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Ye Are My Witnesses

The Lord puts the idols on trial, names a king 150 years early, and calls you to the witness stand

  • ⭐ Valiant 9–11
  • Week 40
  • 📅 Sunday, October 4, 2026
🤔 Forehead Guess🏆 Showdown
💡 The big idea

Jesus Christ is the only Savior, more powerful than anything the world trusts, and He calls me to be His witness.

I can be a witness of Jesus Christ by trusting Him more than the world’s “idols” and telling what I know about Him.

Study it yourself firstRead Isaiah 40–49 in Gospel LibraryCome, Follow Me manualOpen this week (Isaiah 40–49)
Know the chapters

Isaiah 40 opens with “Comfort ye,” and the tone of the book changes. Isaiah now writes to people who would live more than a century after him: the Jews carried off to Babylon after Jerusalem and its temple were destroyed. Some of them felt that the Lord had forgotten them (49:14). The Lord’s answer runs all through these chapters: “Fear not” (41:10; 43:1). The Lord speaking here is Jehovah, and Jehovah is Jesus Christ before His birth on earth. Nephi had these chapters on the brass plates and read Isaiah 48–49 to his brothers so they would believe in the Redeemer (1 Nephi 19:22–23; 20–21).

Isaiah frames part of his message like a court case. In 41:21–24 and 43:9–12 the Lord challenges the idols of the nations: bring your evidence, and prove you are gods by telling what will happen in the future. The idols have nothing to say. Isaiah also pokes fun at idol worship: a man burns half a log to bake bread and warm his hands, then carves the other half into a god and prays to it (44:14–17). When Babylon falls, its idols Bel and Nebo have to be loaded onto tired animals and hauled away, while the Lord promises to carry His people all the way to old age (46:1–4).

Then comes the evidence only God could give. Isaiah names Cyrus, the Persian king who would conquer Babylon and let the Jews go home to rebuild the temple (44:28; 45:1–4), more than 150 years before Cyrus did it (Ezra 1:1–3). The verdict is Isaiah 43:10–11: “Ye are my witnesses… beside me there is no saviour.” Isaiah 40:3 (“Prepare ye the way of the LORD”) is quoted about John the Baptist in all four Gospels, and the Aaronic Priesthood that John held still helps prepare the way today (D&C 84:26–28).

Nine- to eleven-year-olds can handle the real argument: the Lord proves who He is by what He has declared and done, and He invites us to testify of Him. Help them spot “modern idols,” good things like phones, winning, or popularity that we can start trusting more than God. At baptism they promised to stand as witnesses of God at all times (Mosiah 18:9). This weekend apostles, who are called as special witnesses of Christ (D&C 107:23), speak at General Conference. Your 11-year-olds will soon be ordained deacons or join Young Women and can begin going to the temple in January; each is another way to be His witness.

Only have 5 minutes?

Read Isaiah 41:21–23, 44:14–17, and 44:28. Seal the name CYRUS in an envelope. Let Teach Mode carry the courtroom drama (you read the Lord’s words; kids play the Bailiff, Woodcarver, Idol, Cyrus, and Jury). Teach Isaiah 43:10–11 with the motions, play Forehead Guess, and end with the Witness Stand. Brought nothing? Tap “I brought nothing”: a Human Vault guards the secret name, a chair becomes the idol you have to carry, and the Cross-Reference Chase becomes a shout-out game.

What to bring6 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. Write CYRUS on a card, seal it in the envelope, and label the outside “Do not open for 150 years.”
  2. Load the backpack with heavy books and stick a label on each: My Phone, Being Popular, Money, Winning, Looking Cool.
  3. Write one pair on each slip: “Isaiah 40:3 + Luke 3:4” · “Isaiah 40:11 + John 10:11” · “Isaiah 43:11 + Acts 4:12” · “Isaiah 49:16 + John 20:27.”
  4. Text one of your stronger readers before Sunday: “Will you be Isaiah in our class drama? You’ll read Isaiah 41:23, 44:28 and 43:10.” Kids this age love being trusted with a part ahead of time.
  5. Add your kids’ names in the My Class tab, and split them into two teams for the whole lesson: Team Eagle and Team Shepherd. Keep a running score with tally marks or the Goal Jar.

