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Cords of Love

A yarn trail to a hidden heart, a locust swarm that eats everything, and a Lord who gives it all back

  • 💧 CTR 8
  • Week 47
  • 📅 Sunday, November 22, 2026
🤔 Forehead Guess🏆 Showdown
💡 The big idea

Heavenly Father and Jesus love me no matter what, and whenever I turn back to Them with my whole heart, They help me start fresh.

I can turn back to Heavenly Father and Jesus with my whole heart whenever I make a mistake.

Study it yourself firstRead Hosea 1–6; 10–14; Joel in Gospel LibraryCome, Follow Me manualOpen this week (Hosea 1–6; 10–14; Joel)
Know the chapters

Hosea and Joel are two of the twelve short books at the end of the Old Testament called the “minor prophets” (minor because they are short, not because they matter less). Hosea preached in the northern kingdom of Israel in the years before Assyria conquered it. The Lord used Hosea’s own family as a living parable: his wife, Gomer, broke her promises and left him, and Hosea still went and brought her back (Hosea 1–3). The Lord was showing Israel how He felt. They had broken their covenants with Him, and He still wanted them back. Eight-year-olds don’t need the marriage details. What they need is the message: the Lord keeps loving us and keeps inviting us home.

Hosea’s tenderest verses are perfect for kids. The Lord is like a parent teaching a toddler to walk, “taking them by their arms,” and drawing them close “with bands of love” (Hosea 11:3–4). He promises, “I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely” (14:4). He says there is “no saviour beside me” and that He will “ransom them from the power of the grave” (13:4, 14), promises fulfilled in Jesus Christ’s Atonement and Resurrection. Jesus Himself quoted Hosea 6:6, “I desired mercy, and not sacrifice,” when people complained that He ate with sinners (Matthew 9:13).

Joel describes a swarm of locusts so huge it stripped the land bare (Joel 1:4–12). Then the Lord calls His people to turn to Him “with all your heart” and to “rend your heart, and not your garments” (2:12–13). People tore their clothes to show sorrow, but the Lord wanted real change inside. When they turned back, He sent rain and full harvests and promised, “I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten” (2:25), a picture of how the Savior heals and restores what sin and hard times take from us.

Joel 2:28 promises, “I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy.” Peter quoted it on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:16–18), and when the angel Moroni visited Joseph Smith in 1823, he quoted this prophecy and said it would soon be fulfilled (Joseph Smith—History 1:41). For kids who have just been baptized and confirmed, this promise is about them: the gift of the Holy Ghost is poured out on sons and daughters, including eight-year-olds.

Only have 5 minutes?

Read Hosea 14:4 and Joel 2:12–13, 25 and 28. Grab a kitchen sponge, a rock and a cup of water (no supplies? tap “I brought nothing” and every step switches to a no-supply version). Run the Story Drama in Teach Mode, do Rock or Sponge?, and play Forehead Guess. Skip the yarn trail and the locust game if you’re short on time.

What to bring7 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. Before class, tie the yarn to the classroom door handle. Wind it around chair legs, under the table and back and forth across the room. Tape the big paper heart to the far end in a hidden spot, like under your chair.
  2. Set the rock, sponge, cup of water, tray and towel on a side table. Test the pour at home once so you know how much water to use.
  3. Cut 30–40 green paper squares (quick trick: fold a sheet of paper several times and cut along the folds). Put 10 more in a zip bag and keep it in your pocket.
  4. Cut one small paper heart per child for the testimony.
  5. Add your kids’ names in the My Class tab so you can hand out story parts with one tap.

If your class is wild

  • Locusts are loud. Before the drama, practice the switch: when you raise your hand, the whole swarm freezes instantly. “The locusts are napping!”
  • Hopping with feet together is slower than running and burns twice the energy. Use it in the locust game and anytime they need to move.
  • Give Joel to your natural leader, and put your wiggliest kids in the Locust Swarm. They get to buzz and hop for three whole scenes.
  • During the yarn web, anyone holding a strand is “connected” and has to stay seated or the web collapses. It’s a built-in stay-in-your-seat trick.
  • Keep the repentance talk warm and light. A kid who feels like “the bad one” needs to hear it loud and clear: Heavenly Father loves you FREELY.

