Who are you?

We lost our cable a couple weeks ago so I find myself watching shows every once in a while that I normally wouldn't. The other day it was Dr. Phil (my husband hates Dr. Phil, so I guess a little has rubbed off...) The former Miss Washington was on speaking about how pictures were stolen off her computer, put on the internet, and used against her ending in losing her title. They were taken on an evening with friends when she was being "silly" as she said. She was flipping off the camera, drinking, etc while wearing her crown. She defended herself by saying that she should not be judged by things she does with good friends, when no one else is watching - it isn't who she really is.

Her argument reminded me of a quote I found when I was reading a conference talk the other day:

"We need to be aquainted with the promptings of the Holy Ghost, and we need to practice and apply gospel teachings until they become natural and automatic... Elder Oaks said, 'Testimony is to know and to feel, conversion is to do and to become.'" - Elder Allan F. Packer

I think the essence of who we are is who we become based on what we believe and practice. And that is what you do and are at all times, when people are looking and when people are not. So if you behave some way, in any circumstance, that is a part of who you are. (As an aside, I know we all make mistakes and sometimes do things we regret...I am speaking here generally.) I know that as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I hope that my actions, thoughts, speech and behavior, are consistant at all times with my beliefs and testimony of Jesus Christ and his gospel. As we are converted more and more, who we become will be what we believe. I love that.