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Jonah’s Second Chance

A runaway prophet, a wild storm, a great fish, a whole city that turns around, and a game of Telephone

  • 💧 Valiant 7–8
  • Week 48
  • 📅 Sunday, November 29, 2026
🤔 Forehead Guess🏆 Showdown
💡 The big idea

We can’t run away from the Lord’s love: He speaks through His prophets and gives second chances to everyone who turns to Him.

I can listen to the Lord and His prophets, and when I get it wrong, I can turn around and try again.

Come, Follow Me manualOpen this week (Amos; Obadiah; Jonah)
Know the chapters

Amos, Obadiah and Jonah are three of the twelve short books at the end of the Old Testament, called the “minor prophets.” Amos was a herdsman who also tended fig trees, until the Lord called him to warn Israel. That’s Amos 1:1 and 7:14–15. He taught that the Lord reveals His plans to His prophets, in Amos 3:7. He pleaded, “Seek ye me, and ye shall live,” in 5:4. And he warned of a famine “of hearing the words of the LORD,” in 8:11–12. Latter-day Saints see that famine in the Great Apostasy after the Apostles died, and its end in the Restoration. Obadiah is only 21 verses long. It ends with “saviours shall come up on mount Zion,” in 1:21. President Gordon B. Hinckley connected that to doing temple work for our ancestors.

Jonah is one of the best stories in the Bible for kids. The Lord sent Jonah to Nineveh, the capital of Assyria. Assyria was a cruel enemy of Israel, in what’s now Iraq. Jonah went the opposite way, toward Tarshish, far across the sea. Then came the storm, the lots, the trip overboard, and the great fish the Lord “prepared,” in 1:17. The fish wasn’t a punishment. It was a rescue. Jonah prayed from inside the fish, in Jonah 2. Then “the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time,” in 3:1. This time he went. The whole city, from the king down to the animals, fasted and turned from their evil ways. The Lord spared them. Jonah sulked. So the Lord used a shady plant and a hungry worm to teach him. He cares about every person in that city, in 4:10–11.

Jesus tied Jonah to Himself. Jonah was three days and three nights in the fish. Jesus said the Son of Man would be three days in the heart of the earth, in Matthew 12:40. Jonah’s rescue points to the Savior’s death and Resurrection, which make every second chance possible. For eight-year-olds, the takeaways are simple. We can’t hide from God, and He never gives up on us. He loves even the people we think are “bad guys.” And He helps us obey when it’s hard. Tie it to their baptism. The sacrament is our weekly chance to turn around and start fresh.

November 29 is a fifth Sunday. On fifth Sundays, the manual invites Primary teachers to use activities from “Appendix B: Preparing Children for a Lifetime on God’s Covenant Path” if they wish. This lesson already ties Jonah’s second chance to repentance, the sacrament and the baptismal covenant. So it works either way.

Only have 5 minutes?

Read Jonah 1–3 and Amos 3:7. It’s short and fast! Tell the Jonah story from Teach Mode, and let the class make the sound effects. Say Amos 3:7 with motions, play Prophet Telephone, and close with a quiet testimony that Jesus gives second chances. Have a picture of the President of the Church on your phone for Telephone. No picture? Tap “I brought nothing” and just tell them about him.

What to bring2 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 Jonah 1–3 and Amos 3:7.
  2. Find a picture of the President of the Church and a short thing he taught recently. The Gospel Library app can help.

If your class is wild

  • Sound effects need an off switch. Hold up a fist, and the sea goes calm and quiet.
  • Make your most dramatic kid the Storm Leader. Now their energy starts the storm for everyone.
  • Keep the fish friendly. Say it early and often: “The fish was a rescue!” Then nobody worries about being swallowed.
  • In Opposite Day, save “Be as LOUD as you can!” for last. They’ll all go silent. Enjoy the quietest room of the year!
  • In Telephone, whisperers cup their hands around their mouth. Shout the message and you sit out the next round.

The 25-minute plan23 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

Opposite Day

3 min

A silly opposite game burns energy, ends in silence and sets up Jonah running the wrong way.