If your class is wild

  • Nine- to eleven-year-olds hate being babied. Frame every activity as a challenge or a competition, and they’ll lean in instead of rolling their eyes.
  • The courtroom gives you a built-in quiet signal: when the Bailiff calls “Order in the court!”, everyone freezes silent for three seconds. Let the Bailiff use it, and brag on the class when it works.
  • Give the Idol role to your class clown. Staying totally frozen while everyone mocks you is the hardest part in the play, and the clown gets the biggest laugh by doing nothing.
  • Hand out jobs, not just turns: Bailiff, Keeper of the Envelope, Scorekeeper, Road Crew Boss, Discussion Leader. A kid with a job doesn’t have time to cause trouble.
  • Keep team points light and fast. If one team is running away with it, give a “witness bonus” point to anyone who answers a discussion question thoughtfully.

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 Envelope from 150 Years Ago

2 min

An impossible prediction challenge sets up the question the whole lesson answers: who really knows the future?

  1. Hold up the sealed envelope. Say: “Inside this envelope is the name of a real king. Isaiah wrote his name down more than a hundred years before he was even born.”
  2. SAY“Your turn to be prophets. Predict the name of our country’s leader in the year 2176. Go!” Take three or four quick guesses and let them laugh at how impossible it is.
  3. Ask: “Why can’t we do it?” (Only God knows the future.) Say: “Today the Lord puts the world’s fake gods on trial, and the test is exactly this: tell the future. Let’s see who passes.”
  4. Hand the envelope to your most trustworthy kid. Say: “You are the Keeper of the Envelope. Do NOT open it until the story tells you to.”
🌪️ Give the Keeper job to your most distractible kid. They’ll have to follow the story closely to know when to open it.

Class screen: ✉️ Can you predict someone’s name 150 years early? · Sealed until the story says so

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: An envelope with a card inside that says CYRUS in big letters, sealed and labeled “Do not open for 150 years”

The Human Vault

  1. Pick your most trustworthy kid as the Human Vault. Whisper the secret name “Cyrus” in their ear. Say: “You’re guarding a name that Isaiah wrote down more than a hundred years before the man was even born. Don’t tell ANYONE until the story says so.”
  2. SAY“Everyone else, your turn to be prophets. Predict the name of our country’s leader in the year 2176. Go!” Take three or four quick guesses.
  3. Ask: “Why can’t we do it?” (Only God knows the future.) Say: “Today the Lord puts the world’s fake gods on trial, and the test is exactly this: tell the future. Let’s see who passes.”

Class screen: 🔐 The Vault knows a name written 150 years early. · Don’t crack the Vault!

2. Story

Courtroom Drama: The Lord vs. the Idols

6 min

Kids act out Isaiah’s trial scenes and see the Lord prove who He is by telling the future and keeping His word.

  1. Hand out roles (tap Roles in Teach Mode). Give Isaiah to your strongest reader and show them the three verses they’ll read. Everyone else is the Jury.
  2. SAY“No one plays the Lord. When He speaks, I’ll read His words.”
  3. Read each scene aloud and pause for the action cue. Readers read from real scriptures, not the screen.
  4. At scene 6, cue the Keeper of the Envelope (or the Human Vault) to reveal the name.
  5. After the verdict, ask: “What evidence did the Lord give that He is God?” (He told the future and it came true; He carries His people; He never forgets them.)
🌪️ If the Jury gets loud, the Bailiff calls “Order in the court!” and everyone freezes silent for three seconds. Kids will obey a classmate with a gavel faster than they’ll obey you.

