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Upside-Down Blessed

The Sermon on the Mount redefines “blessed,” aims the law at the heart, and turns “be ye therefore perfect” into a destination instead of a daily grade

  • 🏔️ Youth 16–18
  • Week 7
  • 📅 Sunday, February 14, 2027
🤔 Forehead Guess🏆 Showdown
💡 The big idea

Jesus’s higher law reaches past my actions to my heart, and His call to be perfect is an invitation to become complete through Him over time, not a demand to be flawless today.

I can live the Savior’s higher law one heart-level choice at a time, and let His grace, not perfectionism, carry me toward becoming complete.

Study it yourself firstRead Matthew 5; Luke 6 in Gospel LibraryCome, Follow Me manualOpen this week (Matthew 5; Luke 6)
Know the chapters

Matthew 5 opens the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7). Luke 6 gives a shorter version on a level place (6:17), right after Jesus prays all night and chooses the Twelve (6:12–16). The sermon starts with the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3–12), which Luke pairs with four matching woes (Luke 6:20–26). Then come salt and light (Matthew 5:13–16) and six contrasts that begin “Ye have heard that it was said… But I say unto you” (5:21–47): anger, lust, divorce, oaths, retaliation and enemies. Each one takes an old command about actions and aims it at the heart. The chapter ends with “Be ye therefore perfect” (5:48).

A few study helps your youth will love. The Joseph Smith Translation and 3 Nephi 12:22 both leave out “without a cause” in Matthew 5:22 (see the footnote), so the Savior’s standard on anger is higher than it first looks. Matthew 5:23–24 (be reconciled before you bring your gift to the altar) speaks directly to priests who bless the sacrament. The Book of Mormon version of the sermon adds important words: “blessed are the poor in spirit who come unto me” (3 Nephi 12:3), and after His Resurrection the Savior says “perfect even as I, or your Father” (3 Nephi 12:48). The footnote on Matthew 5:48 explains that the Greek word means complete, finished, fully developed.

For 16- to 18-year-olds, this chapter lands right on top of perfectionism: college applications, scholarships, mission standards, sports and a phone full of other people’s highlight reels. Jesus’s Beatitudes flip the world’s idea of “blessed,” and Luke’s last woe (“when all men shall speak well of you,” 6:26) stings in a world of likes and follower counts. Jeffrey R. Holland’s October 2017 talk “Be Ye Therefore Perfect—Eventually” says that teenagers and missionaries often tell him they are not good enough, and teaches that perfection is a gift received through Christ over time (see Moroni 10:32). Share it with confidence.

Handle Matthew 5:27–28 gently and simply. The Savior teaches that purity begins in our thoughts; For the Strength of Youth: A Guide for Making Choices (“Your Body Is Sacred”) is a great companion. Don’t single anyone out, keep the emphasis on hope and repentance, and if a youth comes to you privately, listen warmly and point them to their parents and bishop. Shame is never the Savior’s tool.

Only have 5 minutes?

Read Matthew 5 and Luke 6:12–36. Run the Two Feeds hook, play the Heard vs. Say wiggle, let Teach Mode run the Case Files with youth reading the parts, then spend the rest on the Perfect… Eventually discussion. Close with your testimony that the Savior makes us complete over time.

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. Read Matthew 5 in one sitting, then read 3 Nephi 12 and notice what the Book of Mormon version adds.
  2. Look at the footnotes on Matthew 5:22 and 5:48 so you can point them out in class.
  3. Write the eight Beatitude slips.
  4. Text four class members on Saturday to read Eli, Maya, Jonah and Ava in the Case Files. Each part is two or three short lines.
  5. Think of a time you felt you’d never measure up, and how the Savior helped you keep climbing anyway. You’ll share it in about a minute.

