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Fire in My Bones

Jeremiah didn’t feel ready either: foreordination, patriarchal blessings, broken cisterns, and a word you can’t keep quiet

  • 🏔️ Youth 16–18
  • Week 43
  • 📅 Sunday, October 25, 2026
🤔 Forehead Guess🏆 Showdown
💡 The big idea

God knew us before we were born and prepared us for work in these last days, and when we drink from Him instead of broken cisterns, His word becomes a fire we can’t keep in.

I can learn what God knows about me through prayer, the scriptures and my patriarchal blessing, and act on it even when I feel too young or unqualified.

Study it yourself firstRead Jeremiah 1–3; 7; 16–18; 20 in Gospel LibraryCome, Follow Me manualOpen this week (Jeremiah 1–3; 7; 16–18; 20)
Know the chapters

Jeremiah was called as a young man, in the thirteenth year of King Josiah, in Jeremiah 1:2. He prophesied for about forty years, right up through Jerusalem’s fall to Babylon. He lived at the same time as Lehi. Lehi’s family carried his prophecies to the Americas on the brass plates. See 1 Nephi 5:13 and 1 Nephi 7:14. His message was unpopular: turn back to God or Jerusalem will fall. He was mocked, beaten, put in the stocks, imprisoned and lowered into a muddy pit. He’s sometimes called the weeping prophet. His book is brutally honest about how hard his calling felt.

Jeremiah 1:5 is one of the clearest Old Testament statements of premortal life and foreordination: “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee… and I ordained thee a prophet.” Latter-day scripture adds more. Many were called and prepared before the world was made because of their faith, in Alma 13:3. Abraham was shown noble and great spirits chosen before birth, in Abraham 3:22–23. And many were prepared in the spirit world to labor in the latter days, in D&C 138:53–56. Foreordination isn’t predestination. The Church teaches that it doesn’t guarantee anyone a calling or blessing. Those come as we use our agency well here. Patriarchal blessings fit here. An ordained patriarch declares a person’s lineage in the house of Israel. He gives personal counsel and promises. They’re fulfilled through faithfulness, in the Lord’s time. If a blessing doesn’t mention a mission or marriage, that doesn’t mean those won’t happen. To get one, a member starts by meeting with the bishop.

Jeremiah 2:13 accuses Israel of two evils. They forsook “the fountain of living waters.” And they dug “broken cisterns, that can hold no water.” A cistern was a tank carved in rock to store rainwater. A cracked one leaked everything you put in it. Why dig a leaky tank when a spring is flowing? In Jeremiah 7, the prophet stands at the temple gate. He warns people who chanted “The temple of the LORD” like a lucky charm while living however they wanted. For youth about to receive the endowment, this is powerful. The temple’s power is in keeping its covenants, not just holding a recommend.

Jeremiah 16:14–16 promises a latter-day gathering so great that people will talk about it more than the Exodus. The Lord sends “many fishers” and “many hunters” to find scattered Israel. Latter-day prophets teach that gathering Israel on both sides of the veil is among the most important work on earth. Many in your class will be those fishers soon. Finally, Jeremiah 20:7–9 shows a prophet worn down by mockery. He decides to quit speaking in the Lord’s name, and he can’t. The word is “as a burning fire shut up in my bones.” Real faith includes honest, raw prayer. It doesn’t require feeling strong every day.

Only have 5 minutes?

Read Jeremiah 1:4–10, 2:13 and 20:7–9. Do the leaky-cup hook. Have three readers read Jeremiah’s story from their seats while the scenes show in Teach Mode. Run a few Myth or Fact statements about patriarchal blessings. End by reading Jeremiah 1:5 and inviting each youth to hear their own name in it.

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. Poke four or five holes in the bottom of a plastic cup or bottle. A pen or nail works. Test it over a sink.
  2. Pick three readers: the Narrator, Jeremiah and Pashur. Send them Jeremiah 1:4–10, 7:4–7 and 20:1–9 so they can look ahead.
  3. Read the Gospel Topics page on patriarchal blessings so you can answer questions accurately. If you’re comfortable, think of one general way your blessing has guided you. Never share its details.

