Feeling unloved, lonely or just down today. Then listen to this song and know that you are love not only by a teacher but, your family, your friends, God our Father & His son Jesus Christ. Oh, and by me!
Song:
Talk:
June 25, 2018
June 18, 2018
June 11, 2018
June 10-17
Song: LDS Hymn #10
My ponderings: (for talk in church, Sunday June 17th.)
Introduction
Last month a group of ladies from our Ward (including Michelle Badger, Ruth Rich, Kay Durrant, Lou Jean Whittaker, Sandra Tolley, Gloria Barrett, Eva Carpenter, Lee Kingsford, Cecelia Benson, Voni Roat and me) went on Daughters of the Utah Pioneers field trip to the Family Discovery Center, in Salt Lake City. When we first walked in we were each given an I-pad and told to sign in with our lds account and take a photo of ourselves. After we all did that (some of us with much help) we went to a wall filled with large monitor/ screens and a docking station for each. We then attached our I-pad to a docking station and were linked to the interactive FamilySearch database. Fun! We were able to see on our screen pictures of our friends and others who were connected. One of the interactive ways to research was seeing the relationship of our ancestors and how we were related to those who were logged on at the center. It was amazing! Eva Carpenter and I discovered we are 3rd cousins. I was related to others as well but they were 6 or more generations back. It was so interesting to see the connections to my friends. We could also see how we were related to political leaders, movie stars and other famous people.
The LDS FamilySearch datebase is one of the largest in the world. In 2015 it had over 15 terabytes of images and 112 million grave records. With individuals indexing records the database grows as information is added regularly. This database links family members together, has photographs and memories, important documents and histories. It is extensive, however; it does not contain everything. It is fallible, flawed, and, yes, imperfect.
Do I see some you falling asleep already? I bet you think I’m going to speak about genealogy, right? Nope I’m not. I’ve been asked to speak on Fathers, the priesthood and blessings.
Priesthood & Blessings
What, you ask, did my introduction about linking to the Family History database or being related to Sister Carpenter or how complete the FamilySearch database is have to do with this topic? Let me make an analogy.
• Picture God our Father in Heaven as the database. He is the comprehensive, complete and, yes, perfect database.
• Think of the I-pad as the priesthood, (the power to act for God our Heavenly Father).
When we use our lds account and sign into the I-pad (the powerful priesthood) then attach it to the docking station we are linked to the database, the perfect database- (God our Heavenly Father.) We are able to receive all the enduring, eternal blessing of saving ordinances of the gospel from a Father who loves us and want us to rerun home to Him. Such as:
1. D&C 58: 42 Through baptism the priesthood links us to forgiveness as our wrongs and
sins are washed away and remembered no more.
2. D&C 130:23 Through confirmation we are linked to the constant companionship of the
Holy Ghost. With its comfort, direction, protection.
3. Romans 15 Through the washing/anointing and endowment ordinances in the temple
the priesthood links us to truth, light, peace and love, knowledge, perspective and power.
4. D&C 138:51 Through the sealing ordinances we are linked to the 1st resurrection, with
D&C 130:37 glory, immortality and eternal lives, forever families, and becoming kings & queens, gods & goddesses.
5. Mosiah 8:17 The priesthood links us to sanctification and parts the veil to allow us to see
things as they were, as they are and they will yet become.
Fathers & Blessings
There are other blessings the priesthood can link us to. It is through non-saving ordinance, such as: naming/baby blessing, and father’s blessings. These blessing come in multitude of magnificent, miraculous, individualized, personal, unique blessings from our Father who loves us and wants to have joy in this life.
Several weeks ago I taught my Primary class the lesson, “The Priesthood Blesses Me.” My students Addy Penrod, Johnny Perkins, Logan Skidmore, and Malia Murdock shared with me how the priesthood their father’s holds has blessed them.
• Johnny said he was very sick when he was younger, he can’t remember much about it now, but he knows his dad gave him a blessing of healing and he was made well.
• Addy told that sometimes she is afraid. When she gets a blessing from her daddy she feels better and isn’t afraid any more.
• Both Milia and Logan said before the start of the school year their dads give them a blessing-- a father’s blessing.
o Logan said he wasn’t afraid to go to school after the blessing and
o Malia said she just loves school.
When my sons Max & Nick were taken in the arms of their father and other priesthood holder and given their names they also received specific individual blessings.
• Max was blessed to be physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight. (That’s right he was bless with the qualities of a good boy scout…his father loved scouting.) Anyone who knows Max recognizes these quantities in him.
