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Return unto Me

God’s side of an argument, a plate of leftovers, real talk about tithing, and Elijah’s promise from Malachi to your next temple trip

  • 🔥 Youth 14–16
  • Week 51
  • 📅 Sunday, December 20, 2026
🤔 Forehead Guess🏆 Showdown
💡 The big idea

The Lord has always loved me and keeps inviting me back: He wants my best, not my leftovers, He opens the windows of heaven when I pay tithing, and He sent Elijah so my heart can turn to my family through the temple.

I can give the Lord my best, pay an honest tithe, and turn my heart to my family through temple and family history work.

Come, Follow Me manualOpen this week (Malachi)
Know the chapters

Malachi is the last book of the Old Testament, written about 400 years before Jesus was born. The temple Haggai and Zechariah helped rebuild was standing again, but hearts had drifted. The book reads like an argument: the Lord says something, and the people push back with “Wherein?” (“How? Prove it.”) again and again (Malachi 1:2, 6–7; 2:17; 3:7–8; see also 3:13). Teenagers will recognize the tone. And the Lord’s very first words are not a scolding: “I have loved you, saith the LORD” (1:2). His repeated invitation is “Return unto me, and I will return unto you” (3:7).

The priests were offering blind, lame and sick animals, the leftovers nobody wanted (1:7–8). The Lord asked whether they’d dare give that to their governor. For youth, the “leftovers” question is easy to translate: the last half-awake minute of the day for prayer, scriptures skimmed while scrolling, sacrament meeting spent texting. The Lord wants their best because He wants their hearts, not because He needs their stuff.

Malachi 3:8–12 is the Old Testament’s great tithing passage. The Lord asks, “Will a man rob God?” and invites us to “prove me now herewith” and see if He will not “open you the windows of heaven.” Today tithing is one-tenth of our increase (Doctrine and Covenants 119:4). Many of your youth now earn money from babysitting, mowing or first jobs, so this is practical. They can pay by filling out a donation slip and handing it to a member of the bishopric, or online (with a parent’s help if needed). Tithing funds temples, meetinghouses and the Church’s work worldwide. The blessings promised are real but often spiritual and quiet: peace, gratitude, stronger faith and help when it’s needed, not a guarantee of money. Keep it honest and joyful, never guilt-driven.

Malachi ends with a promise: “I will send you Elijah the prophet” to turn the hearts of the fathers and the children to each other (4:5–6). The angel Moroni quoted it to Joseph Smith in 1823 with different wording: Elijah would reveal the priesthood, and the promises made to the fathers would be planted in the hearts of the children (Joseph Smith—History 1:38–39). On April 3, 1836, Easter Sunday and one week after the Kirtland Temple was dedicated, the Savior appeared there to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery, followed by Moses, Elias and Elijah, who gave them the sealing keys (Doctrine and Covenants 110). It was also Passover season, when many Jewish families traditionally watch for Elijah. Because of those keys, your youth can do baptisms for their own ancestors. Be sensitive: some families aren’t sealed, some are blended or adopted, and some are going through hard things. Every youth belongs to Heavenly Father’s family and can help gather it.

Only have 5 minutes?

Read Malachi 1:2, 1:6–8, 3:7–10 and 4:5–6, and skim Doctrine and Covenants 110:13–16. Do the no-supplies Leftovers hook, let Teach Mode run the scripture scene, play the Heart Turn speed round, read three Tithing Real Talk dilemmas out loud, and close by inviting everyone to learn one ancestor’s name this week.

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. Set up the leftovers plate and keep the nice treat hidden until the hook.
  2. Get a donation slip. Look it over so you can explain where tithing goes on it.
  3. Mark Malachi 1:2, 1:6–8, 3:7–10, 3:16–17 and 4:5–6, Joseph Smith—History 1:38–39 and Doctrine and Covenants 110:13–16, or ask readers to bookmark them in Gospel Library.
  4. Add your class in the My Class tab to hand out parts. Give Malachi to a confident reader; everyone else plays the People and says “Wherein?”
  5. Think of one ancestor you know something about, or one family history or temple experience you can share in a sentence or two.

