Come, Follow Me
Why do we pay tithing?

Why do we pay tithing?

Prepare Yourself Spiritually

Paying tithing is a sacred privilege. When we pay tithing we show gratitude for all that God has given us and return to Him a portion of what we have received. Tithing is used to build temples and meetinghouses, translate and publish the scriptures, do missionary and family history work, and build God’s kingdom on earth in other ways.

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

Think about the spiritual and temporal blessings you have received from paying your tithes. What experiences have you had that you could share with the young men?

Why would it be important for young men to pay tithing? How can you teach them the importance of living the law of tithing?

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 trusted His disciples, prepared them, and gave them important responsibilities to teach, bless, and serve others. How can you show your trust in the young men and give them opportunities to teach others?

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.

  • Ask the young men to search Malachi 3:8–10 and Doctrine and Covenants 64:23 and share the promises made to tithe payers. Ask the young men to find out what the Lord expects us to pay in tithes by reading Doctrine and Covenants 119 (explain that “interest” is our annual “income”). Hand out tithing receipts and let the young men explain to each other how to use them. Share how you have been blessed for paying tithing.

  • Draw three columns on the board with the following headings: Blessings, How Funds Are Used, and Attitude. Divide the quorum into small groups, and assign each group one of the topics to research in the section titled “Tithes and Offerings” in For the Strength of Youth. Ask them to write what they find in the appropriate column on the board. Invite a few of them to share their testimonies of the law of tithing.

  • Read, show, or tell the story about Elder Pratt’s grandfather from “The Lord’s Richest Blessings.” Hand out copies of the talk to the young men, and ask them to find one of the lessons Elder Pratt learned from his grandfather and share it with the quorum. Invite the young men to tell of a time when the payment of tithing has blessed them or their family (or share an experience of your own).

  • Divide the quorum into two groups. Ask one group to read President Henry B. Eyring’s article “The Blessings of Tithing,” and ask the other group to read paragraphs 2–13 of Elder David A. Bednar’s talk “The Windows of Heaven.” Ask each group to make a list of the blessings we receive when we pay tithing, and then write the blessings on the board. Invite the young men to share blessings that have come to them and their families from paying tithing. Ask them how living the law of tithing will help their future marriages and families.

  • Ask the young men what they would say if a friend asked them why they pay tithing. Show the video “Face to Face: Why is the law of tithing important, and how are the funds used?” and invite the young men to listen for insights in this video that might help them answer their friend’s question. You might also invite a member of the bishopric to share his insights.

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.

Related Youth Activities

Plan a Mutual activity that will help the young men apply what they learned in this lesson.