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Before I Was a Baby

A young prophet who felt too small, an almond branch that wakes up, and a potter who makes a lumpy pot new

  • 🛡️ CTR 4–7
  • Week 43
  • 📅 Sunday, October 25, 2026
🤔 Forehead Guess🏆 Showdown
💡 The big idea

Heavenly Father knew me before I was born, and when my heart is soft like clay, He can help me become my best self.

I can remember that Heavenly Father knows me, and I can keep my heart soft so He can shape me.

Study it yourself firstRead Jeremiah 1–3; 7; 16–18; 20 in Gospel LibraryCome, Follow Me manualOpen this week (Jeremiah 1–3; 7; 16–18; 20)
Know the chapters

Jeremiah was a prophet in Jerusalem for about 40 years, starting around 600 years before Jesus was born, at the same time as Lehi. The people were worshipping idols and ignoring the poor, and Jeremiah warned them again and again to come back to the Lord. Many didn’t listen, and some treated him cruelly; in chapter 20 a priest named Pashur had him beaten and locked in the stocks. Even when he felt like quitting, the Lord’s word burned inside him “as a burning fire shut up in my bones” (20:9), and he kept going.

The star verse is Jeremiah 1:5: before Jeremiah was born, the Lord knew him and chose him. This is a precious truth for young children. We lived with Heavenly Father as His spirit children before we came to earth, He knows each of us, and He sent us here with gifts and good things to do. When Jeremiah said, “I am a child,” the Lord didn’t tell him he was big enough. He said, “Be not afraid… for I am with thee” (1:7–8).

Later the Lord sent Jeremiah to watch a potter. When a pot got ruined on the wheel, the potter didn’t throw the clay away; he made it again into a new pot (18:1–6). The Lord said we are like clay in His hands. Soft clay can be shaped, but hard, dried-out clay cracks. When our hearts are soft (willing to listen, say sorry, and try again), Heavenly Father and Jesus can help us change and grow. That’s what repentance is, and it’s what the sacrament helps us do every week. Jeremiah 16:16 also promises “many fishers” to gather God’s children, a picture of missionaries.

For ages 4–7, keep it simple: Heavenly Father knew you before you were a baby, He is with you when you feel small, and He can shape you like soft clay. Little ones love acting like babies, clay and fish; big kids can read the verse, play Jeremiah, and help the little ones. Keep the stocks and beating offstage. The drama just says some people were unkind to Jeremiah.

Only have 5 minutes?

Pull up a baby picture of yourself on your phone. Open with Guess the Baby!, let your phone or tablet run the story drama, teach Jeremiah 1:5 with motions, and play Forehead Guess. Skip the play dough if you don’t have any. Brought nothing? Tap “I brought nothing” and the baby picture becomes Baby Faces, and the play dough becomes Human Clay.

What to bring4 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. Find a baby picture of yourself. Don’t tell the kids who it is!
  2. Roll a small ball of play dough for each child, plus one for you. Keep them in a zip bag so they stay soft.
  3. Add your kids’ names in the My Class tab so you can hand out story roles with one tap.
  4. Choose Jeremiah: a big kid can read his lines from the screen, or a little one can squeak, “I’m just a child!” with your help.

If your class is wild

  • Baby Faces and crawling are pure fun, so give it a clear end: “Babies, grow up in 3, 2, 1!” and everyone stands tall and still.
  • Play dough stays in hands, not in mouths or hair. Anyone who throws it becomes the class Clay Keeper and holds everyone’s dough while you finish.
  • The Clay kids in the story melt down and pop up. Remind them it’s slow-motion melting, not flopping.
  • Pair little ones with big-kid buddies for Forehead Guess. The big kid can whisper what the picture is if a little one gets stuck.
  • If energy spikes, jump straight to Fishers and Hunters, then come back to where you were.

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

Guess the Baby!

2 min

A mystery baby picture grabs attention and opens the question: where were we before we were babies?

  1. Hold up your baby picture. Say: “Who is this cute baby? Guess!”
  2. Take a few guesses, then reveal: “It’s ME!” Enjoy the giggles.
  3. Ask: “You were all babies once too. But where were you BEFORE you were a baby?” Let them guess.
  4. SAY“We lived in heaven with Heavenly Father! He knew you before you were ever born. Today we’ll meet a prophet who learned that.”
🌪️ Guessers raise a hand; the quietest hand gets the next guess. Walk the picture around the circle so nobody has to get up.

Class screen: 👶 Who is this baby? Guess! · Hint: you know this person!

