Good afternoon, brothers and sisters. It is a privilege to be here today, to speak to you. I pray for the Spirit to be with us as I try to convey my message, and also that our hearts will be opened to receiving it and in the spirit in which I am intending to deliver it.
Today, I would like to address a particular topic that we often hear about, but perhaps there are elements of it that we don't consider. I wish to speak about the topic of integrity. When you think about integrity, what comes to your mind? The Merriam-Webster dictionary (Webster being a very distant relation to myself, I might add), defines it as (1) a firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values, (2) an unimpaired condition, or (3) the quality or state of being complete or undivided.[1]
Embedded in the overarching topic of integrity are foundational subtopics that are so interconnected that it would be impossible to ignore them. I am talking about topics such as honesty, obedience, commitment, and loyalty.
To illustrate an element of my topic today, I would like to share an experience that I had many years ago as a young man serving in the military. I enlisted when I was 17 years old, right out of high school. I was so young I only had to shave maybe once a week. Looking back 30 years I can say that during that time, I had many experiences that were formative in shaping my future. One such experience took place while I served as a crew member on an M109 self-propelled howitzer. Essentially, it is a large cannon on tracks. The primary purpose for that piece of equipment is meant to be very destructive, and it is.[2] Perhaps there are those of you who have served in field artillery who can relate to this experience. I was used to being on the sending end of an unforgiving kind of business, where we would fire high-explosive rounds that weighed approximately 100 pounds to the distance of anywhere from only a few hundred yards to many miles away. The distance the shell was sent was determined by many factors. The first factor consisted of the amount of gunpowder that was placed behind the shell in the barrel, or the "tube," as we called it. The powder would come premeasured and in large bags that were placed in canisters. Each canister had the same number of bags in it, but we were instructed as to how many we should use for a particular firing mission. The angle of the tube had a major effect on the distance. Those of you who may be physics majors would likely know something about this. We had to consider factors relating to the weather, such as wind, rain, as well as how smoothly the shell would fly through the air (whether it would catch and tumble or spin). Any type of friction could throw it off target. Again, mistakes could be very unforgiving. When we were given the order to fire a round someplace, we were also instructed to adjust the "gun," as it was called, either right or left or up and down a certain number of millimeters; and then, when told to do so, we simply pulled a string called a lanyard, there would be a loud boom, the ground would become unstable under our feet, and we would wait for further orders. What's the harm in pulling a little string, one might ask, or being off target one millimeter? One day I had the opportunity to observe where the rounds would hit. We drove to the side of a mountain where the forward observers were located. They were the soldiers whose job it was to observe where the explosives hit and then relay information back to the gun line and instruct us how and where to adjust our firing. Interestingly, we were far more accurate at hitting the targets that we could not see as opposed to those that we could see, because of the help of the observers who would direct our fire. Brothers and sisters, I had never seen the "other end" of what we were doing back at the gun line. That was my first exposure to that part of the experience. We have all seen similar things on television, movies, and in pictures, but nothing can describe the sights, sounds, and smells. The unique burning-sulfur aroma of the gunpowder is something I will never forget. The destructive power is difficult to describe, especially if you can imagine as many as 24 rounds being shot simultaneously into an area. We needed to do our job correctly, paying attention to detail and listening for proper feedback. Another vantage point gave me a very different perspective about the work that we were involved in, and it intensified my own efforts to improve.
I have thought about that experience many times over the years. How often are we involved in thinking about or doing something yet not really giving it much thought as to the consequences of our decisions or the impact that it may have on ourselves or someone else? What are the forces or who are the people in our lives that impact our thoughts and subsequent behaviors? Are the things that we think about congruent, or synonymous, with our actions? The author Leon R. Hartshorn once said that "a man's true greatness is not in what he says he is, nor in what people say he is; but really, in what he really is."[3]
My question for you is "Who are you, really?"
