Lesson 28 - The Word is in Christ Unto Salvation

Purpose:
Help class members understand that hearing and acting on the Word of God is the key to developing and retaining faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and His Church.

Reading Assignment:

• Alma 32-35
• Seeds of Faith - Elaine Shaw Sorenson
• Prayer - Pres. Ezra Taft Benson

Questions to Ponder:

1. Alma teaches the humble Zoramites to exercise faith and give place in their hearts for the word of God.

As Alma was preaching, a great multitude of Zoramites approached him. Why did Alma have great joy when these Zoramites came to him? (See Alma 32:6–8.) What had happened to prepare these people to hear the word of God? (See Alma 32:2–5.)

Why was it a blessing to these Zoramites that they had been compelled to be humble? (See Alma 32:12–13.) Why is it better to humble ourselves than to be compelled to be humble? (See Alma 32:14–16.) How can the word of God lead us to humble ourselves?

What did Alma teach the Zoramites about what it means to have faith? (See Alma 32:17–18, 21.) What did Alma say is the first thing we need to do to develop faith in God? (See Alma 32:22.) In what ways may we receive God's word? (See Alma 17:2; 32:23;D&C 1:38; 18:33–36.)

What did Alma encourage his listeners to do so they could know that his words were true? (See Alma 32:26–27.) What does it mean to "awake and arouse [our] faculties"? How can we "experiment" on the word of God? (See John 7:17.) What experiences have you had as you have experimented on the word?

2. Alma teaches the people to nourish the word of God in their hearts.

Comparing the word of God to a seed, Alma counseled the Zoramites to "give place, that a seed may be planted" in their hearts (Alma 32:28). What must we do to "give place" in our hearts for the word of God?

According to Alma, what do people begin to experience when the word of God has been planted in their hearts? (See Alma 32:28–31, 33–35.) What do you think it means to feel the word "swell within [our] breasts"? How do the scriptures enlarge our souls, enlighten our understanding, and expand our minds? (See Alma 37:8–9.) In what ways has the word of God been delicious to you?

What must we continue to do as the word of God begins to grow in our hearts? (See Alma 32:37.) How can we "nourish [the word] with great care"? (See Alma 32:41.) What do you think it means for the word to "get root" in our hearts and grow? (Alma 32:37).

What will happen if we neglect the word and do not nourish it after it has begun to grow in our hearts? (See Alma 32:38–40.) What might we do that would cause our ground, or our hearts, to be barren?

Toward the end of his discourse, Alma compared the word to a tree that has grown from a seed (Alma 32:37). What tree did he refer to? (See Alma 32:40–42.)

Who does the Tree of Life Represent? What is the fruit of the tree of life? (See Alma 32:41; 33:23; 1 Nephi 15:36; D&C 14:7.) How does the Word of God lead us to and build faith in Jesus Christ?

3. Alma cites prophets' testimonies of Jesus Christ and exhorts the people to plant the word of God in their hearts.

What teaching of Zenos did Alma relate to the Zoramites? (See Alma 33:3–11.) What was Alma's purpose in citing Zenos's teaching about prayer? (See Alma 33:11–14.)

Alma told the Zoramites that the prophet Zenock had also testified of Christ (See Alma 33:15). What did Zenock teach? (See Alma 33:16.) Why was this an important teaching to relate to the Zoramites? (See Alma 31:12, 16–17.)

Alma spoke of a brass serpent that Moses made and raised in the wilderness (See Alma 33:19; Numbers 21:9). How was the serpent a type, or symbol, of Jesus Christ? (See Alma 33:19; John 3:14–16; Helaman 8:13–15.) What does Alma's account of the brass serpent teach about exercising faith in Jesus Christ? (See Alma 33:20–23; Alma 37:46)

4. Amulek testifies of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. He commands the people to pray and exercise faith unto repentance.

Alma and Amulek perceived that the people still questioned whether they should believe in Christ (Alma 34:2–5). How did Amulek answer this question? (See Alma 34:6–8.) How can we receive such a strong testimony of Christ? How have the scriptures, prophets, and other witnesses of Christ strengthened your testimony of Him?

Why would "all mankind … perish" without the Atonement of Jesus Christ? (See Alma 34:8–9; Alma 22:14) Why was Jesus the only one who could atone for the sins of the world and save us from the effects of the Fall? (See Alma 34:10–12.) What is the meaning of Amulek's teaching that the Atonement is an "infinite and eternal sacrifice"? (See Alma 34:14–16.)

How do you think Amulek's counsel in Alma 34:17–29 helped the Zoramites, who had believed that they could worship only in synagogues and only once a week? What can we learn from this counsel?

What did Amulek command the people to do after they had received so many witnesses of the Savior? (See Alma 34:30–31;Alma 34:15–17, in which the phrase "faith unto repentance" appears four times.) Why is faith in Christ an essential part of repentance?

Amulek warned against procrastinating, or delaying, the day of our repentance (Alma 34:31–36). Why do people sometimes procrastinate repentance? How can the counsel in Alma 34:32 affect the way we live each day?