Lesson 25: The Kirtland Temple Is Constructed

Primary 5: Doctrine and Covenants and Church History, (1997), 133–38

http://www.lds.org/music/library/childrens-songbook/i-love-to-see-the-temple?lang=eng

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 Collect to bring: a rock, white fabric to represent curtains, a dish or glass object, a needle, cornmeal, play money (or small coins), and a watch or clock (to represent the time spent building the temple). For enrichment activity

Write each descriptive phrase from Doctrine and Covenants 88:119(“a house of prayer,” “a house of fasting,” and so on) on a separate piece of paper, and put the papers in a container.

Find prepared materials and ideas at

http://www.sugardoodle.net/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2988&Itemid=5

One of the activities proposed here uses outlines of rakes and shovels for a question activity.  This reminds me of when the Mount Timpanogos Temple was constructed, and in preparation for building to begin, members in the area got to go clear the grounds with rakes and shovels.  -- C.D.

Purpose

To help the children have the desire to sacrifice to help build the kingdom of God.

Preparation

1. 1. 
   Prayerfully study Doctrine and Covenants 88:119–20

   
   

    119 ^aOrganize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a ^bhouse, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God;

    120 That your ^aincomings may be in the name of the Lord; that your outgoings may be in the name of the Lord; that all your salutations may be in the name of the Lord, with ^buplifted hands unto the Most High.

   The above describes the temple, but verse 119 can also describe our homes.   How can you help with creating a home that has those qualities? 

   
   

   
   

   ; 95:1–3, 8, 11–17

   
   

    1 Verily, thus saith the Lord unto you whom I love, and whom I^alove I also chasten that their sins may be ^bforgiven, for with the^cchastisement I prepare a way for their ^ddeliverance in all things out of ^etemptation, and I have loved you—

    2 Wherefore, ye must needs be chastened and stand rebuked before my face;

    3 For ye have sinned against me a very grievous sin, in that ye have not considered the great commandment in all things, that I have given unto you concerning the building of mine ^ahouse;

    8 Yea, verily I say unto you, I gave unto you a commandment that you should ^abuild a house, in the which house I design to^bendow those whom I have ^cchosen with power from on high;   [An endowment is a gift.]

   11 Verily I say unto you, it is my will that you should build a house. ^aIf you keep my commandments you shall have power to build it.

    12 If you ^akeep not my commandments, the ^blove of the Father shall not continue with you, therefore you shall ^cwalk in darkness.

    13 Now here is wisdom, and the ^amind of the Lord—let the house be built, not after the manner of the world, for I give not unto you that ye shall live after the manner of the world;

    14 Therefore, let it be built after the ^amanner which I shall show unto three of you, whom ye shall appoint and ordain unto this power.

    15 And the size thereof shall be fifty and five feet in width, and let it be sixty-five feet in length, in the inner court thereof.

    16 And let the lower part of the inner court be dedicated unto me for your sacrament offering, and for your preaching, and your fasting, and your praying, and the ^aoffering up of your most holy desires unto me, saith your Lord.

    17 And let the higher part of the inner court be dedicated unto me for the ^aschool of mine apostles, saith Son ^bAhman; or, in other words, Alphus; or, in other words, Omegus; even Jesus Christ your ^cLord. Amen.

   ; and the historical account given in this lesson. Then study the lesson and decide how you want to teach the children the scriptural and historical accounts. (See “Preparing Your Lessons,” pp. vi–vii, and“Teaching the Scriptural and Historical Accounts,” pp. vii–ix.)
2. 2. 
   Select the discussion questions and enrichment activities that will involve the children and best help them achieve the purpose of the lesson.
3. 3. 
   Materials needed:
   1. a. 
      A Doctrine and Covenants for each child.
   2. b. 
      Paper and a crayon or pencil for each child.
   3. c. 
      Picture 5-25, Kirtland Temple (Gospel Art Picture Kit 500; 62431).

Suggested Lesson Development

Invite a child to give the opening prayer.

Attention Activity

Give each child a piece of paper and a crayon or pencil. Ask the children to each draw a picture of a temple, and give them a few minutes to do so. Let each child display his or her picture to the rest of the class.

Explain that it probably was not too hard for the children to draw a temple because they know what temples look like. They have seen temples or pictures of temples. However, when Joseph Smith was commanded to build a temple, he had never seen a temple or even a picture of one. The Lord revealed the plans for the Kirtland Temple to the Prophet Joseph in a vision.