Class screen: ⚖️ Courtroom drama: the Lord vs. the idols! · Order in the court!

3. Wiggle break

Road Crew: Prepare the Way

2 min

A kid-led reaction game turns Isaiah 40:3–4 into movement and connects it to John the Baptist and the Aaronic Priesthood.

  1. Hand your phone or tablet to a kid Road Crew Boss. The Boss reads Isaiah 40:3–4 aloud, then calls the four commands in any order, faster and faster.
  2. “Valleys up!” = crouch low, then spring up tall. “Mountains down!” = stretch high, then squash flat. “Crooked straight!” = twist like a pretzel, then snap straight. “Rough places plain!” = bumpy jumps, then a smooth skating glide.
  3. Trick round: the Boss may call a fake command like “Mountains UP!” Anyone who moves does three jumping jacks and jumps right back in. Nobody is out.
  4. Everyone sits. Ask: “Who fulfilled this prophecy? Check Luke 3:4.” (John the Baptist.) Say: “All four Gospels quote this verse about John. The Aaronic Priesthood John held still prepares the way today, like when deacons pass the sacrament so we can remember Jesus.”

Class screen: 🚧 Road Crew: prepare ye the way of the Lord! · Valleys up! · Mountains down! · Crooked straight! · Rough places plain!

4. Object lesson

Who Carries Whom?

3 min

A heavy backpack shows the difference Isaiah 46 teaches: we have to carry idols, but the Lord carries us.

  1. Choose a strong volunteer. Put the heavy backpack on them and read the book labels aloud: My Phone, Being Popular, Money, Winning, Looking Cool.
  2. SAY“Nobody bows down to a log anymore. But people still give their whole hearts to things like these. Let’s call them modern idols.” The volunteer walks two laps around the room.
  3. Read Isaiah 46:1: Babylon’s idols were “a burden to the weary beast.” Say: “Here’s how you spot an idol: YOU have to carry it. You have to protect it, feed it, check it, and worry about it.”
  4. Read Isaiah 46:4: “even to hoar hairs will I carry you.” Take the backpack off the volunteer. Ask: “What’s the difference between the Lord and an idol?” (Idols need us to carry them. The Lord carries us.)
  5. Ask: “Is a phone bad? Is winning bad?” (No. A good thing becomes an idol when we trust it more than God or let it crowd Him out.)
🌪️ Walking only, no running with the backpack. Let the volunteer pick the next kid to try it on if there’s time.

Class screen: 🎒 Idols have to be carried. The Lord carries you. · Isaiah 46:1–4

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: A backpack loaded with 4–5 heavy books, each wearing a sticky-note label: “My Phone,” “Being Popular,” “Money,” “Winning,” “Looking Cool”

Who Carries Whom? (Chair Edition)

  1. Choose a strong volunteer to carry a chair low in front of them with both arms. Say: “This chair is a modern idol.” Let the class name what it is: my phone, being popular, money, winning, looking cool.
  2. The volunteer walks two slow laps while the class calls out what the idol demands: “Keep checking me!” “Keep the streak alive!” “Buy the newest one!”
  3. Read Isaiah 46:1: Babylon’s idols were “a burden to the weary beast.” Say: “Here’s how you spot an idol: YOU have to carry it. You have to protect it, feed it, check it, and worry about it.”
  4. Read Isaiah 46:4: “even to hoar hairs will I carry you.” The volunteer sets the chair down. Ask: “What’s the difference between the Lord and an idol?” (Idols need us to carry them. The Lord carries us.)
  5. Ask: “Is a phone bad? Is winning bad?” (No. A good thing becomes an idol when we trust it more than God or let it crowd Him out.)
🌪️ Walk, don’t run, and keep the chair below the waist.
5. Scripture

Cross-Reference Chase: Isaiah 43:10–11

4 min

Kids memorize the key verse, then race through real scriptures to prove that the LORD of Isaiah is Jesus Christ.

