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Prepare Ye the Way

John the Baptist, the day the heavens opened, and the priesthood John brought back

  • 🧭 Youth 12–13
  • Week 4
  • 📅 Sunday, January 24, 2027
🤔 Forehead Guess🏆 Showdown
💡 The big idea

John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus Christ, and the Aaronic Priesthood he restored, along with our baptism covenants and the sacrament, lets us help prepare the way for others today.

I can follow Jesus Christ’s example of baptism, bring forth real fruits of repentance, and help prepare the way for others to come to Him.

Study it yourself firstRead Matthew 3; Mark 1; Luke 3 in Gospel LibraryCome, Follow Me manualOpen this week (Matthew 3; Mark 1; Luke 3)
Know the chapters

Matthew 3, Mark 1 and Luke 3 introduce John the Baptist as an adult: the son of Zacharias from week 1, now preaching in the wilderness in camel’s hair, eating locusts and wild honey, and fulfilling Isaiah’s words, “Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight” (Matthew 3:3). Crowds come to be baptized. When people ask, “What shall we do then?” John gives each group a specific, practical answer: share your extra coat and food, don’t cheat, don’t bully or lie, be content (Luke 3:10–14). Repentance for him isn’t a feeling; it’s “fruits meet for repentance” (Matthew 3:8), real change you can see.

Then Jesus comes to be baptized. John protests that he should be baptized by Jesus, not the other way around. Jesus answers that it becomes them “to fulfil all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15). Nephi later explains that even the sinless Son of God was baptized to show obedience to the Father and to show us the way (2 Nephi 31:5–9). As He comes out of the water, the heavens open, the Spirit descends like a dove, and the Father’s voice declares, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:16–17). Three separate members of the Godhead, all present at once. The dove was a sign; the Holy Ghost is a personage of spirit (Doctrine and Covenants 130:22).

This lesson is personal for your class. On May 15, 1829, the same John the Baptist appeared to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery near the Susquehanna River and restored the Aaronic Priesthood, which holds the keys of the ministering of angels, of the gospel of repentance, and of baptism by immersion for the remission of sins (Doctrine and Covenants 13; Joseph Smith—History 1:68–72). The new deacons in your room hold that priesthood. They pass the sacrament, where everyone renews their baptism covenant. Young women and young men alike prepare the way through ministering, temple and family history work, and inviting friends to Christ.

Be careful not to let this become “are you a real repenter or a fake one?” Many teens are hard on themselves. Frame repentance as good news: John’s message was that the Lord is coming, so get ready and start changing. Slipping up isn’t failing; pretending not to need to change is the problem.

Only have 5 minutes?

Read Matthew 3 and Luke 3:2–22. Tap “I brought nothing,” so every step uses its no-supplies version. Do the Mystery Messenger hook. Read the six Search Party passages yourself while groups report. Teach Matthew 3:3, and play His, Mine or Both? with the walls. Then share what your baptism means to you.

What to bring4 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. On each sheet, draw a grid with two columns, JESUS’S BAPTISM and MY BAPTISM. Add five rows: WHO, WHERE, HOW, WHY and WHAT CAME NEXT.
  2. Skim the search passages so you can help a stuck group: Matthew 3:1–4 and 13–17, Luke 3:10–16, Doctrine and Covenants 13, and Joseph Smith—History 1:68–69.
  3. Think about what your baptism, or the sacrament, means to you now. You’ll share it at the end.

If your class is wild

  • The Would You Rather walls burn off energy fast. Keep it to three questions, then land the reveal.
  • Give Group 6 and Doctrine and Covenants 13 to your newest deacons or a strong reader. It’s their priesthood.
  • New deacons may be nervous about passing the sacrament. Group 6’s report and the testimony are a chance to honor them without putting anyone on the spot.
  • If anyone’s preparing for temple baptisms soon, connect it. John had authority to baptize, and so will whoever baptizes them for their ancestors.

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

Mystery Messenger

3 min

A move-to-your-side game gets everyone up and ends with a mystery messenger reveal.

