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Comfort Ye My People

Exiles who felt forgotten heard that the tireless Creator knows them by name and renews all who wait on Him

  • 📖 Adult Sunday School
  • Week 40
  • 📅 Sunday, October 4, 2026
💡 The big idea

When we feel that our way is hidden from the Lord, Isaiah answers with a God great enough to hold the oceans in His hand and tender enough to carry lambs in His arms; He has not forgotten us, and He renews the strength of all who wait on Him.

I can take my honest feelings of being overlooked to the Lord, trust that He knows me by name, and help someone else feel remembered.

Study it yourself firstRead Isaiah 40–49 in Gospel LibraryCome, Follow Me manualOpen this week (Isaiah 40–49)
Know the chapters

Isaiah 40 opens a new section of the book with one word the rest keeps coming back to: “Comfort.” These chapters speak to Judah’s future exiles in Babylon. They would see Jerusalem and its temple destroyed around 586 BC. They’d wonder whether God had walked away from them. Isaiah even names Cyrus, the Persian king who’d conquer Babylon in 539 BC and let the Jews go home to rebuild. See Isaiah 44:28, 45:1 and Ezra 1:1–4. Nephi had chapters 48–49 on the brass plates before the exile ever happened. He read them to his family, in 1 Nephi 19:23 and chapters 20–21. And the risen Savior told the Nephites that “great are the words of Isaiah,” in 3 Nephi 23:1.

This lesson centers on Isaiah 40, one of the great chapters of the Old Testament. It moves in a deliberate arc. It opens with a message of pardon in 40:1–2. A voice prepares a highway for the Lord in the desert, in 40:3–5. All four Gospels apply that to John the Baptist. See Luke 3:2–6. The fading grass sits beside the enduring word in 40:6–8. A Shepherd carries lambs in 40:11. Then come pages of God’s sheer greatness. The oceans fit in the hollow of His hand. The nations are “as a drop of a bucket.” He calls every star by name. See 40:12, 15 and 26. All of that builds to the people’s real complaint: “My way is hid from the Lord,” in 40:27. The Lord answers in verses 28–31.

Two word notes help adults with 40:31. The Hebrew verb behind “wait upon” carries a sense of hopeful expectation. It means looking eagerly toward someone, not sitting idle. And the word translated “renew” can also mean “exchange.” Those who wait on the Lord trade their spent strength for His. Notice the order too: mount up, run, walk. Some seasons feel like flying. Many ordinary weeks are simply walking and not fainting. Isaiah counts that as a promise kept.

The rest of the block is rich with the same comfort. “Fear thou not; for I am with thee,” in 41:10. A Servant who won’t break a bruised reed, in 42:3. The Lord promises, “when thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee,” in 43:2. There’s the sharp satire of a man who bakes bread over half a log and bows to the other half, in 44:9–20. Idols have to be carried, but God carries us “even to hoar hairs,” in 46:1–4. There’s refining “in the furnace of affliction” in 48:10. And names are graven on the palms of His hands, in 49:16. Twenty-five minutes won’t hold them all. Read Isaiah 40 well and let the class find the rest this week.

Only have 5 minutes?

Read Isaiah 40 in five short stops: verses 1–5, 6–8, 9–11, 12–15 and 27–31. Bridge the verses between in a sentence. Open by asking about a time someone remembered your name. Ask one question at each stop. Spend the most time on the My Way Is Hid questions. Close with 40:11, a testimony or two, and an invitation to help one person feel remembered this week.

What to bring2 items

Tick what you have. Forgot something? Every step that needs a supply has a no-supplies version in the plan below.

Before class

  1. Read Isaiah 40 aloud once, slowly. Mark verses 1, 8, 11, 15, 26, 27 and 31. They carry the lesson. Then read Isaiah 49:13–16 for the bonus.
  2. Think of a time you felt forgotten and later learned you weren’t. If the room is quiet, your story opens the door. October 4 is General Conference, so decide how you’ll use this plan.

