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The Second Time

A runaway prophet, a storm, a great fish, a city that repents, and a plant that asks the biggest question in the book

  • ⭐ Valiant 9–10
  • Week 48
  • 📅 Sunday, November 29, 2026
🤔 Forehead Guess🏆 Showdown
💡 The big idea

The Lord reveals His will through prophets and gives second chances to everyone who turns to Him, and He wants me to want that mercy for others too.

I can follow the prophet, turn around when I’m running the wrong way, and be merciful to others the way the Lord is merciful to me.

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

Amos, Obadiah and Jonah are three of the twelve short books called the “minor prophets.” Amos was a herdman and a gatherer of sycomore fruit when the Lord called him. That’s Amos 7:14–15. He reasons like a detective in 3:3–8. A lion doesn’t roar without prey. A trap doesn’t spring without something in it. And when the Lord speaks, prophets have to speak. Then comes the famous promise in 3:7: “Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.” In 5:4 Amos pleads, “Seek ye me, and ye shall live.” In 8:11–12 he warns of a famine “of hearing the words of the LORD.” Latter-day Saints see that famine in the Great Apostasy, and its end in the Restoration.

Obadiah is only 21 verses long. Its last verse says “saviours shall come up on mount Zion.” That’s 1:21. President Gordon B. Hinckley taught that temple work for the dead makes us saviors on Mount Zion. Many of your 11-year-olds will start doing baptisms for their ancestors in January of the year they turn 12. That’s this verse, happening in their lives.

The Lord sent Jonah to Nineveh, hundreds of miles to the east. It was the capital of Assyria, a cruel enemy of Israel. Jonah went to Joppa, paid the fare and sailed toward Tarshish, far to the west. Then came the storm and the lots. The sailors rowed hard to try to save him. And the Lord “prepared” a great fish, in 1:17. It wasn’t a punishment. It was a rescue. Jonah prayed from inside the fish, even promising thanksgiving, in 2:9. Then “the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time.” That’s 3:1. This time he went. The whole city, from the king to the cattle, fasted and turned from violence. And the Lord spared them.

Then the twist: Jonah was furious. In 4:2 he admits why he ran. He knew the Lord is “gracious … and merciful” and would forgive Nineveh. The Lord grows a shady plant over him, then sends a worm to kill it. Then He asks a question in 4:10–11. You cared about a plant. Shouldn’t I care about a city of more than 120,000 people? The book ends with that question for the reader to answer. In Matthew 12:40–41, Jesus compares Himself to Jonah. Jonah was three days and three nights in the fish. Jesus would be three days in the heart of the earth. And “a greater than Jonas is here.” Because of His death and Resurrection, second chances are real. They’re for us, and for the people we think don’t deserve them.

Only have 5 minutes?

Read Jonah 1–4. It’s short! Read Amos 3:7 too. Play the Nineveh-or-Tarshish pointing game. Tell Jonah’s story in Teach Mode. Run the Amos 3:7 whisper line and play Jonah Detectives. Close with Obadiah 1:21 and temple work. Brought nothing? Tap “I brought nothing.” You read the verses aloud, and teams pick the right one.

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 1–4. It’s short! Read Amos 3:7 too. Bookmark Jonah 2:9, 3:1 and 4:2 for your reader.
  2. Decide which wall is east for Nineveh and which is west for Tarshish.

If your class is wild

  • Thanksgiving-week energy is real. The pointing hook gets them moving right away without leaving their seats.
  • Give your class clown the Second-Chance Leader job. They lead with the biggest two fingers in the room.
  • In Jonah Detectives, one kid per team holds the scriptures each round. Rotate so everyone gets a turn.
  • Some kids will think Jonah is the bad guy. Let them wrestle with it: he obeyed in the end, but his heart wasn’t there yet.
  • The last question is personal. Don’t make anyone answer out loud. Silent thinking counts.

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

Nineveh or Tarshish?