If your class is wild

  • The “Wherein?” pushback is the fun of this lesson. Let them overdo the sarcasm, then point out that God kept answering anyway.
  • Tithing can get awkward. Don’t ask anyone whether they pay. Talk about how, why and what it’s like, and share your own experience.
  • Family situations vary a lot. In the Heart Turn round, let people answer about any family member, a mentor or even “I don’t know yet,” which is the whole point.
  • If the room drags, hand out the reading. Teens stay awake when they have lines.
  • If a youth asks a hard question about tithing or the temple you can’t answer, say so, write it down, and follow up next week.

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

Leftovers for God

3 min

A plate of sad leftovers makes Malachi 1:8 land and opens the question of what we give the Lord.

  1. Hold up the leftovers plate. Say: “I brought refreshments.” Let them react.
  2. Ask: “Would you serve this to someone you really respect? Your favorite coach? The prophet?” Then reveal the nice treat and ask which one they’d choose to give.
  3. Have a volunteer read Malachi 1:8. Ask: “What were the priests giving God?”
  4. Ask: “What are the leftovers we give God today?” (The last sleepy thirty seconds of the day for prayer, scriptures while scrolling, texting through the sacrament.)
  5. SAY“Malachi is basically an argument between God and people who didn’t think they were doing anything wrong. Let’s listen in.”
🌪️ Give the nice treat to whoever gives the most honest answer about their own leftovers.

Class screen: 🍽️ Would you serve this to someone you really respect? · Malachi 1:8

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: A plate of “leftovers” (a broken cracker, a bruised banana, a crumpled napkin) and one really nice treat, like a fresh cookie (check allergies and your ward’s policy first)

Would You Serve This?

  1. SAY“I made refreshments. On the menu: half a cracker someone sneezed near, a banana that’s mostly brown, and a napkin. Who’s hungry?”
  2. Ask: “Would you serve that to someone you really respect? Your favorite coach? The prophet? What would you serve instead?”
  3. Have a volunteer read Malachi 1:8. Ask: “What were the priests giving God?”
  4. Ask: “What are the leftovers we give God today?” Then say: “Malachi is basically an argument between God and people who didn’t think they were doing anything wrong. Let’s listen in.”
2. Story

Scripture Scene: The Wherein Argument and Elijah’s Promise

6 min

Youth hear the Lord’s patient love through the people’s pushback, then trace Elijah’s promise from Malachi to Kirtland to today.

  1. Hand out parts (tap Roles in Teach Mode). Everyone who doesn’t have a part is the People and says “Wherein?”
  2. Malachi reads from the marked scriptures. The Narrator reads each scene while the screen shows it.
  3. In scene 8, make it clear that no one plays the Savior; the Narrator describes His appearance. Keep the voice low and reverent for that scene.
  4. After scene 4, ask: “The People keep saying ‘Wherein?’ What does it tell you that the Lord keeps answering?”
  5. After the last scene, ask: “Why would the Lord make this the very last promise of the Old Testament?”
🌪️ Turn the “Wherein?” into a competition between sides of the room for the most dramatic delivery, then drop the energy to a whisper for scenes 6 through 9.

Class screen: 🙄 God speaks. The people say “Wherein?” He keeps answering. · Malachi reads the Lord’s words · Everyone else: “Wherein?”

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: Scriptures for each pair (their own, a classroom set, or Gospel Library on their phones)

  1. Hand out parts (tap Roles in Teach Mode). Everyone else is the People and says “Wherein?”
  2. Keep your own scriptures. When Malachi has a verse, read it one phrase at a time and Malachi repeats it.
  3. In scene 8, no one plays the Savior; the Narrator describes His appearance. Keep the voice low and reverent.
  4. After scene 4, ask: “What does it tell you that the Lord keeps answering?”
  5. After the last scene, ask: “Why would the Lord make this the very last promise of the Old Testament?”
3. Wiggle break

Heart Turn Speed Round

2 min

A quick, standing partner game shows how much (or how little) we know about our families, which is what Elijah’s promise is about.

  1. Everyone stands back to back with a partner.
  2. Call a question, then say “Turn!” Partners spin to face each other and each gets ten seconds to answer: “What’s one of your grandparents’ first names?” · “Where was one of your parents born?” · “Name an ancestor you know a story about.” · “What’s something you have in common with someone in your family?”
  3. Spin back to back between questions. Switch partners once.
  4. SAY“If you said ‘I don’t know’ a lot, you’re normal, and that’s the point. Elijah’s promise is that our hearts turn toward them.”
🌪️ If partners freeze up, you answer first. Make “I don’t know yet” a totally acceptable answer.

