Sondra Soderborg taught our lesson today from the Spencer W. Kimball Manual, chapter 12: "Integrity."
I am posting her handout immediately for your perusal. I will add a second post with my notes soon. Here is her handout:
Integrity defined by President Kimball: quality of being complete, undivided or unbroken. It is something whole, unimpaired. It is purity and moral soundness, unadulterated genuineness and deep sincerity. It is courage, honesty, uprightness and righteousness.
I think of it as one’s values and beliefs being fully integrated into one’s thoughts, actions and choices.
President Kimball says that integrity does not ask, “’What will others think of me and my practices,’ but ‘What do I think of myself if I do this or fail to do that?’ Is it proper? Is it right? Would the Master approve?”
Integrity brings peace, sureness and security. Lack of it brings disunity, fear sorrow unsureness. What are examples from your life of confidence arising from integrity?
It is important that we examine our lives regularly and look for our well-hidden hypocrisies, dishonesties and rationalizations. What do we most want to hide from those we love and respect?
In Moses 4:14-16, Adam and Eve, having partaken of the fruit, realize that they are naked and seek to hide from the Lord. It is Satan who has encouraged them to hide. Most of us probably want to hide certain things from ourselves and Heavenly Father. President Kimball talks about this tendency as self-justification—ways that we convince ourselves that the things we are ashamed of don’t matter.
What are some the ways we justify behavior that we know is not right?
If we live with integrity, we will keep our covenants, including baptismal and temple covenants. Temple covenants in particular are not about refraining from sin. They require action.
Dishonesty robs us of integrity. President Kimball was a businessman. In his employment and in working with members of the church in many callings, he saw many forms of financial and other dishonesty. He also warns against breaking rules or laws that we find inconsequential—like paying child’s price for an overage child.
What are the temptations to dishonesty that we experience?
It is truly important that we discipline ourselves to having integrity in small things. Our example matters to children who really do watch the choices and behavior of adults in their lives. It is also important to our own spiritual growth that we be honest with ourselves and with God.
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