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Knowers and Seekers

The scribes knew exactly where Christ would be born and stayed home; the shepherds, Simeon, Anna and the wise men went to find Him

  • 🏔️ Youth 16–18
  • Week 2
  • 📅 Sunday, January 10, 2027
🤔 Forehead Guess🏆 Showdown
💡 The big idea

Knowing about Jesus Christ isn’t the same as coming to Him; like the witnesses of His birth, I can seek Him, act on the Spirit’s promptings, and grow as He did “in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.”

I can do more than know about Jesus Christ: I can seek Him, act on promptings, and grow in the four ways He grew.

Study it yourself firstRead Matthew 2; Luke 2 in Gospel LibraryCome, Follow Me manualOpen this week (Matthew 2; Luke 2)
Know the chapters

Matthew 2 and Luke 2 introduce a surprising variety of witnesses. Shepherds heard angels at night and went “with haste” (Luke 2:15–17). Simeon, a devout man the Holy Ghost had promised would see the Messiah before he died, “came by the Spirit into the temple” at the exact moment Mary and Joseph arrived (Luke 2:25–35). Anna, a widow of about 84 who served in the temple with fasting and prayer night and day, gave thanks and told everyone looking for redemption (Luke 2:36–38). Wise men from the east followed a new star a long way, worshipped the child, gave costly gifts, and went home “another way” after a warning from God (Matthew 2:1–12).

Now the twist for 16- to 18-year-olds: when Herod asked the chief priests and scribes where Christ would be born, they answered instantly and correctly, quoting Micah 5:2 (Matthew 2:4–6). Bethlehem was only about five miles from Jerusalem (Bible Dictionary, “Bethlehem”). The record never says any of them went. They knew the right answer and stayed home, while travelers from the east came a long way to worship. Your youth have years of Primary and seminary answers. The question is whether knowing becomes coming.

Joseph shows what revelation looks like for a parent protecting a family: warned in a dream, he left by night for Egypt (Matthew 2:13–14). The manual connects this to the physical and spiritual dangers youth face and how God can guide them to safety. Keep Herod’s cruelty (Matthew 2:16) brief and gentle.

Luke 2:40–52 is our only glimpse of Jesus as a youth. At twelve He stayed at the temple, and the Joseph Smith Translation of Luke 2:46 clarifies that the teachers were listening to Him and asking Him questions. He called it His “Father’s business” (Luke 2:49), then went home and was subject to His parents. JST Matthew 3:24–26 adds that He grew up with His brothers, waited on the Lord for the time of His ministry, and served under His father. Luke 2:52 summarizes His growth in four areas; the manual pairs them with sections of For the Strength of Youth: A Guide for Making Choices: wisdom (“Truth Will Make You Free”), stature (“Your Body Is Sacred”), favor with God (“Walk in God’s Light”) and favor with others (“Love God, Love Your Neighbor”).

Only have 5 minutes?

Read Matthew 2:1–12 and Luke 2:8–52. Run the Know It or Go? hook out loud, let Teach Mode run the reader’s theater with youth reading the parts, read Luke 2:52 together, then spend the rest on the discussion. Close with a short testimony of how you came to know the Savior, not just know about Him.

What to bring3 items

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

Before class

  1. Read Matthew 2 and Luke 2 in one sitting. Mark Matthew 2:4–6: the scribes who knew the answer.
  2. Write four fast trivia questions for the hook (see the hook step). Easy ones are the point.
  3. Text a class member on Saturday: “Want to read Simeon? He’s old, patient and gets the best line in Luke 2.”
  4. Add names in the My Class tab so you can hand out roles with one tap.
  5. Think about how you personally moved from knowing about Jesus Christ to coming to Him. A minute is plenty for the testimony.

If your class is wild

  • The hook works because it’s easy. Let them feel smart, then flip it. Don’t make the reveal preachy; the scripture does the work.
  • Let the wise men be over the top: slow camel walk, squinting at the star, dramatic gift unveiling. It earns the quiet Luke 2:52 moment later.
  • The growth audit is private. Say so twice. Teens will be honest only if they’re sure nobody is reading their card.
  • If someone says, “I know it’s true but I don’t feel much,” treat that as a great, honest comment, not a problem. That’s exactly where the seeking starts.
  • Phones are fine for Gospel Library. If they drift, make the drifter the official verse finder for the room.

The 25-minute plan24 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

Know It or Go?

3 min

Easy rapid-fire trivia lets youth feel smart, then flips into the lesson’s question: does knowing the answer mean you came?