Class screen: 🔄 Back to back. On “Turn!”, face your partner and answer. · Any family member, mentor, or “I don’t know yet” counts

4. Scripture

Scripture Spotlight: Malachi 4:5–6

3 min

Youth compare Malachi, Moroni and Doctrine and Covenants 110 to see how the promise was fulfilled and what it means for them.

  1. Show the key verse and say it together with the motions.
  2. Ask one youth to summarize Joseph Smith—History 1:38–39: how did Moroni word it differently? (The priesthood would be revealed by Elijah, and the promises made to the fathers would be planted in the children’s hearts.)
  3. Ask another to read Doctrine and Covenants 110:13–16 and explain in one sentence what Elijah gave Joseph and Oliver. (The sealing keys.)
  4. Ask: “Who in this room has done baptisms for the dead? What was that like?” Let one or two share briefly.

Class screen: 🔑 Malachi promised it. Moroni repeated it. Elijah delivered it. · Malachi 4:5–6 · Joseph Smith—History 1:38–39 · Doctrine and Covenants 110:13–16

5. Game

Tithing Real Talk

5 min

Honest dilemmas turn tithing from an abstract rule into practical, faith-filled choices they’re already facing.

  1. Pass around the donation slip. Ask a youth to show where tithing goes and explain how you turn it in (to a member of the bishopric, or online with a parent’s help).
  2. Split into two teams. Read a dilemma; each team has 30 seconds to agree on an answer and a reason. Then compare.
  3. Dilemmas: You earned $80 babysitting. How much is tithing, and when do you pay it? · Concert tickets cost exactly what you have, including your tithing. · A friend says, “Tithing is just the Church wanting your money.” How do you respond kindly? · You paid tithing all year and money is still tight at home. Did it not work? · Is it tithing if you pay it but complain the whole time?
  4. After each one, add the doctrine if needed: tithing is one-tenth of our increase (Doctrine and Covenants 119:4); it builds temples and meetinghouses and supports the Church’s work; the windows of heaven often open with spiritual blessings like peace, faith and help, not necessarily money.
  5. Share briefly how paying tithing has blessed you.
🌪️ Don’t let it become a debate about whether tithing is worth it. Steer toward “How do I live this?” and “How do I explain it kindly?”

Class screen: 🪟 Tithing real talk: what would you actually do? · 30 seconds per dilemma · Answer + reason

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: A tithing and other offerings donation slip (ask a bishopric member or clerk for one)

  1. Explain how to pay tithing: fill out a donation slip from the foyer and hand it to a member of the bishopric, or pay online with a parent’s help.
  2. Split into two teams. Read a dilemma; each team has 30 seconds to agree on an answer and a reason. Then compare.
  3. Dilemmas: You earned $80 babysitting. How much is tithing, and when do you pay it? · Concert tickets cost exactly what you have, including your tithing. · A friend says, “Tithing is just the Church wanting your money.” How do you respond kindly? · You paid tithing all year and money is still tight at home. Did it not work?
  4. After each one, add the doctrine if needed: tithing is one-tenth of our increase (Doctrine and Covenants 119:4); it builds temples and meetinghouses; the windows of heaven often open with spiritual blessings, not necessarily money.
  5. Share briefly how paying tithing has blessed you.
6. Game

Forehead Guess: Malachi Edition

4 minBONUS

A quick competitive review of the people, places and ideas from today.

  1. Split into two teams. Tap Forehead Guess. The guesser holds your phone or tablet on their forehead facing their team.
  2. Clue-givers can’t say the word. Tilt down for got it, up to pass. Turns are 45 seconds.
  3. Bonus point for naming the book or section where the word appears.
▶ Play Forehead Guess on the web

Class screen: 🤔 Forehead Guess: Malachi Edition · No saying the word

7. Game

Scripture Showdown

5 minBONUS

A fast team quiz reviews the whole lesson.

  1. Split into two teams and pick captains. Tap Scripture Showdown.
  2. Teams huddle for ten seconds; only the captain answers.
  3. Steal rule: a missed question can be stolen by naming the reference.
▶ Play Scripture Showdown on the web

Class screen: 🏆 Scripture Showdown!

