Friend August 2021 “The Word of Wisdom”
For the Strength of Youth August 2021 “A Word to Always Live By”
I Will Be Blessed as I Obey the Word of Wisdom.
Teach the children that our bodies are gifts from Heavenly Father and He wants us to take good care of them.
- To help the children understand the Lord’s commandments in Doctrine and Covenants 89:10–17, draw or show pictures of good things we can eat or good things we can do to keep our bodies healthy (see also this week’s activity page). Also help the children understand that alcohol, tobacco, tea, coffee, and other harmful drugs hurt our bodies and the Lord has warned us not to use them. Invite the children to choose something they can do this week to keep their bodies healthy.
- Invite the children to take turns drawing a picture on the board that represents something taught in the Word of Wisdom. Let the rest of the children guess what each person is drawing. Talk about the Lord’s commandment in section 89 that relates to the drawing.
- Use the following example, or others you think of, to show how we are blessed by obeying the Word of Wisdom (see Doctrine and Covenants 89:18–21). Do a simple exercise together, such as walking or running in place, and then pretend to “be weary” or “faint” (verse 20). Testify of the Lord’s promises.
- Show a picture of the temple, and ask the children to describe what they see. Use a song about physical health, such as “The Lord Gave Me a Temple” (Children’s Songbook, 153), to teach the children that our bodies are like temples for our spirits and God wants us to keep our bodies healthy. Help the children think of ways we can care for our bodies, and let the children act them out.
The Word of Wisdom Helps Me be Healthy in Body and Spirit.
Elder Gary E. Stevenson counseled young people to plan in advance what they will do when tempted with alcohol or drugs. Then he taught, “You will find that temptation has less control over you. You will have already made the decision of how you will react and what you will do. You won’t need to decide every time” (“Your Priesthood Playbook,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2019, 48). Encourage the children you teach to decide now—for the rest of their lives—to live the Word of Wisdom.
Possible Activities
- Divide the children into two groups, and ask one group to read Doctrine and Covenants 89:1–4 and the other group to read verses 18–21. Ask them to ponder questions like the following: Why did the Lord give us the Word of Wisdom? How can living the Word of Wisdom bless me physically and spiritually?
- Create fill-in-the-blank statements using phrases from Doctrine and Covenants 89, such as “ is ordained for the use of man and of beasts” or “And shall and not faint” (verses 14, 20). Invite the children to work in pairs to find the answers in section 89. The children could sort the statements into the following categories: good things for our bodies, bad things for our bodies, and blessings.
- Invite one child to read Doctrine and Covenants 89:4 and another to read the quotation from Elder Stevenson above. Why should we decide now to obey the Word of Wisdom rather than waiting until the moment of temptation? Help the children role-play how they might respond if someone, even a friend, offers them something that is against the Word of Wisdom. How does obeying the Word of Wisdom protect us?
Your family members might enjoy drawing or finding pictures of foods and other substances mentioned in Doctrine and Covenants 89. Then you could play a game—family members could take turns selecting pictures at random, putting the things we shouldn’t use in the trash and the things we should use on a plate. How have the promises in verses 18–21 been fulfilled in our lives?
When the elders in the School of the Prophets first heard Joseph Smith read the Word of Wisdom, they immediately “tossed their pipes and plugs of chewing tobacco into the fire” (Saints, 1:168). At that time, the Word of Wisdom was considered more of a caution than a commandment, but they wanted to show their willingness to obey. Perhaps you have already “tossed” from your life the substances the Word of Wisdom warns against, but what else can you learn from this revelation?
Reading “Physical and Emotional Health” in For the Strength of Youth (25–27) could prompt discussion about other ways to care for our health and about the blessings that God promises.
Liahona August 2021 Run and Not Be Weary
In Doctrine and Covenants 89, the Lord gave a revelation called the Word of Wisdom.
- After reading section 89, have everyone stand in the middle of a room.
- Designate one side of the room to be the “good” side and the other side of the room to be the “not good” side.
- Have a family member read verses 5–17.
- The other family members will move to either the “good” or “not good” side of the room, depending on the description in that verse. Is the substance good for our bodies or not?
Discussion: What promises are included in Doctrine and Covenants 89:18–21? How can taking care of our bodies improve our spiritual relationship with the Lord?
Doctrine and Covenants Coloring Book “Word of Wisdom”
Primary 5: Doctrine and Covenants and Church History“ Lesson 24: The School of the Prophets and the Word of Wisdom,” See lesson for additional teaching ideas.
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 does the Word of Wisdom say is bad for our bodies? – Game
What does the Word of Wisdom say is good for our bodies? Game
Sing “In Our Lovely Deseret”, Hymn #307
Friend August 2021 “Scripture Time Fun for Little Ones”
Have family members draw pictures of ways to care for their body (like eating healthy foods or playing outside). Help your little ones say, “I can take care of my body.”
For additional teaching ideas see Word of Wisdom and Resources for Teaching Children: Word of Wisdom
God Gives Us Prophets to Guide and Protect Us.
Help the children understand how the Lord’s prophets can help us find safety from the storms of life.