Scriptural and Historical Accounts

Teach the children about the building of the Kirtland Temple, as described in the scriptures listed in the “Preparation” section and the following historical account (see enrichment activity 1). Show the picture of the Kirtland Temple at an appropriate time.

In December 1832 the Lord commanded the members of the Church to build a temple in Kirtland, Ohio. They were to “establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God” (D&C 88:119).

The Saints were very poor and they knew the temple would cost a lot of money, so they did not start building it right away. Six months later they still had not started building the temple. In June 1833 the Lord revealed to Joseph Smith that he was displeased with the Saints for not starting to build his house. The Lord said the Saints had committed “a very grievous sin” by not obeying this commandment (D&C 95:3). The Church members repented of their delay, and four days later men began hauling stone and digging trenches in preparation for building the temple.

Joseph Smith asked some of the other Church leaders how they thought the temple should be built. Some said it should be made of logs, while others said it should be of wooden boards. Joseph said, “Shall we, brethren, build a house for our God, of logs? No, I have a better plan than that. I have a plan of the house of the Lord, given by himself; and you will soon see by this, the difference between our calculations and his idea of things” (quoted in Lucy Mack Smith, History of Joseph Smith, p. 230). The plans for the Kirtland Temple were shown to the First Presidency of the Church—Joseph Smith, Sidney Rigdon, and Frederick G. Williams—in a vision. Frederick G. Williams reported that the Lord told Joseph to gather with his counselors, and the Lord would show them how to build the temple (see D&C 95:14).

The three men knelt to pray, and they saw a vision of the temple. First they saw the outside, and then the building seemed to pass over them and they saw the inside. Frederick G. Williams said that when the Kirtland Temple was completed it looked exactly as it had in the vision. During the building of the temple someone tried to get Joseph Smith to change some of the design, but Joseph insisted that the temple be built just as it appeared in the vision.

The Kirtland Temple was not exactly like today’s temples, where families are sealed for time and all eternity and work is performed for the dead. It was more like a special meetinghouse where the Saints held their Church meetings. The Lord told the Saints exactly how big to build the temple (D&C 95:15). It was 110 feet from the ground to the dome. The temple was built of stone, and the outside walls were covered with plaster. Inside, the main floor had three ascending rows of three pulpits each at both the east and west sides. The rows at one end of the floor were the Melchizedek Priesthood pulpits, and the rows at the other end were the Aaronic Priesthood pulpits. The seats in the room were reversible so that the audience could face either direction.

Blog about LDS Assembly Halls:  http://thetrumpetstone.blogspot.com/2010/11/lds-temple-assembly-halls.html

Because the members of the Church were so poor, they had to sacrifice much to build the Kirtland Temple. Almost all the men who could work and who were not away on missions helped build the temple. Joseph Smith was foreman in the quarry where the stone for the walls was cut. On Saturdays the men who had horses and wagons hauled stone from the quarry to the temple site so the stonemasons would have enough stone to work with during the week.

Emma Smith supervised the women of Kirtland in sewing clothing for the temple workmen. The women also made carpets and curtains of white canvas. The curtains were hung from the ceiling of the temple and could be used to divide the large rooms on the first and second floors into smaller rooms. Curtains were also hung above the pulpits to provide privacy when needed.

Many people worked on the temple every day. Because they were giving all their available money to build the temple, sometimes the workers did not have very much food or nice clothing to wear. Daniel Tyler recalled:

“How often have I seen those humble, faithful servants of the Lord, after toiling all day in the quarry, or on the building, when the walls were in [the] course of erection, weary and faint, yet with cheerful countenances, retiring to their homes with a few pounds of corn meal that had been donated. And, in the case of those who lacked a cow to give a little milk, the corn meal was sometimes, for days together, all that they and their families had to subsist upon. When a little flour, butter or meat came in, they were luxuries. Sometimes a little … molasses … would be donated, but oftener the hands had to seek a job elsewhere to get a gallon or so, and then return to the labor on the temple” (quoted in Karl Ricks Anderson, Joseph Smith’s Kirtland: Eyewitness Accounts, p. 161).

Church leaders and members prayed for help to finish the temple. One way the Lord answered their prayers was by sending some wealthy members to Kirtland. These members had enough money to pay back the money Church members owed to the bank, so the bank did not take ownership of the temple.

