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Two Questions for an Angel

Zacharias and Mary both questioned Gabriel. Why did it go so differently?

  • 🧭 Youth 12–13
  • Week 1
  • 📅 Sunday, January 3, 2027
🤔 Forehead Guess🏆 Showdown
💡 The big idea

God keeps His promises in His own timing, and like Mary I can bring my honest questions to Him and still answer, “Be it unto me according to thy word.”

I can trust God’s timing, ask my questions in faith, and say yes to what He asks of me this year.

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

The New Testament opens with two visits from the same angel. Zacharias, a priest serving his once-in-a-lifetime turn at the altar of incense, is told that he and Elisabeth, faithful and “well stricken in years,” will have a son named John (Luke 1:5–25). Six months later Gabriel tells Mary in Nazareth that she will be the mother of the Son of God (Luke 1:26–38). Both ask a question. Zacharias asks, “Whereby shall I know this?” and is left unable to speak until the promise comes true. Mary asks, “How shall this be?” and ends with, “Be it unto me according to thy word.” Matthew 1 adds Joseph’s side: a just man, a dream, and immediate obedience (Matthew 1:18–25).

Your class is 11 to 14, and for many of them this is week one as a deacon or in Young Women. Luke 1 is full of things they now touch: an Aaronic Priesthood holder serving in the temple, an angel ministering to him (the Aaronic Priesthood holds the keys of the ministering of angels, Doctrine and Covenants 13), prayer at the temple, and a promise to “turn the hearts of the fathers to the children” (Luke 1:17), which is exactly what they do in temple baptisms. The manual invites youth to notice how the Lord’s ancient Church looks like His restored Church.

The heart of the lesson is honest questions. Teens have real ones, and they need to hear that asking is not the problem. The difference between the two questions seems to be the heart behind them: Zacharias wanted proof before he would believe; Mary believed and asked how. Also be honest that Zacharias and Elisabeth were “blameless” (Luke 1:6) and still waited for years. Righteous people don’t always get what they want on their schedule, and that’s not a sign God forgot them.

Keep the doctrine clear: Jesus Christ is the literal Son of Heavenly Father and of Mary (Luke 1:31–35). If questions go further, it’s enough to say that it happened by the power of the Highest (Luke 1:35). His name was given by God “for he shall save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21), and one of His names, Emmanuel, means “God with us” (Matthew 1:23).

Only have 5 minutes?

Read Luke 1:5–38 and Matthew 1:18–25 once. Tap “I brought nothing,” so every step uses its no-supplies version. Do Possible or Impossible? and the One-Finger Chair. Tell Two Questions from Teach Mode. Teach Luke 1:38 with a phrase relay. Let a youth lead Real Talk, and share a short testimony.

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. Practice the paper trick once. Fold a sheet in half the long way. Cut slits about 1 cm apart, taking turns from the fold and the open edge. Stop each slit 1 cm short. Then cut along the fold, leaving the two end strips. Open it into a big loop.
  2. Bookmark Luke 1:6–7, 13, 18, 20, 34, 37–38, 45 and Matthew 1:21–24. Add your class list in the My Class tab so the Name Spinner works.
  3. Think of a time you prayed for something and the answer came later or differently than you expected. You’ll share it in the testimony.

If your class is wild

  • Let a youth hold the paper and guess how it could work before you cut. Curiosity is the whole point.
  • Eleven- to fourteen-year-olds want to be treated like the new deacons and Young Women they are. Give them real jobs, like reader, discussion leader and scorekeeper.
  • Keep a running score all lesson, Team Zacharias against Team Elisabeth. Give points for good answers and the bonus games.
  • If older and younger youth are mixed, pair a confident reader with a nervous one. Don’t call on people cold.
  • Post-holiday energy is real. If they’re bouncing, start with the Zacharias Line-Up. Nobody can goof off out loud when nobody can talk.

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

Possible or Impossible?

2 min

A fast, funny stand-or-sit vote gets everyone moving and sets up Gabriel’s promise that nothing is impossible with God.

