Asking in Secret

A king who knew the truth but feared being mocked, an outsider who acted, and a covenant written on the heart

  • 🏔️ Youth 16–18
  • Week 44
  • 📅 Sunday, November 1, 2026
🤔 Forehead Guess🏆 Showdown
💡 The big idea

Knowing what God wants only helps when we act on it, even when we’re afraid of what people will think; His covenant written in our hearts gives us courage, and His mercies are new every morning when we fall short.

I can act on what I already know is right, like Ebed-melech, instead of asking in secret and hoping nobody notices, and trust the Lord’s mercy to start again.

Know the chapters

These chapters come from the last, darkest years before Jerusalem fell to Babylon, and they are surprisingly full of hope. In Jeremiah 31:31–34 the Lord promises a new covenant: “I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts.” In Jeremiah 32, with the Babylonian army outside the walls and Jeremiah locked in the prison court, the Lord tells him to buy a family field, as a sign that houses and fields would be bought in the land again (32:15). Investing in the future when everything looks lost is its own kind of faith.

Jeremiah 36 shows one way to respond to God’s word. Jeremiah’s scribe Baruch wrote the Lord’s warnings on a scroll and read it at the temple. King Jehoiakim had it read to him by a winter fire and, every few columns, cut it with a penknife and threw it in the flames until the whole scroll was gone (36:22–23). Neither he nor his servants were afraid (36:24). The Lord simply had Jeremiah dictate it again, with more words added (36:32). The word can be resisted, but it can’t be burned out of existence.

Zedekiah, Judah’s last king, shows another way. Lehi’s story in the Book of Mormon begins in the first year of his reign (1 Nephi 1:4). Zedekiah believed Jeremiah was a prophet. He had him brought in secretly and asked, “Is there any word from the LORD?” (37:17). Later he asked again, promised not to harm him, and admitted the real reason he wouldn’t obey: “I am afraid… lest they… mock me” (38:19). He even told Jeremiah to keep the conversation secret (38:24). Zedekiah didn’t follow the counsel, and Jerusalem fell. He was captured and lost everything he had tried to protect (39:4–7; keep this gentle in class). One of his sons, Mulek, escaped to the Americas, and his people later joined the Nephites (Omni 1:15; Helaman 8:21).

Ebed-melech shows a third way. He was an Ethiopian official in the king’s house, an outsider. When the princes lowered Jeremiah into a pit of mud to die, Ebed-melech went to the king in public at the city gate, named the wrong out loud, took thirty men, and even sent down old rags so the ropes wouldn’t cut Jeremiah’s arms (38:7–13). The Lord later promised to deliver him “because thou hast put thy trust in me” (39:18). Lamentations, written in grief after Jerusalem’s fall, still says the Lord’s mercies “are new every morning” (Lamentations 3:22–23). For 16- to 18-year-olds, the connection is covenants: baptism, the sacrament, and soon for many the endowment are how the Lord writes His law in a heart, so that doing right doesn’t depend on who’s watching.

Only have 5 minutes?

Read Jeremiah 36:20–32, 37:16–17, and 38:4–20. Do the Burn-Proof hook with a sheet of paper, let Teach Mode carry the Zedekiah scene, play the rescue wiggle, and spend most of your time on the Tug of War scenarios and two discussion questions. End with Lamentations 3:22–23. Brought nothing? Tap “I brought nothing”: the verse goes on the screen and “disappears” when the screen turns off, and you read the three responses 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. Write on a sheet of paper, big enough to read across the room: “I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts.” (Jeremiah 31:33)
  2. Text three youth before Sunday: a Narrator, someone to play Zedekiah, and someone to play Ebed-melech. Tell Zedekiah the role is sympathetic, not a villain: he’s all of us on a scared day.
  3. Read Jeremiah 38 once start to finish. It reads like a thriller.
  4. Add your youth’s names in the My Class tab so Tug of War teams are quick.
  5. Think of one honest example of a time you knew what was right and hesitated because of what people would think, and what happened when you finally acted.

If your class is wild

  • It’s the morning after Halloween. Start standing. The Burn-Proof hook keeps everyone on their feet, and the rescue wiggle comes right after the story.
  • Zedekiah is the most relatable character in the lesson. Resist making him a punch line. The goal is for youth to recognize themselves and choose differently.
  • In the rescue wiggle, keep it gentle: hands and forearms only, and the “Jeremiah” should be someone who is happy to be pulled up.
  • The fear-of-mockery discussion can get real. If someone describes being mocked for their standards, thank them, and don’t let anyone joke about it.
  • If a youth asks why Ebed-melech was protected but other faithful people in Jerusalem suffered, be honest: the scriptures don’t promise every faithful person an easy outcome; they promise the Lord’s presence and final deliverance.

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

Burn-Proof

3 min

Tearing up a written verse that everyone can still recite shows what it means for God’s law to be written in the heart.

  1. SAY“Everybody up.” Hold up the paper with Jeremiah 31:33. Have the class read it aloud together twice.
  2. Slowly tear the paper into pieces and drop them. Say: “In Jeremiah 36 a king cut God’s words off a scroll with a knife and burned them in his fireplace, column by column.”
  3. Ask: “Is the message gone? Stay standing if you can still say it.” Have them say it from memory.
  4. SAY“The king could destroy the scroll. He couldn’t destroy the word. And the Lord promised a covenant that puts His law where no one can tear it up. Today’s question: once you know it, what do you do with it?” Everyone sits.
🌪️ Hand the tearing to a youth who needs to burn off some Halloween energy. No actual fire indoors.

Class screen: 📜 Tear up the paper. Is the message gone? · Jeremiah 31:33 · Jeremiah 36:23

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: A sheet of paper with Jeremiah 31:33 written on it in big letters

Screen Off

  1. SAY“Everybody up.” Show Jeremiah 31:33 on the screen and have the class read it aloud together twice.
  2. Lock your phone or tablet so the screen goes black. Say: “In Jeremiah 36 a king cut God’s words off a scroll with a knife and burned them, column by column.”
  3. Ask: “Is the message gone? Stay standing if you can still say it.” Have them say it from memory.
  4. SAY“The king could destroy the scroll, not the word. The Lord promised to write His law where no one can erase it. Today’s question: once you know it, what do you do with it?”

Class screen: 📱 Screen goes dark. Can you still say it? · Jeremiah 31:33

2. Story

Scripture Scene: The King Who Asked in Secret

6 min

Acting out Zedekiah and Ebed-melech shows the difference between knowing the truth and having the courage to act on it.

  1. Hand out roles (tap Roles in Teach Mode). Everyone without a part is one of the Thirty Men.
  2. Your Narrator reads each scene; pause for the action.
  3. After scene 3, ask: “Zedekiah was the king. Why did he say he couldn’t do anything?”
  4. After scene 8, ask: “Zedekiah and Ebed-melech knew the same truth. What was different?” (One acted in secret and not at all; the other acted in public and fast.)
🌪️ Zedekiah’s “Shh!” in scene 2 usually gets a laugh. Let it, and then point out that he’s still shushing the prophet in scene 8.

Class screen: 🎭 The king who asked in secret and the servant who spoke up · Jeremiah 37–39

3. Wiggle break

Thirty Men Rescue

2 min

A gentle team pull turns Ebed-melech’s rescue into movement and makes the point that courage recruits others.

  1. A willing volunteer sits on the floor as Jeremiah in the mud.
  2. Ebed-melech (the same youth from the drama) picks two helpers, and each helper picks one more, until there’s a chain holding hands or forearms.
  3. On “Pull!” the chain gently helps Jeremiah to his feet. Then switch: a new Jeremiah, a new Ebed-melech, and do it faster.
  4. Ask: “Ebed-melech started alone. How many did he end up with?” (Thirty.) “One person speaking up often gives everyone else permission.”
🌪️ Gentle pulls only, hands and forearms. If someone would rather not be touched, make them the one who shouts “Pull!”

Class screen: 🙌 One person speaks up. Thirty people pull. · Jeremiah 38:10–13

4. Scripture

Three Responses

4 min

Comparing three characters’ responses to God’s word builds a study skill and lets youth decide which one they want to be.

  1. Teach Jeremiah 31:33 with the memory hooks. Say it together once.
  2. Pairs take one character each: Jehoiakim (36:22–24) · Zedekiah (38:14–20) · Ebed-melech (38:7–13; 39:15–18). Two minutes: What did they know? What did they do? What was the result?
  3. Each pair reports in one sentence. Sum it up: one destroyed the word, one knew it and hid, one acted on it.
  4. Ask: “Which of the three is most common at your school? Which is most common in you, honestly?”

Class screen: 🔍 Burn it, hide it, or act on it? · Jehoiakim · Jeremiah 36:22–24 · Zedekiah · Jeremiah 38:14–20 · Ebed-melech · Jeremiah 38:7–13

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: Scriptures: the youth’s own Gospel Library app, or a printed Bible for each pair

  1. Teach Jeremiah 31:33 with the memory hooks. Say it together once.
  2. Read aloud from your own scriptures: Jeremiah 36:23–24, then 38:19–20, then 38:9–10.
  3. After each, the class answers together: What did they know? What did they do? What was the result?
  4. Ask: “Which of the three is most common at your school? Which is most common in you, honestly?”

Class screen: 🔍 Burn it, hide it, or act on it? · Jehoiakim · Zedekiah · Ebed-melech

5. Game

Tug of War: Which One Is It?

3 min

A fast team game applies the three responses to real situations teens face.

  1. Two teams. Read a scenario. Teams whisper, then shout on three: Jehoiakim, Zedekiah, or Ebed-melech. Each correct team scores a point.
  2. “You know the group chat is being cruel to someone. You agree it’s wrong, but you stay quiet so they don’t turn on you.” (Zedekiah) · “Someone mocks the scriptures without ever reading them.” (Jehoiakim)
  3. “The new kid in the ward is the one who tells the leaders someone’s being left out.” (Ebed-melech) · “You ask your parents for advice already planning to ignore it.” (Zedekiah) · “You feel prompted to check on a friend and you go right then.” (Ebed-melech)
  4. Final round: tap Tug of War. The team with more points gets a two-second head start.
🪢 Tug of War (a class game in the Gospel Sparks app)

Class screen: 🪢 Jehoiakim, Zedekiah, or Ebed-melech? Shout it on three! · Burn it · Hide it · Act on it

6. Talk it over

Real Talk

4 min

Honest questions connect Zedekiah’s fear and Ebed-melech’s courage to the pressure youth feel right now.

  1. Sit in a circle. A youth discussion leader reads the questions and calls on people.
  2. Pick two or three. If it helps, share Elder Walker’s line about what the Lord asks for (see Conference below).
  3. Share one honest answer yourself: a time you hesitated like Zedekiah or acted like Ebed-melech.
💬 Ask the class
  • Zedekiah kept asking for the word of the Lord, and every time he already knew the answer. Why do people ask for counsel they don’t plan to follow?
  • He admitted, “I am afraid… lest they mock me.” Honestly, how much does fear of being mocked drive decisions at your school or online?
  • Ebed-melech was an outsider, and he was the one who acted. Why do you think the insiders didn’t?
  • What’s the difference between a rule on paper and a law written in your heart? How do covenants like baptism, the sacrament, and the endowment write it there?
  • Lamentations 3:22–23 was written after everything fell apart. What would you say to someone who thinks they’ve already blown it?

Class screen: 💬 Real talk

7. Testimony

New Every Morning

2 min

Ending on Lamentations 3 gives every youth, including the Zedekiahs among us, a fresh start and a reason to act.

  1. Wait for quiet. Read Lamentations 3:22–23 slowly.
  2. SAY“This was written after Jerusalem burned. If the Lord’s mercy was new every morning then, it’s new every morning for you.”
  3. Share your short example of a time you hesitated because of what people would think and what happened when you finally acted. Testify that the Lord writes His law in the hearts of people who keep their covenants, and gives them courage.
  4. Introduce the challenge and ask a youth to pray.

