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The Hero Nobody Expected

A trick question for Abinadi, a 700-year-old prophecy that came true, and the weight Jesus carried for you

  • ⭐ Valiant 9–10
  • Week 41
  • 📅 Sunday, October 11, 2026
🤔 Forehead Guess🏆 Showdown
💡 The big idea

Isaiah foretold that Jesus Christ would carry our sins and sorrows, and because He did, I can be forgiven, healed, and never alone.

I can give my sins and heavy feelings to Jesus Christ by repenting, praying, and remembering Him during the sacrament.

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

Isaiah spent chapters promising a mighty deliverer. Captives in Babylon would have imagined a conqueror strong enough to smash its walls. Isaiah 52–53 describes Someone completely different. He’s a quiet, humble servant, rejected by His own people. He’d carry everyone’s griefs and be wounded for their sins. He’d stay silent “as a lamb to the slaughter.” Isaiah wrote this about 700 years before Jesus was born. The New Testament points back to it again and again. John 1:11 says He came to His own, and they didn’t receive Him. Mark 15:3–5 says He answered nothing to His accusers. Matthew 27:57–60 says He was laid in a rich man’s tomb. And Mark 15:28 even says “the scripture was fulfilled” as it quotes Isaiah 53:12.

Isaiah 53 is also at the center of one of the Book of Mormon’s bravest stories. The wicked priests of King Noah tried to trap the prophet Abinadi. They asked him to explain Isaiah 52:7, in Mosiah 12:20–24. Abinadi turned the question on them. He recited the Ten Commandments while his face shone, so the guards couldn’t touch him. That’s Mosiah 13:1–5. Then he quoted all of Isaiah 53, in Mosiah 14. He taught that God Himself would come down to redeem His people. The “beautiful feet” on the mountains belong to the prophets, and above all to the Lord. See Mosiah 15:1 and 13–18. One young priest, Alma, believed. He was driven out and wrote Abinadi’s words down, in Mosiah 17:2–4. Abinadi gave his life rather than take back his testimony. Alma went on to baptize hundreds at the Waters of Mormon, in Mosiah 18. That’s today’s story.

Here’s the doctrine for this age group. In Gethsemane and on the cross, Jesus Christ suffered for our sins. That’s 53:5–6. He also took on Himself our pains, sicknesses and sorrows, so He’d know exactly how to help us. That’s Alma 7:11–12. “With his stripes we are healed” means His suffering makes it possible for us to be forgiven and made whole. This age can see why a Savior who suffers with us is greater than a hero who rescues from afar. They can also see why Heavenly Father’s ways are higher than ours, in 55:8–9. Speak about His suffering reverently and simply. Keep the focus on His love, not on details of pain.

Around chapter 53, the tone is full of hope. “Awake, awake; put on thy strength,” says 52:1. Isaiah 54:10 promises, “my kindness shall not depart from thee.” And 55:6 says, “Seek ye the LORD while he may be found.” We remember Isaiah 53 every week at the sacrament. Your 11-year-old boys will soon be ordained deacons and pass it. Help every child, boy or girl, plan one thing to think about while the sacrament is passed this Sunday.

Only have 5 minutes?

Read Isaiah 53:2–7. Skim Mosiah 12:20–24, 13:1–5 and 17:1–4. Tell the Abinadi story in Teach Mode. Teach Isaiah 53:4–5 with the motions. Run the Weight Test with water bottles. Close by reading Isaiah 53:4–5 with “my” in place of “our.” Brought nothing? Tap “I brought nothing.” The Weight Test uses an invisible heavy box, and arms get tired anyway.

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 Isaiah 53:2–7. Skim Mosiah 12:20–24, 13:1–5 and 17:1–4. Think of one time the Savior lightened something heavy for you.
  2. Optional bonus: write one reference on each slip: “John 1:11” · “Mark 15:3–5” · “Matthew 27:57–60” · “Mark 15:28.”

If your class is wild

  • “He stands firm!” is your secret weapon. Fists on knees, loud but seated. Add one whenever the room drifts.
  • Give your most restless kid a job. Let them say each echo line first, and the class says it back.
  • Pick a steady reader as the Scripture Reader and show them Isaiah 52:7 and 53:3–5 before class starts.
  • The Weight Test is naturally competitive. Let it be, but make the helpers the real heroes. Cheer loudest for anyone who gives up winning to help.
  • Isaiah 53 is tender. Before the testimony, lower your voice and wait for real quiet. This age rises to reverence when you trust them with it.

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

Build-a-Hero

3 min

Kids design the hero they’d expect and then discover Isaiah described a very different Savior.