Church members had to protect the temple from mobs trying to destroy it. Some men got very little sleep because they worked on building the temple during the day and then sat up guarding the temple with their guns at night. The mobs also threatened the lives of the Prophet and other Church leaders. Oliver Huntington, Joseph Smith’s bodyguard, told about one incident:

“At a time when Joseph Smith was guarded day and night by his brethren from mob violence … he was in a log house at night. Several brethren were with him and were making arrangements as to who should stand guard that night.

“Joseph was listening to the prayer of a little boy in the room adjoining. The boy prayed for the Prophet, that he might be secure and safe from his enemies, the mob, that night.

“When the boy had done praying, Joseph turned to his brethren and told them all to go to bed and all sleep and rest themselves that night, for God had heard and would answer that boy’s prayer. They all went to bed and slept safely until morning undisturbed” (quoted in Anderson, p. 165).

The members of the Church collected broken dishes and glass to be put in the plaster so that the temple would be more beautiful. When the temple was finished, the plaster on the outside of the temple sparkled when the sun shone upon it.

The Lord commanded the Saints to build the Kirtland Temple because he needed a place where he and other heavenly messengers could come to restore essential keys of the priesthood. The Saints also needed a place where they could meet together and learn from their leaders. Building the Kirtland Temple was a great task, but the members worked hard and had faith that the Lord would help them do what he had asked them to do. By March 1836 the temple was ready to be dedicated.

Discussion and Application Questions

Study the following questions and the scripture references as you prepare your lesson. Use the questions you feel will best help the children understand the scriptures and apply the principles in their lives. Reading and discussing the scriptures with the children in class will help them gain personal insights.

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  What kind of building did the Lord command the Saints to build? Have the children follow along in their scriptures as one child reads Doctrine and Covenants 88:119. Why is it important that the Lord’s house be all these things? What are some things we could do to make our homes like this? (See enrichment activity 2.)
• •
  Why was the Lord displeased with the Saints in June 1833? (D&C 95:3.) Why did the Saints wait to start building the temple? Have you ever delayed doing something you knew you should do because you were afraid or did not know how you would accomplish it? Let the children tell about any such experiences they want to share. What did the Lord promise the Saints if they kept his commandments? (D&C 95:11.) What did he say would happen if they did not keep his commandments? (D&C 95:12.) What does the Lord promise us if we keep his commandments? What happens if we do not keep his commandments?
• •
  Who gave the plans for the temple? (D&C 95:13–14.) How did the members of the Church find out what these plans were? Who saw the plans in a vision?
• •
  What were some of the purposes of the Kirtland Temple? (D&C 95:16–17.) What are some of the purposes of temples today?
• •
  What sacrifices did the Saints make to build the Kirtland Temple? What sacrifices have you made for the Church? What sacrifices might you be asked to make in the future to help build the kingdom of God? (See enrichment activities 3 and 4.)
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  How do you think the Saints felt when they saw the completed Kirtland Temple? How do you feel when you make a sacrifice to do something you are asked to do?

Enrichment Activities

You may use one or more of the following activities any time during the lesson or as a review, summary, or challenge.

