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FAIR Resources for Come, Follow Me – Restoration Scripture
Week 48: November 23 - 29: "Seek the Lord, and Ye Shall Live"

Amos; Obadiah; Jonah

Doctrinal Focus
Historical & Contextual
Apologetic Application
Practical Applications
Ideas for Teaching
Quick Reference

Doctrinal Focus

  • Key doctrines addressed in this week’s reading

Amos taught that “the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets” (Amos 3:7). The Come, Follow Me material connects this principle with the blessing of having prophets who teach God’s people and help them know what He wants them to do.

Elder Ulisses Soares taught that having prophets is “a sign of God’s love” because they make known God’s promises and the true nature of God and Jesus Christ. He also taught that prophets speak by the power of the Holy Spirit and testify of Christ and His divine mission.

The Lord repeatedly invited Israel to return to Him, declaring, “Seek ye me, and ye shall live” (Amos 5:4). Amos 5:14–15 similarly teaches the importance of seeking good rather than evil, showing that seeking God involves choosing a way of life aligned with Him.

Amos warned of a coming “famine” in which people would hunger and thirst for hearing the word of the Lord (Amos 8:11–12). The lesson compares this spiritual hunger to physical hunger, teaching that God’s word provides something essential to our spiritual lives and that the Restoration has provided renewed access to the gospel.

Jonah initially refused to go to Nineveh, but the Lord continued working with him and eventually helped him fulfill his prophetic responsibility (Jonah 1–3). The lesson emphasizes that the Lord had not given up on Jonah, just as He had not given up on the people of Nineveh or on His covenant people.

  • The people of Nineveh were known for violence and cruelty, yet when they responded to the Lord’s warning with repentance, God showed them mercy (Jonah 3:5–10). Jonah struggled with this mercy, but his experience teaches that God desires people to turn to Him and that His compassion is greater than our willingness to forgive others (Jonah 4:1–11).

Historical & Contextual Insights

  • Insights in this week’s study
  • Amos, Obadiah, and Jonah ministered in the ancient Near East during a period when Israel and surrounding nations faced political instability, spiritual decline, violence, and conflict. Amos preached to the northern kingdom of Israel, while Obadiah addressed Edom, and Jonah was sent to Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian Empire. The lesson materials emphasize that Nineveh was an enemy of Israel known for violence and cruelty.

These prophetic books reflect a world in which nations were frequently threatened by war and conquest, while covenant Israel struggled to remain faithful to the Lord. Amos called Israel to seek the Lord and live (Amos 5:4, 14–15), warned of a famine of hearing the word of the Lord (Amos 8:11–12), and taught that the Lord reveals His will through prophets (Amos 3:7). Jonah provides a complementary story: although Jonah initially resisted his assignment to preach to Nineveh, the Lord continued working with him and extended mercy to the Ninevites when they repented.

  • These books demonstrate that biblical prophecy was not simply about predicting future events. Prophets called people to repentance, explained the consequences of rejecting God, and testified that the Lord remained willing to forgive those who turned to Him. Amos’s teaching that God reveals His word through prophets is particularly significant because the modern lesson applies this principle to the Restoration and to prophets today.
  • The historical setting reminds us that God’s invitations to repent are given within real human circumstances involving fear, injustice, conflict, and personal resistance. The message remains relevant because, as the lesson teaches, the Lord has not given up on His people and continues to provide prophetic guidance and opportunities to change through Jesus Christ.
  • Amos described a future condition in which people would experience a “famine” of hearing the word of the Lord (Amos 8:11–12). The lesson specifically invites readers to apply these verses to the Great Apostasy and asks how the Restoration has satisfied spiritual hunger, presenting the restored gospel as a source of renewed access to God’s word.
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  • A spiritual famine does not necessarily mean that every person has stopped believing in God. It can describe a condition in which people lack access to authorized revelation, prophetic guidance, or the fullness of gospel teachings.
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  • The lesson connects this idea to the Restoration of the gospel, which Latter-day Saints understand as a renewal of divine authority and revealed truth. Amos 8:11–12 therefore provides a framework for considering why continuing revelation and prophetic guidance are important to the Church.
  • Nineveh was an enemy of Israel and was known for violence and cruelty, making Jonah’s assignment to preach repentance there especially difficult. Jonah became “displeased” and “very angry” when the Lord spared Nineveh after its people repented, creating an important tension between Jonah’s desire for justice and God’s willingness to show mercy.
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  • Jonah’s reaction shows that even a prophet can struggle to understand or accept the full scope of God’s mercy. The Lord used Jonah’s experience to teach that divine compassion is not limited to the people we personally consider deserving.
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  • The story also demonstrates that repentance can change the outcome for individuals and communities. Jonah 3 shows the Ninevites responding to the warning, while Jonah 4 invites readers to examine whether they are willing to rejoice when God extends mercy to someone else.

