As part of my Integrity Value Project for Personal Progress, I decided to choose two books about Integrity to read and then blog about. Lizzie came up with this idea and I loved it, so I went to Deseret Book.com and typed in the word integrity. There were many books to choose from, but the two I chose were "Standing for Something" by President Gordon B. Hinckley and "Winners Never Cheat" by Jon M Huntsman. We have a copy of "Standing for Something" in our home library, so I decided to start with it. I put the other book on hold and have to pick it up at the library tomorrow night.
President Hinckley says that there are 10 neglected virtues that will heal our hearts and our homes. That is what "Standing for Something" is about. It is about having the integrity to stand for these virtues which will make each of us a better person, which will make our homes better, our neighborhoods better, our countries better and our world better. I have finished the first 3 chapters.
Chapter one is about love. If we all had love for one another, there would be no ills in the world. The first two commandments are "Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart..." and the second is "love thy neighbor as thyself." The Lord tells us to love one another. Paul states that "Though I speak with the tongue of angels and have not charity, I am become as a sounding brass, or a tinkling symbol." (1 Corinthians 1-2) I think that love is the most important thing we can have in our lives. When I have not had love or let love in my life, my life has been depressing. Love has lifted me up and helped me through many trials. Not only the love that my Father in Heaven and my Savior have for me, but the love of my family and friends. I am blessed to have so many who love me and I feel blessed to be able to love so many. President Hinckley said, "Love is the only force that can erase differences between people or bridge the chasms of bitterness." If we love instead of hate or envy, we will not feel unworthy or feel others are better. We will feel as great as anyone. We will feel kindness towards one another and not want ill to come to anyone. What a wonderful world it would be if we all had true love for one another.
The second chapter was about honesty. How much better off would our world be if we all were truly honest in all our dealings with our fellow men. President Hinckley said, "Without honesty, our lives disintegrate into ugliness, chaos, and a lack of any kind of security and confidence." He talked about the many types of dishonesty and how many different types there are. He said that 5 of the 10 commandments deal with dishonesty. "Thou shalt not kill" (Exodus 20:13), "Thou shalt not steal" (Exodus 10:15), "Thou shalt not commit adultery" (Exodus 20:14), "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor" (Exodus 20:16) and "Thou shalt not covet" (Exodus 20:17). That is a lot of commandments that deal with honesty and integrity. Do we do any of these things? They seem like such big things. We would probably never kill someone, steal something or commit adultery, but do we wish we had things that others have and do so in a way that we forget what we do have. Are we grateful for what we have or are we always wishing we had what the person next to us has. Do we wish we looked like the fashion models and become obsessed with making those kinds of changes while neglecting our spiritual selves. We are coveting. Do we gossip about others, listen to false stories about others or even make up those stories. If so, we are bearing false witness. Are we honest to ourselves and to the Lord especially when no one else is looking? I try to be and when I am not I get on my knees and pray my Heavenly Father will forgive me and help me to be more honest. I want to be able to hold my head up now and when I am in the presence of my Savior and be able to say I was honest.
The 3rd chapter is about morality. How far this world has gone in its attempts to allow more freedom. Things that are sacred and special to many of us have become socially acceptable and almost demanded by others. They treat their bodies and the bodies of those around them as toys and as objects and not as temples. How sad to see the state of affairs in this world. How unfree we have become. President Hinckley talks about how Hollywood has decided that we want to see this gratuitous sexuality in everything we see, read or hear. They do not understand that there are many of us that don't want to see this. It is not only Hollywood, but much of the world. Satan had gotten them to believe it is okay. There has come this week a striking example. One BYU student was found to have broken the honor code. He knew it and he admitted it. The school had no other choice but to suspend him from the sport he plays. It was a sad day for him I am sure. He knew what he had to do and what the consequences would be. He was a strong young man to be able to do this and to start the repentance process. Many in the world, however, have ridiculed the school for being behind the times. They have said that the policy is not realistic. President Hinckley said much of the same in this book. He said that the world will tell us that we are old-fashioned and out of date. How can being morally clean be out of date? When immorality is chosen, the few of the true meaning of love is distorted. A person becomes unfeeling and unloving. Desires become the sole basis of living. That makes this world a sad place to be because everyone is out for their own pleasures and not out to serve, help of love others.
So far this book has been wonderful. It has helped me to see how steady and unwavering I need to be as the world continues to decline in it's integrity. Standing up for these virtues can help each of us be better and therefore make the world a better place.
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