1852 – First Sabbath School Lessons  in The Youth’s Instructor of 1852

Sabbath School Lesson Series 1

In 1852 James White wrote a series of lessons which were published in The Youth’s Instructor
These were actually headlined as “Sabbath School Lessons,” which is the term we use today. (Between then and now, the lessons sometimes went by other titles.) These lessons appear to be meant for all ages. 

The Youth’s Instructor, Vol. 1, No. 1, August 1852, page.
Lesson  1:  The Sabbath, page 2
Lesson 2:  The Sabbath continued, page 3
Lesson 3:  The Law of God, page 4
Lesson 4:  The Ark of the Testimony, page 5

Lesson 5:  The Law of God (The Youth’s Instructor, Vol. 1, No. 2, October  1852, Front page )
Lesson 6:  The Law of God continued: The Great Commandments, Front page
Lesson 7:   The Fifth Commandment, page 10 
Lesson 8:   The Life of Christ, page 11 

Lesson:  9:  The Life of Christ (The Youth’s Instructor, Vol. I, No. 2, December 1852, Front page)  
Lesson 10:  The Life of Christ, continued, page 18
Lesson 11:   The Life of Christ, continued, page 18
Lesson 12:  The Life of Christ, continued, page 19
Lesson 13:  The Life of Christ, continued, page 19


1853 – The Youth’s Instructor 

Lesson 14: The Life of Christ (The Youth’s Instructor, Vol. 1, No. 4, January 1853, page 28)  
Lesson 15:  Christ’s Resurrection, page 29
Lesson 16:  Christ’s Resurrection, continued, page 29
Lesson 17:  Christ’s Second Coming, page 30

Lesson 18:  The Second Coming, (The Youth’s Instructor, Vol. 1, No. 5, February 1853, page 37)  
Lesson 19:  The Second Coming, continued, page 19
Lesson 20: Daniel  – Chapter 1, History of Daniel and His Three Fellows, page 39
Lesson 21:  Daniel – Chapter 2, Nebuchadnezzar Forgetteth His Dream, The Chaldeans Unable to Tell It, page 39

Lesson 22: Daniel – Chapter 2, Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream of the Great Image, (The Youth’s Instructor, Vol. 1, No. 6, March 1853, page 46)  
Lesson 23: Daniel – Chapter 2, continued, page 47
Lesson 24: Daniel – Chapter 3, Nebuchadnezzar’s Golden Image, page 47

Lesson 25:  Daniel – Chapter 6, Daniel Cast into the Lion’s Den (The Youth’s Instructor, Vol. 1, No. 7, April 1853, page 54)  
Lesson 26: Daniel – Chapter 7, page 55
Lesson 27: Daniel – Chapter 7, continued, page 55
Lesson 28: What Did Daniel Next Behold, page 56
 Lessons for Little Children: 
Lesson 1: Children Taught about God, page 54  (The Youth’s Instructor, Vol. 1, No. 7, April 1853, page 54)  
Lesson 2: For What Should You Be Thankful? page 54

Lessons for Adults:
Lesson 29:  The Inheritance of the Saints, (The Youth’s Instructor, Vol. 1, No. 8, May 1853, page 61)
Lesson 30:  Daniel – Chapter 7, Interpretation of Daniel’s Vision of the Four Beasts, page 63
Lesson 31:   Daniel – Chapter 7, Interpretation of Daniel’s Vision of the Four Beasts, continued, page 64
Lesson 32:  Daniel – Chapter 7, Interpretation of Daniel’s Vision of the Four Beasts, continued, page 64
Lessons for Little Children:
Lesson 3:  Questions and Answers on Creation, page 62
Lesson 4:  What were in the Garden of Eden, page 63
Lesson 5:  What is Sin? page 63
Lesson 6:  Have You Ever Been Angry, and Said Naughty Words?, page 63

Lessons for Adults:
Lesson 33: The New Jerusalem, (The Youth’s Instructor, Vol. 1, No. 9, June  1853, page 70)
Lesson 34: The New Jerusalem, continued, page 70
Lesson 35:  Daniel – Chapter 8, Daniel’s Vision of the Ram, He-Goat, and the Little Horn, page 71
Lesson 36: Daniel – Chapter 8, Daniel’s Vision of the Ram, He-Goat, and the Little Horn, continued, page 72
Lesson 37:  Daniel – Chapter 8, Daniel’s Vision of the Ram, He-Goat, and the Little Horn, continued, page 72

Lesson 38:  The Birth of John the Baptist Foretold, page 80
Lesson 39:  The Birth of Christ Foretold, page 80
Lesson 40:  Birth of John the Baptist, page 80
Lesson 41:   Birth of Christ, page 80

Lessons for Little Children:
Lesson 7:  Questions and Answers on Sin, page 78
Lesson 8:  What was Bethlehem called?  page 78
Lesson 9:  How did the Shepherds appear at this time? page 79

Lessons for Adults:

Lesson 42:  The Sanctuary, (The Youth’s Instructor, Vol. 1, Nos. 11 & 12, August 1853, page 87)  
Lesson 43:   The Sanctuary, continued, page 88
Lesson 44:  The Sanctuary, continued, page 88
Lesson 45:  The Sanctuary, continued, page  89
Lesson 46: The Sanctuary, continued, page 90
Lesson 47:  The Sanctuary, continued, page 91
Lesson 48:  The Sanctuary, continued, page 91


1854 V0l. II of The Youth’s Instructor  –  January 1854 – note below   

In The Youth’s Instructor,  Vol. 2, No. 1, January 1854, page 8 (the last page), we find this editorial note on page 8 (the last page):

Sabbath Schools should not be given up because Lessons are not given in the INSTRUCTOR.

