WIM YSA/Youth Resources: YSA Activity for April

Our YSA focus for April was "Building Testimonies," so we decided to have a "Fireside," that actually had a FIRE! Note the rain on the windshield!

The weather was an absolute downpour! The activity was to start at 4:00 pm. Here we are sitting in the car waiting for the rain to stop and someone to arrive to open the gate at 4:33! Luckily, fifteen minutes later, we got inside and started playing murder. The young adults really liked the ice-breaker! After about another half hour, we ended up with almost 40 people which was more than we expected since it had been raining all day long! We started with Book of Mormon skits. We played clumps to get into groups, then passed out the skits giving them fifteen minutes to prepare before presenting.

Clumps

Leader starts calling out random numbers that the group must clump into.2, 15, 8, 6, etc. in a designated time as measured by a stop watch. No one can be left out, so as soon as the groups are all in (say #4 groups, they must look around and make sure no one person is left out. They must grab the extras and put them into their groups before the time is up or that number has to be clumped again. When the game starts, people tend to gravitate to those they know well, but after 4 or 5 rounds, everyone is clumping randomly. Then you call out "11" (or whatever the number will be with the total number in attendance, divided by 6, or however many groups you need,) and you have your groups. The game is about the clumping race! Once the groups are clumped into the right number, you have your groups.

Mosiah 12:17-19, 13 & 17

Characters: Abinadi, false priests of King Noah, King Noah

All character parts can be played by either men or women

· 12:17-19 Abinadi is imprisoned for prophesying the destruction of the people and the death of King Noah. The King commanded his false priests to gather to decide what to do with Abinadi. They wanted to question him, but with the intent to entrap him. He answered them boldly and withstood all their questions

· 12:25-26 Abinadi chastens the false priests.

· 12:33 He tells them the importance of keeping the commandments God delivered to Moses on Mount Sinai.

· 12:35,36 He begins to relate the commandments

· 13:1,2,3 They try to restrain him with murderous intent, but he, with the power of God, commands them not to touch him until he is finished with the message God intends to deliver. This powerful miracle underscores the importance of the all-important ten commandments which the world ignores and mocks by their choices.

· 13:11-28 Abinadi courageously continues to covey the ten commandments to the false priests chastening them because they are not written in their hearts. He also testified of the atonement and the ultimate sacrifice of the Lord.

· 17:1-4 The wicked king commands that Abinadi be put to death. Alma, one of the priests, believed the words of Abinadi and began to plead with the King for his life. The King was angry and sent Alma away and his servants to slay him. He fled and while in hiding, wrote down all the words of Abinadi.

· 17: 5-10 Abinadi was thrown in prison for three days, falsely charged and told that if he would not recant all that he said, death would be the outcome. He testified that his blood was being shed innocently and this act would testify against them in the eternities.

· 17:11-20 The King was frightened, but the priests pressured him to kill Abinadi. His skin was scourged and torn, he was burned at the stake, and as he was dying he prophesied that the King would die in the same manner. He called out to God and sealed the truth of his testimony with his death.

Alma 14

Characters: Alma, Amulek, believers, martyrs, persecutors

All character parts can be played by either men or women

· Alma14: 5-7 Alma spoke to the people, many believed and repented, most wanted to destroy Alma and Amulek because they called them out in their wickedness. The people bound them with strong cords and took them before the chief judge testifying against them. Zeezrom began to feel harrowed up under his guilt, aware of his lying words and the damage he had done. He began to plead for Alma and Amulek explaining that they were innocent and he was guilty before God. They cast the believers out and sent men to stone them.

· Alma 14:8-11 They threw believing women, children, and scriptures into the fire to be burned and forced Alma and Amulek to watch the innocents be burned. The Spirit constrained Alma to not stretch forth his hand to save them that the judgments God would exercise upon them would be just.

· Alma 14: 15-22 The judge and his cohorts began beating alma and amulek and sent them to prison for three days. Then came lawyers, judges, priests, teachers who were of the false profession of Nehor to badger and question them. Alma and Amulek answered them nothing. They were commanded to speak or be burned but they answered nothing. The next day the agitators came again; beating, spitting, mocking, withholding food and water from Alma and Amulek while they were bound, naked, and confined in prison. This treatment continued for many days.

· Alma 14:25-29 The chief judge returned and beatings and mocking continued until, finally, Alma and Amulek stood on their feet and prayed out loud to God for deliverance. The cords that bound them broke, the earth shook mightily, the prison walls fell, and all the lawyers, priests, and detractors were killed and Alma and Amulek walked safely out of the rubble.

Alma 23: 16-18; 24

Characters: People who were not converted, the Anti-Nephi-Lehies, and the Lamanites.

