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 men 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 men 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 taught through example. He taught others to pray by praying with them. He taught them to love and serve by the way He loved and served them. He taught them how to teach His gospel by the way He taught it. The young men will be strengthened as they see you live a life of honesty in what you teach and how you live.

Meeting Outline

1. Counsel Together and Share Experiences

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

Lead a discussion about items such as the following:

  • Our quorum: 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 duties: 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 quorum 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 quorum presidency meeting.

2. Learn Together

Led by a leader or teacher or a member of the quorum; 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 quorum members understand the doctrine.

  • Invite the young men to watch “Honesty: You Better Believe It” or read the story about buying movie tickets in Elder Robert C. Gay’s talk “What Shall a Man Give in Exchange for His Soul?” Ask them to write down ways they can prepare now to overcome the temptation to be dishonest before the situation actually arises. Invite them to share their thoughts with the rest of the quorum.

  • As a quorum, read “Honesty and Integrity” in For the Strength of Youth. Ask the young men 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? Why is honesty important to them as a priesthood holder, a son, a brother, a friend, a leader, or an employee?

  • Read Joseph Smith—History 1:21–25 as a quorum, and ask the young men 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 men 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 men 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 men to share how they have seen these things in their own lives. Ask the quorum to share some ways people sometimes justify being dishonest. How do they explain to others their reasons for being honest?

  • Assign each of the young men one of the scripture passages from this lesson. Ask each young man to write down one to four words that represent what the passage teaches about honesty. Invite the young men to share what they have written and express their feelings and experiences about being honest.

3. Plan to Act

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

  • Ask the young men 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 quorum to apply what they have learned?

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