• Nick was given the blessing to be a peacemaker in our home and be the glue to hold the family together. My son Max and daughter had power struggles throughout their growing up years as many siblings do. Nick was there to make a joke to lighten the mood and bring peace. Now as adults those childhood power struggle still continue and they don’t like to get together. Nick lives in California but when he comes home he is the glue that brings us together for enjoyable family gatherings. All who know him see he is a peacemaker who keeps the family together.
More Blessings
Have you ever noticed an older person struggling with balance issues, who are unsteady on their feet? It is difficult for them to walk without swaying, stumbling or even falling. Have you watched as a friend or family member offers them an arm or hand to hold onto? If you have, you’ve seen the older person walking in a straighter line again. They seem more confident and stronger.
Here is another analogy: If we, the stumbling person, hold onto the arm of the priesthood we are linked to God who gives us blessings to those who are sick/ afflicted, to those receiving their patriarchal blessings, and those who are set apart to a calling or priesthood ordinations. The blessings we receive give us confidence, make us stronger and even keep us on the straight and narrow path.
When I was young I lived in a home with much contention. We brother and sisters argued, blamed, weren’t completely honest, and disobeyed our parents. There was yelling and crying. From my parents there were threatenings, spankings, and revoking of privileges, I wasn’t having good thoughts about myself. I was sure I was a wicked person who would never get back to God. At the age of 14 I received my patriarchal blessing. I received great comfort from this phrase in my blessing…” You were an obedient spirit before you came to this earth. You were not born to this earth by accident and were given special responsibilities and special purposes when you were born…so you shall find the opportunity to do much good upon the earth.” It gave me the confidence and strength I needed to stay on the straight and narrow path leading back to God!
My Father
I’d like to pay a short tribute to my father, Horace Langlois Baugh. He provided me with these saving ordinances
• he gave me my name and a blessing,
• he baptized me
• he was there when I went through the temple for my endowment
• he was with me for my temple marriage
But he was more than that! In 2002 I wrote this poem about him. I hope you get a glimpse of who he is and how much I love him.
Testimony
I express my gratitude for AII the blessings I have received from MY loving Heavenly Father. I know that He loves each of us and will continue to bless us. I pray that, I with you, will be there on that perfect day when the righteous are presented to Him by His Son Jesus Christ. I and I hope that WE are among the ones who will receive exaltations and eternal life with Him. Amen
May 28, 2018
Bear A Song Away-- May 28- June 3
Song: How Gentle God's Commands (Hymn # 314)
Video: Cast Your Burdens Upon the Lord (Jack Hibbs)
Talk: The Lord Can Ease Our Burdens (Maury W. Schooff)
Ponder this:
We need to trust the Lord. The Lord’s view is much broader than ours, and He has promised that He will not try us beyond our ability to withstand.
Video: Cast Your Burdens Upon the Lord (Jack Hibbs)
Talk: The Lord Can Ease Our Burdens (Maury W. Schooff)
Ponder this:
We need to trust the Lord. The Lord’s view is much broader than ours, and He has promised that He will not try us beyond our ability to withstand.
May 21, 2018
Men Are That They MIght Have Joy - May 21-27
Talk: Men Are That They Might Have Joy by Susan Ward
Ponder This:
How we feel inside is important. How we feel guides our thoughts and actions. The scriptures teach us how our Heavenly Father would like us to feel inside: "Men are that they might have joy."
There have been times in my life when I have felt joy. In fact, I can say that I spend most of my time feeling happy inside, and I hope that you do also. However, there have been times in my life when I recognized that joy was missing. In these times, I have pondered, "Why am I unable to feel joy?"
As I have considered this question, I have realized that I can trace the source of my unhappiness to one of three areas: area number one, what I call the "mortal condition"; area number two, my own poor choices; and area number three, the poor choices of those close to me.
In my own personal journey, gratitude, forgiveness, patience, and a godly perspective are some of the traits that have enabled me to feel joy amid turmoil.
May 15, 2018
Song: "Brightly Beams Our Father's Mercy"
Talk: Banishing All Shadows Jeffery R. Holland
Ponder this:
With the help of William Shakespeare, who sends his congratulations to you and asked to be remembered, I invite you to think on Cardinal Wolsey’s “farewell” lament. To BYU graduates today, he says:
Farewell! a long farewell, to all my greatness!
