My Church Notes: lesson 145 Daniel 2

Lesson 145: Daniel 2

Introduction

Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, 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. Heavenly Father 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.

I. Daniel 2:1–23 Daniel prays about King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, and Heavenly Father reveals it to him

---Answer this question in your class notebooks.

---What is an aspect of your life in which you need Heavenly Father’s help?

---Look for truths in Daniel 2 that can guide your efforts to seek and receive Heavenly Father’s help.

---Remember that Daniel and his friends served in the court of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.

---Read Daniel 2:1–3 aloud looking for what troubled Nebuchadnezzar.

---What troubled Nebuchadnezzar?

---What did he ask his wise men to do?

VIDEO CLIP (6:17-13:49) Look for what Daniel did when he needed wisdom and guidance

---What principle can we learn from Daniel and his friends about receiving the wisdom and help we need from God? (Students should identify a principle similar to the following: As we seek Heavenly Father’s help, we can receive the wisdom and direction we need.)

---Why is it important for us to seek Heavenly Father’s help before we can receive wisdom and direction from Him?

---Write in your class notebooks several ways we can seek Heavenly Father’s help.

---Does anyone want to share what you wrote?

---When have you or someone you know sought Heavenly Father’s help and received needed wisdom and direction?

---Please continue to seek Heavenly Father’s help so you can receive the wisdom and direction you need.

---Scan Daniel 2:20–23, looking for what Daniel did after Heavenly Father revealed the dream to him.

---What stands out to you about what Daniel did after Heavenly Father revealed the dream to him?

II. Daniel 2:24–49 Daniel reveals to King Nebuchadnezzar the dream and its interpretation

---When Daniel told the king’s servant that he could reveal the king’s dream to him, the servant immediately brought Daniel to the king.

---Read Daniel 2:26–30 aloud looking for what Daniel told the king about God and the latter days.

---The word secret in these verses refers to truth or knowledge (see verse 28, footnote b).

---How does what Daniel told the king compare to what the wise men had told the king (see verses 10–11)?

---Based on what Daniel told the king (see verse 30), what is one reason why Heavenly Father reveals truth to His prophets?

Heavenly Father reveals truth to His prophets in order to bless His children.

---Daniel 2:31–35 records Daniel’s description of the details of King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream.

---Read Daniel 2:31–35 aloud and identify 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.)

(click to view larger)

---What did the stone do to the image? What did the stone become?

---Daniel 2:36–45 records that Daniel revealed to King Nebuchadnezzar the interpretation of his dream.

---Read Daniel 2:37–38 aloud 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.)

---Write Babylonian Empire in the margin next to verse 38.

---Read Daniel 2:39 aloud looking for the additional truths Daniel revealed.

---What else did Daniel reveal about the king’s dream?

(The different sections of the image represented kingdoms that would rise after Babylon falls.)

---The image’s breast and arms made of silver represent the empire of the Medes and Persians, and the belly and thighs of brass represent the Macedonian (Greek) Empire.

---Write these interpretations in the margin next to verse 39.

---Read Daniel 2:40 aloud looking for what Daniel revealed about the legs of iron.

---What did Daniel reveal about the legs of iron? (They represented a fourth kingdom that would follow the Greek empire.)

---The image’s legs of iron represent the Roman Empire.

---Write Roman Empire in the margin next to verse 40.

---In Daniel 2:41–43 Daniel revealed that the toes of the image represented both strong and weak kingdoms. These represent the many kingdoms that arose after the fall of the Roman Empire.

---Write Many kingdoms in the margin next to verses 41–43. The time of many kingdoms includes the latter days.

Daniel 2:36–43. The interpretation of King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream

President Rudger Clawson of the First Presidency elaborated on Daniel’s interpretation of King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream:

“History certifies to the fact that King Nebuchadnezzar was the head of gold. The Medes and Persians, an inferior kingdom to Babylon, were the arms and breast of silver. The Macedonian kingdom, under Alexander the Great, was the belly and thighs of brass; and the Roman kingdom under the Caesars was the legs of iron. For mark you, later on the kingdom, or empire of Rome, was divided. The head of the government in one division was at Rome and the head of the government in the other division was at Constantinople. So these two great divisions represented the legs of iron. Finally, the Roman empire was broken up into smaller kingdoms, represented by the feet and toes of iron and clay.”

---Read Daniel 2:44–45 aloud 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?

---Read Doctrine and Covenants 65:2 aloud.

---What does the stone cut out of the mountain without hands represent?

(the phrase “kingdom of God” refers to the kingdom of God on the earth—The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.)

---What has the Lord “committed unto man” that enables the gospel to fill the whole earth?

(Remind students that the phrase “keys of the kingdom” refers to the priesthood authority to preside in the Church.)

---Write The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the margin next to verses 44–45.

---What might the phrase “cut out of the mountain without hands” mean in verse 45?

(The kingdom was established by God, not by man.)

---Why is it important to understand that the Church was established by God and not by man?

---What do you think the phrase “it shall stand for ever” means in verse 44?

---What does Daniel’s prophecy teach us about the Church?

(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?

---How can knowing that the Lord leads His kingdom today help us when we face opposition or when our faith is challenged?

---Testimony about why it is important to you to be a part of God’s kingdom on earth.

---Consider what you can do to help the kingdom of God to continue rolling forth to fill the earth.

Daniel 2:44–45. The growth and progress of the Church in the latter days

To help students understand the growth and progress of the Church in the latter days, you may want to display the following chart on the board or as a handout:

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2015 statistics

members 15,634,199
stakes 3,174 (30,016 wards)
missions 418
temples 149 (150 this year)
missionaries 74,079
service missionaries 31,779

For variety, consider leaving the first column of the table blank and letting students guess what each category represents. You could also invite students to guess what the figures are for the current year. They could check their answers by referring to the statistical report printed each May in the Ensign or Liahona.

What thoughts do you have when you consider how much the Church has grown since it was organized in 1830?

Invite a student to read aloud the following statement by President Gordon B. Hinckley:

“The little stone which was cut out of the mountain without hands as seen in Daniel’s vision is rolling forth to fill the whole earth (see Dan. 2:44–45). No force under the heavens can stop it if we will walk in righteousness and be faithful and true. The Almighty Himself is at our head” (“This Is the Work of the Master,” Ensign, May 1995, 71).

---Read Daniel 2:46–49 aloud looking for King Nebuchadnezzar’s response to the interpretation of his dream.

---What did Nebuchadnezzar do for Daniel and his friends?

---Remember that Daniel and his friends received these blessings because they sought Heavenly Father’s help.

---Ponder the truths you have learned while studying Daniel 2 and follow any promptings you may have received from the Holy Ghost to act on these truths.