Welcome to November!
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November, Week 1
Day 1
Primary
1. Read Daniel 1.
2. Daniel and his friends refused the meat and wine the king offered them because they wanted to follow God’s commandments and avoid harming their bodies. Today the Word of Wisdom helps us avoid substances that would harm our bodies.
3. Watch the video about Daniel and his friends.
4. Listen to the “Books of the Old Testament” song. Be sure you can sing it through Daniel!
Youth
1. Read Daniel 1.
2. In approximately 605 B.C., Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, besieged Jerusalem. Nebuchadnezzar took items from the temple and a select group of Jews back to BabylonRead Daniel 1:4-5. What qualities was the king looking for in young men? What did he provide for them? (In verse 5 the word “meat” means delicacies and rich foods.)
3. Read Daniel 1:8. Defile means to desecrate or make impure or unclean. Daniel may have considered that partaking of the food and wine would defile him because, according to custom, a portion of these items might have first been offered as sacrifices to Babylonian gods. To consume such food would have been considered participating in the worship of false gods. Some of the food may also have been forbidden by the law of Moses or not prepared in accordance with the law.
4. Elder David R. Stone of the Seventy said:
Let us clearly understand the pressures that the four young men were under. They had been carried away as captives by a conquering power and were in the household of a king who held the power of life or death over them. And yet Daniel and his brothers refused to do that which they believed to be wrong. (“Zion in the Midst of Babylon,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2006, 92)
5. Daniel asked for healthy food, but the man responsible for them was worried they would become unhealthy – which could get him killed. Daniel proposed that they be given grains and water instead for ten days and then compare them to the other young men. (Daniel 1:11-13)
6. How did Daniel and his friends measure up? (Daniel 1:14-17) If we keep the Lord’s laws, then He will bless us physically and spiritually.
7. Listen to the “Books of the Old Testament” song. Be sure you can sing it through Daniel!
Day 2
Primary
1. Read Daniel 2.
2. When Daniel gave his inspired interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, he saw a stone “cut out of the mountain without hands” (Daniel 2:45). This stone represents The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which is destined to fill the earth.
3. There is a doctrinal mastery scripture in this chapter, Daniel 2:44-45. (There is also a song to listen to!)
44 And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.
45 Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.
4. Watch the video “Daniel and the King’s Dream.”
5. Listen to the song “We Thank Thee O God for a Prophet.”
Youth
1. Read Daniel 2.
2. There is a doctrinal mastery scripture in this chapter, Daniel 2:44-45. (There is also a song to listen to!)
44 And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.
45 Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.
3. While Daniel and his friends served in the court of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, the king had a dream that disturbed him. What did he ask his wise men to do?
4. Read Daniel 2:4-11. Why did the king refuse to tell the wise men his dream? Why were the wise men troubled? How did Daniel and his friends respond? (Daniel 2:14-19)
5. When Daniel told the king’s servant that he could reveal the king’s dream to him, the servant immediately brought Daniel to the king. Daniel 2:31–35 records Daniel’s description of the details of King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. Look at the diagram of the King’s dream.
President Rudger Clawson of the First Presidency elaborated on Daniel’s interpretation of King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream:
History certifies to the fact that King Nebuchadnezzar was the head of gold. The Medes and Persians, an inferior kingdom to Babylon, were the arms and breast of silver. The Macedonian kingdom, under Alexander the Great, was the belly and thighs of brass; and the Roman kingdom under the Caesars was the legs of iron. For mark you, later on the kingdom, or empire of Rome, was divided. The head of the government in one division was at Rome and the head of the government in the other division was at Constantinople. So these two great divisions represented the legs of iron. Finally, the Roman empire was broken up into smaller kingdoms, represented by the feet and toes of iron and clay. (in Conference Report, Apr. 1930, 32)
6. President Gordon B. Hinckley emphasized that we are eyewitnesses to the fulfillment of Daniel’s prophecy:
The Lord is fulfilling His promise that His gospel shall be as the stone cut out of the mountain without hands which would roll forth and fill the whole earth, as Daniel saw in vision (see Daniel 2:31–45; D&C 65:2). A great miracle is taking place right before our eyes. (“The Stone Cut Out of the Mountain,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2007, 83)
Day 3
Primary
1. Read Daniel 3.
2. Because Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to worship a golden image made by King Nebuchadnezzar, they were cast into a fiery furnace. They had faith that the Lord could deliver them, but also knew that even if he didn’t, that they would choose to serve the Lord. When the Lord miraculously delivered them from harm, the king realized that only the true God had power to save.