  1. Teach Isaiah 43:10–11 with the motions. Say it twice together, the second time as loud as a courtroom verdict.
  2. SAY“Who is the LORD speaking in Isaiah? Let’s prove it with evidence from the New Testament.” Give each team scriptures.
  3. Read one slip at a time (short on time? race two slips and read the other two matches aloud). Both teams race to find BOTH verses. The first team to read both aloud and answer “Who is this about?” scores a point.
  4. Answers: Isaiah 40:3 + Luke 3:4 (John the Baptist prepares the way for Jesus) · Isaiah 40:11 + John 10:11 (Jesus is the Shepherd) · Isaiah 43:11 + Acts 4:12 (only one name can save us: Jesus Christ) · Isaiah 49:16 + John 20:27 (the marks in His hands).
  5. SAY“The LORD in the Old Testament is Jehovah, and Jehovah is Jesus Christ before He was born on earth. When you read Isaiah, you’re reading the Savior’s own words.”
🌪️ Only one kid per team holds the scriptures at a time; the others must help by calling out book names. Rotate the holder each round.

Class screen: 🔍 Cross-Reference Chase: find the Jesus connection! · Isaiah 40:3 ➜ Luke 3:4 · Isaiah 40:11 ➜ John 10:11 · Isaiah 43:11 ➜ Acts 4:12 · Isaiah 49:16 ➜ John 20:27

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: Scriptures for readers: Bibles, a quad, or the Gospel Library app on a phone (one per team, more if you have them), Four slips of paper, each with one cross-reference pair written on it (see prep)

Cross-Reference Shout-Out

  1. Teach Isaiah 43:10–11 with the motions. Say it twice together, the second time as loud as a courtroom verdict.
  2. SAY“I’ll read a verse from the New Testament. Your team huddles, then stands and shouts which Isaiah verse on the screen it matches, and who it’s about.”
  3. From your own scriptures or Gospel Library, read Acts 4:12, Luke 3:4, John 20:27, and John 10:11, in that mixed-up order. The first team standing with the right match scores a point.
  4. SAY“The LORD in the Old Testament is Jehovah, and Jehovah is Jesus Christ before He was born on earth. When you read Isaiah, you’re reading the Savior’s own words.”

Class screen: 🔍 Which Isaiah verse matches? Stand up and shout it! · Isaiah 40:3 · Prepare the way · Isaiah 40:11 · The Shepherd carries the lambs · Isaiah 43:11 · No other Saviour · Isaiah 49:16 · Graven on My palms

6. Game

Forehead Guess: Courtroom Edition

3 min

A fast, competitive review of every person, place, and idea from the trial.

  1. Tap Forehead Guess. The Bailiff goes first: device on the forehead, screen facing the class.
  2. Valiant rules: clue-givers can’t say the word OR any word from the hint under it. Much harder!
  3. Teams alternate 45-second turns. The Scorekeeper adds each team’s correct guesses to the lesson score.
  4. Double point if the guesser can also name the chapter where the word shows up (Cyrus = Isaiah 44–45).
  5. No phone or tablet? Play Twenty Questions: you secretly pick a word from the list, and teams take turns asking yes-or-no questions.
🌪️ Clue-givers raise a hand and wait to be picked by the guesser. Guessers always pick someone sitting still.
▶ Play Forehead Guess on the web

Class screen: 🤔 Forehead Guess: Courtroom Edition · No saying words from the hint!

7. Talk it over

Witness Interview

3 min

Deeper why-questions help kids connect Isaiah’s evidence to their own faith and their own week.

