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A Word Self-righteous - Mormon Doctrine Studies - Posted: 18th May, 2004 - 1:49pm
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Pride - a discussion.
A Word To The Self-righteous
Pride is a canker to the soul, and it is also a blind fold to the one who does not realize how much his/her pride has caused them to miss the mark. In the Church there are members who walk with self made aura of 'I know more than you...', 'I am better than you...'. The sad thing is many do not see just how prideful they are... we had the experience with some who have come on here, they claim to know so much about the Gospel, yet they were infiltrated by the devil's doctrine, even in such simple things as relationships that they cannot even tell the difference between love and lust. What is your view concerning pride?
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Self-righteous To Word A
I think is one of the worst evils between the LDS membership. Pres. Hinckley talked about this today in General Conference, he talked about the danger of self-righteousness. I think Pride is one of those sins people are not aware of and those who are aware do not think there is nothing really wrong about it. Reading Jacob in the Book of Mormon the other day I started underlining the use of the word Pride, he mentioned the word so many times!.
People say there is a good and a bad pride. I don't agree with it. No matter how we use it, I think it is wrong. As latter-day Saints we should strive to live our lives in harmony to the teachings of Jesus Christ who taught that whoever want to be the greater let be the servant.
A Word To The Self-righteous Studies Doctrine Mormon
I could not say it better myself! I have used this in the Read Me Thread:
| QUOTE |
| "Let us not become so intense in our zeal to do good by winning arguments or by our pure intention in disputing doctrine that we go beyond good sense and manners, thereby promoting contention, or say and do imprudent things, invoke cynicism, or ridicule with flippancy. In this manner, our good motives become so misdirected that we lose friends and, even more serious, we come under the influence of the devil. I recently heard in a special place, "Your criticism may be worse than the conduct you are trying to correct." -- Ensign, November 1987, P35, James E. Faust |
Self-righteous To Word A
This quote puts it in a perspective that most of us do not see at times...
| QUOTE |
| "Twelve years ago President Ezra Taft Benson delivered a powerful conference address declaring that pride is 'the universal sin, the great vice.' He taught that pride is essentially competitive in nature and made reference to this quote from C. S. Lewis: 'Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next man. We say that people are proud of being rich, or clever, or good-looking, but they are not. They are proud of being richer, cleverer, or better-looking than others. If every one else became equally rich, or clever, or good- looking there would be nothing to be proud about. 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.' What an interesting commentary on today's highly competitive and thus prideful world. What an important reminder as well, for those of us who are blessed with the fulness of the gospel, to avoid both the condition and appearance of haughtiness or condescension in all of our human relationships." (Marlin K. Jensen, "To Walk Humbly with Thy God," Ensign, May 2001, 10) |
Post Date: 9th Apr, 2004 - 8:25am / Post ID: #
Self-righteous To Word A
These are some great sayings and I wish to comment on them.
JB@Trinidad wrote:
| QUOTE |
| Pride is a canker to the soul, and it is also a blind fold to the one who does not realize how much his/her pride has caused them to miss the mark. In the Church there are members who walk with self made aura of 'I know more than you...', 'I am better than you...'. |
When I think of missing the mark, I think of going beyond the scriptures. We become a law unto ourselves when we, in our pride, decide that our reasoning, or some else's reasoning, is much better or preferable to what the scriptures say.
I meet members who all the time claim to know more than me or be better than me. Nothing riles these people up more than opening up the scriptures for them. They hate this, because you can't argue with the scriptures. But the fact that they become offended, shows how prideful they are. (The Saviour taught never to take offense.)
JB@Trinidad wrote:
| QUOTE |
| "Let us not become so intense in our zeal to do good by winning arguments or by our pure intention in disputing doctrine that we go beyond good sense and manners, thereby promoting contention, or say and do imprudent things, invoke cynicism, or ridicule with flippancy. In this manner, our good motives become so misdirected that we lose friends and, even more serious, we come under the influence of the devil. I recently heard in a special place, "Your criticism may be worse than the conduct you are trying to correct." |
The operative word in this quote by Faust is the word zeal. The Latter-day Saints, as a body, are filled to capacity with zeal without knowledge. They are zealous about the gospel, but they don't know the doctrine, because they have not studied the scriptures. When the someone starts speaking the scriptures, actually pure unadulterated doctrine of Christ according to the scriptures, they will, as Faust says, "dispute" it, get offended, contend, "invoke cynicism" or "ridicule" the person "with flippancy." What they won't do is open the scriptures and find out "whether those things were true" as the Berean saints did in New Testament time. The devil loves zealous members who have no knowledge because, although their intentions are good, they are easily deceived and easily led (with a flaxen cord) down to hell until they are bound with strong cords forever in their incorrect beliefs and traditions.