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: A baby picture of yourself (printed, or on your phone)

Baby Faces

  1. SAY“Everybody, be a baby!” Kids suck their thumbs, pretend to cry “Waaah!”, and rock their pretend blankets.
  2. SAY“Babies, grow up in 3, 2, 1!” Everyone stands up tall and still.
  3. Ask: “You were all babies once. But where were you BEFORE you were a baby?” Let them guess.
  4. SAY“We lived in heaven with Heavenly Father! He knew you before you were ever born. Today we’ll meet a prophet who learned that.”

Class screen: 🍼 Be a baby! Waaah! Now grow up! · 3… 2… 1… stand tall!

2. Story

Story Drama: Jeremiah, Don’t Be Afraid!

6 min

Acting out Jeremiah’s call and the potter’s house lets wiggly kids move while the story sinks in.

  1. Hand out the roles (tap Roles in Teach Mode to assign them from your class list). Everyone left over is the People of Jerusalem.
  2. SAY“I will read what the Lord says. You get to be Jeremiah, an almond tree, a potter, the clay and the people!”
  3. Big-kid readers: let a 6- or 7-year-old read the caption on each screen before you read the scene.
  4. Read each scene and pause for the action. At scene 3, have everyone practice the brave line: “Be not afraid!”
  5. At scene 7, let every child be clay for a moment. Call out two or three shapes.
🌪️ Clay melts in slow motion. Anyone who flops goes back to being a lump of clay and waits for the Potter to shape them again.

Class screen: 🎭 Story Drama time! · Everyone gets a part

3. Wiggle break

Fishers and Hunters

2 min

Kids act out Jeremiah 16:16 and learn that the Lord sends helpers, like missionaries, to find His children.

  1. Everyone stands. Read Jeremiah 16:16 from your phone or tablet: “Behold, I will send for many fishers, saith the LORD.” Say: “The Lord will send hunters too!”
  2. Say “Fishers!” and everyone casts a pretend fishing line, waits… and reels in a big one.
  3. Say “Hunters!” and everyone tiptoes in place, peeks under rocks, and looks up on mountains.
  4. Switch back and forth faster and faster. Then say: “Missionaries are the Lord’s fishers and hunters. They help people find their way to Jesus. You can help too!”

Class screen: 🎣 Fishers! Hunters! Help find God’s children! · Cast and reel · Tiptoe and peek

4. Scripture

Scripture Spotlight: Jeremiah 1:5

3 min

Motions help every child, reader or not, remember that Heavenly Father knew them first.

  1. Show the verse on your phone or tablet. Ask a big-kid Reading Helper to read it out loud.
  2. SAY“Formed means made. Belly means tummy. Heavenly Father is saying, ‘I knew you before you were even born.’”
  3. Teach the motions one phrase at a time. Say it three ways: a tiny baby voice, a normal voice, then a big brave prophet voice.
  4. Ask: “Where did we live before we were born?” (With Heavenly Father.) “Does He still know you now?” (Yes, every single day!)

Class screen: 👶 “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee” · Jeremiah 1:5

5. Object lesson

Potter’s Do-Over

4 min

Squishing a lumpy clay pot and making it again shows how Jesus helps us start over when we repent.

  1. Give each child a ball of play dough. Say: “You’re potters! You have one minute to make a little bowl.” Tap the Big Timer if you like.
  2. Poke a big dent in your own bowl. Ask: “Uh-oh, mine got lumpy. Should I throw it away?” (No!) Squish it into a ball and make it again.
  3. SAY“That’s what the potter did for Jeremiah. When we make a wrong choice, Heavenly Father doesn’t throw us away. Jesus helps us say sorry and start over. That’s called repenting.”
  4. Ask: “Is soft clay or hard clay easier to shape?” (Soft!) Say: “A soft heart listens and tries again. When you’re baptized, and every Sunday at the sacrament, you get a fresh start.”
🌪️ Play dough stays on the table or in laps. When it’s time to stop, everyone squishes their clay into a ball and holds it up high for collection.

Class screen: 🏺 Lumpy pot? Squish it and make it new! · Soft clay can change

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: Play dough: a small ball for each child (store-bought play dough contains wheat, so check for gluten allergies)

Human Clay

  1. SAY“You’re all soft clay, and I’m the potter!” Everyone crouches in a ball.
  2. Call out shapes and everyone slowly becomes each one: a bowl (arms in a circle), a tall vase (stretch up), a teapot (one arm a handle, one a spout).
  3. SAY“Uh-oh, the pot got lumpy!” Everyone wobbles into a lumpy shape. Ask: “Should I throw it away?” (No!) Everyone melts back into a ball, then pops up as a brand-new pot.
  4. SAY“When we make a wrong choice, Heavenly Father doesn’t throw us away. Jesus helps us say sorry and start over. That’s called repenting. When you’re baptized, and every Sunday at the sacrament, you get a fresh start.”