  1. SAY“Stand up if it’s possible, sit down if it’s impossible. Then we test it.”
  2. Call them out, and one volunteer tests each. Lick your own elbow. Raise one eyebrow. Wiggle your ears. Say “Zacharias” five times fast.
  3. Last one, no test: “A couple way too old to have kids has a baby.” Let them vote.
🌪️ Keep it to one volunteer per challenge, or it turns into ten minutes of elbow-licking.

Class screen: 🤔 Possible or impossible? Stand or sit, then prove it. · 👅 lick your elbow · 🤨 one eyebrow · 👂 wiggle your ears · 👶 a baby when you’re that old?

2. Object lesson

Step Through the Paper

4 min

An “impossible” trick opens the lesson’s question: when God says something impossible, do we ask “prove it” or “how?”

  1. SAY“Possible or impossible? I can step my whole body through this one sheet of paper.”
  2. Let two or three youth suggest how. Then cut it the way you practiced. Open the huge loop and step through it.
  3. Ask, “When I said it, some of you thought ‘prove it.’ Others asked ‘how?’ What’s the difference?”
  4. SAY“Today an angel tells two people something impossible. Both ask a question. One asks for proof. The other asks so she can obey.”
🌪️ Let the loudest doubter be the one who steps through the loop.

Class screen: ✂️ Can you step through one sheet of paper? · “Prove it” or “How?”

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: Two sheets of plain paper and a pair of scissors (one sheet is a spare for the step-through demo)

The One-Finger Chair

  1. SAY“Possible or impossible? I can keep you in your chair with one finger.”
  2. A volunteer sits up straight with feet flat and arms folded. Press one finger lightly on their forehead. Say, “Stand up!” They can’t without leaning forward.
  3. Let two others try. Ask, “Some of you thought ‘prove it,’ and some asked ‘how?’ What’s the difference?”
  4. SAY“Today an angel tells two people something impossible. Both ask a question. One asks for proof. The other asks so she can obey.”

Class screen: ☝️ Can one finger keep you in your chair? · “Prove it” or “How?”

3. Story

The Story: Two Questions

6 min

Hearing the two accounts side by side helps youth notice the difference between Zacharias’s question and Mary’s.

  1. SAY“Watch for the two questions, and the difference between them.”
  2. Tell each scene from Teach Mode in your own words. When a scene names a verse, a volunteer reads it from their seat. Pause on each question.
  3. After the last scene, ask, “Why did one lose his voice and one get called blessed?” Zacharias wanted proof first. Mary believed and asked how.
🌪️ If they drift, have a youth tally on their fingers how many “impossible” things happen in this chapter.

Class screen: 👼 Two people. One angel. Two very different questions. · Luke 1 · Matthew 1

4. Scripture

Scripture Spotlight: Luke 1:38

4 min

Youth learn Mary’s answer and see it as the kind of yes they make in covenants.

  1. SAY“Mary’s answer is short enough to memorize, and big enough to live by.”
  2. Have a youth read Luke 1:38 and explain that “handmaid” means a servant.
  3. Do a phrase relay. Go around the room, one phrase per person, faster each round. Do three rounds.
  4. Put Luke 1:18 next to it. Say, “God isn’t scared of your questions. The difference is asking so we can obey, or asking so we don’t have to.”
  5. SAY“You said your own ‘be it unto me’ when you were baptized. You say it again every time you take the sacrament.”

Class screen: 🙋‍♀️ “Be it unto me according to thy word.” · Luke 1:38 · vs. Luke 1:18

5. Talk it over

Real Talk

5 min

A youth-led discussion takes on waiting, honest questions and fast obedience.

  1. SAY“This part is yours.”
  2. Hand your phone or tablet to a youth discussion leader. They read each question and tap the Name Spinner. After each answer, they ask, “Anyone see it differently?”
  3. Add your thoughts after theirs, not before. Pick 3 or 4 questions. You won’t get to them all.
💬 Ask the class
  • Zacharias and Elisabeth were “blameless” and still waited for years. Why doesn’t doing everything right always get us what we want right away?
  • What’s the difference between asking God a question and demanding proof?
  • Joseph woke up and obeyed right away. What helps you obey quickly, even when it’s hard?
  • Mary said yes before she knew how it would all work out. What’s something Heavenly Father might be asking you to say yes to this year?
  • What feels impossible to you right now that God could help with?
🎡 Name Spinner (a class game in the Gospel Sparks app)

Class screen: 🎤 Your discussion. Read it, spin it, add to it. · No wrong answers, just honest ones

6. Testimony

Emmanuel: God with Us

3 min

End quietly with the promise that Jesus Christ came to be with us, and a real goal for the new year.

