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The Secret Sealed Book

A book hidden in a hill, a professor who couldn’t read it, and a marvelous book that teaches about Jesus

  • 🛡️ CTR 4–6
  • Week 39
  • 📅 Sunday, September 27, 2026
🤔 Forehead Guess🏆 Showdown
💡 The big idea

Heavenly Father kept His promise and brought forth the Book of Mormon, a marvelous work that helps me know Jesus Christ.

I can thank Heavenly Father for the Book of Mormon, and I can run to Jesus like a safe shelter when I feel scared or sad.

Study it yourself firstRead Isaiah 13–14; 22; 24–30; 35 in Gospel LibraryCome, Follow Me manualOpen this week (Isaiah 13–14; 22; 24–30; 35)
Know the chapters

Isaiah lived about 700 years before Jesus was born. Big, proud kingdoms like Babylon were pushing Israel around. In chapters 13–14, he says proud Babylon will fall. In 14:12–15 he describes Lucifer, who wanted to lift himself above God and was cast down. In chapters 24–30 and 35, Isaiah looks far ahead to the last days. He sees the Lord as a shelter in the storm in 25:4 and the Savior swallowing up death in 25:8. He promises perfect peace to those who trust Him in 26:3. He talks about learning “line upon line” in 28:10 and a sealed book in 29:11–14. And in 35:1, a desert blossoms like a rose.

For children, the star of this week is Isaiah 29. In 29:4, Isaiah said a voice would “speak out of the ground” and “whisper out of the dust.” Nephi used the same picture for the Book of Mormon in 2 Nephi 26:16. Isaiah also saw a sealed book that a learned man couldn’t read, given to a man who was not learned, in 29:11–12. In 1828, Martin Harris took characters copied from the gold plates to Professor Charles Anthon in New York City. Martin said part of the plates was sealed. The professor replied that he couldn’t read a sealed book. That’s in Joseph Smith—History 1:63–65. Joseph Smith, a young farmer with little schooling, translated by the gift and power of God. Nephi explains the whole prophecy in 2 Nephi 27. Isaiah calls it “a marvellous work and a wonder” in 29:14.

Your class runs from four-year-olds who can’t read yet to six-year-olds getting ready for baptism. So this plan keeps one simple idea and says it many ways: “God brought forth a special book that teaches about Jesus.” You tell the story with pictures, and everyone joins in. Big kids can read captions and the key verse from your phone or tablet. Tie it to baptism. The Book of Mormon teaches that Jesus was baptized and shows us how to follow Him, in 2 Nephi 31:5–10. And anyone who prays about it can feel the Holy Ghost say it’s true, as Moroni 10:4–5 promises.

Isaiah 25 and 35 add comfort for little hearts. In 25:4, Jesus is a safe place in a storm and cool shade on a hot day. In 25:8, He promises that someday He’ll wipe away every tear. Keep Lucifer and fallen Babylon in the background for this age. The lesson stays bright and hopeful. You read every part of the story, and the kids join in from their seats.

Only have 5 minutes?

Wrap a Book of Mormon in a dish towel and tape it shut. Tell the story in Teach Mode. Say “a marvellous work and a wonder” with motions, then play Pass the Marvelous Book. Close with your testimony. Brought nothing? Tap “I brought nothing.” Your hands become the sealed book, and you pass your phone or tablet instead.

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. Wrap the Book of Mormon in the towel or paper and tape it shut. Write SEALED on a piece of tape. Tuck it under your chair.
  2. Pick two helpers. A 6- or 7-year-old can be the Book Keeper. Anyone can be the Sound Helper.

If your class is wild

  • Pointing at the screen pulls every eye to the front. Little ones love finding things.
  • Give your wiggliest kid the Book Keeper job. Holding the sealed book keeps them still and proud.
  • Seat each 4- or 5-year-old by a 6- or 7-year-old buddy. Big kids love helping, and little ones copy what they do.
  • Whisper the professor’s words in scene 5. Kids lean in to hear, and the room gets quiet on its own.
  • If energy spikes mid-story, do ten seconds of the fastest “Clip-clop!” ever. Then whisper the next scene.

The 25-minute plan25 min + bonus

Bonus steps are for when you have extra time. Steps that mention Teach Mode, the Sound Board or other class games refer to the Gospel Sparks app; on the web you can play Forehead Guess and Scripture Showdown from this page.

