Pride

[Traveler]

This statement on pride was part of the Gospel Doctrine Class a week or so ago:

 

Quote

President Ezra Taft Benson: Pride is a very misunderstood sin, and many are sinning in ignorance . . . Most of us think of pride as self-centeredness, conceit, boastfulness, arrogance, or haughtiness.  All of these are elements of the sin, but the heart, or core, is still missing.

The central feature of pride is enmity - enmity towards G-d and enmity toward our fellowmen.  Enmity means hatred toward, hostility to, or a state of opposition. . . .

Pride is essentially competitive in nature.  We pit our will against G-d’s . . .  The proud cannot accept the authority of G-d giving direction to their lives. (See Hel. 12:6.)  They pit their perceptions of truth against G-d’s great knowledge, their abilities verses G-d’s priesthood power, their accomplishments against his mighty works.

Our enmity toward G-d takes on many labels, such as rebellion, hardheartedness,stiffneckedness, un-repentant, puffed up, easily offended, and sigh seekers.  The proud wish G-d would agree with them.  They aren’t interested in changing their opinions to agree with G-d’s.

Another major portion of this very prevalent sin of pride is enmity towards our fellowmen. . .  It is manifest in so many ways, such as fault-finding. Gossiping, backbiting, murmuring, living beyond our means, envying, converting, withholding gratitude and praise that might lift another, and being unforgiving and jealous. . .

Selfishness is one of the more common faces of pride.

. . . Another face of pride is contention. Arguments, fights, un-righteous dominion, generation gaps, divorces, spouse abuse, riots and disturbances all fall into this category of pride. . .  (ensign, May 1989 pp 4-6)

I was so impressed I printed out a copy and thought to myself – boy, do I know a few individuals that should read this!  Then I realized that was my pride speaking.  Dang!   I think the biggest problem with pride for me is thinking how it all applies mostly to everybody else.

 

 

The Traveler

[Guest MormonGator]

6 minutes ago, Traveler said:

  I think the biggest problem with pride for me is thinking how it all applies mostly to everybody else.

 You really are a great guy for noticing that. For the record, I don't think you are prideful but you make a great point.Like with all sins, we are quick to point them out in others who we don't like but very, very few of us are strong enough to look inward. I absolutely include myself in this. 

Edited March 27, 2017 by MormonGator

[Guest]

I think pride is a universal sin. It's so easy to fall into and so hard to see in ourselves. That's why we are so often warned against it. 

 

I feel sorry for those of you who struggle with pride. 

[person0]

@Eowyn Do we not all struggle with pride? I thought it was kind of universal.

Edited March 28, 2017 by lds_person_0

[Guest]

It was a joke.

[mordorbund]

President Benson recommended voluntary humility as an antidote for pride. For the literary among you, President Uchtdorf created a contrasted parallelism between pride and charity.

From General Conference a year ago:

Quote

The great enemy of charity is pride. Pride is one of the biggest reasons marriages and families struggle.

Pride is short-tempered, unkind, and envious.

Pride exaggerates its own strength and ignores the virtues of others.

Pride is selfish and easily provoked.

Pride assumes evil intent where there is none and hides its own weaknesses behind clever excuses.

Pride is cynical, pessimistic, angry, and impatient.

Indeed, if charity is the pure love of Christ, then pride is the defining characteristic of Satan.

Compare this with 1 Corinthians 13:

Quote

Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not;

charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, 

seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

Charity never faileth.

 

[The Folk Prophet]

1 minute ago, mordorbund said:

humility as an antidote for pride.

Isn't that a bit like recommending kindness as the antidote for meanness?  

[Guest]

21 hours ago, Eowyn said:

I feel sorry for those of you who struggle with pride. 

I don't struggle with it.  I enjoy every minute of it.  (bad Carb!  BAD Carb!)

Edited March 28, 2017 by Guest

[zil]

8 minutes ago, Carborendum said:

I don't struggle with it.  I enjoy every minute of it.  (bad Carb!  BAD Carb!)

Pride - the best thing ever! (Next to me.)

[Guest]

26 minutes ago, zil said:

Pride - the best thing ever! (Next to me.)

Does that mean that when I'm not next to you I can't be prideful?

[Vort]

14 minutes ago, Carborendum said:

Does that mean that when I'm not next to you I can't be prideful?

I can't stand lions. They're so prideful.

[zil]

1 hour ago, Carborendum said:

Does that mean that when I'm not next to you I can't be prideful?

Captain Literal strikes again!

[Eydis]

On 3/27/2017 at 2:25 PM, Traveler said:

This statement on pride was part of the Gospel Doctrine Class a week or so ago:

 

I was so impressed I printed out a copy and thought to myself – boy, do I know a few individuals that should read this!  Then I realized that was my pride speaking.  Dang!   I think the biggest problem with pride for me is thinking how it all applies mostly to everybody else.

 

 

The Traveler

I think one of the things that has helped me focus on the effects of pride is to realize that in the Celestial Kingdom we share each other's glory.  If the people that end up in the Celestial Kingdom are ones who love their neighbor as their self then that means they value their glory as much as their own.  That is a primary characteristic of those people.  In other words, in order to qualify ourselves for that Kingdom we have to show that we have that character about us which is the opposite of Pride or seeing others as taking something away from us when they are successful.

In our current political environment something that seems to always come up in my household is how a big part of the population seem to believe that if one person is rich it makes another poor when really it is the opposite.  There is a belief, at least it seems that way, that the rich made the poor.  So, they want to tax the rich more heavily, they want to redistribute wealth etc.  In other words, there can be a lot of pride in those that have little when they desire more of what their neighbor has as opposed to being happy for their neighbor's success. It is a sin of pride when one cannot love their neighbor as their self and be happy for their neighbor's successes.