1. 1. 
   Bring objects representative of those mentioned in the historical account, such as a rock, white fabric to represent curtains, a dish or glass object, a needle, cornmeal, play money (or small coins), and a watch or clock (to represent the time spent building the temple).
   At the beginning of class, have each child choose an object. As you mention each item while relating the historical account, have the child display the object on the table or floor. After you have finished the historical account, discuss how each of the items represents something the Saints sacrificed to help build the temple.
2. 2. 
   Write each descriptive phrase from Doctrine and Covenants 88:119(“a house of prayer,” “a house of fasting,” and so on) on a separate piece of paper, and put the papers in a container.
   Let each child (or pair of children, if your class is large) select at least one paper from the container. Read or have a child read Doctrine and Covenants 88:119 aloud, and have the children display the phrases in order as the scripture is read. Have the child (or children) who selected each paper suggest one way children can help their homes have the quality described. (For example, “I can make my home a house of prayer by participating reverently in personal and family prayers” or “I can make my home a house of order by putting my clothes and toys in their proper places.”) Then let the other children make additional suggestions.
   Encourage the children to choose one or two things to work on during the week to make their homes more like a house of the Lord.
3. 3. 
   Print each letter in the word sacrifice on a separate piece of paper. Mix up the letters and let the children unscramble them to spell the word.
   • • 
     What sacrifices did the Saints in Kirtland make to build the temple?
   • • 
     What sacrifices have you seen members of the Church today make to attend the temple?
   Tell about someone you know who has made sacrifices to attend the temple, or tell in your own words the following story related by Elder Claudio R. M. Costa of the Second Quorum of the Seventy:
   “One man I met lived simply in a tiny, little town in the middle of the Amazon. After being baptized with his family, he could hardly wait to complete a year’s membership in the Church so he could take his wife and children to the temple. The São Paulo Brazil Temple is very far from the Amazon. It usually takes four days by boat and four days by bus to get to the temple—about a week’s travel. This man was a cabinetmaker. How could he save enough money to pay [travel costs] for himself, his wife, and his children? Although he worked hard for many months, he made very little money.
   “When the time came to go to the temple, he sold all his furniture and appliances, even his electric saw and his only means of transportation, a motorcycle—everything he had—and went to the temple with his wife and children. It required eight days of travel to reach São Paulo. After spending four glorious days in the temple doing the work of the Lord, this family then had to travel seven more days to return to their home. But they went back home happy, feeling that their difficulties and struggles were nothing compared to the great happiness and blessings they had experienced in the house of the Lord” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1994, p. 34; or Ensign, Nov. 1994, p. 27).
4. 4. 
   Write on cards or small pieces of paper some actions the children might make sacrifices to do, such as attend a Church meeting, fast, pay tithing, do a service project, or serve as a missionary. Make at least one card for each child in your class.
   Have each child choose a card, read it to the class, and tell one or two ways the action listed might require sacrifice. Then help all the children think of ways they may be blessed by making sacrifices to do what the Lord asks.
5. 5. 
   Bring two identical sets of blocks (or paper cut in block shapes) that could be used to create a small building. Divide the children into two groups, and have them sit so the members of each group cannot see what the other group is doing. Have one group “build” a temple with their blocks, and then have them give directions to the second group on how to build an identical temple. Have the second group try to build an identical temple by listening to the directions, without looking at the first group’s temple. (You may need to set a time limit for this activity.)
   When the second group is done building, have them look at the first group’s temple and make any corrections needed to make theirs identical. Remind the children that Joseph Smith not only received verbal directions on how to build the Kirtland Temple, but he also saw the temple in a vision, so he knew exactly how it should be built.
6. 6. 
   Sing or say the words to “I Love to See the Temple” (Children’s Songbook, p. 95).

Conclusion

Testimony

Bear your testimony that when we do what the Lord asks us to do, even if it requires great sacrifice, he will help and bless us.

Suggested Home Reading

Suggest that the children study Doctrine and Covenants 88:119 and 95:11–12 at home as a review of this lesson.

Suggested Family Sharing

Encourage the children to share with their families a specific part of the lesson, such as a story, question, or activity, or to read with their families the “Suggested Home Reading.”

Invite a child to give the closing prayer.

Lesson 24: The School of the Prophets and the Word of Wisdom

Primary 5: Doctrine and Covenants and Church History, (1997), 127–32

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Find prepared materials at 

http://www.sugardoodle.net/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2987&Itemid=5

Purpose

To help the children understand and desire to live the Word of Wisdom.

Preparation

1. 1. 
   Prayerfully study Doctrine and Covenants 88:77–80, 118, 122–127; the historical accounts given in this lesson; and Doctrine and Covenants 89. Then study the lesson and decide how you want to teach the children the scriptural and historical accounts. (See “Preparing Your Lessons,” pp. vi–vii, and “Teaching the Scriptural and Historical Accounts,” pp. vii–ix.)
2. 2. 
   Additional reading: Doctrine and Covenants 49:18–19, 55:4; andGospel Principles (31110), chapter 29.
3. 3. 
   Select the discussion questions and enrichment activities that will involve the children and best help them achieve the purpose of the lesson.
4. 4. 
   Obtain a piece of lightweight rope, heavy string, or yarn and make a snare, as illustrated below:
   
5. 5. 
   Materials needed:
   A Doctrine and Covenants for each child.

Suggested Lesson Development

Invite a child to give the opening prayer.