3. Watch the video about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego.
4. Listen to the song “I Want to Live the Gospel.”
Youth
1. Read Daniel 3.
2. King Nebuchadnezzar had a large golden image or statue made that was approximately 90 feet (27.4 meters) high and 9 feet (2.74 meters) wide. The king then gathered leaders from his kingdom for the dedication of the image. At the dedication, a command was announced that when music sounded, everyone was to fall down and worship the golden image. What were the consequences for anyone who did not? (Daniel 3:6-7)
3. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to worship the golden image. When they were brought before the king, he asked them what god had enough power to deliver them out of his hands. What was their response? (Daniel 3:16-18)
4. Elder Dennis E. Simmons of the Seventy taught about the faith of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego.
Our scriptures and our history are replete with accounts of God’s great men and women who believed that He would deliver them, but if not, they demonstrated that they would trust and be true.
He has the power, but it’s our test.
What does the Lord expect of us with respect to our challenges? He expects us to do all we can do. …
We must have the same faith as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego.
Our God will deliver us from ridicule and persecution, but if not. … Our God will deliver us from sickness and disease, but if not. … He will deliver us from loneliness, depression, or fear, but if not. … Our God will deliver us from threats, accusations, and insecurity, but if not. … He will deliver us from death or impairment of loved ones, but if not, … we will trust in the Lord.
… We will have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, knowing that if we do all we can do, we will, in His time and in His way, be delivered and receive all that He has. (“But If Not …” Ensign or Liahona, May 2004, 74–75)
5. Because of their response, they were cast into a fiery furnace. (See gospel art picture.) The fire was so hot the men who threw them in died. The king (presumably watching from a distance) looked into the furnace. What did he see? (Daniel 3:24-27) King Nebuchadnezzar realized that God, and God alone, has the power to save.
Day 4
Primary
1. Read Daniel 6.
2. Babylon was conquered by the Medes and the Persians, and Darius the Mede was made king over Babylon. Daniel was still in a position of trust for the new king. The other official were envious of Daniel, and wanted to find some way to pull him down, so they tricked the king into making a law that made it illegal for Daniel to pray. When Daniel prayed anyway, he was cast into a den of lions. What happened to Daniel there?
3. Watch the video about Daniel and the Lion’s Den.
4. Listen to verses 6, 7, and 8 of Follow the Prophet. (Samuel, Jonah, and Daniel.)
Youth
1. Read Daniel 5 and Daniel 6.
2. More than 20 years after Nebuchadnezzar died, Belshazzar, the king in Babylon at that time, hosted a feast for leaders in the kingdom. Belshazzar had the vessels that had been taken from the temple in Jerusalem brought to the feast. The king and the people mocked the Lord by drinking wine from these vessels while they praised their false gods. During the feast, a hand appeared and wrote on a wall in the king’s palace. Belshazzar was greatly concerned, and when others were unable to interpret the writing, he summoned Daniel. Daniel interpreted the writing on the wall, which was a declaration that God had judged Belshazzar and that Babylon would be given to the Medes and the Persians. Even though Daniel had declined payment for giving the interpretation, Belshazzar promoted Daniel to third in command in the kingdom. That night, Belshazzar was slain and the Babylonian empire was conquered.
3. Darius the Mede was made king over Babylon, and put Daniel in charge of the highest levels. In fact, he was considering putting Daniel in charge of the entire kingdom. The other “princes and presidents” became envious and made a plan. What were they going to do? (Daniel 6:4-5)
4. Read Daniel 6:6-9. The other officials convinced King Darius to sign a law that made it illegal to pray to any god for thirty days. How did Daniel respond? (Daniel 6:10) How did King Darius respond? (Daniel 6:14)
5. What did the Lord do to deliver Daniel from the lions’ den? We might not necessarily be threatened with death for being faithful to the Lord, but the world may threaten us with other challenges because of our faithfulness. If we are continually faithful to the Lord, He will help us through challenges we may experience as a result of our faithfulness.