1. Hook

The Sealed Book

3 min

A mystery book grabs attention.

  1. SAY“Shh! I have a secret book under my chair. It’s sealed shut. Can anybody read it?”
  2. Pull out the wrapped book. Let two kids try to peek. Then hand it to your Book Keeper to hold.
  3. SAY“Isaiah wrote about a sealed book long, long ago. Today we’ll find out what it was.”
🌪️ Whoever is sitting the stillest gets to hold the sealed book first.

Class screen: 🔒 Shh! A sealed book! Can anybody read it? · 🔒 Sealed!

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: A copy of the Book of Mormon, A dish towel (or paper) and tape to wrap the book shut

The Sealed Hands

  1. SAY“Shh! I have a secret book right here. Watch!”
  2. Press your hands together tight like a closed book. Let two kids gently try to pull them apart. They stay shut!
  3. SAY“It’s sealed shut! Isaiah wrote about a sealed book long ago. Let’s find out what it was.”

Class screen: 🙏 Shh! A sealed book! Can anybody open it? · 🔒 Sealed!

2. Story

Story: The Book That Came from the Ground

7 min

A true story shows that Isaiah’s sealed book came true with the Book of Mormon.

  1. SAY“This is a true story. Keep your eyes on the pictures. I’ll ask you to find things.”
  2. Open the story in Teach Mode. When the screen says “Find,” let kids point before you read on. Big kids can read the caption first.
  3. After scene 5, ask, “Why couldn’t the professor read it?” Help them see it was sealed, and he didn’t have God’s help.
  4. After scene 7, have the Book Keeper unwrap the book.
  5. SAY“Here it is! This is the book the professor couldn’t read.”
🌪️ If the room drifts, ask everyone to point to something on the screen. Then read on.

Class screen: 📙 The Book That Came from the Ground · 👀 Find it! · ✨ Marvelous!

3. Wiggle break

Desert to Garden

2 min

A quick stretch before the verse, using Isaiah’s picture of a desert that blooms.

  1. SAY“Isaiah said the desert would bloom! Everyone stand up. Now curl up small, like a dry seed.”
  2. Fan yourselves: “So hot!” Tap fingers softly for rain, then faster. Slowly grow into tall flowers with arms wide.
  3. Do three deer leaps in place. Then freeze like a statue flower.
  4. SAY“Now sit down, as quiet as a seed.”
🔊 Sound Board (a class game in the Gospel Sparks app)

Class screen: 🌸 The desert will bloom! · Tiny seed · Rain · Bloom!

4. Scripture

Key Verse: Isaiah 29:14

3 min

Motions help every age remember Isaiah’s name for the Book of Mormon.

  1. SAY“Isaiah called this book ‘a marvellous work and a wonder.’”
  2. Show the verse on your phone or tablet. Let a big kid read it.
  3. SAY“Marvelous means super amazing. A wonder makes you say, ‘Wow!’”
  4. Teach the motions one phrase at a time. Then say it three ways: a whisper, a normal voice and a big trumpet voice.
  5. Ask, “The Book of Mormon tells how Jesus was baptized. Who’s getting ready to be baptized too?” Let them wave.

Class screen: 🎆 A marvellous work and a wonder!

5. Game

Pass the Marvelous Book

7 min

Kids hold the Book of Mormon and hear short true stories from it about Jesus, practicing the big idea.

  1. SAY“This marvelous book is full of stories about Jesus. Let’s pass it and find some!”
  2. Sit in a circle and tap Hot Potato. Pass the book gently while the music plays. At the buzz, the holder hugs it: “Thank you, Heavenly Father!”
  3. The holder picks a number from 1 to 5. Tell that story in one sentence. Everyone does sparkle fingers: “Marvelous!”
  4. 1: Jesus blessed the children one by one, 3 Nephi 17:21. 2: He healed the sick, 3 Nephi 17:9. 3: People felt the marks in His hands, 3 Nephi 11:15.
  5. 4: Samuel said a new star would shine, Helaman 14:5. 5: Jesus was baptized to show us the way, 2 Nephi 31:5. Play until everyone has held it.
🌪️ Pass it, don’t toss it: “This book is special.” Anyone who throws it sits out the next turn.
🥔 Hot Potato (a class game in the Gospel Sparks app)

Class screen: 📘 Pass the Marvelous Book! · Hug it · Pick 1–5 · ✨ Marvelous!