If your class is wild

  • It’s water plus teenagers, so pour over the bowl. Let a volunteer hold the leaky cup. Whoever gets splashed gets to pour next.
  • Patriarchal blessings are sacred and personal. If a youth offers to read from theirs, thank them. Suggest they keep the details private and share how it has helped in general.
  • The “I am a child” moment will land with someone who feels too young, too anxious or too far behind. Say out loud that the Lord didn’t argue with Jeremiah’s feelings. He promised to be with him.
  • Some youth have received their patriarchal blessing and some haven’t. Neither group should feel behind or ahead.

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

The Broken Cistern

3 min

Watching a leaky cup fail to hold water makes Jeremiah 2:13 unforgettable and sets up the question of what we’re drinking from.

  1. SAY“I need someone to fill this cup to the top.”
  2. Hold the leaky cup over the bowl and let a volunteer pour. It keeps running out. Say, “Keep trying. Pour faster.”
  3. Read Jeremiah 2:13. A cistern was a rock tank for rainwater. Israel left a flowing spring and dug leaky tanks.
  4. Ask, “What broken cisterns do people our age dig? Things that promise to fill you up, and never quite do.”
🌪️ Keep the pouring over the bowl and let a youth hold the cup. If someone gets splashed, laugh and hand them the pitcher.

Class screen: 🫗 Why dig a leaky tank when there’s a flowing spring? · Jeremiah 2:13

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: A plastic cup or water bottle with several holes poked in the bottom (the broken cistern), A bottle or pitcher of water and a bowl or tray to catch the drips

The Battery That Won’t Hold

  1. SAY“Who’s had a phone that says eighty percent, then dies an hour later? You charge it all night, and it still won’t hold.”
  2. Read Jeremiah 2:13. A cistern was a rock tank for rainwater. Israel left a flowing spring and dug their own leaky tanks.
  3. Ask, “What broken cisterns do people our age dig? Things that promise to fill you up, and never quite do.”

Class screen: 🪫 Charged all night, dead by lunch. Sound familiar? · Jeremiah 2:13

2. Story

Readers’ Theater: The Reluctant Prophet

8 min

Three readers voice Jeremiah’s call and struggles from their seats, showing that God calls people who feel unready and stays with them.

  1. SAY“I need three readers, right from your seats. A Narrator, Jeremiah and Pashur. No acting. Just read it like it’s real.”
  2. Tap Roles to assign the parts. Show each scene. The Narrator reads the screen, then the readers read their verses. No one voices the Lord.
  3. After scene 3, ask, “What did the Lord promise instead of arguing about his age?” Share Elder David A. Bednar’s words about Enoch from the conference quotes.
  4. After scene 8, ask, “Jeremiah complained honestly to God, and he kept going. What does that teach about faith on hard days?”
🌪️ Pick a Jeremiah who reads with feeling. A shy reader can be Pashur. It’s two verses and done.

Class screen: 📖 The reluctant prophet: “I am a child” to “fire in my bones” · Three readers, from their seats · Jeremiah 1; 7; 20

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: Scriptures: the youth’s own Gospel Library app, or a few printed copies of the scriptures

  1. SAY“I need three readers, right from your seats. A Narrator, Jeremiah and Pashur. No acting. Just read it like it’s real.”
  2. When a reader’s verse comes up, hand them your scriptures open to the right page.
  3. After scene 3, ask what the Lord promised instead of arguing about Jeremiah’s age. Share Elder Bednar’s words from the conference quotes.
  4. After scene 8, ask, “Jeremiah complained honestly and kept going. What does that teach about faith on hard days?”
3. Scripture

Known Before: A Scripture Chain

4 min

Linking Jeremiah 1:5 to latter-day scripture builds a study skill and grounds foreordination in real doctrine.

