If you took everything said and written about President James E. Faust over the past week and counted how often certain words were used, words like "kindness," "sweet" and "loving" would be near the top of the list.

But the most-used word, I think, would be "humility."

James E. Faust was a humble man. And I think all those other words — kind, sweet, loving — flow from the word "humility."

I think that because I'm convinced most Bible stories, lessons and commandments flow from the word "humility."

The first commandment in the Old Testament and the greatest commandment in the New Testament speak of the same thing: humility — holding God in high esteem. Don't put others before him and love him with all your heart.

Truly religious people must learn to defer. They must learn to serve and honor.

The parables and stories of the New Testament almost always have "humility" as a primary or secondary lesson. The Prodigal Son involves "humility." So do the parables of the Good Samaritan, the Unwise Virgins and the stories of the Rich Young Man and the Widow's Mite.

In the Old Testament, you could take the 10 Commandments and add the phrase "because you're not the most important being in the universe" to each one and they would make perfect sense.

Honor your father and mother, because you are not the most important being in the universe.

Don't take God's name in vain, because you are not the most important being in the universe.

Don't commit adultery, don't steal, don't lie — because you are not the most important being.

God is.

And being humble means being humble before God, not necessarily being mousey and weak before other people. Moses challenged the leader of a nation. Jesus cleansed a temple with a whip. Paul took on an empire. They weren't timid and cowering types, but they were humble. They deferred to deity and submitted to his will and wishes. That doesn't mean rolling over for every lout who comes along. It means not doing anything to bring shame on one's Master.

Being humble is about a person's relationship with God. Once that relationship is established, then the fruits of that humility pour out onto other people. Softness, kindness, tenderness, sweetness are all byproducts of humbling ourselves before God.

And those "fruits" are the touchstones of true humility. The football player who prances into the endzone pointing his finger to the heavens may worship and adore Deity, but true humility manifests itself in other ways. It shows up in listening attentively when someone is speaking, in spotting needs in the lives of others without having to say, "If there's anything I can do." It manifests itself as long-suffering and patience, as gentleness. Its hallmark is a smile. Its calling card is openness.

When you see someone behaving in such ways, you can probably trust they are an authentically humble person — a person who knows who comes first.

James E. Faust displayed those qualities in life.

And because he did, his humility speaks for itself.

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E-mail: jerjohn@desnews.com