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Running from Nineveh

A farmer called to be a prophet, a famine of the word, saviors on Mount Zion, and a prophet who got angry that God forgave his enemies

  • 🏔️ Youth 16–18
  • Week 48
  • 📅 Sunday, November 29, 2026
🤔 Forehead Guess🏆 Showdown
💡 The big idea

The Lord speaks through His prophets and gives second chances to everyone who turns to Him, including people I’d rather He didn’t, and He calls me to carry that mercy wherever He sends me.

I can seek the Lord, go where He sends me even when it’s not what I’d pick, and want His mercy for everyone.

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

Amos was not a professional prophet. He was a herdsman and a gatherer of sycamore fruit from Tekoa, and the Lord called him right out of the fields (Amos 1:1; 7:14–15). When a priest at Bethel told him to go home and stop prophesying, Amos answered, in effect, that he hadn’t asked for this; the Lord sent him (7:10–15). He taught that the Lord reveals His secrets to His servants the prophets (3:7), pleaded with a comfortable, unjust society to “Seek ye me, and ye shall live” (5:4; see also 5:6, 14), and warned of a coming famine, not of bread, but “of hearing the words of the LORD” (8:11–12). Latter-day Saints see that famine in the Great Apostasy and its end in the Restoration. Older youth who can open a scripture app any hour of the day may not realize how rare that has been in history.

Obadiah is one chapter long. It condemns Edom, the descendants of Esau, for cheering while Jerusalem fell (Obadiah 1:10–14), and ends with a promise that “saviours shall come up on mount Zion” (1:21). Joseph Smith taught that we become saviors on Mount Zion by doing temple work for those who died without the chance. Your youth doing baptisms for family names, and soon receiving their own endowments, are fulfilling that verse.

Jonah is the main event. The Lord called him to Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, Israel’s brutal enemy, and Jonah bought a ticket to Tarshish, the opposite direction (Jonah 1:1–3). The storm, the sailors, the great fish and the prayer from its belly (2:2, 9) are famous. Less famous is the ending. When Nineveh repented and God spared it, Jonah was furious, and he told God why he had run: “I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful” (4:1–2). The book ends with God asking Jonah a question about caring for 120,000 people (4:11), and Jonah never answers. It leaves the question for us. Compare Jonah with Alma, who wished he could preach to every soul (Alma 29:1–2), and the sons of Mosiah, who couldn’t bear the thought of anyone suffering forever (Mosiah 28:3). Jesus pointed to Jonah’s three days as a sign of His own death and Resurrection (Matthew 12:40).

For priests-age young men and older Young Women thinking about missions, Jonah is very real: missionaries don’t choose where they serve, and some calls are to places they never pictured. Jonah 3:1 (“the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time”) is good news for anyone who has already run once. November 29 is a fifth Sunday, so check whether your ward holds youth classes that day; this lesson also works well any time before week 49. It’s Thanksgiving weekend in the United States, and Jonah 2:9 is a prayer of thanksgiving from inside a fish.

Only have 5 minutes?

Read Jonah 1–4 (it’s short) and Amos 5:4. Do the mission-call hook, run the Jonah readers’ theater, then spend real time on “Angry at Mercy.” End with the question the book of Jonah never answers (4:11) and your testimony of second chances.

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. Make the “mission call” envelope. Seal it.
  2. Text a few youth on Saturday to read Narrator, Jonah, the Shipmaster and the King of Nineveh.
  3. Bookmark Amos 3:7, 5:4, 7:14–15, 8:11–12, Obadiah 1:21 and Jonah 1:1–3, 2:2–9, 3:1–10, 4:1–11.
  4. Cue the Sound Board for waves, wind and splash.
  5. Add your youth to My Class so Roles and the Name Spinner can pick them.

If your class is wild

  • Pick someone likely to play along to open the “call.” The reaction makes the hook.
  • Jonah is funny in places (the sleeping prophet, the pouting under a plant). Let it be funny; the ending lands harder after laughter.
  • If the discussion gets heavy about real enemies or people who hurt them, slow down. Wanting mercy for someone doesn’t mean excusing what they did.
  • The Storm on the Ship wiggle is loud. Warn the class next door, or do the “whisper storm” version.
  • Give a youth who has a mission call or is preparing papers a chance to share one honest thought.

The 25-minute plan24 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

Open Your Call

3 min

A fake mission-call opening gets laughs and makes Jonah’s situation instantly personal.

