YOUTH LESSON ACTIVITY. PLANT & GROW SEEDS OF FAITH flip book. Youth will flip over this flip-book where a tree that starts small as a seed grows into a large tree as you flip the pages. We too can start with small acts of faith with works they grow, e.g. a testimony or action creating positive results. Great tool for discussion about goals and promises to self, parents, and God.
USE FOR Come Follow Me, Primary and Home, Sunday School, Bible Study, Book of Mormon Study
LESSON LIFESAVER Activity
FAITH: I can plant and grow seeds of faith! Growing Tree Flipbook
OBJECTIVE: Create a faith flipbook (a tree that starts small, as a seed, and grows into a large tree as you flip the pages).
TO MAKE Print on lightweight paper and cut out a flipbook for each youth. Place page 1 in the front and 31 in the back so that plant grows larger as you flip the book. Place the cover on top and staple the book together. Flip the pages to show the plant growing.
LESSON IDEAS: Talk about Alma’s teachings on faith (Alma 32-33). Compare the growing tree to the word of God that grows when we nourish it with faith. It will grow in our hearts, creating a testimony of Jesus Christ, but we must first plant the seeds and have faith that they will grow. See More Lesson Ideas (below).
THOUGHT TREAT: Apple Seeds of Faith. Divide an apple in half to show youth the seeds that are planted in the ground to create a tree to grow apples. Our own seeds of faith need to be planted in our hearts and nourished every day if we are to keep our testimony-tree growing.
SCRIPTURE CHALLENGE CARD: Help children Search and Ponder this scripture card by filling in the blanks. PRINT this 5 x 7 scripture card from the pdf included with the above activity. You can punch the two holes on the left and tie a ribbon to attach cards or use two metal rings to connect cards.
Alma 32:21, 27-28 “Faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true. . . . if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words. Now, we will compare the word unto a seed. Now, if ye give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief, that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves—It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me.
LESSON IDEAS From the Book of Mormon Ages 8-11 Manual
(see video below Alma and Amulek Teach about Faith in Jesus Christ / Alma 31-34)
Attention Activity
Give each child a seed, show the illustration of a seed, or draw a seed on the chalkboard.
- What can a seed become? (A plant or tree, depending on the type of seed)
- What must happen before a seed can begin to grow? (Show the illustration of the sprouting seed or draw one on the chalkboard.)
- What does a tree look like when it is young? (Show the illustration of the sapling or draw one on the chalkboard.) What does it look like when it is mature? (Show the illustration of a tree or draw one on the chalkboard.)
- What nourishment does a seed need to help it grow into a plant or tree? (Explain that nourishment means something that helps things grow or keeps them alive and well, such as water, fertilizer, sunshine, and soil. Place the illustrations of the sun, rain, soil, and fertilizer near the picture of the seed.)
Explain to the children that in this lesson they will learn how they can gain a strong testimony.
Scripture Account
Teach the account from Alma 32-33 of Alma teaching the Zoramites. (For suggested ways to teach the scripture account, see “Teaching from the Scriptures,” p. vii.) Emphasize that just as a good seed with proper care and nourishment will eventually become a fruit-bearing tree, the word of God, planted in our hearts and properly nourished, will develop into a strong testimony.
Discussion and Application Questions
Study the following questions and the scripture references as you prepare your lesson. Use the questions you feel will best help the children understand the scriptures and apply the principles in their lives. Reading the references with the children in class will help them gain insights into the scriptures.
Explain that in the last lesson the children learned about the rich and proud Zoramites.
- Why were the poor Zoramites humble? (Alma 32:2–3.) What are some afflictions that may make people humble enough to listen to the gospel?
- What does it mean to be “poor in heart”? (Humble, teachable, truly repentant, and free from pride.)
- How was being poor a blessing for these people? (Alma 32:12–13.) Explain that people can be humble even if they don’t suffer afflictions or poverty, but sometimes people with riches become proud. Why is it necessary for us to be humble when we are taught the gospel?
- What is faith? (Alma 32:21.) Why must we have faith to develop a testimony of the gospel? (Alma 32:26.) Explain that it takes time to gain a testimony. Keeping the commandments can help us gain a testimony that they are true.
- What did Alma tell us to do to develop faith? (Alma 32:27.) What can we do to increase our desire to believe?
- How is obeying the commandments an “experiment” on the word of God? Explain that to experiment means to try something you are not sure about. When we experiment or keep commandments, such as the Word of Wisdom, we receive blessings for our obedience and our testimonies become stronger.) How has your faith increased through your obedience to the commandments?
- How can we plant the word of God in our hearts so our testimonies will grow? (By regularly studying the scriptures; listening in Primary, sacrament meeting, and family home evening; praying; and consistently applying the principles of the gospel in our lives.)
- How will we know when the good seed, or a testimony of the gospel, is beginning to grow inside us? (Alma 32:28, 34.) Invite class members to share their testimonies and describe how they gained them. Encourage the children to gain and strengthen their testimonies. Assure them that if they have faith they can gain strong testimonies of the gospel.
- What does it mean to nourish a seed? (Explain that nourish means feed or take care of.) What qualities did Alma tell us we must have to nourish our testimonies of the gospel? (Alma 32:41–42.) Why do you think patience and diligence are necessary for developing faith and testimony?
- How can studying scriptures strengthen our faith and testimony? (Alma 33:14.)
- What important teaching should be part of our testimony? (Alma 33:22.)
- How is a strong testimony like a tree? (Alma 33:23.) How will having a testimony help you gain eternal life? You may wish to tell how your testimony has made your problems easier to deal with and brought you joy.
Alma and Amulek Teach about Faith in Jesus Christ | Alma 31–34 | Book of Mormon
The Zoramites won’t let the poor worship with them in their synagogues. The Zoramites are prideful and believe that they are better than other people. They only pray once a week with set prayers and forget God during the week. Alma and the other missionaries try to preach the word of God to the Zoramites, but they won’t listen to them. The poor Zoramites ask Alma and Amulek how they should worship God if they are cast out of their synagogue. Alma says it is good for them to be cast out; because they are poor, they have humble hearts and want to learn more about God. Alma teaches the poor about humility and faith in Jesus Christ. The people learn that they can pray to God anywhere. Alma compares the word of God to a seed. A good seed sprouts and begins to grow. He asks the people to experiment with the word of God, to have faith to plant the seed in their hearts. And if the word of God is good, it will grow and make them happy. Amulek testifies that salvation is in Jesus Christ. He tells the people that Jesus Christ will come into the world and take upon Himself the sins of His people. Everyone has the chance to repent, come unto Christ, and be saved. Based on Alma 31–34. Book of Mormon Videos The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/s…
