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Rend Your Heart

A fake-apology face-off, a readers’ theater about a husband who buys back the wife who left, and a promise that the Spirit will pour out on sons and daughters

  • 🧭 Youth 12–13
  • Week 47
  • 📅 Sunday, November 22, 2026
🤔 Forehead Guess🏆 Showdown
💡 The big idea

The Lord wants my real heart, not a show; no matter how far I wander He keeps inviting me back, and He pours out His Spirit on young people like me.

I can turn to the Lord with my whole heart, not just on the outside, and listen for the Spirit He promised to pour out on the youth.

Study it yourself firstRead Hosea 1–6; 10–14; Joel in Gospel LibraryCome, Follow Me manualOpen this week (Hosea 1–6; 10–14; Joel)
Know the chapters

Hosea preached to the northern kingdom of Israel (often called Ephraim) in the years before Assyria carried it away. The Lord asked Hosea to make his own family a living message. Hosea married a woman named Gomer, who later broke her marriage covenant and left him for other lovers. Hosea 2 turns her story into Israel’s: Israel chased other gods and didn’t even realize the Lord was the one who had given her everything (2:5–8). Yet the Lord promises to “allure her” back, “speak comfortably unto her,” and make the valley of trouble “a door of hope” (2:14–15). He will betroth her to Himself forever “in lovingkindness, and in mercies” (2:19–20). Keep the story gentle for this age: she left the marriage and chased other things; he went and brought her home.

In Hosea 3, the Lord tells Hosea to go love her again, and Hosea literally buys her back for fifteen pieces of silver and some barley (3:2). That is a picture of the Redeemer: Jesus Christ paid the price to bring us back. In Hosea 11 the Lord remembers teaching Ephraim to walk, holding him by the arms, and drawing him “with cords of a man, with bands of love” (11:3–4). The book ends with an invitation to return and a promise: “I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely” (14:1, 4).

Hosea and Joel both warn against religion that is only for show. The people’s goodness was like a morning cloud that burns off by noon (Hosea 6:4). The Lord wants “mercy, and not sacrifice” (6:6); Jesus quoted that verse twice to religious leaders who cared more about rules than people (Matthew 9:13; 12:7). In Joel, after a locust plague wipes out the crops, the Lord says to turn to Him with all your heart: “rend your heart, and not your garments” (Joel 2:12–13). In Bible times people tore their clothes to show grief. The Lord wanted the inside to change, not just the costume.

Joel also promises that the Lord will restore “the years that the locust hath eaten” (2:25) and then pour out His Spirit on all flesh, so that “your sons and your daughters shall prophesy” (2:28). When the angel Moroni visited Joseph Smith in 1823, he quoted this prophecy and said it was about to be fulfilled (Joseph Smith—History 1:41). The Spirit of prophecy is the testimony of Jesus (Revelation 19:10). A deacon or a Young Woman who bears a simple testimony, or follows a quiet prompting to text a struggling friend, is part of that fulfillment.

Only have 5 minutes?

Run the Fake Sorry Face-Off. Then run the readers’ theater. A Narrator reads the screens, Hosea and Gomer read their lines from their seats, and you read the Lord’s promises. Teach Joel 2:28, and list ways youth “prophesy” today. Fog the screen for Hosea 6:4, and ask two Coming Back questions. End with Hosea 14:4 and your testimony. Brought nothing? Tap “I brought nothing” and read Joseph Smith—History 1:41 aloud.

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 Hosea 1–3 once, so you can answer questions gently. You don’t need to explain every detail.
  2. Choose three readers. Pick a confident Narrator, a steady Hosea and a good sport for Gomer. Their lines show on the screen.
  3. Bookmark Hosea 2:14–15, 2:19 and 14:4 for yourself. For the scripture step, mark Joel 2:28–29 and Joseph Smith—History 1:41.