3 min

A fast seated pointing game shows how far the wrong way Jonah ran.

  1. SAY“This wall is Nineveh, in the east. That wall is Tarshish, far to the west. When I call a place, point to it fast. Team Nineveh, Team Tarshish, ready?”
  2. Call fast: “Nineveh!” “Tarshish!” “Nineveh!” Then the Jonah round: everyone points the opposite way. The first team with everyone right scores a point.
  3. SAY“Nineveh was hundreds of miles east, where Iraq is today. The Lord said go east. And Jonah bought a ticket west.”

Class screen: 🧭 Nineveh or Tarshish? · 👉 Nineveh · 👈 Tarshish

2. Story

Story: Jonah Runs, the Lord Rescues

7 min

Jonah runs, and the Lord rescues him and gives him a second chance. Then He asks Jonah to want mercy for his enemies too.

  1. SAY“Jonah ran from the Lord. And the Lord kept chasing him, with mercy. When Jonah gets a second chance, hold up two fingers.”
  2. Open the story in Teach Mode. Do the motion only when it shows. The Reader reads Jonah 2:9, 3:1 and 4:2 at scenes 4, 5 and 7.
  3. At scene 3, point out: “The sailors worked hard to save Jonah. Even the outsiders in this story are kind.”
  4. After scene 7, don’t answer the Lord’s question yet. Ask: “Why do you think the book ends with a question?”
🌪️ If the room drifts, pause and hold up two fingers. Wait for every hand, then read on.

Class screen: 🐋 Jonah Runs, the Lord Rescues · ✌️ Second chance!

3. Scripture

Whisper Line: Amos 3:7

4 min

A scrambled whisper line shows why the Lord speaks directly to prophets, and the class memorizes Amos 3:7.

  1. SAY“Before the Lord does something big, He tells someone first. Watch.”
  2. Show only the first kid in each row Amos 3:7. They whisper it down the row. The last kid says it out loud. Compare with the screen. It’s usually scrambled!
  3. Ask: “How is a prophet different from our whisper line?” Listen for: the Lord speaks to His prophet directly, and the prophet teaches all of us.
  4. Teach the motions and say the verse together twice. Ask: “What has our living prophet asked us to do lately?”

Class screen: 🤫 He revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.

4. Game

Jonah Detectives

8 min

Teams race through the short book of Jonah to answer why questions, ending with the Lord’s question about mercy.

  1. SAY“Jonah is a short book full of why questions. Team Nineveh, Team Tarshish, race to find the verse that answers each one.”
  2. Why did Jonah run? ➜ 4:2. What did Jonah promise inside the fish? ➜ 2:9. Why did the Lord spare Nineveh? ➜ 3:10. What question ends the book? ➜ 4:11.
  3. The first team to read the verse aloud scores a point. Another point for explaining it in their own words.
  4. Final round, no points. Ask: “Is there someone you’ve decided doesn’t deserve God’s mercy?” Give ten quiet seconds. Then: “How would the Lord answer?”
  5. SAY“Jesus gives us second chances. And He wants us to want them for everyone else too.”
🌪️ One scripture holder per team per round. Everyone else can help find it, but only the holder reads.

Class screen: 🔎 Jonah Detectives: find the verse! · Why did Jonah run? · What did he promise in the fish? · Why was Nineveh spared? · What question ends the book?

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: Scriptures for two teams: Bibles, or the Gospel Library app

Jonah Detectives: Pick the Verse

  1. SAY“Jonah is a short book full of why questions. Team Nineveh, Team Tarshish, I’ll read two verses. Your team decides which one answers the question.”
  2. For each question, read the right verse and a wrong one from your scriptures or Gospel Library. Teams huddle, then hold up one or two fingers.
  3. Why did Jonah run? ➜ 4:2. What did Jonah promise inside the fish? ➜ 2:9. Why did the Lord spare Nineveh? ➜ 3:10. What question ends the book? ➜ 4:11.
  4. A point for the right verse, another for explaining it in their own words. Final question, no points: “Is there someone you’ve decided doesn’t deserve mercy?”
5. Testimony

Saviours on Mount Zion

3 min

End with the Savior’s Resurrection, the reason second chances are real, and how kids can offer mercy through temple work.

