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Blessed Are They That Have Not Seen

An Easter morning of witnesses: Mary at the tomb, a race to see it, burning hearts on the road to Emmaus and Thomas’s honest doubt

  • 🔥 Youth 14–15
  • Week 13
  • 📅 Sunday, March 28, 2027
🤔 Forehead Guess🏆 Showdown
💡 The big idea

Jesus Christ really rose from the dead, and like Mary, the disciples on the road to Emmaus and Thomas, I can become a witness of Him too, even without seeing Him.

I can build my own witness that Jesus Christ lives and share it with someone who needs it.

Come, Follow Me manualOpen this week (Easter Week)
Know the chapters

The manual invites us to walk through the Savior’s last week day by day. We don’t know exactly which day some events happened. He enters Jerusalem in triumph, in Matthew 21:1–11. He cleanses the temple, in 21:12–16. He teaches about serving “the least of these,” in 25:31–46. Then come the Last Supper and Gethsemane, in Matthew 26. At the Crucifixion, a Roman centurion says, “Truly this was the Son of God,” in 27:54. While His body lay in the tomb, the Savior ministered in the spirit world. That’s in 1 Peter 3:18–19 and Doctrine and Covenants 138. Then came Sunday morning.

John 20 is today’s scripture scene. Mary Magdalene came to the tomb while it was still dark. She found the stone rolled away and ran for Peter and John. They raced there, and John got there first. They found the linen grave clothes lying there and the napkin folded by itself. John “saw, and believed.” Mary stayed, weeping. Two angels asked why she was crying. She turned and saw Jesus but thought He was the gardener. Then He said one word: her name. The Joseph Smith Translation of John 20:17 reads “Hold me not” instead of “Touch me not.” Matthew records the angel’s announcement: “He is not here: for he is risen, as he said,” in Matthew 28:6.

The Gospels keep many kinds of witnesses so “that ye might believe,” in John 20:31. Two disciples walking to Emmaus didn’t recognize the risen Lord until He broke bread with them. Then they realized their hearts had burned while He opened the scriptures, in Luke 24:13–35. Thomas wasn’t there when Jesus first appeared to the disciples. He said he wouldn’t believe unless he touched the wounds. Eight days later the Savior came back and invited him to see. Thomas said, “My Lord and my God.” Then Jesus spoke about everyone since: “blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed,” in John 20:29. Latter-day Saints have more witnesses. In 3 Nephi 11:1–17, a whole multitude came forward one by one to feel the prints in His hands and feet. And there’s “The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles.”

Fourteen- to sixteen-year-olds are often in a Thomas season. They want their own witness, not just their parents’. Treat that as healthy. The Savior didn’t shame Thomas. He came back for him. Help them see that witnesses come in different ways. Some saw. Some felt their hearts burn. Some believed people they trusted while their own witness grew. In April 2013, in “Lord, I Believe,” Elder Jeffrey R. Holland counseled holding on to what you already know while you wait for more.

Only have 5 minutes?

Read John 20:1–29 and Luke 24:30–32. Run the How Do You Know? hook with hand signals. Four readers read the Easter witnesses from their seats, and you read the Savior’s words. Read John 20:29 together and ask two Real Talk questions. Save your last three minutes for a simple, sincere testimony that He lives.

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 John 20:1–29 and Luke 24:13–35. Then flip through the eight scenes in Teach Mode.
  2. Pick four readers before class: Narrator, Mary Magdalene, Cleopas and Thomas. Text them their verses: John 20:2, 13, 15, 18, 25, 28 and Luke 24:32.
  3. Prepare a short testimony of how you came to know the Savior lives. Include any Thomas season you went through. Keep it simple and sincere.

If your class is wild

  • Easter energy is real. Let the hook be loud. Then bring the volume down on purpose for the last scenes and the testimony.
  • No one plays or reads as the Savior. You read His words yourself, simply. Don’t fill the pause after “Mary.”
  • Pick readers who like to read aloud. A nervous reader can be the Narrator, who gets the most help from the screen.
  • Some youth may be quietly unsure the Resurrection really happened. Thomas is your friend here. His honest doubt kept showing up, and that’s how he got his answer.
  • Invite youth to share their own witness at the end, but never pressure. One sentence counts.

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

How Do You Know?

3 min

A quick hand-signal poll shows that most of what we know comes through witnesses, which sets up Easter’s witnesses.