  1. SAY“Here’s one more name for Jesus.”
  2. Read Matthew 1:23. Then say, “Emmanuel means ‘God with us.’ He came here, and He’s still with us.”
  3. Share a sentence or two about a prayer answered later or differently than you expected.
  4. Show the challenge. It’s a goal where you say your own “be it unto me.” Ask a youth to say the closing prayer.

Class screen: ✨ Emmanuel: God with us. · Matthew 1:23 · This week: one goal, one yes

7. Wiggle break

Zacharias Line-Up

2 minBONUS

A no-talking challenge gets everyone up and gives a taste of Zacharias’s silent months.

  1. SAY“You are all Zacharias now. No talking, no mouthing words. Line up by birthday month, January to December. Gestures only.”
  2. Start the Big Timer. When they’re done, each person says their birthday down the line. Cheer if they got it right.
  3. SAY“That was two minutes. Zacharias did it for about nine months, and the first thing he did after was praise God.”
🌪️ Anyone who talks finishes the line-up with eyes closed, guided by a neighbor.
⏱️ Big Timer (a class game in the Gospel Sparks app)

Class screen: 🤐 Line up by birthday month. No talking. At all. · January ➡️ December · Gestures only

8. Game

Scripture Showdown

5 minBONUS

A team quiz reviews Luke 1 and Matthew 1 with a few curveballs.

  1. SAY“Team Zacharias versus Team Elisabeth.”
  2. Tap Scripture Showdown. Teams huddle for ten seconds and take turns answering. Naming the verse earns a bonus point.
▶ Play Scripture Showdown on the web

Class screen: 🏆 Scripture Showdown!

Object lesson

Two Questions

Luke 1:5–64; Matthew 1:18–25 ↗

Scenes

  1. 👴🏛️💨 A faithful old priest gets his turn

    Zacharias and Elisabeth kept every commandment. But they never had children, and now they were old. Priests drew lots to choose who would burn incense in the temple. After a lifetime of waiting, the lot fell to Zacharias. The whole crowd prayed outside while he went in.

    🙌 A volunteer reads Luke 1:6–7. Ask: “What’s it like to do everything right and still wait?”

  2. 👼🔥 “Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard”

    Suddenly an angel stood beside the altar. Zacharias was terrified. The angel said the prayer he’d prayed for years was heard. Elisabeth would have a son. His name would be John. He would prepare people for the Lord.

    🙌 A volunteer reads Luke 1:13. Everyone else, listen for what he’d prayed for.

  3. 🤐❓ Question #1: “Whereby shall I know this?”

    Zacharias pointed out how old they were and asked how he could know it was true. Gabriel answered that he stood in the presence of God. Zacharias didn’t believe. So he would not be able to speak until the promise came true.

    🙌 A volunteer reads Luke 1:18 and 1:20. Ask: “What was Zacharias really asking for?”

  4. 🏡👼 Six months later, Nazareth

    Gabriel went to a young woman named Mary. He told her she would have a son named Jesus. He would be called the Son of the Highest. His kingdom would never end. Then Mary asked her own question.

    🙌 A volunteer reads Luke 1:34. Listen closely. It’s question number two.

  5. 🙋‍♀️✨ Question #2 gets an answer, then a yes

    Gabriel explained that the power of the Highest would make it happen. Old Elisabeth was expecting too! Then he said the line the whole chapter hangs on. Mary didn’t know what was coming. But she answered with complete trust.

    🙌 A volunteer reads Luke 1:37–38. Ask: “How is Mary’s question different from Zacharias’s?”

  6. 🤰💃 “Blessed is she that believed”

    Mary hurried to visit Elisabeth. The moment Elisabeth heard her voice, the baby inside her leaped. Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost. She called Mary blessed, because she believed.