If your class is wild

  • Readers stay in their seats. No acting. Hosea’s story is tender, and plain reading keeps it from getting awkward.
  • Some youth will giggle at a story about a husband and wife. Keep it gentle, keep moving, and focus on the buying back.
  • Some youth may have a parent who left, or a family going through divorce. Say plainly that Hosea shows how the Lord loves us. It isn’t a rule for any family.
  • The Fake Sorry Face-Off is supposed to be ridiculous. The funnier the fake, the clearer the point.
  • If anyone looks uneasy when you talk about wandering and coming back, don’t single them out. Say “all of us” a lot.

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

Fake Sorry Face-Off

3 min

Over-the-top fake apologies make it obvious what Joel meant by rending your heart instead of your clothes.

  1. SAY“I need two volunteers for the most over-the-top fake apology ever. Stay in your seats. Here’s the scenario. You ate your sibling’s leftovers.”
  2. The class votes for the best one. In round two, the same two give a short, real apology. Ask, “Which one would you actually believe?”
  3. SAY“In Bible times, people tore their clothes to show they were sorry. Joel 2:13 says, ‘rend your heart, and not your garments.’ Today is about the real thing.”

Class screen: 🎭 Fake sorry vs. real sorry: which one would you believe? · Joel 2:13

2. Story

Readers’ Theater: Bought Back

8 min

Hearing Hosea’s marriage read aloud shows how the Lord keeps loving and buys back people who have wandered away.

  1. SAY“Hosea’s marriage became a picture of how the Lord loves us. Three readers, from your seats. No acting.”
  2. Tap Roles in Teach Mode and assign Narrator, Hosea and Gomer. Their lines are on the screen. You read the Lord’s words from your scriptures.
  3. Read gently and keep it moving. After scene 6, ask, “Who is Gomer in this story?” Israel, and really, all of us.
  4. Ask, “Who paid the price to bring us back?” Let a youth answer.

Class screen: 💰 A prophet who paid to bring his wife home · Hosea 1–3

3. Scripture

Your Sons and Your Daughters: Joel 2:28

5 min

Joel 2:28 shows the youth that the Lord’s promised outpouring of the Spirit is meant for them, right now.

  1. SAY“When the angel Moroni visited Joseph Smith, he quoted this verse. He said it was about to be fulfilled.”
  2. Have a youth read Joseph Smith—History 1:41. Then teach Joel 2:28 with the motions. Say it together twice.
  3. Ask, “What does it mean for a twelve-year-old to prophesy?” Then read Revelation 19:10. The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
  4. List real examples. A simple testimony. A thought during the sacrament. A prompting to text a friend. A feeling at the temple.

Class screen: 🌧️ Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy. That means you. · Joel 2:28

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: Scriptures: a Bible, a quad, or the Gospel Library app on phones

  1. SAY“When the angel Moroni visited Joseph Smith, he quoted this verse. He said it was about to be fulfilled.”
  2. Read Joseph Smith—History 1:41 aloud. Then teach Joel 2:28 with the motions. Say it together twice.
  3. Ask, “What does it mean for a twelve-year-old to prophesy?” Explain that Revelation 19:10 calls the testimony of Jesus the spirit of prophecy.
  4. List real examples. A simple testimony. A thought during the sacrament. A prompting to text a friend. A feeling at the temple.
4. Talk it over

Coming Back

5 min

A vanishing fog and honest questions get at wandering, returning, and devotion that lasts past Sunday.

  1. SAY“Somebody breathe on the screen. Now everybody watch the fog.”
  2. The fog vanishes. Read Hosea 6:4, goodness “as a morning cloud.” Ask, “What makes goodness last past Sunday?”
  3. Spin the Name Spinner for two questions from the screen. Keep it “we,” not “you.” Everyone drifts sometimes.
  4. Share a short example of a time you felt the Lord invite you back.
💬 Ask the class
  • In Hosea 2:8, Gomer didn’t realize where her good things really came from. What good things in your life might come from God without you noticing?
  • What are the “distractions” that pull people our age away from the Lord, slowly, not all at once?
  • Hosea 14:2 says “take with you words, and turn to the LORD.” What words would you use to come back?
  • What’s the difference between being sorry because you got caught and being sorry in your heart?
  • How can we help a friend come back without making them feel judged?
🎡 Name Spinner (a class game in the Gospel Sparks app)

Class screen: 🏠 How do people drift, and how do they come back? · Hosea 6:4 · 14:1–4

5. Testimony

I Will Love Them Freely

3 min

End with the Redeemer who paid the price to bring every one of us home.

