Fire in My Bones

Jeremiah didn’t feel ready either: foreordination, patriarchal blessings, broken cisterns, and a word you can’t keep quiet

  • 🏔️ Youth 16–18
  • Week 43
  • 📅 Sunday, October 25, 2026
🤔 Forehead Guess🏆 Showdown
💡 The big idea

God knew us before we were born and prepared us for work in these last days, and when we drink from Him instead of broken cisterns, His word becomes a fire we can’t keep in.

I can learn what God knows about me through prayer, the scriptures and my patriarchal blessing, and act on it even when I feel too young or unqualified.

Know the chapters

Jeremiah was called as a young man, in the thirteenth year of King Josiah (Jeremiah 1:2), and prophesied for about forty years, right up through the fall of Jerusalem to Babylon. He was a contemporary of Lehi, whose family carried his prophecies to the Americas on the brass plates (1 Nephi 5:13; see also 1 Nephi 7:14). His message was unpopular: turn back to God or Jerusalem will fall. He was mocked, beaten, put in the stocks, imprisoned, and lowered into a muddy pit. He is sometimes called the weeping prophet, and his book is brutally honest about how hard his calling felt.

Jeremiah 1:5 is one of the clearest Old Testament statements of premortal life and foreordination: “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee… and I ordained thee a prophet.” Latter-day scripture adds that many were called and prepared before the foundation of the world because of their faith (Alma 13:3), that Abraham was shown noble and great spirits chosen before birth (Abraham 3:22–23), and that many were prepared in the spirit world to come forth in the latter days and labor in the Lord’s vineyard (D&C 138:53–56). Foreordination is not predestination. The Church teaches that it doesn’t guarantee anyone a particular calling or blessing; those come through the righteous use of agency here. Patriarchal blessings fit here: an ordained patriarch declares a person’s lineage in the house of Israel and gives personal counsel and promises that are fulfilled through faithfulness in the Lord’s time. A blessing that doesn’t mention a mission or marriage does not mean those won’t happen. To receive one, a member starts by meeting with the bishop.

Jeremiah 2:13 accuses Israel of two evils: forsaking “the fountain of living waters” and digging “broken cisterns, that can hold no water.” A cistern was a tank carved in rock to store rainwater; a cracked one leaked everything you put in it. Why dig a leaky tank when a spring is flowing? In Jeremiah 7, the prophet stands at the temple gate and warns people who chanted “The temple of the LORD” like a lucky charm while living however they wanted. For youth about to receive the endowment, this is a powerful point: the temple’s power is in keeping its covenants, not just holding a recommend.

Jeremiah 16:14–16 promises a latter-day gathering so great that people will talk about it more than the Exodus from Egypt, with “many fishers” and “many hunters” sent to find scattered Israel. Latter-day prophets have taught that gathering Israel on both sides of the veil is among the most important work on the earth, and many in your class will be those fishers soon. Finally, Jeremiah 20:7–9 shows a prophet so worn down by mockery that he decides to quit speaking in the Lord’s name, and can’t: the word is “as a burning fire shut up in my bones.” Real faith includes honest, raw prayer, and it doesn’t require feeling strong every day.

Only have 5 minutes?

Read Jeremiah 1:4–10, 2:13, and 20:7–9. Do the leaky-cup hook, let Teach Mode carry the Jeremiah scene, play Fishers and Hunters, and spend the rest on the Patriarchal Blessing Myth or Fact game and two discussion questions. End by reading Jeremiah 1:5 and inviting each youth to hear their own name in it. Brought nothing? Tap “I brought nothing”: the leaky cup becomes the phone battery that won’t hold a charge, and you read the foreordination scriptures aloud.

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. Poke four or five holes in the bottom of a plastic cup or bottle with a pen or nail. Test it over a sink.
  2. Text two youth before Sunday: one to be the Narrator and one to play Jeremiah. Send them Jeremiah 1:4–10 and 20:7–9.
  3. Read the Gospel Topics page on patriarchal blessings so you can answer questions accurately. If you’re comfortable, think of one general way your own blessing has guided you (never share its details).
  4. Add your youth’s names in the My Class tab.
  5. Be ready for youth who have already received their patriarchal blessing and some who haven’t; neither group should feel behind or ahead.

