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Knowers and Seekers

The scribes knew exactly where Christ would be born and stayed home; the shepherds, Simeon, Anna and the wise men went to find Him

  • 🏔️ Youth 16–18
  • Week 2
  • 📅 Sunday, January 10, 2027
🤔 Forehead Guess🏆 Showdown
💡 The big idea

Knowing about Jesus Christ isn’t the same as coming to Him; like the witnesses of His birth, I can seek Him, act on the Spirit’s promptings, and grow as He did “in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.”

I can do more than know about Jesus Christ: I can seek Him, act on promptings, and grow in the four ways He grew.

Study it yourself firstRead Matthew 2; Luke 2 in Gospel LibraryCome, Follow Me manualOpen this week (Matthew 2; Luke 2)
Know the chapters

Matthew 2 and Luke 2 introduce a surprising mix of witnesses. Shepherds heard angels at night and went “with haste,” in Luke 2:15–17. Simeon was a devout man. The Holy Ghost had promised he’d see the Messiah before he died. He “came by the Spirit into the temple” at the exact moment Mary and Joseph arrived, in Luke 2:25–35. Anna was a widow of about 84 who served in the temple with fasting and prayer night and day. She gave thanks and told everyone looking for redemption, in Luke 2:36–38. Wise men from the east followed a new star a long way. They worshipped the child and gave costly gifts. After a warning from God, they went home “another way,” in Matthew 2:1–12.

Now the twist for 16- to 18-year-olds. Herod asked the chief priests and scribes where Christ would be born. They answered instantly and correctly, quoting Micah 5:2, in Matthew 2:4–6. Bethlehem was only about five miles from Jerusalem. See the Bible Dictionary entry “Bethlehem.” The record never says any of them went. They knew the right answer and stayed home. Meanwhile, travelers from the east came a long way to worship. Your youth have years of Primary and seminary answers. The question is whether knowing becomes coming.

Joseph shows what revelation looks like for a parent protecting a family. He was warned in a dream and left by night for Egypt, in Matthew 2:13–14. The manual connects this to the physical and spiritual dangers youth face. God can guide them to safety too. Keep Herod’s cruelty in Matthew 2:16 brief and gentle.

Luke 2:40–52 is our only glimpse of Jesus as a youth. At twelve He stayed at the temple. The Joseph Smith Translation of Luke 2:46 says the teachers were listening to Him and asking Him questions. He called it His “Father’s business,” in Luke 2:49. Then He went home and was subject to His parents. JST Matthew 3:24–26 adds more. He grew up with His brothers, waited on the Lord for the time of His ministry and served under His father. Luke 2:52 sums up His growth in four areas. The manual pairs them with sections of For the Strength of Youth: A Guide for Making Choices. Wisdom goes with “Truth Will Make You Free.” Stature goes with “Your Body Is Sacred.” Favor with God goes with “Walk in God’s Light.” Favor with others goes with “Love God, Love Your Neighbor.”

Only have 5 minutes?

Read Matthew 2:1–12 and Luke 2:8–52. Put a treat on a chair across the room. Run the Know It or Go? trivia and see who really goes. Tell the witnesses’ story from your phone or tablet and do the Luke 2:52 growth audit. Spend the rest on the discussion. Close with how you came to know the Savior, not just know about Him.

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 Matthew 2 and Luke 2 in one sitting. Mark Matthew 2:4–6, where the scribes knew the answer.
  2. Before class, set the wrapped treat on a chair across the room where everyone can see it. Don’t mention it.
  3. Think about how you moved from knowing about Jesus Christ to coming to Him. A minute is plenty for the testimony.

If your class is wild

  • The hook works because it’s easy. Let them feel smart, then flip it. If nobody moves for the treat, wait. The awkward pause is the lesson.
  • If someone grabs the treat early, perfect. Say, “You’re a shepherd. You went with haste.” Then turn to everyone else: “You all knew where it was too.”
  • The growth audit is private. Say so twice. Teens will only be honest if they’re sure nobody is reading their card.
  • Someone may say, “I know it’s true but I don’t feel much.” Treat that as a great, honest comment, not a problem. That’s exactly where the seeking starts.
  • Phones are fine for Gospel Library. If someone drifts, make them the official verse finder for the room.