If your class is wild

  • Older teens love the “Ye have heard… But I say” pattern once they see it. Let them spot it themselves before you point it out.
  • The Case Files work best when the Jury argues a little. Let them disagree; your only rule is “give a reason.”
  • Some of your class are quiet perfectionists who never cause trouble and are secretly exhausted. The discussion is for them; slow down and let the silence work.
  • If Case 4 gets giggles, keep your voice calm and move on. Treating purity as normal and hopeful is what makes it safe to talk about.
  • Phones are fine for Gospel Library. Make one youth the footnote finder for Matthew 5:22 and 5:48.

The 25-minute plan25 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

Two Feeds

3 min

Comparing the world’s “#blessed” with Jesus’s list shows how upside down the Beatitudes are.

  1. SAY“I’m going to read four posts. Every one of them ends with #blessed.” Read them like captions: “New truck 🙌 #blessed” · “Got into my dream school! #blessed” · “Beach week with the fam #blessed” · “Just hit 10K followers #blessed.”
  2. SAY“Now here’s Jesus’s list of who’s blessed.” Have a youth read Matthew 5:3–6.
  3. Then read Luke 6:26 yourself: “Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you!” Say: “In a world that runs on likes, that one stings.”
  4. Ask: “Why would Jesus call people blessed who are poor in spirit, mourning or starving for something?” Take two or three answers.
🌪️ If they start inventing funnier #blessed posts, let them do two, then pivot: “Would any of these make Jesus’s list?”

Class screen: 📱 #blessed: the world’s feed vs. Jesus’s list · Matthew 5:3–6 · Luke 6:26

2. Scripture

Beatitude Speed-Teach

5 min

Every youth studies one Beatitude, compares it with the Book of Mormon version and teaches it in twenty seconds.

  1. Hand out the eight Beatitude slips (pairs can share; take one yourself if needed).
  2. SAY“Ninety seconds. Read your verse in Matthew 5, then the same verse in 3 Nephi 12. Find three things: the attitude, the promise, and one real example from a teenager’s week. Bonus if you spot what the Book of Mormon adds.” Tap Big Timer.
  3. Go in order from verse 3 to verse 10; twenty seconds each.
  4. Point out 3 Nephi 12:3: “blessed are the poor in spirit who come unto me.” Say: “Every Beatitude is really about coming to Him. That’s where the blessing comes from.”
  5. Ask: “Which of these does the world think is a weakness?”
⏱️ Big Timer (a class game in the Gospel Sparks app)

Class screen: 🗣️ Your Beatitude: attitude, promise, real example. Twenty seconds. · Matthew 5:3–10 · Compare 3 Nephi 12:3–10

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: Scriptures for each person or pair (their own, a classroom set from the library, or Gospel Library on their phones), Eight slips of paper, each with one Beatitude reference: Matthew 5:3, 5:4, 5:5, 5:6, 5:7, 5:8, 5:9 and 5:10

  1. Tap Name Spinner (or go around the room) and assign each youth one verse from Matthew 5:3–10, saying the reference out loud. Pairs can share.
  2. SAY“Ninety seconds on Gospel Library or my scriptures: find the attitude, the promise, and one real example from a teenager’s week.” Tap Big Timer. Pass your own scriptures to anyone who needs them.
  3. Go in order from verse 3 to verse 10; twenty seconds each.
  4. Read 3 Nephi 12:3 aloud and say: “Every Beatitude is really about coming to Him. That’s where the blessing comes from.”
  5. Ask: “Which of these does the world think is a weakness?”
3. Wiggle break

Heard vs. Say

2 min

A fast crouch-or-reach game on their feet teaches the pattern of the higher law.

  1. Everyone stands. Say: “If a line is the old law (‘Ye have heard’), crouch low. If it’s the Savior’s higher law (‘But I say unto you’), stretch up on your toes. Higher ground.”
  2. Read quickly, mixed up: “Thou shalt not kill” · “Whosoever is angry with his brother… shall be in danger of the judgment” · “An eye for an eye” · “Turn to him the other also” · “Hate thine enemy” · “Love your enemies” · “Perform unto the Lord thine oaths” · “Let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay” · “Go with him twain.”
  3. Speed up for the last three. Anyone who goes the wrong way does one extra stretch, laughing allowed.