    🙌 A volunteer reads Luke 1:45. Who does Elisabeth call blessed?

  7. ✍️👶 Four words on a writing table

    The baby was born. The neighbors insisted he be named Zacharias after his dad. Elisabeth said no, his name is John. They turned to Zacharias. He asked for a writing table and wrote four words. Instantly he could speak, and the first thing he did was praise God.

    🙌 Everyone says Zacharias’s four words together: “His name is John.”

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

    Joseph was a just man, and he didn’t know what to do. Then 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, for He will save His people from their sins. Joseph woke up and did exactly what he was told.

    🙌 A volunteer reads Matthew 1:21 and 1:24. Ask: “What did Joseph do, and how fast?”

Key verse

Luke 1:38 ↗
“Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.”
In plain words: Mary said, “I’m the Lord’s servant. Let it happen the way You said.”
🙌 Optional memory gestures: “Behold” = hand shading your eyes · “the handmaid of the Lord” = hand on heart · “be it unto me” = open palms up · “according to thy word” = hands open like a book. Or skip gestures and do a phrase relay around the circle.

More verses

Luke 1:37 ↗
“For with God nothing shall be impossible.”
In plain words: There is nothing God can’t do.
Luke 1:18 ↗
“Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years.”
In plain words: Zacharias: “Prove it. We’re too old for this.”
Luke 1:17 ↗
“to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children”
In plain words: John would help turn families toward each other, which temple baptisms still do.
Matthew 1:23 ↗
“they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”
In plain words: One of Jesus’s names means “God with us.”

Forehead Guess words16 words

  • 👴 Zacharias
  • 👵 Elisabeth
  • 👼 Gabriel
  • 🙋‍♀️ Mary
  • 🪚 Joseph
  • 👶 John the Baptist
  • 💨 Incense
  • 🔥 Altar
  • 🏡 Nazareth
  • 🧺 Handmaid
  • 🤝 Emmanuel
  • ✍️ Writing table
  • 🤐 Speechless
  • 😴 Dream
  • 🚫 Impossible
  • 🧑‍🦳 Priest
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: Just man who obeyed an angel in a dream
  • John the Baptist: Leaped before he was born
  • Incense: Zacharias was chosen by lot to burn it
  • Altar: The angel stood on its right side
  • Nazareth: Small town where Mary lived
  • Handmaid: Mary called herself this: a servant of the Lord
  • Emmanuel: Name of Jesus meaning “God with us”
  • Writing table: What Zacharias asked for before “His name is John”
  • Speechless: How Zacharias came out of the temple
  • Dream: How the angel spoke to Joseph
  • Impossible: Nothing is this with God (Luke 1:37)
  • Priest: Zacharias’s office, and an Aaronic Priesthood office today
▶ Play Forehead GuessFull screen, 60-second timer, works on any phone.

Scripture Showdown9 questions

  1. Luke 1:5 describes Zacharias as a…
    • A. fisherman
    • B. priest
    • C. king
    Show answer

    ✅ B. priest He served in the temple in the order of his course, an Aaronic Priesthood office.

  2. How was Zacharias chosen to burn incense in the temple?
    • A. The high priest picked him
    • B. He was the oldest
    • C. Priests drew lots
    Show answer

    ✅ C. Priests drew lots Luke 1:9. Priests drew lots, so this may have been his only turn ever.

  3. What did Zacharias ask Gabriel?
    • A. “Whereby shall I know this?”
    • B. “How shall this be?”
    • C. “Why me?”
    Show answer

    ✅ A. “Whereby shall I know this?” Luke 1:18. “How shall this be?” was Mary’s question.

  4. Why couldn’t Zacharias speak until John was born?
    • A. He had made a vow
    • B. He didn’t believe Gabriel’s words
    • C. He lost his voice singing
    Show answer

    ✅ B. He didn’t believe Gabriel’s words Luke 1:20. He could speak again when the promise was fulfilled.

  5. Gabriel told Mary that with God nothing shall be…
    • A. hidden
    • B. delayed
    • C. impossible
    Show answer

    ✅ C. impossible Luke 1:37, right before Mary’s famous answer.