  1. SAY“It’s Opposite Day! Whatever I say, do the OPPOSITE.”
  2. Call out orders like “Frown!” and “Hands down!” Save the last one for “Be as LOUD as you can!”
  3. While it’s silent, whisper: “A prophet named Jonah played Opposite Day with God, for real. God said go to Nineveh. Jonah went the other way!”
  4. SAY“Can you really run away from God? Let’s find out.”
🌪️ Everything happens from your seat. Save “Be as LOUD as you can!” for last, and enjoy the silence.

Class screen: 🔄 It’s Opposite Day! Do the opposite! · 🙃 Do the opposite!

2. Story

Story: Jonah and the Great Fish

7 min

Storm, splash, gulp and a city that turns around show that the Lord gives second chances to everyone.

  1. SAY“This is a true story from the Bible about a prophet who ran away. You get to make the sound effects.”
  2. Open the story in Teach Mode. When a sound shows on the screen, everyone makes it. Then it’s quiet for the next part.
  3. At scene 5, slow down and read softly. Ask, “What did Jonah do inside the fish?” He prayed, and the Lord heard him.
  4. After scene 6, ask how many chances the Lord gave Jonah. Two! Then ask about Nineveh. A second chance too!
🌪️ If the room drifts, say “Calm sea!” Everyone freezes still, like the sea after the splash.

Class screen: 🐋 Jonah and the Great Fish · 🌊 Whoosh! · 💦 Splash! · 🐋 Gulp!

3. Scripture

Key Verse: Amos 3:7

4 min

Kids memorize a whole verse about how Heavenly Father speaks through prophets.

  1. SAY“Jonah was a prophet. Amos was a prophet too. He wrote about how the Lord uses prophets.”
  2. Show the verse on your phone or tablet and read it slowly.
  3. SAY“‘Revealeth his secret’ means He tells His plans. ‘His servants the prophets’ are the people He calls to tell us.”
  4. Teach the motions one phrase at a time. Say it three ways: sailor voice, whisper voice, then puffed-up fish cheeks.
  5. Ask, “Do we have a prophet today?” Yes! The President of the Church.

Class screen: 🤫📜 The Lord reveals His secrets to the prophets!

4. Game

Prophet Telephone

6 min

A garbled message versus a clear one shows why Heavenly Father speaks through prophets, and why listening brings second chances.

  1. SAY“Let’s play Telephone! Pass my whisper around the circle, just once each.”
  2. Whisper, “Jonah’s giant fish ate forty purple pickles on Tuesday.” The last child says it out loud. Ask what happened to the message.
  3. For round two, one child reads the message from your phone or tablet to everyone at once. Everyone got it!
  4. Say, “Heavenly Father tells His prophets, and they tell all of us. Nineveh listened to a prophet and got a second chance.”
  5. Show a picture of our living prophet and share one thing he taught.
🌪️ Whisperers cup their hands around their mouth. Shout the message and you sit out the next round.

Class screen: 📞🧔 Why does God speak through prophets? · Round 1: whisper it around the circle · Round 2: “Heavenly Father loves you. Be kind to someone this week.”

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: A picture of the President of the Church (on your phone is fine)

  1. SAY“Let’s play Telephone! Pass my whisper around the circle, just once each.”
  2. Whisper, “Jonah’s giant fish ate forty purple pickles on Tuesday.” The last child says it out loud. Ask what happened to the message.
  3. For round two, one child reads the message from your phone or tablet to everyone at once. Everyone got it!
  4. Say, “Heavenly Father tells His prophets, and they tell all of us. Nineveh listened to a prophet and got a second chance.”
  5. Tell them about the President of the Church, our living prophet. Share one thing he taught.
5. Testimony

Three Days, Then Out!

3 min

End calm and reverent by pointing Jonah’s rescue to Jesus Christ.