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: A copy of the Book of Mormon

Pass your phone or tablet

  1. SAY“The Book of Mormon is full of stories about Jesus. Let’s find some!”
  2. Sit in a circle. Tap Hot Potato and pass your phone or tablet gently.
  3. At the buzz, the holder says, “Thank you, Heavenly Father, for the Book of Mormon!” Then they pick a number from 1 to 5.
  4. 1: Jesus blessed the children one by one, 3 Nephi 17:21. 2: He healed the sick, 3 Nephi 17:9. 3: People felt the marks in His hands, 3 Nephi 11:15.
  5. 4: Samuel said a new star would shine, Helaman 14:5. 5: Jesus was baptized to show us the way, 2 Nephi 31:5. Then sparkle fingers: “Marvelous!”

Class screen: 📱 Pass your phone or tablet! Find a story about Jesus! · Thank you, Heavenly Father! · Pick 1–5 · ✨ Marvelous!

6. Testimony

A Book I Love

3 min

End quietly with the teacher’s witness and Moroni’s promise that we can know the book is true.

  1. SAY“Let’s get as quiet as a whisper from the ground.”
  2. Hold up the Book of Mormon, or open it in Gospel Library on your phone or tablet.
  3. SAY“Moroni made a promise. When we pray about this book, the Holy Ghost helps us feel it’s true.”
  4. Share a sentence or two about why you love it. Then show the Marvelous Book Nights challenge on the screen.
  5. Ask a child to say the closing prayer. Little ones can repeat after you, a few words at a time.

Class screen: 📘 The Book of Mormon teaches about Jesus. · Pray about it · Feel the Holy Ghost

7. Game

Forehead Guess: Sealed Book Edition

4 minBONUS

A quick Heads Up–style review of the story words.

  1. SAY“Let’s see what you remember! Give clues, but don’t say the word.”
  2. Tap Forehead Guess. The guesser holds your phone or tablet on their forehead. Everyone else gives clues from their seats. Little ones can show a motion.
  3. Tilt down for “got it” and up to pass. Give each guesser about 30 seconds. Pair a little one with a big-kid buddy.
▶ Play Forehead Guess on the web

Class screen: 🤔 Forehead Guess! · Give clues, don’t say the word!

8. Game

Scripture Showdown

5 minBONUS

A fast team quiz reviews the lesson.

  1. SAY“It’s Team Gold Plates versus Team Marvelous!”
  2. Split into two teams, mixing big and little kids. Tap Scripture Showdown.
  3. A big kid on each team reads the question out loud. The team whispers, then points to an answer.
  4. Tap the team that got it right to give them a point. Cheer for both teams.
▶ Play Scripture Showdown on the web

Class screen: 🏆 Scripture Showdown!

The story

The Book That Came from the Ground

Isaiah 29:4, 11–14; Joseph Smith—History 1:59–65 ↗

Optional helpers

  • Book KeeperHolds the sealed book during the story and unwraps it after the last scene.
  • Sound HelperSits next to you and taps each scene’s sound on your phone or tablet.

Scenes

  1. 🧔📜 Isaiah sees a sealed book

    Long, long ago, God showed the prophet Isaiah something amazing. Someday, a book would come out of the ground. And part of it would be sealed shut. Isaiah wrote it all down.

    🙌

  2. 🙏👼 An angel visits Joseph Smith

    Many, many years later, a young man named Joseph Smith prayed. Then a bright angel came! His name was Moroni. He told Joseph about gold plates hidden in a hill near his home.

    🙌

  3. ⛰️📙 Gold plates hidden in a hill

    Joseph dug in the hill. Under a big stone, he found the gold plates! Later, God let him take them home. Part of the plates was sealed. Joseph was told to leave that part closed.

    🙌 Find the gold plates on the screen. Point to them!

  4. ✍️🐴 Martin carries the strange letters

    Joseph copied some strange letters from the plates onto paper. His friend Martin Harris carried the paper far away, to a big city. He showed it to a very smart teacher, called a professor.

