Conference Talk:
For more information on this topic read “The Opportunity of a Lifetime,” by W. Christopher Waddell, Ensign, Nov 2012, 50.
Thought:
As a result of . . . sacrifice, we [receive] our own gifts: The gift of faith. The gift of testimony. The gift of understanding the role of the Spirit. The gift of daily gospel study. The gift of having served our Savior.
(W. Christopher Waddell, “The Opportunity of a Lifetime,” Ensign, Nov 2012, 50.)
Song:
“'Give' Said the Little Stream,” Children’s Songbook, p. 236.
Scripture:
For all who will have a blessing at my hands shall abide the law which was appointed for that blessing, and the conditions thereof, as were instituted from before the foundation of the world.
(Doctrine and Covenants 132:5)
Object Lesson:
Materials Needed: A glass of ice water.
Procedure: Display the glass of ice water and ask the class if the water appears desirable. Most will express a fairly positive attitude toward it. Then ask them to imagine that they have been working in the garden on a hot summer day. There is no shade. They are bent over pulling weeds all afternoon They are sweating and their mouth is dry from the dust. Ask them how desirable the glass will appear after this hard day of work.
State that we experience a similar feeling in life when we sacrifice time, effort, or means for any good thing. This holy act of sacrifice leads us to a greater appreciation of what we do have. It helps us focus on our many blessings that we take for granted.
(Beth Lefgren and Jennifer Jackson, More Power Tools for Teaching, [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1991], p. 64.)
Story:
“The Best Is None Too Good for God” David O. McKay
I thank my earthly father for the lesson he gave to two boys in a hayfield at a time when tithes were paid in kind. We had driven out to the field to get the tenth load of hay, and then over to a part of the meadow where we had taken the ninth load, where there was “wire grass” and “slough grass.” As we started to load the hay, Father called out, “No, boys, drive over to the higher ground.” There was timothy and redtop there. But one of the boys called back (and it was I), “No, let us take the hay as it comes!”
“No, David, that is the tenth load, and the best is none too good for God.”
That is the most effective sermon on tithing I have ever heard in my life, and it touches, I found later in life, this very principle of the law of sacrifice. You cannot develop character without obeying that law. Temptation is going to come to you in this life. You sacrifice your appetites; you sacrifice your passions for the glory of God; and you gain the blessing of an upright character and spirituality. That is a fundamental truth.
(Jack M. Lyon, Linda Rire Gundry, Jay A. Parry, Best-Loved Stories of the LDS People, Vol. 1, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1997].)
Activity:
Divide the family into two teams. Have each team complete a relay race by moving to the goal and back holding a piece of tissue paper against the end of a straw by sucking.
(Alma Heaton, The LDS Game Book, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1968], p.37.)

Refreshment
Cookie Sundae Cups
Refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough
Vanilla ice cream
Hot Fudge, Chocolate, or Caramel Sauce
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Fill ungreased ramekins about 1⁄2 full of cookie dough.
2. Bake for about 12–14 minutes or until golden around the edges but still soft in the middle.
3. Remove from the oven and allow to cool about 5 minutes. Top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and drizzle with caramel and/or chocolate sauce.
(Sara Wells and Kate Jones, Our Best Bites, [Salt Lake City: Shadow Mountain, 2011], p. 213.)
To access the PDF version of this lesson, click here.