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Standing for Something
By Gordon B. Hinckley
Gordon B. Hinckley was until recently the Prophet of the Church of Latter-Day Saints -- i.e. the head of the Mormons. 'Standing for Something' is the nonagenarian's guide to virtue in the modern world, in which he introduces his "six Be's": Be Grateful, Be Smart, Be Clean, Be True, Be Humble, and Be Prayerful, and his 10 virtues: Love, Honesty, Morality, Civility, Learning, Forgiveness, Thrift and Industry, Gratitude, Optimism, and Faith.
"Virtue is too often neglected, if not scorned or ridiculed as old-fashioned, confining, or unenlightened," says the Prophet. He speaks of America's social ills, including rampant child neglect and abuse, deterioration of values, and school massacres, but makes a compelling case that these ills can be remedied by an application of virtue. Not necessarily virtue as it is often seen, as the opposite of the 'seven deadly sins', but virtues that mean something today, to everyone.
'Standing for Something' quotes extensively from the Bible and the LDS books (the Book of Mormon, the Pearl of Great Price, and the Doctrine and Covenants), but mostly, the virtues are demonstrated using personal anecdotes (as one might expect from someone with ninety years of wisdom and experience to cite).
According to the Prophet, no nation can be greater than the strength of it's families; yet today, our children have become alienated from their heritage, and our leaders seem increasingly out of touch. Gordon B. Hinckley believes that the solution lies not with our leaders, or our schools or culture, but within ourselves, our families, and our faith.
Standing for Something is a blueprint for each and every one of us, describing what we personally can do to help ourselves, our communities, and our world to rediscover the values that make us strong, moral, and able individuals that can work to create a brighter future for the entire planet.
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