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Scripture Story Sketch Notes · Matthew 25:31–46; Mosiah 2:17

The Sheep
and the Goats

“Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” Matthew 25:40

A throne of glory, all nations gathered, and a surprise. Walk the scene, find where the King says He was all along, and look for Him in the people around you.

Walk the scene ↓ Read Matthew 25:31–46 first
Hand-drawn doodle map of the scene: the Savior shown only as glowing light on a throne with angels facing Him, people of many nations gathering, a shepherd dividing sheep from goats, faceless people sharing bread, giving a cup of water, welcoming a traveler, wrapping a cloak around someone, sitting by a sick bed and visiting a prisoner, and the light welcoming those on His right hand.

Before you begin

The story in brief

Jesus taught that when He comes in His glory, He will sit on the throne of His glory, and all nations will be gathered before Him. He will separate them “as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats,” the sheep on His right hand and the goats on the left. To those on His right He will say, “Come, ye blessed of my Father,” because when He was hungry they fed Him, when He was thirsty they gave Him drink, when He was a stranger they took Him in, and when He was naked, sick or in prison, they came to Him.

The righteous are surprised. “Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee?” The King answers, “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” Those on the left had not cared for people in need, and so, He says, they had not cared for Him. Every kindness to anyone, it turns out, reaches the Savior Himself.

Who’s who

  • The King: the Lord Jesus, the Son of man, come in glory
  • The sheep: those who cared for people in need
  • The goats: those who did not
  • The least of these: anyone in need, whom He calls His brethren

Where and when

The Mount of Olives, in the last days before the Crucifixion, right after the parables of the ten virgins and the talents. It looks ahead to His Second Coming.

Watch for the Savior

Watch where the King says He was all along: hungry, thirsty, a stranger, sick and in prison.

Read it yourself: Matthew 25:31–46

Part 1 of 7

The scene, mapped

Eight stops from the throne of glory to the King’s answer. Scroll, or tap a number on the map.

    Part 2 of 7

    The story, plainly

    Four scenes: the gathering, the welcome, the surprise, and the answer. Look for the Savior in each one.

    Read it plainly

    The words that trip people up

    Tap any dotted word for its meaning. The scripture stays exactly as written.1

    1. Matthew 25:32 “as a shepherd his sheep from the goats”
    2. Matthew 25:35 “For I was an , and ye gave me ”
    3. Matthew 25:35 “I was a , and ye took me in”
    4. Matthew 25:36 “, and ye clothed me”
    5. Matthew 25:40 “ as ye have done it unto one of the least of these”
    6. Matthew 25:44 “an hungred, or , or a stranger”
    7. Matthew 25:44 “and did not unto thee?”

    Part 3 of 7

    Look closer

    Small details tell the story. Some cards are details in the text; others share insights from prophets. Each card says which.

    0 of 9 turned

    Part 4 of 7

    Where are you today?

    Some of us feel too small to help, some are the ones in need, some are too busy to notice, and some wonder if a small kindness matters. Which feels most like you right now?

    Try it

    Ye did it unto me

    The King names six needs and six kindnesses. Tap a need on the left, then the kindness that answers it on the right.

    “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” Matthew 25:40

    Part 5 of 7

    Their world, their words

    A little background helps us see what the listeners pictured. Outside sources are labeled.

    In the text

    The right hand

    The sheep are set “on his right hand”, and the King calls them “ye blessed of my Father”. The kingdom was “prepared for you from the foundation of the world”.1

    It was ready for them long before they arrived.

    Apostle · Talmage

    Counted as done to Him

    Elder Talmage lists the hungry fed, the strangers lodged and the prisoners visited, “all of which mercies are accredited to them as having been rendered to their Lord in person”.6

    Every kindness lands on Him.

    Prophet · Monson

    Lost in serving

    President Monson: “I believe the Savior is telling us that unless we lose ourselves in service to others, there is little purpose to our own lives.”5

    They served without counting.

    Apostle · Holland

    His most persistent call

    Elder Holland: “the great Redeemer has issued no more persistent call than for us to join Him in lifting this burden from the people”, speaking of poverty and need.4

    Caring for the needy is His own work.

    Word study · Greek

    probaton πρόβατον · “sheep” (Matthew 25:32)

    Bible Hub: “something that walks forward (a quadruped), i.e. (specially), a sheep (literally or figuratively).”7 Outside · lexicon

    Sheep follow their shepherd. At the waters of Mormon, coming “into the fold of God” meant being “willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light”.

