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According to Thy Word

A silent priest, an angel with two messages, and a young woman’s brave answer

  • ⭐ Valiant 9–11
  • Week 1
  • 📅 Sunday, January 3, 2027
🤔 Forehead Guess🏆 Showdown
💡 The big idea

Nothing is impossible with God, so like Mary I can trust Him, wait on His timing, and say, “Be it unto me according to thy word.”

I can trust Heavenly Father’s timing and choose to do His will, even before I understand everything.

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

Welcome to the New Testament! Luke 1 opens with two announcements from the same angel. Zacharias, a priest “of the course of Abia,” was chosen by lot to burn incense in the temple, maybe the only time in his life he would get that honor. He and Elisabeth were “righteous before God … blameless” (Luke 1:6), yet they had no children and were now old. Gabriel appeared by the altar and told him his prayer was heard: Elisabeth would have a son named John. Zacharias asked, “Whereby shall I know this?” and was left unable to speak until the promise was fulfilled. Six months later Gabriel came to Mary in Nazareth. She asked, “How shall this be?”, heard that “with God nothing shall be impossible,” and answered, “Be it unto me according to thy word” (Luke 1:34–38). Matthew 1 adds Jesus’s royal family line and Joseph’s dream, after which Joseph “did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him” (Matthew 1:24).

Nine- to eleven-year-olds can go deeper than “God can do anything.” They can notice that faithful people still wait (Elisabeth and Zacharias), that asking questions is fine when we ask in faith (Mary asked “how,” not “prove it”), and that submitting to God’s will is a choice we make before we see how things turn out. Mary’s words sound a lot like what Jesus Himself would later pray in Gethsemane: “not my will, but thine, be done” (Luke 22:42). Their baptism covenant is their own version of Mary’s “yes.”

This week is full of Old Testament echoes, and your class just spent a year there. Elisabeth’s story mirrors Sarah’s (“Is any thing too hard for the LORD?” Genesis 18:14) and Hannah’s (1 Samuel 1:27). Matthew 1:23 quotes Isaiah 7:14: Emmanuel, “God with us.” And Gabriel said John would come “in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children” (Luke 1:17), language from Malachi 4:5–6. That prophecy points ahead to Elijah restoring sealing keys in the Kirtland Temple (Doctrine and Covenants 110:13–16), which is why your oldest kids will soon do baptisms for their ancestors in the temple. The Restoration also teaches that Gabriel is Noah and that John the Baptist was ordained by an angel when he was eight days old (Doctrine and Covenants 84:28).

Keep the doctrine clear and simple: Jesus Christ is the literal Son of Heavenly Father and of Mary (Luke 1:31–35). From His mother He received a mortal body; from His Father He received power over death. If questions go further than that, it’s fine to say, “Heavenly Father made it happen by His power” (Luke 1:35), and move on. The name Jesus was chosen by God because “he shall save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).

Only have 5 minutes?

Read Luke 1:5–38 and Matthew 1:18–25. Open Teach Mode and let your phone or tablet carry the story drama with your best readers reading the marked verses. Teach Luke 1:38 with the motions, play Forehead Guess, then ask two of the discussion questions and bear testimony. No paper? Tap “I brought nothing” and the hook becomes the Wall Challenge.

What to bring5 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. Fold a sheet of printer paper in half, then in half again, and keep going. Notice how quickly it becomes impossible (usually around 6 or 7 folds). That’s your hook.
  2. Make the 8 Prophecy Match cards. Old Testament cards: Genesis 18:14 · 1 Samuel 1:27 · Isaiah 7:14 · Malachi 4:5–6. New Testament cards: Luke 1:36–37 · Luke 1:13 · Matthew 1:22–23 · Luke 1:17. Hide them around the room before class.
  3. Bookmark the story verses for your Scripture Readers: Luke 1:6, 1:13, 1:20, 1:37–38, 1:45, 1:63 and Matthew 1:21, 1:24.
  4. Put the notepad and marker where Zacharias can grab them during scene 8.
  5. Add your kids’ names in the My Class tab so the Name Spinner and Roles work. January class changes may bring new kids.