Attention Activity

Show the snare you have made and explain that hunters sometimes use snares to catch animals and birds. Hunters set snares on a trail or in a place where small animals or birds come for water. Sometimes a snare is attached to a tree limb so that it hangs just above the trail, where an animal will run into it. Other times a snare is placed on the ground and covered with leaves so it cannot be easily seen. A lure such as food may be placed in or near the snare to tempt an unsuspecting animal or bird to step into the snare. The snare catches and holds the animal in such a way that it cannot easily free itself.

Tie End A of the snare (see the illustrations in the “Preparation” section) to a stationary object, such as a doorknob or table leg, or hold it firmly in your hand. Have a child place a finger in the loop of the snare and gently pull against it. Point out how the snare gets tighter when something pulls against the loop.

Explain that just as hunters set snares to capture animals, Satan has set many snares for us. He uses appealing things as lures, hoping to catch us in one of his snares and destroy us (see enrichment activity 3). However, by learning and following the Lord’s commandments we can avoid Satan’s snares.

Scriptural and Historical Accounts

Teach the children about the organization of the School of the Prophets and about the revelation of the Word of Wisdom, as described in the scriptures listed in the “Preparation” section and the following historical accounts. Then discuss with the children the health guidelines given in the Word of Wisdom (D&C 89).

The School of the Prophets Is Organized

In Doctrine and Covenants 88 the Lord instructed Joseph Smith to form a school to teach the leaders of the Church about the gospel and prepare them to serve the members of the Church. In this school, called the School of the Prophets, Church leaders were to teach one another about the gospel and other important subjects (see D&C 88:77–80). Leaders of the Church in the Kirtland area began attending the School of the Prophets at the end of January 1833. The school was held in the evenings, in an upstairs room of Newel K. Whitney’s store. The Prophet taught the men about the importance of learning and preaching the gospel and of learning about the world around them. In addition to studying the scriptures and the principles of the gospel, the men also studied Hebrew and Greek.

In 1831 the Lord had commanded Oliver Cowdery and W. W. Phelps to write and select textbooks for children (see D&C 55:4). After Joseph Smith organized the School of the Prophets for the priesthood leaders of the Church, he organized a school for children. Classes were held in the attic of the Kirtland Temple. One hundred forty children attended the school.

The Lord Reveals the Word of Wisdom

The School of the Prophets met often to discuss the gospel and Church business. Many of the men smoked or chewed tobacco during the meetings. (You may want to explain that at this time people did not know that tobacco was bad for their bodies.) The first thing the brethren did when they gathered for meetings was light their pipes. They smoked as they talked, and when they were not smoking they would chew tobacco. As they chewed the tobacco, they would spit it all over the floor. Joseph Smith did not like teaching the school “in a cloud of tobacco smoke,” and Emma Smith did not like cleaning up the mess the men made with their pipes and chewing tobacco (Brigham Young, in Journal of Discourses, 12:158).

On 27 February 1833 Joseph Smith entered the room where the School of the Prophets was held. The room was filled with tobacco smoke. Joseph had just come from the clean outside air, and the smell of smoke offended him. He left the room and asked the Lord what he should do about the situation. The Lord answered Joseph’s prayer with the revelation we now call the Word of Wisdom (D&C 89).

Discussion and Application Questions

Study the following questions and the scripture references as you prepare your lesson. Use the questions you feel will best help the children understand the scriptures and apply the principles in their lives. Reading and discussing the scriptures with the children in class will help them gain personal insights.

