Return unto Me

Malachi answers a people who kept asking “Wherein?”, asks for our best offering, and promises Elijah, whose coming reaches all the way to your family tree

  • 🏔️ Youth 16–18
  • Week 51
  • 📅 Sunday, December 20, 2026
🤔 Forehead Guess🏆 Showdown
💡 The big idea

The Lord loves me and invites me to return to Him with my real best, and through Elijah’s keys He turns my heart to my family and plants in me the promises made to my fathers.

I can return to the Lord with a pure offering, pay an honest tithe, and turn my heart to my family through the temple.

Know the chapters

Malachi is the last book of the Old Testament, written roughly four centuries before Christ. The temple Haggai and Zechariah pushed the people to finish is standing, but the excitement is gone. The book is built as a back-and-forth: the Lord makes a statement, the people push back with “Wherein?” (Malachi 1:2, 6–7; 2:17; 3:7–8; see also 3:13), and the Lord answers. It opens with “I have loved you,” and the people reply, in effect, “Prove it” (1:2). That honest, slightly defensive tone will sound familiar to teenagers, and that is the point: the Lord keeps answering and keeps inviting, “Return unto me, and I will return unto you” (3:7).

The priests offered blind, lame and sick animals and called the whole thing a weariness (1:8, 13). The Lord asks: would your governor accept that? He wants a pure offering (1:11), our real best, not leftovers. Then comes tithing: “Will a man rob God?” (3:8–12). For youth earning their first paychecks, this is practical. Tithing is one-tenth of our increase (Doctrine and Covenants 119:4). Elder David A. Bednar’s October 2013 talk “The Windows of Heaven” teaches that the promised blessings are often quiet and practical rather than a sudden flood of money. Near the end of each year, the bishop also meets with members for tithing declaration; families often go together.

Malachi ends with the Old Testament’s final promise: the Lord will send Elijah before the great and dreadful day of the Lord, and he will turn the hearts of the fathers and the children to each other (4:5–6). When Moroni visited Joseph Smith in 1823, Joseph was 17, the age of many in your class. Moroni quoted this prophecy with a difference: the Lord would reveal the priesthood by the hand of Elijah, and he would plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers (Joseph Smith—History 1:36–39). Elijah came to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery in the Kirtland Temple on April 3, 1836, after the Savior appeared and accepted the temple, and committed the sealing keys (Doctrine and Covenants 110:13–16).

Connect this to where your youth are right now. “The promises made to the fathers” include the covenant God made with Abraham (Abraham 2:9–11). A patriarchal blessing declares a person’s lineage in the house of Israel and so ties them to those promises. Temple ordinances for their ancestors, family history, and their own future sealing all flow from Elijah’s keys. Be sensitive: some youth have complicated or painful family situations. Turning hearts includes the people who raise and love them now, ancestors they’ve never met, and the family they will one day build.

Only have 5 minutes?

Read Malachi 1:6–8; 3:7–12; 4:5–6 and Joseph Smith—History 1:36–39. Run the Job Interview hook, let Teach Mode run the Wherein? reader’s theater, teach Malachi 3:7, then spend the rest on the Hearts Turned discussion (Elijah, patriarchal blessings and temple work). Close with your testimony of eternal families.

What to bring3 items

Tick what you have. Forgot something? Every step that needs a supply has a no-supplies version in the plan below.

Before class

  1. Read Malachi all the way through (four short chapters). Mark each “Wherein?” (plus the similar pushback in 3:13) so you can see the pattern.
  2. Read Joseph Smith—History 1:36–39 and Doctrine and Covenants 110:13–16.
  3. Write the seven pushback slips.
  4. Think about your own experience with tithing, or with a family history or temple moment, to share briefly.
  5. Check with your bishop about when tithing declaration is scheduled so you can mention it.