Class screen: 🧗 Old law: crouch. Higher law: reach up! · Ye have heard… But I say unto you

4. Story

Case Files: But I Say unto You

6 min

Four modern cases show what the higher law asks of a teenager’s heart, and the ending reframes “perfect.”

  1. Hand out roles (tap Roles in Teach Mode). Eli, Maya, Jonah and Ava read their short lines; you read the Savior’s words from Matthew 5 in your own scriptures.
  2. Read or assign the narration and pause for each action cue.
  3. After each case, give the Jury about 30 seconds: thumbs up or down, then one person says what the higher law asks. Keep it moving.
  4. After the last scene, have the footnote finder read the footnote on Matthew 5:48 aloud.
🌪️ If the Jury gets rowdy, the narrator bangs an imaginary gavel and says, “Order in the court!” Everyone freezes until the next case.

Class screen: 🗂️ Case Files: But I Say unto You · Matthew 5:21–48 · Jury: thumbs up or down, and why?

5. Talk it over

Perfect… Eventually

4 min

An honest conversation about perfectionism, grace and becoming complete through the Savior over time.

  1. Pick three questions. Ask one at a time and wait ten seconds before anyone answers.
  2. Read Jeffrey R. Holland’s line about hypocrites and humans (in this lesson’s conference quotes) after the perfectionism question.
  3. Answer one yourself, briefly and honestly.
💬 Ask the class
  • The footnote says “perfect” means complete, finished, fully developed. How does that change the way Matthew 5:48 feels to you?
  • After His Resurrection, the Savior told the Nephites to be perfect “even as I, or your Father” (3 Nephi 12:48). Why might He add Himself only then?
  • Where do you feel pressure to be flawless right now: grades, college, sports, mission prep, your feed? What would steady improvement look like instead?
  • The higher law aims at the heart, not just actions. Which of the four cases felt most like your real life?
  • Who has been salt or light for you? What did they actually do?

Class screen: 🌱 Perfect means complete, finished, fully developed. Eventually.

6. Game

Lightning Showdown

3 min

A fast team quiz locks in the Beatitudes, salt and light, and the higher law.

  1. Split into two teams and pick captains. Tap Scripture Showdown.
  2. Play as many questions as fit in three minutes. Five-second huddle; only the captain answers.
  3. Steal rule: if a team misses, the other team steals by quoting the verse.
▶ Play Scripture Showdown on the web

Class screen: ⚡ Lightning Showdown: the Sermon on the Mount

7. Game

Forehead Guess: Sermon on the Mount

4 minBONUS

A fun bonus round if you have time.

  1. Tap Forehead Guess. One volunteer holds your phone or tablet to their forehead; the class gives clues without saying the word.
  2. Tilt down for got it, up to pass. 45-second turns; switch guessers.
▶ Play Forehead Guess on the web

Class screen: 🤔 Forehead Guess: Sermon on the Mount edition

8. Testimony

Salt and Light

2 min

End quiet with two simple symbols and a testimony that the Savior makes us complete over time.

  1. Shake a little salt into your palm. Say: “Salt only works when it mixes in with everything else but stays salt.” Turn on the flashlight and cup your hand over it. “And light only works if you don’t cover it.” Uncover it.
  2. Lower your voice. In a minute or less, share a time you felt you’d never measure up and how the Savior helped you keep climbing.
  3. Introduce the One Beatitude challenge on the screen, and invite a youth to offer the closing prayer.