• •
  What was the purpose of the School of the Prophets? (D&C 88:77–78, 80.) What were the Church leaders instructed to study in this school? (D&C 88:78–79.) Why was it important for these leaders to study and learn? Remind the children that Joseph Smith also established a school for children. Why is learning important for all of us? Emphasize the importance of learning and encourage the children to do their best in school and other educational settings.
• •
  Point out that the men attending the School of the Prophets were instructed to gain “a knowledge … of countries and kingdoms” (D&C 88:79). How can learning about other countries and cultures help members of the Church be good missionaries?
• •
  How can members of the Church today learn about the gospel? (Answers may include by attending Primary and other Church meetings, by listening to or reading general conference talks, by holding familyhome evening and family scripture study, and through personal study of the scriptures and other Church publications.) Why is it important to study the gospel as well as school subjects such as reading and math?
• •
  Why did the Lord reveal the Word of Wisdom? Why is it important for us to take good care of our physical bodies? Whom do you think the “conspiring men” mentioned in Doctrine and Covenants 89:4 might include? Why does Satan want us to use things (such as tobacco products or alcoholic drinks) that the Lord forbids in the Word of Wisdom?
• •
  According to section 89, what foods are good for our bodies? (Grains, fruits, vegetables, small amounts of meat; see D&C 89:10–16 and enrichment activity 4.) What counsel has the Lord given us regarding sleep? (D&C 88:124.) What are we promised if we obey the Word of Wisdom and take care of our bodies? (D&C 89:18–21; you may want to explain that some people have disabilities or illnesses that keep them from being completely healthy even if they obey the Word of Wisdom. However, if they obey the laws of God, the time will come, either in this life or the next, when they can enjoy every blessing mentioned in these verses.)
• •
  In section 89, what does the Lord command us not to use? (D&C 89:5, 7–9; explain that prophets have told us that “hot drinks” refers to tea and coffee.) Point out that some things that are harmful to us (such as illegal drugs) are not specifically mentioned in the Word of Wisdom, but Church leaders teach us not to use anything that is harmful to our bodies or minds. (If the children bring up medicinal drugs, explain that some drugs can help us when we are ill, but they should be used only with a parent’s or doctor’s supervision.) What are some results of using things that are harmful to us?
• •
  What harm can come from not obeying the Word of Wisdom? (Answers may include illness and disease, poverty, dishonesty, addictive habits, automobile accidents, inactivity in the Church, and sins resulting from loss of good judgment.) Explain that in Joseph Smith’s time people did not know all that we know now about the bad effects of smoking and alcohol use. But the Lord knew about these bad effects, and he warned the people (see D&C 89:4). The Lord also knew that people who disobey the Word of Wisdom lose the desire to obey the other commandments and to become like Jesus Christ. Physical desires become more important to them than spiritual desires.
• •
  What can you do when someone offers you something that is against the Word of Wisdom? (See enrichment activity 2.)

Enrichment Activities

You may use one or more of the following activities any time during the lesson or as a review, summary, or challenge.

