Gospel Sparks Get the app

We Have Seen the Lord

Walk with the first witnesses of the empty tomb, from Mary’s garden to Thomas’s “My Lord and my God,” and ask what it takes to become a witness yourself

  • 🏔️ Youth 16–18
  • Week 13
  • 📅 Sunday, March 28, 2027
🤔 Forehead Guess🏆 Showdown
💡 The big idea

Jesus Christ truly rose from the dead; many witnesses in the Bible, the Book of Mormon, and our day testify of it, and the Holy Ghost can make each of us a witness too.

I can study the witnesses of the Resurrection, seek my own witness through the Holy Ghost, and live and testify like someone who knows He lives.

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

The manual invites a day-by-day walk through the last week of the Savior’s mortal life. Be honest that we don’t know exactly which day some events happened. There’s the triumphal entry in Matthew 21:1–11 and cleansing the temple in 21:12–16. There’s the parable of the wedding feast in 22:1–14, and “ye have done it unto me” in 25:31–46. Matthew 26 has the anointing, the Last Supper and Gethsemane. Matthew 27 has the Crucifixion. While His body lay in the tomb, He ministered among the spirits of the dead. See 1 Peter 3:18–20 and D&C 138. Then comes the Resurrection, in Matthew 28, Luke 24 and John 20. It all happened during Passover, the feast that remembered Israel’s escape from slavery. And the Lamb of God delivered all people from sin and death.

Today’s scripture scene follows the first witnesses. Mary Magdalene finds the stone rolled away. She runs for Peter and John, who race to the tomb. They find the grave clothes lying in place and the head cloth folded by itself. That’s not the scene of a hurried theft, in John 20:1–10. Mary stays, weeping, and the risen Lord speaks her name, in 20:11–18. The Joseph Smith Translation of John 20:17 renders His words to her as “Hold me not.” That evening, two disciples walk to Emmaus. Their hearts burn as a stranger opens the scriptures. They recognize Him when He breaks bread, in Luke 24:13–35. Thomas missed that night and insists on seeing and touching. A week later the Savior invites him to do exactly that. Then He blesses those who believe without seeing, in John 20:24–29. John says these accounts were written “that ye might believe,” in John 20:31.

We have a remarkable number of witnesses. Paul lists appearances to Cephas, the Twelve, over five hundred at once, James and himself, in 1 Corinthians 15:5–8. In the Book of Mormon, a multitude at Bountiful came one by one to feel the prints in His hands and feet, in 3 Nephi 11:8–17. Joseph Smith saw the Father and the Son, in Joseph Smith—History 1:17. Later he testified with Sidney Rigdon, “That he lives!” in D&C 76:22–23. In 2000 the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve issued “The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles.”

For 16–18-year-olds, be honest. The Resurrection is received by faith, not proved in a lab. But this faith isn’t blind. It rests on many witnesses. And the Holy Ghost confirms it personally, with the same burning the Emmaus disciples felt. See Luke 24:32 and Moroni 10:5. Some in your class may have lost a grandparent, parent or friend. The promise is for them: “in Christ shall all be made alive,” in 1 Corinthians 15:22. Body and spirit will be reunited in perfect form, in Alma 11:43–44. Several will soon testify of the Resurrection as missionaries. Keep the class reverent and joyful.

Only have 5 minutes?

Read John 20 and Luke 24:13–35. Open with What Would It Take? Then tell the story from Teach Mode, pausing on the question under each picture. Read 1 Corinthians 15:20–22 and 55. Keep two Real Talk questions. Save the last three minutes for testimony. Brought nothing? Tap “I brought nothing.” Every step works from the screen and your own scriptures.

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 John 20 and Luke 24:13–35 slowly. Practice telling the eight scenes in your own words. Notice how each witness recognizes the Savior differently.
  2. You might invite a returned missionary, a recent convert or a youth who lost someone to share one sentence. Why does the Resurrection matter to them? Ask ahead. Never surprise anyone.
  3. Prepare your own short testimony of the living Christ. This is the lesson to share it plainly. If you have time, read “The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles.”

