Letting virtue garnish thy thoughts

[Anonymous]

I love the following quotation that so eloquently expresses D&C 121:45 which expresses an almost unique Mormon teaching.

Quote:

D&C 121:45

Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven.

I don’t recognize the authors nor know their religion, but this quotation expresses one of the most meaningful gospel principles that resonates with me.

Quote:

Let Thy Feelings Be Restrained

Look to the Light! A book of poems by By Emily Jane, Jeffrey Eugene Elliott

Let neither boasts in pride nor perfection school thy thoughts, that arrogance be not thy lot.

Let not thy heart dwell on envy, or jealously be thy fate.

Let not lust be not the object of thy desire, nor let greed overwhelm thy thoughts.

Let thy heart be restrained so that love and kindness shall garnish thy soul and purity satiate thy heart.

I’d love to hear other people’s response.

[Anonymous]

I love the second one. I like it more than the first because as usual in our religion, we have taken a word and moved it’s context. Virtue in the late 1700’s and early 1800’s meant efforts toward goodness, it was equated with hard work, focused effort, purposeful pursuits. In our religion and American culture virtue is a sex word. I listened to a Young Adult Relief Society sister explain that keeping virtue thoughts had to do with the pictures in your house. On a surface level I got her point, but as she went on explaining the types of art in her home and as I watched people nod their heads in agreement all I could think was “We are way off track.”

I do like the first one, it’s underlined in my scriptures. I just wished we applied the words correctly.

[Anonymous]

Actually my dear departed mother used to tell me to “think good thoughts” as a child. I don’t think she was talking about lambs and fluffy bunnies, so much as kindness and positivity – and she was right, if you think too many of the other sort it often shows.

[Anonymous]

Why do you think our “bowels” should be filled with Charity??

[Anonymous]

The root of “virtue” is properly developed and applied strength. I love the idea of true virtue garnishing our thoughts.

I wish we taught it that way.

[Anonymous]

I do like the comments above comments that point out that the meaning of the word “virtue” has changed or at least its meaning has narrowed considerably. Webster gives it 6 meanings, with only one referring to sex:

Quote:

noun

1 oral excellence; goodness; righteousness.

2. conformity of one’s life and conduct to moral and ethical principles; uprightness; rectitude.

3. chastity; virginity: to lose one’s virtue.

4. a particular moral excellence.

Compare cardinal virtues, natural virtue, theological virtue.

5. a good or admirable quality or property:

the virtue of knowing one’s weaknesses.

6. effective force; power or potency:

a charm with the virtue of removing warts.

I really like the five other definitions, and agree that much meaning is lost in using only to relate to sex. I think it would make a wonderful subject for a sacrament meeting, or better yet how about in GC?

[Author]

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