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The Day the Heavens Opened

A wild prophet in a camel-hair coat, a river, the sign of the dove, and a voice from heaven

  • 💧 Valiant 7–8
  • Week 4
  • 📅 Sunday, January 24, 2027
🤔 Forehead Guess🏆 Showdown
💡 The big idea

Jesus was baptized to show me the way back to Heavenly Father, and my baptism put me on that same straight path.

I can follow Jesus’s example by keeping my baptism promises and making my path straight when I get off track.

Study it yourself firstRead Matthew 3; Mark 1; Luke 3 in Gospel LibraryCome, Follow Me manualOpen this week (Matthew 3; Mark 1; Luke 3)
Know the chapters

John the Baptist is the baby we met in week 1, the son of Zacharias and Elisabeth. Now he’s grown up and living in the wilderness near the Jordan River. He wears rough camel-hair clothes and eats locusts and wild honey. Isaiah had prophesied about him centuries earlier. He’d be a voice crying in the wilderness, “Prepare ye the way of the Lord.” See Isaiah 40:3 and Matthew 3:3. His whole job was to get people’s hearts ready for Jesus Christ. He was like a road crew smoothing a bumpy road before a king arrives, in Luke 3:4–5.

John preached repentance and baptized with real priesthood authority. When people asked, “What shall we do then?” he gave very concrete answers, in Luke 3:10–14. Share your extra coat and food. Don’t take more money than you should. Don’t bully or lie about anyone, and be content. Eight-year-olds love this part. Repentance becomes something they can actually do at recess and at home, not just a big word.

Then Jesus came from Galilee to be baptized. John felt he should be baptized by Jesus instead. But Jesus said it was right “to fulfil all righteousness,” in Matthew 3:15. Jesus never sinned, yet He was baptized to obey His Father and show all of us the way. See also 2 Nephi 31:5–9. He was baptized by immersion and came “straightway out of the water.” The heavens opened, and the Holy Ghost came down with the sign of the dove. Heavenly Father’s voice said, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” All three members of the Godhead are present and separate in this one moment.

Most of your class was just baptized and confirmed, so connect everything to their own day. Someone with priesthood authority baptized them, all the way under the water. They promised to remember Jesus and keep His commandments, and they received the gift of the Holy Ghost. Here’s one more fun fact for the end. In 1829, John the Baptist came back as a resurrected being. He gave the Aaronic Priesthood to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery. See Doctrine and Covenants 13 and Joseph Smith—History 1:68–72. That same priesthood is used to baptize children today.

Only have 5 minutes?

Read Matthew 3:13–17 and Luke 3:3–14. Put a fuzzy blanket, a belt and a jar of honey in a bag. Tell the story from Teach Mode. Say Matthew 3:17 with motions, play “Jesus, Me, or Both?” and close with your testimony. Brought nothing? Tap “I brought nothing.” You act out the mystery clues yourself.

What to bring3 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 Matthew 3:13–17 and Luke 3:3–14.
  2. Put the blanket, belt and honey in the grocery bag. Fold the top closed.

If your class is wild

  • Save “Prepare the way!” for John’s big moment. When the room drifts, call it once and wait for the echo.
  • Make your loudest kid the Road Crew Leader. Starting “Prepare the way!” puts big energy to good use.
  • If the room gets too loud, whisper, “The Holy Ghost is gentle like a dove.” Everyone makes quiet dove wings until it’s calm.
  • Some kids may not be baptized yet. In every baptism question, say, “If your baptism is coming up, answer for your big day!”
  • In “Jesus, Me, or Both?” everyone signals together on “3, 2, 1.” That way nobody just copies the fastest kid.

The 25-minute plan23 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

Mystery Messenger

3 min

Three funny clues get kids curious about John the Baptist.

  1. SAY“Inside this bag are clues about a real person from the scriptures. Raise a quiet hand when you know who it is.”
  2. Pull out the fuzzy blanket. “His coat was CAMEL hair!” Then the belt, then the honey. “He ate wild honey… and LOCUSTS!”
  3. Take guesses. Then reveal it’s John the Baptist. His job was to get people ready for Jesus.
🌪️ Only kids with a quiet hand up get to guess. Shouted guesses don’t count.

Class screen: 🛍️ Who is the Mystery Messenger? · 🧥 Camel hair · 🍯 Wild honey · 🦗 Locusts!

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: A grocery bag, A fuzzy blanket, scarf or sweater (the camel-hair coat), A belt and a jar or squeeze bottle of honey

Mystery Messenger Charades

  1. SAY“I’m going to act out clues about a real person from the scriptures. Raise a quiet hand when you know who it is.”
  2. Scratch like your coat is super itchy. “My coat is CAMEL hair!” Pull a pretend belt tight. Drizzle pretend honey on your fingers.
  3. Pop a pretend grasshopper in your mouth. “CRUNCH! Locusts!” Take guesses, then reveal it’s John the Baptist.