If your class is wild

  • Water plus teenagers: pour over the bowl, and let a volunteer hold the leaky cup. Whoever gets splashed gets to pour next.
  • Pashur is a great role for a youth who likes being the villain. Keep the stocks gentle: they just sit with their hands up.
  • Patriarchal blessings are sacred and personal. If a youth offers to read from theirs, thank them and suggest they keep the details private; they can share how it has helped in general.
  • The “I am a child” moment will land with someone who feels too young, too anxious, or too far behind. Say out loud that the Lord didn’t argue with Jeremiah’s feelings; He promised to be with him.
  • If energy dips, use the Fishers and Hunters “Gather 3!” call as a quick reset anytime.

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

The Broken Cistern

3 min

Watching a leaky cup fail to hold water makes Jeremiah 2:13 unforgettable and sets up the question of what we’re drinking from.

  1. Hold the leaky cup over the bowl. Ask a volunteer to fill it “to the top” with water. They can’t; it pours out the bottom.
  2. SAY“Keep trying. Pour faster.” Let it keep failing for a few seconds.
  3. Read Jeremiah 2:13. Explain: a cistern was a rock tank for storing rainwater. Israel walked away from a flowing spring and dug their own tanks that leaked.
  4. Ask: “What are the broken cisterns people our age dig? Things that feel like they’ll fill you up and never quite do.” Take two or three answers.
🌪️ Keep the pouring over the bowl and let a youth hold the cup. If someone gets splashed, laugh and hand them the pitcher.

Class screen: 🫗 Why dig a leaky tank when there’s a flowing spring? · Jeremiah 2:13

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: A plastic cup or water bottle with several holes poked in the bottom (the broken cistern), A bottle or pitcher of water and a bowl or tray to catch the drips

The Battery That Won’t Hold

  1. Ask: “Who has had a phone that says 80 percent and then dies an hour later? You charge it all night and it still won’t hold.”
  2. SAY“Imagine plugging it in harder. Charging it more often. It still leaks.”
  3. Read Jeremiah 2:13. Explain: a cistern was a rock tank for storing rainwater. Israel walked away from a flowing spring and dug their own tanks that leaked.
  4. Ask: “What are the broken cisterns people our age dig? Things that feel like they’ll fill you up and never quite do.” Take two or three answers.

Class screen: 🪫 Charged all night, dead by lunch. Sound familiar? · Jeremiah 2:13

2. Story

Scripture Scene: The Reluctant Prophet

6 min

Acting out Jeremiah’s call and struggles shows that God calls people who feel unready and stays with them.

  1. Hand out roles (tap Roles in Teach Mode). Everyone without a part is the Temple Crowd.
  2. Your Narrator reads each scene and the Lord’s words. No one plays the Lord.
  3. Pause after scene 3 and ask: “Did the Lord tell Jeremiah he wasn’t young? What did He promise instead?” (He promised to send him, give him words, and be with him.)
  4. After scene 8, ask: “Jeremiah complained honestly to God and still kept going. What does that teach you about faith on hard days?”
🌪️ If the Crowd’s chanting gets rowdy, use it: the louder they chant “The temple of the LORD,” the stronger Jeremiah’s point about empty words.

Class screen: 🎭 The reluctant prophet: “I am a child” to “fire in my bones” · Jeremiah 1; 7; 20

3. Wiggle break

Fishers and Hunters

2 min

A fast reaction game gets everyone moving and ties Jeremiah 16:16 to the gathering of Israel.

  1. Everyone stands. Calls: “Fishers!” = cast a fishing line and reel it in. “Hunters!” = shade your eyes and scan the mountains. “Gather 3!” (or any number) = rush into groups of that size.
  2. Anyone left out of a group becomes the next caller. Speed up each round.
  3. End with “Gather everyone!” so the whole class ends in one huddle.
  4. Read Jeremiah 16:16. Say: “The Lord promised to send many fishers and hunters to gather His people. Look around; some of them are in this huddle.”

