Beware of Pride...part 2 :)

A couple of summers ago, when I was on my mission serving in the Catoctin ward, I made a new friend. His name was Humperdink. He was a prideful little guy and I wrote a blog post about it...which you can read here. In it I talked about a humbling experience that I had when I thought that I was above the pride cycle. Well, in my religion class my religion professor mentioned something, I can't remember what he called it, where you don't have to be in the pride cycle. The Lord blesses you, you remain humble and serve others and God blesses you more etc.

***bonus if you make it to the end there is a little before seen picture of me actually holding Humperdink***

While I don't think that I am above the pride cycle, it is nice to know that my original thoughts about people not having to be stuck in the pride cycle were right. It gives me something to strive for. Something that I will have to strive and strive for, because pride is . . . hard . . .to get away from.  I think in part it is because it rears it's ugly head in so many different ways.

Pride has been defined in many ways by the Prophets and Apostles, for example

Pride Is...

"A natural consequence of setting our hearts on the things of the world" -Gerald N. Lund April 2008

"The most deadly spiritual virus" -Boyd K. Packer April 1989

"A great obstacle in listening to the voice of the Lord" -Fransisco J Vinas October 1996

and, last but not least,

"The universal sin, the great vice" -Ezra Taft Benson April 1989

So . . . Bad right? And as if all these warnings weren't bad enough, let's take a look at what the Book of Mormon has to say about it.

We are instructed to avoid pride in Alma 38:11 "See that ye are not lifted up unto pride; yea, see that ye do not boast in your own wisdom, nor of your much strength."

2 Nephi 28:13 tell of some consequences of pride "They rob the poor because of their fine sanctuaries; they rob the poor because of their fine clothing; and they persecute the meek and the poor in heart, because in their pride they are puffed up."

And in Moroni 8:27 the ultimate fate of those lifted up in pride. "Behold, the pride of this nation, or the people of the Nephites, hath proven their destruction except they should repent."

so. . . again . . . bad. But, there is a reason we are told so much about pride and I think the main reason is so we can learn to recognize it in ourselves. If we don't realize that we are prideful then we aren't going to be able to change that. So I guess the big question is, how is my pride manifesting?

Me and my friend Humperdink

That is a good question, Prince Humperdink and I are going to go think about that now, and I hope you will too :D