Come, Follow Me
Why is it important to be honest?

Why is it important to be honest?

Prepare Yourself Spiritually

Being honest means choosing not to lie, steal, cheat, or deceive in any way. When we are honest, we build strength of character that will allow us to be of great service to God and to others. We are blessed with peace of mind and self-respect and will be trusted by the Lord and others.

Resources to Help You Prepare

These resources are to help you prepare for the “Learn together” section of the meeting.

Questions to Ponder before You Teach

What do you think it means to be honest in all things? Why do you feel it is important to be honest? How have you or someone you know been affected by the honest or dishonest decisions of others?

What tests of honesty do the young women face in their lives? How can you help them understand that blessings come from being honest in all situations? How can you help them have the courage to make honest choices?

What can the young women do to prepare to learn? For example, they could read a talk, watch a video, or study a scripture related to this doctrine.

Teaching in the Savior’s Way

The Savior invited those who followed Him to act in faith and live the truths He taught. What can you do to help the young women act in faith to gain a better understanding of the importance of being honest?

Meeting Outline

1. Counsel Together and Share Experiences

Led by a member of the class presidency; approximately 5–10 minutes

Lead a discussion about items such as the following:

  • Our class: Who is missing today? What visits do we need to make? Who should we invite to an upcoming activity? Who needs our help and prayers?

  • Our responsibilities: What assignments do we need to make? What assignments have we fulfilled? How have we invited others to come unto Christ, and how can we invite others now?

  • Our lives: Remind the class of the discussion from the last meeting. What experiences have we had with applying what we learned? What experiences have we had in the past few weeks that strengthened our testimonies of the gospel?

If possible, discuss these items beforehand in a class presidency meeting.

2. Learn Together

Led by a leader or teacher or a member of the class; approximately 25–35 minutes

After studying the above resources and following the inspiration of the Spirit, you may select one or more of the activities below to help class members understand the doctrine.

  • Read to the young women the story about a man stealing corn in Ann M. Dibb’s talk “I Believe in Being Honest and True.” Stop reading just before the little boy says, “Father, there is one way you haven’t looked yet!” Ask the young women what the little boy might say to his father. Then read his comment. Ask the young women to discuss choices they face in which they must choose to be honest.

  • As a class, read “Honesty and Integrity” in For the Strength of Youth. Ask the young women to identify the blessings of honesty and list them on the board. How does honesty affect their ability to do good for others and the Lord? When have the young women been blessed for being honest? Ask the young women to think of situations in which they might be tempted to be dishonest (they could look at the standards in For the Strength of Youth for ideas). What could they do in these situations to maintain their honesty?

  • Assign each of the young women one of the scripture passages from this lesson. Ask them to write down one to four words that represent what the passage teaches about honesty. Invite them to share what they have written and then express their feelings and experiences about being honest. How does their integrity affect their relationships with others?

  • Read Joseph Smith—History 1:21–25 as a class, and ask the young women what they learn about honesty from this story. How are they blessed because Joseph was true to what he experienced and what Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ asked of him? When has being honest required the young women to be courageous? How were they blessed for being honest?

  • Draw a line down the middle of the board. On one side write, If I am honest … and on the other side write, If I am dishonest … Ask the young women to look for ways to complete these sentences as they read the section titled “Honesty” in True to the Faith and the story about Elder Richard J. Maynes’s father in his message “Earning the Trust of the Lord and Your Family.” What other thoughts can they add? Invite the young women to share how they have seen these things in their own lives. Ask the class to share some ways people sometimes justify being dishonest. How do they explain to others their reasons for being honest?

3. Plan to Act

Led by a member of the class presidency; approximately 5–10 minutes

  • Ask the young women to discuss any feelings or impressions they had during the meeting. What was meaningful to them? Is there something they can do personally or as a class to apply what they have learned?

  • Give the young women a few minutes to record what they will do in the coming weeks to act on their impressions. Invite them to share their ideas.

  • Remind the young women that they will have the opportunity to share their experiences at the beginning of the next meeting.