Lessons on the Book of Mormon 2020
Lesson No. Eight
Warning Against Pride
Warning against pride is a central message of the Book of Mormon – In beginning chapters of the Book of Mormon we are told that “the great and spacious building” in Lehi’s dream “was the pride of the world; and it fell, and the fall thereof was exceedingly great” (1 Nephi 11:36, emphasis added). In the closing chapters Mormon writes to his son Moroni: “Behold, the pride of this nation, or the people of the Nephites, hath proven their destruction” (Moroni 8:27).
The sin of pride is identified by Isaiah as the reason for the fall, destruction, and scattering of all the nations and peoples discussed in Isaiah’s prophecies found in 2 Nephi 12- 24. The theme of pride is also central to Nephi’s follow on prophecy to the Isaiah chapters. In 2 Nephi 25-30 Nephi prophecies warns the Jews, the Nephites and the Lamanites, and the gentiles of the latter days against pride.
The Lord warned His people of the latter days to “beware of pride, lest ye become as the Nephites of old” (D&C 38:39) – In a landmark General Conference sermon entitled Beware of Pride (Ensign, May 1989) President Ezra Taft Benson said that “the sin of pride…has been weighing heavily on my soul for some time. I know the Lord want this message delivered now.” This entire sermon should be closely studied. The following are a few highlights from this great sermon together with my commentary:
“Pride is a very misunderstood sin, and many are sinning in ignorance. In the scriptures there is no such thing as righteous pride – it is always considered a sin.” Today the word “pride” is often used in a positive way, but it is important to remember this is not how it is used in the scriptures.
“The central feature of pride is enmity – enmity toward God and enmity toward our fellowmen. Enmity means hatred toward, hostility to, or a state of opposition. It is the power by which Satan wishes to reign over us.” There are two basic types of pride:
The pride of self-conceit is manifested in hostility toward God and often afflicts the learned. “When they are learned they think they are wise, and they hearken not unto the counsel of God, for they set it aside, supposing they know for themselves, wherefore, their wisdom is foolishness and it profiteth them not. And they shall perish” (2 Nephi 9:28). The antidote for the pride of self-conceit is humility.
The pride of comparison is manifested in hostility towards others and often afflicts the rich. “But wo unto the rich…For because they are rich they despise the poor, and they persecute the meek, and their hearts are upon their treasures; wherefore, their treasure is their god. And behold, their treasure shall perish with them also” (2 Nephi 9:30). C. S. Lewis said: “Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than then the next man…It is the comparison that makes you proud.” The antidote for the pride of comparison is love.
“When pride has a hold on our hearts, we lose our independence and deliver our freedoms to the bondage of men’s judgment.” To loose our independence and be in bondage to other people’s opinions is certain to give the devil power in our lives and make us miserable.
Pride is a gateway sin that opens the door to many other sins. “Pride is a sin that can readily be seen in others but is rarely admitted in ourselves…Pride is manifest in so many ways, such as faultfinding, gossiping, backbiting, murmuring, living beyond our means, envying, coveting, withholding gratitude and praise that might lift another, and being unforgiving and jealous… Another face of pride is contention. Arguments, fights, unrighteous dominion, generation gaps, divorces, spouse abuse, riots, and disturbances all fall into this category of pride.”
“Pride affects all of us at various times and in various degrees…Pride is the universal sin, the great vice.” We may feel like Benjamin Franklin who as a young printer age 27 launched a plan to attain what he called “moral perfection.” First he made a list of twelve virtues he thought desirable, and to each he appended a short definition: Temperance, Silence, Order, Resolution, Frugality, Industry, Sincerity, Justice, Moderation, Cleanliness, Tranquility, and Chastity.
He recalled this effort at age 79 when he wrote of it in his Autobiography. A Quaker friend “kindly” informed him that he had left something off: Franklin was often guilty of “pride,” the friend said, citing many examples, showing he could be “overbearing and rather insolent.” So Franklin added “humility” to be the thirteenth virtue on his list with the short definition of “Imitate Jesus and Socrates.”
In describing his effort to attain humility Franklin, humorously and with great insight, wrote: “There is perhaps not one of our natural passions so hard to subdue as pride; disguise it, struggle with it, beat it down, stifle it, mortify it as much as one pleases, it is still alive and will every now and then peep out and show itself. You will see it perhaps often in this history. For even if I could conceive that I had completely overcome it, I would probably be proud of my humility.”
We can conquer pride – Because we are susceptible to pride we must continually repent and improve. It is a wonderful blessing to be able to repent and renew our covenant with the sacrament each week. We will be able to overcome pride if we “yield to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father” (Mosiah 3:19).