The Integrity of His Heart

The Lord told Joseph Smith in 1841 that He was pleased with two church leaders for the same reason:

Blessed is my servant Hyrum Smith; for I, the Lord, love him because of the integrity of his heart, and because he loveth that which is right before me, saith the Lord. …

My servant George Miller is without guile; he may be trusted because of the integrity of his heart; and for the love which he has to my testimony I, the Lord, love him.

Doctrine and Covenants 124:15, 20

What is “integrity of heart?”

The word “integrity” comes from the Latin word integritas, which means “wholeness, completeness, or purity.” A more literal definition is “not touched”—from in- (“not”) and tangere (“to touch”). The implication is that we begin whole and innocent and must avoid allowing cracks or defects into our lives.

Structural integrity ensures that a building or other man-made object can withstand external forces without collapsing. To ensure structural integrity, inspectors not only ensure that the building is constructed properly but also periodically conduct tests to ensure that its integrity has not degraded over time.

In the Old Testament, God praised Abimelech and David for the integrity of their hearts. (See Genesis 20:5-6; 1 Kings 9:4.) Job also expressed his commitment to integrity, even while suffering. (See Job 2:9-10; 27:5; 31:6.)

The word integrity doesn’t appear in the Book of Mormon, but Nephi teaches the same principle when he invites us to “follow the Son, with full purpose of heart, acting no hypocrisy and no deception before God, but with real intent” and thereby “endure to the end” (2 Nephi 31:13, 16).

Today, I will strive to strengthen and preserve the integrity of my heart. I will look for any cracks that may have appeared in my discipleship and repair them before they threaten my spiritual foundation.