If you have questions on this week’s reading, please email your questions to us here.

Apologetic Application

  1. Claim: “Human mistakes demonstrate that prophets cannot actually receive revelation from God.”
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  3. Response:
  4. Historical Evidence: The biblical record itself portrays prophets as human beings who sometimes struggled, misunderstood situations, or made imperfect choices. Jonah’s attempt to avoid his assignment demonstrates that prophetic calling does not eliminate human agency or weakness; instead, the Lord continued working with Jonah.
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  6. Eyewitness Support: The scriptures preserve accounts of prophets’ weaknesses rather than presenting them as flawless heroes. This pattern is significant because the Bible’s own portrayal of prophetic ministry distinguishes between a prophet’s divine calling and the prophet’s personal imperfections.
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  8. Spiritual Confirmation: Amos teaches that the Lord reveals His word through His servants, the prophets (Amos 3:7), while Elder Ulisses Soares taught that prophets are a sign of God’s love because they testify of Jesus Christ and His divine mission.
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  10. Logical Analysis: A prophet being human does not logically require that every statement or personal action of that prophet be divinely dictated. The more precise Latter-day Saint claim is that God calls prophets to receive and communicate revelation, while prophets remain mortal individuals capable of learning, exercising judgment, and making mistakes.
  • Claim: “There was no meaningful loss of divine authority or revealed truth after the apostles.”
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  • Response:
  • Historical Evidence: Early Christianity experienced significant theological disputes, divisions, and institutional changes following the apostolic period. These historical developments do not by themselves prove or disprove a theological apostasy, but they provide historical context for the Latter-day Saint belief that a restoration of divine authority was needed.
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  • Eyewitness Support: Amos’s warning about a famine of hearing the word of the Lord provides a biblical precedent for describing spiritual deprivation (Amos 8:11–12). The lesson explicitly applies these verses to the Great Apostasy and teaches that the Restoration ended that spiritual famine.
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  • Spiritual Confirmation: Latter-day Saints regard the Restoration as more than the appearance of another Christian denomination; they understand it as God’s restoration of priesthood authority, ordinances, prophetic revelation, and gospel truths. Personal confirmation of that claim comes through prayer, scripture study, and living the teachings rather than through historical evidence alone.
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  • Logical Analysis: Historical evidence can establish that Christianity changed over time, but it cannot independently prove a theological claim about whether priesthood authority was lost. The apologetic case therefore combines historical evidence with biblical interpretation and spiritual testimony rather than treating history as capable of answering the entire question.
  • Claim: “Because the story contains a miraculous event, Jonah cannot be considered a legitimate prophetic account.”
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  • Response:
  • Historical Evidence: The supplied lesson materials treat Jonah as scripture and focus on his prophetic assignment, repentance, and experience with Nineveh rather than attempting to establish the biological details of the great fish.
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  • Eyewitness Support: The Jonah narrative itself does not identify a modern historical eyewitness who recorded the event, so the available material does not provide independent eyewitness corroboration for the fish episode. This limitation should be acknowledged rather than overstating the historical evidence.
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  • Spiritual Confirmation:
  • The religious purpose of the account is centered on God’s mercy, repentance, and willingness to work with imperfect servants. The lesson specifically asks readers to consider what Jonah learned about the Lord’s mercy and how his experience can help us become more merciful.

