Gospel Sparks Get the app

A Nail in a Sure Place

Pairs search Isaiah and find three men: one says “I will” and falls, one builds himself a monument, and one becomes the nail everything hangs on

  • 🔥 Youth 14–15
  • Week 39
  • 📅 Sunday, September 27, 2026
🤔 Forehead Guess🏆 Showdown
💡 The big idea

Pride builds everything on me and eventually falls; trust hangs my life on Jesus Christ, the nail in a sure place, and He keeps a mind that is stayed on Him in perfect peace.

I can hang my worries, my worth and my choices on Jesus Christ instead of on things that can’t hold the weight.

Study it yourself firstRead Isaiah 13–14; 22; 24–30; 35 in Gospel LibraryCome, Follow Me manualOpen this week (Isaiah 13–14; 22; 24–30; 35)
Know the chapters

Isaiah 13–23 is a string of warnings to the proud nations around Israel. In chapter 14 Isaiah mocks the king of Babylon. His words reach past that king to Lucifer, the “son of the morning.” Lucifer said in his heart “I will” five times in two verses. I will ascend, exalt my throne, sit on the mount, rise above the clouds, and “be like the most High.” That’s 14:12–14. The next verse is the whole story of pride: “Yet thou shalt be brought down,” in 14:15. Moses 4:1–2 gives the premortal side. Satan wanted God’s honor for himself. The Beloved Son said, in effect, Thy will be done and the glory be Thine. The same Son would pray in Gethsemane, “not my will, but thine, be done,” in Luke 22:42.

Isaiah 22:15–25 is a small, vivid story most youth have never heard. Shebna is the royal treasurer, “over the house.” He’s busy carving himself a grand tomb high in the rock so everyone will remember how important he was, in 22:16. The Lord says He will “toss thee like a ball into a large country,” in 22:18. He’ll give Shebna’s robe, sash and authority to a humble servant named Eliakim, who will be “a father” to the people, in 22:21. The Lord lays “the key of the house of David” on Eliakim’s shoulder. He fastens him “as a nail in a sure place,” in 22:22–23. Picture a peg driven into solid stone that a whole household can hang its cups and jars on, in 22:24. Revelation 3:7 gives that same key of David to Jesus Christ. The Come, Follow Me manual lists 22:22–23 among Isaiah’s pointers to the Savior. Verse 25 is hard to read, and interpreters differ. Keep the class on verses 22–24 and the Savior.

Fourteen- to sixteen-year-olds hang a lot on things that can’t hold the weight. A friend group, a streak, a grade, a relationship, a ranking. Or a picture of themselves they have to keep up, which is Shebna’s monument with a camera. None of those are bad. They’re cups, not the nail. Isaiah 26:3 is the promise for an anxious generation: “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee.” “Stayed” means propped up, leaning on, fixed. The promise isn’t a life without pressure. It’s peace while leaning on Someone who holds.

The rest of the block is worth a line or two if a youth asks. The Lord teaches “line upon line,” in 28:10. That’s how testimonies actually grow. Isaiah saw a sealed book that a learned man couldn’t read, in 29:11–12. It was fulfilled when Professor Charles Anthon told Martin Harris, “I cannot read a sealed book,” in Joseph Smith—History 1:63–65. Nephi explains the whole chapter in 2 Nephi 27. The angel Moroni first visited Joseph Smith on the night of September 21, 1823, when Joseph was seventeen. That’s Joseph Smith—History 1:27–29, and the anniversary falls this very week. Isaiah also promises the Lord will “swallow up death in victory,” in 25:8. And He’ll make the desert “blossom as the rose,” in 35:1.

Only have 5 minutes?

Read Isaiah 22:15–24 and 26:3. Try to hang your jacket on a sticky note, then on a doorknob. Send pairs to search the five passages in Teach Mode. Have a youth lead Isaiah 26:3, and let the discussion questions do the rest. End with one sentence of testimony that the Savior has held when other things didn’t. Brought nothing? Tap “I brought nothing.” Every step has a no-supplies version.