- Show the children pictures of ancient prophets, and tell them how these prophets warned the people in their day. (For ideas, see “Follow the Prophet,” Children’s Songbook,110–11.)
- Why should we listen to God’s prophets? Show a picture of the current prophet, and share some things he has taught or warned us about recently. Help the children think of ways we can follow the prophet. Share your testimony of the truths taught in Doctrine and Covenants 90:5. (Note that “oracles” means revelations or the prophets who receive them.)
- Talk about how you “receive the oracles [revelations or prophets] of God.” How can we show that they are not “a light thing” to us?
Friend September 2015 – ” How Can I Stay Safe….in Life” – Air traffic controller guides plane through fog. Prophets guide us.
Friend April 2016 “Following Prophets and Apostles”
The First Presidency Holds “The Keys of the Kingdom.”
Doctrine and Covenants 90:2, 5, 14–16
The Lord’s instructions about the First Presidency in 1833 (Joseph Smith, Sidney Rigdon, and Frederick G. Williams) can help the children strengthen their testimony of today’s First Presidency.
- Invite the children to search Doctrine and Covenants 90:14–16 and write down some of the things the Lord asked the First Presidency to do. Show the children a picture of the current First Presidency, and share something about them. (You can read their biographies under “Living Prophets and Church Leaders” at ChurchofJesusChrist.org.) Share your testimony of their divine callings and the blessings you have received from following their counsel.
- Review with the children something that a member of the First Presidency has taught. Then read together Doctrine and Covenants 90:5. Point out that “oracles” are revelations or the prophets who receive them. What does it mean to “receive the oracles … as a light thing”? How can we show that prophets and the things they teach are important to us?
Review recent messages from members of the First Presidency. How do their words “unfold the mysteries of the kingdom” to you? (verse 14). How do they “set in order all the affairs of this church and kingdom”? (verse 16).
New Era May 2012 “Priesthood Keys”
With a set of keys, you can do a lot of things that you wouldn’t otherwise be able to do—enter buildings, drive cars, and open trunks, among other things. Keys, basically, mean authority and access.
The same is true of priesthood keys. They control access to the blessings and ordinances of the priesthood.
Members of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles hold all the keys necessary for governing the Church. Only the President of the Church has the right to exercise all of those keys. He delegates these keys to others who preside in the Church—temple presidents, mission presidents, stake presidents, district presidents, bishops, branch presidents, and quorum presidents, including deacons and teachers quorum presidents.
So, for instance, although the Church has many worthy priesthood holders, they need authorization from someone holding keys before performing most ordinances. For example, if Aaronic Priesthood holders hear about a homebound ward member who would like to receive the sacrament at home, they cannot simply go and administer the sacrament to that member because they believe it’s the right thing to do. They must be authorized by the bishop, who holds the keys over the Aaronic Priesthood. And a father who holds the priesthood cannot simply baptize his 8-year-old daughter or ordain his 12-year-old son to the Aaronic Priesthood without first being authorized by the bishop to do so.
The Spirit Can Help Me Know What Is True.
As you read what the Lord told Joseph Smith about the Apocrypha, think about how this counsel could help the children discern between the truth and error they will encounter throughout their lives.
- Read together the section heading for Doctrine and Covenants 91 to help the children understand what the Apocrypha is (see also Guide to the Scriptures, “Apocrypha,” scriptures.ChurchofJesusChrist.org). Help the children think of other places, such as in the media, where we might find “many things … that are true” and “many things … that are not true” (verses 1–2). Then invite the children to search section 91 to learn what the Lord said we can do to discern between truth and error.
- Read together Doctrine and Covenants 91:4–6, and ask the children what these verses teach about the Holy Ghost. Invite the children to share a personal experience when “the Spirit [manifested] truth” to them. Also share your own experiences. In what other ways can the Spirit help us?
Show the children a fake and real diamond jewelry item. Explain that one of the jewelry items has fake diamonds in it and one has real diamonds in it. Ask the children how much value a fake diamond would have. Then ask how much value a real diamond would have. Ask the children if they can tell which diamond is real and which is fake. Reveal which diamond is real.
Tell the children that there has been an increasing amount of imitation diamonds introduced into the world that some people try to pass off as the real thing. It can be very difficult to tell the difference between the real and the fake. Many people are fooled into paying large amounts for fake items that are worthless.
Also explain that there has been an increasing amount of false teachings about religion being spread throughout the world, and many people have a hard time telling the difference between what is priceless truth and what is worthless lies. People are paying dearly with the consequences of buying into the deceptions.
Explain that Satan has a counterfeit or opposite teaching for every teaching of Jesus Christ, but because Satan’s counterfeits are worthless they do not bring real happiness or satisfaction.
• How can a person tell if a diamond is real or fake? It takes special equipment and study to be able to tell the difference.
• What is the special equipment we have been given to help us identify the difference between false teachings and true teachings? The scriptures, the Holy Ghost (remind the children that Alma was able to discern Korihor’s lies through the Holy Ghost), and we also have access to trained experts through the living prophets. (Lesson 20 – Korihor, the Anti-Christ)
Additional Resources
Doctrine and Covenants Historical Resources “Doctrine and Covenants 89-92”
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