Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego were among the first group of Jews taken captive to Babylon and were selected to be trained for service in King Nebuchadnezzar’s household. Daniel and his friends kept the Lord’s laws by refusing wine and certain foods from the king. The Lord blessed them physically, mentally, and spiritually, and they excelled in wisdom above other servants of the king. Later, Nebuchadnezzar had a dream that troubled him. He ordered all the wise men in Babylon to be killed unless they could reveal the dream and its meaning. The Lord revealed to Daniel the dream and the interpretation of it, which included a description of the kingdom of God upon the earth in the latter days.
Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego keep the Lord’s law by refusing the king’s food
Invite students to imagine that while they are at a social gathering away from home, a friend invites them to do something that is contrary to the Word of Wisdom. Ask students to consider how they would respond. Explain that in this lesson, students will learn about some young men who obeyed the Lord despite being pressured to disobey Him.
Summarize Daniel 1:1–7 by explaining that in approximately 606 BC, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, attacked Jerusalem. Nebuchadnezzar took items from the temple and a select group of Jews back to Babylon (see 2 Kings 24:13–14). He commanded an official in his palace to take some of the Israelite youth who were “well favoured, and skilful in all wisdom” (Daniel 1:4) and train them for service in his household. Among these youth were four young men named Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. After they arrived in Babylon, their names were changed to Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, respectively. (See Daniel 1:6–7.)
Divide the class into small groups. Invite students to take turns reading aloud from Daniel 1:5–20 and to discuss the following questions in their groups (write these questions on the board):
What did the king provide for Daniel and his friends?
How did Daniel and his friends respond to the king’s provision?
How did the Lord bless Daniel and his friends both physically and spiritually?
After sufficient time, invite a few students to report what they discussed in their groups.
What principle can we learn from the experience of Daniel and his friends? (Students may use different words, but they should identify the following principle: If we keep the Lord’s laws, then He will bless us physically and spiritually according to the Lord’s timing.)
What has the Lord commanded in our day regarding what we should or should not take into our bodies? (See D&C 89:5, 7–17 and “Physical and Emotional Health” in For the Strength of Youth [booklet, 2011], 25–27.)
Invite a student to read aloud the following statement by President Boyd K. Packer (1924–2015) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Ask the class to listen for what he taught about the purposes of the Word of Wisdom:
Image
Boyd K. Packer
“I have come to know … that a fundamental purpose of the Word of Wisdom has to do with revelation. …
“If someone ‘under the influence’ can hardly listen to plain talk, how can they respond to spiritual promptings that touch their most delicate feelings?
“As valuable as the Word of Wisdom is as a law of health, it may be much more valuable to you spiritually than it is physically” (Boyd K. Packer, “Prayers and Answers,” Ensign, Nov. 1979, 20).
In what ways might the Word of Wisdom be much more valuable to us spiritually than it is physically? (You may want to point out that the events recorded in Daniel 1:17–20 may be an illustration of how people can benefit more spiritually than physically from following the Lord’s law of health.)
What are some of the physical and spiritual blessings you have experienced by keeping the Lord’s law of health?
Just as Daniel “purposed in his heart” (Daniel 1:8) to always obey the Lord, what commitments will you make now that will help you to always qualify for the blessings of obeying the Word of Wisdom?
Daniel prays about King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, and Heavenly Father reveals it to him
Invite students as they study Daniel 2 to look for how Daniel used the “understanding in all visions and dreams” (Daniel 1:17) the Lord had blessed him with.
Summarize Daniel 2:1–13 by explaining that Nebuchadnezzar had a dream that troubled him. He asked his wise men to interpret his dream without him describing it to them, since he wanted to test them (see verse 5, footnote a). The wise men protested and said that no one could interpret the dream without the king describing it. In anger, Nebuchadnezzar ordered the deaths of all the wise men in Babylon, including Daniel and his friends.
Invite a student to read Daniel 2:14–19 aloud. Ask the class to follow along, looking for Daniel’s response when he heard about King Nebuchadnezzar’s decree.
What did Daniel and his friends do? (You may want to explain that to “desire mercies of the God of heaven” [verse 18] means to seek Heavenly Father’s help.)
According to verse 19, what happened after Daniel and his friends sought Heavenly Father’s help?
Remind students that Daniel had demonstrated great obedience to the Lord and that the Lord had blessed Daniel with “understanding in all visions and dreams” (Daniel 1:17).
How might this account have been different if Daniel and his friends had succumbed to pressure and partaken of the king’s meat and wine (see Daniel 1:5)?
Summarize Daniel 2:20–25 by explaining that Daniel praised the Lord and expressed gratitude to Him for revealing to Daniel the king’s dream and its interpretation. When Daniel told the king’s servant that he could reveal the king’s dream to the king, the servant immediately brought Daniel to him.
Invite a student to read Daniel 2:26–28 aloud. Ask the class to follow along, looking for what Daniel told the king about God and the latter days. Invite students to report what they find.
Explain that Daniel 2:31–35 records Daniel’s description of King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. Invite a student to read Daniel 2:31–35 aloud. Ask the class to follow along and look for the different elements of the dream. Invite a student to draw on the board the image and the stone Daniel described. (As the lesson continues, add labels to the drawing as shown in the accompanying diagram.)