If your class is wild

  • Older youth love catching adults being honest. Admit that Malachi’s people sound like teenagers, and so do we, sometimes.
  • Give the “Wherein?” chorus to the whole class and let them be as sarcastic as they want; it makes the Lord’s patient answers land.
  • Tithing can feel awkward if some youth don’t have income or their family is struggling. Keep it about principle and their own future paychecks, never about anyone’s family.
  • Family can be tender. Let every question about family be optional, and include the people raising them now, not just ancestors.
  • If energy drops, run a quick Wherein? call-and-response: you say a line from Malachi, they shout “Wherein?”

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

The Job Interview

2 min

A funny, relatable scenario sets up Malachi’s question about giving God our leftovers.

  1. SAY“Picture this. You have a job interview for the job you really want. You show up 20 minutes late in pajama pants, scrolling your phone, and say, ‘Honestly, this whole interview thing is kind of a weariness.’ How does it go?”
  2. Let them laugh and describe the manager’s face.
  3. Have a youth read Malachi 1:8 and 1:13. Say: “The Lord said nearly the same thing 2,400 years ago: you’d never treat your governor this way. So why treat Me this way?”
  4. Ask: “What’s the modern version of offering God the lame lamb?” Take two answers, then move on.
🌪️ If they start listing each other’s “lame lambs,” redirect: “Only your own, and only if you want to.”

Class screen: 👔 Would you show up to a job interview like this? · Malachi 1:8, 13

2. Story

Reader’s Theater: Wherein? The Last Prophet and the Promise

6 min

Youth read Malachi’s back-and-forth with the Lord, then see his final promise fulfilled through a 17-year-old and the Kirtland Temple.

  1. Hand out roles (tap Roles in Teach Mode). Everyone not cast is The People and says every “Wherein?”
  2. Malachi reads the Lord’s words as a prophet delivering a message. In scene 7, the Narrator describes the Savior’s appearance; no youth plays Him.
  3. Read each scene or hand the narration to a strong reader, and pause for the action cue.
  4. After the last scene, ask: “Moroni chose to teach this to a 17-year-old. Why do you think the Lord trusts people your age with big things?”
🌪️ Make “Wherein?” the freeze signal: whenever you say it, everyone freezes with palms up.

Class screen: 🎭 Wherein? The Last Prophet and the Promise · Malachi 1–4 · JS–H 1 · D&C 110 · The People: “Wherein?”

3. Wiggle break

Silent Family Line-Up

2 min

A no-talking line-up gets everyone moving and sets up the turning of hearts.

  1. SAY“Line up by birthday, January to December, without saying a word. Go!” Time them on the Big Timer.
  2. Round 2 (talking allowed): line up by the farthest place you know any family member or ancestor came from. Nearby on one end, across the world on the other.
  3. Ask the two ends to share their place in one sentence. Say: “Every one of you is somebody’s child and somebody’s descendant. That’s who Elijah came for.”
🌪️ If someone doesn’t know their family history, they can pick anywhere someone who raised them grew up. Nobody has to explain.
⏱️ Big Timer (a class game in the Gospel Sparks app)

Class screen: 🧍‍♀️ Line up by birthday. No talking! · Round 2: farthest family place

4. Scripture

Return unto Me & the First Paycheck

4 min

Malachi 3:7–12 shows that returning to the Lord is practical, including an honest tithe on the money they’re starting to earn.

  1. Read Malachi 3:7 together and teach the motions. Say it twice. Point out the people’s “Wherein shall we return?” and say: “Great question. The Lord answers it in the very next verse.”
  2. Have a youth read Malachi 3:8–10. Ask: “Say you earn $400 at your first job this month. What’s your tithe?” ($40.) Explain that tithing is one-tenth of our increase (Doctrine and Covenants 119:4) and it builds temples and meetinghouses and supports missionary work around the world.
  3. Read Elder Bednar’s words from “The Windows of Heaven” (see Conference quotes): as we live the law of tithing, “we often receive significant but subtle blessings that are not always what we expect and easily can be overlooked.” Ask: “What might those quieter blessings look like for someone your age?”
  4. Mention tithing declaration near the end of the year: a short visit with the bishop, often as a family, where members, including youth, declare whether they’re full-tithe payers.

