Teaching Primary is so much fun. This week I'm teaching about listening to the Holy Ghost.
King Noah sinned against the commandments, causing terrible wickedness. He placed a heavy tax on the people to pay for his lavish, sinful, slothful lifestyle. He spent much of his time drinking wine and living wildly. He was rude in his behavior toward women. He threw out the consecrated priests and replaced them with wicked men that participated in his lifestyle. But the worst thing was he did things that caused his people to be wicked and sinful. Noah justified his behavior by encouraging those around him to follow in his ways. He wanted sinfulness to seem normal and acceptable.
When Abinadi cried repentance, everyone was angry and wanted him killed including the king. Nobody likes to admit their behavior is wrong. Jesus tells us to humble ourselves and admit our problems so we can learn to be like him. Alma, one of Noah's wicked priests, listened to Abinadi, wrote down his words, and preached them in secret. He knew the truthfulness of Abinadi's words, because the Holy Ghost whispered this to him. "And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things," Mornoni 10:2.
Although Abinadi only touched one soul, Alma taught and baptized 450 people. We never know when our good example will touch the heart of another. It is important to try to be like Jesus, smile, choose to forgive others, and never loose our tempers. We never know when others are watching our behavior as a gauge of Christian truth. We want people to see God's children as happy with a good character.
