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Shepherds, Watchmen and Dry Bones

A sneak-past-the-watchman game, a valley of bones that stands up, two books that tell one story, and a real job description for deacons and Young Women

  • 🧭 Youth 11–14
  • Week 45
  • 📅 Sunday, November 8, 2026
🤔 Forehead Guess🏆 Showdown
💡 The big idea

The Lord seeks out every lost sheep and can bring anything back to life, and He trusts me to help Him as a watchman and a shepherd to the people around me.

I can notice who is missing or struggling in my quorum, class and friend group and do one real thing to bring them back.

Study it yourself firstRead Ezekiel 1–3; 33–34; 36–37; 47 in Gospel LibraryCome, Follow Me manualOpen this week (Ezekiel 1–3; 33–34; 36–37; 47)
Know the chapters

Ezekiel was a priest carried away to Babylon with thousands of other captives from Judah. Instead of preaching from a distance, he went and “sat where they sat” among the exiles for seven days (Ezekiel 3:15). Then the Lord called him a watchman (3:17; 33:7): the guard on the city wall whose whole job is to see danger coming and warn people in time. A watchman who sees trouble and stays quiet is responsible for what happens (3:18–19). Deacons quorum and Young Women class presidencies are asked to watch over their members in a very similar way.

Ezekiel 34 is the Lord’s honest review of Israel’s leaders. They were shepherds who fed themselves and ignored the sick, the hurt and the lost (34:2–4). So the Lord says He will do it Himself: “I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out” (34:11). Verse 16 is basically a ministering job description: seek, bring back, bind up, strengthen. Jesus later called Himself the good shepherd who knows His sheep by name (John 10:11–16). In chapter 33 the Lord says plainly that He takes no pleasure when anyone is lost; He wants them to turn and live (33:11).

In Ezekiel 37, the Lord sets Ezekiel in a valley of very dry bones and asks, “Can these bones live?” The bones rattle together, get sinews and skin, and finally breath, and stand up as a huge army. The Lord explains the bones are Israel, who felt their hope was gone (37:11). The vision promises the gathering of Israel, a spiritual rebirth, and the literal Resurrection made possible by Jesus Christ. Next, the Lord has Ezekiel join two sticks into one: the stick of Judah and the stick of Joseph. Latter-day Saints understand these as the Bible and the Book of Mormon, two records that work together to gather people to Christ.

Chapter 36 promises a new heart and a new spirit in place of a heart of stone (36:26). In chapter 47, water flows from under the temple, gets deeper and deeper, and heals the Dead Sea until fish swarm where nothing could live. Many of your youth are doing baptisms for the dead for the first time this year. The temple is where that river still flows: it heals families, living and dead.

Only have 5 minutes?

Read Ezekiel 34:11–16 and 37:1–14. Play Watchman on the Wall to start, run the Dry Bones scene from your phone or tablet with everyone as bones, then give each youth one verb from Ezekiel 34:16 (seek, bring back, bind up, strengthen) and ask for a real example from their week. End with Ezekiel 47:9 and the temple. No supplies needed.

What to bring5 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 “Judah” on one stick and “Joseph” on the other.
  2. Bookmark three pairs: John 10:16 and 3 Nephi 15:21 (other sheep) · Luke 24:39 and 3 Nephi 11:14 (touch the wounds) · Ezekiel 37:12 and Alma 11:43 (the Resurrection).
  3. Pick a clear lane for Watchman on the Wall: one wall is the watchman’s post, the opposite wall is the start line.
  4. Decide who might be a confident reader for Ezekiel. Ask them before class, not in front of everyone.
  5. Add your youth in the My Class tab so the Name Spinner can pick for the discussion.

If your class is wild

  • Start with the watchman game before anyone sits. Twelve-year-olds who move first listen better later.
  • The Dry Bones scene is funnier the more committed the bones are. Model the rattling yourself; if you’re embarrassed, they will be too.
  • In Bone to His Bone, keep contact simple: elbows, shoes, pinkies, shoulders. Let anyone who would rather not touch just point at a partner.
  • If the discussion stalls, go first with a true, short story about someone who noticed you when you were the lost sheep.
  • Deacons who pass the sacrament are already watchmen: they see every row. Say that out loud and watch them sit up.

