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He Carried Our Sorrows

A superhero surprise, a chariot on a desert road, and the heavy backpack Jesus carries for us

  • 💧 Valiant 7–8
  • Week 41
  • 📅 Sunday, October 11, 2026
🤔 Forehead Guess🏆 Showdown
💡 The big idea

Jesus Christ carried our sins and sorrows, so when I repent or feel sad, He can lift my heavy load and help me heal.

I can give my heavy things to Jesus by repenting, praying, and remembering Him when I take the sacrament.

Study it yourself firstRead Isaiah 50–57 in Gospel LibraryCome, Follow Me manualOpen this week (Isaiah 50–57)
Know the chapters

In Isaiah 50–57, Isaiah looks ahead to the coming Savior. Many Israelites hoped for a mighty warrior who’d crush their enemies. Isaiah 53 describes Someone very different. He’s a humble man who’d be rejected and carry everyone’s griefs and sorrows. He’d be wounded for our sins and stay silent “as a lamb to the slaughter.” Isaiah wrote this about 700 years before Jesus was born. In the Book of Mormon, Abinadi quoted this whole chapter to King Noah and his priests. He taught that it’s about Jesus Christ, in Mosiah 14–15.

Isaiah 53 is one of the clearest pictures of the Atonement anywhere in scripture. In Gethsemane and on the cross, Jesus suffered for our sins. He also felt our pains, sicknesses, and sadness, so He’d know exactly how to help us. That’s in Alma 7:11–12. “With his stripes we are healed,” in 53:5, means that because He was hurt, we can be made whole. In the New Testament, Philip found an important man from Ethiopia reading this very chapter in his chariot. Philip taught him it was about Jesus and baptized him right beside the road. That’s Acts 8:26–39, and it’s today’s story.

The chapters around Isaiah 53 burst with hope. The feet of messengers who bring good news are beautiful, in 52:7. Mountains may move, but the Lord’s kindness will never leave us, in 54:10. “Great shall be the peace of thy children,” in 54:13. The Lord’s thoughts and ways are higher than ours, in 55:8–9. Isaiah even pictures Zion as a tent that keeps growing, held down by strong stakes, in 54:2. That’s where the Church gets the word “stake.”

For eight-year-olds, make the Atonement concrete and gentle. Jesus carried two kinds of heavy things. One is our sins, which we give Him by repenting. The other is our sad and hurting feelings, which we give Him by praying and trusting Him. He may not take every hard thing away right now. But He makes the load lighter, as Mosiah 24:14–15 shows. The sacrament each Sunday helps us remember what He carried and renew our baptism promises. Speak reverently about His suffering. Keep the focus on His love, not on details of pain.

Only have 5 minutes?

Read Isaiah 53:3–6 and Acts 8:26–39. Grab a backpack and a few heavy books. Tell the chariot story from Teach Mode, and let kids guess what happens next. Say the key verse with motions, do the Heavy Backpack, and close with a quiet testimony of Jesus. Brought nothing? Tap “I brought nothing.” Classmates’ hands on a helper’s shoulders become the backpack.

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 53:3–6 and Acts 8:26–39.
  2. Set the empty backpack and the books by your chair so you can add them one at a time.
  3. Think of one heavy thing Jesus has helped you carry. You’ll share it at the end.

If your class is wild

  • Take guesses only from raised hands. Say “Great guess!” to every one, right or wrong.
  • Make your wiggliest kid the Sound Helper. Tapping the sounds keeps their hands busy and makes them proud.
  • When you reach scene 5, drop your voice to a whisper. Kids almost always match your volume.
  • Keep the backpack on for about 20 seconds, and have everyone count out loud. Counting kids aren’t wrestling kids.
  • If things get silly in a sacred moment, stop, fold your arms, and wait. Say softly, “This part is special.” Then go on.

The 25-minute plan24 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

Who Is It?

3 min

Kids move right away and start wondering who Isaiah’s Rescuer is.

  1. SAY“Show me your strongest superhero muscles, right from your seat. One, two, three!”
  2. Do two quick poses, then hands in laps.
  3. SAY“Isaiah wrote about the greatest Rescuer ever. He wouldn’t fly or punch. He would carry something heavy for us. Who is it?”
  4. Take a few guesses. Don’t tell them yet. Say, “Let’s find out.”
🌪️ Everyone poses in their own space. Bump a neighbor and you do the next pose sitting down.

Class screen: 🦸 Who is the greatest Rescuer? · 🤷 Who is it?

2. Story

Story: The Chariot on the Desert Road

7 min

A true New Testament story shows that Isaiah 53 was about Jesus, and it ends with a baptism these kids understand.

