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An Honest and Good Heart

Four kinds of ground, a parable-decoding skill, a pearl auction, and why the Lord lets wheat and tares grow together

  • 🏔️ Youth 16–18
  • Week 12
  • 📅 Sunday, March 21, 2027
🤔 Forehead Guess🏆 Showdown
💡 The big idea

The word of God is always good seed; what we become depends on the ground we prepare, the roots we grow ourselves, and how much we’re willing to give for the kingdom of heaven.

I can make my heart good ground by clearing out the thorns, growing roots of my own testimony, and treating the gospel like the pearl it is.

Study it yourself firstRead Matthew 13; Luke 8; 13 in Gospel LibraryCome, Follow Me manualOpen this week (Matthew 13; Luke 8; 13)
Know the chapters

Matthew 13 gathers the Savior’s parables of the kingdom: the sower, the wheat and the tares, the mustard seed, the leaven, the treasure hidden in a field, the pearl of great price, and the net. Luke 8 repeats the sower and adds the women who ministered to Jesus “of their substance” (Luke 8:1–3). Luke 13 adds a barren fig tree given one more year (13:6–9), a woman bent over for eighteen years whom Jesus “loosed” on the Sabbath (13:11–17), and a question about how many will be saved, which Jesus answers with “Strive to enter in at the strait gate” (13:24).

The parable of the sower is really about the soil. The seed is the same every time; the difference is the ground. Jesus explains it Himself in Matthew 13:18–23: the wayside is someone who hears and doesn’t understand; stony ground receives the word with joy, “yet hath he not root in himself,” and falls away under pressure; thorns are “the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches” (Luke 8:14 adds “pleasures of this life”); good ground hears, understands, and bears fruit. Luke 8:15 describes good ground as an “honest and good heart” that bears fruit “with patience.” Alma 32:28–43 builds on the same image, comparing the word to a seed we nourish until it becomes a tree of life.

The wheat and the tares (Matthew 13:24–30, 36–43) needs a note. A tare was a weed that looks like wheat until it matures, so pulling it early would tear up wheat too. In D&C 86:1–7 the Lord applies the parable to the latter days: He holds back the angels from pulling up the tares while the wheat is still tender, lest the wheat be destroyed, and He will gather the wheat first. Elder Neil L. Andersen taught from this parable in “Drawing Closer to the Savior” (October 2022), including a tender reminder to be patient with ourselves as young wheat. The manual also points to the chapter on these parables in Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith.

For 16–18-year-olds, “not root in himself” is the heart of the lesson. Many have lived on their parents’ testimonies, seminary, and a strong youth group. Within a year or two they may be on missions, at college, or living on their own, where borrowed roots won’t hold. Be honest that everyone’s testimony starts partly borrowed, and that is fine; the goal now is to grow roots of their own through personal prayer, scripture study, and acting on what they believe. The pearl of great price (Matthew 13:45–46) asks the other big question for this age: what are you willing to give for the kingdom?

Only have 5 minutes?

Read Matthew 13:1–23 and 13:44–46. Open with Same Seed, let Teach Mode carry the sower scene, do the Soil Check corners, and run the Pearl Auction straight from the screen. Skip the Decode a Parable pairs if time is short, but keep two discussion questions and end with Luke 8:15. Brought nothing? Tap “I brought nothing”: you read each kingdom parable aloud and the class decodes it together.

What to bring2 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 13:1–23 and notice that Jesus explains this parable Himself in verses 18–23.
  2. Read the short kingdom parables (Matthew 13:31–33, 44–50) and decide which pair gets which.
  3. Text a Narrator before Sunday for the sower scene, and ask a dramatic volunteer to play the Sun.
  4. Optional: read Elder Neil L. Andersen, “Drawing Closer to the Savior” (October 2022). You’ll read three short sentences from it in the discussion.
  5. Think of when your own testimony started to grow roots of its own, not just your parents’ or friends’.

If your class is wild

  • The Birds, the Sun, and the Thorns are the fun roles. Let them ham it up; the Good Ground crew should stand tall and still at the end.
  • Soil Check is about how they received one talk or lesson, not how good a person they are. Say that out loud before anyone moves.
  • The Pearl Auction gets loud and competitive. That’s the point. Let the bidding war happen, then bring it down fast for the reveal.
  • Some youth feel like their testimony is thin. Don’t let the lesson turn into “stony ground people are bad.” Stony ground can describe a stage many of us pass through.
  • Let youth teach: each pair teaches their parable in the decoding step, and a youth leads the discussion.

