OBJECTIVE
34825, YW 3, Developing
Socially and Emotionally, 41: Being Dependable, Objective, 148
Each young woman will understand the value of being dependable.
PREPARATION
1. Bring a watch or clock.
2. Provide paper and pencils for the class members.
3. Assign young women to present any stories,
scriptures, or quotations you wish.
SUGGESTED LESSON DEVELOPMENT
Introduction
Object lesson
Display the watch or clock.
Explain to the class that a good watch or timepiece is very valuable when
it tells time accurately. But a watch, no matter how beautifully adorned
with gold or jewels, is of little use if you cannot depend on it to tell
time accurately.
It Is Important to Be Dependable
Teacher presentation
Explain that a class of young women and their adviser had planned a
service project to help an elderly widow, Sister Morgan, clean up her yard.
The young women had promised to be at Sister Morgan’s home at 9:00 Saturday
morning with rakes, hoes, a lawnmower, and trimmers for garden work. On
Saturday the adviser and one young woman were the only ones who met at
Sister Morgan’s home. Although they worked very hard until 1:00 in the
afternoon, they were able to accomplish far less than their goal because two
people were trying to do the work of ten.
Discussion
Discuss how the two who kept their commitment might have felt.
• What responsibility did the other class members
have?
• How do you feel when other people make commitments
and then fail to keep them?
Chalkboard
Discuss what it means to be dependable. List some of the characteristics
of a dependable person on the chalkboard. (The list could include reliable,
trustworthy, responsible, diligent.)
Quotation
As the following quotation is read, ask the young women to listen for the
examples of people who were not dependable. Then have them think of people
in their lives on whom they depend. Examples might be their parents,
teachers, bishop, bus driver, or physician.
“There is a thought from Confucius that touches upon the point of many
personal and public problems. ‘A man who lacks reliability is utterly
useless,’ he said. In this there is much of what is wrong with the
relationships of man to man—not being reliable, not being able to count on
people to perform their part, to do what they say they will do when it needs
to be done. And so disappointments and disillusionment occur from day to
day. Someone says he’ll have something ready at a certain time, and it just
isn’t ready. Someone borrows and says he’ll pay back or bring it back at a
certain time, and it just isn’t paid back or brought back. Someone signs a
contract and agrees to perform certain services, and just doesn’t do it. The
list could be endlessly lengthened. Often there are unavoidable reasons, but
sometimes it is lack of reliability—and in some situations this could become
not only frustrating but frightening. All this could perhaps be compared to
a parachute that opens only part of the time, or to brakes on a car that
can’t be counted on consistently. … Suppose we couldn’t count on the
promises of God. Suppose the astronauts in orbit couldn’t count on the
calculations that others have made, or couldn’t count on the universe being
run reliably. Suppose we couldn’t count on the tides, or the sun, or the
seasons. It isn’t the hit-and-miss performance that makes life possible, but
the degree of reliability, dependability, honesty, consistency that can be
counted on. ‘A man who lacks reliability is utterly useless’ ” (Richard L.
Evans, “Reliable Once in a While,” Ensign, Oct. 1971, p. 9).
Scripture
Have the young women find and read Doctrine and Covenants
D&C 82:24.
• What blessings are in store for those who are
steadfast?
Teacher presentation
Ask the young women to think for a moment of a time when they neglected
something they had promised to do. Ask them to describe how they felt.
• What are some areas in your lives in which you
need to be dependable? The discussion could include individual
responsibilities at home, school, church, and work.
Scripture
Have the class find and read
1 Nephi 3:7. Discuss how Nephi’s attitude helped him
become a great servant of the Lord.
Explain that when we are given responsibilities, we should commit
ourselves to the task as Nephi did when the Lord called him to serve.
Dependability Helps Us Be More Self-Confident and Successful
Story discussion
The following story told by President N. Eldon Tanner illustrates the
importance of living our religion and being reliable:
“A man with whom I am associated as a director in a large company and who
is also a government official, said to me on one occasion: ‘We asked for
applicants who were prepared to accept a certain job in the government. We
had many applicants, and we got them down to ten. As we were considering
those ten, we noticed that one of them was a member of your church, and we
took him just like that.’
“I said, ‘Why did you take him?’
“He said, ‘Because we knew that he wouldn’t be carousing at night; we
knew that we could depend upon him, and we knew that he would do the work
assigned to him’ ” (“Dependability,” Ensign, Apr. 1974, p. 4).
• How do Church members get such a reputation?
• How do you feel when you hear about such faithful
people?
Quotation
Ask the young women to think about their own lives while they listen to
the questions in the following quotation:
“Each day we must stop and ask ourselves: Am I dependable? Am I strong
enough and determined to become the kind of person in whom everyone can have
confidence? We have examples all around us of people who had every
opportunity to make good and had possibilities of promising careers, and of
really making a contribution to the world, but failed because they had not
made up their minds and were not strong enough to keep themselves above
reproach and withstand the temptations placed before them” (N. Eldon Tanner,
“Dependability,” p. 4).
