Lesson 147:
Daniel 6–12
VIDEO Elder
Uchtdorf “Be Not Afraid, Only Believe” follow along with text.
---In the
following story, listen for how President Smith showed his faithfulness to the
Lord.
At
age 19, Joseph F. Smith returned home from his first mission and
joined a wagon train. One evening, a group of “drunken men rode into the camp
on horseback, cursing and swearing and threatening to kill any ‘Mormons’ that
came within their path.” Joseph’s “first thought was to … seek shelter in the
trees and in flight [as others had done]. Then the thought came to him, ‘Why
should I run from these fellows?’ With that thought in mind he boldly marched
up … to the campfire.” One of the drunk men, waving a pistol and pointing at
Joseph, “demanded in a loud, angry voice, ‘Are you a “Mormon”?’
“Without a
moment of hesitation and looking the ruffian in the eye, Joseph F. Smith
boldly answered, ‘Yes, siree; dyed in the wool; true blue, through and
through.’”
Joseph’s
response “completely disarmed the belligerent man, and in his bewilderment, he
grasped [Joseph] by the hand and said:
“‘Well, you
are the [blankety-blank] pleasantest man I ever met! Shake hands, young fellow,
I am glad to see a man that stands up for his convictions’” (Life of
Joseph F. Smith, comp. Joseph Fielding Smith [1938], 187–89).
---How did Joseph F. Smith show his
faithfulness to the Lord? What about his situation might have made it difficult
to do so?
---What are some situations today in which it
might be difficult to show your faithfulness to the Lord?
---Remember
that Babylon was conquered by the Medes and the Persians, and Darius the Mede
was made king over Babylon (see Daniel 5:28, 30–31). (Neb’s dream starting to be fulfilled)
---What do you think it means that Daniel was
preferred because he had “an excellent spirit” (Daniel 6:3)?
---What did the other leaders seek to do to
Daniel?
---Why were they unsuccessful in finding
fault with Daniel?
---What did the other leaders realize they
needed to use against Daniel? (His commitment to obeying God.)
---What did
these leaders do in order to use Daniel’s commitment to God against him?---Read
Daniel
6:6–9
---What problem did this decree create for
Daniel?
---What do you think you would
have done if you had been in Daniel’s situation?
---What action indicates that Daniel was not
afraid to be seen or heard obeying the Lord instead of the king’s decree?
---How would Daniel have been unfaithful to
the Lord if he had obeyed the king’s decree?
---Before casting Daniel into the lions’ den,
what did Darius say to him?
---What did the Lord do to deliver Daniel
from the lions’ den?
---What principle can we learn from Daniel’s
example?
If we are
continually faithful to the Lord, He will help us through challenges we may
experience as a result of our faithfulness.
---Based on what you have learned in your
study of the book of Daniel, what do you think it means to be continually
faithful to the Lord?
---We might
not necessarily be threatened with death for being faithful to the Lord, but
the world may threaten us with other challenges because of our faithfulness.
---Divide
students into groups of three or four. Give each group a slip of paper with one
of the following faithful actions written on it:
Standing by your beliefs about marriage as
defined by God
Refusing to gossip
Choosing to not participate with peers who
are viewing pornography
Turning down an invitation to a party where
drugs and alcohol will be available
Being kind to someone who is treated rudely
---Discuss
different “dens of lions,” or challenges, that someone might be threatened with
for choosing to act in that faithful way.
---While
students are discussing, draw or display pictures of several lions on the board
(one lion for each group of students).
---Come and
label one of the lions with the challenges that your group discussed. Describe
the faithful action you were assigned and the possible challenges you came up
with.
---Why would we choose to be faithful to the
Lord if we knew we might experience some of these challenges as a result?
---When has the Lord helped you or someone
you know endure or overcome a challenge that came as a result of being faithful
to Him?
---Ponder
situations in your own lives in which you might be threatened with challenges
for being faithful to the Lord.
---Be
faithful to the Lord in those situations. If you are faithful, the Lord will
help you.
---In Daniel 6:24 those who accused Daniel and
tricked Darius were thrown into the lions’ den with their families.
---Report.
---Who was affected by Daniel’s fearless
decision to obey the Lord?
---What can happen if we are not afraid to show
our obedience to the Lord?
If we are
not afraid to show our obedience to the Lord, we can help others believe in
Him.
---How can seeing someone’s obedience to the
Lord help others believe in Him?
---When has your belief in the Lord, or the
belief of someone you know, been strengthened because of another person’s
example of obedience to Him?
---In Daniel 7 Daniel saw a vision representing
different political kingdoms and evil that would be on the earth from his time
through the last days. He also saw a sacred event associated with the Savior’s
Second Coming.
---What did Daniel see would happen to the
“thrones,” or worldly governments?
---Daniel 7:10–14 says that Daniel saw a council
in which priesthood holders from all the dispensations will account for their
stewardships to Adam. Adam will then report to Jesus Christ, whose people will
recognize Him as their King.
---In Daniel 7:24–26 it says that the Savior will
destroy the power of the wicked over the earth when He comes in His glory.
---Read Daniel
7:18, 27 aloud
looking for who will reign with the Savior in His kingdom on earth after His
Second Coming.
---Who will reign with the Savior in His
kingdom on earth?
After the
Second Coming, the Savior will reign on earth with His saints. Write this truth on the board.
---The title
“saints” means “holy ones” and refers to members of the Church who have
faithfully kept the commandments. After the Savior’s glorious return and His
millennial reign, the kingdom “shall be given to the people of the saints of
the most High” (verse 27) and this earth in its celestial
state will be their home forever.
---How can understanding that Jesus Christ
will reign on the earth with His saints influence your decision to be faithful
to Him?
---Much of Daniel 8–12 consists of descriptions of
additional visions of future events that Daniel saw.
---Testify
of the importance of being a faithful follower of the Lord.
Right margin extras:
PowerPoint:
Old Testament lesson 147—Daniel 6–12
Preparation
of Joseph F. Smith: True Blue, Through and Through (1:31)
Joseph F. Smith faces an unruly mob and declares fearlessly his membership in the Church. Consider showing this video in place of having a student read the account about Joseph F. Smith.
Joseph F. Smith faces an unruly mob and declares fearlessly his membership in the Church. Consider showing this video in place of having a student read the account about Joseph F. Smith.
No Cussing
Club (4:56)
One boy’s crusade to encourage clean language has far-reaching effects, showing the power of a good example. Consider showing this video to help students feel the truth and importance of the following principle: If we are not afraid to show our obedience to the Lord, we can help others believe in Him.
One boy’s crusade to encourage clean language has far-reaching effects, showing the power of a good example. Consider showing this video to help students feel the truth and importance of the following principle: If we are not afraid to show our obedience to the Lord, we can help others believe in Him.
To help
generate students’ interest in a lesson, consider sharing true stories or
accounts from the lives of the prophets and Church history as well as from
general conference addresses, Church magazines, or your own life. Such stories
can build students’ faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ by helping them understand the gospel
through others’ experiences.
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