If your class is wild

  • Give Zacharias to your chattiest kid. Staying completely silent from scene 4 to scene 8 is a real challenge, and the whole class will be watching.
  • Nine- to eleven-year-olds love a contest. Keep a running tally on the whiteboard: Team Zacharias vs. Team Elisabeth for the whole lesson.
  • Hand real jobs to your natural leaders: a Scripture Reader, the Verse Leader, the Discussion Moderator. Busy leaders don’t goof off.
  • In the Prophecy Match, cards are found by walking only. Runners lose their team a point.
  • Kids may come back tired or wired after the holidays. If they’re buzzing, play Gabriel Says before the story.

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 Seven-Fold Challenge

3 min

A challenge that looks easy but turns out impossible sets up Gabriel’s promise that nothing is impossible with God.

  1. Hand every kid one sheet of paper. Say: “Easy challenge. Fold it in half. Again. Again. Whoever gets the most folds wins. Go!”
  2. Let them strain. Most will get stuck around 6 or 7 folds. Crown the champion.
  3. SAY“Something so simple turned impossible fast. Today we’ll meet an old couple who were told they’d have a baby, and a young woman told she’d be the mother of the Son of God.”
  4. Ask a kid to read Genesis 18:14 aloud: “Is any thing too hard for the LORD?” Ask: “Who was that said about?” (Sarah and Abraham.) Say: “Watch for that same question to come back today.”
🌪️ Hand out paper only after you finish explaining. Anyone who tears their paper is the official fold counter.

Class screen: 📄 How many times can you fold one sheet of paper? · Fold in half… again… again… · Is any thing too hard for the Lord?

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: Plain printer paper: one sheet per kid, plus a couple of spares

The Wall Challenge

  1. Line everyone up along a wall. Each kid stands sideways with their right shoulder, right cheek and the side of their right foot pressed against the wall.
  2. SAY“Easy challenge: lift your left foot off the floor and hold it for three seconds. Go!” Nobody can do it without falling away from the wall.
  3. SAY“Something so simple turned impossible fast. Today we’ll meet an old couple who were told they’d have a baby, and a young woman told she’d be the mother of the Son of God.”
  4. Read Genesis 18:14 aloud from your scriptures: “Is any thing too hard for the LORD?” Ask: “Who was that said about?” (Sarah and Abraham.) Say: “Watch for that same question to come back today.”

Class screen: 🧱 Cheek and foot on the wall. Now lift the other foot! · Is any thing too hard for the Lord?

🌪️ Spread out along the wall so nobody topples into a neighbor.
2. Story

Story Drama: Two Announcements, One Plan

6 min

Acting it out with real scripture readers helps kids notice the details: who waited, who asked what, and who obeyed.

  1. Hand out roles (tap Roles in Teach Mode). Give your Scripture Readers their verses. Everyone else is the Crowd.
  2. Whisper to Zacharias: from scene 4 until scene 8, not one word. Hand signals only.
  3. Read each scene and pause for the reader and the action cue.
  4. After scene 6, freeze and ask: “Zacharias asked ‘Whereby shall I know this?’ Mary asked ‘How shall this be?’ What’s the difference?” (He wanted proof; she believed and asked how.)
  5. At scene 8, hand Zacharias the notepad and marker to write HIS NAME IS JOHN and hold it up.
🌪️ If an actor gets silly, trade them into the Crowd and give them the next big gasp to lead.

Class screen: 🎭 Story Drama: Two Announcements, One Plan · Readers ready · Zacharias: total silence!

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: A small whiteboard, notepad or sheet of paper, plus a marker (Zacharias’s “writing table”)

  1. Hand out roles (tap Roles in Teach Mode). Give your Scripture Readers their verses. Everyone else is the Crowd.
  2. Whisper to Zacharias: from scene 4 until scene 8, not one word. Hand signals only.
  3. Read each scene and pause for the reader and the action cue.
  4. After scene 6, freeze and ask: “Zacharias asked ‘Whereby shall I know this?’ Mary asked ‘How shall this be?’ What’s the difference?” (He wanted proof; she believed and asked how.)
  5. At scene 8, Zacharias writes HIS NAME IS JOHN in the air with a giant finger while the Crowd reads each letter out loud. Then he shouts, “Praise God!”
3. Wiggle break

Gabriel Says

2 min

A tricky listening game burns energy and makes a point: only follow the messenger who really comes from God.