Let Teachers select portions of Scripture for the children to commit to memory, or Scriptural subjects suited to their age and advantages, and ask questions and make remarks bearing on the subject. Pray with the children, and enter into their condition, and labor untiringly for their conversion.

We hope to he able soon to prepare a Hymn Book and Question Book for Sabbath-schools.

Context suggests that there was some difficulty paying for the printing of The Youth’s Instructor,  with  the price of 25 cents per issue barely covering the printing costs of issues sold and leaving nothing for the publisher-editor, James White. 
 
***
January to July 1854:  In the Youth’s Instructor, they don’t have Sabbath School Lessons from January to July 1854.

January to July 1854: I checked the Advent Review & Sabbath Herald to see if they had any Sabbath School Lessons for this time period and they did not. 
However, they have lessons from 1863 which are listed in this link
 
***
The Youth’s Instructor started printing the Sabbath School lessons again from August which are listed below.


1854

The Youth’s Instructor has Sabbath School Lessons for 1854.  Please see below:

No Sabbath School Lesson for: (The Youth’s Instructor, Vol. 2, No. 2, February  1854.) 

Notes on the manner of studying the Sabbath School Lessons, (The Youth’s Instructor, Vol. 2, No. 8, August 1854, page 60)
1.   The Law of God, page 60
2.   The Law of God, continued, page 61
3.   The Law of God, continued, page 61
4.   The Law of God, continued, page 62

5.   The Law of God, (The Youth’s Instructor, Vol. 2, No. 9, September 1854, page 68) 
6 . The Law of God, continued, page 69
7.   The Law of God, continued, page 69
8.   The Law of God, continued, page 70
9.   The Law of God, continued, page 71

10. The Law of God,  (The Youth’s Instructor, Vol. 2, No. 10,  October 1854, page 76)  
11. The Law of God, continued, page 76
12. The Law of God, continued, page 77
13. The Law of God, continued, page 77

14. The Law of God, (The Youth’s Instructor, Vol. 2, No. 11, November 1854, page 84)  
15.  The Law of God, continued, page 85

16. The Law of God, (The Youth’s Instructor, Vol. 2, No. 12, December 1854, page 93)  
17. The Law of God, continued, page 93
18. The Law of God, continued, page 94
19. The Law of God, continued, page 94
20. The Law of God, continued, page 95


1855

21.  Place of the Law (The Youth’s Instructor, Vol. 3, No. 1, January 1855, page 1)  
22. Place of the Law, continued, page 1
23. Place of the Law, continued, page 2
24. Place of the Law, continued, page 2
25. Place of the Law, continued, page 3

26. The Faith of Jesus, (The Youth’s Instructor, Vol. 3, No.2, February 1855,Front page)  
27.
Earliest Traces of  Faith, continued, Front page
28.
Sacrifice, Evidence of  Offered Salvation, page 10
29.
Christ Promised to Abraham, page 11

30. The Faith of Jesus, Election (The Youth’s Instructor, Vol. 3, No. 3, March 1855, page 21)  
31. The Faith of Jesus, Election, continued, page 21
32. Place of Christ’s Birth, page 22
33. Time of the First Advent Foretold, page 22

34. John the Baptist  (The Youth’s Instructor, Vol. 3, No. 4, April 1855, page29)  
35. Christ’s Entrance into Jerusalem, page 29
36. Holy Life of Jesus, page 30
37. Miracles of Jesus, page 31
38. Faith’s Duty, page 31
39. Repentance, page 32

40. Faith of Jesus – Baptism, (The Youth’s Instructor, Vol. 3, No. 5, May 1855, page 36)  
41. Washing of Feet, page 37
42. Lord’s Supper, page 37
43. Prayer, page 38
44. Fasting, page 39

45. Faith of Jesus – Self-denial and Suffering, (The Youth’s Instructor, Vol. 3, No.6, June 1855, page 44)  
46. Christian Morality, page 45
47. The Second Advent – Signs in the Heavens, page 45
48. National Troubles, page 46

49. The Faith of Jesus – Definite Time, (The Youth’s Instructor, Vol. 3, No. 7, July 1855, page 53)  
50. First Special Message, page 54
51. Second Special Message, page 55
52. Third Special Message, page 55

53. No Sabbath School Lesson, (The Youth’s Instructor, Vol. 3, No. 8, August 1855)  

54. No Sabbath School Lesson, (The Youth’s Instructor, Vol. 3, No. 9, September 1855)  

55.  No Sabbath School Lesson, (The Youth’s Instructor, Vol. 3, No. 10, October 1855)  


1856 to 1867 – The Youth’s Instructor – I could not find Sabbath School Lessons for this time period in the Youth’s Instructor.

1856 to 1862 – Advent Review & Sabbath Herald – I checked the first issue and the middle issue and the last issue of every year and could not find Sabbath school Lessons. 
However, they had lessons from 1863 which are listed in this link. 


To view the Review and Herald Periodicals from 1850 Volume 1 onwards

and

The Youth’s Instructor from 1852 Volume 1 onwards – please click on the links below:

Go to Review and Herald Periodicals from 1850 onwards

Go to The Youth’s Instructor Periodicals from 1852 onwards

At the bottom of each page, you can click on the next arrow to view lessons for subsequent years.


This page was created by the late Robbie Noordzy, working as long as he was physically able, while fighting against cancer. It was further edited by Spence Rani in 2025.

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