Come Follow Me 2026: Daniel 1–7 | “There Is No Other God That Can Deliver”
This week on Come Follow Me for Teens, we're studying Daniel 1–7 (November 9–15, 2026), with the theme “There Is No Other God That Can Deliver.”
What does it take to remain faithful to God when the world around you seems determined to change what you believe?
And how can we develop the kind of faith that allows us to trust Heavenly Father even when our lives don't unfold the way we hoped?
Some of the most remarkable examples of faith in all of scripture come from a group of young men who were taken from their homes and carried into captivity in Babylon.
Surrounded by unfamiliar beliefs, pressured to compromise their standards, and even threatened with death, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego demonstrated extraordinary faith in God.
Their experiences teach us three powerful principles about maintaining our spiritual connection with Heavenly Father, learning to trust His will and timing, and finding protection and peace through our covenants with Him.
Daniel 1 — The Word of Wisdom and Our Connection with God
In Daniel 1:8, we read a remarkable statement about a young man determined to remain faithful to God:
“But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself.”
Despite the pressures and privileges of living in the king's court, Daniel chose to remain faithful to God's laws.
And the blessings he received were extraordinary!
Daniel and his friends were blessed with physical health, but the scriptures also tell us that God gave them knowledge, skill, understanding, and wisdom (Daniel 1:17).
There's a beautiful connection between those blessings and the promises the Lord gave through the Prophet Joseph Smith in Doctrine and Covenants 89—the Word of Wisdom.
We often think of the Word of Wisdom primarily as a law of physical health. But what if some of its greatest blessings are actually spiritual?
The Lord promises those who keep His commandments that they shall receive:
“Health in their navel and marrow to their bones; And shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge” (Doctrine and Covenants 89:18–19).
Have you ever wondered why the Lord specifically promises health in our navel?
What's so important about our belly button?
We'll explore a fascinating way of looking at that promise through the physical connection we once had with our mothers before birth—and how that connection can become a beautiful illustration of our spiritual relationship with Heavenly Father.
We'll also consider the Lord's warning about the “evils and designs” of conspiring men in the last days (Doctrine and Covenants 89:4), and why that warning is especially meaningful for teenagers growing up in a world of addictive substances, powerful advertising, and influences competing for their attention.
What if one of the greatest blessings of living the Word of Wisdom is protecting our ability to recognize the voice of God?
The Lord's commandments can help protect us from dangers we may not yet recognize and preserve the spiritual sensitivity we need to receive His guidance.
Daniel 3 — “But If Not”: Learning to Trust God's Will
Then we'll turn to Daniel 3 and what I consider one of the most powerful declarations of faith anywhere in scripture.
When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego refused to bow before King Nebuchadnezzar's golden image, they were threatened with death in a fiery furnace.
Standing before the king, they boldly testified that their God had the power to deliver them.
But then they added three extraordinary words:
“But if not” (Daniel 3:18).
Think about that.
They knew God could save them. They believed in His power to perform miracles.
But their willingness to remain faithful wasn't dependent upon receiving the miracle they hoped for.
What an extraordinary example of faith!
We'll explore a powerful experience shared by Elder David A. Bednar involving a young newly married couple whose lives were suddenly changed by a devastating cancer diagnosis.
As they prayed and exercised faith that God could heal the young husband, Elder Bednar asked them a question that transformed their understanding of faith:
Did they have the faith not to be healed?
What does it mean to trust God's power while also trusting His wisdom, will, and timing?
We'll also consider why God delivered Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego from the flames, while the prophet Abinadi was called upon to remain faithful even unto death.
And ultimately, we'll turn to the perfect example of Jesus Christ, who prayed in Gethsemane:
“Nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done” (Luke 22:42).
Every one of us will experience moments when our prayers are answered differently than we hoped.
How can we learn to trust Heavenly Father during those experiences without allowing disappointment to weaken our faith in Him?
I love this thought:
God can do everything for me … but if not … that won't change Him being everything to me.
Perhaps that is one of the greatest expressions of faith we can develop.
Daniel 6 — Finding Protection and Peace Through Our Covenants
Finally, we'll turn to the remarkable account of Daniel in the lions' den.
By this point in Daniel's life, he had developed a reputation for extraordinary wisdom, honesty, and integrity.
His enemies could find no fault in his character, so they carefully devised a plan intended to use his faithfulness against him.
They persuaded King Darius to establish a law making it illegal to pray to anyone except the king for thirty days.
But Daniel's response was remarkable.
When he learned that the decree had been signed, he continued praying three times a day:
“As he did aforetime” (Daniel 6:10).
I love those words!
Daniel's spiritual strength had been developing long before his enemies arranged to have him thrown into the lions' den.
We'll explore how our own daily decisions, prayers, and covenant faithfulness can prepare us for challenges we cannot yet anticipate.
And we'll discover why the wisdom and power of Heavenly Father are greater than the cunning and designs of the adversary.
We'll also consider a remarkable experience shared by President Henry B. Eyring.
In June 1976, the Teton Dam collapsed in Idaho, sending devastating floodwaters toward the community where his four young sons were staying.
Unable to contact his children or return home, President Eyring and his wife faced a frightening night of uncertainty.
Yet during that experience, they received a beautiful spiritual reassurance connected to the eternal promises of their temple covenants.
What can that experience teach us about finding peace when circumstances around us seem frightening or beyond our control?
And why did President Russell M. Nelson teach that the safest place to be spiritually is within our temple covenants?