  1. Hand the sealed envelope to a youth: “This just came for you. Open it like a real mission call, out loud.”
  2. When they read “NINEVEH,” ask the room: “Congratulations? Where is that? Would you be excited?”
  3. SAY“Nineveh was the capital of Assyria, the empire Israel feared most. For Jonah, this was like being called to serve the people who were a threat to everyone you loved.”
  4. Ask: “Missionaries don’t pick where they go. What’s hard about that? What’s good about it?”

Class screen: ✉️ You are hereby called to serve in… Nineveh? · Jonah 1:1–3

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: An envelope with a folded card inside that reads “You are hereby called to serve in NINEVEH”

Guess the Call

  1. Pretend to open an envelope and read slowly: “You are hereby called to serve in…” Pause. “…Nineveh.”
  2. Ask the room: “Congratulations? Where is that? Would you be excited?”
  3. SAY“Nineveh was the capital of Assyria, the empire Israel feared most. For Jonah, this was like being called to serve the people who were a threat to everyone you loved.”
  4. Ask: “Missionaries don’t pick where they go. What’s hard about that? What’s good about it?”
2. Story

Readers’ Theater: The Prophet Who Ran

6 min

Reading all four chapters shows that Jonah isn’t just a fish story; it’s about whether we want God’s mercy for others.

  1. Tap Roles or hand out parts. You read the Lord’s words. Everyone left is a Ninevite.
  2. Read the scenes from your phone or tablet; the Sound Tech handles the storm.
  3. After scene 3, point out: “The pagan sailors tried harder to save Jonah than Jonah tried to save Nineveh.”
  4. After scene 8, let the silence sit. Then ask: “Why do you think the book ends with a question?”
🔊 Sound Board (a class game in the Gospel Sparks app)

Class screen: 🐋 Run, storm, fish, second chance… and a question with no answer. · Jonah 1–4

3. Wiggle break

Storm on the Ship

2 min

A quick command game burns energy and walks through Jonah 1 with the whole body.

  1. Everyone stands; the room is the ship. Tap waves on the Sound Board.
  2. Call commands, faster and faster: “Row!” (row hard) · “Bail!” (scoop water over the side) · “Cargo!” (heave a heavy box) · “Wake the prophet!” (shake a neighbor’s shoulder gently) · “Cast lots!” (shake dice) · “Man overboard!” (jump).
  3. Last round: “Great fish!” Everyone makes a giant fish mouth and chomps. Then: “Calm sea.” Everyone sits in silence.
🌪️ Whisper-storm version for thin walls: everyone does the motions, nobody makes a sound.
🔊 Sound Board (a class game in the Gospel Sparks app)

Class screen: ⛵ Row! Bail! Cargo! Cast lots! Man overboard! · Jonah 1:4–17

4. Scripture

Seek Ye Me: Amos 5:4

3 min

Noticing a repeated word is a study skill, and Amos repeats “seek” on purpose.

  1. SAY“Amos was a farmer the Lord called out of the fields (Amos 7:14–15). Prophets are ordinary people with an extraordinary message.”
  2. Show the key verse. Study skill: when a prophet repeats a word, pay attention. Race to find every “seek” in Amos 5:4–14.
  3. Each time someone finds one, the whole class says the key verse together.
  4. Ask: “What does ‘seeking’ the Lord look like for someone your age, not in general, but this week?”

Class screen: 🔎 “Seek ye me, and ye shall live.” How many seeks can you find? · Amos 5:4–14

5. Talk it over

Angry at Mercy

5 min

Jonah 4 exposes something real in all of us: we love mercy for ourselves and sometimes resent it for others.

  1. Have a youth reread Jonah 4:2. Say: “Jonah’s complaint about God is that He’s too kind. Let’s be honest about that.”
  2. Use the questions. Let youth disagree and push back.
  3. Share the contrast: Alma wished he could preach to every soul (Alma 29:1–2), and the sons of Mosiah couldn’t bear the thought of anyone being lost (Mosiah 28:3).
  4. Land it gently: wanting mercy for someone doesn’t mean excusing what they did. It means trusting the Savior to handle both justice and mercy.
💬 Ask the class
  • Jonah got a second chance (Jonah 3:1) and then got mad when Nineveh got one. Why is it easier to want mercy for ourselves than for others?
  • Who is a “Nineveh” for people your age: a group, a school rival, someone who hurt you? What would it look like to want the Lord’s mercy for them?
  • The pagan sailors were kinder to Jonah than he was to Nineveh. What does that teach about judging who’s “good”?
  • Why do you think the book ends with God’s question and no answer from Jonah? What would your answer be?
  • If you serve a mission, you might be sent somewhere you didn’t pick. What would help you go like the second-time Jonah, not the first-time Jonah?
🎡 Name Spinner (a class game in the Gospel Sparks app)

Class screen: 😤 Jonah’s problem with God: He’s too merciful. · Jonah 4:1–11

6. Game

Scripture Showdown: Lightning Round

3 min

A quick team quiz reviews Amos, Obadiah and Jonah.