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

Know It or Go?

4 min

A treat on a chair across the room shows the whole lesson in one moment: everybody knows where it is, but only the one who goes gets it.

  1. SAY“Lightning trivia. Shout it out.”
  2. Ask, “Where was Jesus born?” Then, “Which prophet predicted it?” It’s Micah. Then, “What gifts did the wise men bring?” Last, “Where’s the treat?”
  3. When everyone points to the chair, say, “Right. It belongs to whoever goes and gets it.” Wait until someone does.
  4. Ask, “Everyone knew exactly where it was. Why did only one person get it?”
  5. Have a youth read Matthew 2:4–6. Then say, “The scribes knew too. Bethlehem was about five miles away. As far as we know, none of them went.”
🌪️ If they’re sleepy, make the trivia a standing race. The first to stand and answer gets a point.

Class screen: 🎁 Everyone knows where it is. Who actually goes? · Matthew 2:4–6

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: A small wrapped treat or candy bar for the hook (check allergies and your ward’s food policy first)

  1. SAY“Lightning trivia. Shout it out.”
  2. Ask, “Where was Jesus born?” Then, “Which prophet predicted it?” It’s Micah. Then, “What gifts did the wise men bring?”
  3. Set your phone or tablet on a chair across the room showing a big ⭐. Say, “Whoever goes and gets it runs your phone or tablet today.” Wait until someone does.
  4. Ask, “Everyone could see it. Why did only one person go?”
  5. Have a youth read Matthew 2:4–6. Then say, “The scribes knew too. Bethlehem was about five miles away. As far as we know, none of them went.”

Class screen: ⭐ Everyone knows where it is. Who actually goes? · Matthew 2:4–6

2. Story

Who Came, and Who Stayed Home

6 min

You tell the witnesses of Christ’s early life with a question on each scene, so youth notice the contrast between seekers and knowers.

  1. SAY“Everyone in this story knew something about Jesus. Watch who actually went, and who stayed in their chair.”
  2. Tell the account from your phone or tablet scenes, reading the verse on each one. Ask each scene’s question and take one or two answers.
  3. After the last scene, ask, “What did every person who really found Him have in common?”

Class screen: 🧭 Who came, and who stayed home? · Luke 2 · Matthew 2

3. Scripture

Luke 2:52 Growth Audit

5 min

Youth apply Luke 2:52 to the years right before missions, college and adult life with a private, honest self-check.

  1. SAY“Even Jesus grew. Luke 2:52 names four ways.”
  2. Read it together and teach the four-beat motions. Say it twice. Hand out cards.
  3. SAY“Private. Rate yourself one to five in each area. Wisdom, like school and learning truth. Stature, like sleep, health and screens. Favor with God. Favor with man.”
  4. SAY“Circle the one you most want to grow before you leave home. Then write one small thing you’ll do this week.”
  5. Mention that For the Strength of Youth: A Guide for Making Choices has a section for each area. The four titles are on the screen.

Class screen: 📈 Wisdom · Stature · Favor with God · Favor with man · Truth Will Make You Free · Your Body Is Sacred · Walk in God’s Light · Love God, Love Your Neighbor

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: Index cards or slips of paper, one per person, and a few pens

  1. SAY“Even Jesus grew. Luke 2:52 names four ways.”
  2. Read it together and teach the four-beat motions. Say it twice.
  3. SAY“Close your eyes. This is private. Rate yourself one to five, with fingers against your chest. Wisdom, stature, favor with God, favor with man.”
  4. SAY“Now pick the one you most want to grow before you leave home. Silently decide one small thing you’ll do this week.”
  5. Point to the four For the Strength of Youth section titles on the screen.
4. Talk it over

From Knowing to Coming

5 min

An honest conversation about seeking Christ, following promptings and going home “another way.”

