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> ... Devotionals & Speeches > “Charity and Virtue”

BYU-Pathway Worldwide Devotional

“Charity and Virtue”

Brian and Melinda Ashton
BYU-Pathway Worldwide
September 05, 2025
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English | French | Portuguese | SpanishPresident Brian K. Ashton: In the April 2025 general conference, President Russell M. Nelson, the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and God’s prophet, encouraged us to seek for and develop charity and virtue in our lives so that we might have confidence in the presence of God. i
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See Russell M. Nelson, “Confidence in the Presence of God,” Liahona, Apr. 2025
 Charity and virtue also help us to better understand doctrine, have the Holy Ghost as our constant companion, and be better parents and leaders. ii
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See Doctrine and Covenants 121:45–46
 Ultimately, charity and virtue lead to becoming like God. iii
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See Moroni 7:48
 Those who have charity and virtue in their lives love Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. They are the happiest people we know. What’s more, others want to be with them because of their righteousness and goodness.It takes faith, prayer, and lots of practice to obtain the gift of charity and to “let virtue garnish [our] thoughts unceasingly.” iv
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Doctrine and Covenants 121:45
 But that hard work is worth it.Sister Melinda Ashton: “Charity is the pure love of Christ.” v
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Moroni 7:47
 Those with charity radiate the love of Jesus Christ in their actions. They are unselfish. They want and work for what is best for others, regardless of how it affects them personally. They do not think evil. They suffer long and endure all things to help others. They have faith in Jesus Christ and gospel-centered hope. They love the truth. vi
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See Moroni 7:45
 And, as President Nelson taught in April, they are peacemakers. vii
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See Russell M. Nelson, “Confidence in the Presence of God,” Liahona, Apr. 2025
 Charity is a spiritual gift that comes through the Holy Ghost from our Heavenly Father. We obtain this gift by being true disciples of Jesus Christ and praying for it with all the energy of our hearts. viii
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See Moroni 7:48
 President Ashton: Virtue is integrity, moral excellence, power, strength, and sexual purity. ix
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See “Virtue” in the Guide to the Scriptures
 The Lord has commanded us to “let virtue garnish [our] thoughts unceasingly.” x
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Doctrine and Covenants 121:45
 In addition to morally clean thoughts, those who have virtuous thoughts assume the best about people. Their thoughts lead to righteous actions.We garnish, or adorn, xi
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According to Webster’s 1828 Dictionary, “garnish” means “to adorn.” “Adorn” means “to make beautiful,” “to set off to advantage,” “to make pleasing,” or “to display the beauty or excellence of.”
 our thoughts with virtue by looking to the Savior and by choosing faith instead of doubt. xii
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See Doctrine and Covenants 6:36
 We also replace negative or impure thoughts with positive and chaste thoughts. Some of the ways we can do this are by pondering or memorizing scriptures, singing hymns, focusing on what we can do to help others, and by praying always. xiii
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See 3 Nephi 18:15, 18; Doctrine and Covenants 10:5; 19:38; 20:33; 31:12; 61:39; 88:126; 93:49
 Virtue and charity are self-reinforcing. The more we think virtuously, the more likely we are to have charity. And if we have charity, we will also have virtuous thoughts.Sister Ashton: We want to share with you the story of a couple who have shown us what it means to have charity and virtue in their lives. We will also share what they did to obtain these attributes.Gerry and Bekah Morton have a blended family of seven children and lived near us when we presided over the Texas Houston South Mission. Bekah was our mission financial clerk.President Ashton: When you are around the Mortons, you just feel happy. They are always positive, even when others around them are negative or critical. They assume the best about people and are constantly building up those around them. No one interacts with Gerry and Bekah without feeling loved, capable, and good. Everyone wants to be better after being with the Mortons.Sister Ashton: They go out of their way to help others. If we ever needed anything, Gerry and Bekah were there for us, our missionaries, the members, or the friends of the Church the missionaries were teaching. Most of the time, this service occurred because the Mortons saw a need and acted. Rarely did we have to ask for help.President Ashton: Gerry and Bekah understand and live the gospel. They use that knowledge to lead lives of righteousness and to bless those who are struggling.Sister Ashton: Both Gerry’s and Bekah’s first marriages failed. However, they bear no ill will toward their former spouses, and they never speak negatively about them.

