Honesty - Gospel Principles Manual Lesson

I'm teaching this Sunday about honesty. I think the main things I hope happens is a good discussion. It seems that these types of lessons can end up going many directions, but I hope it goes in the following direction:

1) D.C. 3:2 - discusses God and some of his defining attributes

2For God doth not ^awalk in crooked paths, neither doth he ^bturnto the right hand nor to the left, neither doth he vary from that which he hath said, therefore his paths are straight, and his ^ccourseis one eternal round.

God does not vary from that which he hath said. Imagine if he did. We would lose all confidence in him. It could never happen. His honesty is critical for him to be respected and be God.

This is similar to a talk given by Elder Holland about the Savior called the Inconvenient Messiah:

Whatever else Satan may do, he will certainly appeal to our appetites. Far better to play on natural, acknowledged needs than struggle to plant in us artificial ones. Here Jesus experiences the real and very understandable hunger for food by which he must sustain his mortal life. We would not deny anyone this relief; certainly we would not deny the Son of Man. Israel had its manna in the wilderness. This is Israel's God. He has fasted for forty days and forty nights. Why not eat? He seems ready to break his fast, or surely must soon. Why not simply turn the stones to bread and eat?

The temptation is not in the eating. He has eaten before, he will soon eat again, and he must eat for the rest of his mortal life. The temptation, at least the part I wish to focus on, is to do it this way, to get his bread--his physical satisfaction, relief for his human appetite--the easy way, by abuse of power and without a willingness to wait for the right time and the right way. It is the temptation to be the convenient Messiah. Why do things the hard way? Why walk to the shop--or bakery? Why travel all the way home? Why deny yourself satisfaction when with ever such a slight compromise you might enjoy this much-needed nourishment? But Christ will not ask selfishly for unearned bread. He will postpone gratification, indefinitely if necessary, rather than appease appetite--even ravenous appetite--with what is not his.

Fundamentally, lying is taking the easy way out of situations. This is not acceptable. Heavenly Father sometimes loses the love of his children rather than giving them a false sense of security or breaking through the veil and talking to them. But he won't lie to them and he won't break the rules of this test.

Being completely honest is something we must strive to be. Without this we cannot become the people we need to be. While honesty is critical in business, it's perhaps more critical with our spouse and children.