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According to Thy Word

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

  • ⭐ Valiant 9–10
  • 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 was a priest “of the course of Abia.” He was chosen by lot to burn incense in the temple. It may have been the only time in his life he’d get that honor. Luke 1:6 says he and Elisabeth were “righteous before God … blameless.” 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?” He 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?” She heard that “with God nothing shall be impossible.” And she answered, “Be it unto me according to thy word.” That’s Luke 1:34–38. Matthew 1 adds Jesus’s royal family line and Joseph’s dream. Afterward Joseph “did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him,” in Matthew 1:24.

Nine- to eleven-year-olds can go deeper than “God can do anything.” They can notice that faithful people still wait, like Elisabeth and Zacharias. They can see that asking questions is fine when we ask in faith. Mary asked “how,” not “prove it.” And 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 would later pray in Gethsemane: “not my will, but thine, be done.” That’s 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 in Genesis 18:14: “Is any thing too hard for the LORD?” It also mirrors Hannah’s, in 1 Samuel 1:27. Matthew 1:23 quotes Isaiah 7:14: Emmanuel, “God with us.” In Luke 1:17, Gabriel says John will come “in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children.” That’s language from Malachi 4:5–6. It points ahead to Elijah restoring sealing keys in the Kirtland Temple, in Doctrine and Covenants 110:13–16. That’s why your oldest kids will soon do baptisms for their ancestors in the temple. The Restoration also teaches that Gabriel is Noah. And Doctrine and Covenants 84:28 says John the Baptist was ordained by an angel when he was eight days old.

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

Only have 5 minutes?

Read Luke 1:5–38 and Matthew 1:18–25. Open with the paper-folding challenge. Tell the Two Announcements story in Teach Mode. Say Luke 1:38 with motions. Run the Prophecy Match Race in two teams. Close with Emmanuel and your testimony. Brought nothing? Tap “I brought nothing.” The hook becomes a seated foot-and-finger trick, and you read the prophecies out loud.

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 Luke 1:5–38 and Matthew 1:18–25. Fold a sheet of paper in half again and again. It usually gets stuck around 6 or 7 folds.
  2. Mark the Scripture Reader’s verses: Luke 1:13, 1:20, 1:37–38 and Matthew 1:21. Mark the Old Testament promises: Genesis 18:14, 1 Samuel 1:27, Isaiah 7:14, Malachi 4:5–6.

If your class is wild

  • January class changes may bring new faces. Learn names in the hook, and add them in the My Class tab so the Name Spinner works.
  • Nine- to eleven-year-olds love a contest. Keep one running tally for the whole lesson: Team Zacharias vs. Team Elisabeth.
  • Zipped lips make a great quiet signal. Zip your own lips and wait. The class will copy you.
  • Give the Scripture Reader job to your chattiest strong reader. A real job beats a reminder every time.
  • Kids may come back tired or wired after the holidays. If they’re buzzing, do the hook standing, then sit for the story.

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

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. SAY“Here’s an easy challenge. Fold your paper in half. Then again. And again. Most folds wins!”
  2. Hand out paper only after you finish explaining. Then: “Go!” Let them strain. Most stop around 6 or 7 folds. Crown the champion. Say: “Something so simple turned impossible fast.”
  3. A kid reads Genesis 18:14 from their seat: “Is any thing too hard for the LORD?” Say: “Watch for that question to come back today.”
🌪️ Anyone who tears their paper becomes 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 Impossible Foot Trick

  1. SAY“Here’s an easy challenge. Stay in your seat. Lift your right foot and draw circles, clockwise. Keep going!”
  2. SAY“Keep circling. Now draw a 6 in the air with your right hand.”
  3. Watch every foot switch direction. Say: “Something so simple turned impossible fast.”
  4. Read Genesis 18:14 from your scriptures: “Is any thing too hard for the LORD?” Say: “Watch for that question to come back today.”

Class screen: 🦶 Circle your foot, then draw a 6 in the air! · Is any thing too hard for the Lord?

2. Story

Story: Two Announcements, One Plan

7 min

One angel, two announcements. Kids notice who waited, who asked what, and who trusted God.

  1. SAY“Welcome to the New Testament! One angel brings two impossible announcements. When something impossible happens, point up.”
  2. Open the story in Teach Mode. Do a motion only when it shows. Nod to the Scripture Reader at scenes 1, 2, 4 and 7.
  3. After scene 4, ask: “Zacharias asked, ‘Whereby shall I know this?’ Mary asked, ‘How shall this be?’ What’s the difference?” He wanted proof. She believed.
  4. After scene 7, ask: “Zacharias and Elisabeth were blameless, but they waited for years. Why doesn’t obeying always bring what we want right away?”
🌪️ If the room drifts, zip your own lips and wait. When every mouth is zipped, read on.

Class screen: 👼 Two Announcements, One Plan · ☝️ Nothing is impossible!

3. Scripture

Key Verse: Luke 1:38

4 min

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

  1. SAY“Here’s Mary’s answer to the most surprising news ever.”
  2. Show the verse on your phone or tablet. Teach the motions and say it together twice: normal, then whisper.
  3. Ask: “What’s a handmaid?” A servant. Then ask: “What does ‘be it unto me according to thy word’ mean?” Let it happen the way You said.
  4. A kid reads Luke 22:42 from their seat. Ask: “Who prayed this?” Jesus, in Gethsemane. Then ask: “Why is that kind of trust so hard?”
  5. SAY“When you were baptized, you made your own ‘be it unto me’ promise. And 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

4. Game

Prophecy Match Race

7 min

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

  1. SAY“Old Testament promises, New Testament fulfillments! I’ll read a promise. Your team races to find the reference on the screen that shows it coming true.”
  2. Read Genesis 18:14, then 1 Samuel 1:27, Isaiah 7:14 and Malachi 4:5–6. The first team to read the matching verse aloud scores a point.
  3. Bonus point if the team says who the promise was about. Swap each team’s reader every round.
  4. Ask: “What feels impossible to you this year that Heavenly Father could help with?” Crown the champions.
🌪️ Readers stay seated. The first team to read the verse aloud wins, not the first to shout.

