Gospel Principles
Unit 7: Perfecting Our Lives
Chapter 31: Honesty
Concept 3: What Is an Honest Person?
"Honest people love truth and justice. They are honest in their words and actions. They do not lie, steal, or cheat.
To Lie is Dishonest.
Lying is intentionally deceiving others. Bearing false witness is one form of lying. The Lord gave this commandment to the children of Israel" "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour." (Exodus 20:16). Jesus also taught this when he was on earth (Matthew 19:18 ..."Thou shalt not bear false witness"). There are many other forms of lying. When we speak untruths, we are guilty of lying. We can also intentionally deceive others by a gesture or a look, by silence, or by telling only part of the truth. Whenever we lead people in any way to believe something that is not true, we are not being honest.
The Lord is not pleased with such dishonesty, and we will have to account for our lies. Satan would have us believe it is all right to lie. He says, "Yea, lie a little;... there is no harm in this" (2 Nephi 28:8). Satan encourages us to justify our lies to ourselves. Honest people will recognize Satan's temptations and will speak the whole truth, even if it seems to be their disadvantage.
To Steal Is Dishonest
Jesus taught, "Thou shalt not steal " (Matthew 19:18). Stealing is taking something that does not belong to us. When we take what belongs to someone else or to a store or to the community without permission, we are stealing. Taking merchandise or supplies from an employer is stealing. Accepting more change or goods than one should is dishonest. Thanking more than our share of anything is stealing.
To Cheat Is Dishonest
We cheat when we give less than we owe, or when we get something we do not deserve. Some employees cheat their employers by not working their full time; yet they accept full pay. Some employers are not fair to their employees; they pay them less than they deserve. Satan says, 'take advantage of one because of his words, dig a pit for thy neighbor" (2 Nephi 28:8). Taking unfair advantage is a form of dishonesty. Providing inferior service or merchandise is cheating.
Discussion
How can we be honest? Are we honest in our dealings with others?"