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Out of the Mud!

A king tried to burn God’s word, and a prophet was dropped into a muddy pit, but God’s word came right back and a brave servant named Ebed-melech pulled Jeremiah out. This week your kids learn that the scriptures are God’s word, that He can write it in their hearts, and that they can be brave when someone needs help. Saturday is Halloween and Sunday is fast Sunday, so those days are short and simple.

  • Week 44
  • 📅 Oct 26 – Nov 1, 2026
  • 📖 Jeremiah 31–33; 36–39; Lamentations 1; 3
Start with Monday
Read it togetherJeremiah 31–33; 36–39; Lamentations 1; 3 in Gospel LibraryCome, Follow Me manualOld Testament 2026, week 44

What your kids learn in class

Stories, verses and games for the week come from each child’s own Primary or youth lesson, so home matches Sunday.

Daily sparks

Five to ten minutes a day, Monday to Sunday, with everyday things you already have. Grown-ups lead; kids act, play and answer. Where a step says to tap something, that’s in the Gospel Sparks app; on the web, use the “Play along” links.

Monday · 10 min · Story

The Scroll and the Muddy Pit

🕳️ Pull! Pull! Get Jeremiah out of the mud!Make a pit.Wiggle your fire fingers.Rescue crew, pull!

✋ Grab: a blanket · a bath towel

⏱ Only 10 minutes?

💡 No one can stop God’s word, and one brave person can help someone in trouble.

  1. Read Jeremiah 38:11–13 together.
  2. Ask: “How did Ebed-melech help Jeremiah?”
  3. SAY“One brave person can make a big difference.”

😄 Rope rescue! Everyone holds hands and gently pulls the smallest person up off the floor. Heave-ho!

📖 Read together: Jeremiah 36:20–28; 38:6–13 ↗

  1. Spread a blanket on the floor. That’s the muddy pit. Twist a bath towel into a rope.
  2. Tap Story and read each scene out loud.
  3. At the fire scene, everyone wiggles their fingers like flames. Cheer when Jeremiah writes it all again!
  4. At the pit scene, one kid sits on the blanket. Everyone else grabs the towel rope.
  5. Pull them out gently together: “Pull! Pull!”
  6. SAY“A king can burn paper, but he can’t stop God’s word. And one brave person can help.”

🎭 Play along: the story scenes (from the Valiant 7–8 lesson; pick your kid’s class above for theirs)

Talk about it
  • Why did the king burn the scroll?
  • What made Ebed-melech brave?
🧸 Little ones (2–5)Let your little one sit in the pit so they get rescued. Or they hold the rope with you and shout “Pull!”
📚 Big kids (10–13)Have older kids read the scenes out loud and call “Pull!” at just the right moment.
🧑 Teens (14–18)Ask your teen to read Jeremiah 36:22–24 and notice the chilling details: the king cut the scroll with a penknife a few columns at a time, fed it to the fire he was warming himself by, and no one was afraid. Ask: how do people today “cut out” the parts of God’s word they don’t like?
☕️ For grown-upsThe king heard God’s word and felt nothing, while a few officials begged him not to burn it and were ignored (Jeremiah 36:24–25). Hard hearts rarely start with open rebellion; they start with indifference. What counsel have you been quietly tuning out?

Sticker for today: 🪢

Tuesday · 8 min · Verse

The Disappearing Verse

❤️ Tear it up, but keep it in your heart!Say the verse.Tear off a word.Say it again from your heart!

✋ Grab: paper and a pen

⏱ Only 10 minutes?

💡 The Lord wants to write His word in our hearts.

  1. Read Jeremiah 31:33 together.
  2. Ask: “What’s a truth you already know by heart?”
  3. Let each person share one.

😄 Whisper chain! Whisper “write it in their hearts” around the circle. Does it come out right at the end?

📖 Read together: Jeremiah 31:31–34 ↗

  1. Tap Key Verse and read Jeremiah 31:33 together.
  2. Write the last part of the verse in big letters on paper: “write it in their hearts.”
  3. Say it together. Tear off one word and say it again.
  4. Keep tearing off one word at a time until the paper is gone.
  5. SAY“The paper is gone, but the words are still in our hearts. No one can take them away.”
  6. SAY“The king burned the scroll. He couldn’t burn what was in people’s hearts.”