  1. SAY“Lightning trivia. Shout it out.” Ask: “Where was Jesus born?” · “Which prophet predicted it?” (Micah) · “What gifts did the wise men bring?” · “Who told the shepherds?”
  2. Congratulate them loudly: “You’re experts.”
  3. Have a youth read Matthew 2:4–6. Say: “The chief priests and scribes knew this answer instantly too. Bethlehem was about five miles away. As far as we know, none of them went.”
  4. Ask: “What’s the difference between knowing the answer and coming to Him?” Take one or two responses and move on; the rest of class answers it.
🌪️ If they’re sleepy, make the trivia a standing race: first to stand and answer gets a point.

Class screen: 🧠 Lightning trivia: you know the answers. But did they go? · Matthew 2:4–6

2. Story

Reader’s Theater: Who Came, and Who Stayed Home

6 min

Youth read the real words of the witnesses of Christ’s birth and notice the contrast between seekers and knowers.

  1. Hand out roles (tap Roles in Teach Mode). Readers read their lines straight from Luke 2 and Matthew 2. You read Jesus’s words in the last scene.
  2. Read or assign the narration for each scene and pause for the action cue.
  3. Remind the Scribes: once they sit down in scene 5, they don’t move again.
  4. After the last scene, point at the Scribes, still sitting. Ask: “What did every person who actually found Him have in common?”
🌪️ If the wise men get too silly with the camel walk, freeze everyone with “Star!” (everyone points up) and restart the scene.

Class screen: 🎭 Who came, and who stayed home? · Luke 2 · Matthew 2 · Watch the Scribes

3. Wiggle break

Four Roads to Bethlehem

2 min

Youth move to the witness whose way of finding Christ looks most like theirs right now.

  1. Everyone stands. Name four corners: SHEPHERDS (heard and went right away), SIMEON (a prompting after long waiting), ANNA (daily devotion over years), WISE MEN (a long search and study).
  2. SAY“Walk to the corner that looks most like how you’re coming to Christ right now. There’s no wrong corner.”
  3. Ask one person in each corner to explain in one sentence. Then say: “Four roads. Same Savior. Every road involved actually going.”

Class screen: 🧭 Which witness’s road looks most like yours right now? · Shepherds · Simeon · Anna · Wise Men

4. Scripture

Luke 2:52 Growth Audit

4 min

Youth apply Luke 2:52 to the years right before missions, college and adult life with a private, honest self-check.

  1. Read Luke 2:52 together and teach the four-beat motions. Say it twice.
  2. Hand out cards. Say: “This is private. Nobody reads it. Rate yourself 1 to 5 in each area: wisdom (school, study, learning truth), stature (your body: sleep, health, screens), favor with God (prayer, scriptures, temple), favor with man (family, friends, work).”
  3. SAY“Circle the one you most want to grow before you leave home. Write one small thing you’ll do this week.”
  4. Mention that For the Strength of Youth: A Guide for Making Choices has a section for each area; the four titles are on the screen.

Class screen: 📈 Wisdom · Stature · Favor with God · Favor with man · Truth Will Make You Free · Your Body Is Sacred · Walk in God’s Light · Love God, Love Your Neighbor

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: Index cards or slips of paper, one per person, and a few pens

  1. Read Luke 2:52 together and teach the four-beat motions. Say it twice.
  2. SAY“Close your eyes. This is private. For each area, hold fingers against your chest from 1 to 5: wisdom (school, learning truth) · stature (sleep, health, screens) · favor with God (prayer, scriptures, temple) · favor with man (family, friends, work).”
  3. SAY“Now pick the one you most want to grow before you leave home, and silently decide one small thing you’ll do this week.”
  4. Point to the four For the Strength of Youth section titles on the screen.
5. Talk it over

From Knowing to Coming

4 min

An honest conversation about seeking Christ, following promptings and going home “another way.”

  1. Ask one question at a time. Wait ten seconds before anyone answers. Share your own answer too.
  2. Keep it invitational; nobody has to share personal struggles.
💬 Ask the class
  • The scribes knew exactly where the scriptures said Christ would be born. What might have kept them in their chairs? What keeps people our age in their chairs?
  • Simeon came “by the Spirit” at exactly the right moment. How have you noticed a prompting, and what helps you act on one quickly?
  • Joseph got a warning and moved that night. What are the spiritual dangers you’d want a warning about, and how do you stay in a place to hear one?
  • The wise men went home “another way.” After you really come to Christ, what changes in how you go home?

Class screen: 💬 Knowing about Him vs. coming to Him

6. Game

Lightning Showdown

3 min

A fast team quiz locks in the witnesses and details of Matthew 2 and Luke 2.

