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But If Not

Three tests in Babylon: the king’s food, the golden image and the lions’ den, and the young men who decided ahead of time

  • ⭐ Valiant 9–10
  • Week 46
  • 📅 Sunday, November 15, 2026
🤔 Forehead Guess🏆 Showdown
💡 The big idea

Like Daniel and his friends, I can decide ahead of time to stay true to God, whether or not the miracle comes, and my faithfulness can help others believe.

I can decide now to keep God’s commandments, even when everyone around me is bowing down.

Study it yourself firstRead Daniel 1–7 in Gospel LibraryCome, Follow Me manualOpen this week (Daniel 1–7)
Know the chapters

When Babylon conquered Judah, it carried off some of the brightest young people to train for the king’s service. See Daniel 1:3–7 and 2 Kings 24:10–16. Daniel and his friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah got Babylonian names: Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego. They got a Babylonian education and the king’s own food. They were probably teenagers, not much older than your class. They lived in the most powerful city on earth, surrounded by people who didn’t worship the true God. Three times in these chapters, in Daniel 1, 3 and 6, they’re pressured to give up what they believe. And three times they stay true.

Daniel 1 is a perfect Word of Wisdom conversation. The king’s food likely broke the law of Moses, and it may have been offered to idols. So Daniel “purposed in his heart” not to eat it. That’s 1:8. He didn’t argue or sneak. He respectfully proposed a ten-day test of “pulse” and water, in 1:12. Pulse means vegetables, beans and seeds. They came out healthier. God gave them knowledge and wisdom, ten times better than anyone else in the kingdom. That’s 1:15–20. Compare the blessings promised in Doctrine and Covenants 89:18–21. Your 11-year-olds will soon have a temple recommend interview, and it includes the Word of Wisdom.

In Daniel 2, Daniel and his friends pray, and God reveals the king’s forgotten dream. It’s a huge statue of gold, silver, brass, iron and clay. Then “a stone … cut out without hands” smashes it and grows into a mountain filling the earth. That’s 2:31–35. The Lord’s kingdom “shall never be destroyed,” says 2:44. Latter-day prophets teach that this stone is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. God set it up, not people. See Doctrine and Covenants 65:2. Daniel 7:13–14 also sees “one like the Son of man” receiving an everlasting kingdom. Jesus often used that title for Himself.

Daniel 3 holds one of the bravest lines in scripture: “But if not.” Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego knew God could save them. They decided to obey even if He didn’t. That’s 3:17–18. Faith doesn’t always bring a rescue in this life. See Alma 14:8–13. But the Lord is with us in the fire. The king saw a fourth person walking with them, in 3:25. In Daniel 6, prayer is outlawed. Daniel keeps praying three times a day with his windows open, in 6:10. In both stories, their faithfulness led pagan kings to praise the true God. See 3:28–29 and 6:25–27. For 9–11s, the heart of the lesson is deciding now, before the music plays.

Only have 5 minutes?

Read Daniel 3 and 6:4–23. Run the Crowd Test. Tell the Three Tests story in Teach Mode. Teach Daniel 3:17–18 with the “God can… but if not…” sentence. Play the Toot-Toot Test. Brought nothing? Tap “I brought nothing.” The Crowd Test uses your fingers instead of the board.

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. Draw the Crowd Test. Put a reference line on the left. Then draw line A clearly short, line B clearly long, and line C the same length as the reference.
  2. As kids arrive, quietly ask three or four of them: “When I ask which line matches, confidently say B. Keep it a secret.”

If your class is wild

  • The Crowd Test only works if the planted kids stay serious. Pick kids who can keep a straight face.
  • “Already decided!” is your secret weapon: arms folded, sitting tall. Call it whenever the room drifts. It doubles as a quiet signal.
  • Give your most restless kid the Sound Helper job: the trumpet, fire and roar sounds are theirs.
  • No one plays the fourth person in the fire or the angel in the den. You read those parts with reverence.
  • In the Toot-Toot Test, keep the moments realistic but not scary. If a kid shares something real, thank them and keep it private.