Class screen: 🎣 Fishers! Hunters! Gather 3! Nobody gets left out for long. · Jeremiah 16:14–16

4. Scripture

Known Before: A Scripture Chain

4 min

Linking Jeremiah 1:5 to latter-day scripture builds a study skill and grounds foreordination in real doctrine.

  1. Teach Jeremiah 1:5 with the memory hooks. Say it together once.
  2. Assign pairs one link each: Alma 13:3 · Abraham 3:22–23 · D&C 138:53–56. Two minutes: read it and sum it up in one sentence in your own words.
  3. Each pair shares their sentence. Say: “Put the chain together: we lived before, many were prepared there, and we came now on purpose.”
  4. Add the key truth: foreordination is not predestination. It doesn’t guarantee anything; our choices here decide whether we fulfill it.

Class screen: ⛓️ Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee. · Jeremiah 1:5 · Alma 13:3 · Abraham 3:22–23 · D&C 138:53–56

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: Scriptures: the youth’s own Gospel Library app, or a few printed copies of the scriptures

  1. Teach Jeremiah 1:5 with the memory hooks. Say it together once.
  2. Summarize each link aloud from your own scriptures: Alma 13:3 (many were called and prepared before the world was made because of their faith), Abraham 3:22–23 (Abraham was shown he was chosen before he was born), D&C 138:53–56 (many were prepared in the spirit world to serve in the latter days).
  3. After each, a youth restates it in one sentence of their own.
  4. Add the key truth: foreordination is not predestination. Our choices here decide whether we fulfill it.
5. Game

Patriarchal Blessing: Myth or Fact?

3 min

A fast team game clears up common misunderstandings about patriarchal blessings and foreordination.

  1. Two teams. Read a statement; teams stand for FACT or stay seated for MYTH. Correct team scores a point.
  2. “It declares your lineage in the house of Israel.” (Fact) · “It tells you everything that will happen in your life.” (Myth) · “If it doesn’t mention a mission or marriage, you won’t have one.” (Myth: the Church teaches that’s not true.)
  3. “Its promises depend on your faithfulness.” (Fact) · “You start by meeting with your bishop.” (Fact) · “Being foreordained means your choices don’t matter.” (Myth) · “You should read it once and put it away.” (Myth)
  4. SAY“Being part of the house of Israel isn’t about being better than anyone. It’s about responsibility: covenants, and helping gather others.”
🌪️ If a youth asks something you don’t know, say so and offer to find out. That honesty is part of the lesson.
🫙 Goal Jar (a class game in the Gospel Sparks app)

Class screen: 🧐 Myth or fact? Stand for FACT, sit for MYTH. · Patriarchal blessings · Foreordination

6. Talk it over

Real Talk

4 min

Honest questions connect Jeremiah’s call to the decisions and doubts youth have right now.

  1. Sit in a circle. A youth discussion leader reads the questions and calls on people.
  2. With the “I am a child” question, share Elder Bednar’s line about Enoch, who also felt too young and slow of speech when he was called (Moses 6:31; see Conference below).
  3. Pick two or three. Share one honest answer yourself.
💬 Ask the class
  • Jeremiah said, “I am a child.” When do you feel too young, too anxious, or too unqualified? What does Jeremiah 1:7–8 say back?
  • If God knew you before you were born, why do your choices still matter so much?
  • What broken cisterns do people your age dig? Why do they seem to work at first?
  • The people in Jeremiah 7 trusted the temple like a lucky charm. How can someone hold a temple recommend and still miss what the temple is for?
  • Jeremiah tried to quit and couldn’t (20:9). Have you ever felt truth burning so much that you had to say or do something?

Class screen: 💬 Real talk

7. Testimony

Hear Your Name in It

2 min

Reading Jeremiah 1:5 personally helps each youth feel known, prepared and sent.

