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Return unto Me

A plate of leftovers next to a fresh cookie, God’s side of an argument, real talk about tithing, and Elijah’s promise from Malachi to your next temple trip

  • 🔥 Youth 14–15
  • Week 51
  • 📅 Sunday, December 20, 2026
🤔 Forehead Guess🏆 Showdown
💡 The big idea

The Lord has always loved me and keeps inviting me back: He wants my best, not my leftovers, He opens the windows of heaven when I pay tithing, and He sent Elijah so my heart can turn to my family through the temple.

I can give the Lord my best, pay an honest tithe, and turn my heart to my family through temple and family history work.

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

Malachi is the last book of the Old Testament. It was written about four hundred years before Jesus was born. The temple Haggai and Zechariah helped rebuild was standing again, but hearts had drifted. The book reads like an argument. The Lord says something, and the people push back with “Wherein?” That means “How? Prove it.” They do it again and again, in Malachi 1:2, 6–7, 2:17, 3:7–8 and 3:13. Teenagers will recognize the tone. And the Lord’s very first words aren’t a scolding: “I have loved you, saith the LORD,” in 1:2. His repeated invitation is “Return unto me, and I will return unto you,” in 3:7.

The priests were offering blind, lame and sick animals, the leftovers nobody wanted, in 1:7–8. The Lord asked if they’d dare give that to their governor. For youth, the leftovers question is easy to translate. The last half-awake minute of the day for prayer. Scriptures skimmed while scrolling. Sacrament meeting spent texting. The Lord wants their best because He wants their hearts, not because He needs their stuff.

Malachi 3:8–12 is the Old Testament’s great tithing passage. The Lord asks, “Will a man rob God?” He invites us to “prove me now herewith” and see if He won’t “open you the windows of heaven.” Today tithing is one-tenth of our increase, in Doctrine and Covenants 119:4. Many of your youth now earn money from babysitting, mowing or first jobs, so this is practical. They can fill out a donation slip and hand it to a bishopric member. Or they can pay online, with a parent’s help if needed. Tithing funds temples, meetinghouses and the Church’s work worldwide. The promised blessings are real but often spiritual and quiet. Peace, gratitude, stronger faith and help when it’s needed. It’s not a guarantee of money. Keep it honest and joyful, never guilt-driven.

Malachi ends with a promise: “I will send you Elijah the prophet.” He’ll turn the hearts of the fathers and the children to each other, in 4:5–6. The angel Moroni quoted it to Joseph Smith in 1823 with different wording. Elijah would reveal the priesthood. The promises made to the fathers would be planted in the children’s hearts. That’s Joseph Smith—History 1:38–39. On April 3, 1836, the Savior appeared in the Kirtland Temple to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery. It was Easter Sunday, one week after the dedication. Moses, Elias and Elijah followed, and Elijah gave them the sealing keys. That’s Doctrine and Covenants 110. It was also Passover season, when many Jewish families traditionally watch for Elijah. Because of those keys, your youth can do baptisms for their own ancestors. Be sensitive. Some families aren’t sealed. Some are blended or adopted, and some are going through hard things. Every youth belongs to Heavenly Father’s family and can help gather it.

Only have 5 minutes?

Read Malachi 1:6–8, 3:7–10 and 4:5–6, then Doctrine and Covenants 110:13–16. Teach the word “Wherein?” Show the leftovers plate next to a good treat, or just imagine them. Read the verses on each scene. Say Malachi 4:5–6 together and tell about Elijah in 1836. Work through Tithing Real Talk with the Name Spinner. Close with one family name. Brought nothing? Tap “I brought nothing.” Every step still works.

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. Set up the leftovers plate and hide the good treat until scene 2.
  2. Grab a donation slip. Read Malachi 3 and Doctrine and Covenants 110.
  3. Think of one ancestor, temple experience or time tithing blessed you. Keep it to a minute.