  1. Sit in a circle. A kid Discussion Leader reads each question from your phone or tablet and picks who answers.
  2. Keep answers to about 20 seconds so more voices get in. Share one answer of your own too.
💬 Ask the class
  • The Lord named Cyrus more than 150 years early. Why would He put a prophecy like that in the scriptures? What does it do for your faith?
  • What are some modern idols kids your age are tempted to trust or carry? How can you tell when a good thing is turning into an idol?
  • Isaiah 43:10 says we are the Lord’s witnesses. What have you seen or felt that you could testify about?
  • The captives thought the Lord had forgotten them (Isaiah 49:14). When might a kid your age feel forgotten? What could you do or say for them?
  • Apostles are called as special witnesses of Jesus Christ. What’s one thing you heard, or want to listen for, at General Conference?

Class screen: 💬 Witness interview: what do you know?

8. Testimony

Take the Witness Stand

2 min

A quiet, real testimony shows kids what being a witness of Jesus Christ looks like, and invites them to try.

  1. Set one chair in front as the Witness Stand. Lower your voice. Say: “In a courtroom, a witness can only tell what they have seen, heard, or know for themselves.”
  2. Sit in the chair and share a short testimony: one thing you know about Jesus Christ and how you came to know it.
  3. Invite anyone who wants to take the stand for one sentence: “I know…” or “I believe…” No pressure. A witness can also say, “I’m still learning, and I want to know.”
  4. SAY“At baptism you promised to stand as a witness of God at all times (Mosiah 18:9). Some of you will soon be ordained deacons or join Young Women, and you’ll be able to go to the temple for your ancestors. Those are all ways to be His witness.” Introduce the challenge and ask a kid to pray.

Class screen: 🙋 I can be a witness of Jesus Christ. · “Ye are my witnesses” – Isaiah 43:10

9. Game

Scripture Showdown

5 minBONUS

A tough team quiz tests how well they followed the evidence.

  1. Keep the same teams: Team Eagle and Team Shepherd. Tap Scripture Showdown.
  2. Read each question aloud. Teams get 10 seconds to whisper, then point to an answer.
  3. Ask the winning team to give the verse for a bonus point when they can.
▶ Play Scripture Showdown on the web

Class screen: 🏆 Scripture Showdown: Team Eagle vs. Team Shepherd!

Story drama

Courtroom Drama: The Lord vs. the Idols

Isaiah 41:21–24; 43:9–12; 44:9–28; 45:1–4; 46:1–4; 49:14; Ezra 1:1–3 ↗

Parts to hand out

  • BailiffOpens court with “All rise!”, announces each piece of evidence, and can call “Order in the court!” to freeze the room.
  • IsaiahA strong reader who reads real verses aloud from real scriptures: Isaiah 41:23, 44:28, and 43:10.
  • The WoodcarverChops a tree in slow motion, warms his hands (“Aha, I am warm!”), then bows down to the leftover wood.
  • The Idol (Bel)Frozen solid in the defense chair. Can’t talk, can’t blink, can’t answer a single question.
  • Tired DonkeyStaggers and groans under the heavy load of Babylon’s idols.
  • King CyrusMarches in like royalty and reads his proclamation from Ezra 1:3.
  • The JuryEveryone else: captive Israelites who sigh by the river, gasp at the evidence, and stand for the verdict.

Scenes

  1. 😢🏞️ Captives by the rivers of Babylon

    Picture God’s people, far from home. Babylon’s army had burned Jerusalem and its temple, and families were marched hundreds of miles away. Some of them said, “The Lord has forsaken me. The Lord has forgotten me.” Isaiah wrote these chapters more than a hundred years early, for exactly these people.

    🎬 The Jury sits on the floor, heads down, sighing. One captive says, “Has the Lord forgotten us?”

  2. ⚖️🔔 Court is now in session!

    In Isaiah 41 and 43, the Lord calls a trial. On one side: the idols of the nations. On the other: the Lord, the God of Israel. The Lord says to the idols, “Produce your cause… bring forth your strong reasons.” In other words: prove you are real.

    🎬 The Bailiff bangs a pretend gavel: “All rise! Order in the court!” Everyone stands, then sits. The Idol shuffles stiffly to the defense chair.