  1. SAY“Listen for the word ‘freely.’ It means He doesn’t make you earn it back first.”
  2. Read Hosea 14:4.
  3. SAY“Hosea paid fifteen pieces of silver to bring Gomer home. Jesus Christ paid in Gethsemane and on the cross. So none of us is too far gone.”
  4. Share a short testimony of the Savior’s love for people who wander, including you.
  5. Share The Real Thing challenge. Then invite a youth to pray.

Class screen: 💗 “I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely” · Hosea 14:4

6. Wiggle break

Cords of Love Human Knot

3 minBONUS

Untangling a human knot pictures the Lord drawing His people back to Him with “bands of love” (Hosea 11:4).

  1. SAY“Get in groups of five to seven, in a tight circle. Reach in and grab two different hands. Not the people beside you.”
  2. Without letting go, untangle into one circle. When a group finishes, they shout, “Bands of love!”
  3. SAY“Listen to Hosea 11:4. The Lord draws us ‘with cords of a man, with bands of love.’ He doesn’t yank. He stays connected while we untangle.”
⏱️ Big Timer (a class game in the Gospel Sparks app)

Class screen: 🪢 Untangle without letting go! · Hosea 11:4

7. Game

Scripture Showdown

5 minBONUS

A team quiz reviews Hosea and Joel.

  1. SAY“Team Hosea against Team Joel. Ten seconds to huddle, then your captain answers.”
  2. Tap Scripture Showdown and switch captains every question. Naming the chapter earns a bonus point.
▶ Play Scripture Showdown on the web

Class screen: 🏆 Scripture Showdown: Hosea vs. Joel

Readers’ theater

Readers’ Theater: Bought Back

Hosea 1–3; 14:1–4 ↗

Reading parts (volunteers, from their seats)

  • NarratorReads the words on each screen from their seat.
  • HoseaReads the prophet’s lines from the screen, Hosea 3:2 and 14:1–2, from their seat.
  • GomerReads Gomer’s one line, Hosea 2:7, from the screen, from their seat.

Scenes

  1. 💍🧔 A prophet whose family became a message

    The Lord asked Hosea to let his own family become a message to Israel. Hosea married a woman named Gomer, and they had children. Through them, Israel would learn what faithfulness really looks like.

    🙌 The Narrator reads. Everyone else, listen for who Gomer really stands for.

  2. 🚶‍♀️✨ Gomer walks away

    Gomer broke her covenant and left. She chased other people, and other things that seemed exciting. She even believed her good things came from them. Not from the husband who had quietly provided them all along.

    🙌 The Narrator reads. Then you read Hosea 2:8. She “did not know” who gave her everything.

  3. 🏜️💔 Chasing things that don’t love you back

    The things she chased didn’t love her back. She ran after them and couldn’t catch them. Finally, with nothing left, she remembered home.

    🙌 Gomer reads Hosea 2:7: “I will go and return to my first husband; for then was it better with me than now.”

  4. 🗣️💗 A door of hope

    Here’s the twist. Hosea 2 turns Gomer’s story into Israel’s story, and ours. The Lord says He won’t give up on His people. He will go after them. He will speak kindly to them. He will turn their valley of trouble into a door of hope.

    🙌 You read Hosea 2:14–15, the Lord’s own words.

  5. 💰🌾 Fifteen pieces of silver and some barley

    The Lord told Hosea to go and love her again. Hosea didn’t wait for Gomer to fix everything herself. He went to where she was and paid the price to bring her home.