📖 Play along: the key verse (from the Valiant 7–8 lesson; pick your kid’s class above for theirs)

Talk about it
  • What does it mean to have God’s word written in your heart?
  • What’s a scripture or truth you already know by heart?
🧸 Little ones (2–5)Let your little one do the tearing and shout “It’s in my heart!” every time.
📚 Big kids (10–13)Have older kids do the writing and try to say the verse with the paper face down after just three rounds.
🧑 Teens (14–18)Ask your teen to read Jeremiah 31:31–34 and explain the difference between a law written on stone and one written in the heart. Then ask: what’s one standard they keep because they’ve chosen it, not because someone told them to?
☕️ For grown-upsThe new covenant Jeremiah describes isn’t a new rulebook; it’s a changed heart. That is the long goal of gospel parenting too: not children who obey while you watch, but children who make the Lord’s ways their own. Where are you already seeing signs of it?

Sticker for today: 💖

Wednesday · 10 min · Walk

Everlasting Walk

♾️ Find what lasts and what melts away!Leave an ice cube out.Spot what lasts.Is God’s love like ice?

✋ Grab: an ice cube

⏱ Only 10 minutes?

💡 Heavenly Father’s love for us is everlasting, so it never ends.

  1. Read Jeremiah 31:3 together.
  2. SAY“Everlasting means it never, ever ends.”
  3. Ask: “How do you know Heavenly Father loves you?”

😄 Longest hug contest! Hug as long as you can while someone counts out loud.

📖 Read together: Jeremiah 31:3 ↗

  1. Read Jeremiah 31:3 together.
  2. SAY“Everlasting means it never, ever ends.”
  3. Set an ice cube on the front step. Tap Timer for five minutes and take a short walk.
  4. Spot things that don’t last long, like a leaf or a puddle. Then spot things that last, like a rock.
  5. Back home, check the ice cube. Ask: “Does God’s love melt away like that?”
  6. SAY“Even when you make mistakes, His love for you never ends.”

⏱️ Big Timer (in the Gospel Sparks app)

Talk about it
  • What’s something that lasts a really long time?
  • How do you know Heavenly Father and Jesus love you?
🧸 Little ones (2–5)Let your little one hold the ice cube before you set it down. When you get back, say: “God’s love never melts!”
📚 Big kids (10–13)Have older kids read Lamentations 3:22–23 and explain what “new every morning” adds to “everlasting.”
🧑 Teens (14–18)Give your teen Lamentations 3:19–26 and ask: this was written after Jerusalem burned. Why would someone at their lowest point write that the Lord’s mercies are “new every morning”? What does that say about where hope comes from?
☕️ For grown-upsLamentations 3:22–23 sits in the middle of a book of grief, written over the ruins of Jerusalem. The writer doesn’t deny the loss; he finds the Lord’s mercy inside it. If you’re carrying a loss right now, you don’t have to choose between honest grief and hope.

Sticker for today: 🧊

Thursday · 8 min · Game

Team Rope vs. Team Rags

🏅 Team Rope vs. Team Rags: who wins?Pick your team.Right answer: heave-ho!Wrong answer: squat low!

✅ Nothing to prep. Just start!

⏱ Only 10 minutes?

💡 The Lord blessed Ebed-melech because he trusted in Him.

  1. Read Jeremiah 39:17–18 together.
  2. Ask: “Why did the Lord keep Ebed-melech safe?”
  3. SAY“Ebed-melech trusted the Lord. We can trust Him too.”

😄 Quick guess game! Think of someone brave from the scriptures and give three clues. Who can guess first?

  1. Split into Team Rope and Team Rags.
  2. Tap Quiz and read each question out loud.
  3. Teams whisper, then point to an answer.
  4. Right answer? That team pulls an invisible rope and shouts “Heave-ho!” Wrong answer? Squat low until the next question.
  5. The winning team picks tonight’s bedtime story.