If your class is wild

  • The “Wherein?” pushback is the fun of this lesson. Let them overdo the sarcasm. Then point out that God kept answering anyway.
  • Tithing can get awkward. Don’t ask anyone whether they pay. Talk about how, why and what it’s like. Share your own experience.
  • Family situations vary a lot. Some families aren’t sealed. Some are blended or adopted. Every youth belongs to Heavenly Father’s family and can help gather it.
  • Let the class decide who gets the good treat. It turns the demonstration into a small act of kindness.
  • If a youth asks a hard question you can’t answer, say so. Write it down and follow up next week.

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

Wherein?

2 min

A sarcastic warm-up teaches the one word that runs through the whole book of Malachi.

  1. SAY“Today’s word is wherein. It means, how? Prove it. Every time I say something, cross your arms and say, ‘Wherein?’”
  2. Try it. You say, “This class is awesome.” They say, “Wherein?” Then “You look great today.” “Wherein?” “I love you guys.” “Wherein?”
  3. SAY“The last book of the Old Testament goes like this. God says good things. People say, ‘Wherein?’ Let me show you what was going on.”

Class screen: 🙄 Today’s word: “Wherein?” (How? Prove it.) · Malachi

2. Story

Demonstration: Leftovers or Best?

7 min

Two plates make Malachi’s point before anyone reads a verse: the Lord wants our best because He wants our hearts.

  1. SAY“I brought refreshments.”
  2. Uncover the leftovers plate and follow the scenes on the screen.
  3. At scene 2, reveal the good treat. Let a youth decide who gets it. It’s a nice moment for kindness.
  4. At scenes 3 to 6, read each verse and ask its question. Take two quick answers each.
  5. SAY“The Lord doesn’t need our stuff. He wants our hearts. And what we give Him first shows where our hearts are.”
🌪️ Check allergies and your ward’s snack policy before anyone eats the good treat. Nobody eats the leftovers.

Class screen: 🍽️ Leftovers or best? · Malachi 1:8

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: A plate of “leftovers” (a broken cracker, a bruised banana, a crumpled napkin) and one really nice treat, like a fresh cookie (check allergies and your ward’s policy first)

Demonstration: The Imaginary Plate

  1. SAY“I brought refreshments.”
  2. Hold out an empty hand like a plate. “A cracker someone sat on. Half a bruised banana. A used napkin. Enjoy.”
  3. Hold out the other hand. “Or a warm cookie, fresh from the oven.” Ask which they’d give as a gift.
  4. Follow scenes 3 to 6 on the screen. Read each verse and ask its question.
  5. SAY“The Lord doesn’t need our stuff. He wants our hearts. And what we give Him first shows where our hearts are.”

Class screen: 🤲 Leftovers or best? (Imagine the plates.)

3. Scripture

Elijah’s Promise

5 min

The Old Testament’s last promise, and how it was kept in 1836, shows why youth can do temple work for their own families.

  1. SAY“The Old Testament ends with a promise.”
  2. Show Malachi 4:5–6 and say it together with the motions.
  3. SAY“In eighteen twenty-three, the angel Moroni quoted this to Joseph Smith, in different words. Who’ll read Joseph Smith—History 1:39 for us?”
  4. Read Doctrine and Covenants 110:13–16. Explain that Elijah came to the Kirtland Temple on April 3, 1836. He gave Joseph and Oliver the keys to seal families forever.
  5. Ask what baptisms for the dead were like for anyone who’s done them. Let one or two share briefly.

Class screen: 🔑 “I will send you Elijah the prophet” · Malachi 4:5–6

4. Talk it over

Tithing Real Talk

7 min

Real tithing dilemmas, answered with doctrine and honesty, help youth see tithing as giving their best, not a fee.

