prayer.
Little children will not be troubled with doubt and disbelief unless the
teacher fosters such attitudes.

To older minds, of course, the story already is a good bit of a
stumbling block, and therefore needs to be given thoughtful preparation.

At the outset, with older students, we ought to lead them into the
beauties of the story--beauties which all too frequently are wholly
unknown to the ordinary boy or girl. Read the story:

The call that comes to Jonah.
His hesitancy.
His dodging of duty.
His selfish judgments.
His punishment.
His attitude toward the people of Nineveh.
The lesson taught.

"Yes," says the young skeptic, "but how about the whale idea? Do you
expect us to believe that stuff? It's contrary to all natural law."

Let's meet the issue squarely. The Bible says that Jonah was swallowed
by a big fish. Science is agreed that that part of the account is easily
possible--nothing contrary to natural law so far.

"But what about the three days? That surely is."

Here is a challenge. Is it possible that life can be suspended, "and
restored"? Let the scriptures testify. It was so in the case of the
daughter of Jairus. (Mark 5:22-43.)

So was it in the case of Lazarus. (John 11:23-44.)

Consider the case of the Son of God Himself! Buried in the tomb,
Jesus rose the third day. If you can believe in the resurrection, you
can believe in the restoration of Jonah. It is interesting to note that
Jesus Himself accepted the story of Jonah. See Matthew 12:40:

"For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the whale's belly;
so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart
of the earth."

To doubt Jonah is to question the Master. Not only so, but if a person
throws out the story of Jonah, he faces a chain of miraculous events
from one end of the Bible to the other from which he will have
difficulty to escape. You ask me to explain Jonah, I shall reply by
asking you to explain:

The creation of man.
The flood.
The confusion of Babel.
The parting of the Red Sea.
The three Hebrews and the furnace.
Elisha and the ax.
The birth of the Savior.
His resurrection.
One-third of the account given by Matthew.
Your own birth.

May one not accept with confidence the word of God as contained in the
Doctrine & Covenants, Sec. 35:8?

"For I am God, and mine arm is not shortened; and I will show miracles,
signs and wonders unto all those who _b