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

Follow the Cord

3 min

A yarn trail gets everyone moving together and ends at the big idea: God’s love draws us home.

  1. As kids arrive, point to the yarn tied to the door handle. Say: “Grab the cord with one hand and don’t let go!”
  2. Lead the train slowly: under the table, around the chairs, back and forth across the room. Kids follow the cord hand over hand.
  3. At the end, the first child finds the hidden heart. Have them read it out loud: “I will love them freely.” (Hosea 14:4)
  4. SAY“A prophet named Hosea said Heavenly Father draws His children to Him ‘with bands of love’ (Hosea 11:4). It’s like a cord of love tied to each of our hearts. When we wander off, He doesn’t yank us back. He gently invites us, and we choose to follow.”
🌪️ Anyone who races ahead goes to the back of the train. Slow and steady finds the heart.

Class screen: 🧶❤️ Follow the cord. Where does it lead? · Hold on with one hand · Don’t let go!

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: A ball of yarn or string (about 30 feet), plus a second ball for the yarn web if you have one, One paper heart with “I will love them freely” written on it, plus one small paper heart per child

The Human Cord

  1. Before kids arrive, set your phone or tablet face-down under your chair with this screen showing. That’s the hidden heart.
  2. As kids arrive, take the first child’s hand. Say: “You’re the cord now! Grab the hand of the person behind you and don’t let go!”
  3. Lead the human cord slowly: under the table, around the chairs, back and forth across the room. If anyone lets go, the whole cord stops and waits for them.
  4. End at your chair. Let the first child find your phone or tablet and read it out loud: “I will love them freely.” (Hosea 14:4)
  5. SAY“A prophet named Hosea said Heavenly Father draws His children to Him ‘with bands of love’ (Hosea 11:4). Feel how you’re all tied together? That’s a cord of love. When we wander off, He doesn’t yank us back. He gently invites us, and we choose to follow.”

Class screen: 🤝❤️ I will love them freely! · Hosea 14:4 · You found the hidden heart!

2. Story

Story Drama: The Locust Army and the Great Comeback

6 min

A swarm, a trumpet and a rainstorm let wild kids act out what it means to turn back to the Lord.

  1. Hand out the roles (tap Roles in Teach Mode). Everyone without a role is in the Locust Swarm.
  2. Practice the freeze once: when your hand goes up, the swarm stops buzzing.
  3. Read each scene aloud and pause for the action cue.
  4. At scene 5, have everyone turn all the way around. Say: “That’s what repent means: turning back to God.”
  5. At scene 10, say each child’s name. They answer, “That’s me!”
🌪️ If the locusts get too wild, the Rain Crew “washes” them into a frozen crouch until the next scene.

Class screen: 🎭🦗 Story Drama time! · Everyone gets a part

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: A paper towel tube for the Trumpet Blower

  1. Hand out the roles (tap Roles in Teach Mode). Everyone without a role is in the Locust Swarm.
  2. The Trumpet Blower curls both hands into a pretend trumpet. At scene 4, open the Sound Board and tap trumpet while they puff their cheeks and “play” it.
  3. Practice the freeze once: when your hand goes up, the swarm stops buzzing.
  4. Read each scene aloud and pause for the action cue.
  5. At scene 5, have everyone turn all the way around. Say: “That’s what repent means: turning back to God.”
  6. At scene 10, say each child’s name. They answer, “That’s me!”
3. Wiggle break

Sow, Rain, Grow, Reap

2 min

Hosea 10:12 becomes a fast action game about planting good choices.

  1. Read Hosea 10:12: “Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy… for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.”
  2. Teach the moves. SOW = squat and poke seeds into the ground. RAIN = wiggle your fingers down from the sky. GROW = rise slowly onto tiptoes with arms up. REAP = swing your arms and scoop up an armful of crops.
  3. Call them out in order, then mix them up and go faster and faster.
  4. Secret command: LOCUST! Everyone freezes like a statue so the locusts can’t find them.
  5. End with SEEK: hands like binoculars, looking up. Say: “When we plant good choices, Heavenly Father rains blessings on us.”
🌪️ Whoever freezes best on LOCUST gets to call the next round.

Class screen: 🌱🌧️🌾 Sow! Rain! Grow! Reap! LOCUST! · Listen carefully… · LOCUST = freeze!