  1. SAY“Left wall or right wall. Go stand on your answer.”
  2. Would you rather eat a grasshopper or a spoonful of mustard? Wear camel hair or wool in July? Go a month with no phone or no bed?
  3. Say, “Mystery messenger. Clue one: his dad couldn’t talk for months. Clue two: camel’s hair and locusts. Clue three: he leaped before he was born.”
  4. The first to call “John the Baptist!” wins. Say, “John had one job: get people ready for Jesus. Today you’ll dig in and find out how.”
🌪️ Walk, don’t run, between walls. Anyone who sprints answers the next one out loud.

Class screen: 🦗 Would you rather? Left wall or right wall! · 🦗 grasshopper or 🟡 mustard? · 🐫 camel hair or 🧶 wool in July? · 📵 no phone or 🛏️ no bed?

2. Story

Search Party: Prepare the Way

9 min

Searching the passages themselves, from the Jordan River to 1829, helps youth connect Jesus’s baptism to the priesthood in the room.

  1. SAY“Six passages, six groups. Find one thing about John, Jesus or the priesthood that matters to you. Then report it in one sentence.”
  2. Make pairs or threes, and give each group a passage from the Teach Mode scenes. Start the Big Timer for three minutes.
  3. Groups report in order while their scene is on the screen. After Group 5, hold five seconds of silence.
  4. After Group 6, ask, “Who here holds the priesthood John gave Joseph and Oliver?” Let the deacons raise their hands. Say, “That’s not a small thing.”
🌪️ Walk between groups and ask, “What did you notice?” instead of giving answers. Small class? Give each pair two passages.

Class screen: 🔎 Six groups, six passages: find one thing that matters for you · Matthew 3 · Luke 3 · D&C 13

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: Scriptures for each group: their own, a classroom set, or Gospel Library on your phone or tablet or their phones

  1. SAY“Six passages, six groups. Find one thing about John, Jesus or the priesthood that matters to you. Then report it in one sentence.”
  2. Read each passage aloud while its scene is on the screen. The assigned group huddles for about 30 seconds, then reports.
  3. Groups report in order while their scene is on the screen. After Group 5, hold five seconds of silence.
  4. After Group 6, ask, “Who here holds the priesthood John gave Joseph and Oliver?” Let the deacons raise their hands. Say, “That’s not a small thing.”
3. Scripture

Scripture Spotlight: Matthew 3:3

4 min

Youth learn John’s mission statement and see how it’s theirs too.

  1. SAY“Here’s John’s mission statement. It turns out it’s ours too.”
  2. Have a youth read Matthew 3:3 in their best wilderness voice. Teach the motions.
  3. Say it together twice. Then say it once with motions and no screen.
  4. Ask, “People built roads for a king by filling holes and straightening curves. What would ‘make his paths straight’ mean in your life?”
  5. Ask, “How do deacons, teachers, priests and Young Women prepare the way for others?” Think of the sacrament, ministering, temple work and inviting.

Class screen: 🛣️ “Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.” · Matthew 3:3

4. Game

His Baptism and Mine

5 min

A team race comparing Jesus’s baptism with their own helps youth see their covenant, and the sacrament, as following Him.

  1. SAY“Jesus was baptized. So were most of you. Let’s compare.”
  2. Give each team a grid sheet and a marker. They get two minutes with Matthew 3:13–17.
  3. Compare row by row: who, where, how, why and what came next. The team with the most solid answers wins.
  4. Read 2 Nephi 31:5. Say, “Jesus never sinned, and He still needed baptism. So we definitely do.”
  5. SAY“Every Sunday, when the deacons pass the sacrament, every one of us gets to renew that baptism covenant.”

Class screen: 🌊 Jesus’s baptism vs. my baptism: what matches? · Who? Where? How? · Why? What came next?

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: 2 large sheets of paper (or a whiteboard split in two), 2 markers or pens

His, Mine, or Both?

