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Who’s Your Nineveh?

A prophet who ran, a storm, a fish, a city that changed, and the uncomfortable question of who deserves a second chance

  • 🔥 Youth 14–16
  • Week 48
  • 📅 Sunday, November 29, 2026
🤔 Forehead Guess🏆 Showdown
💡 The big idea

The Lord’s mercy is bigger than our grudges: He gives second chances to me and to the people I’d rather He didn’t, and He speaks through prophets to call all of us home.

I can seek the Lord, follow His prophets, and want good things even for people who have hurt me or who I think don’t deserve it.

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

Amos was a herdsman and a tender of sycamore figs from Tekoa, not a trained religious professional, when the Lord called him to warn the northern kingdom of Israel (Amos 1:1; 7:14–15). The nation was rich, religious on the surface, and cruel to the poor. Amos taught that the Lord reveals His plans to His prophets (3:7), and he used a string of everyday cause-and-effect questions to make the point: when a lion roars, people fear; when the Lord speaks, a prophet has to speak (3:3–8). When a priest named Amaziah told him to go home and stop prophesying, Amos answered that the Lord had sent him (7:10–15). Latter-day Saints see his warning of “a famine… of hearing the words of the LORD” (8:11–12) fulfilled in the Apostasy and ended by the Restoration and living prophets.

Amos 4 lists hardship after hardship and repeats a heartbreaking line five times: “yet have ye not returned unto me” (4:6–11). In chapter 5 the Lord pleads, “Seek ye me, and ye shall live” (5:4). Obadiah, the shortest book in the Old Testament, ends with “saviours shall come up on mount Zion” (1:21). The Prophet Joseph Smith taught that we become saviors on Mount Zion by doing temple ordinances for those who have died, a work many of your youth already do in baptistries.

Jonah is famous for the fish, but the book’s real subject is mercy. The Lord sent Jonah to Nineveh, capital of Assyria, the brutal empire that was Israel’s enemy. Jonah ran the other way, toward Tarshish (1:1–3). After the storm, the lots and the great fish “prepared” by the Lord (1:17), Jonah prayed from the depths (2:2), and “the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time” (3:1). He preached, and the whole city, from the king down, fasted and turned from violence; the Lord spared them (3:5–10). Then comes the twist: Jonah was furious. He admits he ran because he knew the Lord was “gracious… and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness” (4:2). He didn’t want his enemies forgiven. The book ends on an open question from the Lord about caring for a city full of people (4:10–11), and it leaves the answer to us.

Jesus pointed to Jonah as a sign of His own death and Resurrection, and said the people of Nineveh repented at Jonah’s preaching (Matthew 12:40–41). For 14–16s, this is a lesson about grudges, call-outs and cancel culture, about running from what the Lord asks, and about whether we really want mercy for everyone, or just for us. November 29 is a fifth Sunday; if your ward combines classes under the bishopric’s direction, this lesson still works well for a combined group.

Only have 5 minutes?

Read Jonah 3–4 (it’s short). Open with the Second Chances hot takes (point at two walls), run the Jonah reader’s theater in Teach Mode with the Sound Board, then the Who’s Your Nineveh? discussion and a quick Scripture Showdown. End with Jonah 3:1: the word of the Lord came “the second time.”

What to bring3 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. Make the AGREE and DISAGREE signs and tape them to opposite walls.
  2. Read Jonah 1–4 once. You will read the Lord’s words in the reader’s theater; no youth plays the Lord.
  3. Ask a youth ahead of time to teach the Scripture Spotlight on Amos 5:4 and Amos 3:7. Send them the steps.
  4. Clear space for the Captain’s Orders wiggle: two sides of the room are port (left) and starboard (right).
  5. Add your class names in the My Class tab to hand out parts.

If your class is wild

  • The hook questions can get personal. Set the rule: no names, no real stories about people in your ward or school during the hot takes.
  • Give Jonah to someone who can do an epic sulk. Scene 8 is funnier and more memorable when Jonah is dramatic.
  • Captain’s Orders is loud. Use the Sound Board waves to start and a sudden stop of the sound to freeze the room.
  • If a youth shares real hurt from someone who wronged them, don’t rush them to forgive. Say: “The Lord gets it. He was patient with Jonah too.” Wanting good for someone never means staying where you’re being hurt: For the Strength of Youth (“Love God, love your neighbor”) says to set healthy boundaries and to talk to a trustworthy adult about bullying or abuse.
  • Goldfish crackers are a cheap, funny reward, but keep them optional so the no-supplies plan works.