If your class is wild

  • Tell the story. Don’t read it word for word. Look up at the class and let each scene’s question sit a few seconds before anyone answers.
  • Easter energy can go two ways, sugar-high or sleepy. If the class needs to move, run the Line Up the Week bonus before the story.
  • Thomas isn’t a villain. Many teens relate to him, and Jesus met him where he was. Treat honest questions with respect.
  • Some youth are grieving. Keep the tone hopeful. Don’t ask anyone to talk about a loss unless they offer.
  • Let youth lead. One leads a Real Talk question, one runs the bonus line-up, and one says the closing prayer.

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

What Would It Take?

2 min

Asking what evidence they’d need sets youth up to notice that the Easter accounts give exactly that kind of witness.

  1. SAY“Imagine a friend tells you something. Someone who died on Friday is alive on Sunday. What would it take for you to believe it?”
  2. Take quick answers. Then show the list on the screen. See Him, hear Him, touch Him, eat with Him, many people, a skeptic, changed lives.
  3. SAY“Keep that list in your head. Today the scriptures give us every one of those.”

Class screen: 🤔 What would it take for you to believe? · See him · Hear him · Touch him · Eat with him · Many people see him · A skeptic sees him · It changes people

2. Story

The Story: We Have Seen the Lord

9 min

Telling John 20 and Luke 24 as one Sunday, with a question at every scene, lets youth walk with the first witnesses and notice how differently each came to know He lives.

  1. SAY“It’s Sunday morning, still dark. Jesus was crucified on Friday. Let’s walk with the first people who found out what happened next.”
  2. Tell each scene in your own words from Teach Mode. Pause on the question under each picture. Take one or two answers.
  3. After scene 4, ask, “Mary thought He was the gardener. What made her recognize Him?” He said her name.
  4. After scene 8, go back to the hook list. Ask, “Which of these did the witnesses get?” All of them.
  5. Ask, “A name, a burning heart, broken bread, touching the wounds. Which is most like how you’ve felt Him?”
🌪️ If attention dips on the Emmaus road, set the bread on the table. Ask, “What would you have asked the stranger?”

Class screen: 🌅 The first witnesses of the risen Lord · John 20:1–29 · Luke 24:13–35

3. Scripture

O Grave, Where Is Thy Victory?

4 min

Reading Paul’s witness shows what the Resurrection means for every person who has ever lived, including the people youth have lost.

  1. SAY“Some Saints in Corinth doubted the Resurrection. So Paul listed witnesses.”
  2. Pairs read 1 Corinthians 15:3–8 and count them.
  3. Check the count. Cephas, the Twelve, over 500 at once, James, all the apostles and Paul.
  4. Read 15:20–22 together. Ask, “Who will be resurrected?” Everyone. It’s a free gift because of Him.
  5. Read 15:55 aloud together. Say, “Because of Easter, death doesn’t get the last word. Not for anyone we love.” Teach Matthew 28:6 with the memory hooks.

Class screen: 🪦➡️🌅 “O grave, where is thy victory?” · 1 Corinthians 15:3–8, 20–22, 55 · Matthew 28:6

No supplies? Do this instead

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

Count the Witnesses

  1. SAY“Hold up a finger for every witness you hear.”
  2. Read 1 Corinthians 15:3–8 from your scriptures. Count Cephas, the Twelve, over 500, James, all the apostles and Paul.
  3. Read 15:20–22. Ask, “Who will be resurrected?” Everyone. It’s a free gift because of Him.
  4. Have everyone say 15:55 with you, phrase by phrase: “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?”
  5. Teach Matthew 28:6 with the memory hooks. Say it together once.

Class screen: ☝️ Hold up a finger for every witness. · 1 Corinthians 15:3–8

4. Talk it over

Real Talk

5 min

Honest questions help youth move from knowing the accounts to seeking, and sharing, their own witness.

  1. SAY“Let’s be honest with each other. Questions are welcome here, and there are no wrong answers.”
  2. Pick two or three questions. Invite a youth to read one and call on people.
  3. Let silence work. Share one honest answer of your own.
💬 Ask the class
  • Thomas wanted proof. Jesus gave it, and then blessed those who believe without seeing. What moved Thomas from doubt to “My Lord and my God”?
  • The Emmaus disciples felt their hearts burn before they recognized Him. When have you felt something like that?
  • Say a friend asks, “Do you actually believe Jesus rose from the dead?” What would you honestly say?
  • How does knowing He lives change how you face death, loss, or your own mistakes?
  • Mary ran to tell the others. What would it look like to “run and tell” this week, without being weird about it?