Week 2
Day 1
Primary
1. Read Hosea 2:14-23.
2. In the book of Hosea, the Lord compared His covenants with the Israelites to a marriage. Despite the Israelites’ unfaithfulness, He still loved them and wanted them to return.
3. The covenants we make with the Lord are meant to last forever. Read Hosea 2:19–20, looking for words that describe how the Lord feels about His covenants with us. What do we covenant to do when we are baptized? How can we keep this covenant we have made with the Lord?
4. Listen to the “Books of the Old Testament” song. Be sure you can sing it through Hosea!
Youth
1. Read Hosea 2:14-23.
2. Israel’s covenant with the Lord was meant to be so deep and meaningful that the Lord compared it to a marriage. The covenant, like a marriage, included eternal commitment, shared experiences, building a life together, exclusive loyalty, and most of all, wholehearted love. This kind of devotion came with high expectations—and tragic consequences for infidelity. Through the prophet Hosea, God described some of the consequences the Israelites faced for breaking their covenant. And yet His message was not “I will reject you forever for being unfaithful.” Instead it was “I will invite you back” (see Hosea 2:14–15). “I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness,” the Lord declared (Hosea 2:19). “I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely” (Hosea 14:4). This is the same message He gives us today as we seek to live our covenants with love and devotion.
3. President Henry B. Eyring of the First Presidency spoke about the book of Hosea.
I had a new feeling about what it means to make a covenant with the Lord. All my life I had heard explanations of covenants as being like a contract, an agreement where one person agrees to do something and the other agrees to do something else in return.
For more reasons than I can explain, during those days teaching Hosea, I felt something new, something more powerful. This was not a story about a business deal between partners. … This was a love story. This was a story of a marriage covenant bound by love, by steadfast love. What I felt then, and it has increased over the years, was that the Lord, with whom I am blessed to have made covenants, loves me, and you … with a steadfastness about which I continually marvel and which I want with all my heart to emulate. (“Covenants and Sacrifice” [address given at the Church Educational System symposium on the Old Testament, Aug. 15, 1995], 2; si.lds.org).
4. Listen to the “Books of the Old Testament” song. Be sure you can sing it through Hosea!
Day 2
Primary
1. Read Hosea 10.
2. Hosea 10:12 uses the images of sowing, reaping, time, and rain to invite us to seek the Lord. What do you think it means when it says “it is time to seek the Lord”?
3. What are some ways we can seek the Lord in our lives?
4. Listen to the song “I Want to Live the Gospel.”
Youth
1. Read Hosea 10.
2. Hosea 10:12 uses the images of sowing, reaping, time, and rain to invite us to seek the Lord. What do you think it means when it says “it is time to seek the Lord”?
3. It is always time to seek the Lord, although sometimes we may put it off, believing we have time to do it later. Elder Derek A. Cuthbert of the First Quorum of the Seventy told the following story about time.
Eighteen years ago, during my first visit to general conference as a new stake president, I learned a valuable lesson in punctuality. I wanted to visit all the Church departments, which at that time were spread over a wide area of Salt Lake City. Above all I had an earnest desire to meet President David O. McKay. I inquired whether it would be possible to see the prophet for just a few minutes and was delighted when I was told to return at 1:30 P.M. for this great privilege. My heart sang as I made other visits during the morning, and the time passed very quickly.
Suddenly I looked at my watch and was horrified to see that it was almost the appointed time. I literally ran to the Church Administration Building, arriving redfaced and breathless. Imagine my feelings when I was told, “By being one minute late you may have missed a golden opportunity.” Those words still ring in my ears, even though I was subsequently able to meet President McKay.
