Alma 39-42 Activity Ideas for Primary Children

Montessori-Inspired Activities for Learning Principles from Alma 39-42

Activity 1: Repentance and Forgiveness – Clean Heart Activity

Scripture Inspiration: Alma 39:9

1. Materials:
   • Whiteboard or paper
   • Dry-erase markers or crayons
   • Eraser or cloth
2. Directions:
   • Read Alma 39:9, focusing on the importance of repentance and forsaking sins.
   • Draw a large heart on the whiteboard or paper. Discuss how sin makes our hearts unclean, then write or draw “sins” inside the heart (e.g., lying, being unkind).
   • As you talk about repentance, erase or clean the heart, explaining how repentance makes us clean again.
   • Let the children take turns drawing and erasing, reinforcing the concept of repentance.

Activity 2: Resurrection – Plant Growth

Scripture Inspiration: Alma 40:23

1. Materials:
   • Clear container
   • Cotton balls
   • Water
   • Bean seeds
2. Directions:
   • Read Alma 40:23, discussing the resurrection and how our bodies will be restored to perfection.
   • Place wet cotton balls in a clear container and plant bean seeds in them.
   • Observe the growth process daily, comparing it to the resurrection—just as the seed grows into a new plant, our bodies will be restored and made perfect.
   • Discuss the miracle of growth and how it relates to the resurrection.

Activity 3: The Plan of Salvation – Diagram Creation

Scripture Inspiration: Alma 42:5

1. Materials:
   • Large paper or poster board
   • Markers
   • Pictures or symbols representing stages of the Plan of Salvation (e.g., pre-mortal life, earth life, death, resurrection)
2. Directions:
   • Read Alma 42:5, focusing on the Plan of Salvation.
   • Create a visual diagram of the Plan of Salvation on the poster board. Use pictures or symbols to represent each stage.
   • Discuss each stage as you add it to the diagram, explaining its significance.
   • Let the children decorate the diagram and explain it in their own words, reinforcing their understanding.

Activity 4: Justice and Mercy – Balancing Scale

Scripture Inspiration: Alma 42:15

1. Materials:
   • Simple balance scale
   • Small objects (e.g., coins, stones)
   • Labels for “Justice” and “Mercy”
2. Directions:
   • Read Alma 42:15, discussing the balance between justice and mercy through Jesus Christ.
   • Label one side of the balance scale as “Justice” and the other as “Mercy.”
   • Use small objects to represent actions. For example, placing a coin on the “Justice” side for a sin and placing a coin on the “Mercy” side for repentance.
   • Discuss how Jesus Christ helps balance justice and mercy, making it possible for us to repent and be forgiven.

Activity 5: The Importance of the Word – Scripture Scroll

Scripture Inspiration: Alma 39:1

1. Materials:
   • Long paper roll or parchment paper
   • Markers or crayons
   • Sticks or dowels
   • Tape or glue
2. Directions:
   • Read Alma 39:1, emphasizing the importance of heeding the words of the scriptures.
   • Provide the children with a long piece of paper and markers or crayons to create their own “scripture scroll.”
   • Have them write or draw important messages from Alma 39-42 on the scroll.
   • Attach sticks or dowels to each end of the paper to create a scroll.
   • Discuss the importance of scriptures and how they guide our lives.

Activity 6: The Atonement – Heart Matching Game

Scripture Inspiration: Alma 42:22-23

1. Materials:
   • Heart-shaped cards
   • Pictures or drawings of sins and corresponding acts of repentance or forgiveness
2. Directions:
   • Read Alma 42:22-23, focusing on the role of the Atonement in our lives.
   • Create pairs of heart-shaped cards, one with a sin (e.g., a sad face or broken heart) and the other with an act of repentance or forgiveness (e.g., a happy face or healed heart).
   • Mix the cards and lay them face down.
   • Have the children play a matching game, finding the pairs that go together.
   • Discuss each pair as they find them, reinforcing the concept of repentance and the Atonement.

Activity 7: Choices and Consequences – Path Game

Scripture Inspiration: Alma 42:27

1. Materials:
   • Large sheet of paper or poster board
   • Markers
   • Small game pieces (e.g., buttons, coins)
2. Directions:
   • Read Alma 42:27, discussing the concept of making choices and facing consequences.
   • Create a simple board game on the large paper, with a path leading to a goal (e.g., eternal life).
   • Along the path, draw spaces with different choices and their consequences (e.g., “Helped a friend – move forward 2 spaces” or “Told a lie – move back 3 spaces”).
   • Use small objects as game pieces and take turns moving along the path.
   • Discuss the choices and their consequences as you play, reinforcing the principle of accountability.