  1. Two teams: Sailors vs. Ninevites. Tap Scripture Showdown.
  2. Five seconds to huddle. Play as many questions as fit in three minutes.
▶ Play Scripture Showdown on the web

Class screen: 🏆 Sailors vs. Ninevites: lightning round!

7. Testimony

The Second Time

2 min

End quietly with the Savior’s mercy, Jonah’s unanswered question, and a personal answer.

  1. Read Jonah 3:1: “And the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time.” Say: “If you’ve already run once, the call comes again.”
  2. SAY“Jesus said Jonah’s three days in the fish were a sign of His own burial and Resurrection (Matthew 12:40). The same Savior who rose offers mercy to every Nineveh, and to every Jonah.”
  3. Bear a short testimony of second chances and of wanting that mercy for others.
  4. Give the challenge. Invite a youth to pray.

Class screen: 2️⃣ “The word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time.” · Jonah 3:1

8. Talk it over

A Famine of the Word

4 minBONUS

Amos 8:11–12 helps youth appreciate the Restoration and the scriptures they carry in their pockets.

  1. Read Amos 8:11–12. Ask: “What would people ‘run to and fro’ looking for?”
  2. Explain: after the Apostles died, the priesthood authority and revelation were lost for centuries. The Restoration through Joseph Smith ended that famine.
  3. Use the questions.
💬 Ask the class
  • What would it be like to wander “from sea to sea” looking for God’s word and not find it?
  • You can open living prophets’ words on your phone any minute. Why can it still feel like a famine for some people?
  • What’s one way you could feed someone who is spiritually hungry right now?

Class screen: 🍞 Not a famine of bread, but of hearing God’s words. · Amos 8:11–12

9. Object lesson

Saviors on Mount Zion

5 minBONUS

Obadiah 1:21 connects temple work and the endowment to being part of the Savior’s rescue.

  1. Read Obadiah 1:21. Say: “Joseph Smith taught this is about us: by doing temple ordinances for those who died without them, we help the Savior save them.”
  2. Invite youth with FamilySearch on their phones to open the Ordinances Ready feature or their family tree and look for one name.
  3. Ask: “Who is the only Savior? Then why would the Lord call us ‘saviours’ with a small s?”
  4. Invite them to plan one temple trip with a family name before the end of the year.

Class screen: 🛕 Saviours on mount Zion: that’s you in the temple. · Obadiah 1:21

10. Game

Forehead Guess

3 minBONUS

A fun review of Amos, Obadiah and Jonah.

  1. Tap Forehead Guess. The guesser holds your phone or tablet on their forehead.
  2. Clue-givers must use a sailor or prophet voice.
▶ Play Forehead Guess on the web

Class screen: 🤔 Forehead Guess: clues in your best sailor voice

Story drama

The Prophet Who Ran

Jonah 1–4 ↗

Parts to hand out

  • NarratorReads the scenes from your phone or tablet and keeps the story moving.
  • JonahRuns, sleeps, confesses, prays from the fish, preaches and pouts. Reads Jonah 2:2 and 4:2. The teacher reads the Lord’s words.
  • ShipmasterWakes Jonah up with the line from Jonah 1:6.
  • SailorsTwo or three youth. Row hard, cast lots and cry out to the Lord (1:14).
  • King of NinevehSteps off his throne, sits in “ashes” and reads the decree from Jonah 3:8–9.
  • Sound TechTaps each scene’s sound on the Sound Board.
  • NinevitesEveryone else. Listen to Jonah, then humble themselves and turn around.

Scenes

  1. 🏃 “Arise, go to Nineveh.” Jonah went the other way.

    The Lord told Jonah to go warn Nineveh, the capital of Assyria and the enemy Israel feared most. Jonah went down to Joppa, paid for a ticket to Tarshish, and sailed the opposite direction.

    🎬 Jonah points one way (toward Nineveh), then turns and walks the other way.

  2. 🌊 A mighty storm, and Jonah fast asleep

    The Lord sent a great wind, and the ship was about to break apart. Every sailor prayed to his own god and threw cargo overboard. Jonah was asleep below deck.