We'll discover how the covenants we make with Heavenly Father connect us to the protection, strength, guidance, and peace available through Jesus Christ.
There Is No Other God That Can Deliver
As we bring these three remarkable accounts together, we'll discover something beautiful about the God Daniel and his friends trusted.
He can deliver us through the wisdom and revelation that help us recognize danger before we encounter it.
He can strengthen us with the faith to trust His will, even when life doesn't unfold the way we hoped.
And through our covenants with Him, He can provide divine protection, peace, and promises that reach into eternity.
Perhaps the greatest blessing we discover in Daniel's experiences is the importance of developing a personal relationship with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.
Daniel knew whom he trusted.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego knew whom they served.
And through our own experiences of faith, obedience, and covenant discipleship, we can develop that same confidence in God.
He can guide us before the danger.
He can strengthen us in the flames.
And He can send His angels into the lions' dens of our lives.
“There Is No Other God That Can Deliver.”
Join me for this week's Come Follow Me for Teens podcast as we discover how the experiences of Daniel and his friends can help us develop a stronger connection with Heavenly Father, greater trust in His will, and confidence in the remarkable power of Jesus Christ to deliver His people.
Listen to this week's episode and discover how these ancient accounts of faith can strengthen your relationship with Jesus Christ today.
Daniel 1–7 | “There Is No Other God That Can
Deliver”
This week’s Come Follow Me for Teens Study & Teaching Guide gives parents and teachers a ready-to-use way to help youth explore Daniel 1–7 and the theme “There Is No Other God That Can Deliver”—without having to build the lesson from scratch.
Some of the most remarkable examples of faith in all of scripture come from a group of young men who were taken from their homes and carried into captivity in Babylon.
Surrounded by unfamiliar beliefs, pressured to compromise their standards, and even threatened with death, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego remained faithful to God.
What gave these young men the strength to stand firm? How can teenagers develop that same kind of faith today?
Through three connected teaching principles, youth will discover how Heavenly Father helps us recognize His voice, trust His will and timing, and find protection, strength, and peace through our covenants with Him.
In “Daniel Purposed in His Heart,” youth will explore Daniel's courageous decision to remain faithful to God's laws (Daniel 1:8) and the extraordinary blessings of wisdom, knowledge, and understanding he received. Through a meaningful connection with Doctrine and Covenants 89, they'll discover why the Word of Wisdom is much more than a law of physical health.
They'll explore the Lord's remarkable promise of “health in their navel” and a memorable illustration that helps them understand the importance of maintaining a healthy spiritual connection with Heavenly Father. They'll also discover how the Word of Wisdom protects our agency, strengthens our ability to recognize the Holy Ghost, and helps safeguard us against harmful and addictive influences in today's world.
In “But If Not,” youth will explore one of the most powerful declarations of faith in all of scripture. When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego were threatened with death in a fiery furnace, they boldly testified of God's power to deliver them. But then they added three extraordinary words:
“But if not” (Daniel 3:18).
What does it mean to trust God even when life doesn't unfold the way we hope?
Through Elder David A. Bednar's powerful experience with a young couple facing a devastating cancer diagnosis, the example of the prophet Abinadi, and the Savior's prayer in Gethsemane, youth will discover why true faith includes trusting Heavenly Father's will and timing, even when our most heartfelt prayers are answered differently than we expected.
God can do everything for me … but if not … that won't change Him being everything to me.
In “My God Hath Sent His Angel,” youth will explore the remarkable account of Daniel in the lions' den (Daniel 6). They'll discover how Daniel's consistent pattern of prayer and faithfulness prepared him to face extraordinary challenges, and why the wisdom and power of God are greater than the cunning and designs of the adversary.
Through President Henry B. Eyring's moving experience during the Teton Dam disaster of 1976, youth will learn about the remarkable spiritual security available through our covenants with Heavenly Father. They'll discover why President Russell M. Nelson taught that the safest place to be spiritually is within our temple covenants, and how those sacred promises can bring protection, strength, reassurance, and peace even during life's most uncertain moments.
Inside This Guide
3 complete teaching principles
Readiness activities and object lessons
Scripture-based discovery questions
Teacher-friendly explanations and meaningful scripture connections
Discussion and journal questions
Teachings from Church leaders, including October 2026 General Conference
Application questions and actions
Personal testimony/experience prompts
Teach This in 25 Minutes lesson path
Ideas for teaching naturally at home
Additional scripture study: Daniel 2, 4, 5, and 7—including the stone cut without hands, the writing on the wall, and the everlasting kingdom of Jesus Christ
Designed for parents, Youth Sunday School teachers, Young Men and Young Women leaders, and teens studying independently.
At the center of the entire guide is one remarkable truth:
There is no other God who can deliver as our Heavenly Father can through Jesus Christ.
He gives us commandments and spiritual guidance to help us recognize dangers before we encounter them.
He strengthens our faith so we can trust His will, even when life takes an unexpected turn.
And through our covenants with Him, He offers promises of divine protection, peace, and blessings that reach into eternity.
Throughout Daniel's experiences, we discover that the greatest source of strength in our lives is the relationship we develop with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.
Daniel knew whom he trusted. His three friends knew whom they served. And through our own experiences of faith, obedience, and covenant discipleship, we can come to know Them more personally as well.
God can guide us before the danger, strengthen us in the flames, and send His angels into the lions' dens of our lives.
Because through Jesus Christ, “There Is No Other God That Can Deliver.”
Weekly teaching resources for both Come Follow Me and For the Strength of Youth—without hours of prep.