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

Watchman on the Wall

3 min

A sneaking game makes the watchman’s job obvious before anyone explains it.

  1. One youth is the Watchman and stands facing the wall at one end (give them the paper-towel trumpet if you brought one). Everyone else lines up at the other end: they’re the invading army.
  2. When the Watchman faces the wall, the army sneaks forward. When the Watchman spins around, everyone freezes. Anyone caught moving goes back to the start. First to tap the wall wins and becomes the next Watchman.
  3. Round 2: the Watchman has to keep eyes closed the whole time. (The army wins in about four seconds.)
  4. SAY“A watchman with his eyes shut is useless. In Ezekiel 3:17 the Lord tells Ezekiel, ‘I have made thee a watchman.’ Today we’ll find out the Lord has a watchman job for you, too.”
🌪️ Walking only. Let the Watchman blast the trumpet on the Sound Board when they catch someone.
🔊 Sound Board (a class game in the Gospel Sparks app)

Class screen: 🏰 Watchman on the Wall: sneak past or get caught · Ezekiel 3:17

2. Story

Scripture Scene: The Valley of Dry Bones

6 min

Acting out Ezekiel 37 shows that nothing is too dead for the Lord, whether a body in a grave or a person who feels spiritually dried out.

  1. Hand out roles (tap Roles in Teach Mode). Everyone not named is a Bone.
  2. Give the three Scripture Readers their verses: Ezekiel 37:3, 37:7 and 37:11. Put someone on the Sound Board.
  3. You read the Lord’s words and the narration. Pause for readers, sounds and actions.
  4. After scene 6, ask: “When have you seen someone who felt dried up get their breath back?” Take one or two answers, then keep going.
🌪️ Bones stay in their own space when they “connect”: elbows touching, no piles. Anyone who gets silly gets to be the extra-crunchy skeleton who stands up last.

Class screen: 🦴 Can these bones live? · Ezekiel 37:1–14

3. Wiggle break

Bone to His Bone

2 min

A speed challenge burns energy and pictures a scattered people being gathered back together.

  1. Everyone scatters around the room. Call out a connection and a number: “Elbow to elbow, groups of 2!” “Shoe to shoe, groups of 3!” “Pinky to pinky, groups of 4!” “Shoulder to shoulder, groups of 5!”
  2. Anyone left out calls the next connection (so being left out makes you the leader, not the loser).
  3. Final call: “The whole house of Israel!” Everyone connects in one long chain.
  4. SAY“Ezekiel 37:21 says the Lord will gather His people from everywhere they’ve been scattered. That’s the gathering of Israel, and He wants all hands on deck.”
🌪️ If they get too rowdy, switch to silent rounds: you hold up fingers for the group size and they connect without a sound.

Class screen: 🔗 Elbow to elbow! Shoe to shoe! Connect before time runs out! · Ezekiel 37:7, 21

4. Object lesson

Which Stick? Bible or Book of Mormon

3 min

Hearing matching verses side by side shows how the stick of Judah and the stick of Joseph testify of the same Savior.

  1. Show the two sticks. Read Ezekiel 37:16–17. Say: “The stick of Judah is the Bible. The stick of Joseph is the Book of Mormon. The Lord said they’d become one in His hand.”
  2. Split into Team Judah and Team Joseph. Read one verse from a bookmarked pair without saying which book it’s from. Teams shout “Judah!” or “Joseph!”
  3. Read the pairs: John 10:16 and 3 Nephi 15:21 · Luke 24:39 and 3 Nephi 11:14 · Ezekiel 37:12 and Alma 11:43.
  4. Rubber-band the sticks together and hold them up in one hand. Ask: “Why do we need both?” (Two witnesses; the Book of Mormon makes the Bible’s message clearer; together they gather people to Christ.)