Class screen: 💬 Real talk

5. Testimony

That He Lives

3 min

Ending with the testimony of living Apostles and the teacher’s own witness invites each youth to seek and share theirs.

  1. SAY“The first witnesses saw Him. Latter-day Apostles testify of Him. And the same Holy Ghost that made hearts burn at Emmaus can make you a witness too.”
  2. Wait for real quiet. Read the sentence from “The Living Christ” in the conference quote.
  3. Share your testimony of the living Christ, plainly and briefly. If someone agreed ahead of time, invite their one sentence.
  4. Introduce the challenge and ask a youth to pray. If there’s time, sing “I Know That My Redeemer Lives” first.

Class screen: 🌅 He is risen. He lives. · Matthew 28:6

6. Wiggle break

Line Up the Week

3 minBONUS

If the class needs to move, putting Holy Week in order helps youth see the whole path from Palm Sunday to the empty tomb. Use it before the story.

  1. SAY“Each of you, claim one event on the screen. Then line up across the front, in the order it happened. You’ve got sixty seconds.”
  2. Start the Big Timer.
  3. Check together. Triumphal entry, temple cleansing, wedding feast, “unto me,” Last Supper. Then Gethsemane, Crucifixion, spirit world and empty tomb.
  4. Ask Gethsemane and the Crucifixion to stay standing.
  5. SAY“Easter morning only means something because of these two.”
⏱️ Big Timer (a class game in the Gospel Sparks app)

Class screen: 📅 Line up the Savior’s last week in order. · The empty tomb · Gethsemane · Triumphal entry · Preaching to the spirits · The Last Supper · Cleansing the temple · The Crucifixion · “Ye have done it unto me” · Wedding feast parable

7. Game

Scripture Showdown

5 minBONUS

A team quiz reviews the events of Easter week and the witnesses of the Resurrection.

  1. SAY“Two teams. You get ten seconds to agree on each answer.”
  2. Tap Scripture Showdown. Give a bonus point if a team can name the chapter.
▶ Play Scripture Showdown on the web

Class screen: 🏆 Scripture Showdown: Easter Week

Story and questions

We Have Seen the Lord

John 20:1–29; Luke 24:13–35 ↗

Scenes

  1. 🌑🪨 Early, when it was yet dark

    It was very early on the first day of the week. Still dark. Mary Magdalene came to the tomb. The stone had been rolled away. She ran to Peter and John. They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, she said. And we don’t know where they’ve put Him!

    🙌 If you were Mary, what would you think had happened?

  2. 🏃🏃 Peter and John race to the tomb

    Peter and John ran. John was faster. He got there first, stooped down, and saw the linen clothes lying there. But he didn’t go in. Peter ran straight in. The grave clothes were lying in place. The cloth from His head was folded by itself. Then John went in too. And he saw, and believed.

    🙌 Notice the folded head cloth. Does this look like a robbery?

  3. 😢🌿 “Woman, why weepest thou?”

    Mary stayed outside the tomb, crying. Two angels in white sat where His body had lain. They asked why she wept. Then she turned and saw someone standing there. She thought He was the gardener. She said, “Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.”

    🙌 Why might Mary not know Him at first?

  4. 💛 “Mary.” “Rabboni!”

    Then He said one word. Mary. She knew Him instantly. She cried out, Rabboni, which means Master. He sent her to His brethren with a message. “I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.” She ran and told the disciples. She had seen the Lord.

    🙌 Ask quietly, “How would it feel to hear Him say your name?”

  5. 🛤️ Two disciples walk sadly to Emmaus

    That same day, two disciples walked to a village called Emmaus. They were talking about everything that had happened. A stranger joined them. He asked why they were so sad. We had hoped He was the one who would redeem Israel, they said. Then the stranger explained everything the scriptures said about the Christ. He started with Moses and all the prophets.

    🙌 They had hoped, and now felt it was over. Ever felt that way?

  6. 🍞🔥 Known in the breaking of bread

    When they reached the village, they begged Him to stay. At supper, He took bread. He blessed it, broke it, and gave it to them. And suddenly they knew Him. Then He was gone. They said to each other, didn’t our hearts burn within us while He talked with us? While He opened the scriptures? They hurried back to Jerusalem that same hour.

    🙌 When have you felt your heart burn while learning about Him?