  1. SAY“Back to the chair. Knowing where He is isn’t the same as going. Let’s talk about what gets people out of their chairs.”
  2. Ask one question at a time. Wait ten seconds before anyone answers. Share your own answer too.
  3. Keep it optional. Nobody has to share personal struggles.
💬 Ask the class
  • The scribes knew exactly where Christ would be born. What keeps people our age in their chairs?
  • Simeon came “by the Spirit” at exactly the right moment. What helps you act on a prompting quickly?
  • Joseph got a warning and moved that night. How do you stay in a place where you can hear a warning like that?
  • The wise men went home “another way.” When you really come to Christ, what changes about the way you go home?

Class screen: 💬 Knowing about Him vs. coming to Him

5. Testimony

Testimony: Don’t Stay in Your Chair

3 min

End quiet, with a personal witness and one concrete way to seek Him this week.

  1. SAY“You know the answers. This year, go to Bethlehem. Take one real step toward Him.”
  2. Lower your voice. In a minute or less, share when you moved from knowing about the Savior to coming to Him yourself.
  3. Introduce the challenge on the screen. Invite a youth to say the closing prayer.

Class screen: 🚶 You know the answers. Now go find Him. · Luke 2:52

6. Wiggle break

Four Roads to Bethlehem

2 minBONUS

Youth move to the witness whose way of finding Christ looks most like theirs right now.

  1. SAY“Everyone up. Each corner is a different road to Bethlehem.”
  2. Point to each corner and name it. Shepherds went right away. Simeon followed a prompting after long waiting. Anna had daily devotion. The wise men made a long search.
  3. SAY“Walk to the corner that looks most like how you’re coming to Christ right now. There’s no wrong corner.”
  4. Ask one person per corner to explain in a sentence.
  5. SAY“Four roads. Same Savior. Every road involved actually going.”

Class screen: 🧭 Which witness’s road looks most like yours right now? · Shepherds · Simeon · Anna · Wise Men

7. Game

Lightning Showdown

3 minBONUS

A fast team quiz locks in the witnesses and details of Matthew 2 and Luke 2.

  1. SAY“Two teams, pick captains. Five seconds to huddle. Only the captain answers.”
  2. Tap Scripture Showdown. Play as many questions as fit in about three minutes. On a miss, the other team can steal by naming the verse.
▶ Play Scripture Showdown on the web

Class screen: ⚡ Lightning Showdown: Matthew 2 and Luke 2 in three minutes

Object lesson

Who Came, and Who Stayed Home

Luke 2:8–52; Matthew 2:1–14 ↗

Scenes

  1. 🐑🌟 Shepherds hear the news and don’t wait

    Night in the fields near Bethlehem. An angel announces that a Savior is born. The sky fills with heavenly voices. When the angels leave, the shepherds don’t debate it. They don’t schedule it for later. They go right away. They find the baby. And they tell everyone.

    🙌 Read Luke 2:15–16. Ask, “What does ‘with haste’ tell you about them?”

  2. 🐪❓ Strangers from the east ask, “Where is he?”

    Wise men arrive in Jerusalem after a long journey. They saw a new star, and they’ve come to worship the newborn King. King Herod is troubled. So is the whole city. Herod calls in the experts.

    🙌 Read Matthew 2:2. Ask, “What would it take to travel that far for someone you’d never met?”

  3. 📜🪑 The experts know the answer… and stay home

    The chief priests and scribes answer instantly. Bethlehem, just as the prophet Micah wrote. They know the verse perfectly. Bethlehem is only about five miles away. But as far as the record says, not one of them goes to see.

    🙌 Read Matthew 2:5–6. Point to the chair from the hook. They knew exactly where.

  4. ⭐🎁 The seekers find Him, kneel and give gifts

    The wise men follow the star to the house. They fall down and worship the young child. They give gold, frankincense and myrrh. Then God warns them in a dream not to go back to Herod. So they go home another way.

    🙌 Read Matthew 2:11. Ask, “What did they do the moment they found Him?”

  5. 🌙🏜️ Joseph gets a warning and moves at night

    An angel warns Joseph in a dream. Herod wants to harm the child. Joseph doesn’t wait for morning. He gets up, takes Mary and Jesus, and leaves for Egypt in the dark. Revelation protected his family.