Class screen: 🪟 Return unto me, and I will return unto you · Malachi 3:7 · $400 paycheck → $40 tithe

5. Game

Wherein? Relay

4 min

A scripture-search race shows the pattern of Malachi: the people push back, and the Lord keeps answering.

  1. Split into two teams with scriptures. Place the seven pushback slips face down in the middle.
  2. A player from each team flips a slip, finds the verse, and reads the people’s pushback (“Wherein…?”, or in 3:13, “What have we spoken so much against thee?”) and the Lord’s answer (usually the next verse). First team to read both correctly scores.
  3. Rotate players each round so everyone reads.
  4. Wrap up: Say: “Seven times they pushed back. Seven times the Lord answered instead of giving up on them. What does that tell you about Him?”

Class screen: 🏃 Wherein? Relay: find the pushback and the Lord’s answer · Malachi 1:2 · 1:6 · 1:7 · 2:17 · 3:7 · 3:8 · 3:13

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: Scriptures for each pair (their own, a classroom set from the library, or Gospel Library on their phones), Seven small slips, each with one pushback reference: Malachi 1:2 · 1:6 · 1:7 · 2:17 · 3:7 · 3:8 · 3:13

  1. Split into two teams. You read the Lord’s statement from your scriptures, stopping just before the people’s reply (Malachi 1:2, 1:6, 3:7, 3:8, 3:13).
  2. The first team to stand and guess the people’s pushback in their own words scores. Then read the people’s real reply and the Lord’s answer.
  3. Rotate who stands for each team so everyone gets a turn.
  4. Wrap up: Say: “Over and over they pushed back, and the Lord kept answering instead of giving up on them. What does that tell you about Him?”
6. Game

Scripture Showdown

5 minBONUS

A team quiz to review Malachi and Elijah.

  1. Split into two teams; captains answer after a five-second huddle.
  2. Steal rule: a missed question can be stolen by naming the verse.

Class screen: 🏆 Scripture Showdown

7. Game

Forehead Guess: Malachi Edition

4 minBONUS

A fun review round if you have time.

  1. Tap Forehead Guess. A 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.

Class screen: 🤔 Forehead Guess: Malachi edition

8. Talk it over

Hearts Turned

5 min

A real conversation about Elijah’s keys, patriarchal blessings and what turning hearts looks like at 16–18.

  1. Have a youth read Joseph Smith—History 1:38–39 (or summarize it: Elijah will reveal the priesthood and plant in the children’s hearts the promises made to the fathers).
  2. Ask one question at a time. Let silence work. Share your own answers too.
  3. Keep every family question optional.
💬 Ask the class
  • Moroni said Elijah would plant the promises made to the fathers in the hearts of the children (Joseph Smith—History 1:39). What promises do you think that means, and why would they need to be planted in you?
  • A patriarchal blessing declares your lineage in the house of Israel and connects you to the promises God made to Abraham. If you have one, what has it meant to you? If not, what would you want to know before getting one?
  • What does turning your heart to your family look like at 17, with parents, siblings, grandparents, ancestors, or your future family?
  • Malachi’s people said serving God was pointless because the proud seemed happier (Malachi 3:14–15). When does it feel that way? What did the faithful do differently in verse 16?
  • Before you leave for a mission, college or work, what’s one thing you’d like to do for your family history or in the temple?

Class screen: ❤️ Hearts turned: what did Elijah’s coming change for you?

9. Testimony

Testimony & One Name

2 min

End calm, with a personal way to answer the Lord’s “Return unto me” this week.

  1. Lower your voice. Share briefly what eternal families, the temple or an honest tithe mean to you, and how the Lord has returned to you when you returned to Him.
  2. SAY“The Old Testament ends with a promise to turn hearts. Next week we celebrate the One who makes every one of those promises possible.”
  3. Introduce the One Name challenge on the screen, and invite a youth to offer the closing prayer.