  6. What did Elisabeth call Mary after the baby leaped?
    • A. Blessed, because she believed
    • B. Brave, because she traveled
    • C. Wise, because she asked
    Show answer

    ✅ A. Blessed, because she believed Luke 1:45: “blessed is she that believed.”

  7. What was the first thing Zacharias did when he could speak?
    • A. Complained about the wait
    • B. Praised God
    • C. Named the baby Zacharias
    Show answer

    ✅ B. Praised God Luke 1:64. Nine silent months, and the first thing out was praise.

  8. The Aaronic Priesthood holds the keys of the ministering of…
    • A. apostles
    • B. prophets
    • C. angels
    Show answer

    ✅ C. angels Doctrine and Covenants 13. Fitting, since an angel came to a priest in Luke 1.

  9. Why was the baby to be named Jesus?
    • A. He shall save his people from their sins
    • B. It was a family name
    • C. Joseph chose it
    Show answer

    ✅ A. He shall save his people from their sins Matthew 1:21. God chose the name before He was born.

▶ Play Scripture ShowdownTeams take turns on one screen.

Songs

  • Did You Think to Pray? Hymns, no. 140

    Zacharias’s prayer was heard, even after years of waiting. Find it ↗

  • How Firm a Foundation Hymns, no. 85

    Mary trusted God’s word before she knew how it would all work out. Find it ↗

  • Joy to the World Hymns, no. 201

    It’s still the Christmas season, and these chapters announce the coming of the Lord. Find it ↗

This week’s challenge

My “Be It unto Me” Goal

Pick one Children and Youth goal for January that’s a real stretch, something that feels a little impossible. Maybe read the Book of Mormon every day, go to the temple, or be kind to someone who’s hard to be kind to. Write it in your Gospel Living app or on paper. Every morning, end your prayer by asking, “What would Thou have me do today?” Then do the first good thing that comes to mind.

Text the parents

Today in class we started the New Testament with Luke 1 and Matthew 1. Zacharias and Mary both asked the angel Gabriel a question. Zacharias wanted proof and lost his voice for months. Mary asked how, then said, “Be it unto me according to thy word.” That’s Luke 1:38. We also matched things in Luke 1 to the Church today, like the Aaronic Priesthood and temple baptisms. Ask your youth what goal they’re setting this month.

📝 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?

🔎 Titles of Jesus Search · 4 min

  1. Pairs search Matthew 1:21, 23 and Luke 1:31–35 for names and titles of Jesus Christ. Look for Jesus, Emmanuel, Son of the Highest and more.
  2. Each pair picks one title and explains what it teaches about who He is and what He came to do.
  3. Ask: “Which title means the most to you right now, and why?”

🎶 Mary’s Song Remix · 5 min

  1. Read Luke 1:46–55 together, one verse per person.
  2. Teams list everything Mary says God has done. He remembered His mercy, filled the hungry, lifted the lowly and kept His promise to Abraham.
  3. Ask: “Mary said her soul ‘doth magnify the Lord.’ What would it look like to make the Lord bigger in your life this year? And your phone smaller?”

⏳ The Waiting Room · 4 min

  1. Have youth think of people in the scriptures who waited faithfully for a long time. Think of Abraham and Sarah, Hannah, and Zacharias and Elisabeth.
  2. Ask, “What did they do while they waited?” They kept serving, kept praying and kept going to the temple.
  3. Invite them to privately write one thing they’re waiting on, and one way to stay faithful while they wait.

🔗 Then & Now Lightning Round · 4 min

  1. Split into Team Zacharias and Team Elisabeth.
  2. Read one “Then” from the kid screen, plus its verse. Teams huddle for five seconds. The first to call out the right “Now” match scores.
  3. Priest in the temple, our Aaronic Priesthood. Angel to a priest, D&C 13. Crowd praying, temple prayer. Turned hearts, family history. Naming John, baby blessings. A people prepared, missionaries.
  4. SAY“Two thousand years later, the pattern is the same. Some of you will pass the sacrament or do baptisms for ancestors this year. You’re part of it now.”

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 Youth 12–13 lessons