Editor's note: “Resources to follow Him” curates study resources, teachings, and thoughts to deepen your study of this week's Come, Follow Me.
This week’s Come, Follow Me contains Alma’s teachings on a change of heart and the role that the Savior plays as we embark in that process. As you explore Alma 5–7, here are some keywords from gospel teachers to spur discussion with your families or study groups. We hope these prompts, in addition to the Come, Follow Me manual, will enhance your understanding of these chapters.
Keywords in Alma 5–7
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Change
In Alma 5:7–9, Alma describes a mighty change of heart. In this week’s episode of the Sunday on Monday Study Group, the group discusses the change we see in the people in these chapters of the Book of Mormon. The group shares a quote from Elder D. Todd Christofferson about how these changes take time:
“You may ask, Why doesn’t this mighty change happen more quickly with me? . . . For most of us, the changes are more gradual and occur over time. Being born again . . . is more a process than an event.”
The study group then discusses the significance of this quote. Guest Melanie Bullock says, “For me, that's huge because I always feel like I look at other people in the Church . . . and to me, I feel like they are so far along on this journey. They’re these spiritual giants, and I feel like I have a very simple testimony, but I'm on the right path, and I'm getting there. And so, I think that's more important to me, so I don't get overwhelmed.”
Host Tammy Uzelac Hall responds, “Mel, I'm so glad you shared that because I know you and we've had these conversations, but I think a lot of times we do look at people in our ward or wherever and think, ‘Oh, they're so much further along, or what are they doing that I'm not doing?’ And we compare ourselves. We need to give ourselves a little bit of a break and realize that it is a process, and we're all in that process—a continuing process of having a change of heart all the time.”
The Sunday on Monday Study Group is a Deseret Bookshelf PLUS+ original presented by LDS Living. You can access the full study group discussion through the Bookshelf app. Listen to a segment of this week's episode below or listen to the full Sunday on Monday episode here.
Christlike
Alma 7:23–24 details several Christlike attributes like being humble, submissive, gentle, patient, long-suffering, and more. Preach My Gospel shares the following:
“The scriptures describe Christlike attributes that are essential for you to eventually develop . . . throughout your life. . . . “Christlike attributes are gifts from God. They come as you use your agency righteously. Ask your Heavenly Father to bless you with these attributes; you cannot develop them without His help. With a desire to please God, recognize your weaknesses and be willing and anxious to improve.”
Preach My Gospel provides an attribute activity that can help individuals identify ways they can become more like the Savior. You can download the attribute activity here.
Envy
Alma encourages people to strip themselves of envy in Alma 5:29. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland spoke of the sin of envy in his 2002 conference talk, “The Other Prodigal.”
“How can we overcome such a tendency so common in almost everyone? For one thing, we can . . . start making our way back to the Father. We should do so with as much haste and humility as we can summon. Along the way we can count our many blessings and we can applaud the accomplishments of others. Best of all, we can serve others, the finest exercise for the heart ever prescribed. But finally these will not be enough. When we are lost, we can ‘come to ourselves,’ but we may not always be able to ‘find ourselves,’ and, worlds without end, we cannot ‘save ourselves.’ Only the Father and His Only Begotten Son can do that. Salvation is in Them only. So we pray that They will help us, that They will ‘come out’ to meet and embrace us and bring us into the feast They have prepared.”
Watch Elder Holland’s full remarks below.
Judgment
In Alma 5:12, the prophet gives options for what judgment day may look like based on our works on the earth. President Russell M. Nelson spoke about what we will remember on judgment day in his general conference talk, “Choices.”
“As all will be resurrected, your physical body will then be restored to its proper and perfect frame. (See Alma 11:43; Alma 40:23.) The day of your resurrection will be a day of judgment that will determine the kind of life you shall have hereafter. “That judgment will consider not only your actions, but also your innermost intent and heartfelt desires. Your everyday thoughts have not been lost. Scriptures speak of the ‘bright recollection’ (Alma 11:43) and ‘perfect remembrance’ (Alma 5:18) that your mind will provide in times of divine judgment.”
Watch President Nelson’s full address below.
Redemption
A Book of Mormon video captures the events of Alma 4–7. When the video was first released, LDS Living author Jannalee Sandau wrote the following:
“Comparing this video to the one released a few weeks ago about Alma the Younger's conversion, I was reminded that the teachings about repentance, mercy, and the love of God were incredibly personal to the prophet. He had been in their situation, and his decision to come down from the judgment seat and preach the gospel struck me as much more love-driven than it ever has before. He had been in the exact situation of pride and sin that the people he was preaching to were—and he knew the pain that could come from it. He had felt God's love in his life and wanted others to ‘sing the song of redeeming love’ as well (Alma 5:26).”
Read more of Sandau’s thoughts here or watch the video below.
Remember
The teaching duo behind the popular “Don’t Miss This” YouTube channel, David Butler and Emily Belle Freeman, talks about the importance of remembrance when it comes to redemption in their video for this week’s lesson. Before Alma begins his sermon, Butler notes that Alma reminds the people about the character of God in Alma 5:4–5.
“I think he’s starting out by saying, ‘I want you to remember three things: God is merciful so wherever you’re at it’s okay. God is powerful so wherever you are, He can make you more,’” Butler said. “And then in . . . verse 5 he says, ‘Remember they got delivered from King Noah and then they got delivered again.’ He reminds them that God is also consistent. And I love that before you start thinking about all of these questions he is going to ask, [he says], ‘Please remember God is merciful, God is powerful, and that God doesn’t give up on people.’”
Butler said he thinks the second-best word in the Book of Mormon is “remember.” Freeman elaborates on the power of what Alma is asking his people to remember.
“Remember the hand of the Lord,” Freeman said. “Remember the goodness of God. Remember the word of God. Remember how He delivers. Remember how merciful [and] how powerful [He is].”
Watch the full video below and pick up a copy of Don’t Miss This in the Book of Mormon to keep exploring one verse from each chapter.
Succor
Jared Halverson has taken his institute class to YouTube through his channel, “Unshaken.” As part of this week’s study, Halverson explains how the phrase “take upon him” is repeated multiples times in Alma 7:11–13. He explains that Christ’s Atonement had to make up for physical death and sin, but that Christ voluntarily took upon himself so much more.
“It wasn’t forced upon Him by the Father. His was a voluntary offering, a submission of the will of the flesh to the will of the Spirit,” Halverson says. “He did what was required of Him, but [went] so far beyond it. He took our infirmities. And why did He do it? Verse 12 says ‘that his bowels may be filled with mercy’ so that he could know how to ‘succor his people according to their infirmities,’ according to what we are going through. This is the gift of perfect empathy. What did we gain from Gethsemane? Atoning grace, forgiveness, redemption. But what did Jesus gain from Gethsemane? Understanding, empathy, perfection of His perfect love so He would know what we’re going through.”
Watch both parts of Halverson’s YouTube lesson below.
