Today I am to teach the boys in my 11-year-old Primary class the account of Alma and Amulek as they taught the people in the city of Ammonihah.  Zeezrom, the foremost lawyer among them, “a man who was expert in the devices of the devil” (Alma 11:21), tried to trick and to tempt Amulek.  He offered him six onties of silver if he would “deny the existence of a Supreme Being.”  (Alma 11:22).

One onti of silver was what a skilled lawyer or judge would be paid for seven days of labor.  (Alma 11:3, 5-13).  Zeezrom offered Amulek six ontis.  That would have represented the wages Zeezrom had earned from six weeks of labor.  How many thousands of dollars would that be in today’s money?

Amulek wasn’t tempted.  He saw through Zeezrom’s evil plan, and knew that Zeezrom only wanted him to deny the existence of God, and then he would withhold the promised fortune.

The lesson manual asks the question, “Has anyone tried to trick or tempt you to do something wrong?”

I’m going to tell my boys about an experience that I had in the Navy.

Upon my completion of 11 weeks of Naval boot camp at San Diego, 37 weeks of Russian language instruction at the Army’s Presidio of Monterey in California, and four months of security school at Goodfellow Air Force Base in Texas, I was assigned to go to Japan and to serve a year aboard the U.S.S. Banner.  I flew to Japan, and took a long bus ride through the night to my ship anchored at Yokosuka.  I went up the gangplank carrying my heavy seabag.  At the top of the gangplank I set my seabag down, saluted the petty officer on duty there, and requested permission to come aboard.

He said, “Are you the Mormon?”

I said, “I’m guilty.  How did you know?”

I was introduced to another sailor who was to show me to my bunk.  He said, “Are you the guy from Oregon who doesn’t drink?”

I replied, “I’m from Oregon, and I don’t drink, so I guess I’m the guy.”

The first four men that I met each had a similar greeting and question.  It was obvious that I had been a topic of conversation well before my arrival.  I think the reason was that my medical record had preceded me.  I think the medic on board had read my record, and had put out the word that a Mormon was coming.

I quickly learned that of the 82 men aboard the ship I was the only Latter-day Saint.  It was early in the week.  I couldn’t wait for Sunday to come so that I could find where the Latter-day Saints met on base so that I could find some good, like-minded friends with whom to associate.

One man on the ship introduced himself as a member of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  He tried to befriend me.  I accepted his invitation to be taken to Yokohama to see the sights on my first day off duty.

That day came on my third day there.  He got me on the train, and we went to Yokohama.  Yokohama is a huge city.  There are many interesting things to be seen there, but my friend took me to the bar district.  The bus trip that I’d taken to get to my ship had been made at night, in the dark, so this trip to Yokohama was my introduction to Japan.  All I remember seeing was bars and prostitutes.  I refused to go into the bars, and I remember thinking that if a prostitute dared to so much as touch me, I’d risk an international incident by hitting her.

I’m not good at hiding disgust.  I’m sure my companion was able to read me.  After walking around for a bit, he took me back to the ship.  I had little use for him thereafter.

There were some good guys aboard the ship.  They weren’t all bad, but over 50% of my companions were heavy drinkers and without morals.  In spite of them I had wonderful, spiritual experiences in Japan, and wouldn’t have traded those experiences for anything.

A year later, on my last day in Japan I had to go to each department on the ship to be signed out and checked off.  I went to the medic.  He said, “Kerns, you’re the only guy aboard this ship that’s never been to see me!”  (He was one of the disgusting ones.  I had made it a point to never have interaction with him).

As I was on deck just getting ready to leave the ship for the last time, a man named Armstrong came up to me, put out his hand, and shook mine warmly.  “Kerns,” he said, “I want to thank you.  You caused me to win a bet.  When you came aboard, there was a bet that you could be taken to Yokohama and brought back drunk.  I won!  Thanks.”

Many things go on around you of which you’re not aware.  Some of those are plots devised by the adversary and his minions to derail you from your righteous course.  Satan’s constant objective is to find a custom-made formula designed just for you to get you to do things you shouldn’t

Make up your mind now that you will never do certain things.  When the temptation is placed before you, there will be no decision to wrestle with because you’ll have already  made it.

Make up your mind now that you will always do certain other things—like to attend church every Sunday, to daily read your scriptures, to fully keep the commandments, and to pray many times daily.  Those things place around you a protective shield that neither Satan nor any temptation will be able to penetrate.