"Integrity: A Christlike Attribute"

Last updated on September 8th, 2024 at 10:55 pm

General Conference Applied

S3 E23 – Thursday, September 5, 2024 | “Integrity: A Christlike Attribute” by Elder Jack N. Gerard; April 2024 General Conference

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Introduction

Doctrine: Commandments: “Commandments are the laws and requirements that God gives to mankind. When we keep the commandments, we manifest our love for the Lord and receive blessings from Him (see Leviticus 26:3–12; John 14:15; Mosiah 2:41). We are commanded to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind and to have Christlike love for others (see Matthew 22:36–39; John 13:34–35). …

“We have also been commanded to become as our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, in our desires, thoughts, words, and actions (see 3 Nephi 12:48). The Lord has given us eternal truths, or principles, that help govern our decisions and actions. These principles lead us to live as the Savior and receive His promised blessings.”

Principle: Honesty: “To become completely honest, we must look carefully at our lives. If there are ways in which we are being even the least bit dishonest, we should repent of them immediately.

“When we are completely honest, we cannot be corrupted. We are true to every trust, duty, agreement, or covenant, even if it costs us money, friends, or our lives. Then we can face the Lord, ourselves, and others without shame. President Joseph F. Smith counseled, ‘Let every man’s life be so that his character will bear the closest inspection, and that it may be seen as an open book, so that he will have nothing to shrink from or be ashamed of’ (Gospel Doctrine, 5th ed. [1939], 252).”

Christlike Attribute: Integrity: “Integrity means you do not lower your standards or behavior so you can impress or be accepted by others. You do what is right even when others scoff at your desire to be true to God (see 1 Nephi 8:24–28). You live with honor in all environments, including how you represent yourself online.

“When you have integrity, you keep your covenants with God as well as your righteous commitments to others.

“Integrity includes being honest with God, yourself, your leaders, and others.”

Bio

“Elder Jack N. Gerard was sustained as a General Authority Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on March 31, 2018. He previously served in the Sixth Quorum of the Seventy in the North America Northeast Area from 2010 to 2016. He is currently serving in the Europe Central Area Presidency.

“Elder Gerard has served in a number of Church callings, including full-time missionary in the Australia Sydney Mission, bishop, stake president, and—his favorite—ward nursery leader.

“Elder Gerard attended George Washington University, where he received a bachelor of arts degree in political science and a juris doctor degree. During his career he worked as president and CEO for several entities. He worked in the United States Senate and House of Representatives and served on multiple civic organization boards.

“Jack Noel Gerard was born in Idaho Falls, Idaho, on December 15, 1957. He married Claudette Neff in 1984. They are the parents of eight children.”
This was Elder Gerard’s second general conference address:
- “Now Is the Time” – October 2018 General Conference

What is the speaker inviting me to do, and how might I consider taking action?

Invitations

1: “As a covenant people, and as leaders of His Church, we must be beyond reproach and aligned with the standards the Lord has set.

“Acting with integrity builds faith and trust and reassures others that we seek only to do the will of the Lord. In our councils, we resist outside influences and follow the Lord’s revealed process, seeking insights from each woman and man and acting consistent with the inspired counsel received.

“Our focus is on the Savior, and we are careful to avoid actions that may be perceived as serving our own interests, benefiting our family, or favoring someone at the expense of another. We go out of our way to avoid any perception that our actions may be influenced by the honors of men, to receive personal recognition, generate more likes, be quoted or published.”

In our Church callings, we must act with integrity and ‘seek only to do the will of the Lord’.
Integrity is defined as: “The quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness.”
Questions:
1. What might we learn from the executive councils of the Church of Jesus Christ?
  - President Henry B. Eyring: “President Eyring remembers … the first time he attended a meeting with the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Not yet an Apostle at the time, President Eyring was a guest at the meeting.
    
    “As he watched the Brethren discuss an item, ‘I thought they had reached, after a lot of differences of opinion, a consensus,’ he recalled. ‘And the President of the Church who was in the chair said: ‘I sense there is someone in the room who is not settled yet. We’ll bring it back another time.”
    