  1. SAY“You’re a movie studio. Design a hero who saves the whole world. Team Lion, Team Lamb, you’ve got 45 seconds. What powers does your hero have?”
  2. Each team calls out its three best features. Expect things like super strong, famous, rich or a huge army.
  3. A kid reads Isaiah 53:2–3 aloud from their seat. Ask: “Despised. Rejected. A man of sorrows. Why would Heavenly Father send a Savior like that?”
  4. Take one or two ideas. Then say, “Isaiah described a very different hero. Let’s find out who.”
🌪️ Keep team shout-outs to one voice at a time. Each team picks a spokesperson for its three features.

Class screen: 🦸 Design the ultimate hero. Then meet the real one. · 🦁 Team Lion · 🐑 Team Lamb

2. Story

Story: Abinadi and the Trick Question

7 min

A Book of Mormon prophet quotes today’s chapter and shows what Isaiah 53 is really about: Jesus Christ.

  1. SAY“This true story is in the Book of Mormon. The prophet in it quotes today’s chapter. Some lines, you’ll say back to me.”
  2. Open the story in Teach Mode. When a line shows at the bottom, say it, and the class says it back. At scene 3, the Scripture Reader reads Isaiah 52:7.
  3. At scene 6, slow down. The Scripture Reader reads Isaiah 53:3–5 while everyone stays still. Read scene 7 softly and reverently.
  4. Ask: “The priests knew Isaiah 53. Why did they still miss who it was about?” Listen for: they read it but didn’t live it or look for Christ.
  5. Ask: “Abinadi converted only one person that day. Why did that one person matter so much?” Alma taught and baptized hundreds.
🌪️ If the room drifts, say the next line in a whisper. They’ll whisper it back.

Class screen: 📜 Abinadi and the Trick Question · 🔁 Say it back! · ✊ He stands firm!

3. Scripture

Key Verse: Isaiah 53:4–5

4 min

The words Abinadi quoted become the class’s own, with motions and a why question.

  1. SAY“Here’s the heart of the chapter Abinadi quoted. Read it with me from the screen.”
  2. Read Isaiah 53:4–5 together once, slowly.
  3. SAY“Borne means carried. Transgressions and iniquities are sins. And stripes are the wounds Jesus suffered for us.”
  4. Teach the motions one phrase at a time. Say it twice: once in a normal voice, once in a reverent whisper.
  5. Ask: “Isaiah wrote this about seven hundred years before Jesus was born. Why would the Lord tell people so early?” Listen for: so they could recognize Him and believe.

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

4. Object lesson

The Weight Test

8 min

A team endurance challenge lets kids feel “carried our sorrows” in their arms. It also practices helping carry each other’s burdens.

  1. SAY“Hold your bottle straight out at shoulder height. Lock your elbow. The last one holding scores a point for their team.”
  2. Start the Big Timer. At about 30 seconds, when arms shake, say: “A bottle isn’t heavy. Holding it forever is. Sadness, guilt and worry feel like this.”
  3. Invite helpers: “Want to be a helper? Put your bottle down and hold up someone else’s arm.” Cheer every helper louder than the winner.
  4. Show Isaiah 53:5–6 and Alma 7:11–12. Say: “Jesus carried our sins. He took on our pains and sadness too. So He knows how to help us.”
  5. Ask: “Why does it matter that He carried our sorrows, and not just our sins?” Add: “At baptism, we promised to bear one another’s burdens. That’s Mosiah 18:8.”
🌪️ Endurance games make kids goofy. Anyone who swings their bottle sets it down and becomes the official timer.

Class screen: 💧 Last one holding wins… or does the helper win? · Arm straight out · Elbow locked · Helpers welcome

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: One full water bottle or heavy soup can for each kid

The Invisible Box

  1. SAY“Hold both arms straight out, palms down. Pretend you’re carrying a heavy box. The last one holding scores a point for their team.”
  2. Start the Big Timer. At about 45 seconds, say: “You’re holding nothing, and it’s still heavy. Sadness, guilt and worry are like that. Invisible, but they wear you out.”
  3. Invite helpers: “Want to be a helper? Drop your arms and hold up someone else’s elbows.” Cheer every helper louder than the winner.
  4. Show Isaiah 53:5–6 and Alma 7:11–12. Say: “Jesus carried our sins. He took on our pains and sadness too. So He knows how to help us.”
  5. Ask: “Why does it matter that He carried our sorrows, and not just our sins?” Add: “At baptism, we promised to bear one another’s burdens. That’s Mosiah 18:8.”