  1. SAY“Jesus said Jonah’s three days in the fish pointed to His three days in the tomb. That’s in Matthew 12:40. Then He rose. That’s why second chances are real.”
  2. Read Obadiah 1:21. Say: “When we do temple work for people who died, we offer them that same mercy. Our eleven-year-olds can start in January.”
  3. Share a short testimony of the Savior’s mercy, and one thing you’re thankful for this Thanksgiving week.
  4. Share the Turn Around challenge, then ask a child to say the closing prayer.

Class screen: 🏛️ And saviours shall come up on mount Zion. · Second chances are real

6. Game

Forehead Guess: Jonah 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 take turns, 45 seconds each. Hard mode: the guesser names which book the word came from, Amos, Obadiah or Jonah.
🌪️ 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 Nineveh versus Team Tarshish, 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

Jonah Runs, the Lord Rescues

Jonah 1–4 ↗

Optional helpers

  • Scripture ReaderReads Jonah 2:9 at scene 4, 3:1 at scene 5 and 4:2 at scene 7 aloud from their seat.
  • Second-Chance LeaderFrom their seat, leads the two-finger “Second chance!” at the big moments.

Scenes

  1. 📜➡️ “Arise, go to Nineveh”

    The Lord told Jonah to go warn Nineveh. It was the huge capital of Assyria. That was Israel’s most feared enemy. Jonah went the other way. He paid for a ship to Tarshish, as far west as he could get.

    🙌

  2. 🌊⛈️ A mighty tempest

    The Lord sent a great wind. The ship was about to break apart. The terrified sailors prayed and threw cargo overboard. And Jonah? Fast asleep below deck. Then the captain woke him. “Arise, call upon thy God!”

    🙌

  3. 🎲🚣 “Cast me forth into the sea”

    The sailors cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. He admitted he was running from the Lord. “Cast me forth into the sea,” he said. The sailors rowed hard to save him first. They couldn’t. So they threw him over.

    🙌

  4. 🐋🙏 The Lord prepared a great fish

    The Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. It wasn’t a punishment. It was a rescue! For three days and three nights inside the fish, Jonah prayed. He promised to thank the Lord. Then the fish spat him onto dry land.

    🙌

  5. 📜2️⃣ “The second time”

    Then came one of the most hopeful lines in the Old Testament. The word of the Lord came to Jonah “the second time.” The Lord didn’t find a new prophet. He gave Jonah another chance. This time, Jonah went.

    🙌 Hold up two fingers: “Second chance!”

  6. 👑🧺 Nineveh turns around

    Jonah warned Nineveh, and the people believed God. The king took off his royal robe. He put on rough sackcloth and sat in ashes. Everyone fasted and turned from violence. The Lord saw them change. And He spared the city.

    🙌 Two fingers up for the whole city: “Second chance!”

  7. 😠🌿 Jonah is… angry?

    Jonah was furious. He’d run because he knew the Lord was merciful. The Lord grew a shady plant for him. Then He let a worm kill it. You cared about a plant, the Lord said. Shouldn’t I care about a whole city?

    🙌 Arms folded… then two fingers up, whispering: “Second chance… for everyone?”

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: Before the Lord does something big, He always tells His prophets first.
🙌 “Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing” = point up, then shake your head · “but he revealeth his secret” = cup a hand by your mouth like whispering · “unto his servants the prophets” = cup a hand by your ear, then point forward as if passing it on.