8. Talk it over

Real Talk: Return unto Me

3 min

Honest questions help them see the Lord’s love behind Malachi’s hard words.

  1. Sit wherever they’re comfortable. One question per screen.
  2. Wait through the silence and share one honest answer of your own.
💬 Ask the class
  • The Lord starts Malachi with “I have loved you,” and the people say “Prove it.” Why do you think it’s hard to feel God’s love sometimes?
  • What’s the difference between giving God your best and giving Him your leftovers? Which one gets most of your time?
  • “Return unto me, and I will return unto you.” What does coming back to God actually look like on a normal Tuesday?
  • Why do you think Heavenly Father cares so much about connecting us with our ancestors?

Class screen: 💬 Real talk: what does “return unto me” look like?

9. Testimony

Testimony & One Name

3 min

End with a personal, doable way to turn their hearts toward their family this week.

  1. Lower your voice. Share briefly about one ancestor, a temple experience or a time tithing blessed you, and bear testimony that the Lord keeps His promises, including this one from 400 years before Jesus.
  2. Hand out paper. Invite each youth to write the names of their parents and any grandparents they know, and circle one person they want to learn more about this week.
  3. Show the challenge and invite someone to give the closing prayer.

Class screen: 🌳 One name, one story, one step toward the temple · Write what you know · Circle one person to learn about

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: A half sheet of paper and a pen for each person

  1. Lower your voice. Share briefly about one ancestor, a temple experience or a time tithing blessed you, and bear testimony that the Lord keeps His promises.
  2. Invite each youth to think of one ancestor or relative they want to learn more about this week, and type that name in their phone’s notes as a reminder.
  3. Show the challenge and invite someone to give the closing prayer.

Story drama

The Wherein Argument and Elijah’s Promise

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

Parts to hand out

  • NarratorReads each scene and describes what the Lord and the Savior did (no one voices or plays Them).
  • MalachiThe last Old Testament prophet: reads the Lord’s words from Malachi 1:2, 3:7 and 3:10.
  • The PeopleEveryone else: pushes back with “Wherein?” every time, with more attitude each round.
  • MoroniThe angel who visits Joseph Smith in 1823 and repeats Malachi’s promise.
  • Joseph SmithReceives Moroni in 1823 and kneels in the Kirtland Temple in 1836.
  • Oliver CowderyKneels beside Joseph in the temple.
  • ElijahThe ancient prophet who returns to give the sealing keys.

Scenes

  1. 💗🙄 “I have loved you.” “Wherein?”

    Malachi’s book opens with the Lord saying something simple: I have loved you. And the people push back: Oh yeah? How? Prove it. That pattern repeats through the whole book. God speaks, and they argue.

    🎬 Malachi reads Malachi 1:2. The People cross their arms: “Wherein?”

  2. 🐑🩹 Blind, lame, sick: the leftovers go to God

    The priests were offering the Lord animals that were blind, lame and sick, the ones nobody wanted anyway. The Lord asked: would you give that to your governor? Would he be impressed? They were giving God their leftovers.

    🎬 The People hold out imaginary sad, limping lambs. Malachi reads Malachi 1:8. The People: “Wherein have we despised thy name?”

  3. 🔄🚪 “Return unto me.” “Wherein shall we return?”

    Over and over, the Lord invited them back: return to Me, and I will return to you. But they couldn’t even see that they had wandered off. How can you come back if you don’t think you left?

    🎬 Malachi reads Malachi 3:7. The People look around, confused: “Wherein shall we return?”

  4. 🪟🌧️ “Will a man rob God?”

    Then came the sharpest question: will a man rob God? The People asked how. The answer: in tithes and offerings. And then the Lord made an offer: bring the tithes, test Me, and see if I will not open the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing too big to hold.

    🎬 The People: “Wherein have we robbed thee?” Malachi reads Malachi 3:10. Everyone looks up as if windows are opening in the ceiling.

  5. 📖💎 A book of remembrance for the faithful

    Not everyone was arguing. Some people who loved the Lord talked with each other about Him, and He listened. A book of remembrance was written for them, and the Lord called them His jewels.

    🎬 Two or three People switch sides, sit together and whisper kindly. Everyone else stops arguing and watches.