An example of such zeal without knowledge is how Faust's words will be misconstrued by people to mean that if a person criticizes someone else, then they are obviously sinning. Yet we read that Nephi used sharpness with Laman and Lemuel. Was he sinning? No, he was merely quoting the scriptural doctrine of Christ to them. There IS a time and a place for sharpness but like Laman and Lemuel, instead of hearing the message, we just feel the sharpness.
Pride has a lot of manifestations but as it relates to knowledge, a prideful person is one who refuses to learn, who will not be taught. They know too much to be taught. They are content in their knowledge and refuse to go into the undiscovered country. This is one of the reasons why pride is a damning sin. The gospel is all about learning more and more until the perfect day. If ever we stop learning, our eternal progression has ceased. No man is saved in ignorance, said Joseph Smith. The more intelligence you gain, the more advantage you'll have. Knowledge is, indeed, the key.
A Word To The Self-righteous
My point in this thread is that there are those so wrapped up in what they believe to be right that there methods in doing it or proclaiming it brings out a pride from within that they cannot see what they are doing. By their fruit you shall know them for knowledge cannot be greater than principle or which is greater... to speak about kindness or to be kind... Usually those that are this way are quick to defend, quick to justify, quick to find ways to be little others...
As for looking beyond the mark... the Book of Mormon details this well and there is no need to guess....
| QUOTE (Jacob 4:14) |
| But behold, the Jews were a stiffnecked people; and they despised the words of plainness, and killed the prophets, and sought for things that they could not understand. Wherefore, because of their blindness, which blindness came by looking beyond the mark, they must needs fall; for God hath taken away his plainness from them, and delivered unto them many things which they cannot understand, because theydesired it. And because they desired it God hath done it, that they may stumble. |
The Gospel is Plain, if I may say... it is 'simple', simple in the form of made that everyone can learn, obey and receive exaltation. Pride in itself seeks to thwart that by pointing fingers and saying 'I have a better chance than you' when really we are all given an equal start and failure is about sin and not perspective.
Post Date: 18th May, 2004 - 10:33am / Post ID: #
A Word To Self-righteous
Three times in the Doctrine and Covenants the Lord uses the phrase "beware of pride," including a warning to the second elder of the Church, Oliver Cowdery, and to Emma Smith, the wife of the Prophet. (D&C 23:1; see also D&C 25:14; D&C 38:39.)
Pride is a very misunderstood sin, and many are sinning in ignorance. (See Mosiah 3:11; 3 Ne. 6:18.) In the scriptures there is no such thing as righteous pride-it is always considered a sin. Therefore, no matter how the world uses the term, we must understand how God uses the term so we can understand the language of holy writ and profit thereby. (See 2 Ne. 4:15; Mosiah 1:3-7; Alma 5:61.)
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 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.
Ezra Taft Benson, "Beware of Pride," Ensign, May 1989, 4
A Word To Self-righteous Mormon Doctrine Studies
Pride seems, as far as I have experienced, one of those things that we seem to slip into when we are not consciously feeling humble. I would say that it is probably the most difficult thing to remain free of because of its subtle nature.
Pride seems also to be able to play off many things, not just knowledge (or supposed knowledge) but also status, looks, wit, etc. It can even play off opposites, for instance among these attitudes:
* LDS with worldly knowledge who pit themselves against the prophets
* LDS with doctrinal knowledge who pit themselves against the world and even fellow LDS
* LDS who avoid knowledge and hide behind "keeping the gospel simple" and can pit their pride against the latter (the gospel is simple but it's also deep!)
I think it is the "universal sin" not only because it is so widespread, but also because it seems to be a foundation for other sins. Perhaps all sin.
Perhaps it is easier to be aware of those internal feelings which indicate lack of pride within ourselves? In my experience these would seem to be:
* a feeling of gratitude toward God and life generally
* a deep gratitude for the Atonement
* to feel deeply that all people are of equal worth, God's crowning creations
* obedience based on love for God. We want to please Him, we want to grow
because it pleases Him.
* an ability to feel God's love and know that He loves us unconditionally
* an awareness that people are at diferent levels and we should not seek to
impose "our level" upon them; that gentle persuasion (when necessary) mixed
with pleasant example is the key
* benefit-of-the-doubt/presumption-of-innocence mentality. This is a difficult one
for many of us. The truth is that most of us have very obvious buttons that
can be pushed very easily in certain areas. We should always assume that
someone had no unkind intent wherever there is one shred of doubt. And
even when they do, forgive them and not be judgmental.
That's my tuppence worth 
Dubhdara.
TOPIC: A Word To The Self-righteous