4. Object lesson

Rock or Sponge?

3 min

Pouring water shows what Joel meant by an open, soft heart.

  1. Pass around the rock and the dry sponge. Say: “Feel these. Pretty hard, right?”
  2. SAY“Joel said, ‘Rend your heart, and not your garments.’ Some people only acted sorry on the outside. The Lord wanted hearts that were open and soft on the inside.”
  3. Set the rock on the tray and pour a little water on it. It all runs off. Say: “When our hearts are hard, when we won’t say sorry or won’t listen, Heavenly Father’s love and help just run right off.”
  4. Now slowly pour water on the sponge. Watch it soften and soak up every drop. Let kids squish it. Say: “When we turn to Jesus with our whole heart, He softens it, and His love and His Spirit soak all the way in.”
  5. Squeeze the sponge back into the cup. Say: “And a heart full of His love spills out as kindness on everyone around you.”
  6. SAY“The Lord promised to POUR out His Spirit (Joel 2:28). Not a drip, a pour! When you were confirmed, you received the gift of the Holy Ghost. A soft heart helps you feel Him.”
🌪️ Only the child holding the cup pours. Everyone else is a “squish inspector” waiting for a turn to squeeze.

Class screen: 🪨🧽💧 Rock or sponge: which one soaks it up? · Watch the water…

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: A kitchen sponge (bonus: a cellulose sponge left out to dry overnight turns stiff and crunchy, which makes the demo even better), A rock or a smooth plastic lid, a cup of water, a tray or baking dish, and a towel

  1. Pick one child to be the Rock: curl up into a tight ball, arms locked over their head. Pick another to be the Sponge: stand with arms wide open. Everyone else is a Raindrop.
  2. SAY“Joel said, ‘Rend your heart, and not your garments.’ Some people only acted sorry on the outside. The Lord wanted hearts that were open and soft on the inside.”
  3. Open the Sound Board and tap rain. Raindrops wiggle their fingers and tiptoe to the Rock. The Rock stays shut tight, so every Raindrop slides off and melts into a puddle on the floor. Say: “When our hearts are hard, when we won’t say sorry or won’t listen, Heavenly Father’s love and help just run right off.”
  4. Tap rain again. This time each Raindrop tiptoes to the Sponge and soaks in by linking arms with the Sponge, one at a time, until the Sponge is a giant soggy crowd. Say: “When we turn to Jesus with our whole heart, He softens it, and His love and His Spirit soak all the way in.”
  5. SAY“SQUEEZE!” The Sponge crowd scatters and every Raindrop gives someone a high five or a kind word. Say: “A heart full of His love spills out as kindness on everyone around you.”
  6. SAY“The Lord promised to POUR out His Spirit (Joel 2:28). Not a drip, a pour! When you were confirmed, you received the gift of the Holy Ghost. A soft heart helps you feel Him.”

Class screen: 🪨🧽💧 Rock or sponge: which one soaks it up? · Rock = curl up tight · Sponge = arms wide open · Raindrops, go!

5. Scripture

Scripture Spotlight: Hosea 14:4

3 min

Kids memorize the heart of Hosea: God’s love is free, and He helps us come back.

  1. Show the verse on your phone or tablet and read it once slowly.
  2. SAY“Backsliding means sliding backward, away from God, like when we make wrong choices. Freely means His love is free. You never have to earn it.”
  3. Teach the motions. Say it three ways: regular, slow motion, then super fast.
  4. Ask: “Is there anything you could do that would make Heavenly Father stop loving you?” (No! When we make wrong choices, He is sad, but He keeps loving us and inviting us back.)

Class screen: 💞 I will love them freely!

6. Game

Locust Swarm!

4 minBONUS

Kids feel Joel 2:25 in their legs: the locusts take it, and the Lord restores it.