Discussion tips

  • Quiet class? Give a minute of silence to scan Isaiah 40 for one phrase that stands out. Ask a few people to read just their phrase aloud. It warms the room without anyone having to explain Isaiah.
  • One voice filling every pause? Thank them warmly. Then say, “Let’s hear from someone who hasn’t had a chance yet.”
  • Someone may be in a season where it truly feels like “my way is hid from the Lord.” Don’t rush to correct it. The Lord let Israel say it in verse 27 before He answered. Thank people for honest answers.
  • Someone may say they’ve waited on the Lord for years and still feel weary. Honor that. The verse ends with walking, not flying. A promise of not fainting is still a promise. You don’t have to resolve it in class. You can sit with it and testify.
  • Visitors and new members? Say plainly that Isaiah is poetry and hard for everyone. Show the references on the shared screen. Never ask anyone to read aloud without checking first.

The 25-minute plan25 min + bonus

Bonus steps are for when you have extra time. Each “On the screen” line is what the class sees on a shared screen in Teach Mode in the Gospel Sparks app; on paper, read it aloud or write it on the board.

1. Hook

Remembered by Name

3 min

Opens with the feeling of being known, before the class meets exiles who felt forgotten.

  1. SAY“Think of a time someone remembered your name when you didn’t expect it. Or some small detail about you. How did that feel?”
  2. Give about twenty seconds of quiet. Then take two or three answers.
  3. SAY“Isaiah 40 was written to exiles who felt that God had forgotten them. Let’s hear how He answered.”

On the screen: 🏷️ When has someone remembered your name when you didn’t expect it?

2. Story

Isaiah 40 in Five Short Stops

9 min

Walks through Isaiah 40 a few verses at a time, from comfort to the Creator’s greatness to “my way is hid,” with one question at each stop.

  1. SAY“We’ll walk through Isaiah 40 in five short readings. Listen as if you were an exile far from home.”
  2. Show one scene at a time. You read readings 1 and 5, where the Lord speaks. You or one volunteer reads the others.
  3. Before each reading, give the one-sentence bridge on the screen. Afterward, ask the scene’s question and take two or three answers.
  4. Keep each stop under two minutes. After the last reading, let a few seconds of quiet sit.

On the screen: 🕊️ Isaiah 40: comfort for exiles who felt that God had forgotten them · Five short readings: 40:1–5 · 6–8 · 9–11 · 12–15 · 27–31

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: The shared screen (TV or device) with Teach Mode open

  1. SAY“We’ll walk through Isaiah 40 in five short readings. Listen as if you were an exile, far from home.”
  2. The readings are verses 1–5, 6–8, 9–11, 12–15 and 27–31. You read 1–5 and 27–31. One volunteer may read the others.
  3. Before each reading, give the bridge from the scene in your own words.
  4. After each reading, ask the scene’s question and take two or three answers. Keep each stop under two minutes.
3. Scripture

Wait, Renew, Walk

4 min

Studies Isaiah 40:31 closely so class members find its promise for ordinary, tired weeks.

  1. SAY“Let’s slow down on the verse that answers ‘my way is hid.’”
  2. Read Isaiah 40:31 while the class follows on the screen.
  3. Share the word notes. “Wait upon” means hopeful expectation. “Renew” can also mean “exchange.” Ask, “What changes when you read ‘exchange their strength’?”
  4. Point out the order: mount up, run, walk. Ask, “Why might Isaiah end with walking?” Then ask, “Which one describes your season right now?”
  5. Share Elder Jeffrey R. Holland’s promise about waiting. It’s under “From general conference” below.

On the screen: 🦅 They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. · Isaiah 40:31 · Mount up. Run. Walk. Which is your season?

4. Talk it over

My Way Is Hid

6 min

Helps adults bring the honest feeling of being overlooked to the Lord and hear His answer.