Class screen: 📘📕 Judah or Joseph? Guess which book the verse came from · Ezekiel 37:16–17

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: A Bible and a Book of Mormon (two separate books if you can, or two phones with Gospel Library open), Two flat sticks (rulers, paint stirrers or big craft sticks), a marker and a rubber band or tape, Sticky notes or slips of paper to bookmark 3 pairs of verses

Human Sticks

  1. Pick two volunteers. One is the stick of Judah (the Bible), the other the stick of Joseph (the Book of Mormon). Read Ezekiel 37:16–17 from your scriptures.
  2. Read one verse from each pair in your own scriptures without saying which book: John 10:16 and 3 Nephi 15:21 · Luke 24:39 and 3 Nephi 11:14 · Ezekiel 37:12 and Alma 11:43.
  3. The class points to the Judah youth or the Joseph youth for each verse. Usually they can’t tell. That’s the point: same Savior, same message.
  4. The two volunteers link arms and stand as one stick. Ask: “Why do we need both?”
5. Scripture

Shepherd’s Job Description: Ezekiel 34:16

3 min

Turning the four verbs of Ezekiel 34:16 into real examples makes ministering something a 12-year-old can actually do this week.

  1. Read Ezekiel 34:2–4 fast: shepherds who fed themselves and ignored the sheep. Say: “That’s the Lord’s job review. Not great.”
  2. Show Ezekiel 34:16 and teach the motions. Say it together twice.
  3. Split into four groups (or pairs). Each takes one verb: seek the lost, bring back the pushed-away, bind up the broken, strengthen the sick.
  4. Give them 60 seconds to come up with one real example from school, a team, a group chat or the ward. Each group shares with the motion.

Class screen: 🐑 Seek. Bring back. Bind up. Strengthen. What does that look like at school? · Ezekiel 34:16

6. Game

Find the Lost Sheep

3 min

A loud hot-and-cold hunt shows that finding the lost takes a whole flock paying attention.

  1. Send one Shepherd into the hall. The class hides a “lost sheep”: someone’s shoe works great.
  2. Bring the Shepherd back. Nobody talks: the flock only bleats, soft when the Shepherd is far away and louder as they get closer. Show the Noise Meter so everyone can see the volume.
  3. Play two rounds with new Shepherds. Time them.
  4. SAY“Ezekiel 34:11 says the Lord Himself will search for His sheep. Notice the Shepherd found it faster because the whole flock helped.”
🌪️ The bleating can get LOUD. Agree on a signal (you raise a hand) that means instant silence, and practice it once.
🐭 Noise Meter (a class game in the Gospel Sparks app)

Class screen: 🐑 Baa louder when the Shepherd gets closer! · Ezekiel 34:11–12

7. Talk it over

Watchmen and Shepherds Today

3 min

Honest questions connect Ezekiel’s callings to deacons, Young Women, class presidencies and friendships.

  1. Use the Name Spinner to pick who answers first, then open it up. Two or three questions is plenty.
  2. Go first yourself if it’s quiet. Keep it real, not preachy.
  3. Point out: deacons passing the sacrament see every row, and a Young Women class president knows who wasn’t there. That’s watchman work.
💬 Ask the class
  • What’s the difference between a shepherd and a watchman? Which one are you better at?
  • Who might feel “driven away” at school or in our ward, even if they still show up sometimes?
  • Ezekiel “sat where they sat” (Ezekiel 3:15). Why does it matter to sit with someone before you try to help them?
  • Ezekiel 34:2 describes shepherds who feed only themselves. What does that look like in a friend group or a group chat?
  • Who is one person you could seek out this week, and what would you actually say or do?
🎡 Name Spinner (a class game in the Gospel Sparks app)

Class screen: 👀 Who notices when someone disappears? · Ezekiel 3; 34

8. Testimony

The River from the Temple

2 min

End with the temple, where the Savior’s healing still flows to the living and the dead.

