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Upside-Down Happy

Jesus’s upside-down list of who is truly happy, salt and light, a higher law, and the “eventually” in be ye perfect

  • 🧭 Youth 12–13
  • Week 7
  • 📅 Sunday, February 14, 2027
🤔 Forehead Guess🏆 Showdown
💡 The big idea

Jesus’s idea of real happiness turns the world’s upside down, and as I live His higher way, His light shines through me and I grow toward being like Him, one step at a time.

I can live one Beatitude on purpose this week and let my light point people to Heavenly Father, without needing to be perfect today.

Study it yourself firstRead Matthew 5; Luke 6 in Gospel LibraryCome, Follow Me manualOpen this week (Matthew 5; Luke 6)
Know the chapters

Matthew 5–7 is the Sermon on the Mount; Luke 6 records a similar sermon given “in the plain” (Luke 6:17). This week is Matthew 5. It opens with the Beatitudes (5:3–12): eight kinds of people Jesus calls “blessed,” meaning deeply happy and favored by God. The list is upside down from what the world celebrates. Not the richest, loudest, most followed or best at winning arguments, but the poor in spirit (humble enough to know they need God), those who mourn, the meek (strong but gentle), those hungry for what’s right, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, and the persecuted. Every one comes with a promise. Luke 6:20–26 adds “woes” to those who are full and praised by everyone now, which makes the contrast even sharper.

Salt and light (5:13–16): salt preserved food and flavored it, and in ancient Israel it was part of covenant offerings; salt that lost its savour was useless. A bushel was a measuring basket, so hiding a lamp under it defeats the point. Jesus is the Light of the World (John 8:12); our light is His, shining through our good works, and the goal is that people glorify the Father, not us. For a generation that lives online, “let your light shine” is a real question about what they post and how they treat people in the comments.

The higher law (5:21–44): six times Jesus says, in effect, “Ye have heard… but I say unto you.” Don’t just avoid murder; don’t stay angry. Don’t just avoid adultery; keep your thoughts pure (for this age, that includes what we choose to look at on a screen; keep it simple and matter-of-fact). Don’t need oaths; just be honest. Don’t retaliate. Love your enemies and pray for people who treat you badly. The law had focused on actions; Jesus goes to the heart.

“Be ye therefore perfect” (5:48) can crush conscientious 11–14s who already feel they have to be flawless. The Greek word points toward being complete or whole, and in the Book of Mormon version the Savior includes Himself as the example (3 Nephi 12:48). Elder Jeffrey R. Holland’s talk “Be Ye Therefore Perfect—Eventually” (the manual points to it) is a great read: perfection is a lifelong process through the Savior’s grace, not a demand to never make a mistake. Say that out loud to your class.

Only have 5 minutes?

Read Matthew 5 and skim Luke 6:17–26. Run the “Who’s most blessed?” ranking. Tell the Sermon on the Mount from Teach Mode with one question per scene. Teach Matthew 5:16 with the motions, and let a youth run the discussion questions. End with one light in a dim room and “perfect… eventually.” Brought nothing? Tap “I brought nothing,” and the screen becomes the light.

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 Matthew 5 once, slowly. Watch for the “Ye have heard… but I say unto you” pairs in verses 21–44.
  2. Set the flashlight and bowl near you for the testimony. Keep the lights on for now.
  3. Think of someone whose quiet goodness made you want to follow Jesus. You’ll share about them in two sentences at the end.

If your class is wild

  • You tell the story, and they answer. One question per scene keeps it moving and gets more voices in. Don’t let one scene eat five minutes.
  • Handle Matthew 5:27–28 calmly and briefly. A matter-of-fact “What we let our minds dwell on matters, including screens” beats a long speech.
  • It’s Valentine’s Day. “Love your enemies” on Valentine’s Day is funny, so lean into it.
  • Only dim the lights for the testimony if your room is safe to dim. Move the light slowly, and never shine it in anyone’s eyes.

The 25-minute plan23 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

Who’s Most Blessed?

3 min

Ranking six people the way the world would, then the way Jesus did, shows how upside down His idea of happiness is.

  1. SAY“Rank these six people from most blessed to least. Rank them the way the world would.”
  2. Show the kid screen and let the class call out an order.
  3. Here are the six. A million followers. Never loses an argument. Richest in school. Quietly kind. Just lost a grandparent. Stops fights.
  4. Read Matthew 5:3–9 aloud, or have a youth read it. Ask, “Now how would Jesus rank them?” Let the order flip.
  5. SAY“Jesus’s list of the happiest people is upside down from ours. Today we find out why.”
🌪️ If someone in class recently lost a loved one, change the grieving person to “going through something really hard.”