  1. SAY“Real questions, real answers. I’m not asking whether anyone pays. We’re talking about how, why and what it’s like.”
  2. Pass around the donation slip. Tap the Name Spinner for the first answer to each question. Then open it up.
  3. Add as needed. Tithing is a tenth of our increase, from Doctrine and Covenants 119:4. It builds temples and meetinghouses. Heaven’s windows often open with peace, faith and help.
  4. Briefly share how paying tithing has blessed you.
💬 Ask the class
  • You earned eighty dollars babysitting. Walk us through paying tithing on it.
  • Concert tickets cost exactly what you have, including your tithing. What do you do?
  • A friend says, “Tithing is just the Church wanting your money.” How do you answer kindly?
  • You paid tithing all year, and money is still tight at home. Does that mean it didn’t work?
  • “Return unto me, and I will return unto you.” What does coming back to God look like on a normal Tuesday?
🎡 Name Spinner (a class game in the Gospel Sparks app)

Class screen: 🪟 Tithing: real questions, real answers · Malachi 3:10

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: A tithing and other offerings donation slip (ask a bishopric member or clerk for one)

  1. SAY“Real questions, real answers. I’m not asking whether anyone pays. We’re talking about how, why and what it’s like.”
  2. Explain how to pay. Fill out a donation slip from the rack and hand it to a bishopric member. Or pay online with a parent’s help.
  3. Tap the Name Spinner for the first answer to each question. Add doctrine as needed. Tithing is one-tenth of our increase, in Doctrine and Covenants 119:4.
  4. Briefly share how paying tithing has blessed you.
5. Testimony

One Name

3 min

A quiet testimony and one circled name turn Elijah’s promise into something to do this week.

  1. SAY“Let me tell you about someone in my family tree.”
  2. Share your story briefly. Testify that the Lord keeps His promises, even one made four hundred years before Jesus.
  3. Hand out paper. Each youth writes their parents’ names and any grandparents’ names. They circle one person to learn more about this week.
  4. Show the challenge. Invite someone to say the closing prayer.

Class screen: 🌳 Turn your heart: one name this week. · Malachi 4:6

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: A half sheet of paper and a pen for each person

  1. SAY“Let me tell you about someone in my family tree.”
  2. Share your story briefly. Testify that the Lord keeps His promises.
  3. SAY“Think of one family member you want to learn more about this week. They can be living or not. Type their name in your phone.”
  4. Show the challenge. Invite someone to say the closing prayer.
6. Wiggle break

Heart Turn Speed Round

3 minBONUS

Spinning to face a partner and answer family questions acts out “turn the heart” and shows how much there is to learn.

  1. SAY“Stand back to back with a partner. When I say turn, spin to face each other. Each of you gets ten seconds to answer.”
  2. Ask one at a time. “One grandparent’s first name?” “Where was a parent born?” “An ancestor you know a story about?” “Something you share with someone in your family?”
  3. SAY“If you said ‘I don’t know’ a lot, you’re normal. That’s the point. Elijah’s promise is that our hearts turn toward them.”
🌪️ Family situations vary. Any family member, a mentor, or “I don’t know yet” is a great answer.

Class screen: 🔄 Turn! Face your partner and answer.

7. Game

Scripture Showdown

4 minBONUS

A quick team quiz reviews Malachi and the Old Testament’s final promise.

  1. SAY“Two teams. Pick your captains.”
  2. Tap Scripture Showdown. Teams huddle ten seconds, and only the captain answers. A missed question can be stolen by naming the reference.
▶ Play Scripture Showdown on the web

Class screen: 🏆 Scripture Showdown: Malachi

Object lesson

Demonstration: Leftovers or Best?

Malachi 1:2, 6–8; 3:7–10 ↗

Scenes

  1. 🍽️🥴 “I brought refreshments”

    Uncover the leftovers plate. A broken cracker. A bruised banana. A crumpled napkin. Let them react.

    🙌 Ask: “Would you serve this to someone you really respect? Your favorite coach?”

  2. 🍪✨ Or this?

    Now reveal the good treat. Same table, same teacher. One plate says “you matter.” The other says “you get what’s left.”

    🙌 Ask: “If you were giving a gift, which one would you give?”

  3. 🐑🩹 Malachi 1:8 · What the priests brought

    About four hundred years before Jesus, the priests were offering the Lord blind, lame and sick animals. The ones nobody wanted anyway. The Lord asked, would you give that to your governor?

    🙌 A youth reads Malachi 1:8. Ask: “What are the leftovers we give God today?”

  4. 🙄❓ “I have loved you.” “Wherein?”