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. Test the sticky note at home. It should hold your jacket for about half a second. Before class, stick it on the wall at shoulder height.
  2. Text one youth on Saturday: “Will you lead a 4-minute part of class on Isaiah 26:3? Come ready to ask what people our age can’t stop thinking about at night.”
  3. Think of a time you hung too much on something that couldn’t hold it, like a plan, a person or an achievement. Remember how the Savior held when it fell. You’ll share it in about a minute.

If your class is wild

  • Let them laugh at Shebna when Group 2 reports. Once they’ve laughed at his monument, they’ll recognize their own highlight reel without you pointing at it.
  • Mix confident and quieter readers in each group. The reporter should be someone other than the one who found the verse.
  • Isaiah 22:25 is hard to read, and interpreters differ. Keep the class on verses 22–24 and the Savior.
  • The perfect-peace cards are private. Some youth carry real anxiety. If someone opens up, thank them and don’t fix it in front of everyone. Follow up with them or their parents after class.
  • If the room goes quiet, have them tell the person next to them first. Then ask pairs to report.

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

Would You Hang It Here?

3 min

A jacket falling off a sticky note makes the lesson’s question physical: what are you hanging your life on?

  1. SAY“Quick poll. I’m going to hang this jacket on that sticky note. Thumbs up if it holds. Thumbs down if it won’t.”
  2. Try it and let it fall. Then hang it on the doorknob or a real hook.
  3. SAY“Same jacket, different place. The only difference is what it’s hanging on.”
  4. Ask: “What do people our age hang their whole day on?” Take quick answers, like a text back, a grade, a game or a friend group.
  5. SAY“Isaiah tells about a man God fastens ‘as a nail in a sure place.’ Let’s go find him.”
🌪️ Let a volunteer try the sticky note too. The second fall gets a bigger laugh than the first.

Class screen: 🧥📝 Would you hang your jacket on a sticky note? · “a nail in a sure place” – Isaiah 22:23

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: A jacket, hoodie or backpack with a couple of books in it, plus one sticky note

Would You Hang It Here? (Thumbs Edition)

  1. SAY“Quick poll. I’m going to hang a backpack full of textbooks on each of these. Thumbs up if it holds. Thumbs down if it won’t.”
  2. Go rapid fire. A sticky note. A spider web. A wet paper towel. A doorknob. A steel hook in a wall stud. Tap the crash sound for every thumbs-down.
  3. SAY“Same backpack every time. The only difference is what it’s hanging on.”
  4. Ask: “What do people our age hang their whole day on?”
  5. SAY“Isaiah tells about a man God fastens ‘as a nail in a sure place.’ Let’s go find him.”

Class screen: 🎒 Would it hold a backpack full of textbooks? · Sticky note · spider web · wet paper towel · doorknob · steel hook

2. Story

Search: The Monument and the Nail

8 min

Pairs dig into Isaiah themselves and piece together the contrast: pride builds a monument to itself and falls, while the sure nail points to Jesus Christ.

  1. SAY“Isaiah’s chapters this week hide a great story. And you’re going to find it.”
  2. Give each pair or group one scene from Teach Mode. In a small class, use groups 1 to 4.
  3. SAY“Read your verses. Answer your question. Then agree on one insight you can say in one sentence.”
  4. Start the timer for three minutes. Groups report in order and read their best verse aloud. Show their scene on the screen.
  5. Ask: “Shebna and Eliakim had the same robe and key. So what was the real difference?” Listen for a monument to himself versus something others could lean on.
🌪️ If a group finishes early, have them count every “I will” in Isaiah 14:13–14. They can read them fast at the end.
⏱️ Big Timer (a class game in the Gospel Sparks app)

Class screen: 🔍 Five passages. One insight each. Find the nail. · Isaiah 14 · 22 · 29 · Revelation 3:7 · Luke 22:42