  7. 🚪🙌 “Peace be unto you”

    That evening, the disciples were hiding behind locked doors. Suddenly Jesus stood among them. Peace be unto you, He said. He showed them His hands and His side, and they were glad. But Thomas wasn’t there. When they told him, he said, unless I see the prints of the nails, and put my hand in His side, I will not believe.

    🙌 Is Thomas being stubborn, or honest?

  8. ✋🙏 “My Lord and my God”

    Eight days later, Thomas was there. And Jesus stood among them again. He said, “Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.” Thomas answered, “My Lord and my God.” Then Jesus blessed all who believe without seeing.

    🙌 Be still for a moment. That last blessing is for you.

Key verse

Matthew 28:6 ↗
“He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.”
In plain words: He isn’t in the tomb. He is risen, just like He promised. Come and see for yourself.
🙌 Memory hooks: “He is not here” = shake head, palms open · “for he is risen” = both hands rise high · “as he said” = finger taps lips · “Come, see the place” = beckon, then point down where the Lord lay.

More verses

Luke 24:32 ↗
“Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?”
In plain words: Their hearts burned while He taught them from the scriptures, even before they recognized Him. That’s how the Spirit testifies.
John 20:29 ↗
“Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.”
In plain words: Thomas believed because he saw. Jesus said those who believe without seeing are blessed. That’s us.
1 Corinthians 15:22 ↗
“For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.”
In plain words: Everyone dies because of the Fall, and because of Jesus Christ, everyone will live again.
1 Corinthians 15:55 ↗
“O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?”
In plain words: Because He rose, death doesn’t get the last word.

Forehead Guess words17 words

  • 🌿 Hosanna
  • 🍷 Last Supper
  • 🫒 Gethsemane
  • ✝️ Golgotha
  • 🪨 Empty tomb
  • 🧺 Linen clothes
  • 🌿 Gardener
  • 💛 Rabboni
  • 🛤️ Emmaus
  • 🔥 Burning heart
  • 🍞 Breaking of bread
  • ✋ Thomas
  • 🙌 Nail prints
  • 🌱 Firstfruits
  • 🌌 Spirit world
  • 🏛️ Bountiful
  • 📜 The Living Christ
Clues for each word
  • Hosanna: What the crowds shouted on the triumphal entry
  • Last Supper: Where He gave the sacrament to the Twelve
  • Gethsemane: Garden where He prayed, “Not as I will”
  • Golgotha: “The place of a skull”
  • Empty tomb: The stone was rolled away
  • Linen clothes: Left lying in the tomb, the head cloth folded
  • Gardener: Who Mary first thought He was
  • Rabboni: What Mary called Him: Master
  • Emmaus: Village two disciples walked to
  • Burning heart: How they felt while He opened the scriptures
  • Breaking of bread: When the two disciples recognized Him
  • Thomas: Said, “My Lord and my God”
  • Nail prints: What Thomas wanted to see and touch
  • Firstfruits: Paul’s word for Christ, the first to rise
  • Spirit world: Where He preached while His body lay in the tomb
  • Bountiful: Where the Nephites felt the prints in His hands
  • The Living Christ: The Apostles’ written testimony from the year 2000
▶ Play Forehead GuessFull screen, 60-second timer, works on any phone.

Scripture Showdown10 questions

  1. Who was the first to find the stone rolled away in John 20?
    • A. Peter
    • B. Mary Magdalene
    • C. Thomas
    Show answer

    ✅ B. Mary Magdalene John 20:1. She came early, while it was yet dark.

  2. Who reached the tomb first in the race?
    • A. John, the other disciple
    • B. Peter
    • C. Cleopas
    Show answer

    ✅ A. John, the other disciple John 20:4. He outran Peter, but Peter went in first.

  3. What made Mary recognize the risen Lord?
    • A. He showed His hands
    • B. He broke bread
    • C. He said her name
    Show answer

    ✅ C. He said her name John 20:16. One word: “Mary.”

  4. Where were the two disciples walking when Jesus joined them?
    • A. Bethany
    • B. Emmaus
    • C. Galilee
    Show answer

    ✅ B. Emmaus Luke 24:13. Their eyes were holden so they didn’t know Him at first.

  5. What did the Emmaus disciples feel while He opened the scriptures?
    • A. Their hearts burned
    • B. Afraid
    • C. Confused
    Show answer

    ✅ A. Their hearts burned Luke 24:32. The Spirit testified before they recognized Him.