Sometimes there appears in my mind’s eye a church clock in my native city of Nottingham. Written boldly across its face is the invitation, “Time to seek the Lord.” The child looks at the clock and hopes the hands will never point to bedtime. The youth too often sets out to have a good time and finds he has a bad time. The hands of the clock do not worry him unduly, for there is plenty of time ahead, or so he thinks. The elderly person in the twilight of life hopes there is still time to do the things left undone. In reality we are all in the twilight of this life for the coming of the Savior draws near.
Day 3
Primary
1. Read Joel 1.
2. The prophet Joel prophesied to the people of Judah at a time when they were facing natural disasters and invading armies. Many of Joel’s prophecies relate to the time preceding the Second Coming, which will also be filled with natural disasters and wars. Although some events associated with the Second Coming may cause people to feel afraid, Joel’s prophecies contain principles that can help us prepare for them. Why do you think Joel wanted the people to gather into the temple when they were faced with danger?
3. Listen to the song “We Thank Thee O God for a Prophet.”
4. Listen to the “Books of the Old Testament” song. Be sure you can sing it through Joel!
Youth
1. Read Joel 1.
2. The prophet Joel prophesied to the people of Judah at a time when they were facing natural disasters and invading armies. Many of Joel’s prophecies relate to the time preceding the Second Coming, which will also be filled with natural disasters and wars. Although some events associated with the Second Coming may cause people to feel afraid, Joel’s prophecies contain principles that can help us prepare for them.
3. Why do you think Joel wanted the people to gather into the temple when they were faced with danger? What kinds of danger are youth today faced with? How can we be blessed as we gather into the temple? (If we gather into the temple, we can receive protection from spiritual danger.)
4. Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught about the protection and other blessings youth receive as they participate in family history and temple work:
I invite the young people of the Church to learn about and experience the Spirit of Elijah. …
As you respond in faith to this invitation, your hearts shall turn to the fathers. The promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will be implanted in your hearts. … Your love and gratitude for your ancestors will increase. Your testimony of and conversion to the Savior will become deep and abiding. And I promise you will be protected against the intensifying influence of the adversary. As you participate in and love this holy work, you will be safeguarded in your youth and throughout your lives. (“The Hearts of the Children Shall Turn,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2011, 26–27)
5. Listen to the “Books of the Old Testament” song. Be sure you can sing it through Joel!
Day 4
Primary
1. Read Joel 2.
2. What could it mean for the Spirit to be “poured out” upon us? (Joel 2:28-29) If you have been baptized and given the gift of the Holy Ghost, you are entitled to help and companionship from the Spirit. What must we do to have the Spirit with us?
3. Listen to verses 6, 7, and 8 of Follow the Prophet. (Samuel, Jonah, and Daniel.)
Youth
1. Read Joel 2.
2. In Joel 2 the phrase “The Day of the Lord” refers to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ and events preceding it. Joel 2:3-10 describes the wars and darkness that will precede the coming of the Lord. How is the day of the Lord described? (Joel 2:11)
3. What did the Lord want the people to do so that they would be prepared for his coming? (Joel 2:12-16) As we turn to the Lord with all our hearts by sincerely repenting, He will show mercy and kindness to us.
4. In Joel 2:28–32 it says, “I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh.” President Joseph Fielding Smith explained how the Lord would do this:
The inspiration which was promised to all flesh by the Lord through the prophecy of Joel, is not the promise of the Holy Ghost, but the promise of the guidance of the Light of Christ, or Spirit of Truth, which is given to every man who comes into the world. (Doctrines of Salvation, 3 vols., comp. Bruce R. McConkie [1954–56], 1:53).
There has never has been a step taken … , in discovery or invention, where the Spirit of the Lord … was not the prevailing force, resting upon the individual, which caused him to make the discovery or the invention. (Doctrines of Salvation, 1:178).