Class screen: 🟤 You’re the clay! Bowl… vase… teapot! · Lumpy? Start over!

6. Game

Forehead Guess: Potter’s House Edition

4 min

A picture guessing game reviews the lesson, and the pictures let non-readers give clues too.

  1. Tap Forehead Guess. A guesser holds your phone or tablet on their forehead, screen facing the class.
  2. Everyone else looks at the picture and gives clues without saying the word. Little ones can act it out: cry like a baby, swim like a fish, spin like a potter’s wheel.
  3. Big kids can read the hint under the picture if the class gets stuck.
  4. Tilt down for “got it,” up to pass. Give each guesser about 30 seconds. Pair a little one with a big-kid buddy when it’s their turn.
🌪️ Clue-givers stay on their bottoms and raise a hand. Shouting the word means you act out the next clue with no sound at all.
▶ Play Forehead Guess on the web

Class screen: 🤔 Forehead Guess! · Act it out or give a clue · Don’t say the word!

7. Talk it over

Talk It Over

2 min

Connect Jeremiah’s story to their own week.

  1. Sit close in a circle. Ask one question at a time. Let two or three kids answer each, and share your own answer too.
  2. Little ones can show instead of tell: “Show me a brave face!”
💬 Ask the class
  • Jeremiah felt too little. When do you feel too little to do something?
  • Heavenly Father knew you before you were born. What do you think He knows about you?
  • When Mom or Dad asks you to do something, how can you keep your heart soft like clay?

Class screen: 💬 Let’s talk!

8. Testimony

Heaven-Sent Gifts

2 min

End calm and reverent, with each child hearing one good thing Heavenly Father gave them.

  1. Lower your voice. Say: “Hold out your hands like you’re holding a present.”
  2. Go around the circle and name one gift you see in each child: “Kindness.” “Being brave.” “Making people laugh.” They hug the gift to their heart.
  3. SAY“Heavenly Father knew you before you were born, and He gave you those gifts.” Share one sentence about how you know He knows you.
  4. Introduce the Heaven-Sent Gifts challenge on the screen, and ask a child to say the closing prayer. Little ones can repeat a prayer after you, a few words at a time.

Class screen: 🎁 Heavenly Father knew me and gave me gifts. · Hug your gift!

9. Game

The Prophet Says

3 minBONUS

A Simon Says–style game teaches that prophets, like Jeremiah and our prophet today, speak the Lord’s words.

  1. If you brought a picture of our living prophet, show it. Ask: “Who is this? What does a prophet do?” (Tells us what Heavenly Father and Jesus want us to know.)
  2. Play like Simon Says, but only obey when you say, “The prophet says…” first: “The prophet says, fold your arms!” “Jump!” (Oops!)
  3. Use good choices: “The prophet says, pretend to pray.” “The prophet says, give someone a hug.” “The prophet says, read your scriptures.”
  4. SAY“The Lord put His words in Jeremiah’s mouth. He still speaks through a living prophet today, and we can follow him.”

Class screen: 📣 Only move when “the prophet says”! · Listen carefully!

10. Game

Scripture Showdown

5 minBONUS

A team picture quiz reviews the lesson.

  1. Split into two teams, each with big kids and little kids mixed.
  2. Tap Scripture Showdown. A big kid on each team reads the question out loud; the whole team whispers and points to an answer.
  3. 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!

Story drama

Jeremiah, Don’t Be Afraid!

Jeremiah 1:4–12; 7:1–7; 18:1–6; 20:9 ↗

Parts to hand out

  • JeremiahCurls up like a baby, then grows up tall, squeaks, “But I’m just a child!” and then stands brave.
  • Almond TreeStands like a bare branch, then bursts into blossoms with wiggly fingers: “Pop, pop, pop!”
  • The PotterSpins the clay on a pretend wheel, gently squishes the lumpy pot, and calls out new shapes.
  • The ClayTwo or three little ones: spin slowly, get lumpy, melt down low, then pop up in a new shape.
  • People of JerusalemEveryone else: cover your ears, whir like the potter’s wheel, and crackle like fire.

Scenes

  1. 👶✨ Known before he was born

    Long ago in Jerusalem, the Lord spoke to a young man named Jeremiah. He said, “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee.” That means, “I knew you before you were even a baby!” Heavenly Father had a special job ready for him: to be a prophet.

    🎬 Jeremiah curls up tiny like a baby, then slowly grows up tall. Everyone whispers, “He knew him!”

  2. 😰🙋 “But I’m just a child!”