The 25-minute plan25 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 Crowd Test

3 min

Kids feel how strong crowd pressure is. Then they meet three young men who didn’t bow.

  1. SAY“Here’s an easy question. Look at the line on the left. Which line is the same length? A, B or C?”
  2. Point to the lines. Call on your planted kids first. They confidently say “B.” Then ask the others one at a time. Watch who goes along with the crowd.
  3. Reveal the secret and thank your helpers. Ask: “How did it feel when everyone said B?” Then: “Did anyone start to doubt their own eyes?”
  4. SAY“Today, three young men face a whole crowd.”

Class screen: 📏 Which line matches? · 📏 A, B or C?

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: A whiteboard and marker, or a big sheet of paper and a marker (the Crowd Test)

The Finger Test

  1. SAY“Here’s an easy question. How many fingers am I holding up?”
  2. Hold up three fingers. Call on your planted kids first. They confidently say “Four.” Then ask the others one at a time. Watch who goes along with the crowd.
  3. Reveal the secret and thank your helpers. Ask: “How did it feel when everyone said four?” Then: “Did anyone start to doubt their own eyes?”
  4. SAY“Today, three young men face a whole crowd.”

Class screen: ✋ How many fingers? · ✋ How many?

2. Story

Story: Three Tests in Babylon

7 min

Three tests show young people who decided before the pressure came. God was with them in the fire and the den.

  1. SAY“Here are three tests with one secret. These young men decided before the pressure came. Watch the pictures closely.”
  2. Open the story in Teach Mode. At “Find” or “Count,” give kids a moment. The Scripture Reader reads Daniel 1:8 at scene 1 and 6:10 at scene 6.
  3. At scene 4, pause and ask: “Want to change your mind?” Teach them to answer with folded arms: “Already decided!”
  4. At scene 5, read softly. The king said the fourth was “like the Son of God.” That’s Daniel 3:25.
  5. After scene 7, ask: “What did all three tests have in common?” Then: “Why does deciding early make it easier?”
🌪️ If the room drifts, call “Already decided!” and wait for folded arms before you read on.

Class screen: 🔥 Three Tests in Babylon · 👀 Look closely! · 💪 Already decided!

3. Scripture

Key Verse: Daniel 3:17–18

4 min

The bravest answer in the Old Testament becomes the class’s own “But if not” decision.

  1. SAY“Here’s the bravest answer in the Old Testament. Read it with me from the screen.”
  2. Read Daniel 3:17–18 together once. Teach the motions.
  3. Say it twice. The second time, everyone freezes and holds up one finger on “But if not.”
  4. Ask: “Why didn’t they need God to save them to stay faithful?” Listen for: they trusted Him and had decided to obey either way.
  5. SAY“The Lord doesn’t always take the fire away. But He promises to be with us in it. That’s Isaiah 43:2.”

Class screen: ☝️ But if not…

4. Game

The Toot-Toot Test

8 min

Teams practice deciding ahead of time, and saying it respectfully, before the “music” plays in their own lives.

  1. SAY“The music’s about to play. Decide now! Team Shadrach, Team Abed-nego, I’ll read a moment. Then I’ll toot the trumpet. You’ll have 15 seconds to huddle.”
  2. Moments: everyone’s copying answers on a test. A sleepover movie gets bad. Friends dare you to try a vape. A group chat mocks someone.
  3. One point for a clear decision made ahead of time. A bonus point for a respectful way to say it, like Daniel’s ten-day test.
  4. Finish: each kid says, “God can ___. But if not, I will still ___.” Share yours first.
  5. Ask: “Why is it easier to decide at home than in front of the furnace?”
🌪️ One spokesperson per team per round, and rotate it. The other team can steal a point with a more respectful answer.

Class screen: 🎺 Toot-toot! What’s your decision? · Copying on a test · A sleepover movie gets bad · A dare to try a vape · A mean group chat

5. Testimony

Open Windows

3 min

End quietly with prayer and the promise that the Lord stands with those who stay true.

