Consider how deeply the believers described in Mosiah 18 felt about Jesus Christ. They had to meet secretly, at great risk, to learn about Him (see verse 3). And when given the chance to show their commitment by the covenant of baptism, “they clapped their hands for joy, and exclaimed: This is the desire of our hearts” (Mosiah 18:11).

Reading these verses could be a good opportunity to ponder how important your covenants are to you. As you study Mosiah 18:8–14 in particular, consider questions like these:

• What do you learn from these verses about the promises you made at baptism? What does God promise you? (see verses 10, 13).
  DOWNLOAD Baptism Promises to Serve Match Game post-and-present (HERE or below)

• How does the covenant to serve God relate to our efforts to minister to one another? (see verses 8–9).

• What does it mean to you to “stand as [a witness] of God”? (verse 9).

• How does keeping your baptismal covenant help you be “filled with the Spirit”? (Mosiah 18:14). How does the Spirit help you keep your covenant?

Answering these questions might lead you to ponder why covenants and ordinances are important to God. You could find insights in Elder Gerrit W. Gong’s message “Covenant Belonging” (Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2019, 80–83) or President Jean B. Bingham’s message “Covenants with God Strengthen, Protect, and Prepare Us for Eternal Glory” (Liahona, May 2022, 66–69). Why are you grateful for your covenants? What are you doing to keep your promises?

See also Gospel Topics, “Baptism,” Gospel Library; “Alma the Elder Teaches and Baptizes at the Waters of Mormon” (video), Gospel Library.

• One important way to help your children prepare for baptism is to teach them about the covenant they will make when they are baptized. This could be as simple as showing the picture at the end of this week’s outline and reading about the covenant with them in Mosiah 18:9–10. Consider inviting a child who has already been baptized to teach this to the younger children. Your children might enjoy hearing about your baptism. How has keeping your covenants with God blessed your life?

• Children who have been baptized could use frequent reminders about the covenants they made and renew each week with the sacrament. Perhaps your children could compare the baptismal covenant described in Mosiah 18:8–10 with the sacrament prayers (see Doctrine and Covenants 20:77, 79). How can we make the sacrament a special, reverent time, just like our baptisms were?
  DOWNLOAD the Baptism Promises to Serve – Mosiah 18:8-10 Post-and-Present activity (HERE or below)

Some people wonder, why do we need a church? Search Mosiah 18:17–31, looking for the value Alma’s people found in gathering in “the church of Christ” (Mosiah 18:17). What similarities do you see in the Church of Jesus Christ in Alma’s day and our day?

How would you respond to a friend or family member who doesn’t believe that an organized church is necessary? Why are you grateful to belong to the Church of Jesus Christ?

Think about what you can do to help your ward or branch members be “knit together in unity and in love” (Mosiah 18:21).

See also Dallin H. Oaks, “The Need for a Church,” Liahona, Nov. 2021, 24–26; “Love One Another,” Hymns, no. 308.

Gather to give thanks to God
DOWNLOAD Mosiah 18:23 scripture poster/card set (HERE or below)

• A simple object lesson can make learning more memorable. Consider filling a bag with heavy objects (to represent burdens) and inviting a child to hold the bag. As you read Mosiah 24:8–17 with your children, ask them to remove an item from the bag every time they hear about something Alma and his people did to seek God’s help with their burdens. You could then talk with them about how Heavenly Father can make our burdens lighter when we seek His help.