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

Hot Takes: Second Chances

3 min

Honest disagreement about second chances sets up Jonah’s uncomfortable reaction to mercy.

  1. Everyone stands in the middle. Say: “Walk to AGREE or DISAGREE. No names, no real stories, just what you think.”
  2. Read, one at a time: “Some people don’t deserve a second chance.” “If someone bullied you, it’s okay to hope they never change.” “Once someone gets called out online, they should stay canceled.” “You should forgive someone even if they never apologize.”
  3. After each, ask one person from each side for a one-sentence reason.
  4. SAY“Today’s prophet agreed with some of you. He thought his enemies didn’t deserve a second chance, so he ran from God to make sure they wouldn’t get one.”
🌪️ If one side is empty, argue it yourself, playfully. It keeps the debate alive.

Class screen: 🔥🗳️ Hot take: some people don’t deserve a second chance · Agree or disagree? · No names. Just what you think.

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: Two sheets of paper and a marker for AGREE and DISAGREE signs

  1. Everyone stands in the middle. Point to one wall: “AGREE.” Point to the other: “DISAGREE.” Say: “No names, no real stories, just what you think.”
  2. Read, one at a time: “Some people don’t deserve a second chance.” “If someone bullied you, it’s okay to hope they never change.” “Once someone gets called out online, they should stay canceled.” “You should forgive someone even if they never apologize.”
  3. After each, ask one person from each side for a one-sentence reason.
  4. SAY“Today’s prophet agreed with some of you. He thought his enemies didn’t deserve a second chance, so he ran from God to make sure they wouldn’t get one.”
2. Story

Reader’s Theater: Jonah Runs, and Mercy Wins

6 min

Youth act the whole book, including the chapter most people forget: Jonah’s anger at God’s mercy.

  1. Hand out parts (tap Roles in Teach Mode). Everyone else is a Ninevite (and helps with the storm). Say: “I’ll read the Lord’s words.”
  2. Point out the walls: one side is Nineveh (east), the other is Tarshish (west).
  3. Let the Narrator read each scene while actors do the action. Keep it moving; scenes 1–4 can go fast.
  4. Slow down for scenes 7 and 8. After scene 7, ask: “Wait, why is Jonah angry?”
  5. After scene 8, hold the five seconds of silence, then say: “The book never tells us what Jonah answered. Maybe that’s because the question is for us.”
🌪️ If the storm gets rowdy, the Sound Tech cuts the sound and everyone must freeze mid-wave.

Class screen: 🐋🎭 Reader’s theater: Jonah Runs, and Mercy Wins · 🌅 Nineveh this way · Tarshish that way 🌇

3. Wiggle break

Captain’s Orders: Storm Edition

2 min

A fast command game burns energy and replays the storm.

  1. Tap the Sound Board and play waves. Teach the orders: “Starboard!” (speed-walk to the right wall), “Port!” (left wall), “Man overboard!” (drop to one knee), “Great fish!” (groups of three make a giant fish mouth with their arms), “Nineveh!” (sit and bow your head).
  2. Call orders faster and faster. Last one to do it, or anyone who moves on a wrong order, becomes a caller with you.
  3. End with “Nineveh!” so everyone is sitting and quiet for the next step.
🌪️ Walk-fast only, no sprinting. Anyone who runs becomes the next caller, which most teens actually want to be.
🔊 Sound Board (a class game in the Gospel Sparks app)

Class screen: ⚓🌊 Captain’s Orders: Storm Edition · Starboard · Port · Man overboard · Great fish · Nineveh

4. Scripture

Youth-Led Spotlight: Seek Ye Me

3 min

A youth teaches Amos 5:4 and connects it to the Lord speaking through living prophets.

  1. The youth you asked ahead of time shows Amos 5:4 and reads it with the class. Teach the motions and say it together twice.
  2. They read Amos 3:7 aloud: the Lord reveals His secrets to His servants the prophets.
  3. They ask: “If someone at school asked, ‘Why would anyone need a prophet today?’ what would you say?” Take two answers.
  4. Add: “Amos wasn’t a professional. He was a herdsman who took care of fig trees. The Lord calls ordinary people, and He still speaks through a living prophet today.”

Class screen: 🔎 Seek ye me, and ye shall live · Amos 5:4 · Amos 3:7

5. Talk it over

Who’s Your Nineveh?

5 min

Youth wrestle honestly with running from the Lord, resenting mercy and hungering for His word.

