October 2026 General Conference › Lessons › Elder Patricio M. Giuffra › Children

30-minute lesson · Children · Ages 3–11: Primary or home

I Can Trust Heavenly Father

From “Trusting the Lord Through Tithes and Offerings,” by Elder Patricio M. Giuffra · Saturday afternoon session, October 2026 General Conference

Watch the talkRead the full talk

The big idea

When I pay tithing, I show Heavenly Father that I trust Him.

Objective

Children will say that paying tithing shows we trust Heavenly Father, and will name one blessing He has given them.

Before you teach

  • Read paragraphs 2–10 and 20 of Elder Giuffra's talk so you can tell the story simply.
  • Cut ten paper circles for coins (or use ten building blocks) and bring an envelope.
  • Bring paper and crayons for each child.
  • Be ready to sing Keep the Commandments or My Heavenly Father Loves Me.

Lesson plan

Thirty minutes in 7 parts. Times are a guide; let the Spirit and the learners set the pace.

3 min0–3

Welcome and song

  1. Invite a child to pray. Sing Keep the Commandments together.
  2. Ask: who is someone you trust to catch you if you jump? Let a few children answer.
  3. Say: today we will learn one way to show Heavenly Father that we trust Him.
4 min3–7

Ten coins

  1. Lay the ten paper coins on the floor or table. Count them aloud together.
  2. Explain: everything we have comes from Heavenly Father. He asks us to give one part out of ten back to Him. This is called tithing.
  3. Let a child pick up one coin and put it in the envelope. Count the nine that are left. Let other children take turns doing the same.
  4. Teach the truth with actions and repeat it three times: When I pay tithing (hold out one finger), I show Heavenly Father (point up) that I trust Him (hands on heart).
6 min7–13

Act out the story

  1. Tell the children that Elder Giuffra, a leader in the Church, told a true story from when he was a missionary in the country of Chile. Invite them to stand and act it out with you.
  2. The missionaries taught a grandmother-aged woman who wanted to be baptized. She worked hard cleaning houses and washing clothes. Pretend to sweep and scrub.
  3. When she learned about tithing, she was worried, because she did not have much money. Show a worried face.
  4. That night she knelt down and prayed. Kneel together. She told Heavenly Father she wanted to belong to His Church and asked Him to help her obey this commandment.
  5. The missionaries felt peace. She was baptized. And every week she came to church with her tithing envelope. March in place holding a pretend envelope.
  6. Ask the questions below.
Ask
  • What did she do when she was worried?
  • How did she show Heavenly Father that she trusted Him?
4 min13–17

Jesus sees what we give

  1. Hold up two of the paper coins. Explain that in Mark 12:41–44 Jesus watched people giving money at the temple. A woman gave two very small coins. It was all she had.
  2. Let two children drop the two coins into the envelope while everyone watches quietly.
  3. Say: Jesus saw her. He was glad because she gave with love and trust. Jesus sees us too. Read Elder Fale's words from this conference (see aligned quotes) and invite the children to say them with you.
Ask
  • How do you think the woman felt about Heavenly Father?
5 min17–22

Windows of heaven

  1. Explain that in the scriptures the Lord promises to open the windows of heaven and bless those who pay tithing (Malachi 3:10).
  2. Play a movement game. When you say tithing, children crouch and pretend to put a coin in an envelope. When you say windows, they jump up and open their arms wide like windows. Go faster and faster.
  3. Sit down. Explain that blessings are not always money. Elder Giuffra said some blessings can be seen and some are felt inside, like peace and hope.
  4. Repeat the truth with actions: When I pay tithing, I show Heavenly Father that I trust Him.
5 min22–27

Draw a blessing

  1. Give each child paper and crayons. Ask them to draw one blessing Heavenly Father has given them.
  2. As they draw, walk around and ask each child to tell you about the picture.
  3. Invite two or three children to show their pictures. After each one, the class says: Thank you, Heavenly Father.
3 min27–30

Choose and close

  1. Ask the children to say the truth with actions one more time without your help. This is your check that they have learned it.
  2. Invite each child to choose one thing to do this week from the act list, such as thanking Heavenly Father for a blessing in prayer.
  3. Share your testimony that Jesus Christ lives, that He sees us, and that Heavenly Father keeps His promises. Close with prayer.
  4. Tell them that next week you will ask what blessings they noticed.

Key passages from the talk

“the law of tithing is a law of faith”

Elder Giuffra’s talk, paragraph 20

“the Lord always fulfills His promises”

Elder Giuffra’s talk, paragraph 11

“We keep the commandments because we love God”

Elder Giuffra’s talk, paragraph 12

Scriptures

  • Mark 12:41–44 Tell the account simply with two paper coins; older children can read verses 41–42 aloud from their own scriptures.
  • Malachi 3:10 Explain the promise of the windows of heaven before the movement game; an older child can find and read the verse.

Other voices that agree

“I am a child of God and He loves me.”

Elder Fale · I Am a Child of God, paragraph 1

Three things to remember

  • When I pay tithing, I show Heavenly Father that I trust Him.
  • Jesus sees what I give and is glad when I give with love.
  • Heavenly Father keeps His promises and blesses me.

Ways to act this week

  • Say thank you to Heavenly Father in prayer for one blessing each day.
  • Show your drawing to someone at home and tell them the truth you learned.
  • When you have money of your own, set aside one part out of ten for tithing first.

Suggestions written for this lesson, not the speaker’s words.

Music

  • Keep the Commandments
  • My Heavenly Father Loves Me

Adapting the lesson

  • Ages 3–7. Use big building blocks instead of paper coins and let every child carry one to the envelope or a box. Keep the story to four actions (scrub, worried face, kneel, march) and do it twice. Shorten the scripture segment to dropping in the two coins, and repeat the truth with actions after every activity. Ask an older child or helper to sit beside the youngest during drawing.
  • Ages 8–11. Ask a child to read Malachi 3:10 aloud and another to read Mark 12:41–44. Let an older child lead the windows game and the coin counting. Ask a harder question: the woman in the story asked Heavenly Father to help her obey; why is that a good prayer when a commandment feels hard? Share Elder Fale's words (see aligned quotes) and ask how knowing Heavenly Father loves us makes it easier to trust Him.

This lesson is an independent study aid written for this site. It is not an official lesson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Quotations are word for word from the official talk; paragraph numbers count the paragraphs of the talk as published at churchofjesuschrist.org, not counting headings or picture captions. The activities, questions and ideas for acting are suggestions; follow the Spirit and adapt them to those you teach.