TELL THE TRUTH | AdventAI

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jun 25, 1901

TELL THE TRUTH.

There are too many persons who sometimes find it convenient to “lie a little.” The following incident in the life of General Grant, given in Sunday Reading, is a severe rebuke to such persons.

An important conference was being held in the executive mansion in Washington. A caller had sent in his card, but either the caller was unwelcome or the time was quite unsuitable for his admission. One of the persons present turned to a servant and said: “Tell the person who sent up the card that the President is not in.”

“No,” said General Grant, “tell him no such thing.” Then turning to his friends, the General remarked: “I don’t lie myself, and I don’t want my servants to lie for me.”

That was noble. If our boys want to copy the example of great men, let them pick out such things as this and follow them. Great men, as well as others, make mistakes. The mistakes they make are not any better or nearer right because they were made by great and leading men. We are not to be excused for following great men into wrong-doing. We should follow their examples only when they do right. The example of General Grant in reference to telling the truth is worthy of copying. His words, with a little change, are worthy of being used as a motto: “I don’t lie for myself, and I don’t want any one else to lie for me.”