    “President Eyring said as they filed out of the room, he noticed a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles tell the President of the Church, ‘Thank you.’
    
    “Whether in a meeting with the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, a stake presidency meeting or even a family council, ‘the great leader of a council is very sensitive to that — not to try to force unanimity or consensus but wait until it actually happens,’ President Eyring said.”
  - Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf: “‘Information brings inspiration,’ said Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. ‘You have to collect information and then you are in a position to receive revelation when you connect to the Spirit.'”
  - Elder David A. Bednar: “The power of counseling in council is revelation, said Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. ‘In worldly or secular organizations, much is made about participative decision-making. This is not a secular pattern,’ he said. ‘Counseling in councils is about inviting, receiving and recognizing revelation.'”
  - President Camille N. Johnson: “As Primary General President Camille N. Johnson attended a meeting on her first day in her new calling, she expected to sit back and observe. Instead, she was asked, ‘Sister Johnson, what do you think?’
    
    “‘It was sincere interest in what I thought about a particular point; whereas in my previous life, I had to work harder to have my voice heard sometimes,’ President Johnson said of her experience in the workplace.”
  - Sister Jean B. Bingham: “Relief Society General President Jean B. Bingham has often heard the expression from senior Church leaders that ‘revelation is scattered among us.’
    
    “‘It’s really true,’ she said. ‘The Church is governed by councils, and that’s how we grow, that’s how we make progress.'”
2. Why is integrity such an important attribute for church leaders?
3. How does integrity ‘build faith and trust’?
4. Can you think of scriptural examples of individuals who ‘[sought] only to do the will of the Lord’?
  - Helaman 10:1-5 – “[1] And it came to pass that there arose a division among the people, insomuch that they divided hither and thither and went their ways, leaving Nephi alone, as he was standing in the midst of them. [2] And it came to pass that Nephi went his way towards his own house, pondering upon the things which the Lord had shown unto him. [3] And it came to pass as he was thus pondering—being much cast down because of the wickedness of the people of the Nephites, their secret works of darkness, and their murderings, and their plunderings, and all manner of iniquities—and it came to pass as he was thus pondering in his heart, behold, a voice came unto him saying: [4] Blessed art thou, Nephi, for those things which thou hast done; for I have beheld how thou hast with unwearyingness declared the word, which I have given unto thee, unto this people. And thou hast not feared them, and hast not sought thine own life, but hast sought my will, and to keep my commandments. [5] And now, because thou hast done this with such unwearyingness, behold, I will bless thee forever; and I will make thee mighty in word and in deed, in faith and in works; yea, even that all things shall be done unto thee according to thy word, for thou shalt not ask that which is contrary to my will.”
  - Book of Mormon Student Manual – Chapter 37: Helaman 10-12: “President Marion G. Romney (1897–1988) of the First Presidency shared some necessary aspects of proper petitions:
    
    “‘When we pray unto the Father in the name of Jesus for specific personal things, we should feel in the very depths of our souls that we are willing to subject our petitions to the will of our Father in heaven. …
    
    “‘The time will come when we shall know the will of God before we ask. Then everything for which we pray will be ‘expedient.’ Everything for which we ask will be ‘right.’ That will be when as a result of righteous living, we shall so enjoy the companionship of the spirit that he will dictate what we ask’ (in Conference Report, Oct. 1944, 55–56).
    
    “President Romney had an experience in which the Lord gave him a promise similar to Nephi’s. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke about it:
    
    “In 1967 Sister Ida Romney suffered a serious stroke. The doctors told then-Elder Romney that the damage from the hemorrhage was severe. They offered to keep her alive by artificial means but did not recommend it. The family braced for the worst. Brother Romney confided to those closest to him that in spite of his anguished, personal yearning for Ida’s restored health and continued companionship, above all he wanted ‘the Lord’s will to be done and to take what he needed to take without whimpering.’
    