  1. SAY“Israel said, ‘My way is hid from the Lord.’ Many of us have felt that. Let’s talk about it honestly.”
  2. Pick two or three questions. Ask one and wait. Then ask its follow-up before moving on.
  3. Let silence work. Count to seven before rescuing a question. If needed, share your own experience first.
💬 Ask the class
  • Verse 27 records Israel’s complaint word for word. Why do you think the Lord let that honest feeling stand in scripture? Follow-up: What happens when we bring Him honest feelings instead of polished ones?
  • Verse 26 says He calls every star by name, and “not one faileth.” When have you felt known by name? Maybe by God, or by someone serving Him. Follow-up: What made it feel personal?
  • Verse 29 says He gives power to the faint. What has that looked like for you? Maybe in a hospital room, a hard marriage or a long job search. Follow-up: How did you know it was His?
  • Verse 11 says He “shall gently lead those that are with young.” Who has slowed down to match your pace, when you couldn’t keep up? Follow-up: Whose pace could you match this week?

On the screen: ✨ He calls every star by name. Not one is missing, and neither are you. · Isaiah 40:26–29

5. Testimony

He Carries the Lambs

3 min

Ends with testimony of Jesus Christ as the Shepherd who knows and carries each person, and one invitation.

  1. SAY“Isaiah 40:11 says He shall ‘gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom.’”
  2. SAY“Would one or two of you share a time He carried you?”
  3. Testify briefly that Jesus Christ is the Shepherd of Isaiah 40. He knows each person by name. He hasn’t forgotten anyone here.
  4. SAY“Here’s my invitation. This week, when you feel unseen, tell Him honestly. And help one person who may feel forgotten know they’re remembered.”

On the screen: 🐑 He shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom. · Isaiah 40:11 · This week: tell Him honestly. Help one person feel remembered.

6. Talk it over

Graven upon His Palms

4 minBONUS

Moves from Isaiah 40 to the Lord’s most personal promise in the block, and to remembering others.

  1. SAY“Zion says what Israel said in chapter 40. I’ve been forgotten.”
  2. Read Isaiah 49:13–16 yourself, since the Lord speaks here.
  3. Ask one or two questions and their follow-ups. Then close on time.
💬 Ask the class
  • The Lord compares His love to a nursing mother’s. Then He says His is even more certain. Why do you think He put it that way? Follow-up: What does that tell you about how He sees you on your worst day?
  • What’s the difference between a name written on something, and a name graven into it? Follow-up: What would change if you believed you were graven, not penciled in?
  • Many think of the Savior’s wounded hands when they read verse 16. How does that change the verse for you? Follow-up: Who around us may feel forgotten right now?

On the screen: ✋ “Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands.” · Isaiah 49:13–16

Read it together

Comfort Ye My People

Isaiah 40:1–5; Isaiah 40:6–8; Isaiah 40:9–11; Isaiah 40:12–15; Isaiah 40:27–31 ↗

Scenes

  1. 🕊️ “Comfort ye, comfort ye my people”

    Picture the exiles in Babylon. Jerusalem is in rubble. The temple is burned. After chapters of warning, Isaiah’s tone changes completely. Let’s read Isaiah 40, verses 1 to 5. Notice the first word. And notice the highway built through the desert, so God can come to them.

    💬 Ask: Why do you think the Lord leads with comfort here, not correction?

  2. 🌾 The grass withers; the word stands

    A voice tells Isaiah to cry. And he asks, “What shall I cry?” Read verses 6 to 8. Everything human fades, like wildflowers in the heat. Even Babylon. But one thing lasts.

    💬 Ask: What word of God has stood for you when other things didn’t?

  3. 🐑 A Shepherd who carries the lambs

    Now read verses 9 to 11. The same Lord who comes “with strong hand” gathers the lambs in His arm. And He “gently” leads those that are with young.

    💬 Ask: Where have you seen both His strength and His gentleness in your life?

  4. 💧 The oceans in the hollow of His hand

    Read verses 12 to 15. He measures the waters in His palm. The nations are “as a drop of a bucket.” Verses 16 to 26 keep going. Idols a craftsman has to set so they won’t move. And a Creator who calls every star by name.

    💬 Ask: Does picturing God this vast comfort you, or make you feel easy to overlook?

  5. 🦅 “My way is hid from the Lord”

    Then the real worry comes out. God is great, but He doesn’t see me. Read verses 27 to 31. The Lord answers with a question. “Hast thou not known?”