  1. Pick a kid to be the Caller. It works like Simon Says, but only commands starting with “Gabriel says” count.
  2. Use story moves: burn incense (wave smoke up) · zip your lips · leap like Baby John · snore like Joseph · bow like Mary · write on a tablet.
  3. Anyone who moves without “Gabriel says” sits down. Speed up until two are left.
  4. SAY“Zacharias and Mary both listened to a true messenger from God. Who are the true messengers we listen to today?” (The living prophet, the Holy Ghost, parents, the scriptures.)

Class screen: 👼 Only move when you hear “Gabriel says!” · 💨 incense · 🤐 zip it · 🦘 leap · 😴 snore · 🙋‍♀️ bow

4. Game

Prophecy Match Race

3 min

Teams connect Old Testament promises to their New Testament fulfillments and see that God keeps His word across centuries.

  1. Split into two teams. Say: “Eight cards are hidden in this room. Four are Old Testament promises; four are New Testament fulfillments. Find a matching pair, read both out loud, and explain the link. Walking only!”
  2. The pairs: Genesis 18:14 ↔ Luke 1:36–37 (old women, impossible babies) · 1 Samuel 1:27 ↔ Luke 1:13 (a prayer for a child is heard) · Isaiah 7:14 ↔ Matthew 1:22–23 (Emmanuel) · Malachi 4:5–6 ↔ Luke 1:17 (turning hearts of fathers and children).
  3. Each correct pair = 1 point. Bonus point if the team can say who the promise was about.
  4. SAY“Malachi’s promise is still being fulfilled. Elijah came to the Kirtland Temple in 1836, and now families are sealed and kids your age do baptisms for their ancestors. Some of you will be doing that very soon.”
🌪️ Put a “home base” chair for each team. Cards go to the chair; only one runner per team at a time.

Class screen: 🔗 Find the promise. Find where it came true. · Old Testament ↔ New Testament · Walk, don’t run!

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: 8 index cards or paper slips with the Prophecy Match references written on them (see prep)

Who’s the Match?

  1. Split into two teams. Say: “I’m going to read a promise from the Old Testament. Huddle for ten seconds, then tell me which person from today’s story it matches.”
  2. Read from your scriptures, one at a time: Genesis 18:14 (Elisabeth), 1 Samuel 1:27 (Zacharias and Elisabeth’s prayer), Isaiah 7:14 (Mary and Jesus), Malachi 4:5–6 (John).
  3. First team to answer correctly gets a point. Bonus point if they can name the New Testament verse (Luke 1:37, Luke 1:13, Matthew 1:23, Luke 1:17).
  4. SAY“Malachi’s promise is still being fulfilled. Elijah came to the Kirtland Temple in 1836, and now families are sealed and kids your age do baptisms for their ancestors. Some of you will be doing that very soon.”

Class screen: 🔗 Old Testament promise. Who does it match?

5. Scripture

Scripture Spotlight: Luke 1:38

3 min

Kids memorize Mary’s answer and see it echoed in the Savior’s own prayer.

  1. Show the verse on your phone or tablet. A Verse Leader reads it and teaches the motions.
  2. Say it three ways: normal, whisper, then boys and girls alternate phrases.
  3. Ask: “What’s a handmaid?” (A servant.) “What does ‘be it unto me according to thy word’ mean?” (Let it happen the way You said.)
  4. Have a kid read Luke 22:42. Ask: “Who said this, and when?” (Jesus, in Gethsemane.) Say: “Maybe He learned that kind of trust at home from His mother.”
  5. SAY“When you were baptized, you made your own ‘be it unto me.’ Every time you take the sacrament, you say it again.”