  1. Split into two teams and pick captains. Tap Scripture Showdown.
  2. Play as many questions as fit in three minutes. Huddle five seconds; only the captain answers.
  3. Steal rule: if a team misses, the other team can steal by naming the verse.
▶ Play Scripture Showdown on the web

Class screen: ⚡ Lightning Showdown: Matthew 2 and Luke 2 in three minutes

7. Object lesson

Why Here? Why These?

5 minBONUS

A bonus study round on the symbols of the Savior’s birth, straight from the manual’s invitation to ponder the details.

  1. Split into four pairs or small groups and give each a detail with its cross-reference: Bethlehem, which means “house of bread” (Luke 2:4; John 6:35) · the manger, a feeding trough (Luke 2:7; John 6:51) · the shepherds (Luke 2:8; John 10:11) · the new star (Matthew 2:2; John 8:12).
  2. Give them 90 seconds with their scriptures to answer: “What does this detail teach about who Jesus is?”
  3. Each group teaches the room in 30 seconds.

Class screen: 🍞 Bread town, a feeding trough, shepherds, a star: why? · John 6:35 · John 6:51 · John 10:11 · John 8:12

No supplies? Do this instead

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

  1. Read these from your scriptures one at a time: Luke 2:4 with John 6:35 (Bethlehem means “house of bread”) · Luke 2:7 with John 6:51 (a manger is a feeding trough) · Luke 2:8 with John 10:11 (shepherds) · Matthew 2:2 with John 8:12 (the star).
  2. After each pair of verses, the class has ten seconds to pantomime the connection, then one volunteer says it in a sentence.
  3. Ask: “Which detail surprised you most?”
8. Game

Forehead Guess: The First Witnesses

4 minBONUS

A fun bonus round if you have time.

  1. Tap Forehead Guess. One volunteer holds your phone or tablet to their forehead; the class gives clues without saying the word.
  2. Tilt down for got it, up to pass. 45-second turns; switch guessers.
▶ Play Forehead Guess on the web

Class screen: 🤔 Forehead Guess: the first witnesses

9. Testimony

Testimony: Don’t Stay in Your Chair

2 min

End quiet, with a personal witness and one concrete way to seek Him this week.

  1. Lower your voice. In a minute or less, share when you moved from knowing about the Savior to coming to Him yourself.
  2. SAY“You know the answers. This year, go to Bethlehem. Take one real step toward Him.”
  3. Introduce the challenge on the screen.
  4. Invite a youth to offer the closing prayer.

Class screen: 🚶 You know the answers. Now go find Him. · Luke 2:52

Story drama

Who Came, and Who Stayed Home

Luke 2:8–52; Matthew 2:1–14 ↗

Parts to hand out

  • NarratorReads the setup of each scene in a calm, documentary voice.
  • ShepherdsTwo or three youth who read Luke 2:15 and run in with haste.
  • SimeonReads Luke 2:29–32 as he holds the baby (a rolled-up jacket works).
  • AnnaStands up from prayer, gives thanks, and tells everyone nearby about the child (Luke 2:38).
  • Wise MenTwo or three youth who read Matthew 2:2, follow the star, present gifts and leave another way.
  • Herod & the ScribesHerod paces and worries; the scribes read Matthew 2:5–6 instantly, then sit back down and stay put.
  • JosephWakes from a dream and quietly leads Mary and the baby away by night.
  • MaryHolds the baby, ponders, and searches for twelve-year-old Jesus in the last scene; reads Luke 2:48.

Scenes

  1. 🐑🌟 Shepherds hear the news and don’t wait

    Night in the fields near Bethlehem. An angel announces that a Savior is born, and the sky fills with heavenly voices. When the angels leave, the shepherds don’t debate it or schedule it for later. They go immediately, find the baby, and tell everyone.

    🎬 Shepherds read Luke 2:15, then jog across the room “with haste.” Everyone else wonders out loud at what they’re telling.

  2. 👴🏛️ Simeon follows a prompting into the temple

    Weeks later Mary and Joseph bring the baby to the temple. Simeon, an old, devout man, has been promised by the Holy Ghost that he will see the Messiah before he dies. That day the Spirit nudges him to go to the temple, right on time.

    🎬 Simeon takes the “baby” gently and reads Luke 2:29–30. Mary and Joseph look amazed.

  3. 👵🙏 Anna, 84, has been ready for years

    Anna is a prophetess and a widow of about 84. She practically lives at the temple, fasting and praying night and day. She walks up at that very moment, gives thanks, and starts telling everyone who is hoping for redemption.