    “As the days wore on, Sister Romney became less responsive. She had, of course, been administered to, but Elder Romney was ‘reluctant to counsel the Lord about the matter.’ Because of his earlier unsuccessful experience of praying that he and Ida might have children, he knew that he could never ask in prayer for something that was not in harmony with the will of the Lord. He fasted that he might know how to show the Lord he had faith and would accept God’s will in their lives. He wanted to make sure he had done all he could do. But she continued to fail.
    
    “One evening in a particularly depressed state, with Ida unable to speak or recognize him, Brother Romney went home and turned, as he always had, to the scriptures in an effort to commune with the Lord. He picked up the Book of Mormon and continued where he had left off the night before. He had been reading in Helaman about the prophet Nephi, who had been falsely accused and unfairly charged with sedition. Following a miraculous deliverance from his accusers, Nephi returned home pondering the things he had experienced. As he did so he heard a voice.
    
    “Although Marion Romney had read that story many times before, it now struck him this night as a personal revelation. The words of the scripture so touched his heart that for the first time in weeks he felt he had tangible peace. It seemed as if the Lord were speaking directly to him. The scripture read: ‘Blessed art thou, … for those things which thou hast done; … thou hast not … sought thine own life, but hast sought my will, and to keep my commandments. And now, because thou hast done this with such unwearyingness, behold, I will bless thee forever; and I will make thee mighty in word and in deed, in faith and in works; yea, even that all things shall be done unto thee according to thy word, for thou shalt not ask that which is contrary to my will.’ (Helaman 10:4–5.)
    
    “There was the answer. He had sought only to know and obey the will of the Lord, and the Lord had spoken. He fell to his knees and poured out his heart, and as he concluded his prayer with the phrase ‘Thy will be done,’ he either felt or actually heard a voice that said, ‘It is not contrary to my will that Ida be healed.’
    
    “Brother Romney rose to his feet quickly. It was past two o’clock in the morning, but he knew what he must do. Quickly he put on his tie and coat, then went out into the night to visit Ida in the hospital. He arrived shortly before three o’clock. His wife’s condition was unchanged. She did not stir as he placed his hands upon her pale forehead. With undeviating faith, he invoked the power of the priesthood in her behalf. He pronounced a simple blessing and then uttered the incredible promise that she would recover her health and her mental powers and would yet perform ‘a great mission’ upon the earth.
    
    “Even though he did not doubt, Elder Romney was astonished to see Ida’s eyes open as he concluded the blessing. Somewhat stunned by all that had happened, he sat down on the edge of the bed only to hear his wife’s frail voice for the first time in months. She said, ‘For goodness’ sake, Marion, what are you doing here?’ He didn’t know whether to laugh or to cry. He said, ‘Ida, how are you?’ With that flash of humor so characteristic of both of them, she replied, ‘Compared to what, Marion? Compared to what?’
    
    “Ida Romney began her recovery from that very moment, soon left her hospital bed, and lived to see her husband sustained as a member of the First Presidency of the Church, ‘a great mission upon the earth’ indeed. (F. Burton Howard, Marion G. Romney: His Life and Faith [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1988], pp. 137–42.)’ (Jeffrey R. Holland and Patricia T. Holland, On Earth As It Is in Heaven [1989], 133–35).”
5. What does ‘go[ing] out of our way to avoid any perception that our actions may be influenced by the honors of men, to receive personal recognition, generate more likes, be quoted or published’ look like in practice?
6. What do you learn about integrity in the house of the Lord?
7. What have other church leaders taught about ‘acting with integrity’?
8. Why is ‘focus[ing] on the Savior’ crucial to developing the Christlike attribute of integrity?
9. How might ‘acting with integrity’ bless the members of your family, your work team, your neighborhood, and your ward?
10. Would you be willing to share a time when you were tempted to compromise your integrity, and how you overcame that temptation?

2: “May we reconcile ourselves ‘to the will of God’ and develop the Christlike attribute of integrity. May we follow our Exemplar, the Savior of the world, and not shrink but live a life that is true to God, to each other, and to our divine identity.”

