Opening song and prayer
2 minSing We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet (Hymns 19), then invite a child to offer the opening prayer.
The Backward Runner
4 minPlace a treat on a chair at one end of the room. Draw a simple map showing the path to get there. Choose a volunteer and blindfold them.
Whisper clear directions: take three steps forward, turn right, walk to the chair. Before they start, tell the class secretly that you will also say 'go left' out loud to confuse them.
Say 'go left' loudly. If the volunteer follows your loud wrong direction instead of your whisper, let them bump into a wall or chair. Then take off the blindfold, show them the map, and walk the right path together.
- Why did the volunteer get stuck when they followed the loud wrong direction?Because it was not the real instructions. The true direction was quieter but correct.
- Did running the wrong way make the treat any closer?No. It only made things harder and scarier.
- When have you wanted to do the opposite of what you knew was right?Let children answer. Ignoring a chore, avoiding an apology, skipping scripture study, or not being kind to a sibling.
Jonah ran away, but the Lord did not give up on him
6 minJonah was a prophet. The Lord told him to go to Nineveh and warn the people to repent. Jonah did not want to go, so he got on a ship heading the opposite direction.
A storm came, Jonah was swallowed by a great fish, and after three days he prayed and was spit out on dry land. Then he finally went to Nineveh. The people listened and repented. God cared about Jonah and about the whole city.
- What did the Lord ask Jonah to do?Go to Nineveh and tell the people to repent.
- What did Jonah do instead?He ran away on a ship in the opposite direction.
- Did running away solve Jonah's problem?No. The storm came, and he ended up in the fish anyway. Obeying was still waiting for him.
- What happened when Jonah finally preached in Nineveh?The people repented. God gave them a chance to change, just like He gives us.
The Lord reveals His will through prophets
6 minAmos was another prophet in this week's reading. He taught that God wants us to seek Him and live righteously. Obadiah's book is very short, but it too points people back to the Lord.
Amos taught a verse we still use today: the Lord God will do nothing without revealing His counsel to His prophets. That means Heavenly Father does not leave us guessing. He speaks through prophets so we can know what He wants.
- According to Amos 3:7, does God act without telling His prophets?No. He reveals His counsel to them first.
- Who is the prophet on the earth today?President Russell M. Nelson is our prophet now.
- What is one thing our prophet has asked us to do recently?Let children answer. Study Come Follow Me, minister to others, build faith in Christ, or serve.
- How is listening to the prophet like following the whisper instead of the loud wrong direction in our object lesson?The world gives loud messages that pull us the wrong way. The prophet gives us the Lord's true direction.
Seek the Lord instead of running (optional)
optionalJonah's story ends with mercy for Nineveh, but Jonah still had a hard heart at first. Seeking the Lord means turning toward Him even when we do not like the assignment.
This week, when something feels hard, you can pray first instead of running away in your heart.
- What did Jonah learn inside the fish?That he could pray and the Lord would hear him. He could not outrun God.
- What does 'seek the Lord' mean in your everyday life?Pray, read scriptures, go to church, and obey even when it is hard.
- What is one hard thing you will seek the Lord's help with this week?Let children answer with something real. A friendship, a chore, a fear, or being kind to someone difficult.
In the scriptures
5 minRead these together and talk about them.
Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.
- What does 'revealeth his secret' mean?God shares His plans and teachings with prophets so they can teach the rest of us.
- Why would Heavenly Father want us to hear from a prophet instead of everyone guessing on their own?Because He loves us and wants us to have clear direction to stay safe and happy.
- Where can you hear what the prophet says?General Conference, the Friend magazine, Come Follow Me, and Church websites.
Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fish's belly, And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the Lord, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.
- When did Jonah finally pray with his whole heart?When he was in the fish and could not run anymore.
- Did the Lord hear Jonah even though Jonah had run away?Yes. God heard him and answered.
- What can you do this week when you feel like running from something hard?Pray first. Ask Heavenly Father for courage to obey.
Draw the real path
optionalGive each child a piece of paper and a marker.
Have them draw two paths: one labeled 'Run Away' that leads to a dead end, and one labeled 'Seek the Lord' that leads to a happy face or a heart.
On the 'Seek the Lord' path, have them write one way they will listen to the prophet this week.
Invite a few children to share their drawings.
Latter-day Kids lesson bundle and coloring pages for this week