The Great Sin

“There is one vice of which no man in the world is free; which everyone in the world loathes when he sees it in someone else; and of which hardly any people, except Christians, ever imagine that they are guilty themselves. I do not think that I have ever heard anyone who was not a Christian accuse himself of this vice. And at the same time I have very seldom met anyone, who was not a Christian, who showed the slightest mercy to it in others. There is no fault that makes a man more unpopular, and no fault which we are unconscious of in ourselves. And the more we have it ourselves, the more we dislike it in others.

The vice I am talking of is Pride or Self-Conceit.” (C.S. Lewis ‘Mere Christianity’).

Latter-day Saints are aware of the sin of pride. The Book of Mormon is filled with stories of how pride destroys. It caused the ultimate destruction of the Nephite nation. Pride has been preached from the pulpit in conference after conference and was preached in detail by President Ezra Taft Benson in the 1980’s.

C.S. Lewis writes “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, or cleverer, or better-looking than others. If everyone 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.”

My thoughts are drawn back to a Gospel Doctrine lesson that Ann (my wife) gave while teaching the New Testament some years ago. The lesson dealt with the story of Mary and Martha. As you will recall, these two women were having the Savior over to their home for dinner. After Jesus arrived, Martha busied herself preparing the meal for their guests. Mary on the other hand sat at the feet of Jesus and listened as he taught the others in the house.

In Luke 10 we read “38 Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house.
39 And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word.
40 But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.
41 And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:
42 But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

Volumes have been written about this event and Ann and I have discussed it in detail. It appears to us that both Mary and Martha were doing a good thing. Neither was doing something more “right” than the other. We concluded that there was no real problem until Martha started to express that what she was doing was more important than what Mary was doing. I think it did become a pride thing.

I was so impressed by the comments of President Boyd K. Packer of the Quorum of the Twelve, when talking about Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin said, “He never sought the limelight. He personified the statement of the Master, who said, ‘He that is greatest among you shall be your servant.’ Now Joseph will experience another promise of the Lord: ‘He that shall humble himself shall be exalted’

The natural man is selfish. He wants the attention to be on himself. He wants to look good in the eyes of others. He wants to be recognized for his accomplishments. The humble follower of Christ does the opposite. He does all things to glorify the Father. He looks for opportunities to serve others. He doesn’t receive strength in the ‘arm of the flesh’ but in the power of God.

When Nephi was looking prophetically to our day, he wrote the following (2 Ne. 28:14 “They wear stiff necks and high heads, yea, and because of pride, and wickedness, and abominations, and whoredoms, they have all gone astray, save it be a few, who are the humble followers of Jesus Christ; nevertheless, they are led, that in many instances they do err because they are taught by the precepts of men.”

This verse is pretty frightening: It says ‘all have gone astray… except for a few’.

In Denver Snuffer’s ‘The Second Comforter’ he summarizes “The proud will fail. Their failure will come as a natural consequence of their unfitness to be in God’s presence. Their pride will keep them from doing what is required to be in His presence. Had Naaman not returned to wash himself seven times in the Jordan River, he would have died a leper. Many of us die lepers because we find such things as dipping in rivers childish. Too often we join Naaman in asking ‘Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers in Damascus, better than all of the waters of Israel? May I not wash in them and become clean?’ And join him too in reacting: ‘So he turned and went away in a rage.’ Be humble enough to do as the prophets ask you and submit to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel. You will be healed if you do.”

We are all familiar with the verses found in D&C 121 “ 34 Behold, there are many called, but few are chosen. And why are they not chosen?
35 Because their hearts are set so much upon the things of this world, and aspire to the honors of men, that they do not learn this one lesson—
36 That the rights of the priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven, and that the powers of heaven cannot be controlled nor handled only upon the principles of righteousness.
37 That they may be conferred upon us, it is true; but when we undertake to cover our sins, or to gratify our pride, our vain ambition, or to exercise control or dominion or compulsion upon the souls of the children of men, in any degree of unrighteousness, behold, the heavens withdraw themselves; the Spirit of the Lord is grieved; and when it is withdrawn, Amen to the priesthood or the authority of that man.”

Recent experiences in my own life have taught me that I am guilty of pride. I have been far too selfish as well. But as I have made the effort to recommit myself to obeying the commandments and earnestly repenting every day, I am learning that in a very kind manner, the Lord makes me aware of my faults and gives me the motivation and strength to overcome them. I realize this will take a lifetime but I am working on it.