  3. 🪓🔥 Exhibit A: the half-dinner god

    First piece of evidence. A woodcarver chops down a tree. Half of it goes on the fire. He bakes bread, roasts meat, and says, “Aha, I am warm!” With the leftover half he carves a statue, bows down, and prays, “Deliver me; for thou art my god.” Isaiah says he never stops to think: I just cooked dinner on the other half of this!

    🎬 The Woodcarver chops in slow motion (“Chop… chop…”), warms his hands (“Aha, I am warm!”), then bows to the Idol. The Jury, all together: “It’s the SAME LOG!”

  4. 🫏😩 Exhibit B: idols that need a ride

    When Babylon fell, its famous idols, Bel and Nebo, had to be loaded onto animals and hauled away. The poor beasts were worn out from carrying their gods! Then the Lord says the opposite about Himself: “Even to hoar hairs will I carry you.” Idols have to be carried. The Lord carries you, from birth to gray hair.

    🎬 The Tired Donkey staggers across the room with the Idol’s hand on its shoulder, groaning. The Jury points at their own heads: “He carries US, all the way to gray hair!”

  5. 🔮🤐 The ultimate test: tell the future!

    Now the Lord gives the idols the ultimate test: “Shew the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye are gods.” Tell us the future, and we’ll believe you. The courtroom waits. And waits…

    🎬 Isaiah reads Isaiah 41:23 aloud. The Idol stays frozen. Everyone counts the silence on their fingers: 1… 2… 3… 4… 5. Bailiff: “The idol has NO answer!”

  6. 📜✍️ The Lord names a king before he’s born

    Then the Lord shows what only God can do. Through Isaiah He names a king who hasn’t been born yet: Cyrus. The Lord says Cyrus will be His shepherd, will order Jerusalem rebuilt, and will lay the temple’s foundation. He even says city gates will swing open for him.

    🎬 Isaiah reads Isaiah 44:28. The Keeper of the Envelope (or the Human Vault) reveals the name: CYRUS! The Jury gasps.

  7. 👑🏰 Enter King Cyrus of Persia

    More than 150 years after Isaiah wrote those words, a Persian king named Cyrus conquered Babylon. The mighty empire that had captured God’s people fell to the very king Isaiah had named.

    🎬 King Cyrus marches in slowly and royally. The Jury makes trumpet sounds. Bailiff: “Exhibit C: the prophecy came TRUE!”

  8. 📜🏛️ “Go home and build the house of the Lord!”

    In his very first year as king, Cyrus sent a written proclamation through his whole kingdom: any of the Lord’s people who wanted to could go home to Jerusalem and build the house of the Lord again. The captives who thought they’d been forgotten were going home.

    🎬 King Cyrus reads Ezra 1:3 aloud (a helper can find it for him). The Jury jumps up, cheers, and marches in place toward home.

  9. 🙋⚖️ The verdict: “Ye are my witnesses”

    The trial is over. The idols had no evidence and no witnesses. But the Lord does. He turns to His people and says, “Ye are my witnesses… I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour.” That means you. Everyone who knows Jesus Christ is His witness.

    🎬 Isaiah reads Isaiah 43:10. The whole Jury stands, raises right hands, and says together: “We are His witnesses!”

Key verse

Isaiah 43:10–11 ↗
“Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen … I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour.”
In kid words: The Lord says: “You are My witnesses. I chose you. I am the Lord, and there is no other Savior but Me.”
🙌 “Ye are my witnesses” = point around the circle at each other, then raise your right hand like you’re taking an oath · “my servant whom I have chosen” = hand on heart, then point up · “I, even I, am the LORD” = both arms stretch high · “beside me there is no saviour” = look left, look right, shake your head (“no one else!”), then point up again.