Class screen: 🕯️ Keep your savor. Uncover your light. Keep climbing. · Matthew 5:13–16

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: A salt shaker and a small flashlight (a phone flashlight works)

  1. Pinch pretend salt from your palm and sprinkle it over the class. Say: “Salt only works when it mixes in with everything else but stays salt.” Cup your hands like you’re hiding a candle, then open them wide. “And light only works if you don’t cover it.”
  2. Lower your voice. In a minute or less, share a time you felt you’d never measure up and how the Savior helped you keep climbing.
  3. Introduce the One Beatitude challenge on the screen, and invite a youth to offer the closing prayer.

Story drama

Case Files: But I Say unto You

Matthew 5:21–48 ↗

Parts to hand out

  • NarratorOpens each case file in a crime-show voice and reads the setups.
  • EliA priest who fought with his little brother on the way to church and now sits at the sacrament table.
  • MayaPromised to help a friend move on Saturday and is typing a fake excuse.
  • JonahA teammate mocks his mission plans; Jonah has the perfect comeback loaded.
  • AvaHer friends are binge-watching a show she knows drags her thoughts somewhere she doesn’t want to go.
  • The JuryEveryone else: after each case, vote thumbs up or down on the choice and say what the higher law asks.

Scenes

  1. ⛰️👥 A sermon on a mountain raises the bar

    Jesus goes up a mountain, sits down and teaches His disciples. Six times He says a version of “Ye have heard that it was said… But I say unto you.” Each time He takes an old commandment about actions and aims it at the heart.

    🎬 The Jury sits like disciples on a hillside. The narrator reads Matthew 5:21–22 so everyone hears the pattern.

  2. 🍞😤 Case 1: Eli, ten minutes before the sacrament

    Eli is a priest. On the drive to church he and his little brother had a shouting match, and now he’s at the sacrament table, still furious. He hasn’t hit anybody. By the old law, he’s fine.

    🎬 Eli crosses his arms, glares at the back row and says: “I didn’t kill anybody. I’m good.” The teacher reads Matthew 5:23–24. The Jury votes: what should Eli do in the next ten minutes?

  3. 📅🙊 Case 2: Maya’s tiny lie

    Maya promised to help her friend move on Saturday. Then a better invitation came up. She’s typing “so sorry, I’m sick” with both thumbs. It’s one small lie, and nobody gets hurt. Right?

    🎬 Maya mimes typing and reads her fake text out loud. The teacher reads Matthew 5:37. The Jury: what would “Yea, yea; Nay, nay” sound like here?

  4. 🏀😒 Case 3: Jonah’s perfect comeback

    Every practice, the same teammate mocks Jonah’s mission plans. Today Jonah has a comeback ready that would humiliate the guy in front of the whole team. He’s earned it.

    🎬 Jonah winds up like he’s about to deliver it, then freezes. The teacher reads Matthew 5:44. The Jury: what does loving an enemy look like without becoming a doormat?

  5. 📺🚪 Case 4: Ava and the remote

    Ava’s friends are binge-watching a show everybody’s talking about. She knows some of its scenes pull her thoughts somewhere she doesn’t want them to go. Nobody would ever know what she watched.

    🎬 Ava holds an imaginary remote and hesitates. The narrator reads Matthew 5:8. The Jury: how can you walk away without making it weird?

  6. 😰📈 Then comes Matthew 5:48

    After all six contrasts, Jesus sums it up: Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect. Eli, Maya, Jonah and Ava look at each other. Honestly? That sounds impossible.

    🎬 All four characters say together: “Perfect? Seriously?” The teacher reads Matthew 5:48.

  7. 🌱🏔️ Complete, finished, fully developed… eventually

    The footnote shows the Greek word means complete, finished, fully developed. It’s where the path leads with the Savior’s help, not the grade on today’s test. Eli apologizes. Maya sends an honest text. Jonah lets the comeback go. Ava changes the show. None of them are perfect. All of them just climbed.

    🎬 Each character takes one big step up and forward. The Jury stands.