Class screen: 🦗 Who is the Mystery Messenger? · 🧥 Camel hair · 🍯 Wild honey · 🦗 Locusts!

2. Story

Story: The Day the Heavens Opened

7 min

A true story shows Jesus being baptized to obey Heavenly Father and show us the way.

  1. SAY“This is a true story from the Bible. When John calls out, cup your hands and call with him: ‘Prepare the way!’”
  2. Open the story in Teach Mode. Read each scene. Do the motion only when it shows on the screen.
  3. After scene 3, ask what an eight-year-old could do to get ready for Jesus. Share, tell the truth, be kind.
  4. After scene 7, ask why Jesus was baptized if He never sinned. To obey Heavenly Father and show us the way.
🌪️ If the room gets loud, whisper, “Dove wings.” Everyone floats their wings down to their laps before you read on.

Class screen: 🕊️ The Day the Heavens Opened · 📣 Prepare the way! · 🕊️ Quiet dove wings

3. Scripture

Key Verse: Matthew 3:17

4 min

Motions help kids memorize the words Heavenly Father spoke at Jesus’s baptism.

  1. SAY“Here are the words Heavenly Father spoke from heaven.”
  2. Show the verse on your phone or tablet and read it slowly.
  3. SAY“‘Beloved’ means dearly loved. ‘Well pleased’ means very happy.”
  4. Teach the motions one phrase at a time. Say it together twice, once in a whisper and once big but not shouting.
  5. Ask how Heavenly Father felt on their baptism day. Kids who aren’t baptized yet can think about their coming day.

Class screen: 📢 “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

4. Game

Jesus, Me, or Both?

6 min

Comparing Jesus’s baptism with their own shows that He walked the path first and they are on it with Him.

  1. SAY“Let’s compare Jesus’s baptism with yours. Point up for JESUS, point to yourself for ME, or hug yourself for BOTH!”
  2. If your baptism’s still coming, answer for your big day. Read each one, count “Three, two, one,” and everyone signals at once.
  3. Try these. Baptized with priesthood authority? Both! In the Jordan River? Jesus. All the way under? Both! Never made a mistake? Jesus.
  4. Keep going. Baptized to obey? Both! Heard the Father’s voice? Jesus. Holy Ghost came after? Both! Made Heavenly Father happy? Both!
  5. Ask why Jesus was baptized when He never sinned. Say, “To obey and show us the way. Your baptism put you on His path.”
🌪️ Everyone signals from their seat, all together on “3, 2, 1.” Nobody gets to be first, so nobody races.

Class screen: 🤗 Jesus, me, or both? · ☝️ Jesus · 🙋 Me · 🤗 Both!

5. Testimony

Testimony & Two Coats Challenge

3 min

End calm and reverent, with a baptism promise to keep this week.

  1. SAY“Let’s make quiet dove wings and let them land in our laps.”
  2. Briefly share about your own baptism. Or tell how you know Heavenly Father is pleased when we follow Jesus.
  3. SAY“John said to share your extra coat.”
  4. Show the Two Coats Challenge on the screen.
  5. Invite a child to say the closing prayer.

Class screen: 🧥 This week: the Two Coats Challenge! · Share something you have · Keep your baptism promise

6. Game

Forehead Guess: Jordan River Edition

4 minBONUS

A quick Heads Up–style review of John the Baptist and Jesus’s baptism.

  1. SAY“Let’s see what you remember! Give clues, but don’t say the word.”
  2. Tap Forehead Guess.
  3. One kid holds your phone or tablet on their forehead, screen facing the class. Everyone else gives clues from their seats.
  4. Tilt down for “got it” and up to pass. Each turn is 45 seconds. Then pass your phone or tablet to the next kid.
🌪️ Go around the room one clue at a time. That way nobody shouts over anybody.
▶ Play Forehead Guess on the web

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

7. Game

Scripture Showdown

5 minBONUS

A fast team quiz reviews everything they learned.

  1. SAY“Team Jordan versus Team Dove!”
  2. Split the class in two and tap Scripture Showdown.
  3. Read each question out loud. Teams whisper together, then point to an answer.
  4. Tap the team that got it right to give them a point.
▶ Play Scripture Showdown on the web

Class screen: 🏆 Scripture Showdown!

The story

The Day the Heavens Opened

Matthew 3; Luke 3:2–22; Mark 1:9–11 ↗

Optional helpers

  • Road Crew LeaderStarts “Prepare the way!” from their seat each time the class calls it.
  • Sound HelperSits next to you and taps each scene’s sound on your phone or tablet.