‘Develop the Christlike attribute of integrity’.
Questions:
1. What can we learn about the Christlike attribute of ‘Integrity’ in Preach My Gospel?
  - “Integrity flows from the first great commandment to love God (see Matthew 22:37). Because you love God, you are true to Him at all times. Like the sons of Helaman, you ‘walk uprightly before him’ (Alma 53:21).
    
    “When you have integrity, you understand that there is right and wrong and that there is absolute truth—God’s truth. You use your agency to choose according to God’s truth, and you promptly repent when you do not. What you choose to think—and what you do when you believe no one is watching—is a strong measure of your integrity.
    
    “Integrity means you do not lower your standards or behavior so you can impress or be accepted by others. You do what is right even when others scoff at your desire to be true to God (see 1 Nephi 8:24–28). You live with honor in all environments, including how you represent yourself online.
    
    “When you have integrity, you keep your covenants with God as well as your righteous commitments to others.
    
    “Integrity includes being honest with God, yourself, your leaders, and others. You do not lie, steal, cheat, or deceive. When you do something wrong, you accept responsibility and repent instead of trying to justify or rationalize it.
    
    “As you live with integrity, you will have inner peace and self-respect. The Lord and others will trust you.”
  - “Jesus Christ is our Exemplar. Living a life of integrity requires us to be true to God, to each other, and to our divine identity. Integrity flows from the first great commandment to love God. Because you love God, you are true to Him at all times. You understand that there is right and wrong and there is absolute truth—God’s truth. Integrity means we do not lower our standards or behavior to impress or to be accepted by others. You ‘do what is right’ and ‘let the consequence follow.’ Recent revisions to the Preach My Gospel missionary manual notably added integrity as a Christlike attribute.
    
    “A number of years ago, Elder Uchtdorf was assigned to reorganize our stake. During our interview, he asked me a question I have not forgotten: ‘Has there been anything in your life that, if brought to the attention of the public, would be an embarrassment to you or the Church?’ Surprised, my mind quickly raced over my entire life, trying to recall those moments when I may have fallen short and asking myself, ‘If others knew everything I had done, what would they think of me or the Church?’
    
    “In the moment, I thought Elder Uchtdorf was only asking about worthiness, but I’ve come to understand it was really a question about integrity. Was I true to what I professed? Would the world see consistency between my words and my deeds? Would others see God through my conduct?
    
    “President Spencer W. Kimball taught, ‘Integrity’ is our ‘willingness and ability to live by our beliefs and commitments.'” -Elder Gerard
2. What does ‘liv[ing] a life that is true to God’ look like in practice?
  - “From our early childhood, we learned the story of Daniel in the lions’ den. Daniel was always true to God. His jealous peers ‘sought to find occasion against [him]’ and contrived a decree mandating prayers to their gods alone. Daniel knew of the decree but went home and—with ‘his windows being open’—knelt and prayed three times a day to the God of Israel. As a result, Daniel was cast into the lions’ den. On the morn, the king found Daniel’s God had delivered him and issued a new decree that all should ‘tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: for he is the living God.’
    
    “The king came to know God through Daniel’s integrity. Others see God through ours—words and deeds. Just like Daniel, being true to God will increasingly set us apart from the world.” -Elder Gerard
3. What does ‘liv[ing] a life that is true to each other’ look like in practice?
  - “Doers of the Work“, President Ronald L. Craven (President of the Salt Lake City Headquarters Mission), June 18, 2024, BYU-Idaho Devotional: “In a day when working from home is acceptable, we need to be honest with our employers regarding our time.
    
    “President Spencer W. Kimball said, ‘I feel strongly, that those who accept wages or salary and do not give fair time, energy, devotion, and service are receiving money that is not clean.’
    