  1. SAY“Jeremiah wasn’t the only one known before birth.”
  2. Teach Jeremiah 1:5 with the memory hooks. Say it together once.
  3. Give each pair one link: Alma 13:3, Abraham 3:22–23 or D&C 138:53–56. They get about two minutes to sum it up in their own words.
  4. Each pair shares. Then say, “Put the chain together. We lived before. Many were prepared there. And we came now, on purpose.”
  5. Add the key truth. Foreordination isn’t predestination. It guarantees nothing. Our choices here decide whether we fulfill it.

Class screen: ⛓️ Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee. · Jeremiah 1:5 · Alma 13:3 · Abraham 3:22–23 · D&C 138:53–56

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: Scriptures: the youth’s own Gospel Library app, or a few printed copies of the scriptures

  1. SAY“Jeremiah wasn’t the only one known before birth.”
  2. Teach Jeremiah 1:5 with the memory hooks. Say it together once.
  3. Read each link from your scriptures: Alma 13:3, Abraham 3:22–23 and D&C 138:53–56. After each one, a youth restates it in one sentence.
  4. Add the key truth. Foreordination isn’t predestination. Our choices here decide whether we fulfill it.
4. Talk it over

Patriarchal Blessing: Myth or Fact?

5 min

Quick votes clear up common misunderstandings about patriarchal blessings and foreordination.

  1. SAY“Patriarchal blessings get a lot of rumors. Thumbs up for fact. Thumbs down for myth.”
  2. Show each statement. Everyone votes, then someone explains. The facts are lineage, promises that depend on faithfulness, and starting with the bishop. The rest are myths.
  3. SAY“Being part of the house of Israel isn’t about being better than anyone. It’s about responsibility. Making covenants, and helping gather others.”
💬 Ask the class
  • It declares your lineage in the house of Israel. Myth or fact?
  • If it doesn’t mention a mission or marriage, you won’t have one. Myth or fact?
  • Its promises depend on your faithfulness. Myth or fact?
  • Being foreordained means your choices don’t matter. Myth or fact?
  • To receive one, you start by meeting with your bishop. Myth or fact?
🌪️ If a youth asks something you don’t know, say so and offer to find out. That honesty is part of the lesson.

Class screen: 🧐 Myth or fact? Thumbs up for fact, down for myth. · Patriarchal blessings · Foreordination

5. Testimony

Hear Your Name in It

3 min

Reading Jeremiah 1:5 personally helps each youth feel known, prepared and sent.

  1. SAY“Jeremiah heard the Lord say, ‘I knew thee.’ Let’s read it that way.”
  2. Wait for real quiet. Show Jeremiah 1:5.
  3. SAY“Read it silently. After ‘I knew thee,’ put in your own name.”
  4. Give them thirty seconds. Then testify that Heavenly Father knew each of them before they came. He prepared them for now.
  5. Add that a patriarchal blessing is one way He tells them more. Introduce the challenge and ask a youth to pray.

Class screen: ✨ Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee. · Jeremiah 1:5

6. Wiggle break

Fishers and Hunters

2 minBONUS

If the class needs to move, a fast reaction game ties Jeremiah 16:16 to the gathering of Israel.

  1. SAY“Everyone up. When I say ‘Fishers,’ cast and reel. ‘Hunters,’ shade your eyes and scan the mountains. ‘Gather three,’ rush into groups of three.”
  2. Anyone left out becomes the next caller. Speed up each round. End with “Gather everyone!” so the whole class ends in one huddle.
  3. Read Jeremiah 16:16.
  4. SAY“The Lord promised many fishers and hunters to gather His people. Some of them are in this huddle.”

Class screen: 🎣 Fishers! Hunters! Gather 3! Nobody gets left out for long. · Jeremiah 16:14–16

7. Game

Scripture Showdown

5 minBONUS

If you have extra time, a fast team quiz reviews the whole lesson.