  1. SAY“Daniel prayed with his windows open, even when it was dangerous. Let’s bow our heads for five quiet seconds.”
  2. SAY“The king saw four men in the fire, not three. When you keep your promises to God, you never stand alone.”
  3. Share a short testimony of Jesus Christ and a time prayer helped you stay true.
  4. Share the Decide Now challenge, then ask a child to say the closing prayer.

Class screen: 🪟 Decide now. You never stand alone. · Three times a day · Windows open

6. Game

Forehead Guess: Babylon Edition

4 minBONUS

A quick Heads Up–style review of the story and the key words, with a little team competition.

  1. SAY“Valiant rules! Give clues, but don’t say the word. And don’t say any word from its hint.”
  2. Tap Forehead Guess. One kid holds your phone or tablet on their forehead, screen facing the class. Teammates give clues from their seats.
  3. Teams alternate 45-second turns. Double point if the guesser can name the chapter where the word shows up.
🌪️ Go around the room: each kid gives one clue, then it’s the next kid’s turn, so 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 everything they learned.

  1. SAY“Team Shadrach versus Team Abed-nego, one last time!”
  2. Tap Scripture Showdown. Read each question aloud. Teams get 10 seconds to whisper, then point to an answer.
  3. Give a bonus point to a team that can name the verse.
▶ Play Scripture Showdown on the web

Class screen: 🏆 Scripture Showdown!

The story

Three Tests in Babylon

Daniel 1; 3; 6 ↗

Optional helpers

  • Scripture ReaderReads Daniel 1:8 at scene 1 and Daniel 6:10 at scene 6 aloud from their seat.
  • Sound HelperSits next to you and taps each scene’s sound on your phone or tablet.

Scenes

  1. 🏯🍖 Test 1: the king’s rich food

    Babylon took the smartest young men from Judah to train in the king’s palace. They got new names, new lessons and the king’s own food. But Daniel had already purposed in his heart. He wouldn’t eat it.

    🙌 Find the king’s food on the screen. Would you eat it? Thumbs up or down?

  2. 🥦💪 “Test us for ten days”

    Daniel didn’t argue. He respectfully asked for a ten-day test. Just vegetables and water. After ten days, the four friends looked healthier than everyone else. And God made them ten times wiser than the king’s wise men.

    🙌

  3. 🗿🎺 Test 2: bow when the music plays

    King Nebuchadnezzar built a golden image. It was about as tall as a nine-story building. The rule? When the music plays, everyone bows down. Anyone who doesn’t goes into a burning fiery furnace.

    🙌 Show me with fingers: how many stories tall was the statue?

  4. 😡☝️ “But if not…”

    The king was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego. “Who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?” They didn’t even pause. God can save us, they said. But if not, we still won’t bow.

    🙌

  5. 👀🔥 Four men walking in the fire!

    The furnace was heated seven times hotter. The three friends fell into the flames. Then the king jumped up. “I see four men, loose, walking in the fire, and they aren’t hurt!” They didn’t even smell smoky.

    🙌 Count the men in the fire on your fingers. Three… FOUR?!

  6. 🪟🙏 Test 3: pray, and it’s the lions

    Years later, jealous officials tricked King Darius into making a law. For thirty days, pray to no one but the king! Daniel went home. He opened his windows toward Jerusalem. And he knelt and prayed three times a day, as always.

    🙌

  7. 🦁🤐 “My God … hath shut the lions’ mouths”

    Daniel was thrown to the lions. King Darius couldn’t sleep. At dawn, he ran to the den. He called, “Daniel, was your God able to save you?” And Daniel answered! God had sent His angel. He’d shut the lions’ mouths.

    🙌 Find the lion. Clamp your mouth shut, just like his!

Key verse

Daniel 3:17–18 ↗
“our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up”
In kid words: Our God can save us, and we believe He will. But even if He doesn’t, we still won’t worship your idol.
🙌 “Our God whom we serve is able” = point up, then flex · “to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace” = wiggle fingers like flames, then pull hands out · “and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king” = pull free from an invisible grip · “But if not” = hold up one finger and pause · “we will not serve thy gods” = cross arms · “nor worship the golden image” = shake head, stand tall.