    “As you evaluate your own work ethic in your temporal and spiritual pursuits, you might consider the following:
    
    “1. Am I dependable: do I show up and show up on time?
    “2. Am I responsible: do I take accountability and avoid blaming others?
    “3. Do I show initiative: when I am finished with a task, do I find something more to do, or do I wait for someone to tell me what to do next?
    “4. Do I love to learn: am I learning all I can in my present circumstances?
    “5. Am I doing more than I need to do, so that I am continually learning?
    “6. Am I focused: do I set aside time-wasting distractions? …
    
    “Since early adulthood, I have been guided by a powerful statement attributed to President Abraham Lincoln. When asked how he was able to become president of the United States, he modestly replied, ‘I kept preparing myself just in case.'”
  - Elder David A. Bednar, August 27, 2024, Instagram reel: “I was getting on an airplane in Salt Lake City. Sat in my seat, buckled my seat belt. A person came and said, ‘The captain of the plane would like to visit with you.’
    
    “I went up and he said, ‘Well I’m not a member of your church. When I heard that you were on the plane, I just want to tell you something. My neighbor is the most Christ-focused person in the history of the world. He is the nicest human being I have ever met. He never ceases to amaze me. And I just wanted to tell one of the leaders of the Church how much I appreciate what you do to help people become like this man.’
    
    “That’s you. That’s me. In a world that may increasingly mock our beliefs, that’s how we will be known. By our kindness, our service, our integrity. I’m going to say that again – our integrity. That can be a scarce resource in many places around the world. Our integrity. So we have the responsibility to become the light that shines in a world that seems to be growing darker. We should be the happiest of all people because of what we know about who we are and why we’re here.”
4. What does ‘liv[ing] a life that is true to our divine identity’ look like in practice?
  - “Now Is the Time“, Elder Jack N. Gerard, October 2018 General Conference: “Several years ago, while preparing for a business trip, I began to experience chest pain. Out of concern, my wife decided to accompany me. On the first leg of our flight, the pain intensified to the point that it was difficult for me to breathe. When we landed, we left the airport and went to the local hospital, where, after multiple tests, the attending physician declared us safe to continue our travel.
    
    “We returned to the airport and boarded a flight to our final destination. As we were descending, the pilot came on the intercom and asked me to identify myself. The flight attendant approached, said they had just received an emergency call, and told me there was an ambulance waiting at the airport to take me to the hospital.
    
    “We boarded the ambulance and were rushed to the local emergency room. There we were met by two anxious doctors who explained that I had been misdiagnosed and actually had a serious pulmonary embolism, or blood clot, in my lung, which required immediate medical attention. The doctors informed us that many patients do not survive this condition. Knowing we were far from home and not sure if we were prepared for such life-altering events, the doctors said that if there was anything in our lives that we needed to consider, now was the time.
    
    “I remember well how almost instantaneously in that anxious moment, my entire perspective changed. What seemed so important just moments earlier was now of little interest. My mind raced away from the comfort and cares of this life to an eternal perspective—thoughts of family, children, my wife, and ultimately an assessment of my own life.
    
    “How were we doing as a family and individually? Were we living our lives consistent with the covenants we had made and the Lord’s expectations, or had we perhaps unintentionally allowed the cares of the world to distract us from those things which matter most?
    
    “I would invite you to consider an important lesson learned from this experience: to step back from the world and assess your life. Or in the words of the doctor, if there is anything in your life you need to consider, now is the time. …
    
    “May I suggest that the best things in this life are centered on Jesus Christ and understanding the eternal truths of who He is and who we are in our relationship with Him.
    
    “As we seek to know the Savior, we should not overlook the fundamental truth of who we are and why we are here. Amulek reminds us that ‘this life is the time … to prepare to meet God,’ the time ‘which is given us to prepare for eternity’ (Alma 34:32–33). As the well-known axiom reminds us, ‘We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.’
    
    “Understanding our divine origins is essential to our eternal progress and can free us from the distractions of this life.”
5. How does ‘reconcil[ing] ourselves to the will of God’ help us to ‘develop the Christlike attribute of integrity’?
6. Can you identify circumstances in your life that test you to compromise your integrity? Is there a way you could remove those circumstances from your life?
7. When was the last time you righteously exercised your agency and acted with integrity?
8. What are examples from the Savior’s life when he acted with integrity?
9. Why is it important to ‘not shrink’?
10. Are you willing to ‘do what is right even when others scoff at your desire to be true to God’?

Take Action

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Conclusion

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