  1. SAY“Two teams, one captain each. Ten seconds to huddle, and only the captain answers.”
  2. Tap Scripture Showdown and play.
  3. If a team misses, the other team can steal the point by naming the chapter.
▶ Play Scripture Showdown on the web

Class screen: 🏆 Scripture Showdown: Jeremiah edition

Readers’ theater

The Reluctant Prophet

Jeremiah 1:4–10; 7:1–7; 20:1–9 ↗

Reading parts (volunteers, from their seats)

  • NarratorReads the scene screens and the Lord’s words to Jeremiah from their seat.
  • JeremiahReads Jeremiah’s lines from their seat: “I am a child,” the temple warning, and “fire shut up in my bones.”
  • PashurReads Jeremiah 20:1–2 from their seat. It’s what Pashur did to Jeremiah.

Scenes

  1. ✨👶 “Before I formed thee… I knew thee”

    The word of the Lord came to a young man named Jeremiah. Before you were born, the Lord told him, I knew you. Before you came into the world, I set you apart. I ordained you a prophet to the nations.

    🙌 The Narrator reads Jeremiah 1:5. Jeremiah answers from his seat: “Me?”

  2. 🙅😰 “I cannot speak: for I am a child”

    Jeremiah’s first answer is the one most of us would give. Ah, Lord God, I can’t speak. I’m too young.

    🙌 Jeremiah reads Jeremiah 1:6.

  3. 👄🔥 “Say not, I am a child”

    The Lord didn’t argue about his age. He said, don’t say you’re too young. You’ll go where I send you. You’ll say what I tell you. Don’t be afraid of their faces, because I am with you. Then the Lord touched Jeremiah’s mouth. He put His words there.

    🙌 The Narrator reads Jeremiah 1:7–9. Pause. Ask, “What did the Lord promise instead of arguing?”

  4. 🌱🪓 Root out, pull down, build, plant

    Jeremiah’s calling had two halves. First, root out and tear down what was rotten. Then build and plant what was good. Prophets still do both.

    🙌 The Narrator reads Jeremiah 1:10. Listen for four “tear down” words and two “build” words.

  5. 🏛️📢 “The temple of the LORD!”

    Years later, the Lord sent Jeremiah to stand at the temple gate. The people kept chanting that they were safe. After all, they had the temple. Meanwhile they lied, they stole, and they worshipped idols. Jeremiah warned them. Don’t trust those words. The temple can’t protect people who won’t keep its covenants.

    🙌 Everyone reads the chant from Jeremiah 7:4 together. Jeremiah answers, “Trust ye not in lying words.”

  6. 🛤️🙏 “Amend your ways”

    The Lord’s invitation through Jeremiah was simple. Change how you live. Be fair to each other. Protect the stranger, the widow and the fatherless. Stop chasing other gods. Then you can stay in this land. Some people listened. Most didn’t.

    🙌 Jeremiah reads Jeremiah 7:5–7.

  7. 😠⛓️ Pashur puts him in the stocks

    Pashur was a chief officer in the temple. And he was furious. He had Jeremiah struck. Then he locked him in the stocks by the temple gate, all night. Everyone could see him. Everyone could mock him.

    🙌 Pashur’s reader reads Jeremiah 20:1–2. Pause. Ask, “Why would a temple officer do this?”

  8. 🔥🦴 A fire shut up in my bones

    Jeremiah poured out his heart to God. Everyone mocks me, every day. I’m done. I won’t mention Him or speak in His name anymore. But he couldn’t stop. The Lord’s word burned in his heart. It was like a fire shut up in his bones. He couldn’t hold it in.

    🙌 Jeremiah reads Jeremiah 20:9 slowly. Let it sit.

Key verse

Jeremiah 1:5 ↗
“Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.”
In plain words: God knew you before you were born. He set you apart and prepared you for a purpose long before you got here.
🙌 Memory hooks: “before I formed thee” = hands shape a small circle · “I knew thee” = point from your forehead outward · “sanctified thee” = hand over your heart · “ordained thee” = both hands rest lightly on an invisible head · “unto the nations” = sweep one arm across the room.