  1. SAY“This is a true story from the Bible. A man is reading Isaiah, and he can’t figure it out. I’ll stop so you can guess what happens.”
  2. Open the story in Teach Mode. At each “Guess!”, take two or three guesses, then read on.
  3. At scene 5, slow down and read softly. Ask, “What did Jesus carry for us?” Our sins and our sad feelings.
  4. After scene 6, ask how the man found out Isaiah meant Jesus. Philip taught him!
🌪️ If the room drifts, stop and whisper, “Guess what happens next?” Everyone leans in for a mystery.

Class screen: 🛞 The Chariot on the Desert Road · 🤔 Guess what happens next!

3. Scripture

Key Verse: Isaiah 53:4–5

4 min

Gentle motions help kids memorize the heart of Isaiah’s prophecy about the Savior.

  1. SAY“Here is Isaiah’s biggest clue about Jesus.”
  2. Show the verse on your phone or tablet and read it slowly and softly.
  3. SAY“‘Borne’ means carried. ‘Griefs’ and ‘sorrows’ are sad feelings. ‘Stripes’ are the hurts Jesus suffered for us.”
  4. Teach the motions one phrase at a time. Say it together twice, once normal and once in a whisper.
  5. Ask, “What two kinds of heavy things did Jesus carry?” Our sins and our sad feelings.

Class screen: 💜 He carried our griefs and our sorrows.

4. Object lesson

The Heavy Backpack

7 min

Feeling a real heavy load shows what Isaiah meant, and practices the two ways we give our heavy things to Jesus.

  1. SAY“Who’s strong? I need a helper.”
  2. Your helper puts on the empty backpack and does three jumping jacks. Kids name mistakes or sad feelings as you add books.
  3. Have the helper try three jumping jacks again. Ask, “Is that harder?” Then move the backpack to your own shoulders.
  4. SAY“Sins and sad feelings make us heavy inside. Jesus carried all of it. We never carry it alone. When we give Him our heavy things, they get lighter.”
  5. The helper jumps again, light and free! Ask how we give Him our heavy things. We repent, we pray, and we tell a grown-up.
🌪️ Everyone counts the jumping jacks out loud. Kids who are counting aren’t wrestling.

Class screen: 🎒 How heavy is this backpack? · Hop! · Touch your toes! · 3 jumping jacks!

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: A backpack, 4–5 heavy books or cans of food

Heavy Hands

  1. SAY“Who’s strong? I need a helper.”
  2. Your helper does three easy jumping jacks. Kids name a mistake or a sad feeling and gently rest a hand on their shoulder.
  3. After four or five kids, the helper tries again. Ask, “Is that harder?” Kids move their hands to you. Stagger a little!
  4. SAY“Sins and sad feelings make us heavy inside. Jesus carried all of it. We never carry it alone. When we give Him our heavy things, they get lighter.”
  5. The helper jumps, light and free! Ask how we give Him our heavy things. We repent, we pray, and we tell a grown-up.

Class screen: 🙌 How heavy are all those heavy things? · Hop! · Touch your toes! · 3 jumping jacks!

5. Testimony

A Kindness That Won’t Leave

3 min

End quietly with the Savior’s love, so kids leave feeling lighter, not heavier.

  1. SAY“Let’s get as quiet as a little lamb.”
  2. Tap Noise Meter. Close it when the room is still.
  3. Briefly share a time Jesus helped you carry something heavy. Tell them He loves each one of them.
  4. Invite everyone to close their eyes and silently tell Heavenly Father one heavy thing. Give them ten quiet seconds.
  5. Show the Sacrament Thank-You challenge. Then invite a child to say the closing prayer.
🐭 Noise Meter (a class game in the Gospel Sparks app)

Class screen: 🕊️ His kindness will never leave you. · Quiet heart · Tell Heavenly Father one heavy thing

6. Game

Forehead Guess: Chariot Edition

4 minBONUS

A quick Heads Up–style review of the chariot story and Isaiah’s promises.

  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 Chariot versus Team Beautiful Feet!”
  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 Chariot on the Desert Road

Acts 8:26–39; Isaiah 53:7–8 ↗

Optional helpers

  • Sound HelperSits next to you and taps each scene’s sound on your phone or tablet.

Scenes

  1. 🧔📜 Isaiah writes about a gentle Lamb

    Seven hundred years before Jesus was born, the prophet Isaiah wrote about a Savior. He would be quiet and gentle, like a lamb. He would carry our griefs and our sorrows. People wondered and wondered…

    🙌 Palms up and shrug: “Who is it?”