  1. SAY“Jesus said Jonah’s three days in the fish were a sign of Him. That’s Matthew twelve, verse forty. Jesus was buried. On the third day, He rose again!”
  2. Briefly share a time the Lord gave you a second chance. Add that we have a living prophet today.
  3. Show the Second-Chance Giver challenge on the screen.
  4. Invite a child to say the closing prayer.

Class screen: 🔁🐋 This week: give someone a second chance! · Forgive fast · Turn around fast

6. Game

Forehead Guess: Jonah Edition

4 minBONUS

A quick Heads Up–style review of every sailor, fish and prophet from today.

  1. SAY“Let’s see what you remember! Give clues, but don’t say the word.”
  2. Tap Forehead Guess.
  3. One kid holds your phone or tablet on their forehead, screen facing the class. Everyone else gives clues from their seats.
  4. Tilt down for “got it” and up to pass. Each turn is 45 seconds. Then pass your phone or tablet to the next kid.
🌪️ Go around the room one clue at a time. That way nobody shouts over anybody.
▶ Play Forehead Guess on the web

Class screen: 🤔 Forehead Guess! · Give clues, don’t say the word!

7. Game

Scripture Showdown

5 minBONUS

A fast team quiz reviews Jonah, Amos and Obadiah.

  1. SAY“Team Ship versus Team Fish!”
  2. Split the class in two and tap Scripture Showdown.
  3. Read each question out loud. Teams whisper together, then point to an answer.
  4. Tap the team that got it right to give them a point.
▶ Play Scripture Showdown on the web

Class screen: 🏆 Scripture Showdown!

The story

Jonah and the Great Fish

Jonah 1–4 ↗

Optional helpers

  • Storm LeaderStarts the storm sound from their seat, and stops it when you hold up a fist.
  • Sound HelperSits next to you and taps each scene’s sound on your phone or tablet.

Scenes

  1. 📣⛵ Jonah runs the other way

    The Lord gave the prophet Jonah a job. “Go to Nineveh and warn the people to stop doing wicked things.” Jonah didn’t want to! Nineveh was the enemy of Jonah’s people. So Jonah got on a ship sailing far, far the other way.

    🙌

  2. 😴⛈️ A mighty storm, and Jonah’s asleep!

    Jonah went down into the ship and fell fast asleep. Then the Lord sent a great wind. Waves crashed until the ship was about to break! The scared sailors threw the cargo overboard. And Jonah? Still snoring!

    🙌 Make the storm: rub your hands and whoosh! Then one loud snore.

  3. ⚓🙋‍♂️ “Arise, call upon thy God!”

    The captain shook Jonah awake. “Arise, call upon thy God!” Jonah told the truth. He was running from the Lord. He said, “Throw me into the sea, and it will be calm.” The kind sailors rowed hard instead. But the storm grew wilder.

    🙌

  4. 💦🐋 Splash! Then… GULP!

    At last the sailors tossed Jonah into the sea. SPLASH! The wind stopped and the sea went calm. Then a great fish swallowed Jonah up. The Lord had prepared that fish. It wasn’t a punishment. It was a rescue!

    🙌 Everyone: “SPLASH!” Then a giant “GULP!”

  5. 🙏🐋 Jonah prays inside the fish

    For three days and three nights, Jonah sat in the dark belly of the fish. He remembered the Lord and prayed, and the Lord heard him. Then the Lord spoke to the fish, and… BLEH! It spat Jonah out onto dry land.

    🙌 Arms wide: “BLEH!”

  6. 🏙️🔄 A second chance for a whole city

    The Lord spoke to Jonah a second time. This time Jonah went! He warned Nineveh, and the people listened. The king took off his royal robe, and the whole city turned away from wicked ways. So the Lord spared them.

    🙌

  7. 🌿🐛😤 Grumpy Jonah and the shady plant

    But Jonah was grumpy that God forgave his enemies. The Lord grew a shady plant for him, then sent a worm to eat it. Jonah pouted even more! The Lord asked: you cared about one plant. Shouldn’t I care about a whole city?

