When Alma spoke to the Zoramites who had been cast out of the synagogues, he perceived their humility and blessed them saying, "blessed are they who humble themselves without being compelled to be humble." (Alma 32:16.)
His teachings about humility continue to be as pertinent for members today as they were for the Zoramites in about 74 B.C., with Church leaders regularly teaching about the principle of humility.President Spencer W. Kimball described the attributes of humility in The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball.
"Humility is not weakness but strength," he said. " . . . One can be bold and meek at the same time. One can be courageous and humble . . .. If the Lord was meek and lowly and humble, then to become humble one must do what He did in boldly denouncing evil, bravely advancing righteous works, courageously meeting every problem, becoming the master of himself and the situations about him and being near oblivious to personal credit.
"Humility is not pretentious, presumptuous, nor proud. It is not weak, vacillating, nor servile . . ..
"Humble and meek properly suggest virtues, not weaknesses," President Kimball continued. "They suggest a consistent mildness of temper and an absence of wrath and passion. Humility suggests no affectation, no bombastic actions. It is not turgid nor grandiloquent. It is not servile submissiveness. It is not cowed nor frightened. No shadow or the shaking of a leaf terrorizes it."
President Kimball said one can gain humility by being constantly reminded of his dependence on the Lord by real, constant, worshipful and grateful prayer.
"Humility is teachableness - an ability to realize that all virtues and abilities are not concentrated in one's self," he continued.
"Humility is gracious, quiet, serene - not pompous, spectacular, nor histrionic. It is subdued, kindly, and understanding - not crude, blatant, loud, or ugly. Humility is not just a man or a woman but a perfect gentleman and a gentlelady. It never struts nor swaggers. Its faithful, quiet works will be the badge of its own accomplishments. It never sets itself in the center of the stage, leaving all others in supporting roles. Humility is never accusing nor contentious. It is not boastful . . . .
"When one becomes conscious of his great humility, he has already lost it. When one begins boasting of his humility, he has already become proud - the antithesis of humility."
Humility develops through prayer and study, he said.