Representing Virtue

Dana P., Minnesota, USA

blouse on hanger

Illustration by Dan Burr

For New Beginnings, I was asked to talk about virtue as a Young Women value. I was supposed to wear something gold to coordinate with its value color, but my wardrobe didn’t seem to include that color. After searching through my closet, I located a gold shirt that I hadn’t worn in a long time. I tried it on only to realize I’d outgrown it. Looking in the mirror, I thought, “This is probably not a good night to wear something a little too short—I’m representing virtue.”

Then it hit me: I’m always standing for virtue. Every day I represent virtue and modesty in my attitude, actions, words, and clothing. On Sundays and at youth activities, I can be a model of modesty for the younger girls. As one of the few Latter-day Saint students at my school, I try to dress appropriately, because to others, I represent my religion. Most important, my clothes can show others and myself that I know my body is a temple and that I respect it as such. By dressing modestly, I “stand for truth and righteousness,” just as the Young Women motto proclaims.

As I talked about virtue that night, I spoke with confidence. Perhaps my outfit was more yellow than gold, but I felt at peace before my friends, my leaders, and my Heavenly Father. “No matter what I’m doing,” I thought, “I always want to dress modestly. I represent virtue every single day.”