For the first three installments in the “Liken the Scriptures” series, we see the stories through the eyes of Spencer, a young boy who has trouble with reading the scriptures until he learns to use his imagination to bring them to life. His older brother McKay helped him out with the story of Ammon in the Book of Mormon, and now in this movie, McKay is serving a mission. He sends letters home to Spencer regularly, and tells Spencer of a special family he is teaching.
This family has chosen to be baptized, and they have a daughter named Amelia who is excited to become a Mormon. But when she goes to school and tells her friends, they make fun of her decision. McKay tells her the story of Alma, who was chosen to be a priest in King Noah’s court, and Amelia uses her imagination to visualize the story, much as Spencer does.
We go with Amelia into the story and see the court of the king. He is surrounded by yes men whose entire job is to agree with everything he says. When Alma arrives on the scene, he is schooled in this complete obedience, and at first, he doesn’t see anything wrong with it, but then notices that nothing good is being accomplished in the kingdom because everyone is so intent on keeping the king happy, complete with groovy disco music. Along comes Abinadi, who preaches the word of the Lord in the marketplace, and we see how he influences Alma for good.
Through learning the story of Alma and Abinadi, Amelia learns how to gain the faith that she will need in order to face up to the peer pressure exerted by her friends. She makes the decision on her own to be baptized, and feels grateful for her decision.
This DVD marks the first of three movies about Amelia. Stay tuned as I review the other two here on Families.com.
Related Blogs:
Liken the Scriptures: Nephi and Laban
Liken the Scriptures: Ammon and Lamoni
Liken the Scriptures: David and Goliath
Author Interview: Robert H. Moss