Alma 11

Amulek contended with the lawyer Zeezrom, who tried to get him to deny the true and living God. As he defended his faith against Zeezrom’s attempts to ensnare him, Amulek testified that salvation from sin comes only through Jesus Christ. Amulek bore strong testimony that all mankind will be resurrected and judged by God. Because of the Savior’s Atonement, you will be resurrected and one day stand before God and give an accounting of your life on earth.

Think of something you possess that is so valuable to you that you would never sell it. Think about why it is of such great value to you. In Alma 11, while Alma and Amulek continued teaching the people of Ammonihah, a wicked lawyer named Zeezrom confronted Amulek and offered him money in exchange for something that was very valuable to Amulek. The scriptures describe Zeezrom as “a man who was expert in the devices of the devil” (Alma 11:21), meaning that he had learned how to use the same strategies, plans, deceptions, and tricks that Satan uses to lure others away from righteousness and truth.

Search Alma 11:21–22, and discover how much money Zeezrom offered Amulek and what he wanted Amulek to do for it. An “onti” was the most valuable of the Nephites’ silver coins (see Alma 11:6, 11–13). One onti was equal to approximately one week’s wages for a judge (see Alma 11:3).

Answer the following questions:

• When have you seen someone reject the world’s enticements, such as the one offered to Amulek?

• How did seeing this inspire you to be faithful?

Read Alma 11:23–25 to see how Amulek responded to Zeezrom’s offer. Then answer the following questions in your manual:

• Why do you think Amulek was not interested in Zeezrom’s offer?

• According to Alma 11:25, what was Zeezrom’s plan in offering the six onties to Amulek?

• How is this similar to what Satan does when people give in to his temptations?

1. Complete the following exercises in your scripture study journal:

   1. To better identify how Amulek was able to resist Zeezrom’s offer, read Alma 11:22 and complete the following statement: “I shall nothing which is contrary to the Spirit of the Lord.” Then write three or four other words you could put in the blank that would also make a true statement (consider, for example, do, read, wear, watch, and write).

   2. Write a statement based on Alma 11:22 that can help you remember how you can overcome temptation with the help of the Holy Ghost. What you write should convey in your own words the truth that when we rely on the Holy Ghost, we can overcome temptation.

Pause in your study for a moment, and ponder the following question: How can living so I can be sensitive to the Holy Ghost and follow His promptings help me overcome temptation?

Read the following counsel from President Boyd K. Packer, President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, to see how relying on the Holy Ghost can help you overcome temptation:

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President Boyd K. Packer

“If you are slipping into things that you should not slip into or if you are associating with people who are pulling you away in the wrong direction, that is the time to assert your independence, your agency. Listen to the voice of the Spirit, and you will not be led astray. …

“… As a servant of the Lord, I promise that you will be protected and shielded from the attacks of the adversary if you will heed the promptings that come from the Holy Spirit” (“Counsel to Youth,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2011, 18).

2. To consider possible applications of what you have learned, answer the following questions in your scripture study journal:

   1. What are some situations in which youth are tempted to compromise their testimonies or ignore them for the things of the world?

   2. What suggestions could you offer to a fellow student that would help him or her rely on the Holy Ghost when faced with temptations of this kind?

Apply what you have learned by remembering the example of Amulek the next time you are tempted to compromise your beliefs or values. Remember that you can experience greater confidence and assurance as you live worthily and follow the promptings of the Holy Ghost.

Zeezrom attacked Amulek’s faith in Jesus Christ. To personally relate to what happened after Zeezrom failed to get Amulek to deny the existence of God, think of a time when perhaps someone opposed your beliefs. Read Amulek and Zeezrom’s dialogue in Alma 11:26–34, and then look at how Zeezrom twisted Amulek’s words in Alma 11:35.

Read how Amulek corrected this falsehood in Alma 11:36–37. You may want to mark footnote 34a in your scriptures, and read Helaman 5:10–11. Then explain in your own words the difference between being saved “in our sins” and being saved “from our sins” (italics added):

Read Alma 11:40, and identify the first step Amulek said people must take to be saved from their sins. There are some people who claim to believe in Jesus Christ yet they don’t want to change their behavior. To believe on the name of Jesus Christ means to have faith in Him.

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President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

To better understand how “believing on his name” (having faith in Jesus Christ) leads to repentance, read the following quotation from President Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the First Presidency: “We need a strong faith in Christ to be able to repent. Our faith has to include a ‘correct idea of [God’s] character, perfections, and attributes’ (Lectures on Faith [1985], 38). If we believe that God knows all things, is loving, and is merciful, we will be able to put our trust in Him for our salvation without wavering. Faith in Christ will change our thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors that are not in harmony with God’s will” (“Point of Safe Return,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2007, 100).

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Jesus Christ

How has your faith in Jesus Christ motivated you to change your thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors?

3. Why does a person need faith in Jesus Christ in order to repent? Using what you have learned from Amulek and President Uchtdorf, write in your scripture study journal how you would explain the following principle: True faith in Jesus Christ is a beginning to the process of redemption from our sins.

Before you read the conclusion of Amulek’s testimony to Zeezrom, reflect on the following question: How might someone’s actions be affected by not believing in life after death?

4. Write the words Resurrection and Judgment as two separate column headings in your scripture study journal. Then search Alma 11:41–45, looking for as much information as you can find about resurrection and judgment, and write what you learn under each heading. You may want to write at the top of the page in your scriptures or in your scripture study journal: Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, all will be resurrected and judged according to their works. These verses also teach that resurrection means the reuniting of our bodies with our spirits in their “perfect form” and “proper frame,” never again to be divided (see Alma 11:43, 45).

5. Answer one or both of the following questions in your scripture study journal:

   1. What thoughts and feelings do you have when you think about being resurrected and judged?

   2. How does your belief that you will be resurrected and judged affect the way you choose to live each day?

6. Write the following at the bottom of today’s assignments in your scripture study journal:

   I have studied Alma 11 and completed this lesson on (date).

   Additional questions, thoughts, and insights I would like to share with my teacher: