Youth Lesson Plan: Genesis 18–23

THE OPENER (2–3 minutes)
Object lesson: Bring a rubber band (or a simple slingshot-style band). Hold it up and say, “This is my spiritual life when I’m trying to move forward but I keep getting yanked backward.” Stretch it a little and ask: “What kinds of things pull people your age backward—old drama, old habits, old friends, old labels, old mistakes?” Let a few answer. Then say, “Genesis 18–23 is basically God teaching His people how to trust His promises, flee what will destroy them, and keep moving forward—even when it feels impossible.”

Transition: “Let’s watch for three phrases today: ‘Is any thing too hard for the Lord?’ (Genesis 18:14), ‘look not behind’ (Genesis 19:17), and God proving His people ‘to see if [we] will do all things whatsoever the Lord [our] God shall command’ (Abraham 3:25).”

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SCRIPTURE DEEP DIVE (12–15 minutes)
Invite students to open to Genesis 18:9–12, 14. Before explaining anything, ask: “What do you notice about Sarah’s reaction? What words would you use to describe her moment?” Then read and let the text speak:

• “And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent. And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him. Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. Therefore Sarah laughed within herself…” (Genesis 18:9–12).
• Then read the Lord’s response: “Is any thing too hard for the Lord?” (Genesis 18:14).

Ask: “Why do you think the Lord answers a laugh with a question instead of a lecture?” Let them wrestle. Then connect to the Come, Follow Me framing: Abraham and Sarah’s life is evidence that we are proven “to see if [we] will do all things whatsoever the Lord [our] God shall command” (Abraham 3:25). Ask: “What does it mean that proving isn’t just ‘exposing’ us—God is also improving us?”

Next, move to Genesis 19:12–17, 26. Pair students up for 60 seconds: “Read quickly and circle action words—what the angels do, what Lot is told to do.” Bring them back and read key lines aloud:

• “Escape for thy life; look not behind thee… escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed” (Genesis 19:17).
• “But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt” (Genesis 19:26).

Ask: “What does ‘look back’ mean in real life? Not just with your eyes—what else?” Then use the bundle’s prophetic commentary from Elder Holland (read a short, potent excerpt):
“Apparently, what was wrong with Lot’s wife was that she wasn’t just looking back; in her heart she wanted to go back… her attachment to the past outweighed her confidence in the future… Faith is for the future” (Jan 2010, Holland, “The Best Is Yet to Be”).
Let that land. Ask: “Why would ‘attachment to the past’ be so spiritually dangerous?”

Finally, turn to Genesis 22:1–2 and read just enough to feel the weight:
“And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt [test] Abraham… And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest…” (Genesis 22:1–2).
Ask quietly: “What do you notice about how personal that is—‘whom thou lovest’?” Then connect to the bundle’s doctrinal key: Abraham’s sacrifice “was ‘a similitude of God and his Only Begotten Son’” (Jacob 4:5). Don’t rush. Let students say what parallels they see.

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THE BIG IDEA (8–10 minutes)
Principle 1: God’s promises are real, but His timing is His. Anchor it in the Lord’s question: “Is any thing too hard for the Lord?” (Genesis 18:14). Ask: “What’s the difference between ‘God can’t’ and ‘God hasn’t yet’?” Then let them connect it to their lives—answers to prayers, family situations, hopes they’re carrying.

Principle 2: To flee wickedness, you can’t keep a ‘backup plan’ in your heart. The command is direct: “look not behind thee” (Genesis 19:17). Use Elder Holland’s line: “Faith is for the future” (Jan 2010, Holland, “The Best Is Yet to Be”). Ask: “What makes people your age secretly want to go back—comfort, popularity, numbness, control?” Follow-up: “What would it look like to keep the lessons from the past without living there?”

Principle 3: God proves His covenant people—and that proof points us to Christ. Come, Follow Me frames Abraham and Sarah’s story with Abraham 3:25: we are here “to see if [we] will do all things whatsoever the Lord [our] God shall command.” Ask: “How can a test be about trust, not punishment?” Then point to Jacob 4:5: Abraham’s offering is “a similitude of God and his Only Begotten Son.” Ask: “What does it teach you about the Father’s love that He would give us a story like this to help us feel—even a little—what He has done for us?”

(If questions drift into temple sacrifice/ordinances or sensitive policy topics, gently say: “This is sacred and personal—please speak with your bishop or refer to the temple recommend questions.”)

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MIX IT UP – ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITY (5–8 minutes)
Case study (whole class): Read this scenario aloud:
“Someone in your class is trying to change. They’ve stopped doing something they know is wrong, but they keep checking the old group chat, rewatching old stuff, or stalking an ex-friend’s account. They say, ‘I’m not doing it anymore, I’m just… looking.’”

Ask: “Which verse speaks to this?” (Genesis 19:17, 26). Then: “What would you say that’s truthful but not preachy?” Encourage answers that sound like real teens. After a few, add Elder Holland’s idea in your own words but cite him: it’s not just looking back—it’s wanting to go back (Jan 2010, Holland, “The Best Is Yet to Be”). Ask: “What’s one small ‘escape to the mountain’ move they could make this week?”

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THE LANDING (3–4 minutes)
Bring back the rubber band. Loosen it and say: “God isn’t trying to shame Sarah for laughing. He asks a question that opens faith: ‘Is any thing too hard for the Lord?’ (Genesis 18:14). He isn’t trying to trap Lot’s family—He’s trying to save them: ‘look not behind thee’ (Genesis 19:17). And He isn’t just telling an ancient story—He’s pointing us to His Son through a ‘similitude’ (Jacob 4:5).”

Invitation (simple and specific): “This week, pick one ‘look back’ habit—something that tugs you toward a version of you you’re trying to outgrow. Make one clean break step. Not dramatic. Just real. And when you feel the tug, repeat the Lord’s question to yourself: ‘Is any thing too hard for the Lord?’ (Genesis 18:14).”

I trust those words because the Lord keeps asking them—patiently, personally—until our faith starts aiming forward.