More verses

Amos 5:4 ↗
“Seek ye me, and ye shall live”
In kid words: Look for the Lord, and you’ll really live.
Jonah 2:9 ↗
“But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD”
In kid words: From inside the fish, Jonah promised to thank the Lord and keep his promises. Only the Lord can save us.
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.
Obadiah 1:21 ↗
“And saviours shall come up on mount Zion”
In kid words: People will serve as saviors on Mount Zion, like when we do temple work for people who have died.

Forehead Guess words20 words

  • 🧔 Jonah
  • 🏙️ Nineveh
  • ⛵ Tarshish
  • ⚓ Joppa
  • ⛈️ Tempest
  • 🎲 Casting lots
  • 🐋 Great fish
  • 3️⃣ Three days
  • 🔁 Second chance
  • 🧺 Sackcloth
  • 👑 King of Nineveh
  • 🌿 Gourd
  • 🐛 Worm
  • 🌬️ East wind
  • 💛 Mercy
  • 🐑 Amos
  • 🦁 Lion
  • 🍞 Famine
  • 📄 Obadiah
  • 🛕 Baptisms for the dead
Clues for each word
  • Jonah: Prophet who ran the wrong way
  • Nineveh: Huge enemy city the Lord sent Jonah to
  • Tarshish: Faraway place Jonah tried to sail to
  • Joppa: Port city where Jonah caught his ship
  • Tempest: Old word for a huge storm
  • Casting lots: How the sailors found out it was Jonah’s fault
  • Great fish: The Lord prepared it to swallow Jonah
  • Three days: How long Jonah was inside; Jesus compared it to His time in the tomb
  • Second chance: The word of the Lord came to Jonah “the second time”
  • Sackcloth: Rough, itchy cloth worn to show sorrow
  • King of Nineveh: Took off his robe and sat in ashes
  • Gourd: Shady plant that grew over Jonah in one night
  • Worm: Made Jonah’s shade plant wither
  • East wind: Hot wind that made Jonah grumble
  • Mercy: What the Lord showed Nineveh, and Jonah didn’t like it
  • Amos: Herdman and fig picker called to be a prophet
  • Lion: Amos said it doesn’t roar without catching something
  • Famine: Amos warned of one for hearing the words of the Lord
  • Obadiah: Shortest book in the Old Testament
  • Baptisms for the dead: How youth become saviors on Mount Zion
▶ Play Forehead GuessFull screen, 60-second timer, works on any phone.

Scripture Showdown10 questions

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

    ✅ B. Nineveh Jonah 1:2. Nineveh was the capital of Assyria, Israel’s enemy.

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

    ✅ A. Sleeping below deck Jonah 1:5. The captain had to wake him up.

  3. How did the sailors discover the storm was because of Jonah?
    • A. A dream
    • B. A map
    • C. They cast lots
    Show answer

    ✅ C. They cast lots Jonah 1:7. “The lot fell upon Jonah.”

  4. What did the sailors do before throwing Jonah overboard?
    • A. Rowed hard to reach land
    • B. Went to sleep
    • C. Turned toward Tarshish faster
    Show answer

    ✅ A. Rowed hard to reach land Jonah 1:13. They tried hard to save him first.

  5. What did Jonah promise in his prayer from inside the fish?
    • A. To never sail again
    • B. To give thanks and keep his vows
    • C. To move to Nineveh forever
    Show answer

    ✅ B. To give thanks and keep his vows Jonah 2:9: “I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving.”

  6. What did the king of Nineveh do when he heard Jonah’s warning?
    • A. Arrested Jonah
    • B. Built a wall
    • C. Put on sackcloth and sat in ashes
    Show answer

    ✅ C. Put on sackcloth and sat in ashes Jonah 3:6–7. He even made the animals fast.

  7. In Jonah 4:2, why did Jonah say he ran to Tarshish?
    • A. He was afraid of fish
    • B. He knew the Lord was merciful and would forgive Nineveh
    • C. He wanted a vacation
    Show answer

    ✅ B. He knew the Lord was merciful and would forgive Nineveh He didn’t want mercy for his enemies. The Lord did.