  1. Sit in a circle. Say: “There are no gold-star answers here. Honest beats polished.”
  2. Show one question at a time. Let two or three people answer each. Skip any question that doesn’t fit your class.
  3. Share your own honest answer to one question.
💬 Ask the class
  • Jonah ran because he knew God was merciful (Jonah 4:2). Why is it sometimes hard to want mercy for people who hurt us?
  • What’s a “Tarshish” people our age run to when they don’t want to do what the Lord asks?
  • The Lord gave Jonah the same assignment “the second time.” When has the Lord given you a second chance?
  • Amos warned of a famine of hearing God’s word (8:11). Can someone scroll for hours and still be starving? What actually feeds you?
  • Obadiah talks about “saviours… on mount Zion.” How does doing baptisms or family history for your ancestors make you part of the Savior’s work?
🌪️ If someone shares a real grudge, thank them, don’t fix them. Say, “The Lord was patient with Jonah. He’s patient with us too.”

Class screen: 🏙️💬 Who’s your Nineveh?

6. Game

Scripture Showdown: Amos, Obadiah, Jonah

4 min

A quick team quiz reviews the week, with a few questions most people get wrong.

  1. Split into two teams: Team Tarshish and Team Nineveh. Tap Scripture Showdown.
  2. Read each question aloud; teams confer ten seconds, then answer.
  3. The losing team gets to pick the stakes of the final question.
▶ Play Scripture Showdown on the web

Class screen: 🏆🐋 Scripture Showdown: Team Tarshish vs. Team Nineveh

7. Game

Forehead Guess: Jonah and the Prophets

4 minBONUS

A Heads Up–style round with this week’s people, places and things.

  1. Tap Forehead Guess. One person holds your phone or tablet on their forehead facing the class.
  2. Everyone gives clues without saying the word. Tilt down for got it, up to pass.
  3. Act It Out mode: clue-givers can only act. The storm and the fish are great ones.
▶ Play Forehead Guess on the web

Class screen: 🤔 Forehead Guess: Jonah and the Prophets

8. Testimony

The Second Time

2 min

A quiet close: the Lord gives second chances to us, and asks us to want them for others.

  1. Hand out cards. Say: “Privately, write the initials of someone who’s hard for you to want good things for. Your Nineveh. Nobody will see it.”
  2. SAY“This week, pray for them by name. Not that they’ll get what’s coming, but that the Lord will bless them. It might change you more than them.”
  3. Share a short testimony of a second chance the Lord gave you, and of His mercy for everyone.
  4. Point to the challenge. Invite a youth to pray.

Class screen: 2️⃣🙏 The word of the Lord came the second time · Jonah 3:1

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: Index cards or scrap paper and pens, one per person

  1. SAY“Close your eyes for twenty seconds. Think of someone who’s hard for you to want good things for. Your Nineveh. Keep it private.”
  2. SAY“This week, pray for them by name. Not that they’ll get what’s coming, but that the Lord will bless them. It might change you more than them.”
  3. Share a short testimony of a second chance the Lord gave you, and of His mercy for everyone.
  4. Point to the challenge. Invite a youth to pray.

Story drama

Jonah Runs, and Mercy Wins

Jonah 1–4 ↗

Parts to hand out

  • NarratorReads each scene from the shared screen while the teacher reads the Lord’s words.
  • JonahRuns, sleeps through a storm, prays from the fish, preaches, and then sulks spectacularly.
  • Ship’s CaptainShakes Jonah awake: “What meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God” (Jonah 1:6).
  • SailorsRow hard, cast lots, and finally, reluctantly, heave Jonah overboard.
  • King of NinevehSteps off his throne, sits in ashes and orders the whole city to fast and change.
  • NinevitesEveryone else: a noisy, violent city that goes quiet, bows its heads and turns around.
  • Sound TechRuns the Sound Board: wind, waves, splash, rumble and cheer on cue.

Scenes

  1. 🗺️🏃 Go east to Nineveh… Jonah goes west

    The Lord told Jonah to go to Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, and call out its wickedness. Assyria was Israel’s worst enemy, known for cruelty. Jonah got up and went to the port of Joppa and bought a ticket to Tarshish, about as far in the opposite direction as a ship could take him.

    🎬 Jonah points toward one wall (Nineveh), shakes his head, and speed-walks the opposite way. The Sailors wave him aboard.

  2. 🌊⛈️ A storm, and Jonah is asleep

    The Lord sent a great wind, and the storm got so bad the ship was about to break apart. The sailors prayed to their gods and threw cargo overboard. Jonah was below deck, fast asleep. The captain shook him: “What meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God.”

    🎬 Sailors rock side to side and throw imaginary cargo. Jonah snores. The Captain shakes him awake.