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  • Logical Analysis: A miracle is, by definition, an event that cannot be explained solely through ordinary expectations about nature. Therefore, the unusual nature of the event does not logically establish that the account is false; the historical question and the theological question should be considered separately.

Practical Applications

Practical solutions for someone in faith crisis:

Action Step: Identify one current challenge that could become an opportunity to draw closer to God.

Amos 4–5 teaches that the Lord wanted Israel’s trials to turn their hearts toward Him, even though not every trial is necessarily sent by God. Seeking Him during difficult circumstances can shift our focus from simply enduring a problem to asking what spiritual growth or guidance may be available.

  1. – Name one difficulty or concern you are currently facing.
  2. – Pray specifically for God’s help and guidance.
  3. – Read Amos 5:4, 14–15.
  4. – Write down one action that would bring you closer to the Lord.
  5. – Follow through on that action during the week.

Encouraging Thought:

  • The lesson asks, “How has seeking Him brought you life?” Amos’s invitation is not merely to endure life with faith but to actively turn toward the Lord and find spiritual life in Him.

Action Step: Establish a consistent time each day to read, ponder, and apply God’s word.

Amos compared the absence of God’s word to a famine in which people would hunger and thirst to hear the Lord’s words (Amos 8:11–12). Regularly receiving God’s word can help us recognize when we are spiritually hungry and gives us opportunities to strengthen our faith.

  1. – Choose a consistent time and place for scripture study.
  2. – Read a small section of scripture rather than trying to cover too much.
  3. – Ask, “What is the Lord teaching me?”
  4. – Write down one principle that stands out.
  5. – Identify one way to live that principle during the day.

Encouraging Thought:

  • The lesson describes the word of the Lord as something that can satisfy spiritual hunger and thirst. Amos 8:11–12 invites us to recognize how much we need continuing access to God’s word.
  • Action Step: Choose one prompting, commandment, or responsibility you have been hesitant to act on and take one faithful step forward.

Jonah’s experience shows that reluctance does not have to be the end of our discipleship. The lesson emphasizes that the Lord did not give up on Jonah; even after Jonah resisted his assignment, the Lord continued working with him and gave him another opportunity to fulfill his mission.

  1. – Identify something you believe the Lord is asking you to do.
  2. -Acknowledge honestly why it feels difficult.
  3. – Pray for courage and guidance.
  4. – Take one specific step toward obedience.
  5. – Notice how the Lord helps you as you move forward.

Encouraging Thought:

  • Jonah’s story demonstrates that a difficult beginning does not have to determine the ending. The Lord was willing to give Jonah another opportunity, just as He continues to offer people opportunities to change through Jesus Christ.

Ideas for Teaching

Objective: Help learners recognize the difference between physical hunger and spiritual hunger and identify ways God’s word can nourish them.

  1. Bible or digital scriptures
  2. Paper and pens
  3. Optional picture of an empty plate or cup

Activity Steps:

  1. Introduction (5 min): Ask learners what happens when they go too long without food or water. Then ask, “What might spiritual hunger feel like?”
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  3. Scripture Discussion (5 min): Read Amos 8:11–12. Discuss why Amos compared the absence of God’s word to a famine. Connect the passage with the lesson’s teaching about the Restoration satisfying spiritual hunger.
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  5. Application (5 min): Have each learner write one change they could make to receive more spiritual nourishment during the coming week.

Follow-Up Question: How can you tell when you are spiritually hungry, and what helps satisfy that hunger?

Objective: Teach that making a mistake or resisting God’s direction does not mean that our opportunity to change is over.

  1. Paper
  2. Markers
  3. Scripture passages from Jonah 1–3

Activity Steps:

Introduction (5 min): Write “I messed up, so it’s too late” on the board. Ask learners whether this statement is always true and why.