Class screen: 🌅 His compassions fail not. They are new every morning. · Lamentations 3:22–23

8. Game

Scripture Showdown

5 minBONUS

A team quiz reviews Jeremiah 31–39 and Lamentations.

  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 31–39

Story drama

The King Who Asked in Secret

Jeremiah 37:15–21; 38:1–28; 39:15–18 ↗

Parts to hand out

  • NarratorReads each scene and keeps the tension building.
  • ZedekiahThe king who believes Jeremiah, asks for the truth in secret, and is too afraid of being mocked to act on it.
  • JeremiahThe prophet: imprisoned, dropped in a muddy pit, and still tells the king the truth every time.
  • The PrincesPowerful officials who demand Jeremiah’s death and lower him into the pit.
  • Ebed-melechAn Ethiopian servant in the palace who speaks up in public and leads the rescue.
  • Thirty MenEveryone else: the rescue crew who haul Jeremiah out of the mud with ropes and rags.

Scenes

  1. 🏚️⛓️ Jeremiah locked in a dungeon

    Babylon’s army surrounds Jerusalem. The princes are furious at Jeremiah for saying the city will fall, so they beat him and lock him in a dungeon in a scribe’s house for many days.

    🎬 The Princes march Jeremiah to a corner and point: “Stay there.” Jeremiah sits on the floor.

  2. 🤫👑 “Is there any word from the LORD?”

    King Zedekiah has Jeremiah brought to him secretly. He leans in and asks, “Is there any word from the LORD?” Jeremiah answers, “There is.” And it’s the same hard message: the king will be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon.

    🎬 Zedekiah looks over both shoulders, then whispers, “Is there any word from the LORD?” Jeremiah answers out loud: “There is.” Zedekiah winces: “Shh!”

  3. 😠👉 “He is in your hand”

    The princes come to the king: this man is weakening the soldiers, put him to death. Zedekiah, the king, the most powerful man in Judah, says: He’s in your hands. The king can’t do anything against you.

    🎬 The Princes cross their arms and glare. Zedekiah raises both hands, backs away, and says, “He is in your hand.”

  4. 🕳️🟫 Lowered into the mud

    The princes lower Jeremiah on ropes into a cistern in the prison court. There’s no water in it, only mud, and Jeremiah sinks down into it. There’s no food left in the city. They expect him to die there.

    🎬 Jeremiah slowly sinks to his knees as if into mud. The Princes brush off their hands and walk away.

  5. 🗣️🚪 Ebed-melech speaks up at the gate

    Ebed-melech, an Ethiopian servant in the palace, hears what happened. He doesn’t whisper. He goes straight to the king, sitting in public at the city gate, and says: these men have done evil to Jeremiah the prophet, and he’s going to die down there.

    🎬 Ebed-melech walks right up to Zedekiah and says, loud enough for everyone to hear, “These men have done evil!” The Princes turn and stare.

  6. 🧵🙌 Old rags, thirty men, and ropes

    The king tells him to take thirty men. Ebed-melech gathers old rags and worn-out clothes and lets them down on ropes first, so Jeremiah can pad his arms. Then they pull him up out of the mud.

    🎬 The Thirty Men line up and pull an invisible rope hand over hand. Jeremiah tucks invisible rags under his arms and rises to his feet.

  7. 😰👑 “I am afraid… lest they mock me”

    Zedekiah sends for Jeremiah secretly one more time. He promises not to kill him and asks again. Jeremiah tells him the truth again: obey the Lord and you and your city will live. Then Zedekiah admits the real problem: I’m afraid. I’m afraid people will mock me.

    🎬 Zedekiah hunches over and says quietly, “I am afraid… lest they mock me.” Jeremiah pleads: “Obey, I beseech thee, the voice of the LORD.”

  8. 🤐🔥 “Let no man know of these words”

    Zedekiah’s last instruction to the prophet: don’t tell anyone we talked. He never acted on what he knew. When Jerusalem fell, he was captured and lost everything he had tried to protect. But the Lord sent a message to Ebed-melech: I will deliver you, because you put your trust in Me.