Class screen: 🙃 Who’s most blessed? The world’s ranking vs. Jesus’s. · Million followers · Never loses an argument · Richest in school · Quietly kind · Grieving a grandparent · Stops fights

2. Story

Tell It: The Sermon on the Mount

8 min

You tell Matthew 5 in seven short scenes with one question each, so the Beatitudes, salt, light and the higher law become real choices.

  1. SAY“Picture a hillside above the Sea of Galilee. Jesus sits down, and what He says next surprises everybody.”
  2. Open Teach Mode to the first scene. Read each scene aloud, then ask its question. Take two or three answers and move on.
  3. At scene 5, hand your scriptures to a youth to read Matthew 5:21–22. Let them hear Jesus’s own words.
  4. After scene 7, ask, “Which of these teachings do you most need this week?” Give ten quiet seconds. Nobody has to answer.
🌪️ If answers get silly, say, “Now answer like it’s real,” and wait. The silence usually does the rest.

Class screen: ⛰️ Upside-down happy: the Sermon on the Mount · Matthew 5

3. Scripture

Let Your Light So Shine

4 min

One verse sums up the whole chapter: our good works point people to Heavenly Father.

  1. SAY“One verse sums up why Jesus wants us to live this way. Read Matthew 5:16 with me.”
  2. Read it together from scriptures or the screen. Teach the motions. Say it twice together, then once with motions only.
  3. Ask, “Why does it end with glorifying the Father instead of us?” Our light is His light, pointing to Him.

Class screen: 💡 Let your light so shine. · Matthew 5:16

4. Talk it over

Salt, Light and Eventually

5 min

Honest questions bring the sermon into school, phones and the pressure to be perfect.

  1. SAY“Let’s get real about living this at school and online. Anyone can pass.”
  2. A youth reads each question from your phone or tablet and picks who answers. Keep answers short so more voices get in. Add one honest answer of your own.
💬 Ask the class
  • Salt that loses its savour is useless. What makes a follower of Jesus lose their “flavor” at school or online?
  • What’s the difference between letting your light shine and showing off on social media?
  • “Love your enemies” is Jesus’s hardest command. What’s one realistic way to do good to someone who’s been mean to you?
  • Elder Holland taught that “be ye therefore perfect” is a goal we reach eventually, with the Savior’s help. How does that change how you feel about your mistakes?

Class screen: 💬 Salt, light and eventually

5. Testimony

One Light in the Room

3 min

A single light in a dim room shows how much difference one follower of Jesus makes.

  1. SAY“Jesus said nobody lights a candle and hides it under a bushel.”
  2. Turn on the flashlight and cover it with the bowl. Then lift the bowl.
  3. If it’s safe, dim the lights and point the light at the ceiling. Say, “One light changes the whole room.”
  4. Share your two sentences about someone whose quiet goodness helped you see Jesus. Testify that He’s patient while we grow toward perfect, eventually.
  5. Lights on. Share the challenge to live one Beatitude on purpose. Then ask a youth to pray.

Class screen: 💡 Ye are the light of the world. · Matthew 5:14–16

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: A flashlight or phone light and a bowl or small basket (the bushel)

  1. SAY“Jesus said nobody lights a candle and hides it under a bushel.”
  2. Turn your phone or tablet to full brightness and cover it with your hand. Then lift your hand.
  3. If it’s safe, dim the lights and hold the glowing phone or tablet up. Say, “One light changes the whole room.”
  4. Share your two sentences about someone whose quiet goodness helped you see Jesus. Testify that He’s patient while we grow toward perfect, eventually.
  5. Lights on. Share the challenge, then ask a youth to pray.
6. Wiggle break

Beatitude Wall Sprint

3 minBONUS

A fast-walk to the right wall drills the Beatitudes and their promises into memory.

  1. SAY“Four walls, four Beatitudes. The front wall is the meek. The back is the merciful. The window is the pure in heart. The door is the peacemakers.”
  2. Read a promise from Matthew 5:5–9, like “they shall see God.” Youth fast-walk to the wall it belongs to. The last one there reads the full Beatitude.
  3. Repeat faster, in mixed order. Walk, never run.

Class screen: 🧱 Hear the promise. Walk to the right wall. · Front · the meek · Back · the merciful · Window · the pure in heart · Door · the peacemakers

7. Game

Scripture Showdown

5 minBONUS

A team quiz reviews the Beatitudes, salt and light and the higher law.

  1. SAY“Two teams. Ten seconds to decide, then point.”
  2. Tap Scripture Showdown and read each question aloud. The winning team earns a bonus point if they can name the verse.
▶ Play Scripture Showdown on the web

Class screen: 🏆 Scripture Showdown!