  1. SAY“Four signals. Point to your eyes: I saw it. Thumb over your shoulder: someone I trust told me. Hand on heart: I felt it. Shrug: I just assume it.”
  2. Everyone signals how they know each one. “Antarctica exists.” “Your family loves you.” “The sun will rise tomorrow.” “Jesus Christ rose from the dead.”
  3. Ask which signal they used for the last one. Then ask: “Is it okay if it’s not ‘I saw it’?”
  4. SAY“On the first Easter, the witnesses were terrified, grieving and a little skeptical, just like real people. Let’s hear them.”
🌪️ If the room is sleepy, make the signals big. Stand up for “saw it.” Sit on the floor for “assume it.”

Class screen: 🔍 How do you know? Saw it, told, felt it, or assumed? · 👀 Saw it · 🗣️ Someone told me · ❤️ Felt it · 🤷 Assume it

2. Story

Readers’ Theater: Witnesses of the Empty Tomb

8 min

Four readers voice the Easter witnesses from their seats, and the class notices that each one came to know the risen Lord in a different way.

  1. SAY“I need four readers, reading from your seats. No acting. Just read like you mean it. I’ll read the Savior’s words myself.”
  2. Tap Roles to assign Narrator, Mary Magdalene, Cleopas and Thomas. Everyone else follows along in John 20.
  3. Show each scene. The Narrator reads the screen, then the readers read their verses. After scene 5, ask what it tells us that He said her name.
  4. After the last scene, ask: “Mary, John, Cleopas and Thomas each came to know differently. Which one is most like you?”
🌪️ If they get giggly, let the race scene be joyful. Then drop your voice for scene 3. The contrast does the work.

Class screen: 🌅 Easter morning: who saw Him, and how did they know? · Four readers, from their seats · The teacher reads the Savior’s words

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: Scriptures for each pair (their own, a classroom set, or Gospel Library on their phones)

  1. SAY“I need four readers, reading from your seats. No acting. Just read like you mean it. I’ll read the Savior’s words myself.”
  2. Tap Roles to assign the parts. When a reader’s verse comes, pass them your scriptures, open to the page.
  3. After scene 5, ask: “What does it tell you that He said her name?”
  4. After the last scene, ask: “Mary, John, Cleopas and Thomas each came to know differently. Which one is most like you?”
3. Scripture

Blessed Are They That Have Not Seen

4 min

Youth see that believing without seeing is its own kind of witness, and that there are many witnesses to help them.

  1. SAY“Jesus said one sentence to Thomas that was really about us.”
  2. Read John 20:29 together from the screen.
  3. Ask who “they that have not seen” are. Listen for everyone after Thomas, including us. A volunteer reads John 20:31, about why John wrote.
  4. Mention the latter-day witnesses. In 3 Nephi 11:14–17 a multitude felt the prints one by one. And there’s “The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles.”
  5. Share Elder Jeffrey R. Holland’s words from “Lord, I Believe” in Conference quotes. Then say John 20:29 together with the motions.

Class screen: 🙈 Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed · That’s us

4. Talk it over

Real Talk

5 min

Honest questions help youth think about their own witness without pressure.

  1. SAY“These aren’t quiz questions. There are no wrong answers, just honest ones.”
  2. Show one question at a time. Let the silence sit ten seconds before you rescue anyone. Answer one yourself, briefly and honestly.
  3. If someone shares a doubt, thank them. Thomas is in the scriptures on purpose.
💬 Ask the class
  • Thomas gets called “Doubting Thomas,” but Jesus came back for him. What does that say about how the Savior treats our questions?
  • The Emmaus disciples didn’t realize their hearts were burning until afterward. When have you noticed that kind of feeling, maybe only looking back?
  • Is it harder to believe without seeing today, or was it harder back then?
  • If Jesus Christ really rose, what actually changes about how you live this week?

Class screen: 💬 Real talk: how do we know He lives?

5. Testimony

Testimony & My Witness

3 min

End Easter quietly with a sincere witness that He lives, and invite youth to put their own into words.

  1. SAY“Mary heard her name. Thomas got his answer. Here’s how I came to know He lives.”
  2. Share your testimony briefly. Include any Thomas season.
  3. Hand out cards. Each person privately finishes, “I believe He lives because…” If they’re not there yet, they finish, “I want to know He lives because…”
  4. Invite anyone who wants to share one sentence. Never pressure. Then show the challenge and invite someone to pray.

