Part 4: Solidness, Quiet Strength

This group of traits holds a special place in my heart. When I write fiction, these are the traits I’m most often drawn to. Lots of people love flashy characters who do big, exciting things, but I really love characters who do the work quietly, who make difficult decisions and stick by them, who take responsibility for their actions and go along being good.

This is one of the reasons I love Gilbert Blythe so much. This is also one of the reasons I love my husband so much. And these are the kind of people I hope my children will grow up to be. I hope they will be reliable and steady in the faith, quietly doing good even though it’s the loud people who often get the most attention. I hope they will realize that approval from people can be fleeting but that approval from our Heavenly Parents is forever.

·         Firmness, steadiness in the faith (Hel. 6:1, Alma 38:2). I love this one. It’s not a flashy trait, and it’s often undervalued in society. But there’s such great comfort in finding people who are steady and reliable in righteousness.

·         Steadfastness, reliability—“be steadfast and immovable, always abounding in good works” (Mos. 5:15; see also 2 Ne. 26:8, Alma 53:20–21, 3 Ne. 6:14). “The isles shall wait upon me, and on mine arm shall they trust” (2 Ne. 8:5).

·         Exactness in keeping commitments—“he doth remember all my commandments to execute them” (Alma 18:10).

·         Responsibility—“every man expressed a willingness to answer for his own sins” (Mos. 29:38).

·         Unselfish decision-making—the people voted against Pacumeni, so instead of making it a big ugly deal, “he did unite with the voice of the people” (Hel. 1:6).

·         Resilience, trying again—Shez “began to build up again a broken people” (Eth. 10:1)—this visual! Starting from the rubble and trying again, building again, no matter what.