    💬 Ask: What do you already know about Him that helps when you feel unseen?

Key verse

Isaiah 40:31 ↗
“But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”
In plain words: People who look to the Lord in hopeful trust exchange their tired strength for His. Some days that means soaring, some days running, and many days simply walking without giving up.

More verses

Isaiah 40:11 ↗
“He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.”
In plain words: The same God who rules the universe carries the weakest of His flock close to His heart and sets His pace for those who can’t move fast.
Isaiah 43:2 ↗
“When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.”
In plain words: The Lord doesn’t promise we’ll never face deep water or fire. He promises we won’t face them alone, and they won’t destroy us.
Isaiah 44:22 ↗
“I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee.”
In plain words: Our sins can vanish like a cloud burning off in the morning sun. The Lord has already paid to redeem us; He asks us to come back.
Isaiah 49:15–16 ↗
“Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.”
In plain words: Even a mother’s love can fail, but the Lord’s can’t. He has engraved us on His hands, and we are always before Him.

From general conference

“Whether that be a short period or a long one is not always ours to say, but by the grace of God, the blessings will come to those who hold fast to the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

— Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, “Waiting on the Lord,” October 2020

Share in Wait, Renew, Walk, after the class talks about which season they are in.

Read the talk ↗

Songs

  • How Firm a Foundation Hymns, no. 85

    Its verses draw on Isaiah 41:10 and 43:2, two of this week’s great “fear not” promises. Find it ↗

  • I Know That My Redeemer Lives Hymns, no. 136

    A hymn of the living Redeemer who comforts and strengthens, the answer to “my way is hid.” Find it ↗

This week’s invitation

Remembered by Name

When you feel unseen this week, take it to the Lord honestly, the way Israel did in Isaiah 40:27. Then read verses 28–31. And help one person who may feel forgotten know they’re remembered. A call, a note or a visit will do.

Take it home

This week we read Isaiah 40, comfort for exiles who felt forgotten. The God who holds the oceans in His hand also carries lambs in His arms, in Isaiah 40:11–12. He renews the strength of all who wait on Him, in 40:31. Take it home. Read Isaiah 49:15–16 together and talk about how you know the Lord remembers you.

📝 After class

What worked? Who needs a check-in this week? Jot it here on a printed copy, or in the app’s private class notes.

Got extra time?

🪵 Half a Log · 4 min

  1. Read Isaiah 44:14–17. A man bakes bread over half a log and bows to the other half.
  2. Read verse 20. Ask, “What does it mean to have ‘a lie in my right hand’?”
  3. Ask, “What good, useful things are we tempted to ask to save us?”

🐂 Carried or Carrying · 4 min

  1. Read Isaiah 46:1–2. Babylon’s idols have to be loaded onto weary animals and hauled away.
  2. Read Isaiah 46:3–4. The Lord carries His people from birth “even to hoar hairs.”
  3. Ask, “Which things in our lives do we have to carry, and which carry us?”

🛤️ The Voice in the Wilderness · 4 min

  1. Read Isaiah 40:3–5. Then read Luke 3:2–6, where Luke applies it to John the Baptist.
  2. Ask, “What valleys need raising and what mountains need leveling in us to prepare for the Lord?”
  3. Read Doctrine and Covenants 33:10. The Lord repeats the call in our day.

👑 Cyrus, Called by Name · 5 min

  1. Read Isaiah 44:28 and 45:1. The Lord names Cyrus as the one who will say to Jerusalem, “Thou shalt be built.”
  2. Read Ezra 1:1–3, where Cyrus lets the Jews return to build the temple. Then read Isaiah 45:4: called by name “though thou hast not known me.”
  3. Ask, “The Lord prepared a way home before His people had even left. What does that tell you? What ‘exile’ might He be preparing you a way out of?”

Sources

Scripture quotations are from the King James Version, the Bible used by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Tap or click a reference to open it in Gospel Library. Start with the official Come, Follow Me manual; these ideas are here to help it come alive.

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