This is the state of man: to-day he puts forth
The tender leaves of hopes; to-morrow blossoms,
And bears his blushing honours thick upon him;
The third day comes a frost, a killing frost,
And . . . nips his root,
And then he falls, as I do. . . .
. . . My high-blown pride
At length broke under me and now has left me,
Weary and old with service. . . .
. . . I charge thee, fling away ambition:
By that sin fell the angels; how can man, then,
The image of his Maker, hope to win by it?
Love thyself last: cherish those hearts that hate thee;
Corruption wins not more than honesty. . . .
Had I but served my God with half the zeal
I served my king, he would not in mine age
Have left me naked to mine enemies.2
Here is the reason that you can succeed—my second and only other reminder to you today. I give you encouragement from another Englishman, the gifted son of an ironmonger, a brilliant young man who studied law, traveled the world, and came home to find his true calling in poetry and the pulpit.
John Donne was arguably the greatest of all the metaphysical poets but was, as well, one who reached the pinnacle of ministerial success, becoming the dean of St. Paul’s Cathedral and preaching regularly before Charles I and the royal family. The best of his sermons are unequaled in the history of the English Church. Almost totally neglected for more than 300 years before being discovered, as it were, a century or so ago, John Donne returns from his grave to give BYU graduates a final word of confidence as you step out onto the path leading firmly to your future.
I have just said that the world you now enter holds challenges and difficulties. In the days and years ahead, you may suffer some discouragement and disappointment. On occasion you may feel genuine despair, either for yourself or for your children or for the plight and conditions of others. You may even make a personal mistake or two—serious mistakes, perhaps, though I hope not—and you may worry that any chance to be happy and secure in life has eluded you forever.
When such times come, I ask you to remember this: This is the Church of the happy endings. Troubles need never be permanent nor fatal. Darkness always yields to light. The sun always rises. Faith, hope, and charity will always triumph in the end. Furthermore, they will triumph all along the way.
Our English preacher said of this:
We ask our daily bread, and God never says you should have come yesterday, he never says [I have run out,] you must [come] again to-morrow, but to-day if you will hear his voice, to-day he will hear you. . . . God . . . brought light out of darkness, not out of a lesser light; he can bring thy summer out of winter, though thou [had] no [hope of] spring; though in the ways of fortune, or [mis]understanding, or conscience, thou [hast] been benighted till now, wintred and frozen, clouded and eclipsed, damp and benumbed, smothered and stupefied till now, . . . God [yet] comes to thee, not as in the dawning of the day, not as in the bud of the spring, but as the sun at [full] noon, to [banish] all shadows, as the sheaves in harvest, to fill all penuries, all occasions invite his mercies, and all times are his seasons.5
Talk: Banishing All Shadows Jeffery R. Holland
Ponder this:
With the help of William Shakespeare, who sends his congratulations to you and asked to be remembered, I invite you to think on Cardinal Wolsey’s “farewell” lament. To BYU graduates today, he says:
Farewell! a long farewell, to all my greatness!
This is the state of man: to-day he puts forth
The tender leaves of hopes; to-morrow blossoms,
And bears his blushing honours thick upon him;
The third day comes a frost, a killing frost,
And . . . nips his root,
And then he falls, as I do. . . .
. . . My high-blown pride
At length broke under me and now has left me,
Weary and old with service. . . .
. . . I charge thee, fling away ambition:
By that sin fell the angels; how can man, then,
The image of his Maker, hope to win by it?
Love thyself last: cherish those hearts that hate thee;
Corruption wins not more than honesty. . . .
Had I but served my God with half the zeal
I served my king, he would not in mine age
Have left me naked to mine enemies.2
Here is the reason that you can succeed—my second and only other reminder to you today. I give you encouragement from another Englishman, the gifted son of an ironmonger, a brilliant young man who studied law, traveled the world, and came home to find his true calling in poetry and the pulpit.
John Donne was arguably the greatest of all the metaphysical poets but was, as well, one who reached the pinnacle of ministerial success, becoming the dean of St. Paul’s Cathedral and preaching regularly before Charles I and the royal family. The best of his sermons are unequaled in the history of the English Church. Almost totally neglected for more than 300 years before being discovered, as it were, a century or so ago, John Donne returns from his grave to give BYU graduates a final word of confidence as you step out onto the path leading firmly to your future.
I have just said that the world you now enter holds challenges and difficulties. In the days and years ahead, you may suffer some discouragement and disappointment. On occasion you may feel genuine despair, either for yourself or for your children or for the plight and conditions of others. You may even make a personal mistake or two—serious mistakes, perhaps, though I hope not—and you may worry that any chance to be happy and secure in life has eluded you forever.