Scenes

  1. 🏜️🧔 A wild prophet in the wilderness

    Out in the hot, dry wilderness lived John the Baptist. He wore a scratchy coat of camel hair. He ate wild honey. And locusts! Those are a kind of grasshopper. Isaiah had said a voice would call, “Prepare ye the way of the Lord.”

    🙌 Cup your hands and call: “Prepare the way!”

  2. 👥🌊 Crowds come to the river

    People came from everywhere. John told them to repent. That means turn away from wrong choices and turn back to God. His job was to get hearts ready for Jesus. He was like a road crew, smoothing a bumpy road before the King comes.

    🙌

  3. ❓🧥 “What shall we do?”

    The people asked John, “What shall we do?” He gave real answers. If you have two coats, share one. Don’t take more than you should. Don’t bully anyone or lie about people.

    🙌

  4. 👣🌊 Jesus asks to be baptized

    One day Jesus walked from Galilee to the Jordan River and asked John to baptize Him. John was amazed. He said he needed Jesus to baptize him! Jesus said it was right, “to fulfil all righteousness.”

    🙌

  5. ⬇️🌊⬆️ All the way under the water

    Jesus had never done anything wrong. He was baptized to obey Heavenly Father and show all of us the way. John baptized Him all the way under the water, just like you. Then Jesus came straight up out of the water.

    🙌 Point forward like a road sign: “Jesus shows the way!”

  6. ☁️🕊️ The heavens opened!

    Then the heavens opened! John saw the Holy Ghost come down upon Jesus, with the sign of a gentle dove. After we’re baptized, we receive the gift of the Holy Ghost too. He speaks gently and quietly.

    🙌 Link thumbs to make dove wings. Float them down, silent as a feather.

  7. 📢❤️ “This is my beloved Son”

    Then a voice came from heaven. It was Heavenly Father! “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” All three were there at once. Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost. Three separate beings.

    🙌

Key verse

Matthew 3:17 ↗
“And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
In kid words: Heavenly Father’s voice said from heaven, “This is My Son. I love Him, and I am so happy with Him.”
🙌 “And lo a voice from heaven” = cup your hands around your mouth, then point up · “This is my beloved Son” = give yourself a big hug · “in whom I am well pleased” = two thumbs up and your biggest smile

More verses

Matthew 3:3 ↗
“Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight”
In kid words: Get the road ready for Jesus! Make it nice and straight.
Matthew 3:15 ↗
“thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness”
In kid words: Being baptized is the right thing to do, because it obeys everything Heavenly Father asks.
Matthew 3:16 ↗
“Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove”
In kid words: When Jesus came up out of the water, heaven opened, and the Holy Ghost came down like a dove.
Luke 3:11 ↗
“He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none”
In kid words: If you have two coats, give one to someone who doesn’t have any.

Forehead Guess words16 words

  • 🧔 John the Baptist
  • 🐪 Camel
  • 🦗 Locust
  • 🍯 Honey
  • 🌊 Jordan River
  • 🕊️ Dove
  • 💧 Baptism
  • 🏜️ Wilderness
  • 🔄 Repent
  • 🧥 Coat
  • 🛡️ Soldier
  • 💰 Tax Collector
  • 🛣️ Road
  • 🔥 Holy Ghost
  • 🗝️ Priesthood
  • 🤝 Promise
Clues for each word
  • John the Baptist: Wore camel hair and baptized Jesus
  • Camel: John’s coat was made of its hair
  • Locust: A grasshopper John ate for lunch
  • Honey: Sweet and sticky, made by bees
  • Jordan River: Where Jesus was baptized
  • Dove: A gentle white bird, a sign of the Holy Ghost
  • Baptism: Going all the way under the water
  • Wilderness: A wild, empty place where John lived
  • Repent: Turn around and make it right
  • Coat: If you have two, share one
  • Soldier: John told him not to bully anyone
  • Tax Collector: John told him not to take extra money
  • Road: Prepare it for the Lord and make it straight
  • Holy Ghost: The gift you got when you were confirmed
  • Priesthood: God’s power. You need it to baptize someone.
  • Promise: What you make with God when you’re baptized
▶ Play Forehead GuessFull screen, 60-second timer, works on any phone.

Scripture Showdown8 questions

  1. What did John the Baptist eat in the wilderness?
    • A. Pizza and pickles
    • B. Locusts and wild honey
    • C. Bread and fish
    Show answer

    ✅ B. Locusts and wild honey Locusts are a kind of grasshopper. Crunchy!

  2. Where was Jesus baptized?
    • A. The Jordan River
    • B. The Red Sea
    • C. A swimming pool
    Show answer

    ✅ A. The Jordan River Jesus walked all the way from Galilee to the Jordan River to find John.

