To Thine Own Self Be True

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

—William Shakespeare, Hamlet, act I, scene iii, lines 7880.

"He who surrenders himself without reservation to the temporal claims of a nation, or a party, or a class is rendering to Caesar that which, of all things, most emphatically belongs to God: himself..."

—C.S. Lewis

"Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s."

—Matt. 22:21—See Also: Mark 12:17 & Luke 20:25

Where Allegiance Lies
First, we are loyal to God
Second, we are loyal to truth
Third, we are loyal to principle
Fourth, we are loyal to self

If we follow this formula, we will always seek the benefit of mankind and we will be in a position to help mankind.

“Love is one of the chief characteristics of Deity, and ought to be manifested by those who aspire to be the sons of God. A man filled with the love of God, is not content with blessing his family alone, but ranges through the whole world, anxious to bless the whole human race.”

—Joseph Smith to the Twelve, Dec. 15, 1840, Nauvoo, Illinois

"We are truly happy only when we are engaged in unselfish service. Let us use the freedom which comes from self-reliance in giving and serving.

"Can we see how critical self-reliance becomes when looked upon as the prerequisite to service, when we also know service is what Godhood is all about? Without self-reliance one cannot exercise these innate desires to serve. How can we give if there is nothing there?

• Food for the hungry cannot come from empty shelves.
• Money to assist the needy cannot come from an empty purse.
• Support and understanding cannot come from the emotionally starved.
• Teaching cannot come from the unlearned.
• And most important of all, spiritual guidance cannot come from the spiritually weak.

There is an interdependence between those who have and those who have not. The process of giving exalts the poor and humbles the rich. In the process, both are sanctified. The poor, released from the bondage and limitations of poverty, are enabled as free men to rise to their full potential, both temporally and spiritually. The rich, by imparting of their surplus, participate in the eternal principle of giving. Once a person has been made whole or self-reliant, he reaches out to aid others, and the cycle repeats itself.

"We are all self-reliant in some areas and dependent in others. Therefore, each of us should strive to help others in areas where we have strengths. At the same time, pride should not prevent us from graciously accepting the helping hand of another when we have a real need. To do so denies another person the opportunity to participate in a sanctifying experience."

—Marion G. Romney - The Celestial Nature of Self-reliance