    🎬 Zedekiah puts a finger to his lips and slowly walks away, head down. Ebed-melech stands tall as Jeremiah places a hand on his shoulder.

Key verse

Jeremiah 31:33 ↗
“I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.”
In plain words: The Lord promises a covenant so deep that His law isn’t just on paper; it’s written inside us, and we belong to Him.
🙌 Memory hooks: “put my law in their inward parts” = hand flat on your stomach · “write it in their hearts” = trace letters over your heart · “will be their God” = point up · “they shall be my people” = open arms to the whole room.

More verses

Jeremiah 37:17 ↗
“the king asked him secretly in his house, and said, Is there any word from the LORD? And Jeremiah said, There is”
In plain words: The king asked in secret for God’s word, and Jeremiah said yes, there is one. The problem was never that Zedekiah didn’t know.
Jeremiah 38:19–20 ↗
“I am afraid of the Jews that are fallen to the Chaldeans, lest they deliver me into their hand, and they mock me. But Jeremiah said, They shall not deliver thee. Obey, I beseech thee, the voice of the LORD”
In plain words: Zedekiah admitted he was afraid of being mocked. Jeremiah begged him: please, just obey the Lord.
Jeremiah 39:18 ↗
“For I will surely deliver thee, and thou shalt not fall by the sword, but thy life shall be for a prey unto thee: because thou hast put thy trust in me, saith the LORD.”
In plain words: The Lord promised Ebed-melech He would save him, because he trusted God enough to act.
Lamentations 3:22–23 ↗
“It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.”
In plain words: Even after everything fell apart, the Lord’s mercy didn’t run out. It starts fresh every morning.

Forehead Guess words16 words

  • 👑 Zedekiah
  • 🙋 Ebed-melech
  • 🔪 Jehoiakim
  • ✍️ Baruch
  • 📜 Scroll
  • 🗡️ Penknife
  • 🕳️ Mud pit
  • 🧵 Old rags
  • 👥 Thirty men
  • 🏛️ Babylon
  • ❤️ New covenant
  • ⛵ Mulek
  • 😢 Lamentations
  • 🌅 New every morning
  • 😏 Mockery
  • 🛕 Endowment
Clues for each word
  • Zedekiah: Last king of Judah; asked in secret
  • Ebed-melech: Ethiopian servant who rescued Jeremiah
  • Jehoiakim: King who cut up and burned the scroll
  • Baruch: Jeremiah’s scribe who wrote the scroll twice
  • Scroll: Burned in a winter fireplace (Jeremiah 36)
  • Penknife: What the king used to cut the scroll
  • Mud pit: Where the princes dropped Jeremiah
  • Old rags: Padding so the ropes wouldn’t hurt
  • Thirty men: The rescue crew
  • Babylon: Army surrounding Jerusalem
  • New covenant: Law written in hearts (Jeremiah 31:33)
  • Mulek: Zedekiah’s son who escaped to the Americas
  • Lamentations: Book of grief after Jerusalem fell
  • New every morning: The Lord’s mercies (Lamentations 3:23)
  • Mockery: What Zedekiah feared most
  • Endowment: Temple covenants many youth will soon make
▶ Play Forehead GuessFull screen, 60-second timer, works on any phone.

Scripture Showdown9 questions

  1. What did King Jehoiakim do with Jeremiah’s scroll?
    • A. Cut it up and burned it
    • B. Hid it in the temple
    • C. Read it and repented
    Show answer

    ✅ A. Cut it up and burned it Jeremiah 36:23. Then Jeremiah dictated it again, with more added.

  2. What did Zedekiah secretly ask Jeremiah?
    • A. “Where is the treasure?”
    • B. “Is there any word from the LORD?”
    • C. “Will you be my adviser?”
    Show answer

    ✅ B. “Is there any word from the LORD?” Jeremiah 37:17. He asked more than once and already knew the answer.