Class screen: 🔑 Return unto me, and I will return unto you · Malachi 3:7

Story drama

Wherein? The Last Prophet and the Promise

Malachi 1–4; Joseph Smith—History 1:36–39; Doctrine and Covenants 110 ↗

Parts to hand out

  • NarratorReads the setup for each scene, including the jump across 2,200 years.
  • MalachiThe prophet: reads the Lord’s statements from Malachi as a messenger (“saith the LORD”).
  • The PeopleEveryone else: the “Wherein?” chorus, as skeptical as possible.
  • A Tired PriestDrags in a pretend blind, limping lamb and sighs, “What a weariness.”
  • MoroniThe angel who visits 17-year-old Joseph Smith and quotes Malachi 4 differently.
  • Joseph SmithListens to Moroni at 17; later kneels in the Kirtland Temple.
  • Oliver CowderyKneels beside Joseph in the Kirtland Temple.
  • ElijahAppears in the Kirtland Temple and announces that the keys are committed.

Scenes

  1. 💔❓ “I have loved you.” “Wherein?”

    Around 430 years before Christ, the temple is rebuilt, but hearts are cold. The Lord’s first words through Malachi are simple: I have loved you. And the people answer: really? How?

    🎬 Malachi reads the start of Malachi 1:2. The People fold their arms and say together, “Wherein hast thou loved us?”

  2. 🐑🩹 The priest brings a lame lamb

    The priests are offering blind, sick and limping animals, the ones nobody wanted anyway, and complaining that it’s all so tiring. The Lord asks: try giving that to your governor. Would he be pleased?

    🎬 The Tired Priest drags in an invisible limping lamb and sighs, “What a weariness.” Malachi reads Malachi 1:8.

  3. 🪟💧 “Will a man rob God?”

    The Lord says they’ve been robbing Him. The People are offended: how? In tithes and offerings. Then an invitation: bring the whole tithe, and test Me. See if I won’t open the windows of heaven.

    🎬 Malachi reads Malachi 3:8. People: “Wherein have we robbed thee?” Malachi reads Malachi 3:10; People slowly raise their arms like windows opening.

  4. 📖💎 The faithful few and a book of remembrance

    Some people say serving God is pointless; the proud seem happier. But others who love the Lord keep talking to each other about Him. The Lord listens, and their names go into a book of remembrance. They will be His jewels.

    🎬 Half the People grumble, “What’s the point?” The other half huddle and whisper. Malachi reads Malachi 3:16.

  5. 🔥📜 The last promise of the Old Testament

    Malachi ends with a promise: before the great day of the Lord, Elijah the prophet will come and turn the hearts of fathers and children to each other. Then the prophets go silent for about four hundred years.

    🎬 Malachi reads Malachi 4:5–6. Everyone slowly turns to face the person beside them, then freezes.

  6. 🌙✨ 1823: Moroni visits a 17-year-old

    Fast-forward to 1823. A 17-year-old farm boy named Joseph Smith prays in his bedroom and an angel, Moroni, appears. Moroni quotes Malachi, but with a twist: Elijah will reveal the priesthood and plant in the children’s hearts the promises made to their fathers.

    🎬 Joseph kneels. Moroni stands and paraphrases Joseph Smith—History 1:38–39 from the scriptures. Joseph looks up, stunned.

  7. 🏛️🔑 1836: Elijah comes to the Kirtland Temple

    On April 3, 1836, Joseph and Oliver kneel in the new Kirtland Temple. First the Savior appears and accepts His house; then Moses and Elias come. Then Elijah stands before them and declares that Malachi’s promise is fulfilled: the keys are committed into their hands.

    🎬 Joseph and Oliver kneel. The Narrator describes the Savior’s appearance (no one plays Him). Elijah steps forward and paraphrases Doctrine and Covenants 110:14–16.

  8. 🌳❤️ Today: the keys reach your family tree

    Because of those keys, families can be sealed forever, ordinances can be done for ancestors, and your patriarchal blessing can tie you to promises God made to Abraham. The promise made to the fathers is planted in you.

    🎬 Everyone stands and puts a hand on their own heart, then on the shoulder of the person next to them.

