Editor's note: First in a series on "ity" words."Blessed is my servant Hyrum Smith; for I, the Lord, love him because of the integrity of his heart." (Doctrine and Covenants 124:15)
Last Sunday morning, Presiding Bishop H. David Burton gave a wonderful sermon on what he calls "the 'ity' virtues." He is referring to "the spelling in English of many individual virtues (which conclude) with the letters 'ity' " such as, integrity, humility, charity, spirituality, civility, fidelity, dignity, generosity and morality.That sounds like a great list of words to explore in this column. So, in the next several weeks I will do a series of columns on these "ity" words, beginning today with integrity.Integrity comes from the root meaning to handle or touch. If something is not touched it is whole. For example, an integer is a whole number, something that is entire, whole or complete. Thus, integrity means morally whole.The Oxford English Dictionary defines integrity as the condition of having no part or element taken away or wanting. Something undivided or unbroken; material wholeness, completeness, entirety. It is also the condition of not being marred or violated; unimpaired or uncorrupted; original perfect state; or soundness. In the moral sense, integrity is freedom from moral corruption; innocence; sinlessness. It is also the character of uncorrupted virtue, especially in relation to truth and fair dealing, uprightness, honesty and sincerity.In the scriptures, the word "integrity" encompasses most of the definition above, but I think centers on the "freedom from moral corruption" and the idea of wholeness, completeness and being undivided. The Hebrew word for integrity literally means wholeness. While the word "integrity" is not used per se in the New Testament, we know that "a double minded man is unstable in all his ways" (James 1:8).In the Old Testament, Job pleads "let me be weighed in an even balance, that the Lord may know mine integrity" (Job 31:6). Interestingly, the word patience never appears in the book of Job, but the word "integrity" appears four times and is central to understanding Job's faith and commitment. The word "integrity" also appears a number of times in Psalms and Proverbs. For example, "judge me, O Lord; for I have walked in mine integrity" (Psalm 26:1). And, "thou upholdest me in mine integrity" (Psalm 41:12). David also prays "judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness, and according to mine integrity that is in me" (Psalm 7:8).In Bishop Burton's talk, he notes that "President James E. Faust has suggested that integrity is the mother of many virtues. He (President Faust) noted that integrity can be defined as 'firm adherence to a code of moral values.' He also suggested 'integrity is the light that shows from a disciplined conscience; it is the strength of Deity within us.' "