Conscience and Habits Away From Home

“There is nothing that a man can less afford to leave at home than his conscience or his good habits.” While this applies to all travel, to all activity, to all social situations, more particularly we have in mind the young who leave home for school, for work, for military service, or other purposes or pursuits. And we would re-emphasize that people are more important than place; that what a person is, is more important than where he is; that character and conduct are of utmost consequence always, everywhere.

If a person conducts himself well merely because of appearances, if his manners and morals are something to be shed when he is alone, or when he is away from family or friends, then he isn’t really very safe or sound inside himself.

If those who go away should assume it to be a time for throwing off restraint, for letting loose, for careless conduct, for foolish and unworthy ways, they would pretty well have proved that they were immature, that they had not yet reached the time to be trusted to themselves.

There are several sides to consider when we are away from where we usually live our lives: one, that conduct cannot become coarse without character becoming coarse; two, that always we and the Lord God know what we are, whether others know it or not; that the record we make is our record no matter where we make it; three, that we can never be sure we are unseen, we can never count on not being known; and four, that always we have to live with ourselves.

And as to those who leave home for any purpose, there should be earnest remembrance of the faith and confidence and love of loved ones⎯of home, family, and friends, and of what is right for its own sake, aside from outside considerations. The lengthening of distance should not invite looseness, should not allow conduct to become careless. A person is what he is wherever he is, and “there is nothing [he] can less afford to leave [behind] than his conscience or his good habits.”