  1. Wait for real quiet. Show Jeremiah 1:5 on the screen.
  2. SAY“Read it silently, and after ‘I knew thee,’ put in your own name.” Give them 30 seconds.
  3. Testify that Heavenly Father knew each of them before they came, prepared them for now, and that a patriarchal blessing is one way He tells them more. If you’re comfortable, share in general terms how yours has guided you.
  4. Introduce the challenge and ask a youth to pray.

Class screen: ✨ Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee. · Jeremiah 1:5

8. Game

Scripture Showdown

5 minBONUS

A team quiz reviews Jeremiah’s call, the broken cisterns, and the gathering.

  1. Split into two teams. Tap Scripture Showdown.
  2. Teams get 10 seconds to agree. Bonus point if they can name the verse.

Class screen: 🏆 Scripture Showdown: Jeremiah edition

Story drama

The Reluctant Prophet

Jeremiah 1:4–10; 7:1–7; 20:1–9 ↗

Parts to hand out

  • NarratorReads each scene, including the Lord’s words to Jeremiah.
  • JeremiahA young man who says he can’t speak, then delivers hard messages for decades and can’t stop even when he tries.
  • PashurA chief officer of the temple who has Jeremiah struck and locked in the stocks.
  • Temple CrowdEveryone else: chant “The temple of the LORD!” like a lucky charm, murmur, and mock Jeremiah.

Scenes

  1. ✨👶 “Before I formed thee… I knew thee”

    The word of the Lord came to a young man named Jeremiah: before you were born, I knew you. Before you came into the world, I set you apart. I ordained you a prophet to the nations.

    🎬 Jeremiah looks up, startled, and slowly points to himself: “Me?”

  2. 🙅😰 “I cannot speak: for I am a child”

    Jeremiah’s first answer was the one most of us would give. Ah, Lord God, I can’t speak. I’m too young.

    🎬 Jeremiah backs up two steps, hands raised: “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.”

  3. 👄🔥 “Say not, I am a child”

    The Lord didn’t argue about his age. He said: Don’t say you’re too young. You will go where I send you and say what I tell you. Don’t be afraid of their faces, because I am with you. Then the Lord touched Jeremiah’s mouth and put His words there.

    🎬 Jeremiah slowly touches his own lips, stands up straighter, and lowers his hands.

  4. 🌱🪓 Root out, pull down, build, plant

    Jeremiah’s calling had two halves: root out and tear down what was rotten, and then build and plant what was good. Prophets still do both.

    🎬 Jeremiah pantomimes yanking out weeds and tossing them, then kneels and plants seeds. The Temple Crowd watches with crossed arms.

  5. 🏛️📢 “The temple of the LORD!”

    Years later, the Lord sent Jeremiah to stand at the gate of the temple. The people kept chanting that they were safe because they had the temple, even while they lied, stole, and worshipped idols. Jeremiah warned them: don’t trust those words. The temple can’t protect people who won’t keep its covenants.

    🎬 The Temple Crowd chants, “The temple of the LORD! The temple of the LORD!” Jeremiah raises a hand: “Trust ye not in lying words!”

  6. 🛤️🙏 “Amend your ways”

    The Lord’s invitation through Jeremiah was simple: change how you live, be fair to each other, protect the stranger and the widow and the fatherless, and stop chasing other gods. Then you can stay in this land. Some people listened. Most didn’t.

    🎬 Jeremiah holds out his hands. A few members of the Temple Crowd uncross their arms; most turn their backs.

  7. 😠⛓️ Pashur puts him in the stocks

    Pashur, a chief officer in the temple, was furious. He had Jeremiah struck and locked in the stocks by the temple gate overnight, where everyone could see and mock him.

    🎬 Pashur points: “Put him in the stocks!” Jeremiah sits with his hands raised as if locked in. The Crowd points and laughs.

  8. 🔥🦴 A fire shut up in my bones

    Jeremiah poured out his heart to God: everyone mocks me every day. I’m done. I won’t mention Him or speak in His name anymore. But he couldn’t stop. The Lord’s word burned in his heart like a fire shut up in his bones, and he couldn’t hold it in.

