“May 11–17. Mosiah 18–24: ‘We Have Entered into a Covenant with Him,’” Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Book of Mormon 2020 (2020)
“May 11–17. Mosiah 18–24,” Come, Follow Me—For Primary: 2020
Minerva K. Teichert (1888-1976), Escape of King Limhi and His People, 1949-1951, oil on masonite, 35 7/8 x 48 inches. Brigham Young University Museum of Art, 1969.
May 11–17
Mosiah 18–24
We Have Entered into a Covenant with Him
As you read Mosiah 18–24, think about the children you teach. The Holy Ghost can help you identify truths that will be relevant to them.
Record Your Impressions
Invite Sharing
Show a picture of someone being baptized, and invite the children to share something they know about baptism. They could share something they learned while reading Mosiah 18–24 with their families, while attending a baptism, or in another setting.
Teach the Doctrine: Younger Children
When I am baptized, I make a covenant with God.
One of the most important ways to help children prepare for baptism is to teach them about the covenant they will make when they are baptized.
Possible Activities
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Review the story of Alma and his people at the Waters of Mormon using Mosiah 18:7–16 or “Chapter 15: Alma Teaches and Baptizes” (Book of Mormon Stories, 43–44, or the corresponding video on ChurchofJesusChrist.org). Show the picture in this week’s outline in Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families, and let the children tell you what they know about the story.
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Using Mosiah 18:8–10 as a guide, teach the children in your own words some of the things they will promise to do when they are baptized. For example, they will promise to follow Heavenly Father and Jesus by comforting people who are sad. Share a story of how you or someone you know has kept these promises. (See also Doctrine and Covenants 20:77, 79; Carole M. Stephens, “We Have Great Reason to Rejoice,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2013, 115–17.)
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Explain that when we are baptized, Heavenly Father also makes promises to us. Share these promises, as described in Mosiah 18:9–10.
When I am baptized, I become a member of Jesus Christ’s Church.
Help the children understand what it means to become members of the Church through baptism and confirmation.
We make a covenant with God when we are baptized.
Possible Activities
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Invite someone who has recently been baptized to share his or her experience. Read Mosiah 18:17, and explain that when we are baptized we become members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and promise to follow Jesus.
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Show the children pictures that represent things described in Mosiah 18:17–28. For example, the picture Ordination to the Priesthood (Gospel Art Book, no. 106) might represent verse 18, and the picture Payment of Tithing (Gospel Art Book, no. 113) could represent verses 27–28. Let the children describe what they see in the pictures, and use the pictures and the verses to help them see what it means to be a member of the Church.
God can make my burdens light.
When has God made your burdens feel light? Think of ways you can share your experiences and testimony with the children.
Possible Activities
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Help the children think of simple actions they can do while you tell what happened to Alma’s people in Mosiah 24:8–17. Point out that because Alma chose to follow Abinadi’s teachings about Jesus, he and his people were treated unkindly, but they never stopped believing in Jesus.
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Read Mosiah 24:14–15 to the children. Fill a bag with heavy objects (to represent burdens), and invite a child to hold the bag. Explain that when we are sad, sick, or have other troubles, it can feel like carrying something heavy. Invite the children to take turns helping the child carry the bag so that it becomes lighter. Explain that Heavenly Father can make our burdens lighter when we seek His help through prayer, serving others, and so on.
Teach the Doctrine: Older Children
When I am baptized, I make a covenant with God.
How can you help the children you teach understand the covenant we make at baptism?
Possible Activities
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Give each child a piece of paper. Read together Mosiah 18:8–10, and invite the children to write or draw on one side of their paper the promises we make at baptism and, on the other side, the blessings Heavenly Father promises us. Let them share with the class what they find. As they share, ask questions like these: How can we “mourn with those that mourn”? What does it mean to be a witness of God “in all places”? (verse 9). What can we do to keep our covenants?
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Invite several children who have been baptized to share what they remember about their experience. What made that day special? How did they feel? Explain that each Sunday they renew their baptismal covenant when they partake of the sacrament. Help the children 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?
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Ask a recent convert to share how he or she learned about the Church and how it felt to be baptized. Let the children ask questions, such as what helped that person want to make the promises in Mosiah 18:7–16.
I belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
How can you inspire the children to be grateful for the blessings of being members of the Church?
Possible Activities
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Invite the children to read Mosiah 18:17–28, looking for teachings of Christ’s Church in Alma’s day that are the same in our day. Write their answers on blocks or cups, and let the children use them to build a structure that represents the Church of Jesus Christ.
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Sing with the children or read the words to “The Church of Jesus Christ” (Children’s Songbook, 77), and invite them to listen for things that we promise to do as members of the Church. Help them think of ways they can keep these promises.
Mosiah 21:1–5, 13–16; 22:1–11; 24:8–22
God can make my burdens light.
The story of Alma’s people can show the children that sometimes God helps by strengthening us to endure our trials instead of taking them away. How can you help them learn from this story?
Possible Activities
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Help the children identify main events from the accounts of Limhi’s people in Mosiah 21:1–5, 13–16; and 22:1–11 and Alma’s people in Mosiah 24:8–22. Then ask each child to draw one of these events. Invite the children to put their drawings in the correct order to tell the story. As they do, emphasize that God helped the people bear their burdens.
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Invite the children to read Mosiah 21:14–15 and 24:13–14. How did the Lord respond to the prayers of Limhi’s people and Alma’s people? Ask the children to share times when they prayed for help with a trial and Heavenly Father helped them, or share your own experience.
Encourage Learning at Home
Invite the children to explain to someone else what they will promise or have promised to do as part of their baptismal covenant.
Improving Our Teaching
Pay attention to the children. If the children seem restless, it may be time to try another activity or to take a short, reverent walk. On the other hand, if they are engaged and learning, don’t feel pressured to move on just to cover more lesson material.