More verses

Isaiah 43:1 ↗
“Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.”
In kid words: Don’t be afraid. I paid to set you free, I know your name, and you belong to Me.
Isaiah 46:4 ↗
“even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you.”
In kid words: Idols have to be carried. The Lord carries you, all the way until your hair turns gray.
Isaiah 40:31 ↗
“But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”
In kid words: When you trust the Lord and keep following Him, He recharges your strength so you can keep going.
Isaiah 49:15–16 ↗
“yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands”
In kid words: Even if a mother forgot her baby, the Lord will never forget you. You are carved on His hands.

Forehead Guess words20 words

  • 👑 Cyrus
  • 🏰 Babylon
  • 🗿 Idol
  • 🪵 Graven image
  • 🪓 Woodcarver
  • 🙋 Witness
  • ✨ Jehovah
  • 🔓 Redeemer
  • 📜 Prophecy
  • ⚖️ Courtroom
  • 🫏 Beast of burden
  • 🐑 Shepherd
  • 🦅 Eagle
  • 🗣️ John the Baptist
  • 🛣️ Highway
  • ✋ Palms
  • 🔥 Furnace of affliction
  • 📖 Brass plates
  • 🏛️ Temple
  • 🎤 General Conference
Clues for each word
  • Cyrus: Persian king named more than 150 years early
  • Babylon: Empire that carried the Jews away captive
  • Idol: Can’t hear, can’t see, can’t tell the future
  • Graven image: A carved statue people prayed to
  • Woodcarver: Cooked dinner with half his log
  • Witness: Tells what they know is true
  • Jehovah: The LORD of the Old Testament: Jesus Christ
  • Redeemer: Pays the price to set captives free
  • Prophecy: Telling the future by God’s power
  • Courtroom: Where the Lord put the idols on trial
  • Beast of burden: Had to haul Babylon’s heavy idols
  • Shepherd: Gathers the lambs with his arm
  • Eagle: Isaiah 40:31: mount up with wings like one
  • John the Baptist: A voice crying in the wilderness
  • Highway: Make it straight to prepare the way
  • Palms: Where the Lord has graven your name
  • Furnace of affliction: Hard times that refine us (Isaiah 48:10)
  • Brass plates: Nephi read Isaiah from these
  • Temple: Cyrus said: go home and build it again
  • General Conference: Prophets and apostles speak twice a year
▶ Play Forehead GuessFull screen, 60-second timer, works on any phone.

Scripture Showdown10 questions

  1. In Isaiah 41, what test does the Lord give the idols?
    • A. Lift a mountain
    • B. Tell the future
    • C. Win a race
    Show answer

    ✅ B. Tell the future Isaiah 41:23: “Shew the things that are to come hereafter.” The idols had nothing to say.

  2. What did the woodcarver do with the half of the log he didn’t burn?
    • A. Carved a god and prayed to it
    • B. Built a table
    • C. Sold it at the market
    Show answer

    ✅ A. Carved a god and prayed to it Isaiah 44:17. He prayed to the leftovers from his dinner fire!

  3. In Isaiah 46, who has to carry Babylon’s idols?
    • A. The priests
    • B. Nobody; they fly
    • C. Tired animals
    Show answer

    ✅ C. Tired animals Isaiah 46:1. Idols have to be carried, but the Lord carries us (46:4).

  4. Which king did Isaiah name more than 150 years before he freed the Jews?
    • A. Nebuchadnezzar
    • B. David
    • C. Cyrus
    Show answer

    ✅ C. Cyrus Isaiah 44:28; 45:1. Cyrus let the Jews go home and rebuild the temple (Ezra 1:1–3).

  5. Cyrus was king of which empire?
    • A. Persia
    • B. Egypt
    • C. Rome
    Show answer

    ✅ A. Persia Ezra 1:1 calls him “Cyrus king of Persia.” Persia conquered Babylon.

  6. Who fulfilled “Prepare ye the way of the LORD” in the New Testament?
    • A. Peter
    • B. John the Baptist
    • C. Paul
    Show answer

    ✅ B. John the Baptist Luke 3:4 and all four Gospels quote Isaiah 40:3 about John the Baptist.