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: Scriptures or the Gospel Library app (phones are fine; one per pair)

  1. SAY“Isaiah’s chapters this week hide a great story. Each group gets one question. Listen for your answer.”
  2. Assign scenes 1 to 5. Read each passage aloud in order. The assigned group listens for its answer.
  3. After each passage, that group shares one insight in about thirty seconds.
  4. Ask: “Shebna and Eliakim had the same robe and the same key. So what was the real difference?”
3. Scripture

Youth-Led: Perfect Peace

4 min

A youth teaches the key verse and connects “perfect peace” to the real things that keep people their age up at night.

  1. SAY“Here’s what hanging on the sure nail feels like from the inside.”
  2. The youth you texted reads Isaiah 26:3–4 and teaches the motions once.
  3. The youth asks: “‘Stayed’ means propped up, or leaning on. What’s a teenager’s mind stayed on at eleven thirty on a school night?” Don’t comment on answers.
  4. The youth asks: “The promise isn’t ‘no problems.’ It’s peace, ‘because he trusteth in thee.’ What’s the difference?”
  5. Hand out cards. Each youth privately writes a worry on one side. On the other, they write Isaiah 26:3 and one way to turn to the Savior. Nobody shares.
🌪️ If the youth teacher freezes, step in as a co-teacher, not a rescuer. Say, “Great question. Let me add one…” Then hand it back.

Class screen: 🕊️ “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee” · Isaiah 26:3 · What is your mind stayed on at 11:30 p.m.?

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: Index cards or scrap paper and a pen for each youth

Youth-Led: Perfect Peace (Phone Note Edition)

  1. SAY“Here’s what hanging on the sure nail feels like from the inside.”
  2. The youth you texted reads Isaiah 26:3–4 and teaches the motions once.
  3. The youth asks: “What’s a teenager’s mind stayed on at eleven thirty on a school night?” Let answers come without comment.
  4. The youth asks: “The promise isn’t ‘no problems.’ It’s peace, ‘because he trusteth in thee.’ What’s the difference?”
  5. Each youth privately types a worry in a phone note, deletes it and types Isaiah 26:3. No phone? Picture it and say the verse silently.

Class screen: 🕊️ Type the worry. Delete it. Type Isaiah 26:3. · Isaiah 26:3

4. Talk it over

Real Talk: What Are You Hanging On?

5 min

Honest questions connect Shebna, the sure nail, line upon line and the marvelous work to the lives youth are actually living.

  1. SAY“Real talk. Answer for yourself, not for anyone else.”
  2. A youth reads the questions from the screen and chooses who answers.
  3. Share one honest answer of your own early. Your honesty sets the depth for everyone.
  4. Let the silence sit five seconds before you rescue a question.
💬 Ask the class
  • Shebna carved a monument so people would remember how important he was. What does a “monument to me” look like today?
  • Isaiah 28:10 says the Lord teaches “line upon line… here a little, and there a little.” Why do you think He doesn’t hand us a whole testimony at once?
  • Isaiah 29:13 describes people who honor God with their lips, but their hearts are far away. How can you tell when your religion has turned into just words?
  • Moroni first visited Joseph Smith this very week, back in eighteen twenty-three. Joseph was seventeen. Isaiah said the sealed book would go to someone “not learned.” What does that tell you about who God uses for His marvelous work?
  • Knowing about Jesus Christ is one thing. Leaning on Him is another. When has leaning on Him really held, for you or someone you know?

Class screen: 💬 Real talk: what are you hanging on?

5. Testimony

The Nail That Holds

3 min

A short, real testimony from the teacher shows what it looks like to hang your life on the Savior.

  1. SAY“Let me tell you about a time I hung too much on something that couldn’t hold it.”
  2. Share your story briefly, and how the Savior held when it fell.
  3. SAY“Lucifer said ‘I will,’ and he fell. The Savior said, ‘not my will, but thine.’ And He has never pulled out of the wall.”
  4. Add one sentence of testimony. Show the Check Your Nail challenge and invite a youth to pray.