    🎬 Jeremiah says, “I will not speak any more in his name,” sits down, crosses his arms… then presses a hand to his chest, stands back up, and faces the Crowd again.

Key verse

Jeremiah 1:5 ↗
“Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.”
In plain words: God knew you before you were born. He set you apart and prepared you for a purpose long before you got here.
🙌 Memory hooks: “before I formed thee” = hands shape a small circle · “I knew thee” = point from your forehead outward · “sanctified thee” = hand over your heart · “ordained thee” = both hands rest lightly on an invisible head · “unto the nations” = sweep one arm across the room.

More verses

Jeremiah 1:7 ↗
“Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.”
In plain words: Don’t use your age as an excuse. God will send you and give you the words.
Jeremiah 2:13 ↗
“For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.”
In plain words: People walked away from a flowing spring and dug their own leaky tanks that can’t hold anything.
Jeremiah 16:16 ↗
“Behold, I will send for many fishers, saith the LORD, and they shall fish them; and after will I send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain”
In plain words: In the last days the Lord will send many “fishers” and “hunters” to find His scattered people. That includes missionaries, and it includes you.
Jeremiah 20:9 ↗
“But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.”
In plain words: Jeremiah tried to stop speaking for God, but the truth burned inside him so hard he couldn’t keep it in.

Forehead Guess words16 words

  • 🧑 Jeremiah
  • ✨ Foreordination
  • 🌌 Premortal life
  • 📜 Patriarchal blessing
  • 👴 Patriarch
  • 🏠 House of Israel
  • 🫗 Broken cistern
  • 💧 Living water
  • ⛓️ Stocks
  • 😠 Pashur
  • 🔥 Fire in my bones
  • 🎣 Fishers
  • 🏹 Hunters
  • 🏺 Potter
  • 🧲 Gathering of Israel
  • ⛺ Lehi
Clues for each word
  • Jeremiah: Young prophet who said, “I am a child”
  • Foreordination: Being prepared for a work before birth
  • Premortal life: Where God knew us before we were born
  • Patriarchal blessing: Declares your lineage in the house of Israel
  • Patriarch: Ordained to give those blessings
  • House of Israel: The covenant family you belong to
  • Broken cistern: A leaky tank that holds no water
  • Living water: What flows from the fountain Israel left
  • Stocks: Pashur locked Jeremiah in these
  • Pashur: Temple officer who punished Jeremiah
  • Fire in my bones: How Jeremiah described God’s word inside him
  • Fishers: The Lord will send many to gather Israel
  • Hunters: They search every mountain and hill
  • Potter: Reshapes marred clay (Jeremiah 18)
  • Gathering of Israel: Bringing the Lord’s people home, on both sides of the veil
  • Lehi: Book of Mormon prophet who lived in Jeremiah’s time
▶ Play Forehead GuessFull screen, 60-second timer, works on any phone.

Scripture Showdown9 questions

  1. What did Jeremiah say when the Lord called him?
    • A. “Here am I”
    • B. “I cannot speak: for I am a child”
    • C. “Send someone else”
    Show answer

    ✅ B. “I cannot speak: for I am a child” Jeremiah 1:6. The Lord answered, “Say not, I am a child.”

  2. According to Jeremiah 1:5, when did God know Jeremiah?
    • A. Before he was formed in the womb
    • B. When he turned 12
    • C. After he became a prophet
    Show answer

    ✅ A. Before he was formed in the womb Before birth. We all lived with God before this life.

  3. What does a broken cistern do?
    • A. Floods the house
    • B. Keeps water cold
    • C. Leaks and holds no water
    Show answer

    ✅ C. Leaks and holds no water Jeremiah 2:13. Israel left a flowing fountain for leaky tanks.

  4. What did the people chant as if it would keep them safe?
    • A. “The ark of the covenant”
    • B. “The temple of the LORD”
    • C. “The law of Moses”
    Show answer

    ✅ B. “The temple of the LORD” Jeremiah 7:4. The temple blesses those who keep its covenants.