Class screen: 🙋‍♀️ “Be it unto me according to thy word.” · Luke 1:38 · Compare Luke 22:42

6. Game

Forehead Guess: Hard Mode

3 min

A Heads Up–style round with tougher words reviews every person, place and idea from Matthew 1 and Luke 1.

  1. Tap Forehead Guess. A kid runs the timer: 45 seconds per guesser.
  2. The guesser holds your phone or tablet on their forehead. Classmates give clues without saying the word; tilt down for got it, up to pass.
  3. Hard mode: words like Dayspring, Elias and Espoused need clue-givers to use the story, not just definitions.
  4. Zacharias round: the last guesser gets only silent, acted-out clues.
🌪️ Hands up to give a clue; the guesser picks who goes next. Shouting the answer = you lose your next clue.
▶ Play Forehead Guess on the web

Class screen: 🤔 Forehead Guess: Can you get Dayspring? · No saying the word! · Last round: silent clues only

7. Talk it over

Kid-Led Discussion

3 min

An older kid leads while the class wrestles with waiting, faith, questions and obedience.

  1. Hand your phone or tablet to your Discussion Moderator. They read each question and tap the Name Spinner to choose who answers first.
  2. After each answer the Moderator asks, “Who can add to that?”
  3. Sit next to the Moderator and share your own thoughts, especially on the waiting question.
💬 Ask the class
  • Zacharias and Elisabeth were “blameless,” but they waited for years. Why doesn’t obedience always bring what we want right away?
  • Zacharias asked “Whereby shall I know this?” Mary asked “How shall this be?” Why did one get a sign and the other get praised?
  • Joseph woke up and obeyed immediately. What makes obeying right away hard, and what helps?
  • Gabriel said John would “turn the hearts of the fathers to the children.” How do temples and family history do that today?
  • What feels impossible to you right now that Heavenly Father could help with this year?
🎡 Name Spinner (a class game in the Gospel Sparks app)

Class screen: 🎤 Your turn to lead the discussion! · Read it · Spin it · Add to it

8. Testimony

Emmanuel: God with Us

2 min

End quietly with the promise that Jesus Christ came to be with us and save us.

  1. Lower your voice. Read Matthew 1:23. Say: “Emmanuel means ‘God with us.’ Jesus came to be with us, and He still is.”
  2. Share one or two sentences about a time Heavenly Father answered your prayer in His own timing, or helped you do something that felt impossible.
  3. Introduce the “Be It unto Me” challenge on the screen.
  4. Ask a child to say the closing prayer.

Class screen: ✨ Emmanuel: God with us. · Matthew 1:23 · This week: ask what He wants, then do it

9. Game

Scripture Showdown

5 minBONUS

A tough team quiz reviews Matthew 1, Luke 1 and the Old Testament links.

  1. Split into Team Zacharias and Team Elisabeth. Tap Scripture Showdown.
  2. Read each question aloud. Teams huddle 10 seconds, then a captain answers. Rotate captains every question.
  3. Bonus point for naming the verse.
▶ Play Scripture Showdown on the web

Class screen: 🏆 Scripture Showdown!

10. Game

Famous Ancestors Hunt

5 minBONUS

Kids discover that Jesus’s family tree is full of people they already know, and that family history matters to God.

  1. Pairs open to Matthew 1:1–16 (in scriptures or Gospel Library).
  2. Start the Big Timer for 2 minutes. Pairs race to find names they recognize from last year’s Old Testament: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah (Judas), Boaz (Booz), Ruth, Rahab (Rachab), Jesse, David, Solomon, Hezekiah (Ezekias), Josiah (Josias).
  3. One point per name; two points if they can tell one fact about that person.
  4. SAY“Matthew started the New Testament with a family history. Heavenly Father cares about families across generations, and so will you when you do baptisms for your ancestors.”
⏱️ Big Timer (a class game in the Gospel Sparks app)

Class screen: 🌳 Who’s in Jesus’s family tree? Race to find them! · Matthew 1:1–16 · 2 minutes. Go!