    🎬 Anna rises from kneeling, gives thanks, then goes around whispering to classmates: “He’s here.”

  4. 🐪❓ Strangers from the east ask, “Where is he?”

    Wise men arrive in Jerusalem after a long journey. They saw a new star and came to worship the newborn King. King Herod is troubled, and so is the whole city. Herod calls in the experts.

    🎬 Wise Men read Matthew 2:2. Herod paces and bites his nails. The Scribes shuffle in.

  5. 📜🪑 The experts know the answer… and stay home

    The chief priests and scribes answer instantly: Bethlehem, just as the prophet Micah wrote. They know the verse perfectly. Bethlehem is only about five miles away. As far as the record says, not one of them goes to see.

    🎬 Scribes read Matthew 2:5–6 proudly, then sit down, cross their arms and stay put for the rest of the story.

  6. ⭐🎁 The seekers find Him, kneel and give gifts

    The wise men follow the star to the house and fall down and worship the young child. They give gold, frankincense and myrrh. Then God warns them in a dream not to go back to Herod, and they go home another way.

    🎬 Wise Men kneel and present gifts. Then they exit by a different path around the room than the one they came in.

  7. 🌙🏜️ Joseph gets a warning and moves at night

    An angel warns Joseph in a dream that Herod wants to harm the child. Joseph doesn’t wait for morning. He gets up, takes Mary and Jesus, and leaves for Egypt in the dark. Revelation protected his family.

    🎬 Joseph wakes, taps Mary’s shoulder, and they tiptoe out together. The Narrator reads Matthew 2:13–14.

  8. 🧒🏛️ Twelve years later: “my Father’s business”

    When Jesus is twelve, His family goes to Jerusalem for Passover and heads home without realizing He stayed. After three days of searching, they find Him in the temple with the teachers, who are listening to Him and asking Him questions. Then He goes home, obeys His parents, and keeps growing.

    🎬 Mary reads Luke 2:48. The teacher reads Jesus’s answer from Luke 2:49 (no youth voices Jesus). Everyone reads Luke 2:52 together.

Key verse

Luke 2:52 ↗
“And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.”
In plain words: Jesus grew in four ways: in what He knew, in His body, in His closeness to God, and in His relationships with people.
🙌 Four beats: “wisdom” = tap your head · “stature” = hand rising from waist to above your head · “favour with God” = point up · “and man” = arm around an imaginary friend. Say it twice, then once silently with just the motions.

More verses

Matthew 2:2 ↗
“Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.”
In plain words: The wise men asked: Where is the newborn King? We saw His star and came all this way to worship Him.
Matthew 2:12 ↗
“And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.”
In plain words: God warned them in a dream not to go back to Herod, so they went home a different way.
Luke 2:27 ↗
“And he came by the Spirit into the temple”
In plain words: The Holy Ghost led Simeon to the temple at exactly the right time.
Luke 2:49 ↗
“And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?”
In plain words: Jesus said: Why were you searching? Didn’t you know I needed to be doing my Father’s work?

Forehead Guess words17 words

  • 🐑 Shepherds
  • 🌾 Manger
  • 🍞 Bethlehem
  • 👴 Simeon
  • 👵 Anna
  • 🐪 Wise Men
  • ⭐ Star
  • 👑 Herod
  • 📜 Scribes
  • 🪙 Gold
  • 💨 Frankincense
  • 🏺 Myrrh
  • 🏜️ Egypt
  • 🏛️ Temple
  • 💼 Father’s Business
  • 🔀 Another Way
  • 🧠 Wisdom
Clues for each word
  • Shepherds: Went “with haste” after the angels left
  • Manger: A feeding trough, used as a bed
  • Bethlehem: Its name means “house of bread”
  • Simeon: Promised he’d see the Messiah before dying
  • Anna: 84-year-old prophetess who lived at the temple
  • Wise Men: Came from the east to worship
  • Star: Led the seekers to the house
  • Herod: Troubled king who wanted to harm the child
  • Scribes: Knew the answer and stayed home
  • Gold: A gift fit for a king
  • Frankincense: Fragrant gift burned in worship
  • Myrrh: Third gift of the wise men
  • Egypt: Where Joseph took his family by night
  • Temple: Where Jesus taught the teachers at twelve
  • Father’s Business: What twelve-year-old Jesus was about
  • Another Way: How the wise men went home
  • Wisdom: First of four ways Jesus grew
▶ Play Forehead GuessFull screen, 60-second timer, works on any phone.