  5. Who put Jeremiah in the stocks?
    • A. King David
    • B. Baruch
    • C. Pashur
    Show answer

    ✅ C. Pashur Jeremiah 20:1–2. Pashur was a chief officer in the temple.

  6. How did Jeremiah describe God’s word when he tried to stop speaking?
    • A. A fire shut up in his bones
    • B. A heavy stone
    • C. A quiet whisper
    Show answer

    ✅ A. A fire shut up in his bones Jeremiah 20:9. He couldn’t hold it in.

  7. Whom will the Lord send to gather Israel, according to Jeremiah 16:16?
    • A. Kings and queens
    • B. Fishers and hunters
    • C. Soldiers and scribes
    Show answer

    ✅ B. Fishers and hunters Missionaries and members are part of that latter-day gathering.

  8. A patriarchal blessing declares your lineage in…
    • A. your family tree only
    • B. the Book of Mormon
    • C. the house of Israel
    Show answer

    ✅ C. the house of Israel It names the tribe through which you receive covenant blessings.

  9. Does foreordination guarantee a calling or blessing?
    • A. No, our choices matter
    • B. Yes, always
    • C. Only for prophets
    Show answer

    ✅ A. No, our choices matter The Church teaches foreordination is fulfilled through righteous use of agency.

▶ Play Scripture ShowdownTeams take turns on one screen.

From general conference

“Enoch ultimately became a mighty prophet and a tool in God’s hands to accomplish a great work, but he did not start his ministry that way!”

— Elder David A. Bednar, “Abide in Me, and I in You; Therefore Walk with Me,” April 2023

Share in Real Talk with the first question: Enoch, like Jeremiah, felt too young and slow of speech when he was called.

Read the talk ↗

Songs

  • Hope of Israel Hymns, no. 259

    A rallying hymn for the youth of the house of Israel, who are part of the latter-day gathering. Find it ↗

  • Israel, Israel, God Is Calling Hymns, no. 7

    Jeremiah 16:14–16 promises a gathering greater than the Exodus; this hymn is that call. Find it ↗

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

    Jeremiah 1:5 is the Old Testament version of this truth. A quiet close after the testimony. Find it ↗

This week’s challenge

What Does He Know About Me?

If you’ve received your patriarchal blessing, read it this week and pick one line to act on. If you haven’t, talk with your parents about it and consider setting up a time to meet with your bishop. Either way, pray this week to ask Heavenly Father what He wants you to know about who you are and what He prepared you for.

Text the parents

This week we studied Jeremiah: called as a young man who said “I am a child,” known by God before he was born (Jeremiah 1:5), and so full of God’s word it felt like “a burning fire shut up in my bones” (20:9). We talked about foreordination and patriarchal blessings. Ask your teen: what are the “broken cisterns” people their age dig, and what do they want to know about what God prepared them for?

📝 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 Potter’s House · 4 min

  1. Read Jeremiah 18:1–6. Point out that the potter didn’t throw the marred clay away; he made it again into another vessel.
  2. Pass around a lump of playdough or clay (or just imagine it). Have someone squash a shape and remake it.
  3. Ask: “What does it mean for your plans that God can remake marred clay? When has a plan of yours been reshaped for the better?”

🧲 One of a City, Two of a Family · 3 min

  1. Read Jeremiah 3:14–15. Notice the numbers: one from a city, two from a family.
  2. Ask: “Why would the Lord gather people one or two at a time? What does that say about how He sees each person?”
  3. Invite each youth to think of one person they could help gather, on either side of the veil, through a friendship, an invitation, or family history.

🙏 Honest Prayer · 4 min

  1. Read Jeremiah 20:7–9 and 20:13. Notice how Jeremiah goes from raw frustration to praise in the same chapter.
  2. Ask: “Is it okay to tell God exactly how you feel? Why do you think this chapter is in the scriptures?”
  3. Invite youth to try one completely honest prayer this week.

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