    🙌

Key verse

Amos 3:7 ↗
“Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets”
In kid words: Heavenly Father always tells His prophets what He is going to do, so they can tell us.
🙌 “Surely the Lord God” = point up · “will do nothing” = shake your head and wave your hands “no” · “but he revealeth his secret” = cup a hand by your mouth like you’re whispering a secret · “unto his servants the prophets” = point to the prophet’s picture

More verses

Jonah 2:2 ↗
“I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me”
In kid words: When I was in big trouble, I prayed to the Lord, and He heard me.
Jonah 3:1 ↗
“And the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time”
In kid words: The Lord gave Jonah a second chance.
Amos 8:11 ↗
“not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD”
In kid words: Someday people would be hungry, not for food, but for God’s words.
Obadiah 1:21 ↗
“And saviours shall come up on mount Zion”
In kid words: We can help save our families, a little like Jesus does, by doing temple work for ancestors who have died.

Forehead Guess words20 words

  • 🧔 Jonah
  • 🐋 Great Fish
  • ⛵ Ship
  • ⛈️ Storm
  • 🚣 Sailors
  • 🏙️ Nineveh
  • 🌿 Seaweed
  • 🐛 Worm
  • 👑 King
  • 😴 Sleep
  • 🙏 Pray
  • 🔁 Second Chance
  • 📣 Prophet
  • 🐑 Amos
  • 🦁 Lion
  • 🏛️ Temple
  • 🐄 Cow
  • ⚓ Anchor
  • 🏖️ Beach
  • 🔄 Repent
Clues for each word
  • Jonah: Prophet who tried to run away on a ship
  • Great Fish: Swallowed Jonah for three days
  • Ship: Jonah tried to sail away on it
  • Storm: Huge wind and waves the Lord sent
  • Sailors: They rowed hard but couldn’t reach land
  • Nineveh: Big city where everyone turned to God
  • Seaweed: Wrapped around Jonah’s head underwater
  • Worm: Ate Jonah’s shady plant
  • King: Took off his royal robe and sat in ashes
  • Sleep: What Jonah did during the storm
  • Pray: Jonah did this inside the fish
  • Second Chance: What the Lord gave Jonah and Nineveh
  • Prophet: God tells His secrets to this person
  • Amos: A herdsman the Lord called to be a prophet
  • Lion: Amos said this animal hath roared
  • Temple: Where saviours on Mount Zion help their ancestors
  • Cow: God cared about Nineveh’s animals too!
  • Anchor: Heavy thing that keeps a ship in place
  • Beach: Where the fish spat Jonah out
  • Repent: Turn around and come back to God
▶ Play Forehead GuessFull screen, 60-second timer, works on any phone.

Scripture Showdown8 questions

  1. Where did the Lord tell Jonah to go?
    • A. Tarshish
    • B. Nineveh
    • C. Egypt
    Show answer

    ✅ B. Nineveh Jonah 1:2. Jonah headed for Tarshish instead, the opposite way!

  2. What was Jonah doing during the big storm?
    • A. Sleeping below deck
    • B. Steering the ship
    • C. Fishing
    Show answer

    ✅ A. Sleeping below deck Jonah 1:5. He was fast asleep until the captain woke him up!

  3. How long was Jonah inside the great fish?
    • A. 40 days
    • B. 3 minutes
    • C. 3 days and 3 nights
    Show answer

    ✅ C. 3 days and 3 nights Jonah 1:17. Then the fish spat him out onto dry land.

  4. What did Jonah do inside the fish?
    • A. Complained
    • B. Prayed to the Lord
    • C. Took a nap
    Show answer

    ✅ B. Prayed to the Lord Jonah 2:1–2. He cried to the Lord, and the Lord heard him.

  5. What did the people of Nineveh do when Jonah warned them?
    • A. Laughed at him
    • B. Moved away
    • C. Fasted and turned from evil
    Show answer

    ✅ C. Fasted and turned from evil Jonah 3:5–10. From the king to the animals, the whole city turned around!

  6. Amos 3:7 says the Lord reveals His secrets to…
    • A. His prophets
    • B. Only kings
    • C. Nobody
    Show answer

    ✅ A. His prophets That’s why we listen to our living prophet today.

