The LDS Daily WOOL Home Page
(8/10/98)
"We are all familiar with the statement 'Honesty
is the best policy.' For members of The Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints, honesty is the only policy.
We must be honest with our fellowmen. We must be honest
with our God. We are honest with God when we honor the
covenants we make with Him." —
Sheldon F. Child, "As Good As Our
Bond," General Conference, April 1997
(8/11/98)
"Never in the history of mankind or the Church has there been a greater
need for honesty in personal lives--honesty with neighbors and
integrity in discussions and total commitment on the basis of full
trust and respect from those who are about us. Certainly we have reason
to be disappointed and concerned when we see too many business and
professional associates not adopting honesty as the best policy, but
instead asking, What can I get away with without being caught? Or what
is expedient? What will be the most profitable? What will be the most
rewarding for me without regard to permanence or other people?
Integrity must be the foundation of moral life. In school and in
daily associations we must teach students and children, as well as
adults, that honesty must be 100 percent and not treated as a
convenience or escape in some situations. We must fight corruption and
graft and return people to the basics of integrity, honesty, and fair
play. Achievement and talent without character are hollow." —
Marvin J. Ashton, "He Loveth That Which Is Right," BYU Speeches of the
Year, 5 March 1989
(8/12/98)
"Act with integrity. Be honest. Righteous
character is based on integrity."
— Richard G. Scott, "Trust In The Lord," General Conference, April 1989
(8/13/98)
"If we can get men to practise honesty, virtue,
and holiness, I am fully of the faith that they will
become righteous in their intentions,--that the time will
come when the Lord will bless them, and make them in
reality righteous men and women."
— Brigham Young, "Journal of Discourses," 2:281
(8/14/98)
"To be without guile is to be free of deceit,
cunning, hypocrisy, and dishonesty in thought or
action. To beguile is to deceive or lead astray, as
Lucifer beguiled Eve in the Garden of Eden. A
person without guile is a person of innocence, honest
intent, and pure motives, whose life reflects the simple
practice of conforming his daily actions to principles of
integrity." — Joseph B.
Wirthlin, "Without Guile," General Conference, April 1988
(1/27/99)
"...we do not believe in honesty merely as a
matter of policy. It is far more important than
that. Honesty is a principle of salvation in the
kingdom of God. Without it there can be no
salvation. Just as no man or woman can be saved
without baptism, so no one can be saved without honesty.
As we cannot advance in the kingdom of heaven without a
resurrection, so we cannot move into celestial realms
without honesty." — Mark E. Peterson, "General Conference Reports,", p. 63, October 1971
(1/28/99)
"I want to say to you that the punishment that is
meted out to those who are dishonest in our day, when
they are apprehended and haled before the courts of the
land and punished for their crimes, is insignificant when
compared with the spiritual punishment that befalls us
when we transgress the law of honesty and violate that
commandment of God." — George Albert Smith, "Law of Honesty," Deseret News, Jan. 7, 1933
(1/29/99)
"You may talk about religion and speak about the
Gospel, and say we have got the truth and the plan of
salvation, and we have got the authority of the
Priesthood; but if we are not honest, it does not amount
to anything; for neither God nor honorable men love
dishonesty. We must, therefore, be an honest
people." — George Q. Cannon, "Collected Discourses 1888 - 1898," Vol. 4
(1/30/99)
"Now, if you want the land to become more
blessed, if you want to enjoy in greater abundance the
good things of the earth, do better, be more righteous,
be more honest before the Lord, honor His laws and keep
His commandments more faithfully than you have done in
the past, and the Lord will pour out more and greater
blessings." — Joseph F. Smith, "Collected Discourses," Vol.3, January 8th,
1893
(6/08/02)
"We must be like the people of Ammon, who were 'distinguished for their
zeal towards God, and also towards men; for they were perfectly honest
and upright in all things; and they were firm in the faith of Christ,
even unto the end.' (Alma 27:27.)" —
J. Richard Clarke, "The Practice of Truth," "Ensign," May 1984, p. 62
(6/10/02)
"Honesty is the foundation of a sound character and the keystone of all
other virtues. It is the cement without which all other redeeming
features are fractured and without anchor. A dishonest person may be
kind, witty, and very capable, but the strength of character simply
isn't there. Honesty does not come by degrees. A person is either all
honest or he is dishonest. You can be true or you can be false, but you
can't be both at the same time." —
William Grant Bangerter, "Whose Help Would You Rather Have?" "New Era,"
Sept. 1979, p. 4
(6/11/02)
"I am grateful to have been taught the principles of honesty, hard work,
and thrift even more by the daily example of my parents and relatives
than by their words and counsel." —
Helio R. Camargo, "In All Things, Give Thanks," "Ensign," Nov. 1990, p.
80
(6/12/02)
"Personal standards should honestly govern every action. The honest
person needs to remember only one version of an event. Those who don't
obey standards they profess are called hypocrites. While the world will
always be full of them, recognize them for what they are and resolve to
avoid their dishonest pattern of behavior. And remember, the payment of
tithing will help discipline your mind to be an honest one."
— Russell M. Nelson, "Standards of
the Lord's Standard-Bearers," "Ensign," Aug. 1991, p. 10
(6/13/02)
"Honesty is not only the best policy, it is the only policy!"
— David B. Haight, "Ethics and
Honesty," "Ensign," Nov. 1987, p. 15
(1/9/05)
"It is impossible to associate manhood with dishonesty. To be just
with one's self, one must be honest with one's self and with others.