Story drama

Two Announcements, One Plan

Luke 1:5–64; Matthew 1:18–25 ↗

Parts to hand out

  • ZachariasAn old priest who burns incense in the temple, then can’t say a word until he writes “His name is John.”
  • ElisabethFaithful and waiting for years; filled with the Holy Ghost when Mary arrives.
  • GabrielThe angel who “stands in the presence of God” and delivers both announcements (also the angel in Joseph’s dream).
  • MaryA young woman in Nazareth who asks “How shall this be?” and then says yes to God.
  • JosephA just man from King David’s family who wakes from a dream and obeys right away.
  • Baby JohnCurls up small, leaps for joy on cue, then is “born” with a big stretch.
  • Scripture ReadersTwo or three kids who read the marked verses straight from the scriptures when their scene comes.
  • The CrowdEveryone else: people praying outside the temple, then neighbors who want the baby named Zacharias.

Scenes

  1. 👴👵🙏 Blameless, faithful, and still waiting

    Zacharias and Elisabeth did everything right. They kept the commandments and the ordinances. But they had no children, and now they were old. They kept praying anyway.

    🎬 A Scripture Reader reads Luke 1:6. Zacharias and Elisabeth kneel. The Crowd shakes their heads: “Still no baby…”

  2. 🏛️💨 Chosen to burn incense in the temple

    Priests took turns serving in the temple, and they drew lots to choose who would burn the incense. This time the lot fell to Zacharias. While he went inside, the whole crowd prayed outside.

    🎬 Zacharias waves pretend smoke upward. The Crowd bows their heads and whispers a prayer.

  3. 👼🔥 An angel beside the altar

    Suddenly an angel stood on the right side of the altar. Zacharias was terrified. The angel said his prayer was heard, and Elisabeth would have a son named John, who would turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and prepare people for the Lord.

    🎬 Zacharias jumps back. Gabriel spreads his arms. A Scripture Reader reads Luke 1:13.

  4. 🤐 “Whereby shall I know this?”

    Zacharias asked how he could know this was true, because he and Elisabeth were so old. Gabriel said, “I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God.” Because Zacharias didn’t believe, he would not be able to speak until the promise came true.

    🎬 A reader reads Luke 1:20. Zacharias zips his lips and tries to explain to the Crowd with only hand signals. The Crowd guesses out loud.

  5. 🏡👼 Six months later, in Nazareth

    Gabriel was sent to a young woman named Mary in the little town of Nazareth. He told her she would have a son and name Him Jesus. He would be called the Son of the Highest, and His kingdom would never end.

    🎬 Mary looks up, surprised. Gabriel bows respectfully to her. The Crowd whispers, “The Son of the Highest!”

  6. ❓🙋‍♀️ “How shall this be?” … “Be it unto me”

    Mary asked how this could happen. Gabriel explained that the power of the Highest would make it so, and that her old cousin Elisabeth was expecting a baby too. Then he said the words at the center of this whole chapter. Mary didn’t know what was ahead, but she answered with complete trust.

    🎬 A reader reads Luke 1:37–38. Mary bows her head, then looks up and nods. Everyone nods with her.

  7. 🤰👶💃 Baby John leaps for joy

    Mary hurried to the hill country to visit Elisabeth. The moment Elisabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby inside her leaped for joy, and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost. She knew Mary would be the mother of her Lord.

    🎬 Baby John leaps. Elisabeth throws her arms up. A reader reads Luke 1:45: “blessed is she that believed.”

  8. ✍️ “His name is John”

    Elisabeth’s son was born. The neighbors wanted to name him Zacharias after his dad, but Elisabeth said, “Not so; but he shall be called John.” They made signs to Zacharias. He asked for a writing table and wrote four words. Instantly his mouth was opened, and the first thing he did was praise God.

    🎬 The Crowd shouts, “Call him Zacharias!” Zacharias writes HIS NAME IS JOHN, holds it up, then shouts, “Praise God!”

  9. 😴🌙👼 Joseph’s dream, Joseph’s choice

    Joseph was troubled and didn’t know what to do. An angel came to him in a dream: don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife. Her Son is from God. Name Him Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins. Joseph woke up and did exactly what the angel said.