Scripture Showdown9 questions

  1. What did the shepherds do after the angels left?
    • A. Talked it over for a week
    • B. Went with haste to find the baby
    • C. Went back to sleep
    Show answer

    ✅ B. Went with haste to find the baby Luke 2:15–16. Then they told everyone what they’d seen.

  2. What had the Holy Ghost promised Simeon?
    • A. He’d see the Lord’s Christ before he died
    • B. He’d become high priest
    • C. He’d find a star
    Show answer

    ✅ A. He’d see the Lord’s Christ before he died Luke 2:26. And the Spirit led him to the temple at just the right moment (2:27).

  3. How did Anna spend her days?
    • A. Traveling to Egypt
    • B. Guarding Herod’s palace
    • C. Serving God in the temple with fasting and prayer
    Show answer

    ✅ C. Serving God in the temple with fasting and prayer Luke 2:37. At about 84, she was ready when He came.

  4. Who told Herod that Christ would be born in Bethlehem?
    • A. The wise men
    • B. The chief priests and scribes
    • C. The shepherds
    Show answer

    ✅ B. The chief priests and scribes Matthew 2:4–6. They quoted Micah 5:2, then stayed home.

  5. Why did the wise men go home “another way”?
    • A. God warned them in a dream
    • B. They got lost
    • C. The star moved
    Show answer

    ✅ A. God warned them in a dream Matthew 2:12: warned not to return to Herod.

  6. Where did Joseph take Mary and Jesus to escape Herod?
    • A. Nazareth
    • B. Rome
    • C. Egypt
    Show answer

    ✅ C. Egypt Matthew 2:13–14. He left by night right after the dream.

  7. How old was Jesus when He stayed behind at the temple?
    • A. Eight
    • B. Twelve
    • C. Thirty
    Show answer

    ✅ B. Twelve Luke 2:42. The teachers were listening to Him and asking Him questions (JST Luke 2:46).

  8. What did Jesus say He must be about?
    • A. His Father’s business
    • B. The temple’s repairs
    • C. His studies
    Show answer

    ✅ A. His Father’s business Luke 2:49. Then He went home and was subject to His parents (2:51).

  9. Luke 2:52: Jesus increased in wisdom, stature, and favor with whom?
    • A. Kings and priests
    • B. His disciples
    • C. God and man
    Show answer

    ✅ C. God and man Four areas of growth, a pattern for us too.

▶ Play Scripture ShowdownTeams take turns on one screen.

Songs

  • Far, Far Away on Judea’s Plains Hymns, no. 212

    A hymn about the shepherds who heard the news and came. Find it ↗

  • O Little Town of Bethlehem Hymns, no. 208

    The town the scribes named and the seekers found. Find it ↗

  • Come, Follow Me Hymns, no. 116

    The whole lesson in one invitation: don’t just know about Him; come. Find it ↗

This week’s challenge

Go to Bethlehem

Pick the Luke 2:52 area you circled and do one small, real thing in it every day this week. Then take one step from knowing to coming: a prayer where you actually talk instead of recite, a visit to the temple, or reading one chapter of the New Testament looking for who Jesus is. When you feel a prompting, act on it that day, like Simeon.

Text the parents

Today in class we studied the witnesses of Jesus’s birth: shepherds, Simeon, Anna and the wise men all went to find Him, while the scribes who knew exactly where He’d be born stayed home (Matthew 2:4–6). We also read Luke 2:52 and each youth privately chose one area to grow in: wisdom, stature, favor with God or favor with man. Ask: “Which area did you pick, and how can I help?”

📝 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?

🗡️ Simeon’s Hard Blessing · 5 min

  1. Read Luke 2:34–35. Simeon tells Mary that a sword will pierce her own soul.
  2. Ask: “Why would a blessing include a warning about pain? What does that teach about blessings, including patriarchal blessings?”
  3. Discuss how Mary “kept all these things” and pondered them (Luke 2:19, 51). What do you ponder and keep?

🎁 The Gifts We Bring · 5 min

  1. Read Matthew 2:11. The wise men brought what was valuable to them.
  2. Each youth thinks of one gift they could bring the Savior this year that actually costs them something (time, a habit, a grudge, a phone hour).
  3. Invite volunteers to share, or keep it private and write it in a phone note.

🪚 Growing Up Like Jesus · 5 min

  1. Summarize JST Matthew 3:24–26 (in the Bible appendix): Jesus grew up with His brothers, waited on the Lord for the time of His ministry, and served under His father.
  2. Ask: “Jesus waited years before His ministry. What are you waiting for (a mission, a call, college), and what does faithful waiting look like?”
  3. Connect to Luke 2:51: even the Son of God obeyed His parents during those years.

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 16–18 lessons