  1. Read Ezekiel 47:9. Say: “Ezekiel saw water come out from under the temple, get deeper and deeper, and heal the Dead Sea. Where the river went, things came back to life.”
  2. SAY“When you do baptisms for the dead, that river reaches people who have waited a long time. And it heals us too.”
  3. Share a short testimony that Jesus Christ is the Good Shepherd who never gives up on anyone, including you.
  4. Give the challenge and ask a youth to offer the closing prayer.

Class screen: 🛕 “Every thing shall live whither the river cometh” · Ezekiel 47:9

9. Game

Forehead Guess: Ezekiel Edition

4 minBONUS

A fast Heads Up–style round reviews the people, places and symbols of Ezekiel.

  1. Tap Forehead Guess. The guesser holds your phone or tablet on their forehead; the class gives clues without saying the word.
  2. Tilt down for got it, up to pass. 45 seconds per guesser.
  3. Hard mode: clue-givers may only act it out. No talking.
▶ Play Forehead Guess on the web

Class screen: 🤔 Forehead Guess: Ezekiel Edition

10. Game

Scripture Showdown

5 minBONUS

A team quiz reviews watchmen, shepherds, bones, sticks and the river.

  1. Split into Team Judah and Team Joseph. Tap Scripture Showdown.
  2. Teams huddle for 10 seconds, then their captain answers. Rotate captains every question.
  3. Bonus point for naming the chapter.
▶ Play Scripture Showdown on the web

Class screen: 🏆 Scripture Showdown: Judah vs. Joseph

Story drama

The Valley of Dry Bones

Ezekiel 37:1–14 ↗

Parts to hand out

  • EzekielWalks slowly through the valley, stares at the bones, and prophesies to them when the Lord tells him to.
  • The BonesEveryone else lies (or sits slumped) on the floor, completely dry, then rattles, connects and stands up as a mighty army.
  • The Four WindsTwo to four youth stand in the corners and blow a long, low wind when breath comes into the bones.
  • Sound CrewRuns the Sound Board: rumble for the shaking, wind for the breath, trumpet when the army stands.
  • Scripture ReadersThree youth read Ezekiel 37:3, 37:7 and 37:11 straight from the scriptures at the right moment.

Scenes

  1. 🏜️🦴 A valley full of very dry bones

    The Spirit of the Lord carried Ezekiel into a valley. It was covered with bones: not a few, a whole valley full, bleached and very dry. Nothing had lived here for a long time.

    🎬 The Bones slump on the floor, totally still. Ezekiel walks slowly around them, looking horrified.

  2. ❓🦴 “Can these bones live?”

    Then the Lord asked Ezekiel a question that sounds impossible. Ezekiel didn’t say yes and he didn’t say no. He gave the most honest answer of faith there is.

    🎬 Scripture Reader 1 reads Ezekiel 37:3. Ezekiel shrugs, looks up, and points upward: “Thou knowest.”

  3. 📢🦴 Prophesy to the bones

    The Lord told Ezekiel to preach to the bones. Yes, to the bones. Ezekiel did it anyway, and as he spoke, there was a noise and a shaking.

    🎬 Ezekiel faces the bones and calls out: “O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD!” The Bones start to tremble.

  4. 🦴🔗 Bone to his bone

    The bones slid across the ground and clicked together, bone to his bone. Sinews, then muscle, then skin covered them. They looked like people again. But they were still lying there, because there was no breath in them.

    🎬 Scripture Reader 2 reads Ezekiel 37:7. The Bones scoot together and link elbows, but stay flat and lifeless.

  5. 🌬️💨 Come from the four winds, O breath

    The Lord told Ezekiel to prophesy to the wind. Breath came from every direction, and the bodies breathed, and stood up on their feet: an exceeding great army.

    🎬 The Four Winds blow long and low. The Bones take one huge breath together, then stand up slowly, tall and strong.

  6. 💔➡️❤️ “Our hope is lost”… or is it?

    Then the Lord explained. The bones were the house of Israel. They felt dried out, cut off, hopeless. But the Lord promised to open their graves, put His Spirit in them, and bring them home.

