Honesty

Hon"es*ty\, n.

Honor; honorableness; dignity; propriety; suitableness; decency. Chaucer. The quality or state of being honest; probity; fairness and straightforwardness of conduct, speech, etc.; integrity; sincerity; truthfulness; freedom from fraud or guile.

I cannot for the life of me understand why people lie to one another. Lies only pull people apart and create voids where happiness once was. One lie or one omission of the truth can forever change a relationship and again I do not understand why a person would risk that.

In my opinion not telling someone something that may hurt them is not just a lie but also a show of disrespect! If you feel that by keeping something from someone that you are helping a situation than you are completely wrong and are doing that person a great disservice! No matter the relationship whether it be, friend to friend, mother to daughter, husband to wife, sister to sister, or simply neighbor to neighbor -

HONESTY WILL ALWAYS BE ON YOUR SIDE

Now I am not saying that things wont get bad or even change for awhile once the truth is told, but over all the truth BEING told will pull your relationship closer. In a relationship worth having arguments and fights and disagreements are going to happen. If you are up front with what is happening and look to this person for support then your relationship will grow even through these times...it has no choice but to grow. By telling the truth you are showing respect and loyalty for that person and telling them that you care about the relationship that you have and that you actually want it to grow closer. By not telling the truth or omitting parts of the truth that should be said you are cheating that relationship and that person. You are not being fair at all - you are showing them that you don't care about them and that you would rather live in secrets. Eventually you grow apart and the relationship dies.

"All I ask from you is honesty"

Through time and event this will help our love grow

Honesty brings forth the special glow

With honesty you have everything we need

Honesty is like planting a seed

And when it begins to grow

My love for you will also

~

Barbery M. Evans

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In our time, those found in dishonesty do not die... but something within them dies. Conscience chokes, character withers, self-respect vanishes, integrity dies. ... In the vernacular, the evil is described as “cheating.” And cheating it is, for it robs virtue, it robs loyalty, it robs sacred promises, it robs self-respect, it robs truth. It involves deception. It is personal dishonesty of the worst kind, for it becomes a betrayal of the most sacred of human relationships and a denial of covenants and promises entered into before God and man. It is the sordid violation of a trust. It is a selfish casting aside of the law of God, and like other forms of dishonesty, its fruits are sorrow, bitterness, heartbroken companions, and betrayed children of god. The thirteenth Article of Faith of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints affirms that “we believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men.”
We cannot be less than honest, we cannot be less than true, we cannot be less than virtuous if we are to keep sacred the trust given us. Once it was said among our people that a man’s word was as good as his bond. Shall any of us be less reliable, less honest than our forebears?
Those who are living the principle of honesty know that the Lord does bless them. Theirs is the precious right to hold their heads in the sunlight of truth, unashamed before any man. On the other hand, if there be need for reformation in any member of this Church, let it begin where we now stand.

Brothers and sisters, the Lord requires his people to be honest. May we desire with all our hearts to be honest in all our relationships and in all the things that we do. God will help us if we seek the strength that comes from him. Sweet then will be our peace of mind and our lives. Blessed will be those with whom we live and associate. And God will bless and guide us with his loving care.

~

By President Gordon B. Hinckley