    🎬 Joseph snores, the angel whispers, and Joseph jumps up with a thumbs-up. A reader reads Matthew 1:21 and 1:24.

Key verse

Luke 1:38 ↗
“Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.”
In kid words: Mary said, “I’m the Lord’s servant. Let it happen the way He said.”
🙌 “Behold” = hand shading your eyes · “the handmaid of the Lord” = hand on your heart, small bow · “be it unto me” = open both hands, palms up · “according to thy word” = point up, then open your hands like a book.

More verses

Luke 1:37 ↗
“For with God nothing shall be impossible.”
In kid words: There is nothing Heavenly Father can’t do.
Luke 1:17 ↗
“to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children”
In kid words: John would help families turn toward each other, a job the temple still does today.
Matthew 1:23 ↗
“they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”
In kid words: One of Jesus’s names means “God with us.”
Luke 22:42 ↗
“nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.”
In kid words: Years later, Jesus prayed almost the same thing His mother said: “What You want, not what I want.”

Forehead Guess words20 words

  • 👴 Zacharias
  • 👵 Elisabeth
  • 👼 Gabriel
  • 🙋‍♀️ Mary
  • 🪚 Joseph
  • 👶 John the Baptist
  • 💨 Incense
  • 🔥 Altar
  • 🏡 Nazareth
  • 🧺 Handmaid
  • 🤝 Emmanuel
  • 💍 Espoused
  • ✍️ Writing table
  • 🔥 Elias
  • 🌅 Dayspring
  • 🌳 Genealogy
  • 👑 King David
  • ⭐ Abraham
  • 🤐 Speechless
  • 🚫 Impossible
Clues for each word
  • Zacharias: Priest who couldn’t talk until his son was named
  • Elisabeth: Waited for years, then felt the Holy Ghost when Mary visited
  • Gabriel: Angel who “stands in the presence of God”
  • Mary: Asked “How shall this be?” then said yes
  • Joseph: A just man who obeyed an angel in a dream
  • John the Baptist: Leaped for joy before he was born
  • Incense: Zacharias was chosen by lot to burn it
  • Altar: The angel stood on its right side
  • Nazareth: Small town in Galilee where Mary lived
  • Handmaid: Mary called herself this: a servant of the Lord
  • Emmanuel: A name of Jesus meaning “God with us”
  • Espoused: Old word for engaged, like Mary and Joseph
  • Writing table: What Zacharias asked for before he wrote “His name is John”
  • Elias: John would come in his spirit and power
  • Dayspring: Zacharias’s word for Jesus: sunrise from on high
  • Genealogy: Family tree; Matthew 1 starts with Jesus’s
  • King David: Jesus would be given this king’s throne
  • Abraham: First name in Jesus’s family line in Matthew 1
  • Speechless: How Zacharias came out of the temple
  • Impossible: Nothing is this with God (Luke 1:37)
▶ Play Forehead GuessFull screen, 60-second timer, works on any phone.

Scripture Showdown10 questions

  1. How was Zacharias chosen to burn incense in the temple?
    • A. By drawing lots
    • B. He was the oldest priest
    • C. The king picked him
    Show answer

    ✅ A. By drawing lots Luke 1:9. The lot fell to him, maybe once in a lifetime!

  2. Luke 1:6 says Zacharias and Elisabeth were righteous and…
    • A. rich
    • B. blameless
    • C. famous
    Show answer

    ✅ B. blameless They kept the commandments and still had to wait for their blessing.

  3. Why couldn’t Zacharias speak after seeing Gabriel?
    • A. He caught a cold in the temple
    • B. The incense smoke hurt his throat
    • C. He didn’t believe the angel’s words
    Show answer

    ✅ C. He didn’t believe the angel’s words Luke 1:20. He couldn’t speak until the promise was fulfilled.

  4. Gabriel said John would come in the spirit and power of…
    • A. Moses
    • B. Elias
    • C. Samuel
    Show answer

    ✅ B. Elias Luke 1:17, echoing Malachi 4:5–6 about turning hearts of fathers and children.

