Contributed by: Ann Scripture
A of F
1:13
13 We believe in
being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we
may say that we follow the admonition of Paul-- We believe all things, we hope all things,
we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is
anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.
Alma 7:20
20 I perceive that it
has been made known unto you, by the testimony of his word, that he cannot walk in crooked
paths; neither doth he vary from that which he hath said; neither hath he a shadow of
turning from the right to the left, or from that which is right to that which is wrong;
therefore, his course is one eternal round.
Ether 3:11-12
11 And the Lord said
unto him: Believest thou the words which I shall speak?
12 And he answered: Yea, Lord, I know that thou speakest the
truth, for thou art a God of truth, and canst not lie.
Moses 4:30
30 For as I, the Lord
God, liveth, even so my words cannot return void, for as they go forth out of my mouth
they must be fulfilled.
D&C 3:7-8
7 For, behold, you
should not have feared man more than God. Although men set at naught the counsels of God,
and despise his words--
8 Yet you should have been faithful; and he would have
extended his arm and supported you against all the fiery darts of the adversary; and he
would have been with you in every time of trouble.
Story
Ardeth G. Kapp,
former Young Women General President, told about an experience she had with honesty. When
she was a student at Brigham Young University, she accidentally left her wallet in a
telephone booth. The wallet contained ten dollars, which was all the money she had at the
time. She never found the wallet, but nine years later, she received a note from a woman
who said she wanted to "settle some unfinished business at BYU." Sister Kapp
called the woman and found out what had happened to the wallet.
"I learned that this young woman, now a wife and
mother, had been in nurses training at BYU. She had worked to put herself through school,
but she needed an additional ten dollars for tuition, so she turned to her boyfriend for
help. She had promised to return the loan by the following Friday. When Friday arrived, in
spite of her earnest prayers, she was still short ten dollars.
"Seemingly without reason, she had walked into the
telephone booth and found an old worn wallet. She explained how her heart started to pound
since she’d never been tempted like this before. She held her breath as she opened it
to find a single ten dollar bill. Then the question: Was this indeed an answer to her
prayer?
"She interrupted her steady flow of words to explain
that since then she had learned that Satan knows when we are being tested and when under
pressure we might weaken. We can be sure, she explained, that he will be there if there is
a chance we might fall.
"And then picking up the story again, she told of
paying her boyfriend, whom she later married, graduating in nursing, and now raising a
beautiful family and rejoicing in the blessings of the gospel.
"Her voice choked with emotion as she painfully related
the details about the old wallet. She emphasized how she had been taught right from wrong
and how she was well acquainted with the principle of honesty. Her conscience had prompted
her, but she listened to the wrong voice and acted contrary to that which she knew was
right. She explained how taking the money had seemed justified at the time and hardly
seemed like a sin at all. But for nine years her faithful conscience had never been at
peace in that particular matter. …
"For nine years, through many moves, the old burden had
lain deeply tucked away in her top dresser drawer. It seemed impossible for her to throw
away the wallet, though she’d considered it many times. There is no way you can throw
away a wrong, and yet, there was no way, as far as she knew, to return the wallet.
"One day while she was straightening the drawer, the
old wallet surfaced again. This time she felt she must get rid of it, but only the right
way. She had learned many valuable lessons over the years, and she had a quiet assurance
that even this had served a purpose.
"She thoughtfully opened the old wallet once again, and
while examining it this time her fingers uncovered a small, orange card tucked away in a
tiny compartment not previously noticed. This orange card would prove to be the key to
unloading her burden. The card gave the address of the Calgary Clinic in Alberta, Canada,
where the medical exam for a student’s visa had been given. She became excited with
the thought that this time she might clean her top drawer in every detail.
"With a prayer in her heart she took a chance and sent
a letter ‘to whom it may concern’ to the Calgary Clinic to be forwarded if
possible. It was forwarded first to my parents in Canada, and then back to Utah where it
finally reached its intended destination. Contact had been made, but the wallet was yet to
be returned. During the telephone conversation she indicated the wallet would be mailed
that very day."
Sister Kapp asked the young woman to come to her office and
deliver the wallet in person, which the young woman did.
"As though she had rehearsed this experience in her
mind a hundred times, she reached out her steady hand, looked me squarely in the eye, and
handed me the wallet. Her steady gaze reflected the radiance of a good and honest life.
"Then her eyes dropped as she whispered, ‘Will you
please forgive me? I want to be honest.’ Words would not come. I could only reach for
her hand and nod affirmatively. From my office, I watched her walk away from my desk and
out the front door.
" ‘Behold, he who has repented of his sins, the
same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more.’ (D&C 58:42.)
"I went to the window to watch her with her shoulders
square, head erect, and with a lilt in her step as she turned the corner out of sight.
Returning to my desk I again heard her words, ‘Will you please forgive me? I want to
be honest’ " (Ardeth G. Kapp, "Will You Please Forgive Me? I Want to Be
Honest," New Era, July 1976, pp. 7-9).
Quotations
Quote 1
President Marion G.
Romney used the following definition: "Honesty implies freedom from lying, stealing,
cheating, and bearing false witness" (in Conference Report, Oct. 1976, p. 50; or
Ensign, Nov. 1976, p. 36).
Quote 2
"The Lord
requires his people to be honest. May we desire with all our hearts to be honest in all
our relationships and in all the things that we do. God will help us if we seek the
strength that comes from him. Sweet then will be our peace of mind and our lives. Blessed
will be those with whom we live and associate. And God will bless and guide us with his
loving care" ("We Believe in Being Honest," Ensign, Oct. 1990, p.
M2L36 Index
Lesson Help
Home |