    🎬 Scripture Reader 3 reads Ezekiel 37:11. The army stays standing. Ezekiel turns to the class: “Anybody ever feel dried up like that?”

  7. 🌅🙌 Two promises: resurrection and new life

    This vision points to two things. Someday, because Jesus Christ rose from the tomb, every body will be resurrected. And right now, He can put breath back into a person who feels spiritually dead, and into a quorum or class that feels like it’s just going through the motions.

    🎬 Everyone takes one deep breath together and sits down. No talking for three seconds.

Key verse

Ezekiel 34:16 ↗
“I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick”
In plain words: The Lord goes after the lost, brings back the pushed-away, bandages the broken and strengthens the sick, and He asks His shepherds to do the same.
🙌 “seek that which was lost” = hand over eyes, scanning · “bring again that which was driven away” = wave someone back toward you · “bind up that which was broken” = wrap one hand around the other wrist like a bandage · “strengthen that which was sick” = flex both arms.

More verses

Ezekiel 3:17 ↗
“Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me”
In plain words: The Lord made Ezekiel a watchman: listen to God, then warn the people.
Ezekiel 33:11 ↗
“I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die”
In plain words: God doesn’t want anyone lost. He wants them to turn around and live.
Ezekiel 36:26 ↗
“A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh”
In plain words: The Lord can swap a hard, cold heart for a soft, alive one.
Ezekiel 47:9 ↗
“every thing shall live whither the river cometh”
In plain words: Wherever the river from the temple flows, things come back to life.

Forehead Guess words18 words

  • 🧔 Ezekiel
  • 🏰 Watchman
  • 🎺 Trumpet
  • 🧑‍🌾 Shepherd
  • 🐑 Lost sheep
  • 🦴 Dry bones
  • 🌬️ Breath
  • 🪖 Army
  • 📘 Stick of Judah
  • 📕 Stick of Joseph
  • ❤️ New heart
  • 🪨 Stony heart
  • 🛕 Temple
  • 🏞️ River
  • 🧂 Dead Sea
  • 🐟 Fish
  • 🏛️ Babylon
  • 🌅 Resurrection
Clues for each word
  • Ezekiel: Priest-prophet taken captive to Babylon
  • Watchman: Guard on the wall who warns the city
  • Trumpet: What a watchman blows to warn people
  • Shepherd: Seeks the lost and feeds the flock
  • Lost sheep: The one the Lord goes out to find
  • Dry bones: A whole valley of them came back to life
  • Breath: Came from the four winds into the bodies
  • Army: What the bones became when they stood up
  • Stick of Judah: Ezekiel’s stick that stands for the Bible
  • Stick of Joseph: Ezekiel’s stick that stands for the Book of Mormon
  • New heart: What the Lord gives in place of a stony one
  • Stony heart: Hard, cold heart the Lord takes away
  • Temple: The river flowed out from under it
  • River: Got deeper and deeper until you had to swim
  • Dead Sea: Salty sea the temple water healed
  • Fish: Swarmed where nothing could live before
  • Babylon: Where Ezekiel lived with the captives
  • Resurrection: Body and spirit together again forever
▶ Play Forehead GuessFull screen, 60-second timer, works on any phone.

Scripture Showdown9 questions

  1. What happens if a watchman sees danger but doesn’t warn anyone?
    • A. He is responsible for what happens
    • B. Nothing, it’s not his problem
    • C. He gets a promotion
    Show answer

    ✅ A. He is responsible for what happens Ezekiel 3:18 and 33:6 say the watchman is responsible. That’s why prophets keep warning us.

  2. What was wrong with Israel’s shepherds in Ezekiel 34?
    • A. They lost their staffs
    • B. They fed themselves and ignored the flock
    • C. They had too many sheep
    Show answer

    ✅ B. They fed themselves and ignored the flock They ate well and let the sick, hurt and lost sheep fend for themselves (34:2–4).

  3. Who says, “I, even I, will both search my sheep”?
    • A. Ezekiel
    • B. The king of Babylon
    • C. The Lord
    Show answer

    ✅ C. The Lord Ezekiel 34:11: the Lord Himself goes after the lost. Jesus later called Himself the good shepherd (John 10:11).

