Dad Church · Family Lesson

Cost / Benefit

Sunday, November 8, 2026
Two boys. Each just earned $100!
Scripture
2 Nephi 9:51
51Wherefore, do not spend money for that which is of no worth, nor your labor for that which cannot satisfy. Hearken diligently unto me, and remember the words which I have spoken; and come unto the Holy One of Israel, and feast upon that which perisheth not, neither can be corrupted, and let your soul delight in fatness.
The Choice

How Each Boy Spent His $100

Jonny−$100
🕹️ The Arcade
  • 🪙$100 in arcade tokens
  • 🎰Plays the ticket games for about 2 hours
  • 🎟️Wins 300 tickets
  • 🧸Trades them for 3 toys (worth 50¢ each)…
  • 🍬…and a $2 candy bar, which he eats right away
Billy−$100
🧰 Tools & Supplies
  • ▶️Watches several how-to YouTube videos
  • 🔧Learns how to sharpen mower blades, replace spark plugs, and change the oil in mowers
  • 💵People will pay him $50 a year to do it
  • 📋He finds 20 clients
  • ➕And adds 5 more clients every year
Jonny

$100 at the Arcade

💵 $100
What happened
    Show
    Billy

    $100 on Tools & Supplies

    💵 $100
    What happened
      Show
      A Little Calculus

      The Area Under the Curve

      Rectangles
      0
      Total joy (area)
      ?
      joy × hours
      one rectangle = joy × time
      Total joy = ∫ba joy(t) dt
      Rectangles
      Side by Side

      What Did $100 Buy?

      Counting the first
      4 hours
      Jonny · arcade
      0
      total joy (joy × hours)
      Billy · tools & supplies
      0
      total joy (joy × hours)
      Both cost $100.
      Cost vs. Benefit

      Is It Worth It? Over 20 Years

      Rough guesses. Would you change any of them?
      Open Discussion

      What do you notice?

      Scriptures

      Counting the Cost

      Open Discussion

      Other examples of negative decisions (Jonny)

      Other examples of positive decisions (Billy)

      Open Discussion

      What would their lives look like if they kept making similar decisions for 20 years?

      20 Years Later

      Jonny & Billy Catch Up

      1 / 12