This prophecy of Joel may have multiple meanings and fulfillments. On the day of Pentecost in New Testament times, there was a great outpouring of the Spirit on those gathered, which caused Peter to say, “But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; and it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.” (Acts 2:16–17)
President Gordon B. Hinckley further said:
The era in which we live is the fulness of times spoken of in the scriptures, when God has brought together all of the elements of previous dispensations. From the day that He and His Beloved Son manifested themselves to the boy Joseph, there has been a tremendous cascade of enlightenment poured out upon the world. … The vision of Joel has been fulfilled. [see Joel 2:28–32] (“Living in the Fulness of Times,” Ensign, Nov. 2001, 4)
Week 3
Day 1
Primary
1. Read Amos 3.
2. Why do we have prophets? What do prophets do? When we listen to the prophet, we are listening to a messenger of Jesus Christ. By listening to the prophets and following what they say, we can be protected from danger and live a happier life.
3. There is a doctrinal mastery scripture in this chapter, Amos 3:7. (There is a song for it, too!)
7 Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.
4. Listen to the “Books of the Old Testament” song. Be sure you can sing it through Amos!
Youth
1. Read Amos 3.
2. In Amos 3:3–6, the prophet Amos presented several examples of causes and effects: because a lion finds prey, the lion roars; because a baited trap is set for a bird, the bird is ensnared. In verses 7–8, Amos applied this logic to prophets. Ponder why you are grateful that the Lord still “revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets” (Amos 3:7). What does this truth suggest to you about God?
3. There is a doctrinal mastery scripture in this chapter, Amos 3:7. (There is a song for it, too!)
7 Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.
4. Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles emphasized the importance of following the living prophet:
There has always been a desperate need for the steady and reassuring voice of a living prophet of God: one who will speak the mind and will of God in showing the way to spiritual safety and personal peace and happiness. …
… Listen to a prophet’s voice and obey. There is safety in following the living prophet.
A characteristic of prophets throughout the ages is that, regardless of the consequences, they have had the strength to speak the words of God with plainness and boldness. (“Hear the Prophet’s Voice and Obey,” Ensign, May 1995, 15)
5. Listen to the “Books of the Old Testament” song. Be sure you can sing it through Amos!
Day 2
Primary
1. Read Amos 4 and Amos 5.
2. Amos invited the Israelites to “seek good, and not evil” and promised that if they did, “the Lord … shall be with you.” What can we do in our lives to seek good things?
3. Listen to the song “I Want to Live the Gospel.”
Youth
1. Read Amos 4 and Amos 5.
2. As you read Amos 4:6–13, note the judgments the Lord had sent upon the people of Israel. What do these verses suggest about what the Lord hoped would happen after each of these experiences? Think about a recent trial you have experienced. While your trial may not have been sent by God, ponder how it might give you opportunities to seek Him.
3. Read Amos 5:4, 14–15, and ponder how the Lord has been “gracious” (verse 15) to you as you have sought Him, even during your times of trial.
Day 3
Primary
1. Read Amos 8.
2. In Amos 8:11-12, it talks about a famine in the land. Usually a famine means there is not enough food or water. What was there not going to be enough of in the famine Amos talked about?
3. After all of Jesus’s apostles died, there was a long time without the gospel on the earth. This led to the famine Amos prophesied. Today, that famine has ended, because the gospel has been restored. Because we have a prophet today, we never have to worry that we will not be able to hear the word of God.
4. Listen to the song “We Thank Thee O God for a Prophet.”
Youth
1. Read Amos 8.
2. What type of famine did Amos prophecy? (Amos 8:11-12) What did Amos prophesy that the people would do during this famine?
3. The prophecy in Amos 8:11–12 has been fulfilled during several different periods in history. One important fulfillment of this prophecy is the Great Apostasy.
The Great Apostasy … occurred after the Savior established His Church. After the deaths of the Savior and His Apostles, men corrupted the principles of the gospel and made unauthorized changes in Church organization and priesthood ordinances. …
During the Great Apostasy, people were without divine direction from living prophets. Many churches were established, but they did not have priesthood power to lead people to the true knowledge of God the Father and Jesus Christ. … This apostasy lasted until Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son appeared to Joseph Smith in 1820 and initiated the restoration of the fulness of the gospel. (True to the Faith: A Gospel Reference [2004], 13)
4. Today this spiritual famine has been ended by the restoration of the church. President Spencer W. Kimball said:
After centuries of spiritual darkness, … we solemnly announce to all the world that the spiritual famine is ended, the spiritual drought is spent, the word of the Lord in its purity and totalness is available to all men. One needs not wander from sea to sea nor from the north to the east, seeking the true gospel as Amos predicted, for the everlasting truth is available. (in Conference Report, Apr. 1964, 93–94; see also Old Testament Student Manual: 1 Kings–Malachi, 3rd ed. [Church Educational System manual, 2003], 94)