This means honesty in speech as well as in actions. It means to avoid
telling half-truths as well as untruths. It means that we are honest in
our dealings-in our buying as well as in our selling. It means that an
honest debt can never be outlawed, and that a man's word is better than
his bond. It means that we will be honest in our dealings with the Lord,
for 'true honesty takes into account the claims of God as well as those
of man; it renders to God the things that are God's, as well as to man
the things that are man's.'" - David O. McKay, "Conference
Report," April 1968, pp. 7-8
(2/13/05)
"Dishonesty is directly related to selfishness, which is its origin
and source. Selfishness is at the root of nearly all the disorders that
afflict us, and man's inhumanity to man continues to make countless
thousands mourn.
"If all mankind were honest, we could have heaven here on earth. We
would have no need for armies or navies, nor even a policeman in the
smallest community, for there would be no crime, no invasion of other
people's rights, no violence of one person against another.
"There would be no grounds for divorce, nor would we have errant
husbands or unfaithful wives. Conflict between children and parents
would disappear, and juvenile delinquency would come to an end.
"But in our society is there anything more widespread than the
tendency to lie and deceive?" - Mark E. Petersen, "Honesty,
a Principle of Salvation," Ensign, Dec. 1971, p. 72
(3/19/05)
"The rewards of integrity are immeasurable. One is the indescribable inner
peace and serenity that come from knowing we are doing what is right; another is
an absence of the guilt and anxiety that accompany sin.
"Another reward of integrity is the confidence it can give us in
approaching God. When virtue garnishes our thoughts unceasingly, our confidence
is strong in the presence of God. (See D&C
121:45.) When we are doing what is right, we will not feel timid and
hesitant about seeking divine direction. We will know the Lord will answer our
prayers and help us in our need.
"The consummate reward of integrity is the constant companionship of the
Holy Ghost. (See D&C 121:46.)
The Holy Ghost does not attend us when we do evil. But when we do what is right,
he can dwell with us and guide us in all we do." - Joseph B. Wirthlin,
"Personal
Integrity," Ensign, May 1990, p. 33
(7/21/05)
"To be without guile is to be pure in heart—an
essential virtue of those who would be counted among true followers of Christ.
He taught in the Sermon on the Mount, 'Blessed are the pure in heart: for they
shall see God' (Matt. 5:8;
see also 3 Ne. 12:8). He
revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith that Zion is the pure in heart (see
D&C 97:21) and that a house
is to be built in Zion in which the pure in heart shall see God (see
D&C 97:10–16).
"If we are without guile, we are honest, true, and righteous. All of these are
attributes of Deity and are required of the Saints. Those who are honest are
fair and truthful in their speech, straightforward in their dealings, free of
deceit, and above stealing, misrepresentation, or any other fraudulent action.
Honesty is of God and dishonesty of the devil; the devil was a liar from the
beginning. Righteousness is living a life that is in harmony with the laws,
principles, and ordinances of the gospel." - Joseph B. Wirthlin, “Without
Guile,” Ensign, May 1988, 80-81
(10/16/05)
"When you say you are going to do something, then you do it.
Keep your word. Don't be disappointed sometimes when you set a goal, but fail to
attain it, for you can't know all of the time what the Lord's will is. Just
exercise your faith in the Lord and do the best you can as to what you think his
will may be. I often ask myself, 'How much is your word worth, Elder Cook? What
price could you put on your word? If you tell someone that you are going to do
something, do you do it, or do you come up with excuses of why you didn't do
it?'" - Gene R. Cook, "Living by the Power of Faith," p.95
11/29/06
"Honesty is the basis of a true Christian life.
For Latter-day Saints, honesty is an important requirement for entering the
Lord's holy temple. Honesty is embedded in the covenants that we make in the
temple. Each Sunday as we partake of the holy emblems of the Savior's flesh and
blood, we again renew our basic and sacred covenants—which encompass honesty. As
Latter-day Saints we have a sacred obligation to not only teach the principles
of honesty, but also to live them,... Honesty should be among the most
fundamental values that govern our everyday living." - Richard C. Edgley, "Three
Towels and a 25-Cent Newspaper," Ensign, November 2006
7/10/09
“Good
men sometimes make mistakes. A man of integrity will honestly face and correct
his mistakes, and that is an example we can respect. Sometimes men try but fail.
Not all worthy objectives are realized despite one's honest and best efforts.
True manhood is not always measured by the fruits of one's labors but by the
labors themselves—by one's striving.” - D. Todd
Christofferson, “Let Us Be Men,” CR October 2006
12/31/09
“It has been
suggested that what happens in a certain city stays in a certain city. I like
the sign posted in Sevier County, Utah, which states, ‘What happens in Sevier
County . . . you can share with your friends!!!’ When we realize that we are
accountable to God, we see how foolish rationalizations can be. Those who
rationalize remind us of little children who cover their eyes, convinced that if
they can’t see us, we can’t see them. I would suggest that if we think about
giving an accounting of our actions to the Savior, our rationalizations will be
seen in their true light.” – Quentin L. Cook,
“Stewardship—a Sacred Trust,” Ensign, November 2009
7/16/10
"If we want to be a person of integrity, we act as if we have integrity
and we will be a person of integrity. If we want to be a person of
charity and love, we act as if we have that characteristic and we will
be that person.
"The Savior alluded to this
principle when he asked, 'What manner of men ought ye to be?' Then he
answered his own question, 'Even as I am.' (3 Ne. 27:27.)
"We should strive to become like him by acting as he would act." - Royden G. Derrick, "Valiance in the Drama of Life," Ensign (CR), May 1983, p. 23
9/12/10
"A consecrated life is a life of
integrity. We see it in the husband and wife 'who honor marital vows
with complete fidelity.' We see it in the father and mother whose
demonstrated first priority is to nourish their marriage and ensure the
physical and spiritual welfare of their children. We see it in those
who are honest." - D. Todd Christofferson, "Reflections on a Consecrated Life," Ensign (CR) October 2010