  1. Scatter the green paper “wheat” squares on the floor in an open space. That’s the field. Split the class into two teams.
  2. Team 1 are locusts. Tap Timer for 20 seconds. Locusts hop in with feet together and “eat” the wheat, picking up ONE square at a time and hopping it back to their nest.
  3. When time is up, say: “The field is bare! What did the people do?” Everyone kneels: “We turn to the Lord!”
  4. SAY“And the Lord said, ‘I will restore!’” The locusts hop every square back to the field. Then secretly shake out your extra bag of squares: the harvest is bigger than before!
  5. Switch teams and play again.
  6. SAY“Wrong choices and sad times can eat up our happiness like locusts. When we turn to Jesus, He can heal it and make it good again, and even bless us with more.”
🌪️ Anyone who runs becomes the scarecrow who stands perfectly still in the middle of the field until the next round.
⏱️ Big Timer (a class game in the Gospel Sparks app)

Class screen: 🦗🌾 Locusts eat it. The Lord restores it! · Hop, don’t run · One square at a time

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: 30–40 small green paper squares (the wheat), plus 10 extra in a zip bag

  1. Split the class into two teams. Team 2 is the wheat: spread out, kneel tall and sway like wheat in the wind. Team 1 is the locusts.
  2. Tap Timer for 20 seconds. Locusts hop in with feet together, buzzing. A two-finger tap on the shoulder “eats” a stalk, and that wheat flops down flat on the floor.
  3. When time is up, say: “The field is bare! What did the people do?” Everyone kneels: “We turn to the Lord!”
  4. SAY“And the Lord said, ‘I will restore!’” Every flopped stalk springs back up. Then say: “And MORE!” and the locusts turn into wheat too. The field is bigger than before!
  5. Switch teams and play again.
  6. SAY“Wrong choices and sad times can eat up our happiness like locusts. When we turn to Jesus, He can heal it and make it good again, and even bless us with more.”

Class screen: 🦗🌾 Locusts eat it. The Lord restores it! · Hop, don’t run · Gentle two-finger tap

7. Game

Forehead Guess: Locusts & Love Edition

4 min

A Heads Up–style game that reviews the prophets, bugs and big words from today.

  1. Tap Forehead Guess. One kid holds your phone or tablet on their forehead, screen facing the class.
  2. The class gives clues without saying the word. The hint under each word helps if they get stuck.
  3. The guesser tilts your phone or tablet down for “got it” and up to pass. Each turn lasts 45 seconds.
  4. For your wiggliest kids, switch to Act It Out mode: clue-givers can only act. Locust hops are allowed!
🌪️ Clue-givers stay in their seats. Anyone who blurts out the word sits out the next clue round.
▶ Play Forehead Guess on the web

Class screen: 🤔 Forehead Guess! · Give clues, don’t say the word!

8. Game

Chase Away the Locusts

4 minBONUS

Every right answer chases off a locust and uncovers a hidden picture.

  1. Tap Mystery Picture. Say: “Locusts are covering this picture! Every right answer chases one away.”
  2. Ask review questions from the story, one per kid. Each right answer removes a tile.
  3. The first child to guess the hidden picture gets to choose the next song.
🧩 Mystery Picture (a class game in the Gospel Sparks app)

Class screen: 🖼️🦗 Chase the locusts off the picture!

9. Game

Scripture Showdown

5 minBONUS

A fast team quiz reviews Hosea and Joel.

  1. Split into two teams: Team Rain and Team Harvest. Tap Scripture Showdown to start.
  2. Read each question aloud. Teams whisper together, then point to an answer.
  3. Tap the team that got it right to give them a point.
▶ Play Scripture Showdown on the web

Class screen: 🏆 Scripture Showdown!

10. Talk it over

The Yarn Web

2 min

Kids connect coming back to God with their own mistakes, the sacrament and the Holy Ghost.

  1. Sit in a circle with the ball of yarn (wind it back up, or use a second ball).
  2. Ask a question. Whoever answers holds on to the end of the yarn and gently tosses the ball to the next person who wants to answer.
  3. By the end, the yarn makes a web that connects everyone. Say: “Heavenly Father’s love connects all of us, like bands of love.”
💬 Ask the class
  • Have you ever gotten lost in a store or a park? How did it feel when someone found you?
  • Hosea says Heavenly Father loves us freely. How does it feel to know you never have to earn His love?
  • What’s the difference between just saying “sorry” and turning back with your whole heart?
  • Every Sunday we take the sacrament. How is that like turning back to Heavenly Father and Jesus each week?
  • How can the Holy Ghost help you after you’ve made a mistake?

Class screen: 🕸️💬 Let’s talk and build a web!