    🎬 Sailors row and heave cargo. Jonah snores. The Shipmaster reads Jonah 1:6 and shakes him awake.

  3. 🎲 The lot falls on Jonah

    The sailors cast lots to find out whose fault the storm was, and it fell on Jonah. He admitted he was running from the Lord and told them to throw him overboard. The sailors rowed even harder to save him first.

    🎬 Sailors shake imaginary dice and all point at Jonah. Sailors read their prayer from Jonah 1:14.

  4. 🐋 Overboard, calm sea, and a great fish

    They threw him in, and the sea went calm. The Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah, and he was inside it three days and three nights.

    🎬 Jonah “falls” into the sea. Everyone else makes a giant fish mouth with their arms and closes it.

  5. 🙏 A prayer from the belly of the fish

    From the darkest place imaginable, Jonah prayed, and the Lord heard him. He ended with thanksgiving: salvation is of the Lord. The fish spat him out on dry land.

    🎬 Jonah reads Jonah 2:2 on his knees, then “lands” on the shore.

  6. 2️⃣ The word of the Lord came “the second time”

    The Lord gave Jonah the same call again. This time he went. The only words of his preaching we have are one line: forty days, and Nineveh would be overthrown. The whole city, king included, fasted and turned from violence.

    🎬 Jonah preaches the line from Jonah 3:4. The King steps down and reads 3:8–9. The Ninevites bow their heads.

  7. 😤 God spared them, and Jonah was furious

    God saw them turn and spared the city. Jonah was so angry he wanted to die. Then he admitted why he had run in the first place.

    🎬 Jonah crosses his arms and reads 4:2: “I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful…”

  8. 🌱 A plant, a worm, and a question

    Jonah sat outside the city to watch. God grew a plant to shade him, then sent a worm to kill it, and Jonah was angry about the plant too. God asked: you pity a plant; should I not pity a whole city? The book ends there. Jonah never answers.

    🎬 The teacher reads Jonah 4:10–11. Everyone sits silently 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 invitation is simple: come looking for Me, and you’ll find real life.
🙌 Study skill: find every “seek” in Amos 5:4–14 (verses 4, 5, 6, 8 and 14; verse 5 is the “seek not” one). Each time someone finds one, the class says the key verse together. By the fifth round, say it without looking.

More verses

Amos 3:7 ↗
“Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets”
In plain words: God tells His prophets what He is doing, so we don’t have to guess.
Amos 8:11 ↗
“I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD”
In plain words: The worst famine is going without God’s word. The Restoration ended that famine.
Obadiah 1:21 ↗
“And saviours shall come up on mount Zion”
In plain words: Through temple work, ordinary people help bring salvation to those who died without the chance.
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 God would forgive his enemies, and he didn’t want Him to.

Forehead Guess words15 words

  • 🧔 Jonah
  • 🏙️ Nineveh
  • ⛵ Tarshish
  • 🌊 Storm
  • 🎲 Casting lots
  • 🐋 Great fish
  • 🧥 Sackcloth
  • 2️⃣ The second time
  • 🌱 Gourd
  • 🐄 Amos
  • 🍞 Famine of the word
  • 📜 Prophet
  • 📄 Obadiah
  • 🛕 Saviours on mount Zion
  • ✉️ Mission call
Clues for each word
  • Jonah: Prophet who ran the other way
  • Nineveh: Assyrian capital that repented
  • Tarshish: Where Jonah bought a ticket instead
  • Storm: The Lord sent it after the runaway ship
  • Casting lots: How the sailors found out it was Jonah
  • Great fish: Three days and three nights inside
  • Sackcloth: What the king of Nineveh wore to repent
  • The second time: When the word of the Lord came again (Jonah 3:1)
  • Gourd: Shade plant God grew, then let a worm kill
  • Amos: Herdsman the Lord called to be a prophet
  • Famine of the word: Worse than a famine of bread (Amos 8:11)
  • Prophet: The Lord reveals His secrets to them (Amos 3:7)
  • Obadiah: The shortest book in the Old Testament
  • Saviours on mount Zion: What temple workers become (Obadiah 1:21)
  • Mission call: Tells you where you’ll serve
▶ Play Forehead GuessFull screen, 60-second timer, works on any phone.

Scripture Showdown10 questions

  1. What did Amos do before the Lord called him as a prophet?
    • A. He was a herdsman and fruit gatherer
    • B. He was a priest at the temple
    • C. He was a king’s scribe
    Show answer

    ✅ A. He was a herdsman and fruit gatherer Amos 7:14–15. The Lord called him straight from the flock.