What did the stone do to the image? What did the stone become?
Explain that Daniel 2:36–45 records that Daniel revealed to King Nebuchadnezzar the interpretation of his dream. Invite a student to read Daniel 2:37–38 aloud. Ask the class to follow along, looking for what Daniel revealed about the head of the image from the dream.
Who did Daniel say the head represented? (Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonian Empire.)
Invite students to consider recording “Babylonian Empire” in their scriptures next to verse 38.
Invite a student to read Daniel 2:39–40 aloud. Ask the class to follow along, looking for the additional truths Daniel revealed.
What else did Daniel reveal about the king’s dream? (The other sections of the image represented kingdoms that would rise after Babylon fell.)
Explain that the image’s breast and arms made of silver represent the empire of the Medes and Persians (see Bible Maps, no. 7, “The Persian Empire” in the LDS version of the Bible or on LDS.org), the belly and thighs of brass represent the Macedonian (Greek) Empire, and the image’s legs of iron represent the Roman Empire (see Spencer W. Kimball, “The Stone Cut without Hands,” Ensign, May 1976, 8). Invite students to consider recording these interpretations in their scriptures next to verses 39 and 40.
Summarize Daniel 2:41–43 by explaining that Daniel revealed that the toes of the image represented both strong and weak kingdoms. Explain that these represent the many kingdoms that arose after the fall of the Roman Empire (see Spencer W. Kimball, “The Stone Cut without Hands,” 8). Invite students to consider recording “Many kingdoms” next to verses 41–43. Point out that the time of many kingdoms includes the latter days (see verse 44, footnote a).
Invite a student to read Daniel 2:44–45 aloud. Ask the class to follow along, looking for what Daniel revealed about what God would do during the time of many kingdoms.
According to verse 44, what did Daniel prophesy that God would do during the time of many kingdoms?
What does the stone cut out of the mountain without hands represent? (Explain that in this verse the phrase “kingdom of God” refers to the kingdom of God on the earth—The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.)
Invite students to consider recording The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints next to verses 44–45.
What might the phrase “cut out of the mountain without hands” in verse 45 mean? (The kingdom was established by God, not by man.)
Why is it important for you to understand that the Church was established by God and not by man?
What does Daniel’s prophecy teach us about the Church? (After students respond, write the following truth on the board: The Lord established His Church—The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—and it will continue to grow until it fills the whole earth.)
Why is it important for us to remember that we are part of God’s kingdom on earth? (Make sure students understand that while this is God’s work and He is the one responsible for its growth, He invites and enlists us to help.)
What are some things we can do to help the Church grow and fill the earth?
Share your testimony about why it is important to you to be a part of God’s kingdom on earth. Invite students to ponder and then record in their study journals what they will do to help the kingdom of God to continue rolling forth to fill the earth.
Invite a student to read Daniel 2:46–49 aloud. Ask the class to follow along, looking for King Nebuchadnezzar’s response to the interpretation of his dream.
What did Nebuchadnezzar do for Daniel and his friends?
Invite students to ponder the truths they have learned during this lesson and to follow any promptings they may have received from the Holy Ghost to act on these truths.
President Russell M. Nelson taught about not defiling our physical bodies:
Image
Russell M. Nelson
“When we understand our nature and our purpose on earth, and that our bodies are physical temples of God, we will realize that it is sacrilege to let anything enter the body that might defile it” (Russell M. Nelson, “The Magnificence of Man,” Ensign, Jan. 1988, 68).
President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910–2008) emphasized that we are eyewitnesses to the fulfillment of Daniel’s prophecy:
Image
Gordon B. Hinckley
“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” (Gordon B. Hinckley, “The Stone Cut Out of the Mountain,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2007, 83).
President Russell M. Nelson explained the importance of the gathering of Israel in order for the Church to fill the whole earth as prophesied by Daniel and invited the youth of the Church to enlist in the cause of the gathering:
“… These surely are the latter days, and the Lord is hastening His work to gather Israel. That gathering is the most important thing taking place on earth today. Nothing else compares in magnitude, nothing else compares in importance, nothing else compares in majesty. And if you choose to, if you want to, you can be a big part of it. You can be a big part of something big, something grand, something majestic!
“When we speak of the gathering, we are simply saying this fundamental truth: every one of our Heavenly Father’s children, on both sides of the veil, deserves to hear the message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. They decide for themselves if they want to know more. …
“My question tonight to every one of you between the ages of 12 and 18 is this: Would you like to be a big part of the greatest challenge, the greatest cause, and the greatest work on earth today?
“Would you like to help gather Israel during these precious latter days? Would you, who are the elect, be willing to help find the elect who have not heard the message of the restored gospel? Would you like to be among those ‘swift messengers’ of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke? [See Isaiah 18:2.]
“Now, participating in the gathering of Israel will require some sacrifice on your part. It may even require some changes in your life. It will definitely take some of your time and energy and your God-given talents. Are you interested?” (in Russell M. Nelson and Wendy W. Nelson, “Hope of Israel” [worldwide devotional for youth, June 3, 2018], broadcasts.lds.org).