Day 4
Primary
1. Read Obadiah 1.
2. Who are the “saviours … on mount Zion”? President Gordon B. Hinckley gave one possible interpretation of the phrase “saviours on mount Zion,” connecting the phrase to temple and family history work.
“[In the temple] we literally become saviors on Mount Zion. What does this mean? Just as our Redeemer gave His life as a vicarious sacrifice for all men, and in so doing became our Savior, even so we, in a small measure, when we engage in proxy work in the temple, become as saviors to those on the other side who have no means of advancing unless something is done in their behalf by those on earth.
3. Listen to verses 6, 7, and 8 of Follow the Prophet. (Samuel, Jonah, and Daniel.)
4. Listen to the “Books of the Old Testament” song. Be sure you can sing it through Obadiah!
Youth
1. Read Obadiah 1.
2. We do not know much about the prophet Obadiah except that he may have prophesied after the capture of Jerusalem by the Babylonians in 586 B.C. The land of Edom was southeast of the kingdom of Judah and was inhabited by the descendants of Esau, the son of Isaac and twin brother of Jacob. The Edomites were therefore relatives of the Israelites. Despite their close kinship, however, mutual hatred existed between the Edomites and the Israelites. What does it say had deceived the Edomites? (Obadiah 1:3-4)
3. President Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the First Presidency said:
Pride is the great sin of self-elevation. …
… It leads some to revel in their own perceived self-worth, accomplishments, talents, wealth, or position. They count these blessings as evidence of being ‘chosen,’ ‘superior,’ or ‘more righteous’ than others. …
For others, pride turns to envy: they look bitterly at those who have better positions, more talents, or greater possessions than they do. They seek to hurt, diminish, and tear down others in a misguided and unworthy attempt at self-elevation. When those they envy stumble or suffer, they secretly cheer. (“Pride and the Priesthood,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2010, 56)
4. Read Obadiah 1:17. Look for what Obadiah prophesied would happen on Mount Zion. In this verse, Mount Zion can refer to the city of Jerusalem and its temple. What did Obadiah prophesy would happen upon Mount Zion? This prophecy has more than one fulfillment. It was fulfilled anciently when the Jews returned to their promised lands and rebuilt Jerusalem and the temple. It also points to the latter days when Israel will be gathered, Zion will be established, and temple work will bless God’s children.
5. How can we be saviors on Mount Zion? President Gordon B. Hinckley explained:
Just as our Redeemer gave His life as a vicarious sacrifice for all men, and in so doing became our Savior, even so we, in a small measure, when we engage in proxy work in the temple, become as saviors to those on the other side who have no means of advancing unless something is done in their behalf by those on earth. (“Closing Remarks,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2004, 105)
6. Listen to the “Books of the Old Testament” song. Be sure you can sing it through Obadiah!
Week 4
Day 1
Primary
1. Read Jonah 1, Jonah 2, and Jonah 3.
2. The Lord called Jonah to preach to the people of Nineveh, but Jonah fled and was swallowed by a great fish. After God delivered him, Jonah traveled to Nineveh and prophesied that the Lord would destroy the city because of its wickedness. The people of Nineveh repented, and God spared the city.
3. Watch the video about Jonah.
4. Listen to verses 6, 7, and 8 of Follow the Prophet. (Samuel, Jonah, and Daniel.)
5. Listen to the “Books of the Old Testament” song. Be sure you can sing it through Jonah!
Youth
1. Read Jonah 1, Jonah 2, and Jonah 3.
2. The Lord commanded Jonah to preach to the people of Ninevah, and he responded by getting on a ship headed for Tarshish. There’s nothing wrong with sailing to Tarshish, except that it is far away from Nineveh, where Jonah was supposed to go to deliver God’s message. So when the ship encountered a great storm, Jonah knew it was because of his disobedience. At Jonah’s insistence, his fellow mariners cast him into the depths of the sea to stop the storm. It looked like the end of Jonah and his ministry. But the Lord hadn’t given up on Jonah — just as He hadn’t given up on the people of Nineveh and just as He doesn’t give up on any of us.