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: A ball of yarn or string (about 30 feet), plus a second ball for the yarn web if you have one

The Invisible Yarn Web

  1. Sit in a circle. Hold up an invisible ball of yarn. Say: “This yarn is invisible, but it’s super strong.”
  2. Ask a question. Whoever answers holds on to their end of the invisible yarn with one hand and pretends to gently toss the ball to the next person who wants to answer. Everyone watches it fly!
  3. Each child keeps holding their strand and points it at the person they tossed to. By the end, arms point every which way across the circle.
  4. SAY“Everyone pull your strand gently… now lean in together.” Say: “Heavenly Father’s love connects all of us, like bands of love.”

Class screen: 🕸️💬 Let’s talk and build an invisible web!

11. Testimony

The Welcome-Home Heart

2 min

End calm and reverent, with a simple plan for the next time they mess up.

  1. Lower your voice and hold up the paper heart from the start of class.
  2. Share a short testimony: Heavenly Father and Jesus have never given up on you, and repenting has helped you feel clean and happy again.
  3. Give each child a small paper heart to take home and introduce the Turn-Around Challenge.
  4. Ask a child to say the closing prayer.

Class screen: 🔄❤️ This week: when you mess up, turn around! · 1. Stop · 2. Say sorry and pray · 3. Fix it and try again

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: One paper heart with “I will love them freely” written on it, plus one small paper heart per child

  1. Lower your voice. Everyone makes a heart with their hands and holds it up.
  2. Share a short testimony: Heavenly Father and Jesus have never given up on you, and repenting has helped you feel clean and happy again.
  3. Have each child trace a heart on their own palm with one finger, then close their hand to “take it home.” Introduce the Turn-Around Challenge.
  4. Ask a child to say the closing prayer.

Story drama

The Locust Army and the Great Comeback

Joel 1–2 ↗

Parts to hand out

  • JoelCups his hands like a megaphone and calls, “Turn to the Lord with all your heart!”
  • FarmersPick grapes, droop when everything is eaten, then scoop up the giant harvest at the end.
  • Trumpet BlowerBlows the alarm through a paper tube to gather everyone together.
  • PriestsKneel and pray for everyone: “Spare thy people, O Lord!”
  • Rain CrewSnap fingers, then pat legs faster and faster to make the rain.
  • Locust SwarmEveryone else: buzz, hop and munch… then tiptoe away when the Lord brings the harvest back.

Scenes

  1. 🌾🍇☀️ A land full of good food

    Long ago in the land of Israel, fields waved with golden wheat. Grapes hung on the vines, figs grew on the trees, and there was olive oil for everyone’s bread. The farmers were happy.

    🎬 Farmers pick grapes and pop them in their mouths. Everyone sways like tall wheat in the wind.

  2. 🦗🦗🦗 Bzzz! Here comes the swarm!

    Then the sky turned dark. It was a swarm of locusts, hopping, chomping bugs, more than anyone could count! The prophet Joel said they sounded like rumbling chariots and a crackling fire.

    🎬 Locust Swarm: rub your hands together, buzz and hop in place. Everyone else covers their heads: “Oh no!”

  3. 🍂😢 Munch, munch… everything is gone!

    The locusts ate the wheat. They ate the grapes. They even chewed the bark off the fig trees until the branches were bare and white. The farmers had nothing left.

    🎬 Locusts: “Munch, munch, munch!” Farmers look at their empty hands and droop like wilted plants.

  4. 🎺📣 Blow the trumpet! Gather everyone!

    Joel told them to blow a trumpet and gather everybody together: grandmas and grandpas, moms and dads, kids, and even tiny babies. Everyone needed to hear what the Lord had to say.

    🎬 Trumpet Blower toots! Everyone scoots together into one big group.

  5. 🔄❤️ “Turn ye even to me with all your heart”

    Here was the Lord’s message: it’s not too late! “Turn ye even to me with all your heart.” Heavenly Father wasn’t done with His people. He wanted them to come back to Him.

    🎬 Everyone slowly turns all the way around, then puts a hand on their heart.

  6. 👕❤️ “Rend your heart, and not your garments”

    In Joel’s day, people ripped their clothes to show they were sorry. But the Lord said, “Rend your heart, and not your garments.” He didn’t want a show on the outside. He wanted a real change on the inside, because He is gracious, merciful and full of kindness.