Class screen: 🕊️ I believe He lives because … · Or: I want to know He lives because …

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: One index card or sticky note per person, and a few pens

  1. SAY“Mary heard her name. Thomas got his answer. Here’s how I came to know He lives.”
  2. Share your testimony briefly. Include any Thomas season.
  3. Invite everyone to silently finish, “I believe He lives because…” or “I want to know He lives because…”
  4. Invite anyone who wants to share one sentence. Never pressure. Then show the challenge and invite someone to pray.
6. Wiggle break

Saw It or Believed It?

2 minBONUS

If the class needs to move, a quick walk-to-the-wall sort reviews the Easter witnesses and lands on John 20:29.

  1. SAY“Everyone up. The window wall is saw the risen Lord. The door wall is believed without seeing. I’ll name someone. You walk to where they belong.”
  2. Call out each name. Mary Magdalene. Thomas. The Emmaus disciples. The Nephites at the temple. A friend who joined the Church last year. You.
  3. Read John 20:29 together. Ask which wall is harder to stand at. Then point out which one Jesus called blessed.
🌪️ Walk, don’t run. If someone’s unsure where “you” belongs, the middle of the room is fine.

Class screen: 🏃 Saw Him, or believed without seeing? · John 20:4

7. Game

Scripture Showdown

5 minBONUS

If you have extra time, a fast team quiz reviews the whole lesson.

  1. SAY“Two teams, one captain each. You get ten seconds to huddle. Then only the captain answers.”
  2. Tap Scripture Showdown and play.
  3. Use the steal rule. If a team misses, the other team can steal by naming the chapter.
▶ Play Scripture Showdown on the web

Class screen: 🏆 Scripture Showdown: Easter edition

Readers’ theater

Witnesses of the Empty Tomb

John 20:1–29; Luke 24:13–35 ↗

Reading parts (volunteers, from their seats)

  • NarratorReads the scene screens and the angels’ words from their seat.
  • Mary MagdaleneFrom their seat, reads John 20:2, 13, 15 and 18; answers “Rabboni” when the teacher says her name.
  • CleopasFrom their seat, reads Luke 24:32 after the Emmaus scene.
  • ThomasFrom their seat, reads John 20:25, then John 20:28: “My Lord and my God.”

Scenes

  1. 🌑🪨 Before dawn, the stone is rolled away

    Early Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to Jesus’s tomb. The huge stone had been moved away from the entrance. She didn’t think resurrection. She thought someone had taken His body.

    🙌 Mary reads John 20:2 from her seat.

  2. 🏃🏃 Peter and John race to the tomb

    Peter and John took off running. John was faster and got there first. He bent down and saw the linen grave clothes lying there. But he didn’t go in. Peter ran right in. The cloth that had been around Jesus’s head was folded up, in a place by itself. Then John went in too. And he saw, and believed.

    🙌 The Narrator reads John 20:4–8. Everyone listens for who believes first.

  3. 😢👼 Mary stays and weeps, and sees angels

    The disciples went home. But Mary stayed outside the tomb, crying. When she looked in, two angels in white were sitting where His body had been. One at the head. One at the feet. They asked her why she was weeping.

    🙌 The Narrator reads the angels’ question. Mary answers with John 20:13.

  4. 🌿❓ She thinks He’s the gardener

    Mary turned around and saw someone standing there. But she didn’t know it was Jesus. He asked why she was crying, and who she was looking for. She thought He must be the gardener. She begged Him to tell her where He had taken the body.

    🙌 The teacher reads Jesus’s question. Mary reads the rest of John 20:15.

  5. 💬❤️ One word: “Mary”

    Then Jesus said one word. Her name. And she knew Him instantly. She cried out, “Rabboni.” It means Master. He sent her to tell His disciples He was ascending to His Father and their Father. To His God and their God.

    🙌 The teacher says “Mary” quietly. Mary answers, “Rabboni,” then reads John 20:18.

  6. 🛤️🔥 Burning hearts on the road to Emmaus

    That afternoon, two disciples walked toward a village called Emmaus. They were sad and confused. A stranger joined them. He explained everything the scriptures said about the Messiah. At dinner, He broke the bread. Suddenly they knew Him. And He was gone. They looked at each other. Hadn’t their hearts been burning the whole time?

    🙌 Cleopas reads Luke 24:32, slowly.