Recently I posed the question on I-Learn: "Can you foresee a time in the future when your children ask you pointed questions about your life as a young adult? Will you be able to answer them with honesty and gratitude for the choices that you are making now? What experiences will you tell them about? I noticed some great comments on the discussion board. I have asked two of your fellow classmates, Aubrey Calvert and Stefano Cena, to join me on the stand to share their remarks.
WEBSTER: Aubrey, where are you from, and what is your major?
CALVERT: I'm from Vancouver, Canada, and my major is elementary education.
WEBSTER: Very good. Would you please share your thoughts that you posted on I-Learn?
CALVERT: I really appreciated this opportunity to answer the question, because it made me reflect a lot on the way that I was raised by my own parents. And I definitely have made mistakes in my life that I may not be proud of, but I've learned from them. The most important thing that my parents taught me, that I would want to teach my children, is about the Atonement of Jesus Christ, that it's real and that it works. It makes up for your weaknesses. And thinking about that and how I want to be that example to my children makes me want to make righteous decisions today that I can be proud of in the future.
WEBSTER: Was it difficult to think about the questions that I posed? Was it a difficult thing to go inward and think about?
CALVERT: Maybe looking back at some of the mistakes I made might have been a little hard, but it also reminded me of how the Atonement has worked in my life, so it was actually really rewarding.
WEBSTER: Very good. Thank you so much for participating. Now let's have Stefano Cena join me on the stand. Stefano, where are you from, and what is your major?
CENA: I'm from Torino, Italy, and my major is human biology. WEBSTER: Very good. I enjoyed your response to the question I posed on I-Learn. Would you mind sharing your response?
CENA: Sure. To answer the question, I reflected back on when I was on my mission. Both my parents are converts to the Church and did not serve a mission. So while serving as a mission, I asked myself, what kind of missionary would I want my children to one day be? And that really changed my attitude toward missionary service.
WEBSTER: And as you've thought about some of those experiences versus the experiences that you had growing up, how might that look for you in the future with your own family, your own children?
CENA: I really hope that one day I'll be able to share with them also the mistakes that I made so that they will benefit from it and not have to do those as well, as well as the good choices that I've made. And they'll be able to learn from those.
WEBSTER: Was it a difficult thing that I asked you to consider?
CENA: For sure, it is.
WEBSTER: Very good. That's good. That helps you grow, right?
CENA: It does.
WEBSTER: Thank you for participating.
From this experience, I wanted to get you thinking about the connectivity between your decisions now and how they may affect you and your family in the future. I hope that you have been able to do some introspection as you have pondered my questions.
The Lord expects us to live lives of integrity and to be obedient to His commandments. As members of the Church, we have so much to be grateful for. In the Doctrine and Covenants it states, "For of him unto whom much is given much is required."[4] The gospel of Jesus Christ provides us with many blessings, but those blessings demand our personal effort and often involve risks. Perhaps it involves doing the "right" thing, or standing up for what you know is right, even when you are unlikely to benefit positively from the decision to make or do the "right" thing. We have been warned, "Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is a sin."[5] Perhaps this involves the topic of apathy, a topic mentioned by Elder Gavarret two weeks ago, where we are indifferent to important things that are going on around us and we simply look the other way. We live in a world with shifting values. We don't have to look very far to see how the standards of the world have shifted markedly over just the past few years. Truly, if there were ever a time for us to stand strong in our commitment to exercise integrity, wouldn't it be now?
Like many of you, I have known many individuals in my life who possess high integrity. The attribute that makes them remarkable is that they are not afraid to be "authentic," if you will, with regard to how they live their lives. Who and what they proclaim to be is who they are when no one else is watching.