  2. 👼🛣️ An angel sends Philip to the desert road

    Many years later, Jesus had risen again. An angel told His disciple Philip, “Go south, to the desert road.” Philip didn’t know why. But he went. Down the road came a chariot. It carried an important man from Ethiopia.

    🙌

  3. 🏃📖 “Do you understand what you’re reading?”

    The man was reading Isaiah out loud. The Spirit told Philip, “Go near that chariot!” So Philip ran! He asked, “Do you understand what you’re reading?” The man said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?”

    🙌

  4. 🐑🤔 “Who is the prophet talking about?”

    The man invited Philip up beside him. He was reading Isaiah, chapter fifty-three. It was about Someone led like a lamb. He stayed quiet, even when people were cruel to Him. The man asked, “Is the prophet talking about himself, or about someone else?”

    🙌 Guess! Who was Isaiah talking about?

  5. ❤️🙏 Philip tells him about Jesus

    Philip started right there in Isaiah. He taught the man about Jesus. Jesus suffered and died to carry everyone’s sins and sadness. And then He rose again! Isaiah had been writing about Jesus all along.

    🙌 Guess! They see water. What will the man ask?

  6. 💧🎉 “See, here is water!”

    They came to some water. The man said, “See, here is water! What stops me from being baptized?” He believed that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. So Philip baptized him, just like you. And the man went home rejoicing.

    🙌

Key verse

Isaiah 53:4–5 ↗
“Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows … and with his stripes we are healed.”
In kid words: Jesus carried all of our sad feelings and our sins. Because He was hurt for us, we can be healed and made whole.
🙌 “Surely he hath borne our griefs” = heave a heavy pretend bag onto your shoulders · “and carried our sorrows” = walk slowly in place, bent under the weight · “and with his stripes” = fold your arms and bow your head for a quiet moment · “we are healed” = stand up tall, open your hands, and smile

More verses

Isaiah 53:6 ↗
“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.”
In kid words: All of us wander off and make mistakes, like lost sheep. And all of our sins were placed on Jesus.
Isaiah 52:7 ↗
“How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace”
In kid words: The feet of people who hurry to share the good news about Jesus are beautiful.
Isaiah 54:10 ↗
“For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee”
In kid words: Even if the mountains moved away, the Lord’s kindness would never leave you.
Isaiah 55:8–9 ↗
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways”
In kid words: Heavenly Father sees so much more than we do, so His plans are even better than ours.

Forehead Guess words20 words

  • 🧔 Isaiah
  • 🏃 Philip
  • 🛞 Chariot
  • 🐎 Horse
  • 👼 Angel
  • 🌍 Ethiopia
  • 💰 Treasure
  • 📜 Scroll
  • 🏜️ Desert Road
  • 🐏 Sheep
  • 🐑 Lamb
  • 🎒 Backpack
  • 💧 Baptism
  • 🍞 Sacrament
  • 🙏 Repent
  • 👣 Feet
  • 📛 Missionary
  • ⛰️ Mountain
  • ⛺ Tent
  • 🦸 Superhero
Clues for each word
  • Isaiah: Wrote about Jesus 700 years before He was born
  • Philip: Ran to the chariot and taught about Jesus
  • Chariot: A cart pulled by horses
  • Horse: Pulled the chariot down the desert road
  • Angel: Told Philip to go to the desert road
  • Ethiopia: Faraway country the man in the chariot came from
  • Treasure: The man from Ethiopia took care of the queen’s
  • Scroll: The man was reading Isaiah on one
  • Desert Road: Where Philip found the chariot
  • Sheep: Isaiah said we all wander off like these
  • Lamb: Isaiah said the Savior would be quiet like one
  • Backpack: We felt how heavy sins and sadness can be
  • Baptism: Philip did this for the man in the water
  • Sacrament: Bread and water to remember Jesus every Sunday
  • Repent: Say sorry, fix it, and try again with Jesus’s help
  • Feet: Beautiful when they bring good news
  • Missionary: Shares good news about Jesus, like Philip
  • Mountain: It could move away, but the Lord’s kindness won’t
  • Tent: Isaiah said to make it bigger and strengthen its stakes
  • Superhero: Flies and punches, but Jesus saves us a better way
▶ Play Forehead GuessFull screen, 60-second timer, works on any phone.

Scripture Showdown8 questions

  1. What was the man from Ethiopia reading in his chariot?
    • A. A letter from the queen
    • B. The words of Isaiah
    • C. A map of the desert
    Show answer

    ✅ B. The words of Isaiah He was reading Isaiah 53, which is all about Jesus!

  2. Who told Philip to go to the desert road?
    • A. An angel
    • B. A soldier
    • C. His mom
    Show answer

    ✅ A. An angel Acts 8:26. Philip obeyed even though he didn’t know why yet.