  7. 🚪🤔 Thomas: “Except I shall see …”

    That evening, the risen Lord appeared to the disciples. But Thomas wasn’t there. They told him, “We have seen the Lord.” He said he wouldn’t believe unless he saw the nail prints. Unless he touched the wounds himself. Honest, and stubborn.

    🙌 Thomas reads John 20:25, arms folded if he wants.

  8. 🙌✨ “My Lord and my God”

    Eight days later, the disciples were together behind shut doors. This time, Thomas was with them. Jesus stood among them. He invited Thomas to see His hands and His side, and to believe. Thomas said, “My Lord and my God.” Then Jesus spoke about every person who would come later. Blessed are those who have not seen, and yet have believed.

    🙌 Thomas reads John 20:28. The teacher reads John 20:29 slowly. Then pause.

Key verse

John 20:29 ↗
“Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.”
In plain words: Thomas believed because he saw. Jesus said the people who believe without seeing Him are blessed too. That’s us.
🙌 On “because thou hast seen me,” point to your eyes; on “blessed are they that have not seen,” cover your eyes; on “and yet have believed,” lower your hands to your heart. Say it twice, then once with the screen covered.

More verses

Matthew 28:6 ↗
“He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.”
In plain words: He isn’t here. He is risen, just like He said He would. Come see where He was lying.
Luke 24:32 ↗
“Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?”
In plain words: Weren’t our hearts on fire while He talked with us and explained the scriptures?
John 20:31 ↗
“But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.”
In plain words: These stories were written so you can believe Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and have life through Him.
1 Corinthians 15:55 ↗
“O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?”
In plain words: Death doesn’t get the last word anymore. The grave lost.

Forehead Guess words18 words

  • 😢 Mary Magdalene
  • 🪨 Empty Tomb
  • ⚪ Stone
  • 🧺 Linen Clothes
  • 🧻 Napkin
  • 👼 Angels
  • 🌿 Gardener
  • 💬 Rabboni
  • 🎣 Peter
  • 🏃 John
  • 🛤️ Emmaus
  • 🍞 Breaking of Bread
  • 🔥 Burning Heart
  • 🤔 Thomas
  • 🫒 Gethsemane
  • 🍷 Last Supper
  • 🌴 Hosanna
  • ✨ Spirit World
Clues for each word
  • Mary Magdalene: First to see the risen Lord in John 20
  • Empty Tomb: “He is not here: for he is risen”
  • Stone: Rolled away from the tomb’s door
  • Linen Clothes: Grave clothes left lying in the tomb
  • Napkin: Folded up in a place by itself
  • Angels: Two in white asked Mary why she wept
  • Gardener: Who Mary thought Jesus was at first
  • Rabboni: Means Master; what Mary cried out
  • Peter: Lost the race but ran straight into the tomb
  • John: Outran Peter to the tomb
  • Emmaus: Village two disciples were walking to
  • Breaking of Bread: When the Emmaus disciples finally knew Him
  • Burning Heart: What the Emmaus disciples felt on the road
  • Thomas: Wanted to see the nail prints first
  • Gethsemane: Garden where He prayed, “Not as I will”
  • Last Supper: Where He gave the sacrament to the Twelve
  • Hosanna: What the crowd shouted on Palm Sunday
  • Spirit World: Where He preached while His body lay in the tomb
▶ Play Forehead GuessFull screen, 60-second timer, works on any phone.

Scripture Showdown10 questions

  1. Who came to the tomb first, while it was still dark?
    • A. Peter
    • B. Mary Magdalene
    • C. Thomas
    Show answer

    ✅ B. Mary Magdalene John 20:1. She found the stone already rolled away.

  2. Who won the race to the tomb?
    • A. John
    • B. Peter
    • C. Mary
    Show answer

    ✅ A. John John 20:4. But Peter went in first.

  3. What was folded in a place by itself in the tomb?
    • A. His robe
    • B. His sandals
    • C. The napkin from His head
    Show answer

    ✅ C. The napkin from His head John 20:7. The tomb wasn’t robbed; it was left in order.

  4. Who did Mary think Jesus was at first?
    • A. An angel
    • B. The gardener
    • C. A Roman soldier
    Show answer

    ✅ B. The gardener John 20:15. She knew Him when He said her name.

  5. What does “Rabboni” mean?
    • A. Master
    • B. Friend
    • C. Brother
    Show answer

    ✅ A. Master John 20:16. One word from Him, one word from her.