    Word study · Greek

    elachistos ἐλάχιστος · “least” (Matthew 25:40)

    Bible Hub: “least (in size, amount, dignity, etc.).”8 Outside · lexicon

    The smallest, the most overlooked. Yet the King calls them “the least of these my brethren”. No one is too small to be His family.1

    What the text does not say

    The text does not say the righteous earned their place by keeping a list of good deeds. They did not even remember doing them: “Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee?” Nor does it limit kindness to people we already know. Elder Holland spoke of needs “that go well beyond members of the Church”.4

    Part 6 of 7

    Look to Him

    He is the King on the throne of glory, and He is also the hungry child, the stranger and the prisoner. Every kindness reaches Him.

    President Thomas S. Monson: “That service to which all of us have been called is the service of the Lord Jesus Christ.”

    President Thomas S. Monson, “What Have I Done for Someone Today?” October 20095
    “The needs of others are ever present, and each of us can do something to help someone.”
    President Thomas S. Monson5
    “God knows, and He will help you and guide you in compassionate acts of discipleship”
    Elder Jeffrey R. Holland4
    “As He enlists us to His cause, He invites us to draw close to Him.”
    President Thomas S. Monson5

    Another testament

    Serving Him by serving them

    “When ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.” Mosiah 2:17

    Earlier, Jesus said

    Even a cup of water

    “Whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.” Matthew 10:42

    Part 7 of 7

    Seek Him today

    A question to ask yourself

    “Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee?” Matthew 25:37

    Who near you is hungry, lonely, sick, new or stuck this week? What is one way to reach them as if you were reaching Him?

    Try it today

    One kindness each day. It saves on this device, one day at a time.

    0 of 7 today

    This week:0 of 7 days

    A quiet moment

    “Ye have done it unto me.”

    Read Matthew 25:31–46 slowly. Then ask Heavenly Father who needs you this week. Listen, and write down the first name that comes. Matthew 25:31–46

    A verse to hold

    Talk about it

    1. Why do you think the righteous were surprised when the King thanked them?
    2. The King says He was the one who was hungry and in prison. What does that teach about how He feels about people in need?
    3. Which of the six needs do you see most often around you?
    4. What is one kindness our family could do together this week?
    Open

    For adults and deeper study

    Go deeper

    Longer readings, harder questions, and where to study next. Each one says what it is before you click.
    Apostle

    Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, “Are We Not All Beggars?” (2014)

    Why the Savior’s call to care for the poor is so persistent, how to “do what we can,” and the blessings of the fast.4

    Read the talk →
    Church President

    President Thomas S. Monson, “What Have I Done for Someone Today?” (2009)

    Losing ourselves in service, children’s acts of kindness, and Matthew 25 as the service of the Lord Jesus Christ.5

    Read the talk →
    Apostle

    Elder Talmage, Jesus the Christ, chapter 32

    The ten virgins, the talents and the judgment of the nations read as one discourse: waiting, working and caring for the least.6

    Read chapter 32 →
    Scripture

    Mosiah 4:16–26; Mosiah 18:8–10

    King Benjamin asks, “Are we not all beggars?” and Alma invites the people to bear one another’s burdens at the waters of Mormon.2

    Read Mosiah 4 →   Read Mosiah 18 →
    To ponder

    Harder questions

    • The righteous did not know they had served Him. Why might it matter that real kindness is not done for credit?
    • King Benjamin asked, “Are we not all beggars?” How does remembering our own need change how we see someone else’s?
    • The King calls the least “my brethren.” Who might the Savior be asking you to see as family?

    Sources

    Every quotation, gloss, and piece of background on this page is listed here: scripture first, then Church sources, then outside scholarship (labeled).

    Scripture

    1. Matthew 25:31–46: “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”
    2. Mosiah 2:17, Mosiah 4:19 and Mosiah 18:8–9: “For behold, are we not all beggars?”
    3. Matthew 10:42 and James 1:27: “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction.”

    Church leaders and Church resources

    1. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, “Are We Not All Beggars?”, general conference, October 2014.
    2. President Thomas S. Monson, “What Have I Done for Someone Today?”, general conference, October 2009.
    3. Elder James E. Talmage, Jesus the Christ, chapter 32, Gospel Library.

    Outside sources (labeled on the page)

    1. Strong’s 4263, probaton, Bible Hub lexicon.
    2. Strong’s 1646, elachistos, Bible Hub lexicon.

    Quotations checked against the linked pages on October 7, 2026. Scripture is quoted from the King James Version as published in the Gospel Library.

    “Ye have done it unto me”

    Every kindness to anyone in need reaches Him. Look for Him this week in the people around you. Matthew 25:40

    Back to this week: May 17–23 Earlier: The Talents Next story: The Last Supper All New Testament Story Sketch Notes
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    Independent study notes from Weak Things, not an official publication of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Scripture quotations are from the King James Version. This teaching is told in the Savior’s own words; the insights in “Look closer” are labeled by source.