  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 and told them to throw him overboard. The sailors didn’t want to. They rowed as hard as they could, but the sea only got wilder. Finally they threw him in, and the sea went calm.

    🎬 Sailors row hard, then reluctantly lift their arms and “toss” Jonah. Jonah slides to the floor. Everyone goes still.

  4. 🐋🙏 Inside the fish, Jonah prays

    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 Jonah was inside, and from the depths he prayed. He said he cried to the Lord and the Lord heard him. Then the fish put Jonah out on dry land.

    🎬 Jonah kneels, head bowed, and whispers, “I cried … unto the LORD, and he heard me.” Everyone makes a deep, slow underwater hum.

  5. 2️⃣📜 The word came the second time

    Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, with the same assignment. No lecture, no replacement prophet. A second chance. This time Jonah went to Nineveh and walked through the city calling out, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.”

    🎬 Teacher reads the Lord’s repeated call. Jonah stands, brushes himself off, and walks among the Ninevites calling his warning.

  6. 👑🧎 A whole city turns around

    Nobody expected what happened next. The people believed. The king got off his throne, took off his royal robe, and sat in ashes. He ordered everyone to fast, to cry to God, and to turn from their violence. When the Lord saw them turn, He spared the city.

    🎬 The King steps down and sits on the floor. The Ninevites go quiet and bow their heads. Then everyone slowly stands, changed.

  7. 😤🌿 Jonah is… furious?

    Jonah was angry. He told the Lord: this is exactly why I ran. I knew You were gracious and merciful, slow to anger and full of kindness. He didn’t want his enemies forgiven. He went outside the city, sat in the shade, and waited to see if it would be destroyed anyway.

    🎬 Jonah stomps off, crosses his arms and sits in a corner. The Ninevites look over, confused.

  8. 🌿🐛❓ A plant, a worm, and a question

    The Lord made a plant grow to shade Jonah, and Jonah loved it. Then a worm ate it and a hot east wind blew, and Jonah was miserable. The Lord asked him: you cared about a plant you didn’t even grow. Shouldn’t I care about a city of more than a hundred and twenty thousand people? The book ends there, with the question hanging.

    🎬 Two youth make a plant with their arms over Jonah, then wilt. Teacher reads the Lord’s question. Everyone freezes in silence for five seconds.

Key verse

Amos 5:4 ↗
“For thus saith the LORD unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live”
In plain words: The Lord’s offer is simple: come looking for Me, and you’ll find real life. Not a performance, not a perfect record. Just seek Him.
🙌 “Thus saith the LORD”: point up. “Seek ye me”: hand shading your eyes, scanning. “And ye shall live”: hand on heart, then open it outward.

More verses

Jonah 4:2 ↗
“for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness”
In plain words: Jonah ran because he knew exactly how merciful God is, and he didn’t want that mercy for his enemies.
Jonah 3:1 ↗
“And the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time”
In plain words: The Lord gave Jonah the same assignment again. He gives second chances, including to us.
Amos 8:11 ↗
“not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD”
In plain words: The worst hunger isn’t for food. It’s being cut off from God’s word. Living prophets end that famine.
Obadiah 1:21 ↗
“And saviours shall come up on mount Zion”
In plain words: When we do temple work for our ancestors, we help the Savior bring them home.

Forehead Guess words18 words

  • 🧔 Jonah
  • 🏙️ Nineveh
  • ⛵ Tarshish
  • ⚓ Joppa
  • ⛈️ Storm
  • 🎲 Casting Lots
  • 🐋 Great Fish
  • 3️⃣ Three Days
  • 🧎 Sackcloth and Ashes
  • 🌿 Gourd
  • 🐛 Worm
  • 2️⃣ Second Chance
  • 🐄 Amos
  • 📜 Prophet
  • 🍞 Famine
  • 📄 Obadiah
  • ⛰️ Mount Zion
  • ⛪ Temple
Clues for each word
  • Jonah: Prophet who ran the other way
  • Nineveh: Enemy city that repented
  • Tarshish: Where Jonah tried to run
  • Joppa: Port where Jonah caught a ship
  • Storm: The Lord sent a great wind
  • Casting Lots: How the sailors found out it was Jonah
  • Great Fish: Prepared by the Lord as a rescue
  • Three Days: How long Jonah was inside
  • Sackcloth and Ashes: What the king of Nineveh wore and sat in
  • Gourd: Plant that shaded Jonah
  • Worm: Ate Jonah’s shade plant
  • Second Chance: The word came to Jonah “the second time”
  • Amos: Herdsman called to be a prophet
  • Prophet: The Lord reveals His secrets to them
  • Famine: Amos warned of one for God’s word
  • Obadiah: Shortest book in the Old Testament
  • Mount Zion: Where saviours shall come up
  • Temple: Where we become saviors for our ancestors
▶ Play Forehead GuessFull screen, 60-second timer, works on any phone.

