Elder Gerard encourages us to reconcile ourselves to the will of God and develop the Christlike attribute of integrity. He calls on us to follow the Savior’s example by living a life that is true to God, to others, and to our divine identity. Living with integrity, he argues, is not only a way to honor God but also a way to inspire others to see God through our actions. As we strive to live with integrity, we align ourselves with God’s eternal truth and prepare ourselves to fulfill our divine potential.
In his talk titled “Integrity: A Christlike Attribute,” Elder Jack N. Gerard of the Seventy emphasizes the crucial role of integrity in the life of a disciple of Jesus Christ. He draws on Christ’s life, teachings, and ultimate sacrifice as the perfect example of unwavering integrity. Elder Gerard encourages us to be true to God, each other, and our divine identity, linking integrity closely with the greatest commandments to love God and our neighbors.
Christ as the Exemplar of Integrity
Elder Gerard opens his message by recalling a pivotal moment from the life of the Savior, Jesus Christ, in the Garden of Gethsemane. In the final hours before His crucifixion, Christ, in profound agony, petitioned the Father, asking if it were possible for the bitter cup to pass from Him. Despite the excruciating pain, He did not shrink from His divine mission. Instead, He finished the task He was foreordained to complete, drinking the bitter cup and fulfilling His covenant with God. This moment of supreme sacrifice serves as the ultimate example of integrity—Christ stayed true to His divine mission and His Father, even at the cost of unimaginable suffering.
This act of unwavering commitment to His divine identity illustrates what it means to live with integrity: staying true to God’s will, no matter the consequences. As Elder Gerard points out, living a life of integrity requires us to follow Christ’s example by being true to God, ourselves, and others.
Defining Integrity
Elder Gerard defines integrity as the commitment to live by absolute truth, which comes from God. Integrity, he explains, involves being true to God at all times and in all circumstances. This entails holding fast to moral standards and ethical principles, even when it is inconvenient or unpopular. As followers of Christ, we are called to “do what is right and let the consequence follow.”
Integrity is not a flexible quality that changes depending on circumstances or pressure from others. It is grounded in a firm commitment to God’s commandments and His truth. Elder Gerard also highlights recent revisions to the Preach My Gospel missionary manual, which added integrity as a Christlike attribute, underscoring its importance in discipleship.
Personal Reflection on Integrity
Elder Gerard shares a personal experience where Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf, during a church interview, asked him whether there was anything in his life that, if made public, would embarrass him or the Church. This question forced him to reflect deeply on his life, prompting a self-assessment of whether his actions aligned with his professed beliefs.
This moment of reflection led Elder Gerard to understand that integrity is not just about worthiness but about being consistent in word and deed. He challenges each of us to consider whether our behavior reflects our beliefs and whether others would see God through our actions.
Integrity, as taught by President Spencer W. Kimball, is not only the willingness to live by our beliefs but also the ability to do so consistently. It is the ability to ensure that our lives reflect our professed beliefs, aligning our actions with the commitments we have made to God.
Being True to God
Living a life of integrity, according to Elder Gerard, requires us to be true to God above all else. Drawing on the story of Daniel in the lions’ den, Elder Gerard illustrates how being true to God will often set us apart from the world. Daniel’s steadfastness in continuing to pray to the God of Israel, despite the king’s decree that all prayers should be directed to the king’s gods, serves as a powerful example of integrity.
Daniel did not hide his faith. Despite knowing the potential consequences, he continued to pray openly, trusting that God would protect him. His courage and faithfulness led to his miraculous deliverance from the lions, and his integrity brought the king to a knowledge of God.
Elder Gerard reminds us that integrity means resisting the temptation to conform to the standards of the world. As followers of Christ, we are called to resist the pull of worldly values, which often tempt us to compromise our integrity for convenience, acceptance, or personal gain. He quotes President Russell M. Nelson, who teaches that overcoming the world means prioritizing God’s truth over worldly philosophies and caring more about what God thinks than what others may think.