  6. What did Thomas say when he saw the risen Lord?
    • A. “I knew it!”
    • B. “Why did you leave?”
    • C. “My Lord and my God”
    Show answer

    ✅ C. “My Lord and my God” John 20:28. From doubt to worship in one line.

  7. Who does Jesus call blessed in John 20:29?
    • A. Those who touch Him
    • B. Those who believe without seeing
    • C. Only the Twelve
    Show answer

    ✅ B. Those who believe without seeing That blessing is for us.

  8. How many saw the risen Christ at once, according to Paul?
    • A. Twelve
    • B. Seventy
    • C. Above five hundred
    Show answer

    ✅ C. Above five hundred 1 Corinthians 15:6. Many were still alive when Paul wrote.

  9. Where did a multitude feel the prints in His hands and feet?
    • A. Bountiful, in the Americas
    • B. Jerusalem
    • C. Rome
    Show answer

    ✅ A. Bountiful, in the Americas 3 Nephi 11:8–17. They came forth one by one.

  10. What did Jesus do between His death and Resurrection?
    • A. Nothing; He rested
    • B. Preached to the spirits of the dead
    • C. Traveled to Egypt
    Show answer

    ✅ B. Preached to the spirits of the dead 1 Peter 3:18–19; D&C 138. He organized the preaching of the gospel there.

▶ Play Scripture ShowdownTeams take turns on one screen.

From general conference

“We bear testimony, as His duly ordained Apostles—that Jesus is the Living Christ, the immortal Son of God.”

— The First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles,” January 1, 2000

Read at the start of the testimony step.

Read the talk ↗

Songs

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

    The Easter hymn of testimony. Sing it right after the closing testimony. Find it ↗

  • He Died That We Might Live Again Children’s Songbook, p. 65

    A simple Easter song about the Resurrection that youth can sing with younger siblings this week. Find it ↗

This week’s challenge

Become a Witness

This Easter week, read one Resurrection account each day. Try Matthew 28, Luke 24, John 20, 3 Nephi 11 and “The Living Christ.” Ask Heavenly Father for your own witness that Jesus Christ lives. When you feel it, even a little, write it down. Then tell one person, the way Mary ran to tell the disciples.

Text the parents

This Easter we walked with the first witnesses of the risen Lord, in John 20 and Luke 24. We counted the witnesses Paul lists in 1 Corinthians 15. Ask your teen which witness they relate to most. Is it Mary, the Emmaus disciples or Thomas? Why?

📝 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?

⚖️ Call the Witnesses · 4 min

  1. Two teams get two minutes. List as many witnesses of the risen Christ as you can, each with a reference. One point each. Two if the other team missed it.
  2. Look for Mary Magdalene in John 20:16, the other women in Matthew 28:9, Peter in Luke 24:34, Emmaus in Luke 24:31, and the Apostles in John 20:20.
  3. Then Thomas in John 20:28, over 500 in 1 Corinthians 15:6, James and Paul in 15:7–8, Stephen in Acts 7:56, and Bountiful in 3 Nephi 11:15.
  4. Then Joseph Smith in Joseph Smith—History 1:17. Joseph and Sidney Rigdon in D&C 76:22–23. Joseph and Oliver Cowdery in D&C 110:2–4.
  5. Add the last witnesses yourself. Living Apostles testify in “The Living Christ.” So does every person who has received a witness by the Holy Ghost.

📋 Witness Table · 5 min

  1. Make three columns on the board or in a notes app: Witness, How they recognized Him, What it adds for me.
  2. Fill it in together for Mary in John 20:11–18, the Emmaus disciples in Luke 24:13–35, and Thomas in John 20:24–29.
  3. Add 3 Nephi 11:8–17 as a fourth row. Ask, “Why does it matter that we have witnesses from two hemispheres?”

🫒 Not as I Will · 4 min

  1. Read Matthew 26:36–46 quietly. Ask youth to notice every word that shows how He felt.
  2. Read Matthew 26:39 again. Ask, “When have you had to pray ‘nevertheless, not as I will’ about something you really wanted?”
  3. Testify that Easter morning came after Gethsemane, not instead of it.

✝️ Truly This Was the Son of God · 3 min

  1. Read Matthew 27:39–43, where people mock Him to come down so they’ll believe. Then read the centurion’s witness in 27:54.
  2. Ask, “What did the centurion see that the mockers missed?”

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