I know that life can be challenging at times. President Boyd K. Packer has taught us that we are living in enemy territory, and, in a sense, we are living in a war zone between good and evil.[6] On the surface, it may seem like a fairly manageable task to be honest or have high integrity, but is it really? I'm referring to times when it seems like a reasonable option to overlook temporarily or even compromise our standards to achieve what we may consider to be a worthy goal--sort of the means-to-an-end scenario. Interestingly enough, I have many such conversations with students here on this campus, as well as around the world. One might ask, what is the application to my situation in the here and now? Perhaps as a student, you have been under some kind of deadline to complete an assignment. Your friend, who has taken the same class in a previous semester, offers to let you look at the assignment he previously completed for the course as an example of how it can be done. While reviewing the work that he has loaned you, you determine that you will use his work as your own without giving them credit. The "subtleness" that I referred to earlier may have more to do with the thought processes that lead you to believe that somehow it is OK to do so in the first place. Most people don't consider themselves to be inherently dishonest. Perhaps it is the belief that because you have very limited time due to other stressors, such as work and other class responsibilities, that you are justified in doing this "one little thing, just this one time." I bring this up as an example because I have had many discussions with students and other people who have gone through such a scenario and then later felt its potential impact. The impact may be felt now or in the distant future, long after the time spent at this institution. I know it is difficult to imagine ever actually completing our formal education and being able to move on, right? This is yet part of the journey. However, when making choices to compromise your own standards and subsequently your own integrity, the consequences or stakes often get higher.
Several years ago, while serving as a bishop, an individual came to me one night who wanted to talk. I could tell his heart was very heavy. Essentially, he wanted to get something off his chest, and it was something that had occurred many years before, while he was married with a young family. When he told me about it, he also indicated that he had thought about confessing the issue to previous bishops, but he had always worried about what they would think of him. He explained that it was bothering him more than ever before. You see, he had known it was wrong at the time he had done it, but minimized it, convincing himself that because it was not a widespread, ongoing thing that he had done, it could be "brushed off." This brother had served faithfully in the Church and was a wonderful husband and father. However, over the years, he had never forgotten his actions, and his recollection of it was like a ball and chain that he had carried around all those years. Are we more concerned about what others might think of us when making decisions in our lives, and does it impact our ability to choose the right? Are we considerate enough to ourselves to be honest with ourselves? Are there things in our life that we justify because it is a "little thing" but, if we are to be completely honest with ourselves, we may need to forsake them, confess, and apply the Atonement so that we truthfully can say we are honest and possess integrity? In the case of this good man, he had justified his actions, but in fact he knew it was wrong and sought to deny what he already knew to be true.
There are many circumstances that demand our attention to detail with regard to the topic of integrity. In my ongoing discussions with students here on this campus and around the world, the topic of appropriate or inappropriate behavior is centered around the topic of obedience. I have found it impossible to avoid discussions about sin and wrongdoing without the topic of obedience coming up. In the New Testament, the
Lord stated, "And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?"[7] Do we expect to enjoy the companionship of the Holy Ghost without being worthy of it? On another occasion, he said, "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my father which is in heaven."[8] We are instructed to be obedient in all things, according to His will.
The other night, I was sitting in the temple, thinking about the level of obedience that was displayed by Adam and Eve as they left the Garden of Eden, even though they did not fully understand their purposes or where they would be going. After they had left the garden, an angel appeared to Adam and asked, "Why dost thou offer sacrifices unto the Lord?" Adam said, "I know not, save the Lord commanded me."[9] Are there things we are asked to do in this life that we do not understand? The probability of such occurrences is very high, brothers and sisters, as you have probably experienced. Sometimes we must act in faith. For a local adaptation, perhaps at this university you may be living in circumstances where you do not see eye to eye with your roommates, your spouse, your employer, or your instructors. As a result, you choose to be in conflict with them and cheapen the experiences you could be having by learning about one another's positive differences and embracing them. Perhaps there are aspects of the Honor Code that we don't see clearly in the here and now, but the eternal fruits of being obedient to its contents may prepare us for times when greater obedience and adherence to higher principles is required. Are we willing to compromise our own honor and integrity by ignoring the principles in the Honor Code that we agreed to before beginning our experiences at BYU-Idaho?
I know that many of you come from varying parts of the world, and in some cases the only similarities you may have with your classmates may be your membership in the Church and a desire to gain further knowledge. I do know that many of the challenges that we face now, during our probationary time here on earth, can be universal. I am referring to many of the human foibles that we so often succumb to in our mortal existence.