Teacher presentation
Explain that if we are dependable we will be more successful in
everything we do, including being a member of the Church. When we fulfill
our responsibilities, we feel good about ourselves. We do not have to make
excuses for our behavior or hide from parents, bill collectors, school
administrators, the bishop, or anyone else to whom we may be accountable. We
can feel confident within ourselves and will earn the respect and confidence
of others.
Story
Have a young woman tell the following story:
“Cindy looked at the clock above the door. … The hour had gone so fast
she couldn’t believe it was nearly one o’clock. …
“ ‘Let’s have another [tennis] game,’ Donna invited. ‘That last one was
really an accident. You could easily win this time.’
“ ‘I can’t,’ Cindy replied. ‘There’s just time for me to run home and
shower before I go to the hospital to help Mrs. Holt with the story and
craft activities.’
“ ‘Oh, nuts!’ Donna scoffed, pulling a face. ‘That’s some way to spend
the summer! Two afternoons a week with sick kids.’
“ ‘Those children have to spend a long time in the hospital. They do get
awfully lonely, and I promised,’ Cindy began.
“ ‘Well, just this once I’d think you could play another game,’ Donna
insisted. ‘It’s not like you were really that important. You said yourself
that you don’t do very much.’
“Cindy had thought this a number of times. All she ever did was pass out
paper and crayons or scissors or whatever supplies were needed. And she also
helped the children with their wheelchairs and crutches. …
“ ‘Come on, Cindy, and serve,’ Donna said impatiently.
“Cindy rolled the ball across her racket a few times, but then she shook
her head. ‘Donna, I can’t. I really did promise, and it wouldn’t be fair!’ …
“Cindy hurried to shower and get ready to go to the hospital. She was
afraid she would be late, so she ran most of the eight blocks from her home
to the hospital.
“Her legs ached as she hurried up the hospital steps and down the long
corridor toward the room where the children were waiting. As she opened the
door, Cindy paused a moment to catch her breath.
“ ‘Mrs. Holt hasn’t started the stories yet,’ she said to herself. ‘So
maybe I’m not as late as it seemed.’
“ ‘Cindy’s here!’ Dennis called as he caught sight of her. Dennis was in
a cast from his hips down, but he wouldn’t think of missing the stories.
“The others turned too. ‘Cindy! Cindy!’ they called. It was almost like a
chorus.
“Mrs. Holt smiled, but Cindy saw that something was wrong with the
gray-haired woman who was usually laughing with the children.
“ ‘Don’t you feel well?’ Cindy asked quietly.
“Mrs. Holt shook her head. ‘I’ve been a bit dizzy all day. I didn’t know
if I could wait until you came. But now that you’re here, I know everything
will be all right.’
“Cindy felt her face grow warm, remembering how tempted she had been when
Donna coaxed her to stay and play another game of tennis.
“ ‘I don’t like to leave you, Cindy,’ Mrs. Holt sighed. ‘But all the
children love you so much that I can go home and not worry. It’s good to
know I can depend on you. Since you’ll be alone today, maybe you could read
some stories.’ …
“Cindy had never read stories to the children before. At first her voice
sounded shaky and small to her, but gradually her confidence grew.
“ ‘You read good,’ Dennis announced. ‘Good as anybody!’
“Cindy laughed and patted the little boy’s arm. ‘That’s because you’re
all my friends.’
“That afternoon went quickly—almost too quickly.
“ ‘You’ll come back, won’t you?’ Dennis asked as Cindy was leaving. ‘You
said we were friends,’ he added wistfully.
“Cindy went back and gave him a hug. ‘We are friends. And I’ll
come back—I promise.’
“As Cindy left the hospital, she knew she would keep her promise—just as
often as she was needed” (Lucy Parr, “Nothing Important,” Friend,
June 1973, pp. 43–45).
Discussion
• How do you think Cindy felt about herself?
• Who would have been hurt if Cindy had failed to
keep her commitment?
Conclusion
Quotation
“We must not be nearly dependable, but always dependable.
Let us be faithful in the little things, as well as the big ones. Can I be
depended upon to fill every assignment, whether it be for a [talk in
church], home teaching, a visit to the sick, or a call as a stake or
full-time missionary?” (N. Eldon Tanner, “Dependability,” p. 5).
Teacher presentation
Explain that when we keep commitments and accept responsibility fully,
our lives will have greater value, just as the watch shows its value when it
can be depended on for the accurate telling of time.
Lesson Application
Have the class members make a list of their responsibilities for the
coming week—such things as Church meetings and obligations, household
chores, family responsibilities, school assignments, and so on. Encourage
them to make a commitment to be dependable in doing these things.
“Managing Time and Staying Balanced,” Liahona, Apr. 2003, 33;
New Era, Apr. 2003, 39. Use this list to help teach about being
dependable.
“Play Your Part,” New Era, Aug. 1997, 19.
Personal Progress,
“Integrity Value Project,” bullet 1.
M3L41 Index
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