5 TEACHING IDEAS FOR COME FOLLOW ME LESSONS

See the complete list of CFM Lessons

Alma 39 – 42

Alma’s advice to his sons is also some of the best gospel advice for our own lives. Hope you have an amazing study this week!

Lesson Notes

You can find the full Come, Follow Me lesson here. Unless you opt to spend a lot of time on a particular quote, try to pick around 2 questions per quote. Choose the questions that resonate the most with you and make a meaningful discussion for your group of personalities.

All blue quotes from the Book of Mormon (unless otherwise noted).

Lesson Prep

• If you want the discussion to be more meaningful, hand out reading assignments ahead of time and ask the reader to answer one question about them (pick one of the questions below and give it to them, along with the assigned quote). The sooner you do this, the better, but if possible, at least show it to them before the Sacrament meeting. You can also text or email it.
• Ask various people to read and participate – especially those who aren’t asked as much.

Lesson Delivery

You can arrange the quotes in any order that makes sense to you. I suggest starting with the most important ones and working your way down. Don’t worry about covering all the quotes.

• Make sure you assign others to read the quotes. You’re talking enough already. Letting others read allows more people to participate.
• Encourage discussion by accepting all reasonable answers. Validate people for participating and be thankful they spoke up. Engage with the answer in a conversational way whenever it feels natural. Never say, “That’s not the right answer,” or “We haven’t got to that part of the lesson yet.”
• Remember, spiritual discussion is golden. We want people to talk about the gospel together.
• If a lesson takes a different turn, roll with it. The Spirit intends for you to be successful.
• If the discussion gets too non-spiritual, pull it back by going to the following quote or question.
• Avoid videos – they shut down discussion. Save them for personal study.

Quote #1 (eyes)

Possible engagement tool: Say something like, “Alma uses an unusual phrase, “lusts of the eyes” when giving counsel to his son Corianton. Think about what that might mean in our day as we read this verse.”

9 Now my son, I would that ye should repent and forsake your sins, and go no more after the lusts of your eyes, but cross yourself in all these things; for except ye do this ye can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God. Oh, remember, and take it upon you, and cross yourself in these things. (Alma 39:9)

In the scriptures, “lusts” refers to any variety of carnal appetites and passions that hinder our spiritual life. You may not have the same temptations Corianton had, but our time and day have plenty of their own lusts and temptations. About a thousand years ago, the Early Christian Fathers came up with lists of appetites and passions that can become addictive and excessive. They are sometimes known as “The Seven Deadly Sins.” They include:

• Pride (self-overestimation)
• Boasting
• Laziness, idleness
• Feeling sorry for oneself
• Apathy (not caring about oneself or others)
• Food (overeating)
• Anger and wrath
• Envy (at another’s good fortune)
• Greed (consuming focus on money and materialism, often at the expense of others)
• Fornication and Adultery

(You might notice there are ten list items. Different early Christians had slightly different lists.)

Some appetites and passions that can become addictions that compromise our happiness and are specific to 2024:

• Negativity
• Resentment
• Pornography
• Self-centeredness
• Video games
• Social media
• Internet Addiction
• Cell phones
• Lack of work ethics
• Lack of productivity
• Overspending/shopping
• Alcohol and drugs
• Seeking to be entertained
• Seeking pain
• Cutting
• Gambling

Everyone deals with the enormous tug and pull of appetites and passions, sometimes several at a time. These do not make us bad people, but they are bad habits that have interrupted our well-being; we have work to do to shake them off and bring better balance back into our lives.

Possible discussion questions: Who can name a couple of lusts that you feel are serious deterrents to happiness and why? (Can be from the list or something else.) Is it easy to develop an addiction? (YES!) Does having an addiction make you a bad person? (NO!) ) Can we seek help from leaders and trusted friends with any of these addictions? (YES!) Can we seek help from Christ and God through prayer with our addictions and bad habits? (YES! and we should.)

Quote #2 (vain)

Seek not after riches nor the vain things of this world; for behold, you cannot carry them with you. (Alma 39:14)

Ironically, the word “vain” has two different meanings, but spiritually, they are closely connected to each other.

vain: having or showing an excessively high opinion of one’s own appearance, abilities, or worth; (self-admiring)

But vain can also mean useless or pointless, as in “vain efforts to escape.”

Possible activity: Have your class look at the verse again and let someone volunteer how Alma used both meanings of the word “vain” in one sentence. (Accept all reasonable answers.)

Possible discussion question: What are the riches and vain things of the world? How much of that can we take with us? What do we take with us?

Quote #3 (karma)

Karma has several definitions depending on which culture it comes from, but today we’ll refer to its informal, and most common usage:

“Karma refers to the “cause and effect” process by which good actions breed more good actions, and bad actions bring about more bad actions.” (Source: The Yoga Journal)

You may have heard similar phrases like “what goes around comes around” or “the golden rule.”

The Book of Mormon has its own powerful, spiritual version of karma which Alma explains to his son Corianton.

Possible engagement tool: Ask your class to listen for phrases and ideas that are similar to “karma” and also for the word Alma uses in place of “karma.”

13 O, my son, this is not the case; but the meaning of the word restoration is to bring back again evil for evil, or carnal for carnal, or devilish for devilish—good for that which is good; righteous for that which is righteous; just for that which is just; merciful for that which is merciful.