    🙌 Hosea reads Hosea 3:2: “So I bought her to me for fifteen pieces of silver, and for an homer of barley, and an half homer of barley.”

  6. 🏠💞 Betrothed forever

    Hosea bought Gomer back. Jesus Christ paid a far greater price to buy all of us back. That’s why He is called the Redeemer. And the invitation is still open.

    🙌 You read Hosea 2:19. Then Hosea reads Hosea 14:1: “O Israel, return unto the LORD thy God.”

Key verse

Joel 2:28 ↗
“I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions”
In plain words: The Lord will pour His Spirit out on everyone, and young men and young women will testify of Him by that Spirit.
🙌 “I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh” = hands high, then pour down over everyone · “your sons and your daughters shall prophesy” = point around the room at the youth · “your old men shall dream dreams” = hands together by your cheek like sleeping · “your young men shall see visions” = hand over eyes, looking far.

More verses

Joel 2:13 ↗
“rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness”
In plain words: Change on the inside, not just for show. The Lord is kind and patient.
Hosea 14:4 ↗
“I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely”
In plain words: When we slide away, the Lord heals us and loves us without holding back.
Hosea 6:6 ↗
“For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings”
In plain words: The Lord cares more about a kind, real heart than about showing off religion.
Hosea 11:4 ↗
“I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love”
In plain words: The Lord pulls us back with love, not force.

Forehead Guess words16 words

  • 🧔 Hosea
  • 👩 Gomer
  • 📜 Joel
  • 🦗 Locust
  • 💰 Fifteen pieces of silver
  • 🌾 Barley
  • 🌫️ Morning cloud
  • 💧 Dew
  • 🪢 Cords of love
  • 💔 Rend your heart
  • 🤲 Redeemer
  • 🗣️ Prophesy
  • 💭 Dreams
  • 👁️ Visions
  • 👼 Moroni
  • 🧒 Ephraim
Clues for each word
  • Hosea: Prophet who bought his wife back
  • Gomer: Hosea’s wife who walked away
  • Joel: Prophet who saw a locust army
  • Locust: Bug that ate every crop
  • Fifteen pieces of silver: Part of the price Hosea paid
  • Barley: Grain Hosea paid along with the silver
  • Morning cloud: Goodness that burns off by lunch
  • Dew: The Lord will be like this to Israel
  • Cords of love: How the Lord draws His people back
  • Rend your heart: Not your garments
  • Redeemer: The One who buys us back
  • Prophesy: Joel says sons and daughters will do it
  • Dreams: Joel says old men will have them
  • Visions: Joel says young men will see them
  • Moroni: Angel who quoted Joel to Joseph Smith
  • Ephraim: The Lord taught him to walk
▶ Play Forehead GuessFull screen, 60-second timer, works on any phone.

Scripture Showdown9 questions

  1. What was the name of Hosea’s wife?
    • A. Ruth
    • B. Gomer
    • C. Esther
    Show answer

    ✅ B. Gomer Hosea 1:3. Her story became a picture of Israel wandering from the Lord.

  2. What did Hosea pay to bring his wife home?
    • A. Fifteen pieces of silver and barley
    • B. Thirty pieces of gold
    • C. A flock of sheep
    Show answer

    ✅ A. Fifteen pieces of silver and barley Hosea 3:2. It points to Jesus Christ, the Redeemer who paid the price to bring us back.

  3. In Hosea 6:4, Israel’s goodness is compared to what?
    • A. A rock
    • B. A mighty river
    • C. A morning cloud
    Show answer

    ✅ C. A morning cloud Here in the morning, gone by noon. The Lord wants goodness that lasts.

  4. The Lord said He desired mercy rather than what?
    • A. Sacrifice
    • B. Silence
    • C. Music
    Show answer

    ✅ A. Sacrifice Hosea 6:6. Jesus quoted it to the Pharisees in Matthew 9:13.