More verses

Daniel 1:8 ↗
“But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank”
In kid words: Daniel decided ahead of time, deep inside, that he wouldn’t eat or drink what went against God’s law.
Daniel 2:44 ↗
“the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed”
In kid words: God will set up His kingdom, and nothing will ever destroy it.
Daniel 6:10 ↗
“his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God”
In kid words: Even when prayer was against the law, Daniel knelt with his windows open and prayed three times a day, like always.
Daniel 6:22 ↗
“My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions mouths, that they have not hurt me”
In kid words: God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths, so they didn’t hurt Daniel.

Forehead Guess words20 words

  • 🧑 Daniel
  • 🏯 Babylon
  • 👑 Nebuchadnezzar
  • 🥦 Pulse
  • 🔟 Ten days
  • 🍎 Word of Wisdom
  • 💭 Dream
  • 🗿 Statue
  • 🪨 Stone
  • ⛰️ Kingdom of God
  • 🏆 Golden image
  • 🧍 Shadrach
  • 🧍 Abed-nego
  • 🔥 Fiery furnace
  • ☝️ But if not
  • 🦁 Lions’ den
  • 🤴 Darius
  • 😇 Angel
  • 🙏 Prayer
  • ☁️ Son of man
Clues for each word
  • Daniel: Prophet who prayed with his windows open
  • Babylon: The empire that captured Daniel and his friends
  • Nebuchadnezzar: King who built the golden image
  • Pulse: Vegetables, beans and seeds Daniel ate instead
  • Ten days: How long Daniel’s food test lasted
  • Word of Wisdom: Today’s law of health, Doctrine and Covenants 89
  • Dream: The king forgot his, and God revealed it to Daniel
  • Statue: Gold head, silver chest, brass belly, iron legs, clay feet
  • Stone: “Cut out without hands,” it grew into a mountain
  • Kingdom of God: Daniel 2:44 says it will never be destroyed
  • Golden image: Sixty cubits tall; everyone had to bow to it
  • Shadrach: One of the three who wouldn’t bow
  • Abed-nego: The last name in the famous trio
  • Fiery furnace: Heated seven times hotter than usual
  • But if not: Three brave words from Daniel 3:18
  • Lions’ den: Where Daniel spent the night
  • Darius: King who ran to the den at dawn
  • Angel: Shut the lions’ mouths
  • Prayer: Daniel did this three times a day, even when it was illegal
  • Son of man: Daniel 7:13 title that Jesus used for Himself
▶ Play Forehead GuessFull screen, 60-second timer, works on any phone.

Scripture Showdown10 questions

  1. What did Daniel ask to eat instead of the king’s food?
    • A. Bread and honey
    • B. Pulse and water
    • C. Fish and figs
    Show answer

    ✅ B. Pulse and water Daniel 1:12. Pulse means vegetables, beans and seeds.

  2. Compared to the king’s wise men, how wise were Daniel and his friends?
    • A. Ten times better
    • B. Twice as good
    • C. About the same
    Show answer

    ✅ A. Ten times better Daniel 1:20. God gave them knowledge and skill.

  3. What did Daniel and his friends do before God revealed the king’s dream?
    • A. Hid in the desert
    • B. Asked the magicians
    • C. Prayed for mercy from God
    Show answer

    ✅ C. Prayed for mercy from God Daniel 2:17–19. They prayed together, and the secret was revealed that night.

  4. In the dream, what destroyed the giant statue?
    • A. An earthquake
    • B. A stone cut out without hands
    • C. A flood
    Show answer

    ✅ B. A stone cut out without hands Daniel 2:34. The stone grew into a mountain that filled the earth.

  5. Latter-day prophets teach the stone in the dream represents what?
    • A. The Church of Jesus Christ
    • B. The city of Babylon
    • C. The Ten Commandments
    Show answer

    ✅ A. The Church of Jesus Christ God’s kingdom on earth, set up by Him, that “shall never be destroyed” (2:44).

