5 TEACHING IDEAS FOR COME FOLLOW ME LESSONS
See the complete list of CFM Lessons
Alma 53 – 63
The 2000 Stripling Warriors have taught us multiple lessons for us during this tumultuous year.
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 (example)
Great warm-up quote.
Possible engagement tool: Have your class listen for ways they admire the 2000 Stripling Warriors as we read the following verses:
20 And they were all young men, and they were exceedingly valiant for courage, and also for strength and activity; but behold, this was not all—they were men who were true at all times in whatsoever thing they were entrusted.
21 Yea, they were men of truth and soberness, for they had been taught to keep the commandments of God and to walk uprightly before him. (Alma 53:20-21)
Possible discussion question: What qualities do the Stripling Warriors have that you admire?
Quote #2 (love)
Possible intro: We often talk about the great faith of the Stripling Warriors. We also know they had the greatest love – as we listen to the following verses, see what comes up for you.
Note: Best to divide between two readers.
47 Now they never had fought, yet they did not fear death; and they did think more upon the liberty of their fathers than they did upon their lives; yea, they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them. (Alma 56:47)
12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. (John 15:12-13)
Possible discussion question: How do the Stripling Warriors show great love? (Accept all reasonable answers – Willing to lay down their lives for the liberty of others) How does love help us have more faith and courage?
Marching into war with a shield and a sword is pretty daunting. Reading about how these boys were willing to lay down their lives for the liberty of others helped me double-check my own courage and feel less fear of what comes our way.

Deepen the Understanding
The Stripling Warriors were following Christ in a rather remarkable way. See if you can spot the parallels between the Stripling Warriors and Christ in the following verses.
Christ reads an Ancient scripture about himself to the Jews in their synagogue.
18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, (Luke 4:18)
Nephi shares how Christ sets us at liberty.
7 Behold, he offereth himself a sacrifice for sin, to answer the ends of the law, unto all those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit; and unto none else can the ends of the law be answered. (2 Nephi 2:7)
Possible discussion questions: How does the willingness of the Stripling Warriors to lay down their lives for the liberty of others—emulate Christ’s sacrifice and His gift of liberty to us?
Quote #3 (stand fast)
Possible intro: Pahoran, the chief judge, uses a curious phrase, “stand fast,” when writing a letter to Captain Moroni. Think about what that phrase means as we read the following verse:
21 See that ye strengthen Lehi and Teancum in the Lord; tell them to fear not, for God will deliver them, yea, and also all those who stand fast in that liberty wherewith God hath made them free. And now I close mine epistle to my beloved brother, Moroni. (Alma 61:21)
Stand fast: to firmly remain in the same position or keep the same opinion, for example, “The soldiers are standing fast and refuse to be defeated.” Or “He held fast to his principles.”
Here’s a perfect example from the Stripling Warriors in Alma 58:
But behold, they have received many wounds; nevertheless they stand fast in that liberty wherewith God has made them free; and they are strict to remember the Lord their God from day to day; yea, they do observe to keep his statutes, and his judgments, and his commandments continually; and their faith is strong in the prophecies concerning that which is to come. (Alma 58:40)
Possible discussion question: How did the Stripling Warriors stand fast? What does “stand fast” mean to you? How can you “stand fast” today?
Possible engagement tool: Ask your class to think about the following question as you read the following verses. “What liberty has God given us that makes us free”? (Have your class read the verses below before you answer the question.)
Note: Best if you divide between two readers.
Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. (Galatians 5:1)
Abide ye in the liberty wherewith ye are made free; entangle not yourselves in sin, but let your hands be clean, until the Lord comes. (Doctrine and Covenants 88:86)
Possible discussion question: What liberty has God given us that makes us free? How does sin entangle and bind us? Accept all reasonable answers. (It keeps us from our best selves and from our greatest happiness and peace.)
Quote #4 (wealthy)
Possible engagement tool: Ask your class to consider whether you can be wealthy or extremely blessed in other ways and still be very righteous.
49 But notwithstanding their riches, or their strength, or their prosperity, they were not lifted up in the pride of their eyes; neither were they slow to remember the Lord their God; but they did humble themselves exceedingly before him.
50 Yea, they did remember how great things the Lord had done for them, that he had delivered them from death, and from bonds, and from prisons, and from all manner of afflictions, and he had delivered them out of the hands of their enemies.
51 And they did pray unto the Lord their God continually, insomuch that the Lord did bless them, according to his word, so that they did wax strong and prosper in the land. (Alma 62:49-51)
Possible activity: Have your class help you pull out what kept them righteous despite prosperity and wealth. The list doesn’t need to be complete or worded the same!
Righteous and Wealthy
- No pride or conceit
- Did not feel “lifted up” or above others
- Quick to remember the Lord and acknowledge Him
- Took the time to contemplate their own humility before God
- Had lots of gratitude for their blessings and their freedoms
- Pray continually and often
Possible discussion questions: In what ways can we still be humble even when we are incredibly blessed? What happens when we become proud or lifted up and slow to remember God? What blessings are you especially grateful for? Can we include our gratitude for specific blessings in our prayers?
Quote #5 (reactions)
Possible Intro: Share this quote,
“Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.” ~Charles R. Swindoll
But behold, because of the exceedingly great length of the war between the Nephites and the Lamanites many had become hardened, because of the exceedingly great length of the war; and many were softened because of their afflictions, insomuch that they did humble themselves before God, even in the depth of humility. (Alma 62:41)
Possible discussion questions: Are we responsible for our reactions to difficult episodes? Can two people experience the same circumstances and have entirely different attitudes, reactions, and outcomes? Is it possible to let a trial harden us rather than soften us? What happens when we approach afflictions without bitterness and with faith in Christ? (Accept all reasonable answers – challenging experiences grow and develop us and make us a better version of ourselves.)
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.
HUGE help. Thank you for your time and efforts always!!
This was really helpful! Thank you
Love it