    🎬 Everyone pretends to tug their shirt, then stops. Joel: “Not your clothes, your HEART!” Everyone opens their hands at their chest like a door.

  7. 🙏 “Spare thy people, O Lord!”

    The priests knelt down and prayed for everyone. And the Lord listened! The scriptures say He felt pity for His people, and He answered them.

    🎬 Priests kneel: “Spare thy people, O Lord!” Everyone whispers, “Please help us.”

  8. 🌧️🌱 Rain, glorious rain!

    The Lord sent rain, and more rain! Green grass sprang up in the fields. The trees grew leaves and fruit again. The whole land was coming back to life.

    🎬 Rain Crew: snap your fingers, then pat your legs faster and faster. Farmers look up and catch raindrops on their tongues.

  9. 🌾🎉 Barns full to the top!

    Soon the floors were piled high with wheat, and the barrels overflowed. The Lord promised, “I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten.” Everything the locusts took, He gave back, and even more.

    🎬 Farmers scoop up big armfuls of pretend wheat. Locusts tiptoe away. Everyone: “Praise the Lord!”

  10. 🕊️👧👦 “I will pour out my spirit”

    Then the Lord made one more amazing promise: “I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy.” More than 2,000 years later, the angel Moroni told Joseph Smith this promise would soon come true. It’s for kids like you!

    🎬 Teacher says each child’s name. Each child answers, “That’s me!”

Key verse

Hosea 14:4 ↗
“I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely”
In kid words: The Lord says, “When you slide away from Me, I’ll help you come back. I love you, and you never have to earn it.”
🙌 “I will heal” = both hands over your heart · “their backsliding” = slide your feet backward (moonwalk!) · “I will love them” = give yourself a big hug · “freely” = fling your arms wide open

More verses

Hosea 11:4 ↗
“I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love”
In kid words: Heavenly Father gently pulls us close with His love, like a soft rope tied to our hearts.
Joel 2:13 ↗
“rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness”
In kid words: Don’t just act sorry on the outside. Open your heart and come back to God. He is kind and patient and full of love.
Joel 2:25 ↗
“I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten”
In kid words: Everything the locusts ate, the Lord will give back.
Joel 2:28 ↗
“I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy”
In kid words: God will pour out His Spirit on everyone, even on kids!

Forehead Guess words19 words

  • 🧔 Hosea
  • 📣 Joel
  • 🦗 Locust
  • 🎺 Trumpet
  • ❤️ Heart
  • 🌧️ Rain
  • 🌾 Wheat
  • 🍇 Grapes
  • 🌱 Seeds
  • 🪢 Rope
  • 👶 Baby
  • 🧽 Sponge
  • 🪨 Rock
  • 🕊️ Holy Ghost
  • 🔄 Repent
  • 🍞 Sacrament
  • 🫒 Olive Tree
  • 💧 Dew
  • 👦 Joseph Smith
Clues for each word
  • Hosea: Prophet who said God loves us freely
  • Joel: Prophet who saw a giant swarm of locusts
  • Locust: Hopping bug that eats every green thing
  • Trumpet: Blow it to call everyone together
  • Heart: Joel said to open this, not rip your clothes
  • Rain: The Lord sent it so crops could grow again
  • Wheat: Golden grain that fills the barns
  • Grapes: Purple fruit that grows on a vine
  • Seeds: You sow these, and they grow into food
  • Rope: God draws us with cords of love
  • Baby: God is like a parent teaching one to walk
  • Sponge: Soaks up water like a soft heart
  • Rock: Hard. Water runs right off it
  • Holy Ghost: God promised to pour out His Spirit
  • Repent: Turn around and come back to God
  • Sacrament: Bread and water we take every Sunday
  • Olive Tree: Hosea said God’s people would be beautiful like one
  • Dew: Tiny drops on the grass in the morning
  • Joseph Smith: Moroni told him Joel’s promise would soon come true
▶ Play Forehead GuessFull screen, 60-second timer, works on any phone.

Scripture Showdown8 questions

  1. What hopping bugs ate up all the crops in Joel’s day?
    • A. Crickets
    • B. Locusts
    • C. Ladybugs
    Show answer

    ✅ B. Locusts Joel 1:4. A swarm so big it ate every green thing!