  5. How does the Lord say He draws His people in Hosea 11:4?
    • A. With chains of iron
    • B. With cords of a man, with bands of love
    • C. With a loud trumpet
    Show answer

    ✅ B. With cords of a man, with bands of love He pulls us back with love, not force, like a parent teaching a child to walk (11:3–4).

  6. What destroyed the crops in the book of Joel?
    • A. A flood
    • B. A fire
    • C. Locusts
    Show answer

    ✅ C. Locusts Joel 1–2 describes a locust army that ate everything. Then the Lord promised to restore it all (2:25).

  7. Joel said to rend what instead of your garments?
    • A. Your tent
    • B. Your heart
    • C. Your scroll
    Show answer

    ✅ B. Your heart Joel 2:13. The Lord wants real inner change, not a show.

  8. Who will prophesy when the Lord pours out His Spirit?
    • A. Your sons and your daughters
    • B. Only kings
    • C. Only priests in the temple
    Show answer

    ✅ A. Your sons and your daughters Joel 2:28. The Spirit is for young men and young women too.

  9. Who quoted Joel 2:28 to Joseph Smith in 1823?
    • A. John the Baptist
    • B. Peter
    • C. The angel Moroni
    Show answer

    ✅ C. The angel Moroni Joseph Smith—History 1:41: Moroni said the prophecy was about to be fulfilled.

▶ Play Scripture ShowdownTeams take turns on one screen.

Songs

  • Israel, Israel, God Is Calling Hymns, no. 7

    Hosea’s whole message: the Lord keeps calling His wandering people home. Find it ↗

  • Redeemer of Israel Hymns, no. 6

    Hosea buying Gomer back points to Jesus Christ, the Redeemer. Find it ↗

  • The Spirit of God Hymns, no. 2

    Celebrates the Spirit being poured out in the latter days, as Joel promised. Find it ↗

This week’s challenge

The Real Thing

Pick one thing you do mostly for show. Maybe it’s a rushed prayer, a “sorry” you didn’t mean, or reading scriptures just to check a box. This week, do it for real, from your heart. Notice what changes.

Text the parents

Today in class we read Hosea and Joel. Youth read Hosea’s story aloud. A prophet bought back his wife who had left, a picture of how the Lord buys all of us back. We also learned the Lord’s promise to pour out His Spirit on sons and daughters. We talked about real devotion versus religion for show. Ask your youth, “What’s the difference between rending your heart and rending your garments?”

📝 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?

🌲 Growing Like Lebanon · 4 min

  1. Read Hosea 14:5–8. List every growing thing you find, like the lily, the olive tree and the vine.
  2. Ask: “What’s the Lord promising people who come back to Him?”
  3. Have each youth draw one of the pictures and write what it means to them.

🌱 Break Up Your Fallow Ground · 3 min

  1. Read Hosea 10:12. Explain that fallow ground is a field left unplowed so long it’s gone hard.
  2. Ask, “What habits could break up hard ground in your heart?” Think of prayer, repentance, the sacrament and service.
  3. Point out “it is time to seek the LORD.” Ask, “Is there ever a wrong time to start?”

🦗 The Years the Locust Ate · 3 min

  1. Pour water into a cup until it’s half full. Say: “This is what the locusts left.” Then fill it to overflowing.
  2. Read Joel 2:25–26. Ask, “What kinds of losses can the Savior restore?”
  3. SAY“Repentance doesn’t just stop the damage. The Lord promises to restore.”

🤫 Still Small Voice · 4 min

  1. One Listener closes their eyes. A secret Guide whispers directions to a finish chair. Everyone else talks at normal volume and gives WRONG directions.
  2. Show the Noise Meter and play twice. Ask, “How did you pick out the right voice?” You knew it, you focused and you slowed down.
  3. SAY“The Spirit Joel promised speaks quietly. Learning His voice takes practice and a little less noise.”

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