Key verse

Malachi 3:7 ↗
“Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return?”
In plain words: Come back to Me and I’ll come back to you, says the Lord. And the people asked: how, exactly?
🙌 “Return unto me” = take one step forward · “and I will return unto you” = open arms wide · “Wherein shall we return?” = palms up, shrug. Then answer your own “Wherein?” silently: what’s one way you could return this week?

More verses

Malachi 1:8 ↗
“And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? and if ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? offer it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith the LORD of hosts.”
In plain words: If you bring Me your leftovers, is that right? Try giving that to your boss. Would they be impressed?
Malachi 3:10 ↗
“Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.”
In plain words: Pay a full tithe so My house has what it needs, and test Me: see if I won’t open heaven’s windows and pour out more blessings than you have room for.
Malachi 3:16 ↗
“Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name.”
In plain words: The faithful kept talking to each other about the Lord. He listened, and a book of remembrance was written for them.
Malachi 4:5–6 ↗
“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.”
In plain words: I will send Elijah before the Second Coming. He will turn parents’ and children’s hearts toward each other, so the earth isn’t left without those family ties.

Forehead Guess words16 words

  • 📜 Malachi
  • 🙄 Wherein?
  • 🐑 Lame Lamb
  • 👔 Governor
  • 🪙 Tithing
  • 🪟 Windows of Heaven
  • 🏚️ Storehouse
  • 📖 Book of Remembrance
  • 💎 Jewels
  • 🔥 Elijah
  • ✨ Moroni
  • 🏛️ Kirtland Temple
  • 🔑 Sealing Keys
  • 📃 Patriarchal Blessing
  • 🌳 Family Tree
  • 🙋 Tithing Declaration
Clues for each word
  • Malachi: The last book of the Old Testament
  • Wherein?: The people’s favorite pushback word
  • Lame Lamb: A leftover offering the Lord didn’t want
  • Governor: Would he accept a blind, sick animal?
  • Tithing: One-tenth of your increase
  • Windows of Heaven: The Lord promises to open them
  • Storehouse: Where the tithes are brought
  • Book of Remembrance: Written for those who thought on His name
  • Jewels: What the Lord calls His faithful people (Malachi 3:17)
  • Elijah: Prophet promised to turn hearts
  • Moroni: Angel who quoted Malachi to Joseph Smith
  • Kirtland Temple: Where Elijah came in 1836
  • Sealing Keys: What Elijah restored to Joseph and Oliver
  • Patriarchal Blessing: Declares your lineage in the house of Israel
  • Family Tree: Where hearts turn to the fathers
  • Tithing Declaration: Year-end visit with the bishop
▶ Play Forehead GuessFull screen, 60-second timer, works on any phone.

Scripture Showdown9 questions

  1. What word did Malachi’s people keep using to push back on the Lord?
    • A. “Wherefore?”
    • B. “Wherein?”
    • C. “Whither?”
    Show answer

    ✅ B. “Wherein?” It appears again and again: Malachi 1:2, 1:6–7, 2:17, 3:7–8.

  2. What were the priests offering on the altar?
    • A. Blind, lame and sick animals
    • B. Nothing at all
    • C. Gold and silver
    Show answer

    ✅ A. Blind, lame and sick animals Malachi 1:8. The Lord asked if their governor would accept that.

  3. Complete it: “Return unto me, and…”
    • A. “…bring your sacrifice”
    • B. “…I will forgive you”
    • C. “…I will return unto you”
    Show answer

    ✅ C. “…I will return unto you” Malachi 3:7. The Lord moves toward us as we move toward Him.

  4. If you earn $250, what is a full tithe?
    • A. $10
    • B. $25
    • C. $50
    Show answer

    ✅ B. $25 Tithing is one-tenth of our increase (Doctrine and Covenants 119:4).

  5. The Lord promised to open what if we pay tithing?
    • A. The gates of the city
    • B. The windows of heaven
    • C. The doors of the temple
    Show answer

    ✅ B. The windows of heaven Malachi 3:10, with blessings “that there shall not be room enough to receive it.”