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

Same Seed

3 min

A simple puzzle about a perfect seed with mostly failed results points everyone’s attention to the ground, not the seed.

  1. Show the screen. Say: “A farmer plants perfect seed in four places. Three out of four fail. Whose fault is it?”
  2. Take guesses. Push back on each: “But the seed was perfect.”
  3. Ask: “Think of the last talk, lesson, or scripture you heard that did nothing for you. Was it the seed or the ground?” (No one has to answer out loud.)
  4. SAY“Jesus told a story about exactly this. Spoiler: it’s not about the farmer.”

Class screen: 🌱 Perfect seed. Four places. Three fail. Why? · 🛤️ Path · 🪨 Rocks · 🌵 Thorns · 🟫 Good ground

2. Story

Scripture Scene: A Sower Went Forth to Sow

6 min

Acting out the parable of the sower and Jesus’s own explanation shows that the difference is always in the ground.

  1. Hand out roles (tap Roles in Teach Mode). The Sower is a farmer in the parable; the Narrator reads the Savior’s explanation.
  2. Your Narrator reads each scene while the cast acts.
  3. After scene 4, ask: “The rocky-ground plants grew fastest. Why did that not help?” (No roots. Fast is not the same as deep.)
  4. After scene 7, ask: “What are the hard path, rocks, and thorns for someone your age?”
  5. SAY“The seed didn’t change once. The ground is the part we get to work on.”
🌪️ If the Birds get too wild, give them a rule: they can only snatch seed while the Sun’s arms are down.

Class screen: 🎭 A sower, four kinds of ground, one seed · Matthew 13:3–9, 18–23

3. Wiggle break

Soil Check

2 min

Choosing a corner helps youth honestly assess how they received the word lately, without judging themselves or anyone else.

  1. Name four corners: Path · Rocks · Thorns · Good ground.
  2. SAY“Think about how you received last Sunday’s sacrament meeting, or your last personal scripture study. Go to the corner that fits. This is about one moment, not who you are.”
  3. Ask each corner: “What’s one thing that could turn this spot into better ground?” (Put the phone away, ask a question, write one thing down, pray first.)
  4. SAY“Soil can change. That’s the good news.”

Class screen: 🧭 How did you receive the word lately? · 🛤️ Path · 🪨 Rocks · 🌵 Thorns · 🟫 Good ground

4. Scripture

Decode a Parable

5 min

Youth learn a reusable skill for studying parables and then teach each other the kingdom parables in Matthew 13.

  1. Show the four decoding steps: 1. Spot the details. 2. Match each to something spiritual. 3. Ask what the Lord is saying. 4. Make it personal.
  2. Give each pair one parable: mustard seed (13:31–32) · leaven (13:33) · treasure in a field (13:44) · pearl (13:45–46) · net (13:47–50). Start the Big Timer for 90 seconds.
  3. Each pair teaches the class in 30 seconds: “The kingdom of heaven is like ___, which means ___, and for me that means ___.”
  4. Ask: “Treasure and pearl: one man stumbled onto it, one was out searching. Which is more like your story?”
⏱️ Big Timer (a class game in the Gospel Sparks app)

Class screen: 🔍 Spot · Match · Hear · Apply · Mustard seed 13:31–32 · Leaven 13:33 · Treasure 13:44 · Pearl 13:45–46 · Net 13:47–50

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: Scriptures: the youth’s own Gospel Library app, or a printed Bible for each pair

Decode It Together

  1. Show the four decoding steps: 1. Spot the details. 2. Match each to something spiritual. 3. Ask what the Lord is saying. 4. Make it personal.
  2. Read the mustard seed (Matthew 13:31–32) from your own scriptures. Walk the class through all four steps together.
  3. Read the leaven, treasure, and pearl (13:33, 44–46). After each, a different youth leads the four steps out loud.
  4. Ask: “Treasure and pearl: one man stumbled onto it, one was out searching. Which is more like your story?”

Class screen: 🔍 Spot · Match · Hear · Apply · Matthew 13:31–33, 44–46

5. Game

Pearl Auction

4 min

A bidding war shows what youth value most, then sets it against a merchant who gave everything for one pearl.

