Joseph Smith Receives a Revelation

By Virginia Pearce

“And shall run and not be weary, and shall walk and not faint” (D&C 89:20).

Joseph Smith started a school for men in the Church called the School of the Prophets. In a room in Newel Whitney’s store in Kirtland, Ohio, he taught the men about the priesthood and about the scriptures.

While they were learning together, many of the men smoked pipes or cigars. The room was filled with smoke. Some men chewed tobacco, and the floor became dirty. The room always needed cleaning when the men went home.

Joseph wondered if men should smoke or chew tobacco. He prayed and asked God what was right.

In answer, the Lord told him that people should not use alcohol, tobacco, tea, or coffee. He said, “Strong drinks are not for the belly, … tobacco is not for the body, … hot drinks are not for the body or belly” (D&C 89:7–9). Joseph was told that fruits, vegetables, and grains are good for people to eat. He learned that people should not eat too much meat. (See D&C 89.)

The Lord told Joseph that if people would take only good things into their bodies, they would have good health, be wise, and be able to learn many things.

Joseph was happy to be able to teach the people of the Church about the things that they should and should not take into their bodies.

We can show respect, honor, and love for ourselves and our Heavenly Father by refusing to ever use tea, coffee, tobacco, alcohol, or any harmful drugs. When we eat those things that are good for us, and give our bodies the right amount of exercise and sleep, we are showing reverence.

Sharing Time Ideas

Divide Doctrine and Covenants 89:18–21 [D&C 89:18–21] into phrases and write them on strips of paper. Tape the papers under some of the children’s chairs. Have the children search for the wordstrips, then read them, place them in order, and discuss their meaning.
Have the children draw pictures and make a booklet of things that the Lord has told us are good for us to eat.
Have the younger children make a booklet entitled “I Can Be Reverent by Showing Respect, Honor, and Love for Myself.” Pages to be illustrated by the children could include: “Something I Like About Myself,” “Something I Do Well,” “Something Other People Like About Me,” “My Favorite Place to Be,” and “Something I Am Learning to Do.”
Divide the older children into groups of six or eight. Have each group sit in a circle; then have each child in the circle respond to a statement in Idea 3. Close by singing “I Am a Child of God” (Hymns, 1985, no. 301).

Instructions:

Find the hidden pictures of things that are good for your body. You will find a loaf of bread, a carrot, a head of lettuce, an apple, a sheaf of grain, an ear of corn, a roasted turkey, a pie, a bell pepper, a peach, a fish, an egg, a steak, a bean, an eggplant, a pea pod, a peanut, a bunch of asparagus, a strawberry, a cucumber, a squash, a pineapple, celery, a carton of milk, a pumpkin, an olive, a tomato, a muffin, a slice of watermelon, a banana, a sandwich, cherries, a grapefruit half, an onion, a radish, a plum, a cracker, a mushroom, broccoli, a pear, a lemon, a beet, a pickle, and grapes.

Illustrated by Phyllis Luch