All character parts can be played by either men or women

· 23:16-18 People who were converted to the Lord wanted a name that distinguished them from others who had not. They chose the name Anti-Nephi-Lehies and were no longer Lamanites, but friendly, industrious people.

· Alma 24:6-17 The lamanites made preparation for war and the Anti-Nephi-Lehies would not take up arms against their brethren. They expressed profound gratitude for the atonement and repentance, committing to bury their weapons of war deep in the earth.

· Alma 24:19 The burial of the swords represented a covenant that they would never again shed blood; they would give up their own lives rather than take up swords again. They would rather die than commit sin.

· Alma 24: 21 When the lamanites came to battle against them, the Anti-Nephi-Lehies ran out and prostrated themselves on the ground before them, calling on the name of the Lord as they were slaughtered by the sword.

· Alma 24: 23-27 One thousand five were killed and when the Lamanites saw that they were not fighting but praising God, they threw down their weapons and with softened hearts, joined the people of God. More people joined the ranks of God than were killed. Thus we see that the Lord worketh in many ways to the salvation of his people.

· Alma 24:30 The people who were converted to the Lord were descendants of Laman and Lemuel who had never known about God. None of the people who fell away into sin and transgression from a prior knowledge of God stayed faithful. Their state became worse than if they had never known spiritual truths.

Ether Chapter 2-3

Characters: Jared, his brother, their families and friends.

All character parts can be played by either men or women

· Ether 2:1-4 The whole group went down into the valley to hunt for food and fish. They brought honey bees, seeds of every kind and prepared a vessel. The Lord appeared in a cloud and talked with the brother of Jared.

· Ether 2:5-13 The Lord commanded that they go as directed by him in the cloud. They built barges to travel to the chosen land, pitched their tents in Moriancumer and lived there for four years.

· Ether 2:14, 15 The Lord spoke to the brother of Jared from a cloud and spoke to him for three hours, chastening him for not praying often enough.

· Ether 2:16, 17 The Lord commanded him to build barges with specific instructions.

· Ether 2:19-25 The brother of Jared brought his problems to the Lord. There was no light and no air. The Lord asked him to come up with solutions to the problems. He wanted him to suggest solutions and be self-sufficient.

· Ether 3:1-4 The brother of Jared cut 16 small, white, clear stones and asked the Lord to touch them that they might provide light.

· Ether 3: 4-20 The Lord touched the stones one by one with his finger and the veil was taken off so that the brother of Jared saw the finger of the Lord. He was struck with fear but testified of the reality of the Lord, demonstrated his faith and the Lord revealed himself unto him.

· Ether 3:19-28 The Lord revealed perfect knowledge of God unto the brother of Jared, told him to seal up two stones, write all that he showed unto him; all the inhabitants of the earth and their doings until the end of time. He commanded him to seal up his words and the two stones and show them not until a time in the future when the Lord authorizes new scriptures to be revealed. We anxiously await that day! Prophets have said that day will not come until God’s people fully utilize and cherish the scriptures they already have.

1 Nephi 3-4

Characters: Nephi, Sam, his father Lehi, an angel, Laman, Lemuel, Laban, and Zoram

All of these characters can be either men or women, they do not need to be men.

· 3: 1-4 Nephi enters Lehi’s tent to speak to his Father. Lehi relates a dream in which the Lord commanded him that Nephi and his brothers should return to Jerusalem to retrieve the record of the Jews and a genealogy of their forefathers engraved upon plates of brass which are in Laban’s house. (Scriptures)

· 3:7 “And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandment unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.

· 3:8-13 With great faith, Nephi and his brothers set off for Jerusalem. As they get close they decide to cast lots (draw straws or rock-paper-scissors) and see who has to go into Laban’s house. Laman lost and went inside to talk to Laban. After a conversation with him about the engraved records, Laban threw him out and refused his request, calling him a robber and threatening his life.

· 3:14-15 Laman escaped, reached his brothers, and insisted they go back to the wilderness to their father and give up the quest. Nephi responded, “As the Lord liveth, and as we live, we will not go down unto our father in the wilderness until we have accomplished the thing which the Lord hath commanded us.”

· 3: 17-21 He then suggests that they should go to their old homestead where they had left gold, silver and precious things as they escaped the destruction of Jerusalem that prophets had counseled would happen because of the wickedness of the people. He argues that the language of the people must be preserved through the records and also all the sacred words of holy prophets received through the spirit and power of God, since the world began.