    🙌 Find the horse. Pat your knees: “Clip-clop, clip-clop!”

  5. 🎓🔒 “I cannot read a sealed book!”

    The professor looked at the letters. Then he asked to see the plates. Martin said part of them was sealed. And the professor said almost exactly what Isaiah wrote: “I cannot read a sealed book.”

    🙌 Lean in close. Whisper with me: “I cannot read a sealed book!”

  6. 👦✨ God helps Joseph translate

    Joseph hadn’t gone to school very much. But God gave him the power to translate the plates. He turned them into words we can read. And Emma helped write the words down.

    🙌

  7. 📘🌸 A marvelous work and a wonder!

    It became the Book of Mormon! Now children all over the world read it. It teaches about Jesus Christ. Isaiah called it “a marvellous work and a wonder.” And it happened, just as he said!

    🙌 Find the book on the screen. Sparkle fingers: “Marvelous!”

Key verse

Isaiah 29:14 ↗
“a marvellous work and a wonder”
In kid words: God said, “I will do something amazing and wonderful!”
🙌 “a marvellous” = sweep both arms over your head like a rainbow · “work” = pound one fist on your palm like a hammer · “and a wonder” = hands burst open like fireworks: “Wow!”

More verses

Isaiah 29:11 ↗
“the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed”
In kid words: People would give a sealed book to a smart man, and he would say, “I can’t read it. It’s sealed!”
Isaiah 25:4 ↗
“a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat”
In kid words: Jesus is like a safe place in a storm and cool shade on a hot day.
Isaiah 35:1 ↗
“the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose”
In kid words: Even a dry, sandy desert will be happy and burst into flowers.
Isaiah 28:10 ↗
“line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little”
In kid words: Heavenly Father teaches us a little bit at a time.

Forehead Guess words18 words

  • 🧔 Isaiah
  • 👼 Angel
  • 👦 Joseph Smith
  • 📙 Gold Plates
  • ⛰️ Hill
  • 🔒 Sealed Book
  • 🎓 Professor
  • 📘 Book of Mormon
  • 🤫 Whisper
  • 🏜️ Desert
  • 🌹 Rose
  • 🦌 Deer
  • 🌧️ Rain
  • ⛈️ Storm
  • ☂️ Umbrella
  • 😢 Tears
  • 💧 Baptism
  • 🕊️ Holy Ghost
Clues for each word
  • Isaiah: A prophet who wrote about a sealed book
  • Angel: Moroni was one. He came to Joseph
  • Joseph Smith: Translated the gold plates with God’s help
  • Gold Plates: Shiny, heavy pages full of writing
  • Hill: The plates were hidden in one
  • Sealed Book: Locked shut. Nobody can read it!
  • Professor: A very smart teacher who couldn’t read the sealed book
  • Book of Mormon: Another book that teaches about Jesus
  • Whisper: Talking super quietly
  • Desert: Hot and sandy with no water
  • Rose: A pretty flower. The desert will bloom like one
  • Deer: Leaps and jumps high. Leap like one!
  • Rain: Water falling from the clouds
  • Storm: Wind, rain and thunder. Boom!
  • Umbrella: Keeps you dry when it rains
  • Tears: Water from your eyes when you cry
  • Baptism: You go all the way under the water
  • Holy Ghost: Helps us feel what is true
▶ Play Forehead GuessFull screen, 60-second timer, works on any phone.

Scripture Showdown8 questions

  1. Which prophet wrote about a sealed book long ago?
    • A. Isaiah 🧔
    • B. Noah 🚢
    • C. Jonah 🐋
    Show answer

    ✅ A. Isaiah 🧔 Isaiah wrote about it long, long before it happened!

  2. Who told Joseph Smith where the gold plates were hidden?
    • A. A farmer 🧑‍🌾
    • B. An angel named Moroni 👼
    • C. A fish 🐟
    Show answer

    ✅ B. An angel named Moroni 👼 The angel Moroni came to Joseph and told him about the plates.

  3. Where were the gold plates hidden?
    • A. In a tree 🌳
    • B. In a hill ⛰️
    • C. Under a bed 🛏️
    Show answer

    ✅ B. In a hill ⛰️ They were buried in a hill, so the book came out of the ground, just like Isaiah said.