  1. SAY“Left wall means only Jesus’s baptism. Right wall means only mine. The middle of the room means both.”
  2. Read these one at a time and let them move. After each, have someone explain their spot in one sentence.
  3. By immersion is both. In the Jordan River is His. For the remission of sins is mine, since He had none. Done by someone with authority is both.
  4. To fulfil all righteousness and obey the Father is both. The Father’s voice from heaven is His. The gift of the Holy Ghost by laying on of hands is mine.
  5. Read Doctrine and Covenants 13. Say, “Every Sunday, when the deacons pass the sacrament, we all get to renew that baptism covenant.”

Class screen: 🌊 His baptism, mine, or both? Go stand there! · ⬅️ His · ⬆️ Both · ➡️ Mine

5. Testimony

Well Pleased

3 min

End quietly with Jesus Christ’s example and their own covenant path.

  1. SAY“Listen to what the Father said about His Son.”
  2. Read Matthew 3:17. Then say, “He notices every time you keep your covenant too. Even the quiet times.”
  3. Share briefly what your baptism, or the sacrament, means to you now.
  4. Show the “What shall I do?” prayer challenge. Then ask a youth to say the closing prayer.

Class screen: 🕊️ Follow Him into the water. Keep following Him every Sunday. · Matthew 3:17 · This week: ask “What shall I do?”

6. Talk it over

Real Talk: What Shall We Do?

4 minBONUS

A youth-led discussion takes John’s question and makes it personal.

  1. SAY“John’s crowd asked, ‘What shall we do?’ Let’s ask it too.”
  2. A youth leader reads each question and taps the Name Spinner. After each answer, they ask who would add something. Share your own answer to the first one.
💬 Ask the class
  • John gave the tax collectors and the soldiers each their own answer. What might he tell a twelve-year-old today?
  • John was famous. People thought he might be the Christ. But he kept pointing to Jesus instead of himself. Why is that hard, especially online?
  • Jesus never sinned, yet He was baptized. Why do you think He did it?
  • At Jesus’s baptism the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost were all present separately. What does that teach you about the Godhead?
  • John said the Holy Ghost would come “with fire.” What do you think that fire does in a person?
🎡 Name Spinner (a class game in the Gospel Sparks app)

Class screen: ❓ “What shall we do then?” · Luke 3:10

7. Wiggle break

Wheat or Chaff?

2 minBONUS

A stand-or-drift game shows the difference between real change and pretending.

  1. SAY“Wheat stays. Chaff blows away. If it’s real change, stand tall and sway like wheat. If it’s fake, drift slowly to a wall like chaff.”
  2. Read Matthew 3:12.
  3. Call these out. Saying sorry and meaning it. “Everyone does it.” Paying back money you “borrowed.” Apologizing just to avoid being grounded. Telling the truth anyway.
  4. SAY“Messing up again after you really tried isn’t chaff. That’s being human, and repentance keeps working. Chaff is pretending you don’t need to change.”
🌪️ Chaff drifts. It doesn’t crash. Anyone who bumps someone is wheat for the rest of the game.

Class screen: 🌾 Real change? Stand like wheat. Fake? Blow away like chaff. · 🌾 wheat = real · 💨 chaff = pretending · Matthew 3:12

Scripture search in pairs

Search Party: Prepare the Way

Matthew 3; Luke 3:10–16; Doctrine and Covenants 13 ↗

Scenes

  1. 🏜️🐫 Group 1: Who is this guy?

    Read Matthew 3:1–4. A man preaches in the wilderness. He wears camel’s hair. He eats locusts and wild honey. Isaiah wrote about him centuries before.

    🙌 Report: What was John’s one job? How does Isaiah describe it?

  2. ❓🧥 Group 2: “What shall we do then?”

    Read Luke 3:10–14. Crowds, tax collectors and soldiers all ask John the same question. Each gets a different, specific answer.

    🙌 Report: What would John tell someone your age?

  3. 👟🔥 Group 3: “One mightier than I”

    Read Luke 3:15–16. People start wondering if John is the Christ. He could have soaked up the attention. Instead he points away from himself.

    🙌 Report: What does John do with his popularity? Why does it matter?