    The book reads like an argument. The Lord says, “I have loved you.” The people push back. “Wherein?” How? Prove it. Again and again, God speaks, and they argue. And He keeps answering.

    🙌 Read Malachi 1:2. Everyone crosses their arms and says, “Wherein?”

  5. 🔁🏠 Malachi 3:7 · “Return unto me”

    Over and over, the Lord invites them back. Return to Me, and I will return to you. But they can’t even see they’ve wandered off.

    🙌 A youth reads Malachi 3:7. Ask: “How do you come back if you don’t think you left?”

  6. 🪟🌧️ Malachi 3:10 · The windows of heaven

    Then comes the sharpest question. Will a man rob God? How? In tithes and offerings. And the Lord makes an offer. Bring the tithes. Test Me. See if I will not open the windows of heaven.

    🙌 Read Malachi 3:8–10. Everyone looks up at the ceiling, like windows are opening.

Key verse

Malachi 4:5–6 ↗
“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers”
In plain words: I will send you Elijah before the Savior comes again, and he will turn parents’ and ancestors’ hearts toward their children, and children’s hearts toward their ancestors.
🙌 “I will send you Elijah” = point outward · “before the… great and dreadful day” = hands rise like the sun · “turn the heart of the fathers to the children” = hand on heart, turn left · “and the heart of the children to their fathers” = hand on heart, turn right, until you face your neighbor

More verses

Malachi 1:2 ↗
“I have loved you, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us?”
In plain words: “I have loved you,” says the Lord. But you ask, “Oh yeah? How?”
Malachi 3:7 ↗
“Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return?”
In plain words: Come back to Me, and I’ll come back to you. But you say, “Come back from what?”
Malachi 3:10 ↗
“Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.”
In plain words: Pay your full tithing and test Me, says the Lord. See if I don’t open heaven’s windows and pour out more blessings than you have room for.
Malachi 1:8 ↗
“if ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? offer it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee”
In plain words: If you give Me your sick, limping leftovers, is that right? Try giving that to the governor and see if he’s impressed.

Forehead Guess words17 words

  • 📜 Malachi
  • 🙄 Wherein?
  • 🍽️ Leftovers
  • 🏛️ Governor
  • 🪙 Tithing
  • 🪟 Windows of Heaven
  • 🏚️ Storehouse
  • 📖 Book of Remembrance
  • 💎 Jewels
  • 🔥 Elijah
  • ✨ Moroni
  • 🏛️ Kirtland Temple
  • 🔑 Sealing Keys
  • ✍️ Oliver Cowdery
  • 🌳 Family Tree
  • 💧 Baptistry
  • ⚒️ Refiner’s Fire
Clues for each word
  • Malachi: The last book of the Old Testament
  • Wherein?: What the people kept saying to push back
  • Leftovers: Blind, lame and sick offerings
  • Governor: Would he be pleased with a sick sacrifice?
  • Tithing: One-tenth of our increase
  • Windows of Heaven: Opened for those who bring the tithes
  • Storehouse: Where Malachi says to bring all the tithes
  • Book of Remembrance: Written for those who thought about the Lord’s name
  • Jewels: What the Lord calls His faithful people
  • Elijah: Prophet who returned with the sealing keys
  • Moroni: Angel who quoted Malachi to Joseph Smith in 1823
  • Kirtland Temple: Where Elijah appeared in 1836
  • Sealing Keys: Priesthood power to bind families forever
  • Oliver Cowdery: Knelt beside Joseph Smith in the Kirtland Temple
  • Family Tree: Where you find the names of your ancestors
  • Baptistry: Where youth do baptisms for the dead
  • Refiner’s Fire: Malachi 3:2 compares the Savior to it
▶ Play Forehead GuessFull screen, 60-second timer, works on any phone.

Scripture Showdown9 questions

  1. What are the Lord’s first words in Malachi?
    • A. “Repent or perish”
    • B. “I have loved you”
    • C. “Hear, O Israel”
    Show answer

    ✅ B. “I have loved you” Malachi 1:2. The whole book starts from love.