More verses

Jeremiah 1:7 ↗
“Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.”
In plain words: Don’t use your age as an excuse. God will send you and give you the words.
Jeremiah 2:13 ↗
“For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.”
In plain words: People walked away from a flowing spring and dug their own leaky tanks that can’t hold anything.
Jeremiah 16:16 ↗
“Behold, I will send for many fishers, saith the LORD, and they shall fish them; and after will I send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain”
In plain words: In the last days the Lord will send many “fishers” and “hunters” to find His scattered people. That includes missionaries, and it includes you.
Jeremiah 20:9 ↗
“But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.”
In plain words: Jeremiah tried to stop speaking for God, but the truth burned inside him so hard he couldn’t keep it in.

Forehead Guess words16 words

  • 🧑 Jeremiah
  • ✨ Foreordination
  • 🌌 Premortal life
  • 📜 Patriarchal blessing
  • 👴 Patriarch
  • 🏠 House of Israel
  • 🫗 Broken cistern
  • 💧 Living water
  • ⛓️ Stocks
  • 😠 Pashur
  • 🔥 Fire in my bones
  • 🎣 Fishers
  • 🏹 Hunters
  • 🏺 Potter
  • 🧲 Gathering of Israel
  • ⛺ Lehi
Clues for each word
  • Jeremiah: Young prophet who said, “I am a child”
  • Foreordination: Being prepared for a work before birth
  • Premortal life: Where God knew us before we were born
  • Patriarchal blessing: Declares your lineage in the house of Israel
  • Patriarch: Ordained to give those blessings
  • House of Israel: The covenant family you belong to
  • Broken cistern: A leaky tank that holds no water
  • Living water: What flows from the fountain Israel left
  • Stocks: Pashur locked Jeremiah in these
  • Pashur: Temple officer who punished Jeremiah
  • Fire in my bones: How Jeremiah described God’s word inside him
  • Fishers: The Lord will send many to gather Israel
  • Hunters: They search every mountain and hill
  • Potter: Reshapes marred clay (Jeremiah 18)
  • Gathering of Israel: Bringing the Lord’s people home, on both sides of the veil
  • Lehi: Book of Mormon prophet who lived in Jeremiah’s time
▶ Play Forehead GuessFull screen, 60-second timer, works on any phone.

Scripture Showdown9 questions

  1. What did Jeremiah say when the Lord called him?
    • A. “Here am I”
    • B. “I cannot speak: for I am a child”
    • C. “Send someone else”
    Show answer

    ✅ B. “I cannot speak: for I am a child” Jeremiah 1:6. The Lord answered, “Say not, I am a child.”

  2. According to Jeremiah 1:5, when did God know Jeremiah?
    • A. Before he was formed in the womb
    • B. When he turned 12
    • C. After he became a prophet
    Show answer

    ✅ A. Before he was formed in the womb Before birth. We all lived with God before this life.

  3. What does a broken cistern do?
    • A. Floods the house
    • B. Keeps water cold
    • C. Leaks and holds no water
    Show answer

    ✅ C. Leaks and holds no water Jeremiah 2:13. Israel left a flowing fountain for leaky tanks.

  4. What did the people chant as if it would keep them safe?
    • A. “The ark of the covenant”
    • B. “The temple of the LORD”
    • C. “The law of Moses”
    Show answer

    ✅ B. “The temple of the LORD” Jeremiah 7:4. The temple blesses those who keep its covenants.

  5. Who put Jeremiah in the stocks?
    • A. King David
    • B. Baruch
    • C. Pashur
    Show answer

    ✅ C. Pashur Jeremiah 20:1–2. Pashur was a chief officer in the temple.

  6. How did Jeremiah describe God’s word when he tried to stop speaking?
    • A. A fire shut up in his bones
    • B. A heavy stone
    • C. A quiet whisper
    Show answer

    ✅ A. A fire shut up in his bones Jeremiah 20:9. He couldn’t hold it in.