When such times come, I ask you to remember this: This is the Church of the happy endings. Troubles need never be permanent nor fatal. Darkness always yields to light. The sun always rises. Faith, hope, and charity will always triumph in the end. Furthermore, they will triumph all along the way.
Our English preacher said of this:
We ask our daily bread, and God never says you should have come yesterday, he never says [I have run out,] you must [come] again to-morrow, but to-day if you will hear his voice, to-day he will hear you. . . . God . . . brought light out of darkness, not out of a lesser light; he can bring thy summer out of winter, though thou [had] no [hope of] spring; though in the ways of fortune, or [mis]understanding, or conscience, thou [hast] been benighted till now, wintred and frozen, clouded and eclipsed, damp and benumbed, smothered and stupefied till now, . . . God [yet] comes to thee, not as in the dawning of the day, not as in the bud of the spring, but as the sun at [full] noon, to [banish] all shadows, as the sheaves in harvest, to fill all penuries, all occasions invite his mercies, and all times are his seasons.5
May 07, 2018
Cheer, Love, Peace May 7-13
We sang this song in church yesterday...it touched my soul. I hope you like it too!
Song: Father, Cheer Our Souls Tonight
Talk: The Love of God by Dieter F. Uchtdorf
Ponder this:
God the Eternal Father did not give that first great commandment because He needs us to love Him. His power and glory are not diminished should we disregard, deny, or even defile His name. His influence and dominion extend through time and space independent of our acceptance, approval, or admiration.
No, God does not need us to love Him. But oh, how we need to love God!
For what we love determines what we seek.
What we seek determines what we think and do.
What we think and do determines who we are—and who we will become.
We are created in the image of our heavenly parents; we are God’s spirit children. Therefore, we have a vast capacity for love—it is part of our spiritual heritage. What and how we love not only defines us as individuals; it also defines us as a church. Love is the defining characteristic of a disciple of Christ.
Since the beginning of time, love has been the source of both the highest bliss and the heaviest burdens. At the heart of misery from the days of Adam until today, you will find the love of wrong things. And at the heart of joy, you will find the love of good things.
And the greatest of all good things is God.
Our Father in Heaven has given us, His children, much more than any mortal mind can comprehend. Under His direction the Great Jehovah created this wondrous world we live in. God the Father watches over us, fills our hearts with breathtaking joy, brightens our darkest hours with blessed peace, distills upon our minds precious truths, shepherds us through times of distress, rejoices when we rejoice, and answers our righteous petitions.
He offers to His children the promise of a glorious and infinite existence and has provided a way for us to progress in knowledge and glory until we receive a fulness of joy. He has promised us all that He has.
If all that is not enough reason to love our Heavenly Father, perhaps we can learn from the words of the Apostle John, who said, “We love him, because he first loved us.”6
April 30, 2018
Come Follow Me April 30- May 6
Song: Come Follow Me click here
Bible Video clip: Follow Me, and I Will Make You Fishers of Men click here
Talk: “Follow Me” Joseph B. Wirthlin Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles click here
Ponder this:
Those who, in faith, leave their nets and follow the Savior will experience happiness beyond their ability to comprehend.
Jesus the Christ is “the way, the truth, and the life: no [one] cometh unto the Father, but by [Him].”9 As a special witness of Him, I testify to you this day that the time will come when every man, woman, and child will look into the Savior’s loving eyes. On that day, we will know with a surety the worth of our decision to straightway follow Him.
That each of us may hear the call of the Master and straightway leave our entangling nets and joyfully follow Him is my earnest prayer in the name of Jesus Christ,
Bible Video clip: Follow Me, and I Will Make You Fishers of Men click here
Talk: “Follow Me” Joseph B. Wirthlin Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles click here
Ponder this:
Those who, in faith, leave their nets and follow the Savior will experience happiness beyond their ability to comprehend.
Jesus the Christ is “the way, the truth, and the life: no [one] cometh unto the Father, but by [Him].”9 As a special witness of Him, I testify to you this day that the time will come when every man, woman, and child will look into the Savior’s loving eyes. On that day, we will know with a surety the worth of our decision to straightway follow Him.