Class screen: 🔩 Hang it all on Him. He holds. · Isaiah 22:23 · Isaiah 26:3

6. Wiggle break

Nail or Sticky Note?

3 minBONUS

Standing and sagging makes youth sort the good things in their lives into cups and the one thing that can be the nail.

  1. SAY“Everybody up. If it can hold the weight of your whole life, stand solid like a nail. If it’s good but would pull loose, sag like a sticky note.”
  2. Read fast. Your streak. Your team winning. Your best friend. Your GPA. Your parents’ love. Your follower count. Your future plans. Jesus Christ.
  3. Stop on one where the room split. Ask one person from each side why.
  4. SAY“Most of those are good things. They’re cups. Go ahead and hang them somewhere. But only one thing on that list is the nail.”

Class screen: 🔩📝 Can it hold your whole life? Nail = stand. Sticky note = sag. · Good things are cups. · Only one thing is the nail.

7. Game

Scripture Showdown

4 minBONUS

A quick team quiz reviews the scene and the rest of the week’s chapters.

  1. SAY“Two teams. You get ten seconds to decide, then point.”
  2. Tap Scripture Showdown. A team gets a bonus point for finding the verse in under twenty seconds.
▶ Play Scripture Showdown on the web

Class screen: 🏆 Scripture Showdown: Isaiah 13–35

Scripture search in pairs

Search: The Monument and the Nail

Isaiah 14:12–15; 22:15–24; 29:11–14; Revelation 3:7; Luke 22:42 ↗

Scenes

  1. 🌟 Group 1: Five “I will”s and a fall

    Isaiah 14:12–15. Isaiah mocks the proud king of Babylon. But his words reach past that king, all the way to Lucifer, the “son of the morning.” Lucifer says “I will.” Then again. And again. Then comes verse 15.

    🙌 Count the “I will”s. What happens in verse 15? Report one insight about pride.

  2. 🗿 Group 2: Shebna carves himself a monument

    Isaiah 22:15–19. Shebna is the royal treasurer. He’s carving himself a grand tomb, high in the rock, so everyone will remember him. Isaiah asks, “What hast thou here?” And the Lord will toss him like a ball.

    🙌 Look for this: what was Shebna really building, and for whom? Report one insight.

  3. 🔩 Group 3: Eliakim, a nail in a sure place

    Isaiah 22:20–24. Now comes a servant named Eliakim. He gets Shebna’s robe. He gets the key of the house of David. The Lord fastens him “as a nail in a sure place.” And a whole household hangs everything on him.

    🙌 Look for this: what makes Eliakim different from Shebna? Report one insight.

  4. 🗝️ Group 4: Who really holds the key?

    Revelation 3:7 and Luke 22:42. Jesus Christ calls Himself “he that hath the key of David.” Then, in Gethsemane, He prays, “not my will, but thine, be done.”

    🙌 Look for this: how does Eliakim point to Jesus? Compare Luke 22:42 with Isaiah 14:13–14. Report one insight.

  5. 📖 Group 5: A sealed book, a marvelous work

    Isaiah 29:11–14 and Joseph Smith—History 1:63–65. Isaiah sees a sealed book. A learned man can’t read it. So it’s given to one who is “not learned.” Centuries later, a professor says, “I cannot read a sealed book.”

    🙌 Look for this: what kind of person does God use for His marvelous work? Report one insight.

Key verse

Isaiah 26:3 ↗
“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.”
In plain words: When your mind leans on the Lord instead of spinning on everything else, He will keep you in a peace nothing else can give, because you trust Him.
🙌 “Thou wilt keep him” = both hands cupped, holding something safe · “in perfect peace” = hands slowly flatten out, calm, like smoothing water · “whose mind is stayed on thee” = two fingers to your temple, then point up · “because he trusteth in thee” = lean your weight onto one foot, like leaning on a wall that holds.

