds and remind each other of the need to continually nourish our testimonies.
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Activity Suggestion from Ensign: Alma 32:26–43 (July 13–19)
Testimony Art Show
Alma compared the word of God to a seed. He explained that if we exercise faith to plant the seed in our hearts and nourish it, it will grow little by little into a tree that bears delicious fruit.
Give each family member art supplies, like paper and crayons.
Listen to Alma 32 on the Gospel Library app or on the Church website. While listening, invite everyone to draw a plant that represents how strong and healthy they want their testimony to be.
Hang these pictures somewhere you’ll see them during the week.
Discussion: What can we do to help plants grow strong? How can we help our testimonies grow? How does a strong testimony bless our lives?
Click Here to Download the Infographic
Individual Study & Extension
Watch or Listen To:
Read:
- John Welch Notes: Learn about the Book of Mormon with verse by verse commentaries from renowned Book of Mormon scholar.
- The Choice of Humility
- Partaking of the Fruit
:MOST IMPORTANT PART:
Comment below and share YOUR favorite resources for this week of Come Follow Me in the Book of Mormon. Join the conversation on @livingonlemonlane on Instagram and stay updated on new blog posts! If you enjoyed this PLEASE SHARE! Till next week.
Corinne says
Thanks for all of your great ideas! I can’t get the scripture stories stories and inspiration for children podcast to play. Any tips or tricks to get the podcast to work. Or is there a way to find the original podcast? I am very interested in trying it with my kids.
On Lemon Lane says
Absolutely! Thanks for letting me know the podcast player wasn’t working. Finding that podcast is actually quite a goose chase! I just added a link to the original podcast from the Church’s website. Hoping you have more luck with this one! This podcast is a favorite amongst my kiddos.