  8. Jesus compared Jonah’s three days in the fish to what?
    • A. His three days in the heart of the earth
    • B. Forty days in the wilderness
    • C. His three years of ministry
    Show answer

    ✅ A. His three days in the heart of the earth Matthew 12:40. Jonah’s rescue points to the Savior’s death and Resurrection.

  9. Amos 3:7: The Lord reveals His secret to whom?
    • A. Kings and princes
    • B. Anyone who asks for signs
    • C. His servants the prophets
    Show answer

    ✅ C. His servants the prophets Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing without telling His prophets.

  10. How do we become “saviours on mount Zion” (Obadiah 1:21)?
    • A. By climbing mountains
    • B. By doing temple work for the dead
    • C. By building a city
    Show answer

    ✅ B. By doing temple work for the dead President Gordon B. Hinckley connected this verse to temple ordinances for our ancestors.

▶ Play Scripture ShowdownTeams take turns on one screen.

Songs

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

    It even has a verse about Jonah. The manual suggests it for Amos 3:7. Find it ↗

  • We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet Hymns, no. 19

    Amos 3:7 and a Thanksgiving-week song in one. Find it ↗

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

    Saviors on Mount Zion start with finding the names of our ancestors. Find it ↗

This week’s challenge

Turn Around

Is there something the Lord or the prophet asked you to do, and you’ve been “sailing to Tarshish” on it? Turn around and do it this week. This Thanksgiving, also offer one Jonah 2:9 prayer: only thanks, no asking. Bonus: with a parent, find one ancestor on FamilySearch you could someday be baptized for.

Text the parents

Today in Primary we read the whole book of Jonah. That includes the part many people forget. Jonah was angry when the Lord forgave Nineveh. The Lord taught him with a plant and a worm that He cares about every person. We learned Amos 3:7 about prophets. We also learned about the “saviours … on mount Zion” in Obadiah 1:21. President Gordon B. Hinckley connected that verse to temple work for the dead. Youth can start in January of the year they turn 12. Ask your child: why did Jonah really run away? This Thanksgiving, you might share a prayer of pure thanks like Jonah’s in chapter 2.

📝 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?

🍞 Famine of the Word · 4 min

  1. Ask: “What does it feel like when you’re really, really hungry?”
  2. Read Amos 8:11–12. Ask: “What would it feel like to be hungry for God’s word and not find it anywhere?”
  3. Explain that after the Apostles died, the world lost prophets and priesthood authority. The Restoration through Joseph Smith ended that famine.
  4. Each kid names one “food” we have now. Think the Book of Mormon, a living prophet, temples or the gift of the Holy Ghost.

🌳 Saviours on Mount Zion · 5 min

  1. Show your family tree or FamilySearch on your phone. Share one ancestor’s name and one fact about them.
  2. Read Obadiah 1:21 and explain baptisms for the dead. Youth can be baptized in the temple for people who died without the chance.
  3. Ask: “How is that like what Jesus did for us?” He did for us what we couldn’t do for ourselves.

💛 Mercy Missions · 4 min

  1. Read Luke 23:34 and John 8:10–11 together. Ask: “How did Jesus show mercy to people others wrote off?”
  2. Kids brainstorm a “Nineveh” in their life: someone hard to be kind to.
  3. Each kid picks one merciful action for that person this week.

🦁 Amos’s Cause-and-Effect Detectives · 4 min

  1. SAY“Amos was a detective.” Read Amos 3:4: a lion roars in the forest. Ask: “What must have happened?” (It caught something!)
  2. Try modern clues. Wet streets in the morning? It rained. A crowd cheering at a game? Someone scored.
  3. Read Amos 3:7–8. Ask: “When a prophet speaks, what must have happened first?” The Lord revealed something to him.

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 9–10 lessons