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Make Room for the King

The people came home from Babylon, but they stopped building the Lord’s house and got busy with their own. Haggai told them to “consider your ways,” and Zechariah promised their King would come riding on a donkey. In busy December, your family will hear the story on the couch, hunt for clues about the King, race to find everyday things that can be holy, draw clean clothes and practice putting the Lord first.

  • Week 50
  • 📅 Dec 7–13, 2026
  • 📖 Haggai 1–2; Zechariah 1–4; 7–14
Start with Monday
Read it togetherHaggai 1–2; Zechariah 1–4; 7–14 in Gospel LibraryCome, Follow Me manualOld Testament 2026, week 50

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 · 8 min · Cozy story time

Couch Story: Build It Again

🧱 Story time: the temple nobody finished!Snuggle up and listen.What did Haggai tell them?Then build a pillow temple!

✋ Grab: couch pillows

⏱ Only 10 minutes?

💡 The Lord asked the people to put His temple first, and He blessed them when they did.

  1. Read Haggai 1:7–8 together.
  2. Ask: “What does it mean to put the Lord first?”
  3. Pick one way to put Him first tomorrow.

😄 Build a fist tower! Everyone stacks fists one on top of another. How high can it go?

📖 Read together: Haggai 1:2–8; 2:4 ↗

  1. Pile onto the couch together. Tap Story.
  2. Read each scene out loud and look at the pictures.
  3. On the money-bag scene, ask: “Why do you think the people stayed hungry?”
  4. On the fourth scene, ask: “What do you think ‘consider your ways’ means?”
  5. After the last scene, stack the couch pillows into a temple. Count down from ten!
  6. SAY“When the people put the Lord first, He blessed them. He blesses us too.”

🎭 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 people stop building?
  • What made them start again?
  • What’s one way we can put the Lord first?
🧸 Little ones (2–5)Let your little one tap to the next scene. At the end, they get to put the last pillow on top.
📚 Big kids (10–13)Have your older kid read Haggai 2:4 at the fourth scene. That’s the Lord cheering the builders on.
🧑 Teens (14–18)Have your teen read Haggai 1:4–6. Ask what “a bag with holes” looks like for teens today. Then ask what putting the Lord first could change in their week.
☕️ For grown-upsHaggai 1:4 asks if it’s time to live in “cieled houses” while the Lord’s house lies waste. The question isn’t whether homes should be nice. It’s what gets built first. December is a good month to ask it of your calendar.

Sticker for today: 🏛️

Tuesday · 7 min · Scripture detective

King on a Donkey Clues

👑 Detectives: who is coming, and what does He ride?Find the King.Find the donkey.Say it without peeking!

✅ Nothing to prep. Just start!

⏱ Only 10 minutes?

💡 Zechariah promised that the King would come riding a donkey, and Jesus did.

  1. Read Zechariah 9:9 together.
  2. Read Matthew 21:5 to see it come true.
  3. Ask: “How can we welcome Jesus this Christmas?”

😄 Everyone does their best donkey sound. Thumbs-up vote for the funniest one!

📖 Read together: Zechariah 9:9; Matthew 21:1–9 ↗

  1. Tap Key Verse and read Zechariah 9:9 together.
  2. SAY“Detectives, who is coming? And what is He riding?”
  3. Hunt for the clues. The King is coming, riding a young donkey. Ass is an old word for donkey.
  4. Now read Matthew 21:5. Find the words that match. Jesus did it more than 500 years later!
  5. Say the key verse together until someone can say it without peeking.

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

Talk about it
  • Why do you think Jesus rode a donkey, not a war horse?
  • How can we welcome Jesus into our home this Christmas?
🧸 Little ones (2–5)Read slowly. When you get to the donkey part, your little one says, “Clip-clop!”
📚 Big kids (10–13)Give your older kid a harder case. Read Matthew 21:8–9 and find three ways the crowd welcomed Jesus.
🧑 Teens (14–18)Have your teen read Zechariah 9:9 with John 12:14–16. Even the disciples didn’t connect the prophecy until later. Ask: what’s something in your life that only made sense looking back?
☕️ For grown-upsA king on a donkey instead of a war horse was a message. Zechariah 9:9–10 shows Jesus coming lowly and speaking peace. In the busiest month of the year, ask how the Prince of Peace would want to enter your home.

Sticker for today: 🌿

Wednesday · 10 min · Activity

Holiness to the Lord Hunt

🔎 Two minutes! Grab it! Holiness to the Lord!Race to grab one thing.High-five it!How can a spoon serve God?

✅ Nothing to prep. Just start!

⏱ Only 10 minutes?

💡 Even everyday things can be holy to the Lord.

  1. Read Zechariah 14:20 together.
  2. Ask: “How could something in this room help the Lord’s work?”
  3. Each person names one idea.

😄 Take turns pointing at something in the room. Everyone shouts, “Holiness to the Lord!” and high-fives.