That each of us may hear the call of the Master and straightway leave our entangling nets and joyfully follow Him is my earnest prayer in the name of Jesus Christ,
April 25, 2018
To What Are You Tethered? April 23-30
Song: Lord, We Come Before thee Now
Talk: To What Are You Tethered? Trish Gannaway
Ponder this:
Three Categories of Trust
While habits are tools we use when we make choices, they aren't necessarily the basis for why we do what we do. We have to go a little deeper to see what our decisions are based on, what we trust, and what we have tethered ourselves to. I want to discuss three main categories of opposite sources of trust. Think of which of these opposing ideas you have used as the basis for your choices. What have you tethered yourself to, and, more importantly, what do you need to tether yourself to?
Faith or Doubts
Sacrifice or No Sacrifice
God's Plan or Philosophies of the World
Heavenly Father gave us agency not because He doesn't care, and not because He wants us to choose whatever we want, but because He wants us to be able to prove ourselves while we are away from Him. Our success is His work and His glory. He wants us to trust Him, and, more importantly, we should want Him to trust us.
Every decision we make either leads us closer to the Savior or away from Him. On which side of that line are your choices putting you? If they are taking you away from the Savior, His gospel, His teachings, and all He represents, I encourage you to start making choices that will bring you closer to Him. Start with the small choices.
The world would have you think that the most important things to seek after are the enticing, the exciting, and the fun; that your success and happiness depend on what you can do on your own without asking God for help; that there is no need for a Savior or repentance; that families aren't the basis for His plan to help us become who He wants us to be; and that making covenants is restrictive and unnecessary. Those are all lies, and you know none of those things are true. Do not trust things that aren't true.
When all is said and done, so many things come down to what you trust. What do you need to change in your life to more fully trust God and tether yourself to Him? Trust your faith. Trust making decisions that require some sacrifice. Trust in God's plan. He is the source of truth. He who created the entire universe can be trusted in every decision you make. Tether yourself to Him with heavy-duty carabineers because He is the tandem buddy that your life depends on. "In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." "His way is the path that leads to happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come."
Talk: To What Are You Tethered? Trish Gannaway
Ponder this:
Three Categories of Trust
While habits are tools we use when we make choices, they aren't necessarily the basis for why we do what we do. We have to go a little deeper to see what our decisions are based on, what we trust, and what we have tethered ourselves to. I want to discuss three main categories of opposite sources of trust. Think of which of these opposing ideas you have used as the basis for your choices. What have you tethered yourself to, and, more importantly, what do you need to tether yourself to?
Faith or Doubts
Sacrifice or No Sacrifice
God's Plan or Philosophies of the World
Heavenly Father gave us agency not because He doesn't care, and not because He wants us to choose whatever we want, but because He wants us to be able to prove ourselves while we are away from Him. Our success is His work and His glory. He wants us to trust Him, and, more importantly, we should want Him to trust us.
Every decision we make either leads us closer to the Savior or away from Him. On which side of that line are your choices putting you? If they are taking you away from the Savior, His gospel, His teachings, and all He represents, I encourage you to start making choices that will bring you closer to Him. Start with the small choices.
The world would have you think that the most important things to seek after are the enticing, the exciting, and the fun; that your success and happiness depend on what you can do on your own without asking God for help; that there is no need for a Savior or repentance; that families aren't the basis for His plan to help us become who He wants us to be; and that making covenants is restrictive and unnecessary. Those are all lies, and you know none of those things are true. Do not trust things that aren't true.
When all is said and done, so many things come down to what you trust. What do you need to change in your life to more fully trust God and tether yourself to Him? Trust your faith. Trust making decisions that require some sacrifice. Trust in God's plan. He is the source of truth. He who created the entire universe can be trusted in every decision you make. Tether yourself to Him with heavy-duty carabineers because He is the tandem buddy that your life depends on. "In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." "His way is the path that leads to happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come."
April 16, 2018
Integrety April 16-22
Song: Choose The Right (Hymn #239) click here to sing along with the words
Talk: " I Will Not Remove Mine Integrity From Me" by David Bednar
Ponder This:
The words "integrity" and "honesty" are closely associated and often used interchangeably. In fact, in my message this afternoon I will frequently refer to both integrity and honesty. We must remember, however, that these terms are related but are not synonymous.
Integrity is the quality or condition of being whole, complete, unbroken, and undivided. The word integrity comes from the Latin root word "integer" and is related to other words with the same root such as entire and integrate. All of these expressions share the notion of being intact, sound, uncorrupted, and perfect. As Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin has explained:
. . . integrity means always doing what is right and good, regardless of the immediate consequences. It means being righteous from the very depth of our soul, not only in our actions but, more important, in our thoughts and in our hearts. Personal integrity implies such trustworthiness and incorruptibility that we are incapable of being false to a trust or covenant ("Personal Integrity," Ensign, May 1990, p. 30).