Key verse

Matthew 5:48 ↗
“Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”
In plain words: Become complete and fully developed, like your Father in Heaven. It’s where you’re headed with the Savior’s help, not a grade on today.
🙌 Three beats: “Be ye therefore perfect” = hands climb upward like stairs · “even as your Father which is in heaven” = point up · “is perfect” = hand on the heart. Say it twice, then once adding the footnote: “complete, finished, fully developed.”

More verses

Matthew 5:6 ↗
“Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.”
In plain words: Happy are the people who want to be good as badly as a starving person wants food. God will fill them.
Matthew 5:16 ↗
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
In plain words: Let your goodness show, so people see it and end up praising Heavenly Father, not you.
Matthew 5:24 ↗
“Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.”
In plain words: If you’re at odds with someone, go make it right first, then come back and offer your worship.
Matthew 5:44 ↗
“But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;”
In plain words: Love the people who are against you: speak well of them, do good for them and pray for them, even when they treat you badly.

Forehead Guess words18 words

  • ⛰️ Sermon on the Mount
  • ✨ Beatitudes
  • 🙇 Poor in Spirit
  • 🕊️ Meek
  • 😢 Mourn
  • 🤝 Peacemakers
  • 🤍 Pure in Heart
  • 💗 Merciful
  • 🧂 Salt of the Earth
  • 💡 Light of the World
  • 🏙️ City on a Hill
  • 🧺 Bushel
  • 🔥 Altar
  • 🙂 Other Cheek
  • 🛣️ Second Mile
  • 😠 Enemies
  • 🏔️ Perfect
  • 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Twelve Apostles
Clues for each word
  • Sermon on the Mount: Jesus’s great sermon in Matthew 5–7
  • Beatitudes: The “Blessed are…” list
  • Poor in Spirit: Humble, knowing you need God
  • Meek: They shall inherit the earth
  • Mourn: Those who do this shall be comforted
  • Peacemakers: Called the children of God
  • Pure in Heart: They shall see God
  • Merciful: They shall obtain mercy
  • Salt of the Earth: Useless if it loses its savour
  • Light of the World: Don’t hide it under a bushel
  • City on a Hill: It cannot be hid
  • Bushel: What not to put a candle under
  • Altar: Leave your gift here and go make peace first
  • Other Cheek: Turn it instead of hitting back
  • Second Mile: Go with him twain
  • Enemies: Love them, bless them, pray for them
  • Perfect: Complete, finished, fully developed
  • Twelve Apostles: Chosen after Jesus prayed all night
▶ Play Forehead GuessFull screen, 60-second timer, works on any phone.

Scripture Showdown9 questions

  1. According to Matthew 5:5, what will the meek inherit?
    • A. The earth
    • B. A kingdom of gold
    • C. Their fathers’ lands
    Show answer

    ✅ A. The earth Matthew 5:5. Meekness isn’t weakness; it’s strength under God’s control.

  2. What did Jesus promise the pure in heart?
    • A. They shall be filled
    • B. They shall be comforted
    • C. They shall see God
    Show answer

    ✅ C. They shall see God Matthew 5:8. Purity starts in the heart and thoughts.

  3. Peacemakers shall be called what?
    • A. Friends of the king
    • B. The children of God
    • C. Wise and prudent
    Show answer

    ✅ B. The children of God Matthew 5:9.

  4. What does the Book of Mormon add to “blessed are the poor in spirit”?
    • A. “Who come unto me”
    • B. “In the last days”
    • C. “Who pay tithing”
    Show answer

    ✅ A. “Who come unto me” 3 Nephi 12:3. The blessing comes from coming to Christ.

  5. What did Jesus say salt that has lost its savour is good for?
    • A. Cooking
    • B. Healing wounds
    • C. Nothing, but to be trodden under foot
    Show answer

    ✅ C. Nothing, but to be trodden under foot Matthew 5:13. A disciple who blends in completely loses what made them useful.