President Ashton: Because they know they are children of God, feel His love, and understand their role in His plan, Gerry and Bekah are rarely discouraged. They keep their covenants. Their prayers are full of gratitude. They confidently ask God for help, with complete trust in Him, His answers, and timing.

Sister Ashton: Gerry and Bekah are filled with joy and love for everyone around them. I don’t know that we know any two people who are happier.

Joseph Smith could have been talking about Gerry and Bekah Morton when he said, “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.” xiv
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Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith (2007), p. 426

President Ashton: That is what the Mortons have become. However, developing these attributes didn’t happen overnight. We asked the Mortons what they did to be filled with the love of God and with virtuous thoughts. They both mentioned the following things:

  • Sister Ashton: Gerry and Bekah independently talked about how they saw light, goodness, and happiness in the lives of others who were true disciples of the Savior. They want those blessings in their own lives. And so, they choose to do those things that bring them greater happiness and peace.
  • President Ashton: They choose to exercise faith in Jesus Christ, His gospel, and His Atonement. Gerry is a convert. Bekah grew up in a very faithful Latter-day Saint home. But both had to choose to believe that Jesus Christ would and could do the things He has promised to do for them if they followed Him. They testified that by following Jesus Christ, they have been blessed in good times and in bad. They particularly noted how their faith has sustained them through their trials. Going through those trials has helped them to know that God will sustain them and that things will work out for their good and the good of those they love.
  • Sister Ashton: They choose to repent daily. They make small daily choices to exercise faith, let go of hard feelings, forgive others, change behaviors, think more positively, and push negative thoughts from their minds.
  • President Ashton: They pray for help to change their thoughts and actions and to be filled with love. Bekah mentioned that her divorce helped her to become less judgmental and to assume the best about people. But learning those lessons required her to grieve first and then plead with Heavenly Father to help her focus on the positive and not become bitter.
  • Sister Ashton: Gerry and Bekah study the gospel daily and apply it in their lives. Like most people we know who are filled with charity and virtue, they have studied deeply and internalized the lessons found in Doctrine and Covenants 121.
  • President Ashton: They keep their covenants. Gerry and Bekah testified about how keeping covenants has given them power to do things they couldn’t do on their own. This has given them strength and ultimately led to their being filled with charity.
  • Sister Ashton: They choose to serve and make others happy rather than focus on their own wants. They would both testify that in losing their lives they have found them. xv
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    See Matthew 16:25
President Ashton: Now, Gerry and Bekah would be the first to tell you they aren’t perfect, but they are certainly striving every day to emulate Jesus Christ. Gerry told us, “We love the Savior. What we do is because of Him.” xvi
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The email is in possession of the authors.
 President Nelson’s invitation to fill our lives with charity and virtue is an invitation to do as the Mortons have done — to love Jesus Christ and become more-Christlike disciples.

Sister Ashton: Our dear BYU-Pathway students and colleagues, we invite each of you to do those things that will allow you to obtain more charity and virtue in your lives. As we seek to be blessed with charity, the pure love of Christ, and to garnish our thoughts with virtue, we will be happier; we will be able to withstand our trials with more faith, peace, and happiness; and we will be better able to bless others. We will have more confidence in the presence of God. We will understand God’s teachings more fully. We will have the Holy Ghost as our constant companion. And those we lead and love will want to follow us because we are filled with righteousness and truth.

President Ashton: We testify that these things are true. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is Christ’s restored Church on the earth today. It is led by living prophets and apostles. Jesus is the Christ, the Savior of the world. We are children of God, our Heavenly Father. He wants to bless us with charity and virtue. Our prayer is that we will let Him. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.