    Jeremiah was scared. “I cannot speak,” he said, “for I am a child.” He felt too young and too small for such a big job.

    🎬 Jeremiah’s knees wobble. Everyone shakes like jelly and squeaks, “Just a child!”

  3. 👄💪 “Be not afraid … I am with thee”

    The Lord said, “Say not, I am a child.” He told Jeremiah not to be afraid, “for I am with thee.” Then the Lord touched Jeremiah’s mouth and said He had put His words there.

    🎬 Jeremiah touches his own lips, then makes a superhero pose. Everyone: “Be not afraid!”

  4. 🌿🌸 The almond branch wakes up

    The Lord asked, “Jeremiah, what do you see?” He saw a branch from an almond tree. Almond trees are some of the first trees to bloom after winter. The Lord said He would watch over His words and make them come true.

    🎬 The Almond Tree stands still like a bare branch, then bursts into blossoms: “Pop, pop, pop!”

  5. 🏛️🙉 “Come back to the Lord!”

    The Lord sent Jeremiah to the gate of the temple to tell the people, “Stop praying to idols! Be kind to people who are poor! Come back to the Lord!” But many people didn’t want to listen.

    🎬 Jeremiah cups his hands: “Come back to the Lord!” The People cover their ears: “La la la!”

  6. 🏺🔄 Down to the potter’s house

    Next the Lord sent Jeremiah to watch a potter spinning clay on a wheel. Uh-oh! The pot got lumpy. Did the potter throw it away? No! He squished it into a ball and made it again into a brand-new pot.

    🎬 The Potter spins the Clay slowly. The Clay gets a lumpy wobble, melts down low, then pops up in a new shape. Everyone: “Whirrrr!”

  7. 🙌🟤 Soft clay can become something new

    The Lord said His people are like clay in His hands. When our hearts are soft, when we listen and say sorry and try again, He can help us become something wonderful, no matter how lumpy we feel.

    🎬 Everyone becomes soft clay. The Potter calls out shapes: “A bowl! A tall vase! A teapot!” Everyone becomes each one.

  8. 🔥❤️ Jeremiah keeps going!

    Some people were unkind to Jeremiah, and he felt like giving up. But God’s words felt like a warm fire inside him, and he just had to share them. So Jeremiah kept going, and the Lord was with him the whole way. He is with you too.

    🎬 Everyone wiggles their fingers from toes to head like a rising fire, then stands tall and brave: “I will not be afraid!”

Key verse

Jeremiah 1:5 ↗
“Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee”
In kid words: Heavenly Father says, “I knew you before you were even a baby.”
🙌 “Before” = point back over your shoulder · “I formed thee” = roll a ball of clay between your hands · “in the belly” = pat your tummy · “I knew thee” = point up to heaven, then put your hand on your heart.

More verses

Jeremiah 1:7–8 ↗
“Say not, I am a child… for I am with thee”
In kid words: Don’t say, “I’m too little.” I am with you.
Jeremiah 18:6 ↗
“as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand”
In kid words: You are in God’s hands, like soft clay in a potter’s hands.
Jeremiah 16:16 ↗
“Behold, I will send for many fishers, saith the LORD”
In kid words: The Lord will send lots of helpers to find His children and bring them to Him.

Forehead Guess words17 words

  • 👶 Baby
  • ☁️ Heaven
  • 📣 Prophet
  • 👄 Mouth
  • 🦁 Brave
  • 🌸 Almond Tree
  • 🧑‍🎨 Potter
  • 🟤 Clay
  • 🏺 Pot
  • 🛞 Wheel
  • 🐟 Fish
  • 🎣 Fisherman
  • ⛰️ Mountain
  • 🔥 Fire
  • 📛 Missionary
  • 🎁 Gift
  • 🏛️ Temple
Clues for each word
  • Baby: Heavenly Father knew you before you were one
  • Heaven: Where we lived before we were born
  • Prophet: Speaks for God. Jeremiah was one
  • Mouth: The Lord touched Jeremiah’s
  • Brave: Be not afraid! The Lord is with you
  • Almond Tree: Blooms early, after winter
  • Potter: Makes bowls and pots on a spinning wheel
  • Clay: Soft mud you can squish and shape
  • Pot: It got lumpy, so the potter made it again
  • Wheel: Round and spins around
  • Fish: Swims and goes “blub blub”
  • Fisherman: Catches fish with a pole
  • Mountain: Very big and tall. Hunters search there
  • Fire: Warm and bright. Jeremiah felt God’s word like this
  • Missionary: Wears a name tag and teaches about Jesus
  • Gift: A present with a bow on top
  • Temple: The house of the Lord. Jeremiah stood at its gate
▶ Play Forehead GuessFull screen, 60-second timer, works on any phone.

