Daniel and His Friends Refuse the King’s Food
DANIEL CHAPTER 1 Daniel and certain Hebrews are trained in the court of Nebuchadnezzar—They eat plain food and drink no wine—God gives them knowledge and wisdom beyond all others.
Heavenly Father wants me to take care of my body.
Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Old Testament 2022 “Daniel 1–6” Daniel and his friends refused the meat and wine the king offered them because they wanted to follow God’s commandments and avoid harming their bodies. Today the Word of Wisdom helps us avoid substances that would harm our bodies.
Come, Follow Me—For Home and Church: Old Testament 2026
- Reading the story about Daniel and his friends refusing the king’s meat and wine may inspire a conversation about the law of health Heavenly Father has given us today (see Doctrine and Covenants 89). Maybe you could look for the blessings Daniel and his friends received and compare them to the blessings promised in the Word of Wisdom (see Daniel 1:15–17 and Doctrine and Covenants 89:18–21).
Old Testament Scripture Readers “Daniel and His Friends”
Show the children pictures of things the Word of Wisdom teaches us to eat or use and things it tells us not to eat or use (see Doctrine and Covenants 89). Invite the children to pretend to eat the good things and say no to the bad things. Testify that the Lord blesses us when we care for our bodies. Sing together a song about caring for our bodies, such as “The Lord Gave Me a Temple” or “The Word of Wisdom” (Children’s Songbook, 153, 154–55). What does this song teach us?
Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families: Doctrine and Covenants 2021 “Doctrine and Covenants 89-92” 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?
What does the Word of Wisdom say is good for our bodies? – Game
What does the Word of Wisdom say is bad for our bodies? – Game
- “Daniel Obeys the Lord” (June 1998 Friend)
A retelling of the story of Daniel and his friends refusing to eat the king’s food. Includes flannel board figures.
See also “Lesson 40: Daniel and the King’s Food,” Primary 6: Old Testament (1996), 176–79
See more at Word of Wisdom
King Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream
Daniel Chapter 2 Nebuchadnezzar’s dream is revealed to Daniel—The king saw a great image, a stone cut from the mountain without hands destroyed the image, and the stone grew and filled the whole earth—The stone is the latter-day kingdom of God.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the kingdom of God on earth.
Come, Follow Me—For Home and Church: Old Testament 2026 & Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Old Testament 2022 “Daniel 1–6”
- As you read Daniel 2:31–35, 44–45 with your children, you could invite them to draw a picture of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. Help them understand the stone “cut out of the mountain without hands” (Daniel 2:45 )in the dream represents The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. What do we learn about the Church from this dream?
“Lesson 146: Daniel 1–2,” Old Testament Seminary Teacher Material
(2018) Who did Daniel say the head represented? (Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonian Empire.) What else did Daniel reveal about the king’s dream? (The other sections of the image represented kingdoms that would rise after Babylon fell.)
“Lesson 146: Daniel 1–2,” Old Testament Seminary Teacher Material
(2018)
Many kingdoms” next to verses 41–43. Point out that the time of many kingdoms includes the latter days (see verse 44, footnote a).
- What might the phrase “cut out of the mountain without hands” in verse 45 mean? (The kingdom was established by God, not by man.)
Remind the children that this stone represents The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Ask the children to name some things Heavenly Father did to set up His Church in the latter days. To give them ideas, show pictures of events in the Restoration of the Church (see Gospel Art Book, nos. 90–95).
- 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.)
- Give each child a crumpled-up piece of paper to represent the stone in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. Ask each child to share how he or she knows that the Church was restored by God. As the children share, invite them to give their “stones” to you. Wrap the stones together using tape or string to form a large stone. Testify that as we strengthen our testimonies and share the gospel with others, we unite our faith to help the kingdom of God “[fill] the whole earth” (Daniel 2:35).
Old Testament Coloring Book “Daniel and the King’s Dream”
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?
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego & the Fiery Furnace
Daniel CHAPTER 3 Nebuchadnezzar creates a golden image and commands all men to worship it—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego refuse and are cast into the fiery furnace—They are preserved and come out unharmed.
God will bless me as I choose to follow Jesus Christ.