  7. What ate Jonah’s shady plant?
    • A. A goat
    • B. A worm
    • C. A whale
    Show answer

    ✅ B. A worm Jonah 4:7. The Lord used it to teach Jonah that He cares about everyone.

  8. Jesus said Jonah’s three days in the fish were a sign of…
    • A. His death and Resurrection
    • B. His birthday
    • C. His baptism
    Show answer

    ✅ A. His death and Resurrection Matthew 12:40. Jesus was buried, then rose again on the third day!

▶ Play Scripture ShowdownTeams take turns on one screen.

Songs

  • Follow the Prophet Children’s Songbook, p. 110

    It has a verse about Jonah. Sing it right after the story. Find it ↗

  • Jesus Said Love Everyone Children’s Songbook, p. 61

    The Lord loved the people of Nineveh, even when Jonah didn’t. Find it ↗

  • Family History—I Am Doing It Children’s Songbook, p. 94

    Obadiah’s “saviours on mount Zion” help their ancestors through temple work. Find it ↗

This week’s challenge

Second-Chance Giver

Give someone a second chance this week, like the Lord gave Jonah and Nineveh. When a brother, sister or friend says sorry, forgive them fast. And when you mess up, turn around fast, just like Nineveh did.

Text the parents

Today in Primary we heard the story of Jonah. There was a runaway ship, a storm, a great fish, and a whole city turning back to God. We played Telephone to see why the Lord speaks through His prophets. That’s Amos 3:7. He gives second chances to everyone who turns to Him. Your child can probably say Amos 3:7 from memory, so ask them to try! Then ask who they could give a second chance to this week.

📝 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?

⛵ Lighten the Ship · 5 min

  1. Fold foil into a little boat. Float it in a baking dish of water on a tray.
  2. Each child adds a penny and names something heavy, like hiding a mistake or staying mad. The boat rides lower and lower.
  3. Read Jonah 1:5. The sailors “cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it.”
  4. Say, “Repenting is like tossing the heavy stuff overboard. Jesus helps us let it go, and we feel light again.”
  5. Take the pennies out one by one. Watch the boat float back up.

🍞 Famine Feast · 4 min

  1. Everyone rubs their tummy and groans like they haven’t eaten in days.
  2. Read Amos 8:11: “not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD.”
  3. Say, “After the Apostles died, God’s truths were lost for a long time. That was a famine! Joseph Smith helped end it.”
  4. Feast time! Each child names a favorite scripture story and pretends to eat it. Use goldfish crackers if that’s allowed.

🏛️ Saviours on Mount Zion · 5 min

  1. Read Obadiah 1:21: “And saviours shall come up on mount Zion.”
  2. Say, “President Hinckley taught that temple work for our ancestors makes us like saviors on Mount Zion.”
  3. Each child draws a quick family tree. Start with me, then the grown-ups who take care of me, then their parents.
  4. Say, “When you’re older, you can be baptized for ancestors in the temple. This week, ask a grandparent for a family story.”

⚓ Captain’s Orders · 3 min

  1. Tap waves on the Sound Board. Say, “All aboard Jonah’s ship! When the captain gives an order, do it FAST!”
  2. Teach the orders. “Storm!” means sway. “Row!” means row hard. “Great fish!” means arms wide and gulp.
  3. Mix them up faster and faster. Let a child who’s following well be captain for a round.
  4. The last order is “Dry land!” Everyone freezes, then sits down quietly on the beach.

🚣 Sailors vs. the Storm · 3 min

  1. Split into two teams, the Sailors and the Storm.
  2. Say, “In Jonah, chapter one, the sailors rowed as hard as they could. But they couldn’t reach land.”
  3. Tap Tug of War. Each team taps its side of your phone or tablet as fast as it can. Switch sides and play again.
  4. Say, “In the real story, the storm didn’t stop until Jonah told the truth. He had to quit running from the Lord.”

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 Valiant 7–8 lessons