More verses

Isaiah 22:23 ↗
“And I will fasten him as a nail in a sure place; and he shall be for a glorious throne to his father’s house.”
In plain words: The Lord fastens His servant like a peg in solid rock, so everything can hang on him. It points to Jesus Christ, who never pulls loose.
Isaiah 14:13–14 ↗
“I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God… I will be like the most High.”
In plain words: Pride’s whole vocabulary is “I will.” It always ends with a fall (14:15).
Isaiah 28:10 ↗
“precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little”
In plain words: God doesn’t dump a whole testimony on you at once. He builds it a line at a time, a little here and a little there.
Isaiah 29:14 ↗
“I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder”
In plain words: The Lord promised something amazing: the Book of Mormon and the restored gospel, the “marvelous work” we get to be part of.

Forehead Guess words17 words

  • 🌟 Lucifer
  • 🦚 Pride
  • 🏰 Babylon
  • 🤴 Shebna
  • 🗿 Monument
  • ⚾ Ball
  • 🧑‍⚖️ Eliakim
  • 🔩 Nail
  • 🗝️ Key of David
  • 🕊️ Perfect peace
  • 📏 Line upon line
  • 🔒 Sealed book
  • ✨ Marvelous work
  • 👦 Joseph Smith
  • 📘 Book of Mormon
  • ⛈️ Refuge
  • 🌹 Rose
Clues for each word
  • Lucifer: Son of the morning who said “I will” five times
  • Pride: Wanting your throne above everyone else’s
  • Babylon: Proud empire that became a symbol of the world
  • Shebna: Treasurer who carved himself a fancy tomb
  • Monument: Something you build so people remember you
  • Ball: Shebna got tossed like one (22:18)
  • Eliakim: The servant fastened as a nail in a sure place
  • Nail: A peg in solid stone that holds everything
  • Key of David: Laid on Eliakim’s shoulder; Jesus holds it
  • Perfect peace: For the mind that is stayed on the Lord
  • Line upon line: How God teaches: here a little, there a little
  • Sealed book: “I cannot; for it is sealed”
  • Marvelous work: “…and a wonder” (Isaiah 29:14)
  • Joseph Smith: Not learned, but translated by God’s power
  • Book of Mormon: A voice whispering out of the dust
  • Refuge: A shelter from the storm (25:4)
  • Rose: What the desert will blossom like (35:1)
▶ Play Forehead GuessFull screen, 60-second timer, works on any phone.

Scripture Showdown9 questions

  1. How many times does Lucifer say “I will” in Isaiah 14:13–14?
    • A. Two
    • B. Five
    • C. Ten
    Show answer

    ✅ B. Five Ascend, exalt, sit, ascend, be like the Most High. Then verse 15: brought down.

  2. What was Shebna busy building for himself?
    • A. A tomb carved high in the rock
    • B. A tower to heaven
    • C. A new palace gate
    Show answer

    ✅ A. A tomb carved high in the rock Isaiah 22:16. A monument so everyone would remember how important he was.

  3. The Lord said Shebna would be tossed like a…
    • A. feather
    • B. ball
    • C. stone
    Show answer

    ✅ B. ball Isaiah 22:18: “toss thee like a ball into a large country.”

  4. What did the Lord lay on Eliakim’s shoulder?
    • A. A heavy yoke
    • B. A lamb
    • C. The key of the house of David
    Show answer

    ✅ C. The key of the house of David Isaiah 22:22. Revelation 3:7 says Jesus Christ holds the key of David.

  5. Isaiah 22:23: the Lord will fasten him as a nail in a…
    • A. sure place
    • B. tent
    • C. treasure chest
    Show answer

    ✅ A. sure place A peg in solid stone that a whole household can hang everything on.