- Show a picture of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego in the fiery furnace (see Gospel Art Book, no. 25), and ask the children to count the people in the furnace. Read Daniel 3:24–25 to find out who else was in the furnace. Share your testimony that the Lord is with us as we follow Him.
Friend November 2022 “Saved from the Fire”
Old Testament Coloring Book “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego”
“Lesson 41: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,” Primary 6: Old Testament (1996), 180–84 Lesson ideas\
Daniel in the Lion’s Den
Daniel CHAPTER 6 Darius makes Daniel the first of his presidents—Daniel worships the Lord in defiance of a decree of Darius—He is cast into the den of lions—His faith saves him, and Darius decrees that all people are to revere the God of Daniel.
Heavenly Father wants me to pray often.
Old Testament Stories “Daniel and the Lion’s Den”
Friend November 2018 “Daniel and the Lions”
Come, Follow Me—For Home and Church: Old Testament 2026 & Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Old Testament 2022 “Daniel 1–6”
- Why was praying to Heavenly Father so important to Daniel? Perhaps you and your children could talk about that question as you read Daniel 6 together. Then you could tell each other why praying is important to you (see also Henry B. Eyring, “Prayers for Peace,” Liahona, May 2026, 26–28).
- Your children might enjoy drawing pictures of themselves praying in various situations. They could use their drawings to teach each other that we can pray to Heavenly Father no matter where we are or what we need.
- Talk with the children about times when they can pray, such as when they are scared, when they make mistakes, or when they need help in school. Why is it good to pray in these situations? Teach the children that no matter where they are, they can always pray in their hearts.
- Sing together a song about prayer, such as “We Bow Our Heads” (Children’s Songbook, 25). Talk with the children about things we can pray for.
Old Testament Coloring Book “Daniel and the Lions’ Den”
Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families: Old Testament 2022 “Daniel 1-6”
According to these verses, how was King Darius affected when the Lord delivered Daniel from the lions? You could also read in Daniel 2:47; 3:28–29 about how King Nebuchadnezzar was affected in a similar way. What opportunities do we have to influence others? Discuss examples you have seen of how the faith of other people, including family members, has influenced others for good.
“Lesson 42: Daniel in the Lions’ Den,” Primary 6: Old Testament (1996), 185–88 To help each child understand the value of daily prayer.
Jesus will help me do what is right even when it’s hard.
Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Old Testament 2022 “Daniel 1–6” The book of Daniel contains stories of people who chose to follow God’s commandments even when doing so was hard.
Come, Follow Me—For Home and Church: Old Testament 2026
- To help your children learn from the inspiring stories in the book of Daniel, you could find pictures of the events in Daniel 1, 3, and 6 (see this week’s activity page or the Gospel Art Book, nos. 23, 25, 26). Then you could place the pictures face down and invite a child to turn one over and talk about the story it represents. (For help, see “Daniel and His Friends,” “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego,” and “Daniel and the Lions’ Den” in Old Testament Stories, 154–56, 160–62, 163–65.)
- After each story, discuss questions like these: What did the people do to follow the Lord? How did the Lord bless them?
Help your children think of situations when they might be pressured to make a wrong choice, like Daniel and his friends were in Daniel 1, 3, and 6. Share with each other how you have been blessed for making the right choice even when it was hard. You could also sing together a song related to this topic, such as “Choose the Right” (Hymns, no. 239)
Friend October 2018 “The T-E-S-T” One day, when Sharon’s father was reading to her the Bible story about Daniel in the lion’s den, he traced the word “test” on her forehead. He told her she would have tests like Daniel, but she should follow Heavenly Father’s commandments and not give into fear. (Also includes a lion activity of ways Heavenly Father helps us with challenges. )
Coloring page: “Daniel Chooses the Right” (September 2010 Friend)
Additional Resources
Daniel CHAPTER 4 Daniel interprets Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of the great tree, describing the king’s fall and madness—The king learns that the Most High rules and sets the basest of men over earthly kingdoms.
Daniel CHAPTER 5 Belshazzar and his revelers drink from the vessels of the temple—A hand writes upon the wall, telling of Belshazzar’s downfall—Daniel interprets the words and reproves the king for pride and idolatry—That night Babylon is conquered.
The below video is not produced by the church or its members but it has a good overview of Daniel 3-5.
Scripture Helps: Old Testament
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