  4. What did the professor say about the sealed book?
    • A. “I love pancakes!” 🥞
    • B. “It’s too little!”
    • C. “I cannot read a sealed book.”
    Show answer

    ✅ C. “I cannot read a sealed book.” Almost the very words Isaiah wrote in Isaiah 29:11!

  5. How did Joseph Smith translate the gold plates?
    • A. By the power of God ✨
    • B. With a computer 💻
    • C. He guessed 🤷
    Show answer

    ✅ A. By the power of God ✨ Joseph hadn’t gone to school much, but God gave him power to translate.

  6. Isaiah said the desert would bloom like a…
    • A. Rock 🪨
    • B. Cactus 🌵
    • C. Rose 🌹
    Show answer

    ✅ C. Rose 🌹 Isaiah 35:1: “the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.”

  7. Isaiah said Jesus is a safe shelter from the…
    • A. Storm ⛈️
    • B. Birthday party 🎈
    • C. Ice cream 🍦
    Show answer

    ✅ A. Storm ⛈️ Isaiah 25:4. When life feels stormy, we can run to Jesus.

  8. Who does the Book of Mormon teach us about?
    • A. Dinosaurs 🦖
    • B. Jesus Christ 💛
    • C. Race cars 🏎️
    Show answer

    ✅ B. Jesus Christ 💛 The Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ.

▶ Play Scripture ShowdownTeams take turns on one screen.

Songs

  • The Golden Plates Children’s Songbook, p. 86

    Sing it right after the story. Find it ↗

  • Search, Ponder, and Pray Children’s Songbook, p. 109

    How we can know the Book of Mormon is true. Pairs with A Book I Love. Find it ↗

  • The Wise Man and the Foolish Man Children’s Songbook, p. 281

    A storm song with actions to go with the Shelter from the Storm extra (Isaiah 25:4). Find it ↗

This week’s challenge

Marvelous Book Nights

Open the Book of Mormon with your family every night this week. Read or listen to one verse and look for Jesus in it. Then finish with the motions for “a marvellous work and a wonder!”

Text the parents

This week we learned that Isaiah saw a sealed book long before it came. It came true with the Book of Mormon. We heard how a professor told Martin Harris, “I cannot read a sealed book.” Then we passed the Book of Mormon around and heard true stories from it about Jesus. Ask your child, “What did the professor say?” Then open the Book of Mormon together each night and do the motions for “a marvellous work and a wonder.”

📝 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?

⛈️ Shelter from the Storm · 4 min

  1. Read Isaiah 25:4: “a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat.”
  2. SAY“A refuge is a safe place. Isaiah is talking about Jesus.”
  3. Make a storm from your seats. Rub hands for wind, tap fingers for rain, pat legs for big rain and stomp feet for thunder.
  4. Hold a blanket or umbrella open. When a child names something scary or sad, they duck under the shelter.
  5. Raise your hand to stop the storm.
  6. Whisper: “When things feel stormy, we can pray. Jesus helps us feel safe inside.”

🌼 Blooming Paper Flowers · 5 min

  1. Cut simple paper flowers, about 4 inches across. Help each child fold the petals tight into the middle.
  2. Read Isaiah 35:1: “the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.”
  3. Count down together and float the flowers on a bowl of water. Watch the petals slowly open.
  4. SAY“Jesus can make sad, dry, hard things bloom again.”

🧥 A Peg That Holds · 3 min

  1. Hang a jacket on a pencil held loosely in the air. It falls! Now hang it on a strong hook or doorknob. It stays.
  2. Show Isaiah 22:23 on your phone or tablet.
  3. SAY“Isaiah wrote about a leader fastened like a nail in a sure place. He was strong enough to hold everything hung on him. That reminds us of Jesus. He’s strong and steady. We can hang all our worries on Him.”

🕊️ Perfect Peace Breathing · 2 min

  1. Show Isaiah 26:3 on your phone or tablet.
  2. SAY“Isaiah said the Lord keeps people who trust Him in perfect peace.”
  3. Breathe in slowly while you count to four, like smelling a flower. Then breathe out slowly, like blowing out a candle. Do it three times.
  4. Whisper: “When I feel upset, I can breathe, pray, and trust Jesus.”

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.

All CTR 4–6 lessons