Virtue
Overview
Virtue is a prerequisite to entering the Lord’s holy temples and to receiving the Spirit’s guidance. Virtue “is a pattern of thought and behavior based on high moral standards.” It encompasses chastity and moral purity. Virtue begins in the heart and in the mind. It is nurtured in the home. It is the accumulation of thousands of small decisions and actions. Virtue is a word we don’t hear often in today’s society, but the Latin root word virtus means strength. Virtuous women and men possess a quiet dignity and inner strength. They are confident because they are worthy to receive and be guided by the Holy Ghost. President Thomas S. Monson has counseled: “You be the one to make a stand for right, even if you stand alone. Have the moral courage to be a light for others to follow. There is no friendship more valuable than your own clear conscience, your own moral cleanliness—and what a glorious feeling it is to know that you stand in your appointed place clean and with the confidence that you are worthy to do so” (“Examples of Righteousness,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2008, 65).
Related Topics
Scriptures
Scripture References
Scripture Study Resources
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Topical Guide, “Purity, Pure,” “Virtue, Virtuous”
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Index to the Triple Combination, “Virtue”
Messages from Church Leaders
Videos
“Guardians of Virtue”
“Virtue: For Such a Time as This”
Learning Resources
Church Magazines
“What Are You Doing to Stay Dry?” New Era, January 2017
Bryce Fielding, “The Breaking Point,” New Era, January 2017
“Divine Attributes of Jesus Christ: Virtue,” Ensign, June 2015
Heather Whittle Wrigley, “Changing the World One Virtuous Woman at a Time,” Ensign, January 2010
“Living as Women of Virtue,” Ensign, February 2002
Teachings of Presidents of the Church
Media
Audio
“Teaching Children and Youth to Live Virtuous and Chaste Lives—Part 1,” Gospel Solutions for Families, episode 42
“Teaching Children and Youth to Live Virtuous and Chaste Lives—Part 2,” Gospel Solutions for Families, episode 43
“Virtue,” Stories from General Conference, episode 10
Mark E. Petersen, “Add to Your Faith Virtue,” BYU Speeches