3. Nineveh was part of the Assyrian empire, an enemy of Israel known for its violence and cruelty. To Jonah, it probably seemed unrealistic that the people of Nineveh were ready to accept the word of God and repent. Yet, as President Dallin H. Oaks taught: “We should never set ourselves up as judges of who is ready and who is not. The Lord knows the hearts of all of His children, and if we pray for inspiration, He will help us find persons He knows to be ‘in a preparation to hear the word.’ (Alma 32:6)” (“Sharing the Restored Gospel,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2016, 58–59) The book of Jonah shows, among other things, how merciful the Lord is when we repent.
4. Listen to the “Books of the Old Testament” song. Be sure you can sing it through Jonah!
Day 2
Primary
1. Read Jonah 4.
2. The people of Nineveh repented when Jonah shared the Lord’s message with them. Jonah resented that the Lord gave the people of Nineveh a second chance. The Lord used a gourd to teach Jonah about mercy and forgiveness. To become like the Lord, we must learn to love and forgive others as He does.
3. Watch another video about Jonah.
4. Listen to the song “I Want to Live the Gospel.”
Youth
1. Read Jonah 4.
2. Pay attention to Jonah 4:1-3. How did he feel when the Lord forgave the people of Ninevah?
3. To teach Jonah the principle of mercy and forgiveness, the Lord caused a gourd to grow, shading Jonah from the hot sun, and then allowed it to die. Without its shade, Jonah suffered. He was angry and unhappy that the gourd had died. Read Jonah 4:10-11 to see what the Lord told him. To become like the Lord, we must learn to love and forgive others as He does!
4. Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said:
When it comes to hating, gossiping, ignoring, ridiculing, holding grudges, or wanting to cause harm, please apply the following:
Stop it!
It’s that simple. We simply have to stop judging others and replace judgmental thoughts and feelings with a heart full of love for God and His children. …
Because we all depend on the mercy of God, how can we deny to others any measure of the grace we so desperately desire for ourselves? …
The pure love of Christ can remove the scales of resentment and wrath from our eyes, allowing us to see others the way our Heavenly Father sees us: as flawed and imperfect mortals who have potential and worth far beyond our capacity to imagine. Because God loves us so much, we too must love and forgive each other. (“The Merciful Obtain Mercy,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2012, 75–76)
Day 3
Primary
1. Read Micah 4 and Micah 5.
2. Micah prophesied to the people of Israel and Judah about the judgments that would come upon them because of their wickedness, lamenting their sins and eventual destruction. However, he also prophesied that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem and taught that in the latter days the Lord would have compassion on Israel. Micah prophesied that a future “ruler in Israel” would be born in Bethlehem. The birth of Jesus Christ fulfilled this prophecy.
3. Listen to the “Books of the Old Testament” song. Be sure you can sing it through Micah!
Youth
1. Read Micah 4 and Micah 5.
2. Micah prophesied to the people of Israel and Judah about the judgments that would come upon them because of their wickedness, lamenting their sins and eventual destruction. However, he also prophesied that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem and taught that in the latter days the Lord would have compassion on Israel.
3. After Jesus was born, the Wise Men came from the East to Jerusalem, seeking the Messiah. Read Matthew 2:1–2. How did the Wise Men knew that the Messiah had been born? Read Matthew 2:3-8. How did the chief priests and scribes know Jesus would be born in Bethlehem?
4. Read Micah 5:2, 4. The prophecies of Micah are the only prophetic writings preserved in the Old Testament to name the birthplace of the Messiah. The chief priests and scribes quoted this prophecy more than 700 years later when Herod asked them where the Messiah would be born.
5. Listen to the “Books of the Old Testament” song. Be sure you can sing it through Micah!