🏆 Play along: Scripture Showdown (from the Valiant 7–8 lesson; pick your kid’s class above for theirs)

Talk about it
  • Which question was the hardest?
  • What would you have done if you were Ebed-melech?
🧸 Little ones (2–5)Let your little one be their team’s rope puller who does the heave-ho for every right answer.
📚 Big kids (10–13)Have older kids be the quizmasters and add one bonus question of their own about the story.
🧑 Teens (14–18)Let your teen coach one team and write a bonus question comparing King Zedekiah, who kept asking Jeremiah for the Lord’s word but wouldn’t follow it, with Ebed-melech. Afterward ask: which one is easier to be?
☕️ For grown-upsKing Zedekiah secretly asked Jeremiah what the Lord wanted, then didn’t do it (Jeremiah 38:14–20). It’s a very human pattern: wanting counsel without wanting to change. Is there counsel you keep asking for but not acting on?

Sticker for today: 🏅

Friday · 8 min · Dinner table

Ropes and Rags Dinner Talk

🦸 Be a brave and gentle rescuer!What would you do?Practice brave words.Pick someone to help!

✅ Nothing to prep. Just start!

⏱ Only 10 minutes?

💡 We can be brave and gentle helpers, like Ebed-melech with his soft old rags.

  1. Read Jeremiah 38:11–12 together.
  2. SAY“Ebed-melech was brave and gentle. He even thought about Jeremiah’s sore arms.”
  3. Ask: “Who could use a gentle helper this week?”

😄 Say these brave words in your silliest superhero voice: “Hey, that’s not kind. Come sit with us!”

📖 Read together: Jeremiah 38:10–13; 39:15–18 ↗

  1. At dinner, read Jeremiah 38:11–12 together.
  2. SAY“Ebed-melech sent down old rags so the ropes wouldn’t hurt Jeremiah. He was brave and gentle.”
  3. Ask: “What would you do if someone at school got teased?”
  4. Let each person answer. Then practice brave words together: “Hey, that’s not kind. Come sit with us.”
  5. Everyone picks one person to help tomorrow, and one gentle way to do it.
Talk about it
  • Who might need a rescuer this week?
  • What brave words can you say when someone is being unkind?
🧸 Little ones (2–5)Ask your little one an easy one: “If your friend fell down, what would you do?” Cheer for their answer.
📚 Big kids (10–13)Have older kids think of a real moment at school or online where someone needs an Ebed-melech. What would they do?
🧑 Teens (14–18)Ask your teen to read Jeremiah 38:7–10. Ebed-melech, a foreign servant, went straight to the king to speak up for someone unpopular. Where at school, on a team or in a group chat does someone need an advocate? What would it cost to be one?
☕️ For grown-upsEbed-melech risked his place to rescue an unpopular prophet, and the Lord later promised to protect him “because thou hast put thy trust in me” (Jeremiah 39:18). His courage and his kindness grew out of trust. Tell your kids about a time you spoke up, or wish you had.

Sticker for today: 🦸

Saturday · 5 min · Activity

Rescue Crew Huddle

🎃 Rescue Crew huddle: brave and kind tonight!Hands in!Watch for someone who needs help.Tomorrow is fast Sunday.

✅ Nothing to prep. Just start!

⏱ Only 10 minutes?

💡 The Lord is good to those who wait for Him and seek Him in prayer.

  1. Read Lamentations 3:25 together.
  2. SAY“Tomorrow is fast Sunday. We skip food for a little while to pray.”
  3. Decide together what your family will fast and pray for.

😄 Thirty-second challenge! Name as many good things the Lord gives us as you can while a grown-up counts.

  1. Keep it short today! If you’re heading out for Halloween, huddle by the door for two minutes.
  2. SAY“Tonight, watch for someone who needs help. Maybe a little kid who’s scared or someone left behind.”
  3. Everyone puts a hand in the middle and shouts: “Brave and kind!”
  4. Before bed, say: “Tomorrow is fast Sunday. We go without food for a little while to pray and get closer to God.”
  5. Decide what your family will fast and pray for. Little kids can give up a snack instead.
Talk about it
  • Who did you notice or help tonight?
  • What will our family fast and pray for tomorrow?
🧸 Little ones (2–5)Your little one can shout “Brave and kind!” and help pick one treat to share with a sibling.
📚 Big kids (10–13)Invite older kids to fast for a meal if they’re ready, and to help choose what the family will fast for.
🧑 Teens (14–18)If your teen is going out with friends tonight, quietly give them the Ebed-melech job: watch for anyone left out or uncomfortable and be the one who helps. Invite them to fast tomorrow and choose something personal to fast for.
☕️ For grown-upsKids understand fasting best when they know why you’re doing it. Tonight, tell them in a sentence or two what you’ll be fasting for tomorrow, as much as is right to share.