Honesty is the quality or condition of being truthful, sincere, candid, and worthy of honor. The word honesty comes from the Latin root word "honestus" and is related to other words with the same root such as honor and honorable. Each of these expressions shares the notion of being genuine, trustworthy, upright, respectable, and decent. As President James E. Faust has taught:
We all need to know what it means to be honest. Honesty is more than not lying. It is truth telling, truth speaking, truth living, and truth loving ("Honesty--A Moral Compass," Ensign, November 1996, p. 41).
The thirteenth article of faith begins, "We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing go
od to all men . . . ." Brothers and sisters, it is significant to me that the first trait listed in this inspired summary of cardinal Christian virtues is honesty. Indeed, the very fountain and the foundation of our daily discipleship are integrity and honesty.
Closely associated with becoming men and women of integrity and honesty is reaching a point where we no longer are driven or directed by rules; instead, we learn to govern our lives by principle. To be sure, we keep the rules; but we also begin to ask ourselves, "What is the principle involved here?" Such a person becomes less dependent upon external scaffolding and structure and more dependent upon quiet and ongoing divine direction. As the Prophet Joseph Smith explained, "I teach them correct principles, and they govern themselves" (Teachings of Joseph Smith, eds. Larry E. Dahl and Donald Q. Cannon, Bookcraft, 1997, p. 32).
I believe the definitive test of our integrity and honesty is when we personally enforce in our own lives that which ultimately cannot be enforced. There are so many aspects of being honest, of obeying... and of living the gospel that simply cannot be enforced in our lives by anyone else. In the final analysis, you and I bear the responsibility to become men and women of integrity and honesty--men and women who are true and trustworthy when no one is watching and when no one else is around.
Talk: " I Will Not Remove Mine Integrity From Me" by David Bednar
Ponder This:
The words "integrity" and "honesty" are closely associated and often used interchangeably. In fact, in my message this afternoon I will frequently refer to both integrity and honesty. We must remember, however, that these terms are related but are not synonymous.
Integrity is the quality or condition of being whole, complete, unbroken, and undivided. The word integrity comes from the Latin root word "integer" and is related to other words with the same root such as entire and integrate. All of these expressions share the notion of being intact, sound, uncorrupted, and perfect. As Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin has explained:
. . . integrity means always doing what is right and good, regardless of the immediate consequences. It means being righteous from the very depth of our soul, not only in our actions but, more important, in our thoughts and in our hearts. Personal integrity implies such trustworthiness and incorruptibility that we are incapable of being false to a trust or covenant ("Personal Integrity," Ensign, May 1990, p. 30).
Honesty is the quality or condition of being truthful, sincere, candid, and worthy of honor. The word honesty comes from the Latin root word "honestus" and is related to other words with the same root such as honor and honorable. Each of these expressions shares the notion of being genuine, trustworthy, upright, respectable, and decent. As President James E. Faust has taught:
We all need to know what it means to be honest. Honesty is more than not lying. It is truth telling, truth speaking, truth living, and truth loving ("Honesty--A Moral Compass," Ensign, November 1996, p. 41).
The thirteenth article of faith begins, "We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing go
od to all men . . . ." Brothers and sisters, it is significant to me that the first trait listed in this inspired summary of cardinal Christian virtues is honesty. Indeed, the very fountain and the foundation of our daily discipleship are integrity and honesty.
Closely associated with becoming men and women of integrity and honesty is reaching a point where we no longer are driven or directed by rules; instead, we learn to govern our lives by principle. To be sure, we keep the rules; but we also begin to ask ourselves, "What is the principle involved here?" Such a person becomes less dependent upon external scaffolding and structure and more dependent upon quiet and ongoing divine direction. As the Prophet Joseph Smith explained, "I teach them correct principles, and they govern themselves" (Teachings of Joseph Smith, eds. Larry E. Dahl and Donald Q. Cannon, Bookcraft, 1997, p. 32).
I believe the definitive test of our integrity and honesty is when we personally enforce in our own lives that which ultimately cannot be enforced. There are so many aspects of being honest, of obeying... and of living the gospel that simply cannot be enforced in our lives by anyone else. In the final analysis, you and I bear the responsibility to become men and women of integrity and honesty--men and women who are true and trustworthy when no one is watching and when no one else is around.
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