  3. Why was Jesus baptized if He never sinned?
    • A. He needed a bath
    • B. To obey Heavenly Father and show us the way
    • C. John begged Him to
    Show answer

    ✅ B. To obey Heavenly Father and show us the way Jesus said it was right “to fulfil all righteousness.”

  4. How was Jesus baptized?
    • A. Sprinkled with a little water
    • B. Splashed with a cup
    • C. All the way under the water
    Show answer

    ✅ C. All the way under the water He “went up straightway out of the water,” so He had been all the way under, just like you.

  5. What did Heavenly Father’s voice say?
    • A. “Be careful, the water is cold!”
    • B. “Go home now.”
    • C. “This is my beloved Son.”
    Show answer

    ✅ C. “This is my beloved Son.” Matthew 3:17: “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

  6. How many members of the Godhead were at Jesus’s baptism?
    • A. One
    • B. Two
    • C. Three
    Show answer

    ✅ C. Three Jesus in the water, the Holy Ghost like a dove, and Heavenly Father’s voice from heaven!

  7. John said someone with two coats should…
    • A. Give one to someone who has none
    • B. Wear both at once
    • C. Sell one for money
    Show answer

    ✅ A. Give one to someone who has none Luke 3:11. Repenting includes real changes, like sharing.

  8. Who brought the Aaronic Priesthood back to Joseph Smith in 1829?
    • A. Noah
    • B. John the Baptist
    • C. Moses
    Show answer

    ✅ B. John the Baptist The same John who baptized Jesus came back as a resurrected being (Doctrine and Covenants 13).

▶ Play Scripture ShowdownTeams take turns on one screen.

Songs

  • Baptism Children’s Songbook, p. 100

    It tells the story of Jesus’s baptism. Sing it right after the story. Find it ↗

  • When I Am Baptized Children’s Songbook, p. 103

    Connects Jesus’s baptism to their own fresh, clean start. Find it ↗

  • I’m Trying to Be like Jesus Children’s Songbook, p. 78

    Jesus was baptized to show us the way. We follow His example. Find it ↗

This week’s challenge

Two Coats Challenge

When we’re baptized, we promise to help others, just like John taught. This week, share something you have with someone who needs it. It could be a toy, a snack, your time, or a turn. Tell your family about it at dinner.

Text the parents

Today in Primary we heard the story of Jesus’s baptism in the Jordan River. The heavens opened, and the Holy Ghost came with the sign of a dove. Heavenly Father said, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” We compared Jesus’s baptism to our own. Ask your child why Jesus was baptized if He never sinned. Then ask what they’ll share for the Two Coats Challenge.

📝 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?

🔥 Water and Fire · 4 min

  1. Read Matthew 3:11. John baptized with water, but Jesus would baptize “with the Holy Ghost, and with fire.”
  2. Ask, “What does water do?” It cleans. Then ask what fire does to gold. It burns away the dirt and makes it shine.
  3. Say, “Baptism washes us clean. The Holy Ghost keeps changing our hearts to be more like Jesus.”
  4. Everyone rubs their hands fast to feel the warmth. Each names a way the Holy Ghost helps, like comforting or teaching.

🗝️ John Comes Back! · 4 min

  1. SAY“Guess what? We’ll see John the Baptist again, eighteen hundred years later!”
  2. In 1829, Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery prayed about baptism near the Susquehanna River. John came and gave them the Aaronic Priesthood.
  3. Then Joseph baptized Oliver, and Oliver baptized Joseph. It’s in Doctrine and Covenants 13.
  4. Ask, “Who baptized you?” Then say, “That person used the same priesthood John brought back!”

🍎 Good Fruit Check · 3 min

  1. Read Matthew 3:8. John said to bring forth “fruits meet for repentance.”
  2. Say, “A good tree grows good fruit. When we repent, good actions grow out of us.”
  3. Everyone stands like a tree. Each kid names a good fruit, like sharing, and picks a pretend apple off their branch.

🧶 Straighten the Path · 5 min

  1. Before class, zig-zag a ball of yarn around five or six chair legs. Run it from the door to a picture of Jesus.
  2. Say, “This path is so crooked! Every bend is a wrong choice that pulls us off the road.”
  3. At each bend, a kid names a wrong choice and how to make it right. Then they unhook the yarn from that chair.
  4. When every bend is free, two kids pull the yarn tight. It’s a straight line to Jesus!
  5. Say, “That’s repentance. Baptism started you on this path. Each week at the sacrament, Jesus helps you straighten it again.”

💬 Baptism Day Talk · 3 min

  1. Sit in a circle. Tap Name Spinner to pick who answers.
  2. Ask, “What do you remember most about your baptism day?” Then ask how they felt.
  3. Ask what they promised at baptism. To remember Jesus, keep His commandments, and help others.
  4. Ask, “The Holy Ghost came gently, like a dove. When have you felt calm and peaceful inside?”

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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