Story and questions

The Sermon on the Mount

Matthew 5:1–48 ↗

Scenes

  1. ⛰️ Jesus sits down on a mountain to teach

    Crowds followed Jesus from all over Galilee. He went up into a mountain and sat down. His disciples came close. What He taught next is called the Sermon on the Mount. It still surprises people.

    🙌 Ask: “If you could ask Jesus one question about being happy, what would it be?”

  2. 🙃 Blessed are… the people nobody would pick

    He started with a list. Blessed are the poor in spirit. Those who mourn. The meek. The hungry for righteousness. The merciful. The pure in heart. The peacemakers. Blessed means deeply happy. It’s the world’s list, upside down.

    🙌 Count the Beatitudes on your fingers. Which one surprises you most?

  3. 🧂 “Ye are the salt of the earth”

    Then He looked at ordinary fishermen and farmers and said, You are the salt of the earth. Salt kept food from spoiling and gave it flavor. Salt that lost its savour was good for nothing.

    🙌 Ask: “How can someone your age make a group better instead of just blending in?”

  4. 💡 A candle on a candlestick, not under a bushel

    You are the light of the world, He said. Nobody lights a candle and hides it under a basket. Let your light shine so people see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven, not you.

    🙌 Everyone holds up one finger like a flame. Ask: “What’s the difference between shining and showing off?”

  5. ⬆️ “Ye have heard… but I say unto you”

    Again and again, Jesus said something like this. You’ve heard the old rule. But I say, go deeper. Don’t just avoid killing. Let go of anger. Keep your thoughts pure. Just be honest. Don’t get even.

    🙌 A youth reads Matthew 5:21–22. Ask: “What do all these upgrades have in common?” It’s the heart.

  6. ❤️ “Love your enemies… pray for them”

    Then came the hardest one. Love your enemies. Bless people who curse you. Do good to people who hate you. Pray for people who treat you badly. Anyone can be nice to their friends, He said.

    🙌 Ask: “What’s one realistic way to do good to someone who’s been mean to you?”

  7. 🌱 Be ye therefore perfect… eventually

    He ended the chapter: Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect. It sounds impossible. The word points to becoming complete. That happens over a lifetime, with the Savior’s help.

    🙌 Ask: “Does this verse make you feel crushed or hopeful? Why?”

Key verse

Matthew 5:16 ↗
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
In plain words: Live so people can see the good you do, and it makes them think about Heavenly Father, not about you.
🙌 “Let your light so shine” = open your hands from your chest like a burst of light · “before men” = sweep an arm across the room · “that they may see your good works” = point to your eyes, then show your hands · “and glorify your Father which is in heaven” = point up with both hands.

More verses

Matthew 5:9 ↗
“Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.”
In plain words: Peacemakers aren’t pushovers. They’re the ones who stop the fight without starting a new one.
Matthew 5:13 ↗
“Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted?”
In plain words: You’re supposed to make the world better. If you blend in so much that you lose that, what’s left?
Matthew 5:44 ↗
“Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you”
In plain words: Jesus’s hardest command: love, bless and pray for the people who treat you worst.
Matthew 5:48 ↗
“Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”
In plain words: The goal is to become complete, like Heavenly Father. It happens over a lifetime, with Jesus’s help.

Forehead Guess words16 words

  • ⛰️ Sermon on the Mount
  • 😊 Beatitudes
  • 🐑 Meek
  • 🤲 Merciful
  • 🤍 Pure in heart
  • 🕊️ Peacemaker
  • 😢 Mourn
  • 🎯 Persecuted
  • 🧂 Salt
  • 💡 Light of the world
  • 🧺 Bushel
  • 🏙️ City on a hill
  • 🫥 Turn the other cheek
  • ❤️ Love your enemies
  • 🥾 Second mile
  • 🌱 Perfect
Clues for each word
  • Sermon on the Mount: Jesus’s famous talk in Matthew 5–7
  • Beatitudes: The “Blessed are…” list
  • Meek: Strong but gentle; they inherit the earth
  • Merciful: They forgive, and they get mercy back
  • Pure in heart: They shall see God
  • Peacemaker: Called the children of God
  • Mourn: Those who do this shall be comforted
  • Persecuted: Picked on for doing what’s right
  • Salt: Useless if it loses its savour
  • Light of the world: What Jesus called His disciples, and Himself
  • Bushel: A basket you shouldn’t hide a candle under
  • City on a hill: Can’t be hid
  • Turn the other cheek: Jesus’s answer to “an eye for an eye”
  • Love your enemies: Hardest command, Matthew 5:44
  • Second mile: Go this far when someone asks for one
  • Perfect: Be ye therefore… eventually
▶ Play Forehead GuessFull screen, 60-second timer, works on any phone.