  4. 🌊🚶 Group 4: “Suffer it to be so now”

    Read Matthew 3:13–15. Jesus comes to the Jordan River and asks John to baptize Him. John tries to stop Him, and Jesus explains why.

    🙌 Report: Why was Jesus, who never sinned, baptized?

  5. ☁️🕊️ Group 5: The heavens open

    Read Matthew 3:16–17. Jesus comes up out of the water. The Spirit of God descends like a dove. And a voice speaks from heaven.

    🙌 Report: Who is there? Count them on your fingers. What does that teach about the Godhead?

  6. 🌲📜 Group 6: John comes back in 1829

    Read Doctrine and Covenants 13 and Joseph Smith—History 1:68–69. Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery pray about baptism. John the Baptist appears. He gives them the Aaronic Priesthood.

    🙌 Report: What does the Aaronic Priesthood hold the keys of? Who holds it in our ward?

Key verse

Matthew 3:3 ↗
“The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.”
In plain words: A voice in the wilderness says: get ready for the Lord and clear the road for Him.
🙌 “The voice of one crying” = cup hands around your mouth · “in the wilderness” = sweep an arm across the horizon · “Prepare ye the way of the Lord” = both hands pushing forward like clearing a path · “make his paths straight” = one flat hand slicing straight ahead.

More verses

Matthew 3:15 ↗
“Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness.”
In plain words: Jesus said, “Let’s do this, because it’s right to obey everything God asks.”
Matthew 3:16–17 ↗
“the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove … This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
In plain words: The Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost were all there: three separate beings.
Luke 3:11 ↗
“He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise.”
In plain words: Got extra? Share it with someone who doesn’t have any.
Matthew 3:8 ↗
“Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance”
In plain words: Show you’ve changed by what you actually do.

Forehead Guess words18 words

  • 🧔 John the Baptist
  • 🏜️ Wilderness
  • 🐫 Camel’s hair
  • 🦗 Locusts
  • 🍯 Wild honey
  • 🌊 Jordan River
  • 🔄 Repent
  • 💰 Publican
  • 🧥 Two coats
  • 🌾 Wheat
  • 💨 Chaff
  • 🕊️ Dove
  • 💧 Immersion
  • 📜 Aaronic Priesthood
  • 🧑 Joseph Smith
  • ✍️ Oliver Cowdery
  • ✨ Godhead
  • 🍞 Deacon
Clues for each word
  • John the Baptist: Prepared the way for Jesus and baptized Him
  • Wilderness: Where John preached
  • Camel’s hair: What John’s clothes were made of
  • Locusts: Crunchy bugs John ate
  • Wild honey: The sweet part of John’s diet
  • Jordan River: Where Jesus was baptized
  • Repent: John’s one-word message: change and turn to God
  • Publican: Tax collector told to stop cheating
  • Two coats: Have these? Give one away
  • Wheat: Gathered into the garner, not blown away
  • Chaff: The useless husk that blows away
  • Dove: Sign of the Holy Ghost at Jesus’s baptism
  • Immersion: Going all the way under the water
  • Aaronic Priesthood: Restored by John the Baptist in 1829
  • Joseph Smith: Received the Aaronic Priesthood with Oliver
  • Oliver Cowdery: Joseph’s scribe, baptized the same day
  • Godhead: Father, Son and Holy Ghost: all at the baptism
  • Deacon: Passes the sacrament every Sunday
▶ Play Forehead GuessFull screen, 60-second timer, works on any phone.

Scripture Showdown9 questions

  1. Who was John the Baptist’s father?
    • A. Joseph
    • B. Zacharias
    • C. Simeon
    Show answer

    ✅ B. Zacharias Luke 3:2. The priest from week 1 who couldn’t speak.

  2. What did John eat in the wilderness?
    • A. Locusts and wild honey
    • B. Figs and bread
    • C. Fish and olives
    Show answer

    ✅ A. Locusts and wild honey Matthew 3:4. Protein and dessert.

