Service To The German And Italian Members...

Most persons in the world today are striving for recognition. They want to be respected and have the world look up to them. They would like to feel that they are wanted and needed. They wish to be loved. As strong as this desire is, President McKay has emphasized that there is a virtue that exceeds being loved, when he taught: "To be trusted is a greater compliment than to be loved." ¶

Attributes of trustworthiness

A person in whom trust can be placed is one who must be loyal, steadfast, and dependable. Before he can be loyal to others, he must first be loyal to himself. ¶

Our Heavenly Father has granted man the privilege of making decisions, the right to choose between good and evil; the glorious principle of free agency. A person living a wholesome, clean life may have the Spirit of the Lord in making his choices and decisions. He must remain firm, steadfast, and unwavering in the decisions he has made and considers to be right, if he would have peace within himself and be loyal to himself. The wise man Shakespeare expressed the thought in these words: ¶

"To thine own self be true, And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man." ¶

(Hamlet, Act I, sc. 3.) ¶

Many centuries ago the Lord taught the children of Israel through Moses that if they wished to have their days prolonged upon the earth, they would honor their father and their mother. That was wise counsel, and still applies to us today. In honoring our parents, it is contemplated that we will be obedient and loyal to them. ¶

As the Lord made known to the Church through revelation in the year 1831, he charged the brethren to be loyal to their wives. These are his words: "Thou shalt love thy wife with all thy heart, and shalt cleave unto her and none else." (D&C 42:22.) Yet there are some who have not followed the counsel of the Lord and who have allowed their affections and loyalties to stray into forbidden paths. Separation, divorce, and heartache have been the result of such disobedience. ¶

Through obedience, we have been privileged to come to this earth and to enjoy the many wonderful opportunities and blessings that come to us here in mortal life. People are born and live in many different lands and countries. The Lord has decreed that we shall be loyal to the country in which we dwell and will abide by the laws of the land, as long as those laws are founded upon just principles. Loyalty to country is an admirable quality. ¶

Loyalty and its fruits

Upon man has been placed the responsibility of preparing himself, so that he can earn a livelihood for his wife and his family. He may establish his own business and provide work for himself, or he may seek and secure employment from others. As he works he comes to realize the satisfaction and happiness that comes from useful and productive labor. Loyalty to his employer is fundamental to his conscience and peace of mind. One has aptly pointed out: "Loyalty consists in giving faithful allegiance and untiring service to the concern that furnishes you with bread and butter. It consists in working during business hours and after business hours and before business hours for the best interests of your concern. It consists in doing everything within your power to figure out some new idea and some new method that will advance the interests of your employer." Knox 117 ¶

A feeling of loyalty may not be apparent immediately. It may take time to develop and strive for, through experiences, the necessary courage to display the kind of loyalty we would hope for. ¶

When the Savior told Peter, one of his beloved associates and companions, that before the night was ended and the cock would crow, he would deny Christ three times, Peter was astonished, and inwardly might have been indignant, as he cried out: "Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee." (Matt. 26:35.) Nevertheless, three times during the long night, as different individuals confronted Peter with the accusation that he was an associate of Jesus, he loudly and emphatically denied any acquaintance with Christ. Just as he uttered his final denial, the cock crowed. Peter then remorsefully recalled the words of Jesus "And he went out, and wept bitterly." (Matt. 26:75.) ¶

From this experience, sad to Peter, he gained courage and throughout the remainder of his life, in spite of persecution and even torture, he was loyal to the memory of the Savior and his teachings. ¶

Judas Iscariot learned through torment and remorse the bitter lesson that can come from disloyalty, when he betrayed the Master for 30 pieces of silver. Disloyalty to righteousness results in unhappiness. ¶

If loyalty is mis-applied, or even if it is given to an evil cause or person, the result will be evil. Satan and his rebellious hosts are zealous and loyal, but to an evil cause. Ungodlike and unchristianlike communistic forces are active in the world today, attempting to impose their will on others, which is an unrighteous cause. To follow them can bring only sorrow and disaster. ¶

There is also a danger in being over loyal to an individual, rather than to the cause such a one represents. Lyman Wight was a devoted friend and associate of the Prophet Joseph Smith, and when the Prophet was unjustly placed in the dungeon at Liberty Jail, Wight in company with other close friends accompanied Joseph. Following the Prophet's martyrdom, Wight declared: "The only man who can handle me is dead." He became rebellious and unmanageable and refused to follow the leadership of Brigham Young and the Twelve. Finally he led a group of his followers to Texas, where he sank into obscurity and oblivion, while the faithful followers of the Prophet Joseph, who believed in him, not only as a man and a Prophet, and in the gospel principles he taught, followed his successors, Brigham Young and the Twelve, westward, where Brigham Young and the brethren rose to fame and founded a great commonwealth. ¶

Loyalty to the prophet When Joseph was thrust in prison at Carthage, at his side was his ever-loyal and faithful elder brother, Hyrum. ¶

Joseph knew and had predicted that his life would not be spared. He had attempted to dissuade Hyrum from accompanying him. But Hyrum, with a strong conviction in his heart that his brother was the Prophet, called by the Lord, loyally insisted on sharing the trials and dangers, even though it would mean the giving of his own life. His love for and allegiance to his younger brother is a heartwarming example of true loyalty. In a tribute paid to them by their associates, it was said: "In life they were not divided, and in death they were not separated." ¶

(D&C 135:3.) Loyalty a principle of action Loyalty is a principle of action. One must be loyal to something, a cause, a person, a principle; one must give one's best for that to which one is loyal. But, if one is satisfied to do one's duty only, one is but half loyal. When one, however, is willing to go beyond the call of duty, to go the "second mile," to do more than that for which duty calls, then one is truly loyal. ¶

Loyalty, a manifestation of faith As Latter-day Saints we have in the gospel the greatest cause in all the world to which to be loyal. We also have true prophets of God to lead and guide us, and a country that guarantees us the right to be loyal to all of them. ¶

Shall we not be true to our sacred trust? ¶

May the Lord bless us as individuals with powers of discernment, that we may make proper decisions, righteous decisions: then, with a display of will power and courage, be loyal to those convictions. ¶

May we be loyal to the country in which we live, to the Church in which we enjoy membership, its teachings and its leaders. May we love and be loyal to our parents, our husbands, wives, and families. May we be loyal and true to ourselves and the trusts that are placed in us, so that when the question is raised: "Who's on the Lord's side?" we can step forward with confidence, knowing that we have kept the faith, have justified the confidence and trust placed in us, to the end that we will realize the truth and significance of great teaching that "to be trusted is a greater compliment than to be loved," for which I pray in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. ¶

Amen. ¶