"It may not always be easy, convenient, or politically correct to stand for truth and right, but it is the right thing to do. Always"
About this Quote
A moral pep talk dressed as a dare, Ballard's line borrows the language of modern friction - "easy", "convenient", "politically correct" - to make righteousness feel embattled and therefore urgent. The craft is in the stacking: he starts with everyday excuses (comfort, convenience), then escalates to a culture-war shibboleth. By the time "politically correct" arrives, "truth and right" have been positioned as the brave, unpopular stance, and the listener is invited to imagine themselves as a quiet dissident.
The intent is pastoral and disciplinary at once. It's not just encouragement to be honest; it's a call to loyalty when external norms shift. In a religious context, "truth" doesn't mean a negotiated public consensus, but revealed or institutional truth, the kind that doesn't take votes. The quote also pre-emptively frames criticism as evidence of virtue: if your position gets labeled unacceptable, that becomes proof you are on the right track.
"Always" is doing heavy lifting. It shuts down situational ethics, exceptions, and the messy reality that "standing for truth" can collide with harm, power, or incomplete information. That absolutism is the point: it offers clarity in exchange for complexity. Spoken by a senior Latter-day Saint leader, it reads as guidance to members navigating pluralistic spaces - workplaces, politics, family - where their beliefs may be contested. The subtext is less "be kind and honest" than "hold the line, even when the room turns on you."
The intent is pastoral and disciplinary at once. It's not just encouragement to be honest; it's a call to loyalty when external norms shift. In a religious context, "truth" doesn't mean a negotiated public consensus, but revealed or institutional truth, the kind that doesn't take votes. The quote also pre-emptively frames criticism as evidence of virtue: if your position gets labeled unacceptable, that becomes proof you are on the right track.
"Always" is doing heavy lifting. It shuts down situational ethics, exceptions, and the messy reality that "standing for truth" can collide with harm, power, or incomplete information. That absolutism is the point: it offers clarity in exchange for complexity. Spoken by a senior Latter-day Saint leader, it reads as guidance to members navigating pluralistic spaces - workplaces, politics, family - where their beliefs may be contested. The subtext is less "be kind and honest" than "hold the line, even when the room turns on you."
Quote Details
| Topic | Honesty & Integrity |
|---|
More Quotes by Russell Ballard
Add to List
