{"id":5126,"date":"1973-11-06T13:21:07","date_gmt":"1973-11-06T20:21:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/speeches-dev.byu.edu\/?p=5126"},"modified":"2021-03-15T10:49:04","modified_gmt":"2021-03-15T16:49:04","slug":"make-honest-man","status":"publish","type":"speech","link":"https:\/\/speeches-dev.byu.edu\/talks\/victor-l-brown\/make-honest-man\/","title":{"rendered":"Make Yourself an Honest Man"},"content":{"rendered":"
Good morning, brothers and sisters. I am grateful to have this opportunity of being with you this morning. Many times when I am introduced, the first question asked after the introduction is \u201cWhat ward are you bishop of?\u201d The other day at breakfast, I sat next to a local government official. He leaned over to me and said, \u201cWho\u2019s the new Presiding Bishop of the Church?\u201d So I have several influences keeping me humble.<\/p>\n
I am grateful for the lovely music these wonderful young women have presented this morning, for their soloist and their director, and particularly to be on the same program where these Indian leaders were introduced. It\u2019s wonderful to be with you this morning.<\/p>\n
I\u2019d like to visit with you this morning as a bishop. I am a bishop, even though I don\u2019t have a ward to preside over. I would commend to you your branch presidents, who have the responsibilities of a bishop. As a bishop, I would like to talk this morning about some rather intimate matters, some matters that are of great import to you and to me and to everyone, and I pray that the lord will bless me that what I might say will have lodging in your hearts and have meaning to you. I pray that my remarks may be such that you will understand your relationship with your Heavenly Father perhaps a little bit more.<\/p>\n
In speaking of relationships with our Heavenly Father, I would like to tell you of an experience my brother had. He was a judge presiding over the family court. He was sitting on a child custody case, a nine-year-old girl whose father was suing for her custody. She had been reared by her aunt. She was frightened of her father. No one on either side of the family wanted her to go with her father. After hearing the arguments of the attorneys on both sides, Judge Brown invited this little nine-year-old Negro girl into his private chambers. He wanted to get acquainted with her without the influence of the courtroom. He said to her, \u201cWhom do you love more than anyone else in the world?\u201d She did not respond. He said, \u201cDo you love your grandmother more than anyone else in the world?\u201d<\/p>\n
She said, \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYour grandfather?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYour auntie?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhom do you love more than anyone else in the world?\u201d She said, \u201cI love Lord Jesus more than anyone else in the world. Would you mind if I spoke to Lord Jesus?\u201d<\/p>\n
He said, \u201cWhy, certainly not, you go right ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n
She pushed her chair back from his desk, knelt down, and said, \u201cLord Jesus, would you please bless Mr. Judge Brown so he\u2019ll know what\u2019s best for me.\u201d<\/p>\n
A relationship with our Heavenly Father, the faith of a child.<\/p>\n
Now, as a bishop, I would like to talk for a few moments about some of the problems we are faced with in this life. One of the serious problems today is the philosophy that as long as a certain activity or standard is practiced by many, it\u2019s acceptable. Today we see evidence all about us of men and women who have lost their integrity. We see it on the national scene; we also see it on the local scene.<\/p>\n
Not long ago an employee of one of our cities was discharged. He was discharged because of improper conduct on the job. Some might call it dishonest conduct, although I don\u2019t think he was accused of stealing. He stole time. Regardless of the reason, he was discharged. And then he was reinstated because what he had done was such a common practice they would have had to fire most of the employees in the department. It was acceptable. By the fall of one of our great leaders, and I considered him a great leader, we have seen what has happened on the national scene as a result of doing things that are acceptable. One problem that concerns me as much as any other is the apparent self-righteous attitude displayed by many as these problems have become known. I would like to quote a scripture that can give us some balance in our attitude as we see others in difficulty. In Luke we read:<\/p>\n
Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee and the other a publican.<\/i><\/p>\n
The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.<\/i><\/p>\n
I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.<\/i><\/p>\n
And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.<\/i><\/p>\n
I tell you\u00a0<\/i>[and this is the Lord speaking],\u00a0this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for everyone that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.<\/i>\u00a0[Luke 18:10\u201314<\/a>]<\/p>\n I would hope as we view the tragedies that are occurring we would remember which of these two we would like to be. May I suggest that we paraphrase the words of a song? Remember the words, \u201clet there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me.\u201d May I suggest that for\u00a0peace\u00a0<\/i>we substitute the word\u00a0integrity.<\/i><\/p>\n What is integrity? In a general conference of the Church in 1938, Elder Albert E. Bowen, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve, said this:<\/p>\n It has been said that on that day when someone at some inconvenience to himself determined to keep a promise which he was not compelled to keep, civilization was born. The statement, of course, is intended to make clear that the relationships inherent in civilization could not exist, nor civilization endure, if people as a general rule did not keep their promises. Certainly the business world would collapse at once if this practice fell into decay. Almost all the vast and complicated intricacies of trade and exchange are carried on on the basis of promises.<\/i>\u00a0[Conference Reports,\u00a0<\/i>October 1938]<\/p>\n A man by the name of Simmons said this of integrity: \u201cIntegrity is the first step to true greatness. Men love to praise but are slow to practice it. To maintain it in high places costs self-denial. In all places it is liable to opposition. But its end is glorious, and the universe will yet do it homage.\u201d And Emerson: \u201cNothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind. Absolve you to yourself and you shall have the suffrage of the world.\u201d And Carlyle: \u201cMake yourself an honest man, and then you may be sure there is one less rascal in the world.\u201d (Someone has said that those who go to institutions of higher learning just to gain intellectual knowledge and forget their morality become the rascals of the world.) George Eliot: \u201cThere is only one failure in life possible, and that is not to be true to the best one knows.\u201d And again, Carlyle: \u201cThe courage we desire and prize is not the courage to die decently but to live manfully.\u201d And finally Shakespeare:<\/p>\n The purest treasure mortal times afford<\/i> And then, what does the Lord say in the scriptures? \u201cWo unto the liar, for he shall be thrust down to hell\u201d (2 Nephi 9:34<\/a>). \u201cHe that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house. He that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight\u201d (Psalms 101:7<\/a>). \u201cLying lips are abomination unto the Lord: but they that deal truly are his delight\u201d (Proverbs 12:22<\/a>).<\/p>\n May we look at some examples of integrity, examples that would teach us what it really means. There are so many examples of integrity. I believe there are more examples of integrity than there are of the lack of integrity. But I believe also, my brothers and sisters, that we individually must determine our state of integrity, if there is such a thing, and I think there is only integrity or lack of it. The greatest of all the examples of integrity was given to us by Jesus Christ himself. We read in Matthew:<\/p>\n Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;<\/i><\/p>\n And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.<\/i><\/p>\n Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.<\/i><\/p>\nThe First Step to True Greatness<\/b><\/h2>\n
\nIs spotless reputation; that away,<\/i>
\nMen are but gilded loam or painted clay. .\u00a0.\u00a0.<\/i>
\nMine honour is my life; both grow in one;<\/i>
\nTake honour from me, and my life is done.<\/i>
\n[Richard II,\u00a0<\/i>I.i.177\u201383]<\/p>\nExamples of Integrity<\/b><\/h2>\n