Sticker for today: 🎃

Sunday · 8 min · Sabbath

New Every Morning

🌅 Every morning is a brand-new start!Tell what you learned in Primary.End the fast with a prayer.Share one thank-you.

✅ Nothing to prep. Just start!

⏱ Only 10 minutes?

💡 The Lord’s mercies are new every morning, even on hard days.

  1. Read Lamentations 3:22–23 together.
  2. Ask: “What’s one good thing Heavenly Father gave you this morning?”
  3. Close your fast with a family prayer.

😄 Good morning game! Everyone yawns and stretches like it’s morning, then jumps up and shouts one blessing.

📖 Read together: Lamentations 3:22–26 ↗

  1. Ask: “What did you learn in Primary today? What happened in the story?”
  2. Read Lamentations 3:22–23 together.
  3. SAY“Jerusalem was gone and people were very sad. But they still said the Lord’s kindness is new every morning.”
  4. End your fast with a family prayer. Thank Heavenly Father and ask for help with what you fasted for.
  5. Each person shares one thing they’re grateful for. Then share your testimony in a sentence or two.
Talk about it
  • What did you learn in Primary today?
  • How did fasting or praying feel today?
🧸 Little ones (2–5)Let your little one open the curtains or flip on a light and say, “Good morning, fresh start!”
📚 Big kids (10–13)Read Jeremiah 36:3 with your older kid. The Lord hoped the scroll would help people choose better. Ask how the scriptures have helped them choose better.
🧑 Teens (14–18)Invite your teen to share a short testimony in fast and testimony meeting or at home as you end the fast, even two sentences. First have them read Lamentations 3:25–26: what does it mean to hope and “quietly wait” for the Lord?
☕️ For grown-upsAs you end the fast, sit with Lamentations 3:24: “The LORD is my portion.” What would it mean for the Lord to be enough for you this month, even if what you fasted for doesn’t come the way you hoped?

Sticker for today: 🌅

Family challenge

Family Rescue Rope

Every time someone in your family helps someone out of a hard spot this week (a spill, a sad moment, a tricky homework problem), shout “Heave-ho!” At dinner, share the rescues and add them to your family’s rope count. How long can your rescue rope get by Sunday?

Parent Corner

These chapters hold some of the darkest scenes in the Old Testament: a king burning scripture, a prophet sinking in the mud of a dungeon, Jerusalem and its temple destroyed. Yet right in the middle of them Jeremiah delivers some of the most hopeful words in the Bible: a new covenant, the Lord’s law written on hearts, sins remembered no more (Jeremiah 31:31–34). While Babylon’s army surrounded the city, the Lord even had Jeremiah buy a field and seal the deed in a jar, as a sign that houses and fields would be bought in that land again (Jeremiah 32:6–15). It’s a good pattern for hard seasons of family life: don’t pretend nothing is falling apart, but keep making small investments that show you believe the Lord will redeem it.

  • Ponder: What “field” could we buy right now, some small act of faith in our family’s future, while things still feel uncertain?
  • Try this: Read Lamentations 3:1–33 on your own this week. Notice where the writer’s tone turns (around verse 21) and write down what helped him hope again.

From general conference

“Regardless of how desperate things may seem or how desperate they may yet become, please believe me, you can always have hope. Always.”

— Elder M. Russell Ballard, “The Joy of Hope Fulfilled,” October 1992

For parents on Sunday, with Lamentations 3:21–26 as you end your fast, or save it for a hard day.

Read the talk ↗

Dinner-table questions

  • If you were Baruch, would you be nervous to read the scroll to the king?
  • What’s your favorite scripture story?
  • When have you seen someone be brave for another person?
  • What does it feel like to get a fresh start?
  • What words from God do you want written in your heart?

Sources

Scripture quotations are from the King James Version, the Bible used by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

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