  6. What was written for those who feared the Lord and thought on His name?
    • A. A book of remembrance
    • B. A new law
    • C. A royal decree
    Show answer

    ✅ A. A book of remembrance Malachi 3:16. The Lord noticed the faithful when others gave up.

  7. How old was Joseph Smith when Moroni quoted Malachi to him?
    • A. 14
    • B. 21
    • C. 17
    Show answer

    ✅ C. 17 It was September 1823; Joseph was 17 (Joseph Smith—History 1:3, 27–39).

  8. Where did Elijah appear to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery in 1836?
    • A. The Sacred Grove
    • B. The Kirtland Temple
    • C. Liberty Jail
    Show answer

    ✅ B. The Kirtland Temple Doctrine and Covenants 110:13–16, on April 3, 1836.

  9. What does a patriarchal blessing declare that ties you to Abraham’s promises?
    • A. Your lineage in the house of Israel
    • B. Your future mission call
    • C. Your spiritual gifts only
    Show answer

    ✅ A. Your lineage in the house of Israel Lineage connects you to the promises made to the fathers (Abraham 2:9–11).

▶ Play Scripture ShowdownTeams take turns on one screen.

From general conference

“as we live the law of tithing, we often receive significant but subtle blessings that are not always what we expect and easily can be overlooked.”

— Elder David A. Bednar, “The Windows of Heaven,” October 2013

Read in the Return unto Me & the First Paycheck scripture step, after the tithing math.

Read the talk ↗

Songs

  • Come, Follow Me Hymns, no. 116

    The Savior’s invitation, the same heart as “Return unto me.” Find it ↗

  • Count Your Blessings Hymns, no. 241

    Pairs with the windows of heaven and the quieter blessings Elder Bednar described. Find it ↗

  • Families Can Be Together Forever Children’s Songbook, p. 188

    The simplest summary of what Elijah’s keys make possible; many youth will remember it from Primary. Find it ↗

This week’s challenge

One Name Before New Year’s

Before the year ends, do one heart-turning thing: call a grandparent and ask for one story from when they were your age, find one ancestor in FamilySearch and learn one fact about them, or reserve a name to take to the temple. If you have a patriarchal blessing, reread the part about your lineage. If you earn money, pay an honest tithe and go to tithing declaration.

Text the parents

Today in class we finished the Old Testament with Malachi: the Lord’s invitation, “Return unto me, and I will return unto you” (Malachi 3:7), the promise of the windows of heaven for paying tithing, and the promise that Elijah would come. We learned that Moroni quoted that promise to Joseph Smith when Joseph was 17, and that Elijah restored the sealing keys in the Kirtland Temple in 1836. Your youth was invited to do one family history or temple action before New Year’s. A great way to help: tell them one story about an ancestor or about yourself at their age.

📝 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?

🔍 Two Versions of Malachi 4 · 5 min

  1. In pairs, compare Malachi 4:5–6 with Moroni’s version in Joseph Smith—History 1:38–39 and in Doctrine and Covenants 2.
  2. List every difference (priesthood revealed, promises made to the fathers, planted in the hearts of the children, the earth utterly wasted).
  3. Ask: “What does Moroni’s version add to your understanding of why temples and family history matter?”

🎁 A Pure Offering · 4 min

  1. Read Malachi 1:11 and 1:13. Contrast a “pure offering” with one given as “a weariness.”
  2. Brainstorm modern offerings: a sacrament meeting talk, a ministering visit, a seminary class, a calling, a prayer. For each, ask: “What’s the lame-lamb version and what’s the pure version?”
  3. Invite each person to pick one offering to upgrade this week.

🌳 FamilySearch Five Minutes · 6 min

  1. Anyone with the FamilySearch Family Tree app opens it (the teacher can share a screen for those who don’t have it).
  2. Look for a green temple icon or a relative with a story or photo. Share one discovery with a partner.
  3. SAY“This is Malachi 4:6 happening on your phone.”

Sources

Scripture quotations are from the King James Version, the Bible used by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Tap or click a reference to open it in Gospel Library. Start with the official Come, Follow Me manual; these ideas are here to help it come alive.

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