  1. Two or three teams. Each team has 1,000 points to spend. Show the items and auction them one at a time; highest bid wins.
  2. Items: a perfect GPA · a million followers · a full-ride scholarship · your dream car · never feeling lonely · a sure testimony of Jesus Christ · an eternal family.
  3. Keep a quick tally. When the points run out, read Matthew 13:45–46.
  4. Ask: “The merchant didn’t bid a lot. He sold all that he had. What’s the difference?” Then: “What do people your age give up for the gospel, and what do they get?”
🌪️ If one team goes all in on the first item, let them. Their “regret” when the testimony comes up is the best teaching moment in the lesson.

Class screen: 💎 1,000 points. What will you bid on? · Perfect GPA · A million followers · Full-ride scholarship · Dream car · Never feeling lonely · A sure testimony of Jesus Christ · An eternal family

6. Talk it over

Real Talk

3 min

Honest questions connect roots, thorns, and the wheat and tares to what youth are facing as they head toward independence.

  1. Sit in a circle. A youth discussion leader reads the questions and calls on people.
  2. Before the wheat-and-tares question, briefly explain the parable (Matthew 13:24–30) and read Elder Neil L. Andersen’s three sentences from this lesson’s conference quote.
  3. Pick two or three. Let silence work, and share one honest answer yourself.
💬 Ask the class
  • Matthew 13:21 says “not root in himself.” What’s the difference between believing because your family or friends do and having roots of your own? What actually grows roots?
  • What are the thorns for people our age? Which one chokes out the word fastest?
  • Why would the Lord let wheat and tares grow together instead of pulling out the bad right now? What does that say about how patient He is with us?
  • Luke 8:15 says good ground bears fruit “with patience.” Where do you need to be more patient with your own growth?

Class screen: 💬 Real talk

7. Testimony

Good Ground

2 min

A quiet, private commitment invites each youth to work on their own ground this week.

  1. Wait for real quiet. Show Luke 8:15 on the screen and teach the memory hooks. Say it together once.
  2. SAY“Pick one thing, just one, that would make your ground better this week. Pull a thorn, grow a root, or soften the path. Don’t say it; decide it.” Give 15 seconds.
  3. Share when your own testimony started to grow roots of its own. Testify that the seed is good and the Lord is patient with young wheat.
  4. Introduce the challenge and ask a youth to pray.

Class screen: 🌾 An honest and good heart brings forth fruit with patience. · Luke 8:15

8. Game

Scripture Showdown

5 minBONUS

A team quiz reviews Matthew 13 and Luke 8 and 13.

  1. Split into two teams. Tap Scripture Showdown.
  2. Teams get 10 seconds to agree. Bonus point if they can name the verse.
▶ Play Scripture Showdown on the web

Class screen: 🏆 Scripture Showdown: Matthew 13; Luke 8; 13

Story drama

A Sower Went Forth to Sow

Matthew 13:3–9, 18–23 ↗

Parts to hand out

  • NarratorReads each scene, including the Savior’s explanation at the end. No one plays Jesus.
  • The SowerA farmer in the parable who scatters seed everywhere, generously, without checking the ground.
  • BirdsSwoop in and snatch the seed from the hard path.
  • The SunRises slowly and scorches the plants with shallow roots.
  • ThornsGrow up around the seedlings and slowly squeeze them.
  • SeedsEveryone else: land on different ground and grow, wither, or bear fruit.

Scenes

  1. 🧑‍🌾 A sower went forth to sow

    Jesus sat in a boat near the shore and taught a huge crowd with a story. A farmer went out to sow. He threw the seed generously, and it landed everywhere: on the path, on rocks, in the weeds, and in good soil.

    🎬 The Sower walks across the room tossing invisible seed. Seeds crouch down wherever they’re “thrown”: some near the door, some by the chairs, some in a corner, some in the middle.

  2. 🐦 Some fell by the wayside

    Some seed fell on the hard path where people walk. It never even got into the ground. Birds came and ate it up.

    🎬 The Birds swoop in, flap, and “carry off” the Seeds near the door, who fall over.

  3. 🪨🌱 Some fell on stony places

    Some fell on rocky ground with only a thin layer of soil. It sprang up fast, faster than anything else. But it had no depth of earth.