Scripture Showdown10 questions

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

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

  2. What was Jonah doing while the storm nearly broke the ship?
    • A. Rowing
    • B. Praying
    • C. Sleeping
    Show answer

    ✅ C. Sleeping Jonah 1:5–6. The captain had to wake him up.

  3. How did the sailors figure out who caused the storm?
    • A. A dream
    • B. Casting lots
    • C. A voice from heaven
    Show answer

    ✅ B. Casting lots Jonah 1:7. The lot fell on Jonah.

  4. Who prepared the great fish?
    • A. The sailors
    • B. The king of Nineveh
    • C. The Lord
    Show answer

    ✅ C. The Lord Jonah 1:17. The fish was a rescue, not a punishment.

  5. What did the king of Nineveh do when he heard Jonah?
    • A. Sat in ashes and called a fast
    • B. Arrested Jonah
    • C. Laughed it off
    Show answer

    ✅ A. Sat in ashes and called a fast Jonah 3:6–9. The whole city turned from its violence.

  6. Why was Jonah angry at the end?
    • A. He got sunburned
    • B. God spared Nineveh
    • C. The sailors left him
    Show answer

    ✅ B. God spared Nineveh Jonah 4:1–2. He knew God was merciful and didn’t want his enemies forgiven.

  7. What was Amos’s job before the Lord called him?
    • A. A priest
    • B. A king’s scribe
    • C. A herdsman and fig tender
    Show answer

    ✅ C. A herdsman and fig tender Amos 7:14–15. The Lord calls ordinary people.

  8. Amos warned of a famine of what?
    • A. Hearing the words of the LORD
    • B. Bread and water
    • C. Gold and silver
    Show answer

    ✅ A. Hearing the words of the LORD Amos 8:11. Latter-day Saints see it ended by the Restoration.

  9. Obadiah says who will come up on mount Zion?
    • A. Kings
    • B. Saviours
    • C. Armies
    Show answer

    ✅ B. Saviours Obadiah 1:21. Temple work for the dead helps the Savior bring families home.

  10. What did Jesus say Jonah’s three days in the fish pointed to?
    • A. The Flood
    • B. The Exodus
    • C. His own death and Resurrection
    Show answer

    ✅ C. His own death and Resurrection Matthew 12:40. Three days, then new life.

▶ Play Scripture ShowdownTeams take turns on one screen.

Songs

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

    Amos 3:7: the Lord speaks through prophets, and we have a living one today. Find it ↗

  • Israel, Israel, God Is Calling Hymns, no. 7

    The Lord calling His people home, just as He called Nineveh and Jonah. Find it ↗

This week’s challenge

Pray for Your Nineveh

Every day this week, pray by name for the person you thought of in class, asking the Lord to bless them. And seek the Lord on purpose once a day: read or listen to the words of the living prophet from the most recent general conference for five minutes.

Text the parents

This week in class we debated whether some people deserve second chances, acted out the whole story of Jonah (including the part where he’s angry that God spared his enemies), and talked about Amos’s promise, “Seek ye me, and ye shall live.” Your teen’s challenge is to pray for someone who’s hard to love. A good question to ask: “Why do you think Jonah was mad that God was merciful?”

📝 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?

⛪ Saviors on Mount Zion · 6 min

  1. Read Obadiah 1:21. Explain that the Prophet Joseph Smith taught that we become saviors on Mount Zion by doing temple ordinances for those who have died.
  2. Youth who have the FamilySearch app open it and look for an ancestor with ordinances still needed (with a parent’s help later if needed).
  3. Ask: “How is doing ordinances for someone else a small picture of what Jesus Christ did for all of us?”

🦁 The Lion Has Roared · 4 min

  1. Read Amos 3:3–8 aloud as a rapid-fire list of questions.
  2. Ask youth to make up their own modern cause-and-effect questions (“Does a phone buzz unless someone texted?”).
  3. End with 3:8: when the Lord speaks, prophets must speak. Discuss why prophets sometimes say unpopular things.

🔁 Yet Have Ye Not Returned · 5 min

  1. Read Amos 4:6–11 and count how many times the Lord says, “yet have ye not returned unto me.” (Five.)
  2. Discuss: “Why do hard times sometimes push people toward God and sometimes away?”
  3. Invite youth to share (only if they want) a hard time that brought them closer to 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 Youth 14–16 lessons