  2. What word did the people keep using to push back at the Lord?
    • A. “Wherein?”
    • B. “Whence?”
    • C. “Wherefore?”
    Show answer

    ✅ A. “Wherein?” Basically: “How? Prove it.” And the Lord kept answering.

  3. What kind of animals were the priests offering?
    • A. The firstborn lambs
    • B. Golden calves
    • C. Blind, lame and sick ones
    Show answer

    ✅ C. Blind, lame and sick ones Malachi 1:8. Leftovers nobody wanted.

  4. Malachi 3:8 says people were robbing God in what?
    • A. Tithes and offerings
    • B. Songs and prayers
    • C. Gold and silver
    Show answer

    ✅ A. Tithes and offerings Then the Lord offered: prove Me, and see the windows of heaven open.

  5. Today, tithing is what portion of our increase?
    • A. One-half
    • B. One-tenth
    • C. One-third
    Show answer

    ✅ B. One-tenth Doctrine and Covenants 119:4.

  6. The Lord called those written in His book of remembrance His what?
    • A. Soldiers
    • B. Servants
    • C. Jewels
    Show answer

    ✅ C. Jewels Malachi 3:17. That’s how He sees the people who love Him.

  7. Who quoted Malachi’s Elijah prophecy to Joseph Smith in 1823?
    • A. The angel Moroni
    • B. John the Baptist
    • C. Oliver Cowdery
    Show answer

    ✅ A. The angel Moroni Joseph Smith—History 1:38–39, with some different wording.

  8. Where did Elijah appear to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery in 1836?
    • A. The Sacred Grove
    • B. The Kirtland Temple
    • C. Liberty Jail
    Show answer

    ✅ B. The Kirtland Temple Doctrine and Covenants 110, on Easter Sunday, April 3, 1836.

  9. What did Elijah give Joseph and Oliver?
    • A. The golden plates
    • B. The Urim and Thummim
    • C. The keys to seal families
    Show answer

    ✅ C. The keys to seal families Those keys make temple sealings and ordinances for our ancestors possible.

▶ Play Scripture ShowdownTeams take turns on one screen.

Songs

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

    Malachi’s promises, from the refiner’s fire to Elijah’s return, all point to the living Redeemer who appeared in the Kirtland Temple. Find it ↗

  • Count Your Blessings Hymns, no. 241

    The windows of heaven often open with blessings we only see when we count them. Find it ↗

  • I Am a Child of God Hymns, no. 301

    Every one of us belongs to Heavenly Father’s family, and so do all our ancestors. Find it ↗

This week’s challenge

One Name This Week

Learn one real thing about one ancestor this week. Ask a parent or grandparent for a story, or look them up on FamilySearch with someone’s help. If you can, find a name to take to the temple. And one day this week, give the Lord your best, not your leftovers. Pray before your phone, not after it.

Text the parents

Today in class we finished the Old Testament with Malachi. We talked about giving the Lord our best instead of our leftovers, in Malachi 1:8. We talked about what tithing is and why it matters, in Malachi 3:10. And we saw how Elijah’s promise in Malachi 4:5–6 was fulfilled in the Kirtland Temple in 1836. Your teen was invited to learn about one ancestor this week. Could you share a family story or help them look someone up?

📝 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 Refiner and the Fuller · 4 min

  1. Read Malachi 3:2–3. Explain that a refiner heats silver until the impurities rise and get skimmed off. A fuller scrubs wool until it’s clean.
  2. Ask why the Savior would be compared to fire and soap. Then ask when something hard in their life actually refined them.

📱 Find a Name · 5 min

  1. If a leader or youth has FamilySearch on their phone, show how to see a family tree. Find ancestors who still need temple ordinances.
  2. Talk about planning a ward youth temple trip with family names.
  3. Remind everyone that any adult family member or ward temple and family history consultant can help them get started.

🔁 Wherein? Then and Now · 5 min

  1. Pairs find all the “Wherein” questions in Malachi: 1:2, 1:6, 1:7, 2:17, 3:7 and 3:8.
  2. For each one, they write how a teenager might say it today. “How have You loved me?” becomes “Then why is my life so hard?”
  3. Ask: “What do you notice about how the Lord responds every time?”

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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