I can recall an interesting experience I had while serving as a full-time missionary in Texas. My companion and I met and began to teach a man who worked at an air force base and had an interesting job working on military jets. On one of our preparation days, he invited us to the air force base where he worked to show us part of what his job entailed. His responsibility was to inspect the jet engines to see how they would perform on the ground revved up and at full operation. He then proceeded to bolt and chain the jet to the ground to prevent it from flying into the adjacent building. I want you to imagine that scenario. We stood probably 10 to 15 feet from the jet as he started it and then opened up the engine full-blast to see how the engine would perform as part of a routine testing procedure. Our friend then crawled underneath the jet during full operation to inspect various components. It was probably the loudest thing I had ever heard, and I had heard some very loud things myself while in the army. Obviously, we wore hearing protection, but that was our only protection. It was an awesome sight, to say the least. I kept thinking to myself, "Chains, please hold!" I can recall watching those chains restrain the power of that jet, which, on its own, would have easily flown forward, causing much damage. The only thing preventing the jet from going well over the speed of sound were those restraints.
To draw a parallel, what "chains" prevent us from destruction in our own lives? Do the chains keep us from doing things we shouldn't be doing, or are they keeping us from things we should be doing? I want you to think about that for a second. Are there chains that are keeping you from doing or not doing certain things? Perhaps we have addictions that ensnare us in a way that is difficult to escape. Much of my professional work has involved working as a licensed clinical counselor for almost 20 years and in a variety of settings. I have witnessed how various circumstances can lead people to make choices that initially may actually seem like an acceptable way to deal with or escape their reality or to enhance their progression. Often they realize they are caught in a deceitful web, and they don't know how to get out. At times, I meet with people who are "coasting" through life, not really knowing from day to day what their true purpose is. To those who may be experiencing any of those circumstances, part of my message today is that you are not alone and that there are resources to help you.
In preparation for teaching a Gospel Doctrine lesson on the topic of consecration, I researched a very interesting talk by Elder D. Todd Christofferson.[10] In preparation for teaching the lesson, I learned that the term consecration refers to dedicating many elements of our life to God and our fellowmen and includes the following topics: purity, work, respect for one's physical body, service, and integrity. An important element to consider as well is repentance, which involves abandoning stubbornness, rebellion, and rationalization. King Benjamin referred to this as putting off the natural man, yielding to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and becoming a "saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord."[11] As we strive to align our lives within the confines of the gospel, we are promised the companionship of the Holy Spirit, a promise that is renewed every time we partake of the sacrament worthily.[12] As we strive to be obedient to the laws of the gospel, are we allowing the commandments, the "chains of the gospel," to keep us safely on the Lord's path? As I have reflected on this question, my own interpretation has been expanded. I suggest that integrity has more to do with how we really are as opposed to how we allow others to see us. It is about our personal commitment to obey the commandments and be loyal followers of Christ, even when times are tough.
During our time together today, it has been my prayer that each of us can do some personal introspection and try to improve those areas of our lives that may be preventing us from enjoying the full blessings of integrity. I know that Heavenly Father loves us and knows each of our challenges, and that through His help and the influence of the Holy Ghost, we can be strengthened in that effort.
In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Notes
[1] "Integrity," Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/integrity
[2] "M109 Family of Vehicles," United States Army Acquisition Support Center, http://asc.army.mil/web/portfolio-item/m109-family-of-vehicles-paladinfaasv-and-m109a7-sph-m992a3-cat
[3] Leon R. Hartshorn, Joseph Smith: Prophet of the Restoration (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1970), 38
[4] Doctrine and Covenants 82:3
[5] James 4:17
[6] Boyd K. Packer, "How to Survive in Enemy Territory," Ensign, Oct. 2012
[7] Luke 6:46
[8] Matthew 7:21
[9] Moses 5:6
[10] D. Todd Christofferson, "Reflections on a Consecrated Life," Ensign, Nov. 2010
[11] Mosiah 3:19
[12] Doctrine and Covenants 20:77, 79