1. What is the most important talk given in the last 100 years?
2. What is pride?
enmity, hatred, hostility opposition toward God and man (It is the power by which Satan wishes to reign over us.)
Pride is essentially competitive in nature. We pit our will against God’s. When we direct our pride toward God, it is in the spirit of “my will and not thine be done.” As Paul said, they “seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s.” (Philip. 2:21.)
Our enmity toward God takes on many labels, such as rebellion, hard-heartedness, stiff-neckedness, unrepentant, puffed up, easily offended, and sign seekers. The proud wish God would agree with them. They aren’t interested in changing their opinions to agree with God’s.
In the words of C. S. Lewis: “Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next man. … It is the comparison that makes you proud: the pleasure of being above the rest. Once the element of competition has gone, pride has gone.” (Mere Christianity, New York: Macmillan, 1952, pp. 109–10.)
Fear of men’s judgment manifests itself in competition for men’s approval. The proud love “the praise of men more than the praise of God.” (John 12:42–43.)
Pride is the universal sin, the great vice. Yes, pride is the universal sin, the great vice.
The antidote for pride is humility—meekness, submissiveness. (See Alma 7:23.) It is the broken heart and contrite spirit.
3. Consequences:
“Behold, the pride of this nation, or the people of the Nephites, hath proven their destruction.” (Moro. 8:27.)
It destroyed the Nephite nation and the city of Sodom.
It was through pride that Christ was crucified.
King Noah was about to free the prophet Abinadi, but an appeal to his pride by his wicked priests sent Abinadi to the flames. (See Mosiah 17:11–12.) Herod sorrowed at the request of his wife to behead John the Baptist. But his prideful desire to look good to “them which sat with him at meat” caused him to kill John.
It 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.
Pride results in secret combinations which are built up to get power, gain, and glory of the world. (See Hel. 7:5; Ether 8:9, 16, 22–23; Moses 5:31.) This fruit of the sin of pride, namely secret combinations, brought down both the Jaredite and the Nephite civilizations and has been and will yet be the cause of the fall of many nations. (See Ether 8:18–25.)
Pride is ugly. It says, “If you succeed, I am a failure.”
Prov: 28 25 He that is of a aproud heart stirreth up bstrife: but he that putteth his ctrust in the Lord shall be dmade fat.
29 9 If a wise man contendeth with a foolish man, whether he rage or laugh, there is no rest.
29: 22 An aangry man stirreth up bstrife, and a furious man aboundeth in transgression.
27 15 A acontinual dropping in a very rainy day and a bcontentious woman are alike.
27 4 Wrath is acruel, and banger is outrageous; but who is able to stand before envy?
26 21 As coals are to burning coals, and wood to fire; so is a acontentious man to kindle strife.
22 24 Make no afriendship with an bangry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go:
21 19 It is better to adwell in the wilderness, than with a bcontentious and an angry woman.
16
32 He that is slow to aanger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.
Cure:
10 12 aHatred stirreth up bstrifes: but love covereth all sins.
14 29 He that is aslow to bwrath is of great cunderstanding: but he that is dhasty of spirit exalteth folly.
16 24 Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.
24 1 Be not thou aenvious against bevil men, neither desire to be with them.
Alma 7 23 And now I would that ye should be ahumble, and be bsubmissive and gentle; easy to be entreated; full of patience and long-suffering; being temperate in all things; being diligent in keeping the commandments of God at all times; asking for whatsoever things ye stand in need, both spiritual and temporal; always returning thanks unto God for whatsoever things ye do receive.
Matthew 18