  7. Whom will the Lord send to gather Israel, according to Jeremiah 16:16?
    • A. Kings and queens
    • B. Fishers and hunters
    • C. Soldiers and scribes
    Show answer

    ✅ B. Fishers and hunters Missionaries and members are part of that latter-day gathering.

  8. A patriarchal blessing declares your lineage in…
    • A. your family tree only
    • B. the Book of Mormon
    • C. the house of Israel
    Show answer

    ✅ C. the house of Israel It names the tribe through which you receive covenant blessings.

  9. Does foreordination guarantee a calling or blessing?
    • A. No, our choices matter
    • B. Yes, always
    • C. Only for prophets
    Show answer

    ✅ A. No, our choices matter The Church teaches foreordination is fulfilled through righteous use of agency.

▶ Play Scripture ShowdownTeams take turns on one screen.

From general conference

“Enoch ultimately became a mighty prophet and a tool in God’s hands to accomplish a great work, but he did not start his ministry that way!”

— Elder David A. Bednar, “Abide in Me, and I in You; Therefore Walk with Me,” April 2023

Share in the Readers’ Theater after scene 3: Enoch, like Jeremiah, felt too young and slow of speech when he was called.

Read the talk ↗

Songs

  • Hope of Israel Hymns, no. 259

    A rallying hymn for the youth of the house of Israel, who are part of the latter-day gathering. Find it ↗

  • Israel, Israel, God Is Calling Hymns, no. 7

    Jeremiah 16:14–16 promises a gathering greater than the Exodus; this hymn is that call. Find it ↗

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

    Jeremiah 1:5 is the Old Testament version of this truth. A quiet close after the testimony. Find it ↗

This week’s challenge

What Does He Know About Me?

If you have your patriarchal blessing, read it this week and pick one line to act on. If you don’t, talk with your parents about it. Think about setting up a time with your bishop. Either way, pray this week. Ask Heavenly Father what He wants you to know about who you are and what He prepared you for.

Text the parents

This week we studied Jeremiah. He was called as a young man who said “I am a child.” God knew him before he was born, in Jeremiah 1:5. And God’s word felt like “a burning fire shut up in my bones,” in 20:9. We talked about foreordination and patriarchal blessings. Ask your teen what “broken cisterns” people their age dig. What do they want to know about what God prepared them for?

📝 After class

What worked? Who needs a check-in this week? Jot it here on a printed copy, or in the app’s private class notes.

Got extra time?

🏺 The Potter’s House · 4 min

  1. Read Jeremiah 18:1–6. The potter didn’t throw the marred clay away. He made it again into another vessel.
  2. Pass around a lump of playdough or clay, or just imagine one. Have someone squash a shape and remake it.
  3. Ask, “What does it mean for your plans that God can remake marred clay?” Then ask, “When has a plan of yours been reshaped for the better?”

🧲 One of a City, Two of a Family · 3 min

  1. Read Jeremiah 3:14–15. Notice the numbers. It’s one from a city and two from a family.
  2. Ask, “Why would the Lord gather people one or two at a time? What does that say about how He sees each person?”
  3. Invite each youth to think of one person they could help gather, on either side of the veil. It could be through a friendship, an invitation or family history.

🙏 Honest Prayer · 4 min

  1. Read Jeremiah 20:7–9 and 20:13. Jeremiah goes from raw frustration to praise in the same chapter.
  2. Ask, “Is it okay to tell God exactly how you feel? Why do you think this chapter is in the scriptures?”
  3. Invite youth to try one completely honest prayer this week.

💬 Real Talk · 4 min

  1. If God knew you before you were born, why do your choices still matter so much?
  2. The people in Jeremiah 7 trusted the temple like a lucky charm. How can someone hold a temple recommend and still miss what the temple is for?
  3. Jeremiah tried to quit and couldn’t, in 20:9. Have you ever felt truth burning so much that you had to say or do something?

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