  2. According to Amos 3:7, to whom does the Lord reveal His secrets?
    • A. Kings
    • B. His servants the prophets
    • C. Only angels
    Show answer

    ✅ B. His servants the prophets God doesn’t leave His people guessing.

  3. Amos 8:11 warned of a famine of what?
    • A. Bread
    • B. Water
    • C. Hearing the words of the Lord
    Show answer

    ✅ C. Hearing the words of the Lord Latter-day Saints see this in the Great Apostasy, ended by the Restoration.

  4. What does Obadiah 1:21 say shall come up on mount Zion?
    • A. Armies
    • B. Saviours
    • C. Kings
    Show answer

    ✅ B. Saviours Joseph Smith taught this happens through temple work for the dead.

  5. Where did Jonah try to go instead of Nineveh?
    • A. Tarshish
    • B. Egypt
    • C. Jerusalem
    Show answer

    ✅ A. Tarshish Jonah 1:3. The opposite direction.

  6. Who tried harder to save Jonah during the storm?
    • A. Jonah himself
    • B. No one
    • C. The pagan sailors
    Show answer

    ✅ C. The pagan sailors Jonah 1:13. They rowed hard to reach land before throwing him over.

  7. What happened when Jonah finally preached in Nineveh?
    • A. They threw him out
    • B. The whole city fasted and repented
    • C. Only the king listened
    Show answer

    ✅ B. The whole city fasted and repented Jonah 3:5–10. From the greatest to the least.

  8. Why did Jonah say he ran in the first place?
    • A. He was afraid of the sea
    • B. He had no money
    • C. He knew God was gracious and merciful
    Show answer

    ✅ C. He knew God was gracious and merciful Jonah 4:2. He didn’t want his enemies forgiven.

  9. Jesus said Jonah’s three days in the fish were a sign of what?
    • A. His own burial and Resurrection
    • B. The Flood
    • C. The Second Coming
    Show answer

    ✅ A. His own burial and Resurrection Matthew 12:40.

  10. How does the book of Jonah end?
    • A. With Jonah’s apology
    • B. With God’s question and no answer
    • C. With Nineveh destroyed
    Show answer

    ✅ B. With God’s question and no answer Jonah 4:11. The question is left for us to answer.

▶ Play Scripture ShowdownTeams take turns on one screen.

Songs

  • Master, the Tempest Is Raging Hymns, no. 105

    A storm at sea and the Lord who commands it, like the storm around Jonah’s ship. Find it ↗

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

    Amos 3:7: the Lord reveals His will through prophets, and we have one today. Find it ↗

  • Count Your Blessings Hymns, no. 241

    Thanksgiving week, and Jonah 2:9 is a thank-you prayer from inside a fish. Find it ↗

This week’s challenge

Turn Toward Nineveh

Pick one: (1) Pray this week for someone you find hard to love, and ask to want the Lord’s mercy for them. (2) If there’s something you’ve been running from, turn around; the call comes “the second time.” (3) Find one family name on FamilySearch and plan a temple trip to be a savior on Mount Zion.

Text the parents

In class this week we studied Amos, Obadiah and Jonah: a farmer called to be a prophet, the promise of “saviours on mount Zion” through temple work, and Jonah, who ran from his call and then got angry when God forgave Nineveh. We talked about missions, second chances, and wanting mercy for people we don’t like. Ask your teen: “The book of Jonah ends with a question from God and no answer. What would you have said?”

📝 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?

⚖️ Jonah vs. Alma · 5 min

  1. Half the class reads Jonah 4:1–3; the other half reads Alma 29:1–2 and Mosiah 28:3.
  2. Each group describes their missionary’s attitude in three words.
  3. Ask: “What changed Alma and the sons of Mosiah into people who wanted everyone saved?” (They had received mercy themselves and knew it.)

🙏 Thanks from the Fish · 4 min

  1. Read Jonah 2:9 together.
  2. Ask: “What’s something you can thank God for even in a hard place?”
  3. Each youth writes or says one thank-you from their own “belly of the fish.”

🤝 Seek Good, Not Evil · 5 min

  1. Read Amos 5:11–15. Point out that Amos condemned people who took bribes and trampled the poor while staying religious.
  2. Ask: “What would Amos notice about how people your age treat others with less?”
  3. Brainstorm one act of fairness or kindness the class could do this month.

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 16–18 lessons