Item needed: an owner's manual from a vehicle or appliance
Explain that when a consumer purchases a new vehicle or appliance, the manufacturer provides instructions on the care and maintenance of the machine. (If you brought an owner’s manual, show it to class members with a short explanation of what it contains.) By following the recommended instructions, a person can expect better performance and longer use from the vehicle or appliance.
What may happen if the owner ignores the manufacturer's instructions? (The machine may break down or even become dangerous.)
Tell class members that each of them has a wonderful mechanism. This mechanism can repair itself when it has minor breakdowns, it has automatic "windshield wipers" and an automatic cooling system, and it usually works more efficiently the more it is used.
What is this wonderful mechanism? (The human body.)
What revelation could be considered an "owner's manual" for our bodies? (The Word of Wisdom.)
Explain that just as a manufacturer provides instructions on the care of a machine, the Creator of our bodies has provided instructions on how to take care of these bodies. If we follow these instructions, many of which are included in the Word of Wisdom, we can expect better performance from our bodies and minds. This does not mean that we will never get sick or that our bodies will never need repairs, but the Lord will bless us as we try to keep our bodies in good condition.
Source: “Lesson 26: The Wisdom of the Word of Wisdom,” Preparing for Exaltation: Teacher’s Manual, 147 (http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=32c41b08f338c010VgnVCM10...)