📖 Read together: Zechariah 14:20 ↗

  1. Read Zechariah 14:20 together.
  2. SAY“Zechariah saw bells and cooking pots marked holy to the Lord. Temples today say Holiness to the Lord.”
  3. Tap Timer for two minutes. Everyone races to bring back one everyday thing.
  4. Hold up each thing. Everyone says, “Holiness to the Lord!” and gives it a high five.
  5. Ask each person how their thing could help the Lord. Shoes can walk to help a neighbor.

⏱️ Big Timer (in the Gospel Sparks app)

Talk about it
  • Which thing was the most surprising?
  • How can an ordinary day become holy?
🧸 Little ones (2–5)Let your little one high-five each thing while everyone says, “Holiness to the Lord!”
📚 Big kids (10–13)Have your older kid pick something they use every day and share one way to make it holy this week.
🧑 Teens (14–18)Ask your teen to treat their phone as “Holiness to the Lord” this week. Let them pick one phone rule for themselves. Check in on Sunday without a lecture.
☕️ For grown-upsZechariah 14:20–21 puts holiness on horse bells and cooking pots, the most ordinary things in a house. Holiness isn’t only at church. It’s in how you drive the carpool and do the dishes.

Sticker for today: 🏷️

Thursday · 10 min · Game

Not by Might Game Night

💪 Push the wall! Did it move?Not by muscles……but by the Lord’s Spirit!Now play Forehead Guess!

✅ Nothing to prep. Just start!

⏱ Only 10 minutes?

💡 Big things happen by the Lord’s Spirit, not just our own strength.

  1. Read Zechariah 4:6 together.
  2. Ask: “What hard thing could the Holy Ghost help you with?”
  3. Share a time the Lord helped you do something hard.

😄 Everyone pushes a wall with all your might for five seconds. Did it move? Nope!

📖 Read together: Zechariah 4:6 ↗

  1. Everyone push a wall with all your might. Did it move? Nope!
  2. Read Zechariah 4:6 together.
  3. SAY“The temple got built by the Lord’s Spirit, not by muscles. Big things happen when He helps us.”
  4. Tap Forehead Guess and play a few rounds.
  5. Ask each person: “What hard thing could the Holy Ghost help you with this week?”

🤔 Play along: Forehead Guess (from the Valiant 7–8 lesson; pick your kid’s class above for theirs)

Talk about it
  • What’s something too hard to do by yourself?
  • How has the Lord helped you do something hard?
🧸 Little ones (2–5)Let your little one flex for the wall push. Then pair them with a big helper for Forehead Guess.
📚 Big kids (10–13)Let your older kid be the host. They give the youngest players the easiest clues.
🧑 Teens (14–18)Have your teen read Zechariah 4:6–10. Verse 10 asks, “who hath despised the day of small things?” Ask what small thing they’re doing now that the Lord could build into something big.
☕️ For grown-upsZerubbabel’s crew was small and discouraged. Their new foundation looked like nothing next to the first temple. “Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit” is a verse for every parent who feels short on time, money or energy.

Sticker for today: 💪

Friday · 10 min · Service

Lord-First Service

🧹 Secret job first, screens second!Pick a job.Do it in secret.Don’t get caught! 👑

✅ Nothing to prep. Just start!

⏱ Only 10 minutes?

💡 The Lord promised streets full of happy kids, and serving each other makes our home happy too.

  1. Read Zechariah 8:5 together.
  2. Ask: “What makes our home a happy place?”
  3. Each person picks one secret job to do tonight.

😄 Ten-second silly dance party! When time’s up, freeze like a statue.

📖 Read together: Zechariah 8:5 ↗

  1. Read Zechariah 8:5 together.
  2. SAY“Zechariah saw streets full of happy kids playing. Let’s make our home like that by serving first.”
  3. Before screens today, each person does one secret job for someone else.
  4. Ideas: make a bed, put away shoes or set the table.
  5. At dinner, guess who did which secret job.
Talk about it
  • How did it feel to help before anyone asked?
  • What happens to a family when everyone serves first?
🧸 Little ones (2–5)Let your little one team up with a sibling and be the lookout.
📚 Big kids (10–13)Challenge your older kid to invite a kid who might feel left out over to play.
🧑 Teens (14–18)Challenge your teen to do their secret job for the sibling they’ve been clashing with. Make it cost real time, like doing that sibling’s chore.
☕️ For grown-upsZechariah 8:4–5 pictures old people sitting in the streets and children playing there. Zion isn’t only a temple. It’s a neighborhood where the old and the young both feel safe.

Sticker for today: 🧹

Saturday · 8 min · Draw

Draw Joshua’s Clean Clothes

👕 Scribble the mud! Then draw clean clothes!Dirty side.Clean side.Jesus makes us clean inside.

✋ Grab: paper and a pen

⏱ Only 10 minutes?

💡 Jesus can make us clean inside when we repent.

  1. Read Zechariah 3:3–4 together.
  2. SAY“The Lord took away Joshua’s dirty clothes. Jesus can make us clean inside.”
  3. Ask: “What can you think about during the sacrament tomorrow?”

