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 in other ways build God’s kingdom on earth.

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 women?

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

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 He taught to testify, and as they did, the Spirit touched their hearts. How can you create an atmosphere that welcomes the Spirit, so He might touch the hearts of the young women? How might you invite the young women to testify about the blessings of tithing?

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.

  • Ask the young women to search Malachi 3:8–10 and Doctrine and Covenants 64:23 and share the promises made to tithe payers. Ask the young women 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 women 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 class 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 the young women 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.

  • Divide the class 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 women 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 women 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 women 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.

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

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.

Related Youth Activities

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