Scripture Showdown9 questions

  1. What does “blessed” mean in the Beatitudes?
    • A. Rich and famous
    • B. Deeply happy and favored by God
    • C. Never having problems
    Show answer

    ✅ B. Deeply happy and favored by God Jesus’s list of the happiest people is upside down from the world’s.

  2. What is promised to the pure in heart?
    • A. They shall see God
    • B. They shall inherit the earth
    • C. They shall be filled
    Show answer

    ✅ A. They shall see God Matthew 5:8. One of the greatest promises in scripture.

  3. The peacemakers shall be called…
    • A. the salt of the earth
    • B. the light of the world
    • C. the children of God
    Show answer

    ✅ C. the children of God Matthew 5:9. Peacemakers act like Heavenly Father’s family.

  4. What happens to salt that has lost its savour?
    • A. It turns into sugar
    • B. It’s good for nothing
    • C. It grows back
    Show answer

    ✅ B. It’s good for nothing Matthew 5:13. Disciples who blend in completely lose what makes them useful.

  5. Why should people see our good works?
    • A. So we get noticed
    • B. So we win awards
    • C. So they glorify our Father in heaven
    Show answer

    ✅ C. So they glorify our Father in heaven Matthew 5:16. Our light points to Him, not to us.

  6. Jesus raised “thou shalt not kill” to a higher law about…
    • A. Anger
    • B. Money
    • C. The Sabbath
    Show answer

    ✅ A. Anger Matthew 5:21–22. He went to the heart, where actions start.

  7. What did Jesus say to do for people who persecute you?
    • A. Ignore them forever
    • B. Pray for them
    • C. Report them to the Pharisees
    Show answer

    ✅ B. Pray for them Matthew 5:44. It changes us even when it doesn’t change them.

  8. Elder Holland’s talk title adds which word to “Be Ye Therefore Perfect”?
    • A. Today
    • B. Eventually
    • C. Alone
    Show answer

    ✅ B. Eventually “Be Ye Therefore Perfect—Eventually.” It’s a lifelong process with the Savior’s grace.

  9. Luke 6 gives a sermon like Matthew 5, but where?
    • A. On a boat
    • B. In the temple
    • C. In the plain
    Show answer

    ✅ C. In the plain Luke 6:17 says He “stood in the plain.” Similar teachings, different setting.

▶ Play Scripture ShowdownTeams take turns on one screen.

Songs

  • I’m Trying to Be like Jesus Children’s Songbook, p. 78

    “Trying” is the key word: perfect eventually, not today. Find it ↗

  • Come, Follow Me Hymns, no. 116

    Following Jesus up the mountain means living His higher way. Find it ↗

This week’s challenge

One Beatitude on Purpose

Pick one Beatitude, like meek, merciful, pure in heart or peacemaker. Live it on purpose every day this week, at school, at home and online. Bonus: if someone’s unkind to you, try Matthew 5:44 and pray for them. Next Sunday, be ready to share one thing that happened.

Text the parents

This week in class we learned the Beatitudes in Matthew 5:3–12, Jesus’s upside-down list of who is truly happy. We saw how He raised the old law to a higher, heart-level law. We talked about what being merciful, meek and a peacemaker looks like at school and online. Ask your youth which Beatitude they’re living on purpose this week. What does “perfect… eventually” mean to them?

📝 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?

✍️ Beatitude Makeover · 4 min

  1. Pairs rewrite one Beatitude in modern words, like a caption or a text. Try “Happy are the ones who stop the drama, because God calls them His family.”
  2. Each pair reads theirs, and the class guesses which Beatitude it is.
  3. Ask, “Which one would be hardest to live at your school?”

🥾 The Second Mile · 3 min

  1. Read Matthew 5:41. Explain that Roman soldiers could force people to carry things for them. Compare Matthew 27:32.
  2. Ask, “At home, what’s the first mile, the stuff you have to do?” Then ask, “What’s the second mile, going past what’s asked?”
  3. Each youth picks one second-mile act for this week.

⚖️ Rank the Woes · 4 min

  1. Read Luke 6:20–26. Ask, “Luke includes woes as well as blessings. Who gets a woe?” The full, the laughing, and those praised by everyone.
  2. Ask, “Why would being praised by everyone ever be a warning sign?”
  3. Talk about the difference between being liked and being good.

🧂 Salt Taste Test · 3 min

  1. Check allergies and your ward’s food policy first. Give volunteers a plain cracker, then one with a pinch of salt. Ask, “Which one would you want?”
  2. SAY“In Jesus’s day salt kept food from spoiling and made it taste good. It was also part of covenant offerings.”
  3. Read Matthew 5:13. Ask, “How can you make your group better, not just blend into it?”

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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