Pride cometh before the Fall

Have you ever felt heartbroken? Like someone had taken your heart and stomped it on the ground? Well, my companion and I felt just that way after leaving the home of a less active couple who had held a grudge for 25 years. They had been offended by another member of the church and had denied themselves the blessings of a temple marriage and serving in the church in consequence.  Heartbroken, we listened to every "reason" they had for not coming back. We extended our deepest apologies on behalf of the church and then left, heartbroken.

I have often wondered what has kept myself at times and those I love dearly from completely taking hold of the blessings that come from honoring our covenants. The definition of a Covenant is a  "sacred agreement between God and a person or group of people. God sets specific conditions, and He promises to bless us as we obey those conditions." The answer to my often pondered question is five letters long: p-r-i-d-e.

In 1989 the prophet of the church, President Ezra Taft Benson, gave a monumental talk on the sin of Pride. Simply stated, pride is the universal sin. We are all guilty of it to one extent or another. President Benson teaches us that pride boils down to emnity between us and God. It is our will above God's will. Pride is the root that cankers relationships, the mold that spoils our progression towards Heavenly Father. Pride is a damning sin. Said Benson:

"Pride adversely affects all our relationships—our relationship with God and His servants, between husband and wife, parent and child, employer and employee, teacher and student, and all mankind. Our degree of pride determines how we treat our God and our brothers and sisters. Christ wants to lift us to where He is. Do we desire to do the same for others?"

So, how do we overcome the pride that causes us so often to stumble? Our beloved prophet gave us the answer to that as well."The antidote for pride is humility—meekness, submissiveness. (See Alma 7:23.) It is the broken heart and contrite spirit. (See 3 Ne. 9:20; 3 Ne. 12:19; D&C 20:37; D&C 59:8; Ps. 34:18; Isa. 57:15; Isa. 66:2.)" Service overcomes selfishness. As we choose to forget ourselves, roll up our sleeves and serve those that we have qualms with, our hearts will be enlarged and our souls will be healed.

As we diligently work to be humble, our Savior will give us a new heart. He will perform the surgery needed to see things the way He sees them and to love others the way He loves them. One day, we will find that His image is engraved upon our countenance. All He is asking is that we start today.

What will you do today to take part of the blessings that Heavenly Father has in store for you?

Entangled in Sin

Last week, Sister Nealy and I went berry picking for our workout in the morning. As we were picking blackberries, I began to notice a few things. It seemed that the ripe, juicy blackberries were always just beyond reach and required me to step into the thicket just a bit. Though I was not very far in, I quickly realized that I was entangled in blackberry thorns that had lodged their way into my clothes. At first I ignored it and continued to pick these sweet treats. When it came time to move on, I would have to stop and take time to painstakingly remove each thorny vine. As I repeated this process over and over again I began to think how this applies to sin.

We live in a time when Satan has placed so many temptations just out of our reach that require taking one small step into the thicket. Upon obtaining our "sweet treat" we are able to move around just a bit, snacking on the delicious treats around us. But when it comes time to move onward and upward, our progress is hindered, slowed down by the briers lodged into our clothing. Thankfully, we have the miracle of forgiveness and repentance that allows us to remove the thorns and move onward.

Our beloved prophet, President Thomas S. Monson, leaves us with this inspired counsel:

We live in a world where moral values have, in great measure, been tossed aside, where sin is flagrantly on display, and where temptations to stray from the strait and narrow path surround us. We are faced with persistent pressures and insidious influences tearing down what is decent and attempting to substitute the shallow philosophies and practices of a secular society.

Because of these and other challenges, decisions are constantly before us which can determine our destiny. In order for us to make the correct decisions, courage is needed—the courage to say no when we should, the courage to say yes when that is appropriate, the courage to do the right thing because it is right.

Q: How have you used the atonement to become 

untangled from thorns in your life?