  6. 🔥📜 The last promise: Elijah will come

    Then the Old Testament ends with a promise. The Lord would send Elijah the prophet before the great day of the Lord, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the children to their fathers. After that, no more Old Testament prophets. Just a promise, waiting.

    🎬 Malachi reads Malachi 4:5–6, then slowly closes his scriptures. Everyone freezes in silence for three seconds.

  7. ✨🌙 1823: an angel quotes Malachi

    More than two thousand years later, the angel Moroni visited seventeen-year-old Joseph Smith at night. He quoted Malachi’s promise, with different words: the Lord would reveal the priesthood by Elijah, and the promises made to the fathers would be planted in the hearts of the children.

    🎬 Joseph sits up, startled. Moroni stands and summarizes the promise in his own words. The People whisper: “Planted in the hearts…”

  8. 🏛️🔑 1836: the promise keeps its appointment

    April 3, 1836, one week after the Kirtland Temple was dedicated, on Easter Sunday during Passover season. Joseph and Oliver knelt in prayer. The Savior appeared to them and accepted the temple. Then Moses came, then Elias, and then Elijah himself, who gave them the keys to seal families together forever.

    🎬 Joseph and Oliver kneel. The Narrator describes the Savior’s appearance; no one plays Him. Elijah steps forward and hands Joseph an imaginary set of keys.

  9. 💧🌳 Today: your name, their names, the temple

    Because of those keys, families can be sealed, and ordinances like baptism can be done for people who died without them. Somewhere in your family tree is someone who has been waiting a long time. And their hearts, and yours, can turn toward each other.

    🎬 Everyone turns to face the person next to them, then turns back toward the screen.

Key verse

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”
In plain words: I will send you Elijah before the Savior comes again, and he will turn parents’ and ancestors’ hearts toward their children, and children’s hearts toward their ancestors.
🙌 “I will send you Elijah” = point outward · “before the… great and dreadful day” = hands rise like the sun · “turn the heart of the fathers to the children” = hand on heart, turn left · “and the heart of the children to their fathers” = hand on heart, turn right, until you face your neighbor

More verses

Malachi 1:2 ↗
“I have loved you, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us?”
In plain words: “I have loved you,” says the Lord. But you ask, “Oh yeah? How?”
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. But you say, “Come back from what?”
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 your full tithing and test Me, says the Lord. See if I don’t open heaven’s windows and pour out more blessings than you have room for.
Malachi 1:8 ↗
“if ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? offer it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee”
In plain words: If you give Me your sick, limping leftovers, is that right? Try giving that to the governor and see if he’s impressed.

Forehead Guess words17 words

  • 📜 Malachi
  • 🙄 Wherein?
  • 🍽️ Leftovers
  • 🏛️ Governor
  • 🪙 Tithing
  • 🪟 Windows of Heaven
  • 🏚️ Storehouse
  • 📖 Book of Remembrance
  • 💎 Jewels
  • 🔥 Elijah
  • ✨ Moroni
  • 🏛️ Kirtland Temple
  • 🔑 Sealing Keys
  • ✍️ Oliver Cowdery
  • 🌳 Family Tree
  • 💧 Baptistry
  • ⚒️ Refiner’s Fire
Clues for each word
  • Malachi: The last book of the Old Testament
  • Wherein?: What the people kept saying to push back
  • Leftovers: Blind, lame and sick offerings
  • Governor: Would he be pleased with a sick sacrifice?
  • Tithing: One-tenth of our increase
  • Windows of Heaven: Opened for those who bring the tithes
  • Storehouse: Where Malachi says to bring all the tithes
  • Book of Remembrance: Written for those who thought about the Lord’s name
  • Jewels: What the Lord calls His faithful people
  • Elijah: Prophet who returned with the sealing keys
  • Moroni: Angel who quoted Malachi to Joseph Smith in 1823
  • Kirtland Temple: Where Elijah appeared in 1836
  • Sealing Keys: Priesthood power to bind families forever
  • Oliver Cowdery: Knelt beside Joseph Smith in the Kirtland Temple
  • Family Tree: Where you find the names of your ancestors
  • Baptistry: Where youth do baptisms for the dead
  • Refiner’s Fire: Malachi 3:2 compares the Savior to it
▶ Play Forehead GuessFull screen, 60-second timer, works on any phone.