Scripture Showdown8 questions

  1. When did Heavenly Father know Jeremiah?
    • A. Before he was born 👶
    • B. When he turned ten
    • C. Never
    Show answer

    ✅ A. Before he was born 👶 Jeremiah 1:5. He knew you before you were born too!

  2. Why did Jeremiah think he couldn’t be a prophet?
    • A. He was too tall
    • B. He felt like just a child
    • C. He was too sleepy 😴
    Show answer

    ✅ B. He felt like just a child The Lord told him, “Be not afraid… for I am with thee.”

  3. The Lord said, “Be not afraid, for I am…”
    • A. At the store 🛒
    • B. Asleep 💤
    • C. With thee
    Show answer

    ✅ C. With thee Jeremiah 1:8. The Lord is with you when you feel small.

  4. What kind of tree did Jeremiah see?
    • A. An almond tree 🌸
    • B. A candy tree 🍭
    • C. A Christmas tree 🎄
    Show answer

    ✅ A. An almond tree 🌸 Almond trees are some of the first trees to bloom after winter.

  5. What did the potter do with his lumpy pot?
    • A. Threw it away 🗑️
    • B. Made it again ✨
    • C. Sat on it
    Show answer

    ✅ B. Made it again ✨ Jesus helps us start over too, when we repent.

  6. What kind of heart can Heavenly Father shape?
    • A. A hard, grumpy heart
    • B. A soft, willing heart ❤️
    • C. A heart made of rock 🪨
    Show answer

    ✅ B. A soft, willing heart ❤️ Soft clay can be shaped. So can a heart that listens and tries again.

  7. Jeremiah 16:16 says the Lord will send many…
    • A. Clowns 🤡
    • B. Dragons 🐉
    • C. Fishers 🎣
    Show answer

    ✅ C. Fishers 🎣 Missionaries are like fishers who help God’s children come to Jesus.

  8. Where did we live before we were born?
    • A. With Heavenly Father ☁️
    • B. On the moon 🌙
    • C. In a zoo 🦓
    Show answer

    ✅ A. With Heavenly Father ☁️ We lived with Heavenly Father as His spirit children.

▶ Play Scripture ShowdownTeams take turns on one screen.

Songs

  • I Lived in Heaven Children’s Songbook, p. 4

    Sing it right after Jeremiah 1:5. It’s all about where we lived before we were born. Find it ↗

  • Follow the Prophet Children’s Songbook, p. 110

    Jeremiah was a prophet, and we have a living prophet today. Great with The Prophet Says. Find it ↗

  • I Hope They Call Me on a Mission Children’s Songbook, p. 169

    Sing it after Fishers and Hunters. Missionaries are the Lord’s fishers. Find it ↗

This week’s challenge

Heaven-Sent Gifts

Ask your family, “What good gifts do you think Heavenly Father gave me before I was born?” Then use one of those gifts to help someone this week.

Text the parents

This week we learned from Jeremiah 1:5 that Heavenly Father knew each of us before we were born. Jeremiah felt too young to be a prophet, but the Lord said, “Be not afraid… for I am with thee.” We also played with clay: when a pot gets lumpy, the potter doesn’t throw it away; he makes it again, just like Jesus helps us start over when we repent. Ask your child: what did the potter do with the lumpy pot? Then tell your child one gift you think Heavenly Father gave them.

📝 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?

🎣 Magnet Fishing · 5 min

  1. Cut 8–10 paper fish and slide a paper clip onto each. Tie a string to a pencil and tape a magnet to the end.
  2. On each fish, draw or write a way to help someone come to Jesus: invite a friend, share a toy, pray for someone, sing a Primary song to a neighbor.
  3. Kids take turns fishing. Big kids read the fish; little ones act it out while the class guesses.

🍼 Baby Picture Parade · 4 min

  1. A week ahead, invite (don’t require) parents to send a baby picture of their child (on a phone is fine). Some children are adopted or in foster care and may not have one; any child can show a picture of something they love instead.
  2. Show the pictures one at a time and let the class guess who each baby is.
  3. After each one, everyone says together: “Heavenly Father knew you before you were born!”

🌳 Tree by the River · 3 min

  1. Read Jeremiah 17:8: a person who trusts the Lord “shall be as a tree planted by the waters.”
  2. Everyone stands like a tree with roots (feet) planted. Make a pretend hot sun and a windy storm; the trees wave but don’t fall over.
  3. SAY“When we pray and read about Jesus every day, we stay strong like a tree by the river.”

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 4–7 lessons