  3. John said people with two coats should…
    • A. sell one
    • B. wear both in winter
    • C. give one to someone with none
    Show answer

    ✅ C. give one to someone with none Luke 3:11. Repentance shows up in how we treat people.

  4. What did John tell the publicans, or tax collectors?
    • A. Quit your jobs
    • B. Take no more than you should
    • C. Give everything away
    Show answer

    ✅ B. Take no more than you should Luke 3:13. Stop cheating people.

  5. John said he wasn’t worthy to do what for the One coming after him?
    • A. Untie His shoes
    • B. Wash His clothes
    • C. Carry His water
    Show answer

    ✅ A. Untie His shoes Luke 3:16. John always pointed to Jesus, not himself.

  6. Why did Jesus say He needed to be baptized?
    • A. To be forgiven
    • B. To become famous
    • C. To fulfil all righteousness
    Show answer

    ✅ C. To fulfil all righteousness Matthew 3:15. He had no sins, but He obeyed and showed us the way.

  7. What descended on Jesus after His baptism?
    • A. Fire from heaven
    • B. The Spirit of God like a dove
    • C. An angel with a trumpet
    Show answer

    ✅ B. The Spirit of God like a dove Matthew 3:16. The dove was a sign of the Holy Ghost.

  8. What did the voice from heaven say?
    • A. “Follow him”
    • B. “Prepare ye the way”
    • C. “This is my beloved Son”
    Show answer

    ✅ C. “This is my beloved Son” Matthew 3:17. The Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, three separate beings.

  9. In 1829, John the Baptist restored which priesthood to Joseph and Oliver?
    • A. The Aaronic Priesthood
    • B. The Melchizedek Priesthood
    • C. The sealing power
    Show answer

    ✅ A. The Aaronic Priesthood Doctrine and Covenants 13; Joseph Smith—History 1:68–72.

▶ Play Scripture ShowdownTeams take turns on one screen.

Songs

  • Baptism Children’s Songbook, p. 100

    It tells of Jesus going to John at the Jordan to be baptized. Find it ↗

  • The Holy Ghost Children’s Songbook, p. 105

    The Spirit descended at Jesus’s baptism and comes to us after ours. Find it ↗

  • Choose the Right Hymns, no. 239

    Fruits of repentance are right choices made every day. Find it ↗

This week’s challenge

The “What Shall I Do?” Prayer

This week, ask Heavenly Father the same question the crowds asked John: “What shall I do?” Then listen for a specific answer, like the ones John gave. Share something, stop something, fix something or include someone. Then do it. When you take the sacrament on Sunday, remember that this is what renewing your baptism covenant looks like.

Text the parents

Today in class we studied Matthew 3, Mark 1 and Luke 3. John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus Christ. Jesus was baptized to “fulfil all righteousness,” in Matthew 3:15, and the Father, Son and Holy Ghost were all present. We also learned that John restored the Aaronic Priesthood to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery in 1829. Ask your youth what John told people to do when they asked, “What shall we do then?” What answer did they get for themselves 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?

📜 Doctrine and Covenants 13 Unpacked · 4 min

  1. Read Doctrine and Covenants 13 together. It’s just one sentence.
  2. Teams find the three things the Aaronic Priesthood holds keys to: the ministering of angels, the gospel of repentance, and baptism by immersion for the remission of sins.
  3. Ask, “Where do you see each of these in our ward on a normal Sunday?”

✨ Godhead Evidence Board · 4 min

  1. Read Matthew 3:16–17 and Luke 3:21–22 side by side.
  2. Pairs list every clue that the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost are three separate beings. The Son is in the water, the Spirit descends, and a voice speaks.
  3. Share that Joseph Smith saw the same truth in the First Vision. He saw two separate Personages.

🧥 Two Coats Service · 5 min

  1. Read Luke 3:11. Ask, “What do you have two of?” Hoodies, snacks, pencils, time, friends.
  2. Brainstorm one quorum or class service project this month, using what they have extra.
  3. Let the class presidency or quorum leaders take the idea to their next meeting.

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.

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