14 Therefore, my son, see that you are merciful unto your brethren; deal justly, judge righteously, and do good continually; and if ye do all these things then shall ye receive your reward; yea, ye shall have mercy restored unto you again; ye shall have justice restored unto you again; ye shall have a righteous judgment restored unto you again; and ye shall have good rewarded unto you again.

15 For that which ye do send out shall return unto you again, and be restored; therefore, the word restoration more fully condemneth the sinner, and justifieth him not at all. (Alma 41:13-15)

Karma is one of God’s greatest teaching tools to help us to experience and more intimately understand what we are saying and doing to others.

Possible discussion questions: What word does Alma use that is similar to “karma”? (Restoration) What does the sentence “For that which ye do send out shall return unto you again, and be restored” mean to you? What advice does Alma give us in verse 14? (Accept all reasonable answers or use it as a possible activity (see ‘Verse 14’ below.) If not doing the activity, ask: “What does it mean to be merciful”? How can we judge righteously? What are some ways you can “do good”?

Verse 14

Possible activity: Ask your class to help you pull out what Alma counsels us to do in verse 14. Stop to define ‘merciful,’ ‘righteous judgment,’ and ‘continually.’

• Be merciful: gracious, compassionate, tenderhearted, forbearing, lenient, sympathetic
• Judge righteously:
  • President Dallin H. Oaks, now First Counselor in the First Presidency, was a supreme court judge in the state of Utah. In 1998 he delivered a clarifying talk on the subject of judging. He said, “I have been puzzled that some scriptures command us not to judge and others instruct us that we should judge and even tell us how to do it.” He suggested that there is no contradiction between these scriptures if we “understand that there are two kinds of judging: final judgments, which we are forbidden to make, and intermediate judgments, which we are directed to make, but upon righteous principles.” (Tyler J. Griffin, How do we judge righteous judgment? – Liahona Feb 2019)
  • “Wherefore, I show unto you the way to judge; for every thing which inviteth to do good, and to persuade to believe in Christ, is sent forth by the power and gift of Christ; wherefore ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of God” (Moroni 7:16). Mormon then revealed how to judge the opposite influence: “But whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do evil, and believe not in Christ, and deny him, and serve not God, then ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of the devil” (Moroni 7:17). Mormon made it clear that we have a responsibility to make appropriate judgment. (Tyler J. Griffin, How do we judge righteous judgment? – Liahona Feb 2019)
• Do good continually: frequently, regularly, again and again

Possible discussion question: Who would like to share something they’d like to do more of from Alma’s list in verse 14?

Quote #4 (who)

Who is Jesus Christ? The Savior plays several roles in the Plan of Salvation, but one of the most important is the atonement He made.

Possible engagement tool: Write on the board: “Jesus is an Almighty God who loves us and is willing to lay everything down for our sake.”

15 And now, the plan of mercy could not be brought about except an atonement should be made; therefore God himself atoneth for the sins of the world, to bring about the plan of mercy, to appease the demands of justice, that God might be a perfect, just God, and a merciful God also. (Alma 42:15)

A Just God: fair-minded, impartial, objective, honest, dependable, unbiased

A Merciful God: gracious, compassionate, tenderhearted, forbearing, lenient, sympathetic

Possible discussion questions: When we are merciful, who do we become like? When we judge with a righteous judgment, who are we following? How does the Savior having these qualities help us? Do you feel more trust when you know someone is fair-minded and compassionate? Can you trust the Savior?

Quote #5 (freely)

Possible engagement tool: The Savior gives us the means to a happy, blessed life, but He also lets us choose it.

Therefore, O my son, whosoever will come may come and partake of the waters of life freely; and whosoever will not come the same is not compelled to come; but in the last day it shall be restored unto him according to his deeds. (Alma 42:27)

Possible discussion questions: What does the word “freely” mean in this verse? (Accept all reasonable answers—it means you can live a blessed gospel life as much as you want and of your own free will and choice. You are not limited in any way except by your own doing.) Who is the gospel and its blessings available to? (Everyone – but they have to want it and live it.)

Deepen the Understanding

Joseph Smith came to Brigham Young in a dream and told him how the Saints could have better lives, better outcomes, and better spiritual experiences.

“Tell the people to be humble and faithful and [be] sure to keep the Spirit of the Lord and it will lead them right. Be careful and not turn away the small still voice; it will teach [you what] to do and where to go; it will yield the fruits of the kingdom. Tell the brethren to keep their hearts open to conviction so that when the Holy Ghost comes to them, their hearts will be ready to receive it. They can tell the Spirit of the Lord from all other spirits. It will whisper peace and joy to their souls, and it will take malice, hatred, envying, strife, and all evil from their hearts; and their whole desire will be to do good, bring forth righteousness, and build up the kingdom of God. Tell the brethren if they will follow the Spirit of the Lord they will go right” (Teachings: Joseph Smith, 98).

Possible discussion question: Which part of Jospeh’s counsel is especially meaningful to you today? In what ways might we “turn away the still small voice”? How can we keep our hearts open? (Don’t focus on doubts and keep up on our spiritual habits like prayer, scriptures, service, etc.)

Summary

Summarize class discussion highlights and/or share your testimony and feelings about the lesson. Thank your class for their excellent contributions and insights.

Final Comment

As you study and teach, you can help others find more truths in the scriptures. Thank you for bringing powerful Book of Mormon teachings into other people’s lives.

If you would like some tips on how to feel more confident while teaching, try “9 Tips for More Class Participation.” Please arrange the quotes in any order that makes sense to you.