Class screen: 📦 Hold the invisible box. Last one holding wins… or does the helper? · Arms straight out · Palms down · Helpers welcome

5. Testimony

Read It with My Name

3 min

Kids make Isaiah 53 personal and leave feeling lighter, not heavier.

  1. SAY“Read Isaiah 53:4–5 silently one more time. Everywhere it says ‘our,’ read ‘my.’ Everywhere it says ‘we,’ read ‘I.’”
  2. Give them 30 quiet seconds. Share a short time the Savior lightened something heavy for you. Testify that He will do it for each of them.
  3. SAY“Every Sunday, the sacrament helps us remember this. Some of you will pass it soon as deacons. And all of you can make it sacred.”
  4. Share the Hand It Over challenge, then ask a child to say the closing prayer.

Class screen: 🕊️ Surely he hath borne my griefs. · Read it with “my” · Quiet heart

6. Game

700-Year Evidence Match

6 minBONUS

Teams race through the New Testament to prove Isaiah 53 came true, detail by detail.

  1. SAY“Isaiah wrote this seven hundred years early. Let’s test how accurate he was. Team Lion and Team Lamb, race to match the New Testament to Isaiah 53.”
  2. Read one slip aloud. Both teams race to find the verse, then the Isaiah 53 verse that predicted it. First team to read both aloud scores a point.
  3. Answers: John 1:11 ➜ 53:3, rejected. Mark 15:3–5 ➜ 53:7, silent. Matthew 27:57–60 ➜ 53:9, a rich man’s tomb. Mark 15:28 ➜ 53:12.
  4. Ask: “Which match surprised you the most?” Then: “Why?” Everyone: “It’s about Jesus!”

Class screen: 🔎 700-year evidence match! · 53:3 Rejected by His own · 53:7 Silent like a lamb · 53:9 With the rich in his death · 53:12 With the transgressors

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: Optional, for the bonus race: four slips of paper, each with one New Testament reference (see prep)

  1. SAY“Isaiah wrote this seven hundred years early. I’ll read what happened to Jesus. Huddle with your team. Then tell me which line from Isaiah 53 predicted it.”
  2. Read these in order from your scriptures or Gospel Library. Mark 15:3–5. John 1:11. Mark 15:28. Matthew 27:57–60.
  3. The first team with a hand up and the right match scores a point. Everyone: “It’s about Jesus!”
7. Game

Scripture Showdown

5 minBONUS

A fast team quiz reviews everything they learned.

  1. SAY“Team Lion versus Team Lamb, one last time. Who stood firm?”
  2. Tap Scripture Showdown. Read each question aloud. Teams get 10 seconds to whisper, then point to an answer.
  3. Give a bonus point to a team that can name the verse.
▶ Play Scripture Showdown on the web

Class screen: 🏆 Scripture Showdown!

The story

Abinadi and the Trick Question

Mosiah 11–17; Isaiah 52:7; 53 ↗

Optional helpers

  • Scripture ReaderReads Isaiah 52:7 at scene 3 and Isaiah 53:3–5 at scene 6 aloud from their seat.

Scenes

  1. 👑🍇 King Noah’s fancy court

    In the Book of Mormon, King Noah taxed his people to pay for a fancy palace. He built fancy seats for his priests too. Those priests taught the people to do wrong. So the Lord sent a prophet named Abinadi. He called them to repent.

    🙌

  2. 💂🧔 Abinadi is tied up and brought in

    Abinadi came back to warn them again. This time he was tied up and brought before King Noah. The priests leaned forward. They had a plan. They’d trap him with his own scriptures.

    🙌 Fists on knees: “He stands firm!”

  3. 🏔️👣 The trick question from Isaiah

    The priests were sure a prophet from nowhere couldn’t answer. So one priest smirked. He asked what Isaiah meant when he wrote this. “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings.”

    🙌

  4. ❓😳 “You’re the teachers, and you don’t know?”

    Abinadi turned the question around. “You say you are teachers, and you don’t understand? If you teach the law of Moses, why don’t you keep it?” They’d studied the scriptures for years. But they didn’t live them.

    🙌

  5. ✨😮 His face shines, and no one can touch him

    “Away with this fellow!” shouted the king. The guards reached for Abinadi. He said, “Touch me not.” His face shone like Moses’s face after he talked with God. No one could touch him until he finished God’s message.

    🙌 Say it back, strong and calm: “Touch me not.”

  6. 📜🐑 Abinadi quotes Isaiah 53

    Then Abinadi quoted Isaiah 53. It tells of a Savior rejected by His own people. A man of sorrows. Wounded for our sins. Silent, like a lamb. The priests had read those words many times. But they never understood who it was about.