  3. Why did Zedekiah say he wouldn’t obey?
    • A. He didn’t believe Jeremiah
    • B. He was sick
    • C. He was afraid of being mocked
    Show answer

    ✅ C. He was afraid of being mocked Jeremiah 38:19. Fear of people beat what he knew.

  4. Where did the princes put Jeremiah?
    • A. A pit of mud
    • B. A lions’ den
    • C. A fiery furnace
    Show answer

    ✅ A. A pit of mud Jeremiah 38:6. There was no water in it, only mire.

  5. Who went to the king in public to save Jeremiah?
    • A. Baruch
    • B. Ebed-melech
    • C. Pashhur
    Show answer

    ✅ B. Ebed-melech Jeremiah 38:7–9. An outsider did what the insiders wouldn’t.

  6. What did Ebed-melech send down before pulling Jeremiah up?
    • A. Food
    • B. A ladder
    • C. Old rags to pad the ropes
    Show answer

    ✅ C. Old rags to pad the ropes Jeremiah 38:11–12. Courage and kindness together.

  7. Why did the Lord promise to deliver Ebed-melech?
    • A. He was rich
    • B. He trusted in the Lord
    • C. He was the king’s friend
    Show answer

    ✅ B. He trusted in the Lord Jeremiah 39:18: “because thou hast put thy trust in me.”

  8. Jeremiah 31:33: where will the Lord write His law?
    • A. On stone tablets
    • B. In their hearts
    • C. On the temple doors
    Show answer

    ✅ B. In their hearts Covenants write it inside us, where no one can burn it.

  9. Lamentations 3:23 says the Lord’s mercies are new every…
    • A. morning
    • B. year
    • C. Sabbath
    Show answer

    ✅ A. morning Written after Jerusalem fell. His mercy doesn’t run out.

▶ Play Scripture ShowdownTeams take turns on one screen.

From general conference

“The Lord does not ask for perfection all at once; rather, He asks for honest and broken hearts, humble spirits, and a willing readiness to keep our covenants—even when it requires sacrifice.”

— Elder Alan R. Walker, “A Peculiar Treasure,” April 2026

Share during Real Talk, with the question about the new covenant, or before the testimony for anyone who feels like a Zedekiah.

Read the talk ↗

Songs

  • Choose the Right Hymns, no. 239

    Ebed-melech chose the right in public. A good opener or closer. Find it ↗

  • Count Your Blessings Hymns, no. 241

    Pairs with Lamentations 3:22–23: mercies new every morning, even in hard times. Find it ↗

This week’s challenge

Don’t Ask in Secret

Think of one thing you already know the Lord wants you to do and have been putting off because of what people might think. Do it this week, in the open, like Ebed-melech. Each morning, read Lamentations 3:22–23 and start fresh.

Text the parents

This week we studied Jeremiah 31–39 and Lamentations: a king who burned God’s word, King Zedekiah who secretly asked Jeremiah for the truth but was too afraid of being mocked to obey (Jeremiah 38:19), and Ebed-melech, who spoke up in public and pulled Jeremiah out of a pit of mud. Ask your teen: which of those three responses is most common at school, and what’s one thing they already know is right that they want to act on?

📝 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?

🌾 Buy the Field · 4 min

  1. Read Jeremiah 32:6–15. Set the scene: the Babylonian army is outside the walls, and Jeremiah is buying land.
  2. Ask: “Why would the Lord ask him to invest in a future that looked impossible?”
  3. Invite youth to name one way they’re investing in their future on faith: a mission fund, school, the temple, a friendship.

⛵ From Jerusalem to Zarahemla · 4 min

  1. Read 1 Nephi 1:4, Omni 1:15–16, and Helaman 8:21.
  2. Map it: Lehi’s story begins in Zedekiah’s first year; Zedekiah’s son Mulek escapes after the fall; his people end up in Zarahemla and join the Nephites.
  3. Ask: “How does it change the Book of Mormon for you to know it overlaps with Jeremiah?”

📓 Mercies Journal · 3 min

  1. Read Lamentations 3:21–26.
  2. Each youth writes (or types) three “new this morning” mercies from today.
  3. Challenge: keep it up every morning for a 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