  2. Joel said to “rend,” or tear, your ___ instead of your clothes.
    • A. Heart
    • B. Homework
    • C. Pillow
    Show answer

    ✅ A. Heart Joel 2:13. The Lord wants a real change on the inside, not just a show on the outside.

  3. What did the Lord send when the people turned back to Him?
    • A. More locusts
    • B. Snow
    • C. Rain and a huge harvest
    Show answer

    ✅ C. Rain and a huge harvest Joel 2:23–24. Floors full of wheat and barrels overflowing!

  4. Hosea said Heavenly Father draws us to Him with bands of…
    • A. Steel
    • B. Spaghetti
    • C. Love
    Show answer

    ✅ C. Love Hosea 11:4. He invites us with love, and we choose to follow.

  5. Hosea 14:4 says the Lord will love us…
    • A. Only when we’re perfect
    • B. Freely
    • C. Only on Sundays
    Show answer

    ✅ B. Freely “Freely” means His love is a gift. We never have to earn it.

  6. Hosea said God was like a parent teaching a little child to…
    • A. Walk
    • B. Drive a car
    • C. Juggle
    Show answer

    ✅ A. Walk Hosea 11:3. He held them by their arms, like helping a toddler take first steps.

  7. Joel said the Lord will pour out His ___ on sons and daughters.
    • A. Lemonade
    • B. Money
    • C. Spirit
    Show answer

    ✅ C. Spirit Joel 2:28. That promise includes kids like you who have the gift of the Holy Ghost!

  8. Which angel quoted Joel’s promise to Joseph Smith?
    • A. Gabriel
    • B. Moroni
    • C. Michael
    Show answer

    ✅ B. Moroni Joseph Smith—History 1:41. Moroni said it would soon be fulfilled.

▶ Play Scripture ShowdownTeams take turns on one screen.

Songs

  • Repentance Children’s Songbook, p. 98

    Sing it right after Rock or Sponge?, while hearts are soft. Find it ↗

  • The Holy Ghost Children’s Songbook, p. 105

    Joel promised the Spirit would be poured out on sons and daughters. Find it ↗

  • My Heavenly Father Loves Me Children’s Songbook, p. 228

    Hosea says He loves us freely. Sing it after the yarn trail. Find it ↗

This week’s challenge

Turn-Around Challenge

When you make a mistake this week, turn around fast: stop, say sorry to the person and to Heavenly Father in prayer, and try to fix it. Then notice how Jesus helps you feel clean and happy again.

Text the parents

Today in Primary we learned from the prophets Hosea and Joel that Heavenly Father and Jesus love us “freely” (Hosea 14:4) and always invite us back when we make mistakes. We followed a yarn “cord of love,” acted out a locust swarm that ate everything, and watched the Lord send rain and restore the harvest when the people turned to Him with all their heart. Ask your child: “What happened when we poured water on the rock and on the sponge?” Then share a time repenting helped you feel happy again.

📝 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?

👶 Wobbly First Steps · 4 min

  1. Read Hosea 11:3: “I taught Ephraim also to go, taking them by their arms.”
  2. Pair kids up. One partner closes their eyes and takes wobbly toddler steps. The other holds their arms and guides them around a chair and back. Then switch.
  3. Ask: “How did it feel to have someone holding your arms?” and “Who helps hold your arms while you learn to follow Jesus?” (Parents, teachers, leaders, the Holy Ghost, the scriptures.)

🤝 Mercy Moments · 4 min

  1. Read Hosea 6:6: “For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice.” Say: “Jesus quoted this verse when people complained that He ate dinner with sinners (Matthew 9:13).”
  2. Read a situation and have two kids act out a merciful response: your little brother knocks down your Lego tower; a friend forgets your birthday; a kid who laughed at you says sorry.
  3. After each one, ask: “How did Jesus show mercy? How can we?”

⏰ Around the Clock · 3 min

  1. Hosea 10:12 says, “it is time to seek the LORD.” Say: “When is it time? All the time!”
  2. Call out a time and everyone acts out a way to seek the Lord then: 7:00 (morning prayer), 7:30 (a verse at breakfast), 10:30 (kindness at recess), 12:00 (bless your lunch), 6:00 (help with dinner), 8:30 (bedtime prayer).
  3. Let kids take turns calling out a time and inventing the action.

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 CTR 8 lessons