Lesson #34 Helaman 6-12. The Pride Cycle

The Pride Cycle

Principle to Teach:
If we learn from patterns in the scriptures, then we don't have to suffer through the same mistakes.

Attention Activity:
I would actually use the attention activity in the lesson. There are many fun ways to incorporate it. You can do it like it says in the book or add to it by doing the following. Get three different sizes of paper plates. Put each one inside a different paper bag. Place the bags on the table with the bag with the smallest plate first, then the middle plate, then the largest plate. (Again you are trying to develop a pattern here.) Tell students that you have something in each bag that creates a pattern. Have them try to guess what is next in the pattern. (Of course they won’t be able to tell you. That is the point) Have one student come up and reach in the bag and feel what is in the bag, but don’t look! Have the student reach in each bag. Then have them say what should come next in the sequence. Now talk about the importance of being able to feel or see what is in the bags. The goal is to relate this to the scriptures. There are patterns in the scriptures intended to help us avoid similar consequences. But, we can’t figure them out unless we actually get involved in order to “feel” what the pattern is. Now go into the scriptures to develop the pattern while emphasizing the whole lesson how it takes study and “hands on” scripture experiences to really understand what the pattern is, you can’t just sit by and expect to get it.

Class Discussion:
Again, the manual takes us through where we want to be. I think there are some additional questions and scriptures that really make this lesson interesting and applicable. The first part is that the people are righteous and are blessed. Have students find in Helaman 6:1 what two words describe the righteousness of the people. (Firmness and Steadiness) If necessary define these words for the class. Ask, “Which one do you think is more important in living righteously?” (There is no real right answer. Both are necessary, but it gets the students thinking, just don’t let it turn into an argument.) You can ask, “What are some commandments that it is difficult to be steady in—meaning you continue to do them?” “Which ones might be hard to be firm in—meaning you do them no matter what?” This can be a time for a quick application question. Ask, “What do you think the Lord would tell you to do to be more firm or steady in keeping the commandments?” Now have class members look in verses 9-13 and mark every positive thing that happened to the people.

The second stage is that they start to become wicked. Have students look in Helaman 6:17,22,25,26,29, and 30 for a word that is repeated in each verse. (Secret) “What are the things that are done in secret? Why would people what to keep things secret? Why is secrecy such a indicator of unrighteousness?” Encourage students to write on this page in their scriptures, “If you have to keep it a secret, it is usually bad.” This is a great time for a youth class to talk about secrecy and the dangers of keeping things secret from their parents. Verse 27 is a great verse to talk about how Satan uses secrets. Satan promised Cain that if would kill Abel it would be a secret. Now Cain is one of the most well known murders of all time. Satan wants us to try to keep things secret because he knows he can get us to do wickedly if he can convince us that no one will know. You can cross reference D&C 1:3 or Alma 39:8 to point out that it is impossible to keep things secret from the Lord. One great way to know that we are in this pattern of starting to fall into sin is if we are trying to do things in secret. If we are, it is usually time to repent!

The third aspect is destruction and suffering. Look in Helaman 11:7-8. What is the purpose of the suffering? Why does God allow us to go through very difficult things? What does this teach us about the character of God?
The fourth aspect is to repent and return to God. The repentance is shown well in Helaman 11:10. Ask, “Why is the fact that they ‘swept away the band of Gadianton’ an indication that they had truly repented?” “What would it have taken to sweep the robbers out of the land?” “How is that similar to what the Lord asks of us when we need to repent?”

Application
There is great application all through this lesson. If you use the plates in the bag activity remember to point out to students that unless you get in and really try to understand this process you can’t apply it to your life and have it make any difference for you. A great way to finish might be to ask students to write down what stage in the process they think they are in. Ask, “How do you stay in the ‘Righteousness and Prosperity’ section of the circle?”