Why is it important to be honest? (2024)

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 RobertC. 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.

    Why is it important to be honest? (2)

  • 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 RichardJ. 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.

Why is it important to be honest? (2024)

FAQs

Why is it important to be honest? ›

Honesty builds trust:

What are the benefits of honesty? ›

When you're honest with the people in your life, you build trust and respect. This can lead to stronger and more meaningful relationships, which are essential for good mental health. Honest communication can also help you resolve conflicts with others more effectively, which can reduce stress and anxiety.

Why it is important to tell the truth? ›

The Importance of Truth. Truth matters, both to us as individuals and to society as a whole. As individuals, being truthful means that we can grow and mature, learning from our mistakes. For society, truthfulness makes social bonds, and lying and hypocrisy break them.

What is the value of honesty? ›

At its core, honesty is about being truthful and transparent in all your actions, words, and decisions. It is the foundation of trust; the glue that holds relationships together, whether in personal or professional settings.

How important is honesty to success? ›

If you are not honest about your progress, it can be easy to become complacent and give up on your goals. But if you're honest about your efforts, you'll see that progress is being made, even if it's slow. This will keep you going until you reach your goals. Lastly, honesty creates accountability.

Why honest is more important? ›

Honesty builds trust:

When we are honest with ourselves, we build trust with ourselves and others. When we are truthful about our thoughts, feelings, and actions, we create a foundation of trust that others can rely on. Honesty is essential for building healthy relationships, both personally and professionally.

Why is honesty important today? ›

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.

Why is truth important in life? ›

Truth is important. Believing what is not true is apt to spoil people's plans and may even cost them their lives. Telling what is not true may result in legal and social penalties. Conversely, a dedicated pursuit of truth characterizes the good scientist, the good historian, and the good detective.

Is honesty always good? ›

Being honest with others, especially your partner, may have its benefits but can also carry significant costs. Communication that is honest but also protects the other person may provide the best strategy for using the truth to your advantage.

What is the reward of being truthful? ›

People will be drawn to you because they can trust that you will be direct with your perspective, counsel and advice. You create trust and reliability. You will gain a lot of trust and reliability with followers in and outside your organization. By being upfront with people, you also will gain credibility and respect.

What is the main point of honesty? ›

Honesty implies being truthful. Honesty means to develop a practice of speaking truth throughout life. A person who practices Honesty in his/her life, possess strong moral character. An Honest person shows good behavior, always follows rules and regulations, maintain discipline, speak the truth, and is punctual.

What is the goal of honesty? ›

Honesty allows people to take responsibility for their feelings and behaviors, owning them, and reaping benefits by doing so. Which virtue is this strength? Honesty is a strength within the virtue category of courage, one of six virtues that subcategorize the 24 strengths.

How does honesty affect your life? ›

Honesty helps in developing good attributes like kindness, discipline, truthfulness, moral integrity and more. Lying, cheating, lack of trust, steal, greed and other immoral attributes have no part in Honesty. Honest people are sincere, trustworthy and loyal, throughout their life.

What is the power of honesty? ›

When we employ honesty in our communication with others and when we deal truthfully with the evidence that lies before us, we build social trust and gain a clearer picture of both the challenges we face and the range of possible actions that could result in positive change in our communities.

Why is honesty the most important trait? ›

Honesty is important because it allows the other person to understand your needs and gives them an opportunity to respond to them, says Dr. Romanoff. Builds trust: Being able to be yourself with your partner can deepen the trust between you and your partner, solidify your bond, and create intimacy in the relationship.

Why should honesty be a core value? ›

“Honesty and Integrity” is the heart of our core values, setting the stage for us all to be transparent and open while maintaining the dignity of those around us. For us to grow and evolve both personally and as an organization, we have to be honest with each other.

What are the strengths of honesty? ›

Honesty is one of 24 universal character strengths and is within the virtue category of courage. It is about being authentic with others and true to yourself. It involves speaking the truth, being genuine and acting sincere. You may notice this strength in someone who shares their vulnerabilities with others.

Why is honesty an important skill? ›

It entails showing respect towards others and having integrity and self-aware- ness. Honesty is the foundation for trust and key in social relationships; it gives us hope, confidence, com- passion and improves decision-making.

What are good points about honesty? ›

Research findings on the benefits of the strength of honesty found honest people are typically viewed as trustworthy, which contributes to healthy, positive relationships. Honesty is also linked to improved accuracy of your goals, reflecting your true values and interests.

What is the core value of honesty? ›

Honesty requires an inner journey to recognize and embrace one's individual core. It has the courage to live from this core, no matter what others think (or, what we imagine they think) of us. I've written about many topics that resonate with many of us, but honesty is the topic at my center.

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