Telling the ‘whole truth’ is an easier way to live. In the interest of “getting along” or pushing our own individual agendas, it may sometimes seem simpler to refrain from telling the whole story, to tell a ‘little white lie’ or indulge in a seemingly innocent omission. If we become too comfortable in telling a portion of the truth, time after time, might we undermine the trust factor in our relationships? If we engage in ‘playing games’ – disclosing most but not all – or if we paint a picture with our words that leaves out information, as a way of deceiving – might we miss out on the truest of loving bonds?
It might save us from getting in trouble, or make us look better for the moment. In the long-run, though, what does it cost us in terms of the best relationships?
Not to make a “big deal” out of something, but how important is it for us to train ourselves to tell the “whole truth”?
Consider this little story:
Alex had a poor of day fishing on the lake, sitting in the blazing sun all day long without catching a single one. On his way home, he stopped at the fishmonger and ordered four rainbow trout. He told the fishmonger, 'Pick four large ones out and throw them at me, will you?'
'Why do you want me to throw them at you?' Asked the salesman. 'So that I am able to tell my wife, in all honesty, that I caught them' said Alex.
'Okay, but I suggest that you take the salmon.'
‘Why's that?’
'Because your wife came in earlier today and said that if you came by, I should tell you to take salmon. That's what she'd like for supper tonight,' replied the fishmonger with a grin.
While it’s amusing, this story provides interesting fodder for thought about our good relationships, and the importance of telling the truth.
Why lie? It seems it would be just as simple to call the wife and say, “Honey, I didn’t catch anything. How ‘bout if I stop on the way home to buy some fish?”
What character trait prevented the husband from telling the whole truth?
What important blessings of trust are the husband and wife missing out on? If the wife has called ahead, this pattern is a predictable one, isn’t it?
With the fishmonger as ‘middle man’, how much are the couple missing as they rely on a third party instead of speaking directly to one another?
Throwing the fish? So that he can say, “honestly”, that he caught them? Hmmm….. This sounds like creative manipulation to me!
Elder Neal A. Maxwell, formerly of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, taught: “Do not write a check with your tongue that your actions cannot cash.”
Great words, don’t you think? Regardless of our age or circumstance, words matter a great deal in our dealings with one another! As I contemplated the short story above, and pondered over the four questions that came immediately to mind, I felt sorry for the poor ol’ fisherman and his wife! How much are they missing, because they miss the point of telling the whole truth?
As we learn to “glory in plainness” and “glory in truth” [2 Ne. 33:6], it may seem tough to hold to a rod of total disclosure at all times. But the long-term rewards are sure to offer us a better confidence, a closer relationship with our Father in Heaven as well as those with whom we affiliate here, and a peace that comes from knowing that we tell the Whole Truth!