  6. Isaiah 26:3: perfect peace comes to the person whose mind is…
    • A. always busy
    • B. stayed on the Lord
    • C. completely empty
    Show answer

    ✅ B. stayed on the Lord “Stayed” means leaning on, propped up by. Peace comes “because he trusteth in thee.”

  7. How does Isaiah 28:10 say the Lord teaches?
    • A. All at once
    • B. Only to the learned
    • C. Line upon line
    Show answer

    ✅ C. Line upon line Here a little, and there a little. That’s how testimonies grow.

  8. In Isaiah 29, what does the learned man say about the sealed book?
    • A. “I cannot; for it is sealed”
    • B. “I will translate it”
    • C. “Give it to the king”
    Show answer

    ✅ A. “I cannot; for it is sealed” Professor Charles Anthon said almost the same thing to Martin Harris (Joseph Smith—History 1:65).

  9. Isaiah 35:1 says the desert will blossom as the…
    • A. lily
    • B. rose
    • C. olive tree
    Show answer

    ✅ B. rose The Lord can restore what is dry, lost or broken.

▶ Play Scripture ShowdownTeams take turns on one screen.

Songs

  • How Firm a Foundation Hymns, no. 85

    A hymn about something that holds when everything else shakes. Sing it after Nail or Sticky Note. Find it ↗

  • The Spirit of God Hymns, no. 2

    A Restoration hymn for Isaiah 29’s marvelous work and a wonder. Find it ↗

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

    Isaiah 25:8 promises He will swallow up death in victory. This hymn is the testimony that He did. Find it ↗

This week’s challenge

Check Your Nail

Each night this week, before you pick up your phone in bed, read Isaiah 26:3. Ask yourself, “What was my mind stayed on today?” Pick one worry, decision or person to hang on the Savior tomorrow. Bonus: read Isaiah 29:11–14 next to Joseph Smith—History 1:63–65. See how close the professor’s words are to Isaiah’s.

Text the parents

This week the youth searched Isaiah 22. Shebna built himself a monument and got “tossed like a ball.” Eliakim became “a nail in a sure place” that a whole family could hang everything on, pointing to Jesus Christ. We talked about what teens hang their mood and worth on. We read Isaiah 26:3: “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee.” Ask your teen what the class said people their age hang their whole day on.

📝 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 Sealed Book Case File · 6 min

  1. Split the room in half. One half reads Isaiah 29:11–12. The other reads Joseph Smith—History 1:63–65.
  2. Each side reports what happened. Ask how close the professor’s words are to Isaiah’s, written about 2,500 years earlier.
  3. Read Isaiah 29:14. Ask why “marvellous” and “wonder” fit the Book of Mormon coming forth. Then ask what part of that marvelous work they’re in.
  4. Mention that Nephi explains the whole chapter in 2 Nephi 27, for anyone who wants more.

⛈️ Refuge from the Storm · 4 min

  1. Read Isaiah 25:4 and 25:8 together.
  2. Ask: “Isaiah says the Lord is a refuge from the storm. He doesn’t promise storms won’t come. Which do you actually need right now?”
  3. Invite anyone who’s lost someone to share what “He will swallow up death in victory” means to them. Only if they want to. Share first if you have an experience.

🌹 Make the Desert Bloom · 4 min

  1. Read Isaiah 35:1–2 and 35:10.
  2. Ask: “What feels like a desert for teenagers right now? At school, online, with friends, at home?”
  3. Each person picks one desert they could help bloom this week for someone else. A text, an invite, sitting by someone new. Read 35:10 as the promise that sorrow and sighing will flee away.

⚖️ I Will or Thy Will? · 4 min

  1. Make two teams. Read a situation, like “Your friends are roasting someone in a group chat and waiting for you to add something.”
  2. A player from each team gets ten seconds. They say what pride would do, “I will…”, and what trusting the Lord looks like, “Thy will…” Cheesy answers score zero.
  3. Ask what every “I will” answer had in common. It protected my image, my monument. That’s Shebna.

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 14–15 lessons