The Lord needs valiant servants,

To do his work in the latter day,

Who follow the teachings of Jesus

And serve his people in a loving way.

I will be his servant

And keep my cov’nants valiantly.

I’ll stand for truth. I’ll stand for right.

The Lord can depend on me.

Words and music: Vanja Y. Watkins, b. 1938. © 1981 IRI

wma mp3 wav

Try to break this piece of

thread.

Now, try to break this

piece of rope.

We can all develop strong testimonies that will help us

when others try to challenge us and our beliefs or try to

deceive us.

Our testimonies start like single pieces of thread but can be strengthened until they become unbreakable.

Our lesson today is about Jacob, whose testimony was unbreakable.

The ship carrying Lehi’s family crossed the ocean and arrived at the promised land.

Lehi grew old. Before he died he

talked to his sons and told them

to obey God’s commandments.

After Lehi died Laman and Lemuel became angry with Nephi for urging them to keep the commandments.

They did not

want Nephi,

their younger

brother, to be

their leader.

The Lord told

Nephi to lead

the righteous

people into

the wilderness.

They traveled for many days and finally stopped at a land they named Nephi.

They called themselves the people of Nephi.

The people

who followed

Nephi

obeyed God.

They worked hard and were

blessed.

Nephi taught his people to build

with wood and metal. They built

a beautiful temple.

Laman and Lemuel’s followers were called Lamanites.

They did not obey the

commandments.

They became lazy and wicked

and cut themselves off from the

Lord’s help and guidance.

The Lamanites were cursed by God. Their skin became darkened to remind the Nephites to not intermarry or mix with them.

The Lamanites

hated the

Nephites and

wanted to

destroy them.

“Lesson 8: The Prophet Jacob Is Confronted by Sherem,” Primary 4: Book of Mormon, (1997),25

Adaptation from “A New Home in the Promised Land,” Book of Mormon Stories, Ch 9, p 25&26

Adaptation from “Jacob and Sherem,” Book of Mormon Stories, Ch 10, p 27-29

Nephi led his people in righteousness and helped protect them from the Lamanites.

Eventually, Nephi grew old.

He gave the

plates he had

written on to

his younger brother Jacob.

Nephi told Jacob to write the

things that would help the

people believe in Jesus Christ.

Nephi also gave the historical and scriptural records to Jacob.

Jacob was righteous.

Nephi consecrated Jacob to be a priest in the Church and to teach the Nephites the word of God.

After Nephi died many of the Nephites became wicked.

Jacob taught the people.

He told them to repent of the bad things they were doing.

A wicked man named Sherem went among the Nephites, teaching them not to believe in Jesus Christ.

Sherem told the people that

there would be no Christ.

Many people believed Sherem.

Jacob taught

the people to

believe in

Christ.

Sherem wanted to argue with Jacob and persuade him that there would be no Christ.

Jacob’s faith

in Jesus Christ

could not be

shaken.

Jacob had seen angels and had heard the Lord’s voice.

He knew Jesus would come.

The Holy Ghost was with Jacob as he bore his testimony of Jesus Christ to Sherem.

Sherem asked to see a sign. He wanted Jacob to prove there is a God. He wanted to see a miracle.

He said Sherem already knew that what Jacob had taught was true.

Jacob said if God struck Sherem, that would be a sign of God’s power.

Jacob would not ask God for a sign.

Sherem immediately fell down. He could not get up for many days.

Sherem was weak and knew he was going to die. He called the people together.

Sherem told them he had lied.

He said they should believe in Jesus Christ.

After Sherem finished talking to the people, he died.

The people felt God’s power, and they fell to the ground.

The people

began to

repent and

read the

scriptures.

They lived in peace and love.

Jacob was happy and knew

that God had answered his

prayers.

Who was

Jacob?

About how many years before

Christ’s birth did Jacob and

Sherem live? (See the bottom

of the page in Jacob 7.)

How did Jacob know about

Jesus Christ, who had not

been born yet?

Let’s read

Jacob

7:5, 10–12

What did Sherem do to try to

convince the people that

Jesus Christ would not come?

Let’s read

Jacob 7:2–4

What does it mean to use

flattery?

Who influenced Sherem?

Let’s read Jacob

7:4, 18

How does Satan

try to influence

us?

What were some of Sherem’s lies?

Let’s read Jacob 7:7, 9–10, 19

Why was Jacob able to

withstand the evil influence of

Sherem?

Let’s read Jacob 7:5, 8, 10–12

Although we may not see

angels or hear God’s voice,

what can we do to be strong

when people tempt us to do

wrong?

Why didn’t Jacob want to show Sherem a sign?

Let’s read Jacob 7:13–14

Why isn’t

seeking signs a

good way to

gain a testimony

of Christ?

Let’s read D&C 63:7–12

Signs may come after we demonstrate faith and obedience, but we should not seek them.

What have we learned in our

past lessons about Laman and

Lemuel’s lack of faith even

though they had seen signs?

What effect did Sherem’s confession and death have on the people?

Let’s read Jacob 7:21–23

Why do we need to have strong testimonies of Jesus Christ?

How can we gain and strengthen our testimonies of the Savior?

I will write your responses on

the chalkboard. Enr. Act. 2

Find ways you can strengthen your testimony of Jesus Christ

in these scriptures:

One group will read Alma 5:46

One group will read Alma 37:35

How can we

share our

testimonies

with others?

Why do our testimonies grow

stronger when we bear them

to others?

It is important to gain and strengthen your testimony of Jesus Christ so that you can withstand the evil influences around you.

I bear testimony

that Jesus Christ

is our Savior and

is the Son of our

Heavenly Father.

I challenge you to choose

one way to strengthen your

testimony.

Write it on a piece of paper

as a reminder to take home and work on during

the week.

Images and clipart are from lds.org, Microsoft Office, and other websites indicating the images were in the public domain or permitted for church and home use.

The hymns, lesson and scripture story are from lds.org.

Please do not use this presentation for commercial use. Feel free to alter the presentation for use in church or home to suit personal preference.

This presentation is intended to supplement, not replace, the lesson manual and scriptures. Teachers should refer to the manual, scriptures and other resources when preparing and conducting the lesson.