  7. Finish Isaiah 43:11: “I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no…”
    • A. other king
    • B. saviour
    • C. prophet
    Show answer

    ✅ B. saviour Acts 4:12 says the same: salvation comes through Jesus Christ alone.

  8. Who is the LORD (Jehovah) speaking in Isaiah?
    • A. An angel
    • B. King Cyrus
    • C. Jesus Christ before His birth
    Show answer

    ✅ C. Jesus Christ before His birth Jehovah is the premortal Jesus Christ. Isaiah is full of the Savior’s own words.

  9. Which Book of Mormon prophet read Isaiah 48–49 to his brothers?
    • A. Nephi
    • B. Alma
    • C. Moroni
    Show answer

    ✅ A. Nephi 1 Nephi 19:22–23; 20–21. He wanted them to believe in the Redeemer.

  10. Isaiah 43:1: “I have called thee by thy…”
    • A. number
    • B. family
    • C. name
    Show answer

    ✅ C. name The Lord knows you personally. You aren’t a number to Him.

▶ Play Scripture ShowdownTeams take turns on one screen.

Songs

  • How Firm a Foundation Hymns, no. 85

    This hymn draws on Isaiah 41:10, 43:2, and 46:4. Challenge teams to spot the Isaiah promises while they sing. Find it ↗

  • We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet Hymns, no. 19

    Perfect for General Conference weekend, when living prophets and apostles testify of Christ. Find it ↗

  • I Will Be Valiant Children’s Songbook, p. 162

    A Valiant class song about standing up for what you know, just like a witness. Find it ↗

This week’s challenge

Conference Witness Tally

Watch at least one session of General Conference (or one talk later in Gospel Library). Make a tally mark every time a speaker testifies of Jesus Christ, and write down one sentence you want to remember. Eleven-year-olds: turn what you hear into a Children and Youth goal for the rest of the year.

Text the parents

This week we studied Isaiah 40–49 as a courtroom drama: the Lord challenged the idols to tell the future, then named King Cyrus more than 150 years before he freed the Jews. We learned that we have to carry our “idols,” but the Lord carries us (Isaiah 46:4), and that we are His witnesses (Isaiah 43:10). Ask your child: how did the Lord prove He is God, and what’s one thing you can be a witness of?

📝 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?

🪣 A Drop in the Bucket · 3 min

  1. Set out a clear bowl of water. Dip a spoon and let one drop fall back in.
  2. Read Isaiah 40:15: “Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket.” Ask: “Babylon was the superpower of its day. What does Isaiah say it is compared to God?”
  3. Read Isaiah 40:26: God knows every star by name and not one is missing. Ask: “If He keeps track of every star, what does that tell you about how well He knows you?”
  4. Let kids name something that feels huge in their lives, then say together: “A drop in the bucket to Him.”

📖 Nephi’s Copy of Isaiah · 4 min

  1. Explain that Nephi had Isaiah on the brass plates and copied Isaiah 48–49 into 1 Nephi 20–21 (1 Nephi 19:22–23).
  2. Teams compare Isaiah 48:1 with 1 Nephi 20:1 and race to find the extra words in Nephi’s version. (Nephi’s version mentions the waters of baptism.)
  3. Compare Isaiah 49:15–16 with 1 Nephi 21:15–16. Ask: “Why would Nephi want his family to hear these promises while they were far from home?”
  4. Read 1 Nephi 19:23 and talk about what it means to “liken” scripture to yourself.

🌊 Peace Like a River, Righteousness Like the Waves · 3 min

  1. Read Isaiah 48:18. Half the class makes a calm, steady river with flowing arms; the other half makes waves that keep rolling in, one after another.
  2. Ask: “A river never runs out. Waves never stop coming. What does that teach about the peace and strength that come from keeping commandments?”
  3. Switch groups and let kids share a commandment that has brought them peace.

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 Valiant 9–11 lessons