Scripture Discussion (5 min): Briefly trace Jonah’s journey from refusing the Lord’s command to eventually going to Nineveh. Discuss how the Lord continued working with Jonah rather than abandoning him.

Application (5 min): Give learners a piece of paper and ask them to write one area where they could make a fresh start. They do not need to share it; invite them to identify one action they can take.

Follow-Up Question: What does Jonah’s experience teach us about God’s willingness to give us another chance?

Objective: Help learners understand the role of prophets as messengers who testify of Jesus Christ and communicate God’s will.

  1. Two small pieces of paper or cards
  2. Bible
  3. Optional recent General Conference message

Activity Steps: 

Introduction (5 min): Give one person a short written message and have them quietly pass it to another person. Ask, “What was the purpose of the messenger?”

Scripture Discussion (5 min): Read Amos 3:7 and discuss why God sends prophets. Compare this with Elder Ulisses Soares’s teaching that prophets testify of Christ and speak by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Application (5 min): Invite learners to identify one recent prophetic teaching and discuss how they could put it into practice.

Follow-Up Question: How can prophetic messages help us recognize what Jesus Christ wants us to do?

QUICK REFERENCE

  • The Lord reveals truth through prophets. Amos 3:7 teaches that the Lord reveals His “secret” through His servants the prophets.
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  • Seeking the Lord brings spiritual life. Amos 5:4, 14–15 invites God’s people to seek Him and choose good.
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  • God’s word satisfies spiritual hunger. Amos 8:11–12 compares the absence of God’s word to a famine.
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  • The Lord gives people opportunities to change. Jonah’s experience illustrates that God did not give up on him after he initially resisted his assignment.
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  • God is merciful to those who turn to Him. Jonah 3–4 shows God’s willingness to extend mercy when the people of Nineveh responded to the warning with repentance.
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  • We can help others through temple work. Obadiah 1:21 connects “saviours … on mount Zion” with the work of performing ordinances for the dead, as discussed in the lesson.
  • Why trust modern prophets?

  • Latter-day Saint teaching identifies prophets as people called by God to speak for Him, testify of Jesus Christ, teach His gospel, and make God’s will known. Amos 3:7 provides the biblical foundation for the principle, while Elder Ulisses Soares taught that prophets speak by the power of the Holy Spirit and testify of Christ and His divine mission. Trust in a prophet does not require assuming that a prophet is personally perfect or that every statement made by a Church leader constitutes official doctrine. The Church’s own study materials distinguish prophetic calling from mortal limitations and explain that Church doctrine is declared through the united voice of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve.

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  • Why does God allow mistakes?

  • Scripture portrays prophets as mortal people who still exercise agency and experience weakness. Jonah’s reluctance to obey demonstrates this directly: he resisted his assignment, yet the Lord continued working with him and ultimately gave him an opportunity to fulfill it. From a Latter-day Saint perspective, God’s use of imperfect people is compatible with His ability to accomplish His purposes. Elder Soares similarly taught that prophets are called to represent Christ and teach His people, while the lesson’s emphasis on Jonah reminds us that God can continue working with people even after mistakes or failures.

  1. Amos 3:7 — The Lord’s revelation through prophets.
  2. Amos 8:11–12 — The spiritual famine caused by lacking the word of the Lord.
  1. “Prophets,” Gospel Topics — Explains the role of prophets, revelation, and the relationship between prophetic leadership and personal revelation.
  2. “Apostasy,” Gospel Topics — Explains the Church’s teachings concerning the Great Apostasy and Restoration and specifically identifies Amos 8:11–12 as a related scripture.
  1. “Prophets Speak by the Power of the Holy Spirit”—Elder Ulisses Soares — The April 2018 General Conference message used in this lesson.
  2. “November 23–29: ‘Seek the Lord, and Ye Shall Live’”—Come, Follow Me — The official 2026 lesson containing the scripture discussion questions and teaching ideas.