We should strive to become men and women of integrity and build our foundations upon Christ, the perfect model of integrity.
This speech was given on December 6, 2011
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"It is good to be with you today. This is my alma mater-the place where I found my beloved wife and a place that has a treasure trove of happy memories for me. First, I would like to pay tribute to President and Sister Samuelson, who have served with such distinction and devotion. They command my highest respect.
Today I would like to speak about becoming men and women of integrity. It is this attribute that often defines the greatness of a man or a woman. People such as George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, William Wilberforce, and John and Abigail Adams are revered as icons of integrity. These icons are like spiritual magnets. Every time we read about their lives we are drawn to their higher way.
What then is this integrity that is such a dominating force in determining greatness? Integrity is a purity of mind and heart that knows no deception, no excuses, no rationalization, nor any coloring of the facts. It is an absolute honesty with one’s self, with God, and with our fellowman. Even if God blinked or looked the other way for a moment, it would be choosing the right-not merely because God desires it but because our character demands it.
Integrity is the very core of our being. It is who we really are. When all the scaffolding is removed, it is our integrity that both defines us and identifies us. Men of integrity are like the Rock of Gibraltar-steadfast and immovable. Men without it are like the shifting sands on the Sahara Desert-tossed to and fro by every variant wind of life.
Many years ago Elder Sterling W. Sill was driving down a road. He became thirsty, so he pulled into a gas station. He put a dime in the soda pop machine and pulled out a bottle, but his dime was returned. He took the dime, looked at it, put it in his pocket, and said, “They charge too much for this stuff anyway.”
He didn’t get very far before the still small voice said, “Sterling, are you really going to be a thief for a dime?”
“Of course not,” he said. “The price is not nearly enough.”
He then returned the dime to the gas station attendant.1
This story only speaks of small sums, but it teaches of great principles. Each of us might appropriately ask: Does our integrity, our honor, have a purchase price-a dime, a thousand dollars, the approval of our peers, some physical pleasure, or temporary recognition? Is there some point at which our integrity can be purchased? Or is it priceless-not for sale at any price?
On one occasion I read Robert Bolt’s classic play A Man for All Seasons. It is the story of Sir Thomas More. He had distinguished himself as a scholar, a lawyer, an ambassador, and, finally, as Lord Chancellor of England. He was a man of absolute integrity. The play opens with these words of Sir Richard Rich: “Every man has his price! . . . In money too. . . . Or pleasure. Titles, women, bricks-and-mortar, there’s always something.”2 That is the theme of the play. It is also the theme of life. Is there a man or woman in this world who cannot be bought, whose integrity is beyond price?
As the play unfolds, King Henry VIII desires to divorce Queen Catherine and marry Anne Boleyn. But there is a catch: divorce is forbidden by the Catholic Church. And so King Henry VIII, not to be thwarted in his desires, demands of his subjects the taking of an oath that will support him in his divorce. But there is a further problem. Sir Thomas More, who is loved and admired by the common people, is a holdout-his conscience will not let him sign the oath. He is unwilling to submit, even at the king’s personal request. Then come the tests. His friends apply their personal charm and pressure, but he will not yield. He is stripped of his wealth, his position, and his family, but he will not sign. Finally, he is falsely tried for his life, but still he will not succumb. They have taken from him his money, his political power, his friends, and his family-and will yet take his life-but they cannot take from him his integrity. It is not for sale at any price.
At the climax of the play, Sir Thomas More is being falsely tried for treason. Sir Richard Rich commits the perjury necessary to convict him. As Sir Richard Rich exits the courtroom, Sir Thomas More asks Rich..."