POST-AND-PRESENT ACTIVITY. TITHING TALES “EGGS AND COINS” stories and discussion. Youth will learn about “tithing eggs” and potatoes that earned money where 10% was paid for tithing. This boy was a future Prophet. The activity illustrates the story cards that note how TITHING HELPS: spread the gospel of Jesus Christ, brings families together through family history, provides teaching materials, and builds churches and temples.
Use for COME FOLLOW ME Primary and Home, Young Women, Young Men, or Youth, Family Home Evening, Primary Sharing Time, or Activity Days
POST-AND-PRESENT Activity
Tithing Tales “Eggs and Coins” (stories & discussion)
OBJECTIVE: Help the youth hear tithing lessons that the Prophet Spencer W. Kimball learned as a boy. Then discuss what tithing money is used for and the blessings promised from paying their tithing.
TO MAKE Print, color, and cut out the visuals and laminate (optional). To create pockets on a potato sack and tithing envelope glue pockets outer edges only.
If laminated, use double-stick tape or glue dots (used in scrapbooking) to secure. For wing on chicken, cut a slit where indicated and insert wing and glue or tape to secure the flap on the back.
Mount visuals on a poster with double-stick tape, or a bulletin board with magnets.
ACTIVITY (Parts I-IV):
PART 1:
- Display the images to create two scenes on the left and right side of the TITHING envelope as shown. Place coins in potato pocket and place eggs under the chicken wing. Place the tithing help cards and the tithing slip inside the envelope. As the two stories are told, have children come up and move the egg and the coins into the tithing envelope.
- Introduce the activity by saying, “The Prophet Spencer W. Kimball told two stories about when he was a boy and what his parents taught him about paying an honest tithing.
Tell Story #1 (using visuals):
The boy Spencer asked his mother one day as they walked down a dusty road to the bishop’s house, “Why do we take the eggs to the bishop?” His mother must have smiled as she said, “Because they are tithing eggs and the bishop receives the tithing of Heavenly Father.” Each evening when the eggs were gathered from the hens and brought in, the first one went in a small basket and the other nine were placed in the large basket. His mother taught him about the law of tithing.
Tell Story #2 (using visuals)
West of Spencer’s home was their garden plot where they grew potatoes and more. His father told Spencer and his sister Alice, “There are more potatoes than we can use. If you would like to sell some, you may do so.” So, they dug up a sack full of potatoes and hauled them down to a hotel and sold them.
When they showed the money to their father, he asked what they were going to do with it. Spencer announced they would divide the money and buy what they wanted. His father questioned, “What about your tithing?” The Lord has been good to us. We planted and cultivated and harvested, but the earth is the Lord’s. He sent the moisture and the sunshine. One-tenth we always give back to the Lord for his part.”
Spencer then felt it an “HONOR and a PRIVILEGE” to pay tithing.
Talk by the Prophet, Spencer W. Kimball, “He Did It with All His Heart, and Prospered,” Liahona 1981
LINK: https://www.lds.org/liahona/1981/08/he-did-it-with-all-his-heart-and-prospered?lang=eng
PART II:
Then review what tithing is used for and ways tithing donations blesses us. Have youth take turns pulling from the tithing envelope the four ways the bishop and Church leaders spend tithing money, to build up the kingdom of God upon the earth.
Talk about how spending tithing money on these four things blesses our lives. Mount each below the tithing envelope and discuss them (tell how having each can bless our lives. WAYS: (1) Tithing helps bring families together through family history (2) Tithing helps provide teaching materials, (3) Tithing helps build churches and temples, (4) Tithing helps spread the gospel of Jesus Christ
PART III:
Tell the youth that the #1 blessing that comes from paying tithing is that we can ask for blessings and that Heavenly Father pours out blessings upon us. The Lord told the ancient Prophet Malachi, “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.” (Malachi 3:10.)
PART IV:
If you have time you could practice with the coins figuring out the tithing.
THOUGHT TREAT: Candy Eggs or Jelly Beans and Potato Chips or Chocolate Candy Coins. Share these tasty treats in memory of the stories about eggs and potatoes and payment of tithing (shown above).