  4. How did Ezekiel answer “Can these bones live?”
    • A. “No way”
    • B. “O Lord GOD, thou knowest”
    • C. “Only on Sundays”
    Show answer

    ✅ B. “O Lord GOD, thou knowest” Ezekiel 37:3. He didn’t know how, but he trusted that the Lord did.

  5. What finally made the bodies stand up?
    • A. Breath from the four winds
    • B. A trumpet blast
    • C. Cold water
    Show answer

    ✅ A. Breath from the four winds They had bones, sinews and skin, but they didn’t live until breath came into them (37:8–10).

  6. The Lord said the dry bones were whom?
    • A. The Babylonians
    • B. Ezekiel’s ancestors only
    • C. The whole house of Israel
    Show answer

    ✅ C. The whole house of Israel Ezekiel 37:11: Israel felt their hope was lost, and the Lord promised to bring them back to life.

  7. Latter-day Saints understand the stick of Joseph as what?
    • A. The Bible
    • B. The Book of Mormon
    • C. A walking stick
    Show answer

    ✅ B. The Book of Mormon The stick of Judah is the Bible, and the stick of Joseph is the Book of Mormon. Together they gather people to Christ.

  8. What does the Lord promise to replace a stony heart with?
    • A. An heart of flesh
    • B. An heart of gold
    • C. A stronger stone
    Show answer

    ✅ A. An heart of flesh Ezekiel 36:26: a soft, living heart and a new spirit.

  9. Where did the healing river in Ezekiel 47 come from?
    • A. A mountain spring
    • B. The Jordan River
    • C. Under the temple
    Show answer

    ✅ C. Under the temple Ezekiel 47:1: the water came out from under the temple and healed everything it reached.

▶ Play Scripture ShowdownTeams take turns on one screen.

Songs

  • The Lord Is My Shepherd Hymns, no. 108

    Ezekiel 34 is all about the Lord as the shepherd who goes after His sheep. Find it ↗

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

    The dry bones point to the Resurrection made possible by the living Christ. Find it ↗

  • Hope of Israel Hymns, no. 259

    The bones said their hope was lost; this hymn calls the youth of Israel to rise up. Find it ↗

This week’s challenge

Be the Watchman

Pick one person who has been missing, quiet or left out: at church, school or in a group chat. This week, do one real thing: sit by them, text them, invite them, or just ask how they’re actually doing.

Text the parents

Today in class we read Ezekiel: a watchman on the wall, shepherds who ignored their sheep, a valley of dry bones that stood up, and a river from the temple that heals. We talked about how deacons and Young Women can be watchmen and shepherds. Ask your youth: “Which of the four shepherd verbs in Ezekiel 34:16 did you pick, and who are you watching out for this week?”

📝 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?

🌊 Deeper and Deeper · 3 min

  1. Read Ezekiel 47:3–5 while the class acts it out: water to the ankles (tiptoe), knees (high steps), waist (wade with arms up), then swimming.
  2. Ask: “Why do you think the river gets deeper the farther it goes?” (Blessings from the temple grow the more we come back.)
  3. Ask: “What do you think a first trip to do baptisms will feel like? What would help you get ready?”

🌳 Find a Name for the River · 5 min

  1. If you have FamilySearch on your phone, show how to look for an ancestor who needs temple ordinances (or invite a ward temple and family history leader to show them).
  2. SAY“Ezekiel’s river healed the Dead Sea. Baptisms for the dead take that healing to people who died without the chance.”
  3. Invite youth who have a limited-use recommend to plan a temple trip with a family name.

🪨 Stone Heart, Soft Heart · 3 min

  1. Pour a little water on a rock or a hard table and on a paper towel. Which one takes it in?
  2. Read Ezekiel 36:26–27. Ask: “What makes a heart turn hard? What softens it?”
  3. SAY“The Lord doesn’t just want us to act better. He offers to change our hearts.”

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 11–14 lessons