Weekly study · October 2026 General Conference
Conference Talk of the Week
One conference talk each week, pre-selected on a rolling cycle. Start with the overview here, then open the official talk when you are ready to read it in full.
Sunday Morning Session
Integrity and Virtue Lead to Happiness
Elder Quentin L. Cook
Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
In the Father’s plan, integrity, virtue, and happiness are intrinsically linked.
Overview
Elder Quentin L. Cook teaches that in Heavenly Father's plan, integrity, virtue, and happiness belong together: living by our beliefs and keeping our thoughts and conduct clean is how real happiness comes. He begins with the stone inscription that shaped President David O. McKay as a young missionary in Scotland, "Whate'er thou art, act well thy part." He then defines integrity as being honest with God, yourself, your leaders, and others, and notes that the American founders tied the "pursuit of Happiness" to living virtuously. He contrasts this with the coarse, crude language common on social media and asks Latter-day Saints to be peaceable people. He closes by teaching that daily repentance is part of integrity, sharing a story of a World War II sailor he taught as a missionary, who compared repentance to stepping onto the soil of his island home after the war.
Three Key Takeaways
- 1President McKay took "Whate'er thou art, act well thy part" as his rule for life, and he used it to teach that even conduct that is not evil in itself can keep us from spiritual things that bless us now and in eternity.
- 2Integrity, which President Spencer W. Kimball defined as "the willingness and ability to live by our beliefs and commitments," is a foundation of good character, and it leads to the happiness (or blessedness) that God intends for His children (2 Nephi 2:25).
- 3Coarse language, bullying, and online attacks on someone's reputation are more than bad manners: they break the Savior's teachings and can affect people who do not yet know Him, so disciples are asked to be righteous peacemakers even when others attack.
Reflection Questions
- What "part" has been given to you right now, in your family, calling, or work, and what would it look like to act it well this week?
- Is there anything in your life that is not wrong in itself but is crowding out scripture study, prayer, or other spiritual renewal?
- When you look at how you speak online and in person, where do you see a gap between what you believe and what you actually say?
Application Prompt
This week, read Philippians 4:8 each morning, and before you post, comment, or reply to anyone, ask whether your words are lovely, of good report, and fit for someone who wants the Holy Ghost with them.