    🎬 The Seeds by the chairs spring up quickly with big smiles and arms in the air.

  4. ☀️🥀 No root, so they withered

    Then the sun came up hot. The fast-growing plants had no roots, so they were scorched and withered away.

    🎬 The Sun rises slowly and glares. The stony-ground Seeds wilt, droop, and slump to the floor.

  5. 🌵 Some fell among thorns

    Some fell among thorns. The seed grew, but the thorns grew too, and they grew faster. Slowly, they choked it.

    🎬 The Thorns stand close around the Seeds in the corner and slowly close in until the Seeds are squeezed and can’t move.

  6. 🌾 Some fell into good ground

    But some fell on good ground. It grew and grew, and it produced a harvest: some a hundred times what was planted, some sixty, some thirty.

    🎬 The Seeds in the middle rise slowly, stand tall, and spread their arms like full grain heads.

  7. 👂❤️ Jesus explains: the ground is the heart

    Later Jesus explained it. The seed is the word of God. The path is someone who hears but doesn’t understand, and the wicked one snatches it away. Rocky ground receives it with joy but has no root of its own, and falls away when trouble comes. The thorns are the cares of the world and the lure of riches. Good ground is the one who hears, understands, and bears fruit.

    🎬 Each group stands up as the Narrator names their ground. Ask everyone: “Same seed every time. What made the difference?”

Key verse

Luke 8:15 ↗
“But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.”
In plain words: Good ground is an honest, good heart that hears God’s word, holds on to it, and keeps growing, patiently.
🙌 Memory hooks: “good ground” = flat palm like soil · “honest and good heart” = hand on heart · “having heard the word” = hand cupped to ear · “keep it” = closed fist held close · “bring forth fruit with patience” = hands rise slowly like a growing plant.

More verses

Matthew 13:21 ↗
“Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.”
In plain words: A testimony without its own roots lasts for a while, but when hard times or pressure come, it falls away.
Matthew 13:22 ↗
“the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.”
In plain words: Worry, busyness, and wanting more stuff can choke out what God is growing in you.
Matthew 13:30 ↗
“Let both grow together until the harvest”
In plain words: The Lord lets good and evil grow side by side for now, and He will sort it out Himself at the harvest.
Matthew 13:45–46 ↗
“the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.”
In plain words: The kingdom of heaven is worth everything. When the merchant found it, he gave all he had to get it.

Forehead Guess words17 words

  • 🧑‍🌾 Sower
  • 🛤️ Wayside
  • 🪨 Stony ground
  • 🌳 Roots
  • 🌵 Thorns
  • 🟫 Good ground
  • 💯 Hundredfold
  • 🌿 Tares
  • 🌾 Wheat
  • 🌰 Mustard seed
  • 🍞 Leaven
  • 🪙 Hidden treasure
  • 💎 Pearl of great price
  • 🎣 Net
  • 🌳 Fig tree
  • 🚪 Strait gate
  • 🧎 Bent woman
Clues for each word
  • Sower: Scattered seed on every kind of ground
  • Wayside: Hard path where birds ate the seed
  • Stony ground: Sprang up fast, but no depth of earth
  • Roots: “Yet hath he not ___ in himself”
  • Thorns: Cares of the world that choke the word
  • Good ground: An honest and good heart
  • Hundredfold: The biggest harvest from good ground
  • Tares: Weeds that look like wheat until harvest
  • Wheat: Gathered into the barn
  • Mustard seed: Tiny seed that becomes a tree for birds
  • Leaven: Hidden in meal until the whole was risen
  • Hidden treasure: A man sold everything to buy the field
  • Pearl of great price: The merchant sold all he had for it
  • Net: Gathered fish of every kind
  • Fig tree: No fruit for three years, given one more
  • Strait gate: “Strive to enter in” at it
  • Bent woman: Couldn’t lift herself for eighteen years
▶ Play Forehead GuessFull screen, 60-second timer, works on any phone.

Scripture Showdown10 questions

  1. In the parable of the sower, what is the seed?
    • A. Money
    • B. The word of God
    • C. Good works
    Show answer

    ✅ B. The word of God Matthew 13:19; Luke 8:11. The seed is always good; the ground varies.