    🙌 Read Matthew 2:13–14. Ask, “Why didn’t Joseph wait until morning?”

  6. 🧒🏛️ Twelve years later: “my Father’s business”

    When Jesus is twelve, His family goes to Jerusalem for Passover. They head home without realizing He stayed. They search for three days. Then they find Him in the temple with the teachers. The teachers are listening to Him and asking Him questions. Then He goes home, obeys His parents, and keeps growing.

    🙌 You read Luke 2:49, since no youth voices Jesus. Then everyone reads Luke 2:52 together.

Key verse

Luke 2:52 ↗
“And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.”
In plain words: Jesus grew in four ways: in what He knew, in His body, in His closeness to God, and in His relationships with people.
🙌 Four beats: “wisdom” = tap your head · “stature” = hand rising from waist to above your head · “favour with God” = point up · “and man” = arm around an imaginary friend. Say it twice, then once silently with just the motions.

More verses

Matthew 2:2 ↗
“Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.”
In plain words: The wise men asked: Where is the newborn King? We saw His star and came all this way to worship Him.
Matthew 2:12 ↗
“And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.”
In plain words: God warned them in a dream not to go back to Herod, so they went home a different way.
Luke 2:27 ↗
“And he came by the Spirit into the temple”
In plain words: The Holy Ghost led Simeon to the temple at exactly the right time.
Luke 2:49 ↗
“And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?”
In plain words: Jesus said: Why were you searching? Didn’t you know I needed to be doing my Father’s work?

Forehead Guess words17 words

  • 🐑 Shepherds
  • 🌾 Manger
  • 🍞 Bethlehem
  • 👴 Simeon
  • 👵 Anna
  • 🐪 Wise Men
  • ⭐ Star
  • 👑 Herod
  • 📜 Scribes
  • 🪙 Gold
  • 💨 Frankincense
  • 🏺 Myrrh
  • 🏜️ Egypt
  • 🏛️ Temple
  • 💼 Father’s Business
  • 🔀 Another Way
  • 🧠 Wisdom
Clues for each word
  • Shepherds: Went “with haste” after the angels left
  • Manger: A feeding trough, used as a bed
  • Bethlehem: Its name means “house of bread”
  • Simeon: Promised he’d see the Messiah before dying
  • Anna: 84-year-old prophetess who lived at the temple
  • Wise Men: Came from the east to worship
  • Star: Led the seekers to the house
  • Herod: Troubled king who wanted to harm the child
  • Scribes: Knew the answer and stayed home
  • Gold: A gift fit for a king
  • Frankincense: Fragrant gift burned in worship
  • Myrrh: Third gift of the wise men
  • Egypt: Where Joseph took his family by night
  • Temple: Where Jesus taught the teachers at twelve
  • Father’s Business: What twelve-year-old Jesus was about
  • Another Way: How the wise men went home
  • Wisdom: First of four ways Jesus grew
▶ Play Forehead GuessFull screen, 60-second timer, works on any phone.

Scripture Showdown9 questions

  1. What did the shepherds do after the angels left?
    • A. Talked it over for a week
    • B. Went with haste to find the baby
    • C. Went back to sleep
    Show answer

    ✅ B. Went with haste to find the baby Luke 2:15–16. Then they told everyone what they’d seen.

  2. What had the Holy Ghost promised Simeon?
    • A. He’d see the Lord’s Christ before he died
    • B. He’d become high priest
    • C. He’d find a star
    Show answer

    ✅ A. He’d see the Lord’s Christ before he died Luke 2:26. And the Spirit led him to the temple at just the right moment (2:27).

  3. How did Anna spend her days?
    • A. Traveling to Egypt
    • B. Guarding Herod’s palace
    • C. Serving God in the temple with fasting and prayer
    Show answer

    ✅ C. Serving God in the temple with fasting and prayer Luke 2:37. At about 84, she was ready when He came.

  4. Who told Herod that Christ would be born in Bethlehem?
    • A. The wise men
    • B. The chief priests and scribes
    • C. The shepherds
    Show answer

    ✅ B. The chief priests and scribes Matthew 2:4–6. They quoted Micah 5:2, then stayed home.

