Sharing time involves picking something that is learned from gospel study at home and sharing it with the other primary kids.

One night, we were reading through Alma 34 in the Book of Mormon when we came to verse 39. We read it and he thought that would be a good scripture to share.

It reads:

“Yea, and I also exhort you, my brethren, that ye be watchful unto prayer continually, that ye may not be led away by the temptations of the devil, that he may not overpower you, that ye may not become his subjects at the last day; for behold, he rewardeth you no good thing.”

Ryan Comer, Standard-Examiner

At the beginning of primary, he walked up to the front of the class, stood at the microphone and read the passage. He then shared what that scripture taught him.

As we discussed the scripture prior to him speaking about it in primary, we went over the various lessons from the scripture:

• Be watchful unto prayer continually
• So that we are not led away by the temptations of the devil
• So that the devil can’t overpower us
• So that we do not become his subjects at the last day
• Because he doesn’t reward us with anything good

I love the structure of this verse because it takes an act that maybe we don’t think too deeply about all the time (prayer) and explains very clearly why we should take it seriously, explaining just what can happen to us if we don’t.

If we don’t pray continually, we can be led away from God by the devil’s temptations and overpowered by him. The way I explained it to my 9-year-old, you could think of prayer as what keeps you connected to God. As long as you’re connected to him, you can’t be led away and overpowered by Satan.

We then learn the result of being led away and overpowered by Satan: We become Satan’s subjects at the last day.

I think I’d rather not be controlled and dominated by Satan.

It probably goes without saying why that might not be an ideal situation, but just to emphasize, Amulek points out that Satan doesn’t reward us with anything good.

He does all that work to lead us away from God and to him, and yet, he ultimately won’t give us anything good for it. I think of what happened to Korihor. He was led astray, but in the end, Satan never protected him. Korihor “was run upon and trodden down, even until he was dead.”

Alma 30:60 provides a grim warning:

More importantly, though not explained in this particular passage, is the fact that God rewards us every good thing. We should want our connection to God through prayer to be strong so that we can stay close to him, and ultimately return to him, because he rewards us with every good thing at the last day.

Who doesn’t want to be rewarded with every good thing?

During the April 2009 general conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, President Thomas S. Monson, then president of the church, called prayer “the provider of spiritual strength” and the “passport of peace.”

He added:

“Prayer is the means by which we approach our Father in Heaven, who loves us. Speak to Him in prayer and then listen for the answer. Miracles are wrought through prayer.”

At the April 1984 general conference, when current president Dallin H. Oaks and late president Russell M. Nelson were sustained as apostles, Elder Bruce R. McConkie of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles delivered the following words on prayer:

“Prayer is the way and means, given us by our Creator, whereby we can counsel and communicate with him. It is one of the chief cornerstones of pure and perfect worship.

“In prayer we speak to the Lord, and he speaks to us. It is our privilege to have our voices heard in the courts above and to hear the answering voice of the Lord conveyed by the power of his Spirit.

“Prayer changes our lives. Through it we draw near to the Lord, and he reaches out his finger and touches us, so we never again are the same.

“Prayer is a great tower of strength, a pillar of unending righteousness, a mighty force that moves mountains and saves souls. Through it the sick are healed, the dead are raised, and the Holy Spirit is poured out without measure upon the faithful.”

I know I’m definitely speaking for myself, and potentially many others, when I say that I don’t always think of prayer with the seriousness that it deserves. I think it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that prayer is something useful but maybe not urgent.

I don’t think we can understate just how urgent it is.

Contact Standard-Examiner editor Ryan Comer at rcomer@standard.net.