    🙌 Say it back softly: “A man of sorrows.”

  7. ✍️💧 Alma believes, and the words live on

    Abinadi taught that God Himself would come down. He’d suffer and redeem His people. A young priest named Alma believed. Alma escaped and wrote it all down. Abinadi gave his life rather than deny it. And later, Alma baptized hundreds.

    🙌 Say it back: “It’s about Jesus.”

Key verse

Isaiah 53:4–5 ↗
“Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows … But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”
In kid words: Jesus Christ carried our sadness and our sins. He was hurt for the wrong things we do, and because He suffered, we can be healed and have peace.
🙌 “borne our griefs… carried our sorrows” = hoist a heavy load onto your shoulders · “wounded for our transgressions” = press one palm into the other · “bruised for our iniquities” = cross hands over your heart · “the chastisement of our peace was upon him” = point up, then open hands wide and calm · “with his stripes we are healed” = sweep your hands down your arms like washing them clean, then raise them high.

More verses

Isaiah 53:3 ↗
“He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief”
In kid words: People turned their backs on Him. He knew what it feels like to be deeply sad.
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: Everyone wanders off like lost sheep sometimes, and Jesus took all of our sins on Himself.
Isaiah 52:7 ↗
“How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace”
In kid words: The people who carry the good news of Jesus are beautiful to God, even their tired, dusty feet.
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: God’s plan doesn’t always look like what we expect. His ways are as far above ours as the sky is above the ground.

Forehead Guess words19 words

  • 🧔 Abinadi
  • 👑 King Noah
  • ✍️ Alma
  • 🧐 Trick question
  • ✨ Shining face
  • 🪨 Ten Commandments
  • 😢 Man of sorrows
  • 🐑 Lamb
  • 🩹 Stripes
  • 🚫 Transgression
  • 🌑 Iniquity
  • 🎒 Griefs
  • 👣 Beautiful feet
  • 🫒 Gethsemane
  • ❤️ Atonement
  • 💧 Waters of Mormon
  • 🍞 Sacrament
  • 🤝 Deacon
  • ⛺ Tent stakes
Clues for each word
  • Abinadi: Prophet who quoted Isaiah 53 to King Noah
  • King Noah: Lazy, wicked king with fancy seats for his priests
  • Alma: Young priest who believed and wrote it all down
  • Trick question: What the priests used to try to trap a prophet
  • Shining face: Why the guards couldn’t touch Abinadi
  • Ten Commandments: Abinadi recited them to priests who didn’t keep them
  • Man of sorrows: Isaiah 53:3 describes the Savior this way
  • Lamb: Silent before the shearers, like the Savior
  • Stripes: “With his ___ we are healed”
  • Transgression: Breaking God’s law; He was wounded for ours
  • Iniquity: Another word for sin (Isaiah 53:6)
  • Griefs: Heavy sadness He has borne for us
  • Beautiful feet: Belong to those who bring good tidings
  • Gethsemane: Garden where Jesus suffered for our sins
  • Atonement: Everything Jesus did to save us and make us one with God
  • Waters of Mormon: Where Alma baptized the believers
  • Sacrament: Each Sunday we remember what He carried
  • Deacon: Aaronic Priesthood office that passes the sacrament
  • Tent stakes: “Strengthen thy ___” (Isaiah 54:2)
▶ Play Forehead GuessFull screen, 60-second timer, works on any phone.

Scripture Showdown10 questions

  1. About how many years before Jesus’s birth did Isaiah write chapter 53?
    • A. 70
    • B. 700
    • C. 7,000
    Show answer

    ✅ B. 700 Isaiah lived about 700 years before Christ, and still described Him in detail.

  2. Which Book of Mormon prophet quoted all of Isaiah 53 to King Noah’s court?
    • A. Abinadi
    • B. Nephi
    • C. Samuel the Lamanite
    Show answer

    ✅ A. Abinadi Mosiah 14 is Abinadi’s recitation of Isaiah 53.

  3. Which Isaiah verse did Noah’s priests use to try to trap Abinadi?
    • A. “Comfort ye my people”
    • B. “Arise, shine”
    • C. “How beautiful upon the mountains…”
    Show answer

    ✅ C. “How beautiful upon the mountains…” Isaiah 52:7 (Mosiah 12:20–24). Abinadi said it points to the prophets and the Lord.

  4. Why couldn’t the guards grab Abinadi?
    • A. He ran away
    • B. His face shone with God’s power
    • C. The king changed his mind
    Show answer

    ✅ B. His face shone with God’s power Mosiah 13:5. His face shone like Moses’s after Moses talked with God.