Class screen: 🔗 Find where each promise came true! · Luke 1:13 · Luke 1:17 · Luke 1:36–37 · Matthew 1:22–23

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: Scriptures for each team (their own, a classroom set from the library, or Gospel Library on a parent-approved device)

Who’s the Match?

  1. SAY“I’ll 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. Genesis 18:14 ➜ Elisabeth. 1 Samuel 1:27 ➜ Zacharias’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 reference on the screen.
  4. Ask: “What feels impossible to you this year that Heavenly Father could help with?” Crown the champions.

Class screen: 🔗 Old Testament promise. Who does it match? · Luke 1:13 · Luke 1:17 · Luke 1:36–37 · Matthew 1:22–23

5. Testimony

Emmanuel: God with Us

3 min

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

  1. SAY“Emmanuel means God with us. Jesus came to be with us. And He still is.”
  2. Lower your voice and read Matthew 1:23.
  3. In a sentence or two, share a time Heavenly Father answered a prayer in His own timing. Or share when He helped you do something that felt impossible.
  4. Share the “Be It unto Me” challenge on the screen, then 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

6. Game

Forehead Guess: Hard Mode

4 minBONUS

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

  1. SAY“Hard mode! Words like Dayspring and Elias need clues from the story. Not just definitions.”
  2. Tap Forehead Guess. The guesser holds your phone or tablet on their forehead, screen facing their team. Tilt down for got it, up to pass. 45 seconds each.
  3. Alternate teams and add the points to today’s tally.
🌪️ Hands up to give a clue. The guesser picks who goes next. Shouting the answer loses your next clue.
▶ Play Forehead Guess on the web

Class screen: 🤔 Forehead Guess: Can you get Dayspring? · No saying the word!

7. Game

Scripture Showdown

5 minBONUS

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

  1. SAY“It’s Team Zacharias against Team Elisabeth!”
  2. Tap Scripture Showdown. 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!

The story

Two Announcements, One Plan

Luke 1:5–64; Matthew 1:18–25 ↗

Optional helpers

  • Scripture ReaderFrom their seat, reads Luke 1:13, Luke 1:20, Luke 1:37–38 and Matthew 1:21 aloud when you nod.
  • Sound HelperSits next to you and taps each scene’s sound on your phone or tablet.

Scenes

  1. 🏛️👼 An angel beside the altar

    Zacharias and Elisabeth were faithful and blameless. They were old, with no children. Zacharias was chosen by lot to burn incense in the temple. Suddenly an angel stood by the altar. He said, “Thy prayer is heard.” Elisabeth would have a son named John.

    🙌 Point up: “Nothing is impossible!”

  2. 🤐 “Whereby shall I know this?”

    Zacharias asked how he could know, since they were so old. The angel said, “I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God.” Zacharias didn’t believe. So he couldn’t speak until the promise came true.

    🙌

  3. 🏡👼 Six months later, in Nazareth

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

    🙌

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

    Mary asked how this could happen. Gabriel explained that God’s power would make it so. Her old cousin Elisabeth was expecting too! Gabriel said, “For with God nothing shall be impossible.” Mary answered with complete trust.

    🙌 Point up again: “Nothing is impossible!”

  5. 🤰💃 Baby John leaps for joy

    Mary hurried to visit Elisabeth. The moment Elisabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby inside her leaped for joy. Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost. She said, “Blessed is she that believed.”

    🙌

  6. ✍️ “His name is John”

    Elisabeth’s son was born. The neighbors wanted to name him Zacharias. But Elisabeth said, “He shall be called John.” Zacharias asked for a writing table. He wrote, “His name is John.” Instantly he could speak, and he praised God!

    🙌 Zip your lips: “Mm-mm!” Then unzip them: “Praise God!”

  7. 😴🌙 Joseph’s dream, Joseph’s choice

    Joseph was troubled. An angel came to him in a dream. Don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, the angel said. Name her Son Jesus, “for he shall save his people from their sins.” Joseph obeyed right away.

    🙌

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. It might be 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. We met Zacharias, who couldn’t speak until he wrote “His name is John.” And we met Mary, who answered the angel, “Be it unto me according to thy word.” That’s Luke 1:38. We matched Old Testament prophecies to their fulfillment. We 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. It’s Mary’s song of praise.
  2. Teams list everything Mary says God has done. He regarded the lowly, filled the hungry, remembered His mercy and 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?” He 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. Ask: “What was the very first thing Zacharias did with his voice?” He praised God. Then ask: “What will you do with yours this week?”

🌳 Famous Ancestors Hunt · 5 min

  1. Pairs open to Matthew 1:1–16 in their scriptures or Gospel Library. Start the Big Timer for 2 minutes.
  2. Pairs race to find names they know from last year’s Old Testament. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Ruth, Jesse, David and Solomon are all there.
  3. Some names look different in the King James Version. Judas is Judah. Booz is Boaz. Rachab is Rahab. Ezekias is Hezekiah. Josias is Josiah.
  4. One point per name. Two points if they can tell one fact about that person.

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 9–10 lessons