  5. Which Old Testament woman’s story is most like Elisabeth’s?
    • A. Sarah
    • B. Esther
    • C. Deborah
    Show answer

    ✅ A. Sarah Both were old when promised a son. “Is any thing too hard for the LORD?” (Genesis 18:14)

  6. What did Mary say after learning nothing is impossible with God?
    • A. “Whereby shall I know this?”
    • B. “Let me think about it”
    • C. “Be it unto me according to thy word”
    Show answer

    ✅ C. “Be it unto me according to thy word” Luke 1:38. She trusted before she understood everything.

  7. Who was filled with the Holy Ghost when Mary greeted her?
    • A. Anna
    • B. Elisabeth
    • C. Hannah
    Show answer

    ✅ B. Elisabeth Luke 1:41. Baby John leaped for joy at the same moment.

  8. What does the name Emmanuel mean?
    • A. God with us
    • B. King of kings
    • C. Prince of peace
    Show answer

    ✅ A. God with us Matthew 1:23, quoting Isaiah 7:14.

  9. Matthew 1 begins with Jesus’s family line. Which two ancestors are named first?
    • A. Adam and Noah
    • B. Moses and Aaron
    • C. David and Abraham
    Show answer

    ✅ C. David and Abraham Matthew 1:1: “the son of David, the son of Abraham.”

  10. Why was the baby to be named Jesus?
    • A. It was his grandfather’s name
    • B. He shall save his people from their sins
    • C. Joseph chose it himself
    Show answer

    ✅ B. He shall save his people from their sins Matthew 1:21. The angel gave the name before He was born.

▶ Play Scripture ShowdownTeams take turns on one screen.

Songs

  • Faith Children’s Songbook, p. 96

    Mary trusted God before she knew how everything would work out. Find it ↗

  • He Sent His Son Children’s Songbook, p. 34

    Heavenly Father’s promise to send His Son begins to unfold in these chapters. Find it ↗

  • Family History—I Am Doing It Children’s Songbook, p. 94

    John would “turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,” and kids help do that today. Find it ↗

This week’s challenge

Be It unto Me

Each morning this week, end your prayer by asking, “What would Thou have me do today?” Then watch for the answer: a quiet idea to help, include someone or obey quickly. Do it, and write it down. On Saturday, count how many times you said Mary’s kind of yes. Want a Children and Youth goal? Make this your spiritual goal for January.

Text the parents

Today in Primary we started the New Testament with Luke 1 and Matthew 1: Zacharias, who couldn’t speak until he wrote “His name is John,” and Mary, who answered the angel, “Be it unto me according to thy word” (Luke 1:38). We matched Old Testament prophecies to their fulfillment and talked about how Elijah’s promise to “turn the hearts” leads to temple work today. Ask your child: what was the difference between Zacharias’s question and Mary’s question?

📝 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?

🎶 Mary’s Song Scavenger Hunt · 4 min

  1. Read Luke 1:46–55 together (Mary’s song of praise).
  2. Teams list everything Mary says God has done (regarded the lowly, filled the hungry, remembered His mercy, kept His promise to Abraham).
  3. Ask: “Mary said her soul ‘doth magnify the Lord.’ How can you make the Lord bigger in your life this year?”

👼 Gabriel’s Other Visits · 4 min

  1. Tell the class Gabriel appears by name in the Old Testament too. Have kids read Daniel 8:16 and Daniel 9:21.
  2. Ask: “What did Gabriel do for Daniel?” (Helped him understand a vision.)
  3. Share that Joseph Smith taught that Gabriel is Noah. Ask: “Why might Heavenly Father send the same trusted messenger again and again?”

🤐 Zacharias’s Silent Minute · 3 min

  1. Start the Big Timer for 60 seconds. Nobody may make a sound.
  2. During the silence, each kid thinks of one thing they’re waiting on Heavenly Father for.
  3. Afterward, read Luke 1:64 and ask: “What was the very first thing Zacharias did with his voice?” (Praised God.) “What will you do with yours this week?”

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 9–11 lessons