  6. Before offering your gift at the altar, what should you do first?
    • A. Wash your hands
    • B. Be reconciled to your brother
    • C. Pay the priest
    Show answer

    ✅ B. Be reconciled to your brother Matthew 5:23–24. Great counsel before the sacrament.

  7. If someone compels you to go a mile, Jesus says to…
    • A. Go with him twain
    • B. Refuse politely
    • C. Ask for payment
    Show answer

    ✅ A. Go with him twain Matthew 5:41: twain means two. Do more than you’re forced to.

  8. The footnote says “perfect” in Matthew 5:48 means…
    • A. Never making mistakes
    • B. Famous and admired
    • C. Complete, finished, fully developed
    Show answer

    ✅ C. Complete, finished, fully developed It’s a destination we reach through Christ, not a daily grade.

  9. What did Jesus do the night before choosing the Twelve?
    • A. Fasted in the desert
    • B. Prayed all night on a mountain
    • C. Fished on the lake
    Show answer

    ✅ B. Prayed all night on a mountain Luke 6:12–13. A big decision deserved a whole night of prayer.

▶ Play Scripture ShowdownTeams take turns on one screen.

From general conference

“If we admit that honestly and are trying to improve, we are not hypocrites; we are human.”

— Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, “Be Ye Therefore Perfect—Eventually,” October 2017

Read it in the Perfect… Eventually discussion, right after the question about pressure to be flawless.

Read the talk ↗
“If we persevere, then somewhere in eternity our refinement will be finished and complete—which is the New Testament meaning of perfection.”

— Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, “Be Ye Therefore Perfect—Eventually,” October 2017

Read it at the end of the Case Files, after the footnote on Matthew 5:48, or in your testimony.

Read the talk ↗

Songs

  • I’m Trying to Be like Jesus Children’s Songbook, p. 78

    Jeffrey R. Holland mentions this song in his talk on perfection: honestly trying is what the Lord asks. Find it ↗

  • Count Your Blessings Hymns, no. 241

    After the Beatitudes, ask: which blessings would Jesus count? Find it ↗

  • Choose the Right Hymns, no. 239

    Four cases, four heart-level choices. Find it ↗

This week’s challenge

One Beatitude, One Week

Pick the Beatitude you most need to grow into. Each day this week, do one small thing that lives it (a peacemaking text, a merciful choice, a real prayer when you feel poor in spirit). Go the second mile once for someone who can’t pay you back. And notice one place you’re demanding perfection of yourself, and trade it for steady improvement with the Savior’s help.

Text the parents

Today in class we studied the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5). We compared the world’s “#blessed” with Jesus’s Beatitudes, worked through real-life cases of His higher law, and learned that “be ye therefore perfect” means becoming complete through Christ over time. Your youth chose one Beatitude to live this week. Ask: “Which Beatitude did you pick, and why that one?”

📝 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?

⚖️ Blessings and Woes · 5 min

  1. Read Luke 6:20–26. Match each blessing with its opposite woe.
  2. Ask: “Why would Jesus say woe to people who are full, rich, laughing and well spoken of? Is He against good things?”
  3. Discuss Luke 6:26 in a world of likes and followers.

🌌 All Night Before a Big Decision · 5 min

  1. Read Luke 6:12–13: Jesus prayed all night before choosing the Twelve.
  2. Ask: “What big decisions are coming for you in the next two years?” (school, mission, work, relationships)
  3. Invite each youth to plan one extended, unhurried prayer about a decision this month, and to write down what comes.

🎧 Pick a Beatitude Talk · 3 min

  1. Offer three conference talks the manual pairs with the Beatitudes: Jeffrey R. Holland, “Broken Things to Mend” (April 2006, poor in spirit); Dale G. Renlund, “Through God’s Eyes” (October 2015, mourning); Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “The Merciful Obtain Mercy” (April 2012, merciful).
  2. Let volunteers each choose one to read or listen to this week.
  3. Next week, give each volunteer 60 seconds to teach one idea from their talk.

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 16–18 lessons