1. 1. 
   Explain that Spencer W. Kimball, the twelfth President of the Church, counseled us to decide now that we will keep the Word of Wisdom. Read or have a child read the following quotation:
   “When I was young, I made up my mind unalterably that I would never taste tea, coffee, tobacco, or liquor. I found that this rigid determination saved me many times throughout my varied experiences. There were many occasions when I could have sipped or touched or sampled, but the unalterable determination firmly established gave me good reason and good strength to resist” (The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, ed. Edward L. Kimball [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1982], p. 164).
   Explain that if we decide now how we will act when we are tempted, instead of waiting until the temptation comes, it will be easier for us to make wise choices. Encourage the children to decide now to obey the Word of Wisdom.
2. 2. 
   Have the children role-play situations in which they are presented with and resist temptations such as tea or coffee, tobacco, alcohol, or other drugs. Help them think of responses to arguments such as the following:
   • • 
     “Just try it. Once won’t hurt you.”
   • • 
     “Everyone is doing it. Don’t you want to fit in?”
   • • 
     “All the famous people in the movies and on television do it.”
   • • 
     “It will make you feel good.”
3. 3. 
   Display advertisements (cut from magazines or newspapers) for products that are harmful to our bodies.
   • • 
     Why did the Lord warn us about people who try to get us to use things forbidden by the Word of Wisdom (see D&C 89:4)?
   Remind the children of the snare you demonstrated in the attention activity. Compare the snare to unhealthful practices such as smoking or drinking alcohol. Have the children study the advertisements to discover some of the lures people use to try to catch us in Satan’s snares. For example, advertisers use pictures of attractive people having fun to try to make us think that smoking or drinking alcohol will make us beautiful and happy. These things will not make us happier or more beautiful, but if we start using these products we will be caught in the snare and may become addicted.
   Point out that some things, such as illegal drugs, are not advertised, but people who want us to buy and use them may use arguments similar to those in the ads.
   Explain that people who are addicted to unhealthful products such as tobacco, alcohol, or other drugs have difficulty giving them up, even when they know the products are bad for their bodies and their spirits. If we have friends or family members who need to stop using these things, we can pray for them, encourage them, and set good examples for them.
4. 4. 
   List on the chalkboard some scripture references that give specific advice on how to care for our bodies, such as the following:
   D&C 88:124 (get enough sleep)
   D&C 89:7 (do not drink alcoholic beverages)
   D&C 89:8 (do not use tobacco)
   D&C 89:9 (do not drink hot drinks such as coffee and tea)
   D&C 89:16 (eat grains and fruit)
   Give the children pencils and paper, and have them look up these references. Have each child make a list of several things he or she can do to take care of his or her body. Encourage the children to take their lists home to remind them to take good care of their bodies.
5. 5. 
   Explain that we need to use good judgment in caring for our bodies (see D&C 59:20). Even some good things can be harmful if used too much.
   • • 
     How might it be bad for our bodies if we exercise too much? sleep too much? eat too much of one kind of food?
   Tell the children that during Joseph Smith’s time, many people in the Kirtland, Ohio, area were concerned about what was good for the human body and what was not. A nearby group from another religion followed a very strict diet and did not eat meat (see section heading to D&C 49).
   Have a child read aloud from Doctrine and Covenants 49:18–19 what the Lord told Joseph Smith in March 1831 about eating meat.
   • • 
     What are some of the reasons the Lord put animals on the earth? (To provide us with food and clothing; D&C 49:19.) What does the Word of Wisdom say about eating meat? (D&C 89:12.)
   Help the children understand that while meat is a good and acceptable food, it should be used wisely and sparingly.
6. 6. 
   Tell one of the following stories in your own words:
   1. a. 
      Anna Widtsoe, an early convert to the Church, was not taught about the Word of Wisdom until she had been a member for some time. She did not drink alcoholic beverages, but she did drink coffee and tea, which were common in the country where she was born. When Anna learned about the Word of Wisdom, she “set about to give up the use of tea and coffee, but found it difficult. When she sewed every night far beyond midnight, the cup of coffee seemed to freshen her, she thought. After a two months’ struggle she came home one day, having given serious consideration to the Word of Wisdom problem. Her mind was made up. She stood in the middle of the room and said aloud, ‘Never again. Get behind me, Satan!’ and walked briskly to her cupboard, took out the packages of coffee and tea, and threw them on the fire. From that day she never used tea or coffee” (“‘Get Behind Me, Satan,’” in Leon R. Hartshorn, comp., Remarkable Stories from the Lives of Latter-day Saint Women, 2 vols. [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1973–75], 1:255).
   2. b. 
      As a young man LeGrand Richards, who became Presiding Bishop of the Church and later a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, was invited by a young woman to have dinner at a dance with her and some friends. He describes what happened at that dinner:
      “As we neared the table, I noted that there was a beer bottle by each plate. I stopped suddenly. I looked at the table and then looked at [the young woman]. She said, ‘What is the matter, are you too good to drink a little beer?’ I had to make a decision in a hurry. So I replied, calling her by name, ‘Well, I guess I am; I thought you were too. Goodbye. … ’ I went up the steps faster than I had come down. I don’t recall that I have seen that girl from that day until the present.
      “I have often thought of that little experience and wondered if I would have become the Presiding Bishop of the Church … if I had taken that first bottle of beer. If one never takes the first drink of beer or liquor, he will never have to worry about the second. The same with … smoking cigarettes” (Just to Illustrate [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1961], p. 298).
7. 7. 
   Write the names of several healthful foods on pieces of paper (be sure to include some foods mentioned by name in D&C 89). Let each child choose a paper and try to describe the listed food without saying its name. Have the other children try to guess what food the child is describing.
8. 8. 
   If you are teaching younger children, you may want to use Doctrine and Covenants Stories, chapter 31, on the Word of Wisdom.
9. 9. 
   Sing or say the words to “The Word of Wisdom” (Children’s Songbook,p. 154).

Conclusion

Testimony

Testify to the children of the importance of study and learning, especially learning about the things Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ want us to do. Tell the children how obeying the Word of Wisdom blesses your life. Encourage the children to decide now to obey the Word of Wisdom and to say “no” to all harmful things they may be tempted to use.

Suggested Home Reading

Suggest that the children study Doctrine and Covenants 89:4–14, 18–21 at home as a review of this lesson.

Suggested Family Sharing

Encourage the children to share with their families a specific part of the lesson, such as a story, question, or activity, or to read with their families the “Suggested Home Reading.”

Invite a child to give the closing prayer.