  6. What did the angel say in Matthew 28:6?
    • A. Go home and wait
    • B. He is not here: for he is risen
    • C. Tell no one
    Show answer

    ✅ B. He is not here: for he is risen “As he said.” He had told them it would happen.

  7. When did the Emmaus disciples recognize Jesus?
    • A. When He said their names
    • B. When He showed His hands
    • C. When He broke bread
    Show answer

    ✅ C. When He broke bread Luke 24:30–31. Then they realized their hearts had burned the whole way.

  8. How long after the first appearance did Jesus come back for Thomas?
    • A. Eight days
    • B. One day
    • C. Forty days
    Show answer

    ✅ A. Eight days John 20:26. The Savior came back for the one who had missed it.

  9. What did Thomas say when he saw the risen Lord?
    • A. I knew it
    • B. My Lord and my God
    • C. Forgive me
    Show answer

    ✅ B. My Lord and my God John 20:28. One of the clearest testimonies in the New Testament.

  10. Who did Jesus call blessed in John 20:29?
    • A. Those who saw first
    • B. The Twelve only
    • C. Those who have not seen, and yet believe
    Show answer

    ✅ C. Those who have not seen, and yet believe That includes everyone in this room.

▶ Play Scripture ShowdownTeams take turns on one screen.

From general conference

“When those moments come and issues surface, the resolution of which is not immediately forthcoming, hold fast to what you already know and stand strong until additional knowledge comes.”

— Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, ““Lord, I Believe”,” April 2013

Share in Blessed Are They That Have Not Seen, right before saying John 20:29 together.

Read the talk ↗

Songs

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

    The Easter hymn: a witness that He lives, sung together. Find it ↗

  • Did Jesus Really Live Again? Children’s Songbook, p. 64

    It’s Thomas’s question, and it’s okay to ask it. A simple song older youth can sing for a younger sibling this week. Find it ↗

  • I Need Thee Every Hour Hymns, no. 98

    For remembering Gethsemane, where He prayed for strength to finish what He came to do. Find it ↗

This week’s challenge

Witness Week

Read one witness a day this week. Mary is John 20:1–18. The Emmaus disciples are Luke 24:13–35. Thomas is John 20:24–29. The Nephites are 3 Nephi 11:1–17. Then read “The Living Christ.” Each night, finish the sentence “I believe He lives because…” in your notes. By next Sunday, share one sentence with someone who might need it.

Text the parents

Happy Easter! Today four youth read the first Easter morning aloud from John 20. Mary came to the tomb. Peter and John raced there. The disciples walked to Emmaus. And Thomas wanted to see for himself. Our key verse was John 20:29: “blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.” Ask your teen which Easter witness they’re most like right now. And how have they come to know that He lives?

📝 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?

🏛️ The Nephite Witnesses · 5 min

  1. Read 3 Nephi 11:8–17. The risen Savior invites the whole multitude to come forward one by one.
  2. Ask: “Why do you think He had them come one at a time instead of all at once?”
  3. Ask: “How is the Book of Mormon itself a second witness of the Resurrection?”

✨ What Did He Do on Saturday? · 5 min

  1. Read 1 Peter 3:18–19 and Doctrine and Covenants 138:18–19 and 29–30.
  2. Sum it up. While His body lay in the tomb, the Savior visited the righteous spirits. He organized them to take the gospel to everyone in the spirit world.
  3. Ask: “What does this tell you about how far He’ll go to reach every one of Heavenly Father’s children?”

🗓️ Holy Week in Seven Days · 4 min

  1. Show the day-by-day plan. Sunday is Matthew 21:1–11. Monday is 21:12–16. Wednesday is 25:31–46. Thursday is Matthew 26. Friday is Matthew 27. Saturday is 1 Peter 3:18–19. Sunday is Matthew 28:1–10.
  2. Invite each youth to pick one reading to do tonight or next Easter week.
  3. Ask: “Which day of that week do you think about the least? Why might it matter?”

🗓️ Holy Week Card Line-Up · 5 min

  1. Write eight events on index cards. Triumphal entry. Cleansing the temple. “Ye have done it unto me.” The Last Supper. Gethsemane. The Crucifixion. Preaching in the spirit world. The Resurrection.
  2. Shuffle the cards and hand them to eight volunteers. The class directs them into order along the wall.
  3. Each volunteer reads their event, and the class fixes any mistakes. Then two volunteers each say why one event matters to them.
  4. Point out that on Saturday He was still working, in the spirit world. On Sunday He rose.

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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