· 3: 22-27 He pleads with his brothers to not abandon their assignment that they might be faithful in keeping the commandments of God. Finally compliant, they return to their former home, gather up precious valuables and return to Laban’s home to try again. When they present their former wealth to Laban in exchange for the records, Laban lusted after the property and threw them out again, sending his servants to kill them. In their escape, Laban acquired all the property. They fled into the wilderness, escaping the servants of Laban and hid in the cavity of a rock.

· 3: 28-31 Laman and Lemuel were furious and began beating Nephi and Sam with a rod. In the thick of the attack, an angel stood before them saying: “Why do ye smite your younger brother with a rod? Know you not that the Lord hath chosen him to be a ruler over you, and this because of your iniquities? Behold ye shall go up to Jerusalem again and the Lord will deliver Laban into your hands.” Immediately after the angel leaves, Laman and Lemuel begin to murmur again.

· 4: 1-3 Nephi exclaims, “ Let us go up again unto Jerusalem, and let us be faithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord; for behold he is mightier than all the earth, then why not mightier than Laban and his fifty, yea, or even than his tens of thousands?” He describes miracles of the past and the strength of the Lord.

· 4: 4-7 They were still angry but followed Nephi back to Jerusalem, outside the walls, at night, where he told them to hide. Nephi crept into the city and went towards Laban’s house. “I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do.”

· 4: 8-17 He came upon a drunken man on the ground and when he looked closely, saw it was Laban with his sword. He pulled the sword from the sheath, observed its quality, and was constrained by the Spirit to kill Laban. Nephi struggles with this command by the Spirit, noting three important reasons to obey: 1) Laban had tried to kill him 2) Laban had stolen his family’s property 3) An entire nation’s salvation depended on their being able to have the records and learning of the commandments contained therein.

· 4: 18-27 He lifted Laban’s head by the hair, cut off his head with the sword, put on all Laban’s garments and armor and went into the treasury. He commanded Laban’s servant to give him the keys by imitating Laban’s voice and manner. He told Zoram to follow him and took the records. As they walked, Zoram was convinced that Nephi was Laban and talked of the Jewish leaders.

· 4: 28-38 When Laman, Lemuel and Sam saw him, they were terrified and thought that Laban had killed Nephi and was now coming to kill them. They fled in fear. When Nephi called them back, Zoram was frightened and tried to escape, but Nephi seized and held him, telling him that he could go with them and be free if he would follow and stay. Zoram believed Nephi and gave his promise to stay as they journeyed back into the wilderness unto their father.

Alma 17-19

Characters: the sons of Mosiah, Ammon, King Lamoni, King Lamoni’s daughter, King Lamoni’s servants, attacking Lamanites

All character parts can be played by either men or women

· 17:1-5 Alma was traveling to Manti and ran into the sons of Mosiah. They had been on a mission for fourteen years with many sacrifices in body and mind; hunger, fatigue and labor in the spirit.

· 17: 9-11,16 They fasted and prayed that the Lord would enable them to be an instrument in the hands of God to bring their brethren, the Lamanites, to the knowledge of the truth. The Lord counseled them to be patient and long-suffering and he would use them in his hands to the salvation of many Lamanite souls.

· 17:19-23 Ammon went to the land of Ishmael and as he entered , they bound him with strong cords and took him before king Lamoni. Ammon told him he desired to live among them, perhaps until he died.

· Alma 17: 25-39 The King liked Ammon and suggested he marry one of his daughters. Ammon said no, but he would be a servant to the King and guard his flocks. Some Lamanites scattered the flocks and the King’s other servants were panicked that they would be killed, but Ammon was thrilled because he knew he could win the hearts of his fellow servants by saving the king’s flocks. When the men came to scatter the flocks again, he stood forth and cast stones at them with his sling. They then lifted clubs to slay him and as they did, he cut off their arms. When they were driven away, he returned to the King taking the arms as a testimony of what had occurred.

· Alma 18:18-19 When the servants testified to the King of Ammon’s great power in preserving the flocks, he believed him to be the Great Spirit.

· Alma 18: 22-39 Because of Ammon’s service to the King and the trust developed thereby, he was invited to testify of the power by which he accomplished great things in behalf of the King.

· Alma 18: 40-43 When the plan of redemption was explained, the King began to cry unto the Lord for mercy. When he had done this, he fell to the earth as if he were dead for the space of two days and two nights. His wife, sons and daughters mourned over his body thinking he was dead.

· Alma 19: 6,13 Lamoni receives the light of everlasting life and sees the Redeemer.

After each of the skits, we discussed how the principle taught in the scripture block applied to the lives of the youts.

Every one picked up their chair, moved out to the parking lot and roasted hot dogs and marshmellows! It was a huge hit!

The fire pit was masterfully built in a metal drum on a cinderblock base. Many had never experienced a bon fire and the slow drizzle didn't dampen their enthusiam!