  5. Who believed Abinadi and secretly wrote down his words?
    • A. Gideon
    • B. Limhi
    • C. Alma
    Show answer

    ✅ C. Alma Mosiah 17:2–4. Later Alma baptized believers at the Waters of Mormon.

  6. Isaiah 53:7 says the Savior was silent like a…
    • A. lamb before its shearers
    • B. stone in a river
    • C. lion in the grass
    Show answer

    ✅ A. lamb before its shearers Mark 15:3–5: when accused, “he answered nothing.”

  7. Which Gospel says “the scripture was fulfilled” about Jesus being numbered with transgressors?
    • A. John
    • B. Mark
    • C. Luke
    Show answer

    ✅ B. Mark Mark 15:28 points straight back to Isaiah 53:12.

  8. “With his ___ we are healed.”
    • A. words
    • B. stripes
    • C. army
    Show answer

    ✅ B. stripes Isaiah 53:5. His suffering makes it possible for us to be forgiven and made whole.

  9. Besides our sins, Alma 7:11–12 says Jesus took on what?
    • A. Our pains, sicknesses, and sorrows
    • B. Our chores
    • C. Nothing else
    Show answer

    ✅ A. Our pains, sicknesses, and sorrows He felt it all so He would know exactly how to help us.

  10. God’s ways are higher than ours, like the heavens are higher than the…
    • A. clouds
    • B. mountains
    • C. earth
    Show answer

    ✅ C. earth Isaiah 55:9. Sending a suffering Savior was God’s higher way.

▶ Play Scripture ShowdownTeams take turns on one screen.

Songs

  • I Know That My Redeemer Lives Hymns, no. 136

    Isaiah and Abinadi both testified of a living Redeemer. Sing it right after the testimony. Find it ↗

  • To Think about Jesus Children’s Songbook, p. 71

    Pairs with the challenge to think about Isaiah 53 during the sacrament. Find it ↗

  • I Feel My Savior’s Love Children’s Songbook, p. 74

    A tender close after reading Isaiah 53:4–5 with “my” instead of “our.” Find it ↗

This week’s challenge

Hand It Over

During the sacrament this Sunday, silently read Isaiah 53:4–5 and change “our” to “my.” Choose one heavy thing, like a sin to repent of, a worry or a sad feeling. Pray each day this week to give it to Jesus. Eleven-year-olds, notice how the sacrament is prepared, blessed and passed. Think about how you’ll help make it sacred when it’s your turn to serve.

Text the parents

This week we learned from Isaiah 53 that Jesus Christ carried our sins and sorrows. Isaiah wrote it about 700 years before He was born. We heard how Abinadi quoted Isaiah 53 to King Noah’s priests, in Mosiah 12–17. Then we held water bottles out until our arms shook. It helped us feel why we need a Savior who carries our heavy things. Ask your child: what did Abinadi say Isaiah 53 was about? What heavy thing can we give to Jesus this week?

📝 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?

👣 Beautiful Feet Relay · 4 min

  1. Read Isaiah 52:7. Ask: “Why would feet be beautiful?” They carried good news a long, hard way.
  2. Run a relay. Each runner carries a whispered piece of good news about Jesus Christ to the far wall and back. Then they pass it on.
  3. Read Mosiah 15:13–18, where Abinadi explains this verse. The prophets, and above all the Lord, bring good tidings of peace.
  4. Ask: “Who has brought good news to you? Whose feet could you be for someone this week?”

☁️ Higher Ways · 3 min

  1. Read Isaiah 55:8–9. Kids take turns standing on a sturdy chair with a spotter. They describe what they can see from up high.
  2. Ask: “What might Heavenly Father see about our lives that we can’t see yet?”
  3. Connect it to today’s hook. A suffering Savior wasn’t what people expected. But it was God’s higher way to save us.

🔎 Seek While He May Be Found · 4 min

  1. Read Isaiah 55:6. Write “Seek ye the LORD” on a slip of paper and hide it while kids close their eyes.
  2. Whoever finds it names one real way to seek the Lord this week. Think prayer, scripture study, the temple grounds or service. Then they hide it again.
  3. Ask: “What does it mean to call on Him ‘while he is near’? When has He felt near to you?”

🤔 Forehead Guess: Man of Sorrows Edition · 4 min

  1. Tap Forehead Guess. One kid holds your phone or tablet on their forehead, screen facing the class.
  2. Valiant rules: clue-givers can’t say the word or any word from the hint under it.
  3. Big doctrine words like Transgression, Iniquity and Atonement earn a bonus point. The guesser just uses the word in a sentence about Jesus.

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