Integrity is to be completely and totally honest in all of our dealings. Our Heavenly Father requires nothing less of us.

I feel that integrity in its fullness must be accomplished in three phases:- We must be completely honest with ourselves. The scriptures and counsel of our sustained authorities must be our standard of measurement. If we use a rubber yard stick to measure our actions and beliefs, we succeed in perpetuating the greatest falsehood upon ourselves and the truth is not in us.

When properly measuring our integrity, we must both give credit where credit is due and properly assess needs for improvement.

- We need to be completely honest with our Heavenly Father. This includes giving thanks for all He provides for us, keeping the covenants that we have made with Him, honestly noting where repentance is necessary and repenting.

- We need to deal with all mankind with complete integrity; first and foremost are our families. Included in integrity is the humility to confess and ask for forgiveness when we are wrong and the courage to stand for what is right in all circumstances.

To me, integrity is one of the most important attributes necessary for us to return to our Heavenly Father. -

L. W. Pinkerton, Milton, Kan.

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What we did:

Do the right thing

Concerning integrity, I suggest just doing what is right.

A youth I know asked me to tell her the story of a book that I had read. She had to write a book report for an A in her English class. As a friend, I always want to help my friends and feel accepted by them, so doing the right thing was really hard.

I just said no, I would not help her cheat. I wrote her a note because she was very upset with me. I explained to her that I would never cheat, steal or lie for her, but I would give my life for her because I loved her that much, but I loved my Savior, and the commitment that I've made to be honest was really important to me, and I would never break it knowingly. I have never felt so good and bad at the same time because doing the right thing is often hardest, but it always turns out best. - Deanie Martin, Denton, Texas

Moral courage

The Young Women Value of Integrity is defined as the moral courage to make our actions consistent with our knowledge of right and wrong. Webster's dictionary adds another little twist to the definition by saying that integrity is "the quality or state of being complete or undivided."

Relating to the other Young Women values, picture integrity as the glue that holds the pages of our values together, keeping them complete and undivided. If the glue of Integrity were to weaken and let, say, the page of Faith fall out, how would that affect us? Without Faith to know that we are children of our Heavenly Father who loves us, would we strive to develop our Divine Nature? Without the Faith to comprehend our Divine Nature, would we believe that we each have infinite Individual Worth and our own divine missions to fulfill? Without a firm conviction of our Individual Worth, would we continually seek opportunities for Knowledge, for learning and for growth? Without Knowledge, would we have the wisdom to remain free by making wise Choices and by being Accountable for the consequences? With all of our pages falling out, there's nothing left within us to draw on so that we can nurture others and build the kingdom through good works.

We cannot commit a little sin without being subject to the consequences. If we tolerate a little sin today, we will tolerate a little more tomorrow, and before long, the integrity glue that holds together the pages of our values has weakened. None of us is immune to temptations, and the adversary knows it. He knows that if he can weaken the glue enough for one page to fall out, the other pages are likely to follow. - Barbara Holmes, Belleview, Fla.

Knew consequences

I'm reminded of Daniel in the lion's den. He continued to do the things that were right, and he knew the consequences. Daniel was always undivided in what he believed, and he was faithful. When he was in the lion's den, God found him innocent, and Daniel was given his life.

Integrity is synonymous with courage and honesty. You have to be staightforward and sincere. Integrity and honesty have a somewhat shared meaning. You have to have an uprightness of character. And it takes courage to have integrity while facing the difficulties of life. A person with integrity influences everybody he or she meets and associates with.

Daniel is, to me, an example of courage and integrity. He knew what was right, and he stood for it. If you have integrity, you are strong in living in a way in which you can return to live with Father in Heaven. - Kris Knowles, Idaho Falls, Idaho

True to self

The most important thing is to be true to yourself. You can never be an example or make a difference in someone's life until you're true to yourself. Integrity, to me, means more or less honesty and having the light of Christ at all times, in all of our daily doings.

In addition, to be true to yourself you have to accept your faults and understand that you're not perfect. This includes accepting help from others and learning from their examples. You need to be able to recognize others who have made a difference in your life. You need to be able to say "thank you" and ask for help when help is needed.

Words aren't always needed. Actions speak louder than words. Having integrity is not only speaking the truth, but also showing the truth in your everyday actions.

Integrity includes humility - recognizing the part others, especially the Lord, play in your life. - Camille Forsgren, Salt Lake City, Utah

Gospel basics

I keep in mind those things that encompass integrity, such as being honest with yourself, with your neighbors, with anyone with whom you come in contact. I try to do the things that remind me of the teachings of the Savior and the things He would have done in given circumstances. I can be reminded of the Savior's teachings by attending Church meetings, studying the scriptures, praying and living the basics of the gospel that we're encouraged to do on a daily basis.

If we're doing these things, we're more likely to have integrity than when we're not.

In addition, if you do not have integrity, your children will pick up on that easily. They'll see you doing such things as talking about your neighbors. They'll think: "Dad's doing it. It's OK for me to do it." They learn, not so much from what we say, but from what we do. - Jim Hemingway, Provo, Utah

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How to checklist:

1. Be honest with God, self, others; be sincere.

2. Have courage to live your beliefs in the face of opposition.

3. Make actions consistent with knowledge of right, wrong.

4. Be an example; live the basic principles of the gospel.

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WRITE TO US:

May 11 "How to make extra money as a youth under 16."

May 18 "How to decorate your home on a limited budget."

May 25 "How to keep children busy during summer vacation."

June 1 "How to curb impulsive spending."

June 8 "How to cope when your child has had a permanently disabling accident or illness."

June 15 "How to help your spouse adjust to retirement."

Had any good experiences or practical success in any of the above subjects? Share them with our readers in about 100-150 words. Write the "How-to" editor, Church News, P.O. Box 1257, Salt Lake City, Utah 84110, send fax to (801) 237-2121 or use internet E-mail: Churchnews@desnews.com. Please include a name and phone number. Contributions may be edited or excerpted and will not be returned. Due to limited space, some contributions may not be used; those used should not be regarded as official Church doctrine or policy. Material must be received at least 12 days before publication date.