  3. Isaiah said Jesus carried our griefs and our…
    • A. Groceries
    • B. Toys
    • C. Sorrows
    Show answer

    ✅ C. Sorrows Isaiah 53:4. He carried our sins and our sad feelings too.

  4. Isaiah said all we like ___ have gone astray.
    • A. Ducks
    • B. Sheep
    • C. Cats
    Show answer

    ✅ B. Sheep Isaiah 53:6. We all wander, and Jesus comes to find us.

  5. What did the man ask when they came to some water?
    • A. “What is stopping me from being baptized?”
    • B. “Can we go swimming?”
    • C. “Are there fish in there?”
    Show answer

    ✅ A. “What is stopping me from being baptized?” Acts 8:36. He believed in Jesus and was baptized right away!

  6. Whose feet did Isaiah call beautiful?
    • A. People with brand-new shoes
    • B. People who never walk anywhere
    • C. People who bring good news
    Show answer

    ✅ C. People who bring good news Isaiah 52:7. Missionaries, teachers, and friends who share the good news about Jesus!

  7. Mountains may move, but what will never leave you?
    • A. Your homework
    • B. The Lord’s kindness
    • C. Your shadow
    Show answer

    ✅ B. The Lord’s kindness Isaiah 54:10: “my kindness shall not depart from thee.”

  8. How can we give our sins to Jesus?
    • A. Hide them
    • B. Pretend they never happened
    • C. Repent and ask for His help
    Show answer

    ✅ C. Repent and ask for His help When we repent, Jesus lifts the heavy load and helps us start fresh.

▶ Play Scripture ShowdownTeams take turns on one screen.

Songs

  • He Died That We Might Live Again Children’s Songbook, p. 65

    A reverent song about what Jesus did for us. Sing it right after the Heavy Backpack. Find it ↗

  • Baptism Children’s Songbook, p. 100

    The man from Ethiopia was baptized right beside the road, just like the kids’ own baptisms. Find it ↗

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

    Beautiful feet (Isaiah 52:7): kids can share good news about Jesus now, not just someday. Find it ↗

This week’s challenge

Sacrament Thank-You

Next time you take the sacrament, think of one heavy thing Jesus carried for you. Say “thank you” to Heavenly Father in your heart. Then help carry something for someone this week, like a backpack, a chore, or a friend’s sad day.

Text the parents

Today in Primary we learned that Isaiah wrote about Jesus 700 years before He was born. He wrote, “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows.” That’s Isaiah 53:4. We heard how Philip taught a man from Ethiopia who was reading that very chapter in his chariot. Then Philip baptized him. We felt a heavy backpack and talked about how Jesus lifts our sins and our sad feelings. Ask your child to name two ways we can give our heavy things to Jesus.

📝 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?

🪜 The View from Up High · 5 min

  1. Make a simple maze on the floor with chairs, pillows, or masking tape.
  2. A walker starts the maze. Ask, “Can you see which way to go from down there?”
  3. A guide stands on a sturdy chair with a grown-up spotting. They call directions like “Two steps left!”
  4. Read Isaiah 55:9. Ask, “Why is it smart to trust someone who can see the whole maze?” Talk about trusting Heavenly Father.

⛺ Strengthen Your Stakes · 5 min

  1. Drape a blanket over two chairs to make a tent. Give a corner a tug. It slides right off!
  2. Now pin each corner with a heavy book. Those are the stakes. Tug again. It holds!
  3. Read Isaiah 54:2. Say, “That’s where the Church gets the word ‘stake.’ When we keep our promises, we help hold it strong.”
  4. Kids take turns crawling into the tent. Each names something that makes them strong, like prayer or the sacrament.

⛰️ Moving Mountains · 3 min

  1. Build a mountain of pillows or couch cushions. Hide a paper heart that says “The Lord’s kindness” under the bottom one.
  2. Kids take turns pulling pillows off one at a time until the mountain is gone.
  3. When only the heart is left, read Isaiah 54:10.
  4. SAY“Things change. We move to a new house. We start a new school. Sometimes we lose someone we love. But Jesus’s kindness stays.”

👟 Good Tidings Hot Potato · 4 min

  1. Read Isaiah 52:7. Say, “Philip’s feet were beautiful because they ran to share good news about Jesus!”
  2. Sit in a circle. Tap Hot Potato and pass a soft ball while the music plays. No ball? Pass an invisible, very hot potato.
  3. When it buzzes, whoever’s holding it shares good news about Jesus. Maybe He loves me, or He rose again.
  4. No repeats! If you get stuck, pick a friend to help.

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 Valiant 7–8 lessons