Scripture Showdown9 questions

  1. What are the Lord’s first words in Malachi?
    • A. “Repent or perish”
    • B. “I have loved you”
    • C. “Hear, O Israel”
    Show answer

    ✅ B. “I have loved you” Malachi 1:2. The whole book starts from love.

  2. What word did the people keep using to push back at the Lord?
    • A. “Wherein?”
    • B. “Whence?”
    • C. “Wherefore?”
    Show answer

    ✅ A. “Wherein?” Basically: “How? Prove it.” And the Lord kept answering.

  3. What kind of animals were the priests offering?
    • A. The firstborn lambs
    • B. Golden calves
    • C. Blind, lame and sick ones
    Show answer

    ✅ C. Blind, lame and sick ones Malachi 1:8. Leftovers nobody wanted.

  4. Malachi 3:8 says people were robbing God in what?
    • A. Tithes and offerings
    • B. Songs and prayers
    • C. Gold and silver
    Show answer

    ✅ A. Tithes and offerings Then the Lord offered: prove Me, and see the windows of heaven open.

  5. Today, tithing is what portion of our increase?
    • A. One-half
    • B. One-tenth
    • C. One-third
    Show answer

    ✅ B. One-tenth Doctrine and Covenants 119:4.

  6. The Lord called those written in His book of remembrance His what?
    • A. Soldiers
    • B. Servants
    • C. Jewels
    Show answer

    ✅ C. Jewels Malachi 3:17. That’s how He sees the people who love Him.

  7. Who quoted Malachi’s Elijah prophecy to Joseph Smith in 1823?
    • A. The angel Moroni
    • B. John the Baptist
    • C. Oliver Cowdery
    Show answer

    ✅ A. The angel Moroni Joseph Smith—History 1:38–39, with some different wording.

  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, on Easter Sunday, April 3, 1836.

  9. What did Elijah give Joseph and Oliver?
    • A. The golden plates
    • B. The Urim and Thummim
    • C. The keys to seal families
    Show answer

    ✅ C. The keys to seal families Those keys make temple sealings and ordinances for our ancestors possible.

▶ Play Scripture ShowdownTeams take turns on one screen.

Songs

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

    Malachi’s promises, from the refiner’s fire to Elijah’s return, all point to the living Redeemer who appeared in the Kirtland Temple. Find it ↗

  • Count Your Blessings Hymns, no. 241

    The windows of heaven often open with blessings we only see when we count them. Find it ↗

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

    Every one of us belongs to Heavenly Father’s family, and so do all our ancestors. Find it ↗

This week’s challenge

One Name This Week

Learn one real thing about one ancestor this week: ask a parent or grandparent for a story, or look them up on FamilySearch with someone’s help. If you can, find a name to take to the temple. And give the Lord your best, not your leftovers, one day this week: pray before your phone, not after it.

Text the parents

Today in class we finished the Old Testament with Malachi. We talked about giving the Lord our best instead of our leftovers (Malachi 1:8), what tithing is and why it matters (Malachi 3:10), and how Elijah’s promise (Malachi 4:5–6) was fulfilled in the Kirtland Temple in 1836. Your teen was invited to learn about one ancestor this week. Could you share a family story or help them look someone up?

📝 After class

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

Got extra time?

⚒️ The Refiner and the Fuller · 4 min

  1. Read Malachi 3:2–3. Explain: a refiner heats silver until impurities rise and can be skimmed off; a fuller scrubs wool until it’s clean.
  2. Ask: “Why would the Savior be compared to fire and soap? When has something hard in your life actually refined you?”

📱 Find a Name · 5 min

  1. If a leader or youth has FamilySearch on their phone, show how to see their family tree and find ancestors who still need temple ordinances.
  2. Talk about planning a ward youth temple trip with family names.
  3. Remind everyone that any adult family member or ward temple and family history consultant can help them get started.

🔁 Wherein? Then and Now · 5 min

  1. In pairs, find all the “Wherein” questions in Malachi (1:2, 1:6, 1:7, 2:17, 3:7, 3:8).
  2. For each one, write how a teenager today might say it (“How have You loved me?” → “Then why is my life so hard?”).
  3. Ask: “What do you notice about how the Lord responds every time?”

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 14–16 lessons