Activity 8: Honesty and Integrity – Truth vs. Lie Sorting

Scripture Inspiration: Alma 41:13-14

1. Materials:
   • Two baskets or containers
   • Cards with statements (some true, some false)
2. Directions:
   • Read Alma 41:13-14, discussing the importance of honesty and integrity.
   • Prepare cards with statements that are true (e.g., “It is good to help others”) and false (e.g., “It’s okay to lie if it’s a small lie”).
   • Label one basket “Truth” and the other “Lie.”
   • Have the children sort the cards into the correct baskets, discussing why each statement is true or false.
   • Reinforce the importance of living with honesty and integrity.

Activity 9: Resurrection and Eternal Life – Life Cycle Exploration

Scripture Inspiration: Alma 40:23

1. Materials:
   • Life cycle charts or toys (e.g., butterfly life cycle, plant life cycle)
   • Paper and markers
2. Directions:
   • Read Alma 40:23, emphasizing the resurrection and eternal life.
   • Show the children life cycle charts or toys and explain each stage.
   • Discuss how, just like these life cycles, we have a spiritual journey that leads to eternal life.
   • Have the children draw their own life cycle, starting from pre-mortal life to eternal life.
   • Discuss how the resurrection completes our spiritual journey, making us whole and perfect.

Activity 10: Responsibility and Repentance – Clean-Up Relay

Scripture Inspiration: Alma 39:13

1. Materials:
   • Toys or objects to be cleaned up
   • Buckets or containers
2. Directions:
   • Read Alma 39:13, focusing on taking responsibility and repenting for mistakes.
   • Scatter toys or objects around a room.
   • Create teams and have a clean-up relay, where each child takes turns picking up items and placing them in the correct container.
   • After the game, discuss how cleaning up our messes is like repenting and making things right.
   • Emphasize the importance of taking responsibility for our actions.

Activity 11: God’s Justice and Mercy – Balance Scale Activity

Scripture Inspiration: Alma 42:15

1. Materials:
   • Balance scale
   • Small objects (e.g., stones, coins)
   • Labels for “Justice” and “Mercy”
2. Directions:
   • Read Alma 42:15, discussing the balance between justice and mercy.
   • Label one side of the balance scale as “Justice” and the other as “Mercy.”
   • Use small objects to represent actions (e.g., stones for sins, coins for repentance).
   • Have the children place objects on the scale, balancing justice and mercy.
   • Discuss how Jesus Christ’s Atonement helps balance justice and mercy in our lives.

Activity 12: The Power of the Atonement – Broken Heart Puzzle

Scripture Inspiration: Alma 42:22-23

1. Materials:
   • Heart-shaped puzzle (make a heart and cut it into pieces)
   • Markers
2. Directions:
   • Read Alma 42:22-23, emphasizing the power of the Atonement to heal and restore.
   • Give each child a piece of the heart-shaped puzzle.
   • Write on each piece something they can do to repent or be kind (e.g., “say sorry,” “help a friend”).
   • Have the children work together to put the heart puzzle back together.
   • Discuss how the Atonement heals our broken hearts and makes us whole again.

Activity 13: Teaching by Example – Role-Playing Scenarios

Scripture Inspiration: Alma 39:1-2

1. Materials:
   • Simple props or costumes for role-playing
   • Pre-written scenarios
2. Directions:
   • Read Alma 39:1-2, discussing how Alma teaches his son Corianton by example.
   • Write scenarios that involve making choices (e.g., sharing with a sibling, telling the truth).
   • Have the children role-play each scenario, making good choices.
   • After each role-play, discuss the importance of setting a good example and teaching others through our actions.

Activity 14: Eternal Perspective – Timeline Creation

Scripture Inspiration: Alma 40:12-14

1. Materials:
   • Long paper or poster board
   • Markers
   • Pictures or drawings of different life stages
2. Directions:
   • Read Alma 40:12-14, focusing on the eternal perspective and life after death.
   • Create a timeline on the paper or poster board, starting from pre-mortal life, earth life, spirit world, resurrection, and eternal life.
   • Have the children draw or use pictures to represent each stage.
   • Discuss each stage, emphasizing the eternal nature of our existence and the importance of making good choices now.

Activity 15: God’s Plan – Puzzle Assembly

Scripture Inspiration: Alma 42:5-9

1. Materials:
   • Puzzle pieces (can use a pre-made puzzle or create one by cutting a picture into pieces)
   • Markers
2. Directions:
   • Read Alma 42:5-9, discussing God’s plan of salvation.
   • Provide the children with puzzle pieces and have them assemble the puzzle.
   • As they work, discuss how each piece represents a part of God’s plan and how everything fits together.
   • Once the puzzle is complete, talk about the big picture and how understanding God’s plan helps us make good choices.

Posted By: Lia · In: Primary