😄 Everyone shakes off pretend mud like a wet dog. Then stand up tall and shiny clean!

📖 Read together: Zechariah 3:3–5 ↗

  1. Read Zechariah 3:3–4 together.
  2. SAY“Joshua’s clothes were filthy. The Lord took them away and gave him clean ones.”
  3. Fold a paper in half. On one side, draw Joshua in dirty clothes. Scribble on lots of mud!
  4. On the other side, draw him in bright, clean clothes.
  5. SAY“When we repent and take the sacrament, Jesus makes us clean inside.”
  6. Lay out Sunday clothes together.
Talk about it
  • What does it feel like to start fresh?
  • What can you think about during the sacrament tomorrow?
🧸 Little ones (2–5)Let your little one do the muddy scribbles. Then help them pick out their own Sunday clothes.
📚 Big kids (10–13)Ask your older kid how the sacrament is like getting clean clothes every week.
🧑 Teens (14–18)Have your teen read Zechariah 3:1–5. Notice who accuses Joshua in verse 1 and who stops him in verse 2. Ask: what voice tells you you’re too dirty for the sacrament, and what does the Lord say back?
☕️ For grown-upsIn Zechariah 3:4 the Lord says, “I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment.” Notice that Joshua doesn’t do the scrubbing. He accepts the clean clothes.

Sticker for today: 👔

Sunday · 6 min · Sabbath

Wounds in His Hands

🙌 What did you learn in Primary today?Look at your hands.What can they do for Jesus?

✅ Nothing to prep. Just start!

⏱ Only 10 minutes?

💡 Zechariah wrote about wounds in the Savior’s hands. Jesus was hurt for us because He loves us.

  1. Ask: “What did you learn in Primary today?”
  2. Read Zechariah 13:6 together.
  3. Share why Jesus is your King.

😄 Make a high-five chain. With each high five, name one thing your hands can do for Jesus.

📖 Read together: Zechariah 13:6 ↗

  1. Ask: “What did you learn in Primary today?”
  2. Read Zechariah 13:6 together.
  3. SAY“Zechariah saw that the Savior would have wounds in His hands. Jesus was hurt for us because He loves us.”
  4. Look at your own hands. Each person names one thing their hands can do for Jesus this week.
  5. Share why Jesus is your King. Invite anyone who wants to share too.
Talk about it
  • What did you learn in Primary today?
  • What can your hands do for Jesus this week?
🧸 Little ones (2–5)Press palms with your little one. Name one thing their hands can do, like hug, help or fold for prayer.
📚 Big kids (10–13)Invite your older kid to read Zechariah 13:6 and Doctrine and Covenants 45:51–52. What will people ask the Savior when He comes again?
🧑 Teens (14–18)Invite your teen to read Zechariah 12:10 and John 19:34–37. John says this prophecy came true at the cross. Ask how a prophecy this specific affects their faith in Jesus Christ.
☕️ For grown-upsIn Zechariah 13:6 the Savior says His wounds came “in the house of my friends.” Many of us carry hurts from people we love. He understands that kind of pain from the inside.

Sticker for today: ❤️

Family challenge

Lord First on the Calendar

On Monday night, sit down with the family calendar and write one Lord-first thing on each day of the week before anything else goes in: family prayer, a Christmas scripture, a visit to someone lonely, a walk on temple grounds. Check each one off together at bedtime.

Parent Corner

Haggai and Zechariah spoke to exiles who had come home to a ruined Jerusalem. They laid a temple foundation, met opposition, and then let the work sit for years while they built up their own homes and farms. Haggai’s refrain, “Consider your ways” (Haggai 1:5, 7), is less a scolding than an invitation to notice that effort spent everywhere except on the Lord leaves us strangely unsatisfied. Zechariah widens the view: a high priest is cleansed and given clean clothes (Zechariah 3), finishes His work “not by might, nor by power” (Zechariah 4:6), and sends a lowly King riding on a donkey (Zechariah 9:9). His last vision puts “Holiness unto the Lord” on horse bells and cooking pots (Zechariah 14:20–21), a picture of a life where nothing is too ordinary to be dedicated to God. For families in December, the invitation isn’t to add more; it’s to put the Lord first in what is already there.

  • Ponder: If someone looked only at your calendar and bank statement from the last month, what would they say you’re building first?
  • Try this: Before Christmas, put one temple visit on the calendar before anything else gets added. If going to the temple isn’t possible right now, plan an hour of family history or a quiet walk on temple grounds instead.

From general conference

“Our commitment to attend should be at least as strong when the temple is nearby as when it is distant.”

— Elder Dale G. Renlund, “Jesus Christ Is the Treasure,” October 2023

Read with your spouse after Monday’s temple-building story, as you plan a December temple visit.

Read the talk ↗

Dinner-table questions

  • If you could build any room in the Lord’s house, what would it be?
  • What are our family’s “big rocks” that should come first each day?
  • What’s one thing that gets in the way of putting the Lord first?
  • If Jesus rode into our town on a donkey today, what would you do?
  • What makes a place feel holy to you?

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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