  5. Why did the wise men go home “another way”?
    • A. God warned them in a dream
    • B. They got lost
    • C. The star moved
    Show answer

    ✅ A. God warned them in a dream Matthew 2:12: warned not to return to Herod.

  6. Where did Joseph take Mary and Jesus to escape Herod?
    • A. Nazareth
    • B. Rome
    • C. Egypt
    Show answer

    ✅ C. Egypt Matthew 2:13–14. He left by night right after the dream.

  7. How old was Jesus when He stayed behind at the temple?
    • A. Eight
    • B. Twelve
    • C. Thirty
    Show answer

    ✅ B. Twelve Luke 2:42. The teachers were listening to Him and asking Him questions (JST Luke 2:46).

  8. What did Jesus say He must be about?
    • A. His Father’s business
    • B. The temple’s repairs
    • C. His studies
    Show answer

    ✅ A. His Father’s business Luke 2:49. Then He went home and was subject to His parents (2:51).

  9. Luke 2:52: Jesus increased in wisdom, stature, and favor with whom?
    • A. Kings and priests
    • B. His disciples
    • C. God and man
    Show answer

    ✅ C. God and man Four areas of growth, a pattern for us too.

▶ Play Scripture ShowdownTeams take turns on one screen.

Songs

  • Far, Far Away on Judea’s Plains Hymns, no. 212

    A hymn about the shepherds who heard the news and came. Find it ↗

  • O Little Town of Bethlehem Hymns, no. 208

    The town the scribes named and the seekers found. Find it ↗

  • Come, Follow Me Hymns, no. 116

    The whole lesson in one invitation: don’t just know about Him; come. Find it ↗

This week’s challenge

Go to Bethlehem

Pick the Luke 2:52 area you circled. Do one small, real thing in it every day this week. Then take one step from knowing to coming. Say a prayer where you really talk instead of recite. Visit the temple. Or read one New Testament chapter looking for who Jesus is. When you feel a prompting, act on it that day, like Simeon.

Text the parents

Today in class we studied the witnesses of Jesus’s birth. Shepherds, Simeon, Anna and the wise men all went to find Him. The scribes knew exactly where He’d be born, but they stayed home, in Matthew 2:4–6. We also read Luke 2:52. Each youth privately chose one area to grow in: wisdom, stature, favor with God or favor with man. Ask: “Which area did you pick, and how can I help?”

📝 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?

🗡️ Simeon’s Hard Blessing · 5 min

  1. Read Luke 2:34–35. Simeon tells Mary that a sword will pierce her own soul.
  2. Ask, “Why would a blessing include a warning about pain? What does that teach about blessings, including patriarchal blessings?”
  3. Mary “kept all these things” and pondered them, in Luke 2:19 and 51. Ask, “What do you ponder and keep?”

🎁 The Gifts We Bring · 5 min

  1. Read Matthew 2:11. The wise men brought what was valuable to them.
  2. Each youth thinks of one gift they could bring the Savior this year that really costs them something. It might be time, a habit, a grudge or a phone hour.
  3. Invite volunteers to share. Or they can keep it private in a phone note.

🪚 Growing Up Like Jesus · 5 min

  1. Sum up JST Matthew 3:24–26 from the Bible appendix. Jesus grew up with His brothers, waited on the Lord for His ministry and served under His father.
  2. Ask, “Jesus waited years before His ministry. What are you waiting for? Maybe a mission, a call or college.” Then ask, “What does faithful waiting look like?”
  3. Connect it to Luke 2:51. Even the Son of God obeyed His parents during those years.

🍞 Why Here? Why These? · 5 min

  1. Read these pairs one at a time. Luke 2:4 and John 6:35: Bethlehem means “house of bread.” Luke 2:7 and John 6:51: a manger is a feeding trough.
  2. Then read Luke 2:8 with John 10:11 for shepherds, and Matthew 2:2 with John 8:12 for the star.
  3. After each pair, neighbors talk for about ten seconds. Then one volunteer names the connection.
  4. Ask, “Which detail surprised you most?”

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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