The pull of the world, however, is not something to be avoided entirely. Elder Gerard explains that this opposition is essential to God’s plan of salvation, as it provides us with opportunities to exercise our agency and demonstrate our integrity. How we respond to the temptations of the world reveals the depth of our commitment to God and is a true measure of our integrity.
Being True to Others
Elder Gerard expands on the concept of integrity by emphasizing the importance of being true to others. He connects this to the second great commandment, which is to love our neighbors as ourselves. Integrity in our relationships with others means being honest, reliable, and consistent in our interactions. It does not mean living a life of perfection, but it does mean striving every day to be true to God and to treat others with fairness and respect.
In today’s world, where ethical rules and codes of conduct are increasingly being enforced by institutions and corporations, Elder Gerard warns that these standards are often not rooted in absolute truth. They tend to shift according to cultural and societal changes. He encourages us to rise above these worldly standards and ensure that our integrity is aligned with God’s eternal truths, rather than the changing norms of society.
He also highlights the difference between kindness and integrity, explaining that while kindness is a Christlike quality, it does not substitute for integrity. True integrity goes beyond being nice or polite; it is about living by the standards God has set and being consistent in our actions and words. As covenant people, we must strive to be beyond reproach, ensuring that our behavior is consistent with the commitments we have made to the Lord.
Acting with Integrity
Acting with integrity, Elder Gerard explains, builds trust and faith within our communities and relationships. People who act with integrity can be trusted to do the right thing, even when no one is watching. Within the Church, acting with integrity means seeking God’s will in all things and avoiding actions that could be perceived as self-serving or motivated by personal interests.
He stresses the importance of resisting outside influences, especially in Church councils and leadership positions, where decisions should always be guided by the Spirit and not by personal agendas. Acting with integrity also means avoiding actions that could give the appearance of favoritism, seeking recognition, or chasing after worldly honors. Integrity requires transparency and a commitment to doing God’s will, even if it means making difficult or unpopular decisions.
Being True to Our Divine Identity
Lastly, Elder Gerard emphasizes the importance of being true to our divine identity. He contrasts the example of the anti-Christ Korihor, who led many astray but eventually admitted he had always known there was a God, with the Prophet Joseph Smith. Joseph, when faced with persecution, confidently declared that he knew the truth, and he knew that God knew it, leaving no room for denial.
Elder Gerard highlights that lying or deceiving others is contrary to our divine nature. Our spirits are inherently aligned with truth, and when we act contrary to this truth, we compromise our divine identity. Living with integrity means being true to the light and knowledge we have received, just as Joseph and his brother Hyrum Smith remained true to their divine callings, even unto death.
10 Questions to Consider
- How does the example of Jesus Christ in Gethsemane inspire you to live with more integrity?
- In what ways can you be more true to God in your daily actions?
- Elder Uchtdorf asked Elder Gerard if anything in his life could cause embarrassment if known publicly—how would you answer this question about your own life?
- How do you balance the tension between being true to God and being accepted by the world?
- What does it mean to you to be “true to your divine identity”?
- Can you think of a time when you had to stand for your beliefs, even though it was unpopular? How did you handle it?
- How does the story of Daniel inspire you to stand firm in your faith?
- In what ways can you ensure that your actions match your words more closely?
- How do you overcome worldly temptations that might pull you away from a life of integrity?
- How does reflecting on your own integrity help you align more with the example of Jesus Christ?
5 Thought-Provoking Quotes
- “Integrity means we do not lower our standards or behavior to impress or to be accepted by others.”
- “Would the world see consistency between my words and my deeds? Would others see God through my conduct?”
- “The oppositional pull of this world is an essential part of God’s plan of salvation. How we respond to the pull is the essence of who we are—a measure of our integrity.”
- “Acting with integrity builds faith and trust and reassures others that we seek only to do the will of the Lord.”
- “Saying we have integrity is insufficient if our actions are inconsistent with our words.”
Sep 8 EQ lesson (Pieper and Gerard) by John Dye
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