  6. What did “But if not” mean for Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego?
    • A. They’d bow if God didn’t save them
    • B. They’d run away
    • C. They’d obey God even if He didn’t save them
    Show answer

    ✅ C. They’d obey God even if He didn’t save them Daniel 3:18. Their obedience didn’t depend on getting a rescue.

  7. How many men did the king see walking in the furnace?
    • A. Three
    • B. Four
    • C. Seven
    Show answer

    ✅ B. Four Daniel 3:25. “The form of the fourth is like the Son of God.”

  8. What law did jealous officials use to trap Daniel?
    • A. Pray only to the king for thirty days
    • B. Never eat vegetables
    • C. Close all windows at night
    Show answer

    ✅ A. Pray only to the king for thirty days Daniel 6:7. They couldn’t find any other fault in him.

  9. How often did Daniel pray, even after the new law?
    • A. Once a week
    • B. Only in secret
    • C. Three times a day
    Show answer

    ✅ C. Three times a day Daniel 6:10, with his windows open, “as he did aforetime.”

  10. Who is the “Son of man” Daniel saw in Daniel 7:13–14?
    • A. King Darius
    • B. Jesus Christ
    • C. The prophet Ezekiel
    Show answer

    ✅ B. Jesus Christ Jesus often called Himself the Son of Man. His kingdom “shall not be destroyed.”

▶ Play Scripture ShowdownTeams take turns on one screen.

Songs

  • Choose the Right Hymns, no. 239

    The manual suggests it for Daniel’s stories: choosing the right when it’s hard. Find it ↗

  • The Word of Wisdom Children’s Songbook, p. 154

    Daniel’s ten-day test is the Old Testament’s Word of Wisdom story. Find it ↗

  • Stand for the Right Children’s Songbook, p. 159

    Three young men stood while everyone else bowed. Find it ↗

This week’s challenge

Decide Now

Write three “But if not” decisions on a card. These are things you’ll do no matter what others do. For example: I will keep the Word of Wisdom. I will pray every day. I will walk away from bad media. Keep the card by your bed and pray about one each night this week. Want more? Make one of them a Children and Youth goal.

Text the parents

Today in Primary we studied Daniel 1–7. We heard about Daniel’s ten-day food test and the stone that toppled the king’s statue. We heard Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego say, “But if not.” And we saw Daniel praying with his windows open before the lions’ den. We talked about deciding ahead of time. Ask your child to finish this sentence: “God can ___. But if not, I will still ___.” You might share one decision you made early in life that has protected you.

📝 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 Stone Cut Without Hands · 5 min

  1. Stack five paper cups labeled Gold, Silver, Brass, Iron, and Iron + Clay. Iron + Clay goes on the bottom. A kid reads Daniel 2:31–34.
  2. A kid rolls a ball of foil or socks at the feet. Down it all comes!
  3. Read Daniel 2:44. Ask: “What does ‘cut out without hands’ mean?” Made by God, not people.
  4. Explain that prophets teach the stone is the Lord’s restored Church, rolling forth to fill the earth. See Doctrine and Covenants 65:2.

🥦 The Ten-Day Challenge · 4 min

  1. Read Daniel 1:15–17. Then share Doctrine and Covenants 89:18–21 in your own words: health, wisdom, hidden treasures of knowledge, running without being weary.
  2. Ask: “What blessings did Daniel get that sound like the Word of Wisdom?”
  3. Invite each kid to pick a ten-day healthy habit as a Children and Youth physical goal. Try more water, more sleep or less screen time before bed.

🎨 Draw the Dream · 5 min

  1. Tap Draw & Guess. Kids take turns drawing a part of the statue, the stone or the mountain while others guess.
  2. After each guess, the drawer reads the matching phrase from Daniel 2:31–35.
  3. Finish by reading Daniel 2:44 together.

🙏 Pray Anywhere · 4 min

  1. Call out places: a test at school, the soccer field, a sleepover, a scary night, a bus ride.
  2. For each one, a kid shows how they could pray there. Quietly in their heart, kneeling, or with a friend.
  3. SAY“Daniel prayed in a palace and in a lions’ den. Heavenly Father hears us anywhere.”

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.

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