  2. What happened to seed that fell by the wayside?
    • A. Birds devoured it
    • B. It grew tall
    • C. It was scorched
    Show answer

    ✅ A. Birds devoured it Matthew 13:4. It never got into the ground at all.

  3. Why did the plants on stony ground wither?
    • A. Too much rain
    • B. Birds ate them
    • C. They had no root
    Show answer

    ✅ C. They had no root Matthew 13:6, 21. Fast growth, shallow roots.

  4. What do the thorns stand for?
    • A. Persecution
    • B. The care of this world and riches
    • C. False prophets
    Show answer

    ✅ B. The care of this world and riches Matthew 13:22. Luke 8:14 adds the pleasures of this life.

  5. Why didn’t the householder let his servants pull up the tares?
    • A. They might root up the wheat
    • B. He liked tares
    • C. It was the Sabbath
    Show answer

    ✅ A. They might root up the wheat Matthew 13:29. They’d be sorted at the harvest.

  6. What did the merchant do when he found the pearl of great price?
    • A. Hid it in a field
    • B. Gave it away
    • C. Sold all that he had and bought it
    Show answer

    ✅ C. Sold all that he had and bought it Matthew 13:46. The kingdom is worth everything.

  7. Luke 8:15 says good ground is an honest and good…
    • A. mind
    • B. heart
    • C. family
    Show answer

    ✅ B. heart It keeps the word and bears fruit with patience.

  8. The kingdom is like a tiny seed that grows into a tree. Which seed?
    • A. Mustard
    • B. Fig
    • C. Olive
    Show answer

    ✅ A. Mustard Matthew 13:31–32. Birds come and lodge in its branches.

  9. How long had the woman in Luke 13 been bent over?
    • A. Twelve years
    • B. Three years
    • C. Eighteen years
    Show answer

    ✅ C. Eighteen years Luke 13:11–13. Jesus said, “Woman, thou art loosed.”

  10. What did Jesus say about the strait gate?
    • A. Wait until it opens
    • B. Strive to enter in
    • C. Only a few may try
    Show answer

    ✅ B. Strive to enter in Luke 13:24. He answered a question about numbers with an invitation to effort.

▶ Play Scripture ShowdownTeams take turns on one screen.

From general conference

“You may at times not feel like a strong, mature strand of wheat. Be patient with yourself! The Lord said that the wheat would include tender blades springing up.”

— Elder Neil L. Andersen, “Drawing Closer to the Savior,” October 2022

Read in Real Talk, right before the wheat-and-tares question.

Read the talk ↗

Songs

  • How Firm a Foundation Hymns, no. 85

    A hymn about being rooted and grounded, for a lesson about roots of our own. Find it ↗

  • Come, Follow Me Hymns, no. 116

    Good ground doesn’t just hear the word; it follows. Find it ↗

This week’s challenge

Grow a Root

This week, do one thing to grow a root that’s yours alone: pray about one specific gospel truth and write what you feel, or study one parable from Matthew 13 using the four decoding steps. And pull one thorn: name one care, habit, or app that’s choking the word, and cut it back for seven days.

Text the parents

This week we acted out the parable of the sower, learned four steps for decoding a parable, and held a “pearl auction” to see what we value most (Matthew 13). Ask your teen: what’s the difference between a testimony with roots of its own and one that’s borrowed, and what would they bid on in the auction?

📝 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?

🌿 Draw the Wheat and the Tares · 5 min

  1. Have pairs sketch the parable in Matthew 13:24–30 and label it using Jesus’s own explanation in 13:36–43.
  2. Then read D&C 86:1–7 and add what the Lord teaches about the latter days: pluck not the tares while the blade is tender, and gather the wheat first.
  3. Ask: “Why would the Lord protect young wheat so carefully?”

🌳 One More Year · 3 min

  1. Read Luke 13:6–9. The owner wants the barren tree cut down; the gardener asks for one more year to dig and fertilize.
  2. Ask: “Who is the gardener? What does it say about how the Savior pleads for us?”
  3. Ask: “What’s one thing the Lord might be ‘digging around’ in your life right now?”

🧎 Woman, Thou Art Loosed · 3 min

  1. Read Luke 13:11–17. She couldn’t lift herself for eighteen years.
  2. Ask: “What bends people our age over? What does it look like for Jesus to loose them?”

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