Reflecting on a well-remembered 1989 talk by President Ezra Taft Benson, "Beware of Pride," President Dieter F. Uchtdorf addressed the same topic in his priesthood session talk.
"The promptings of the Holy Spirit have urged me to add my voice as another witness to President Benson's message delivered 21 years ago," said President Uchtdorf, second counselor in the First Presidency.
"Every mortal has at least a casual if not intimate relationship with the sin of pride. No one has avoided it; few overcome it."
An interesting side effect of President Benson's address was that "it almost became taboo among Church members to say that they were 'proud' of their children or their country or that they took 'pride' in their work," President Uchtdorf observed. "The very word pride seemed to become an outcast in our vocabulary."
In the scriptures, President Uchtdorf said, are plenty of examples of righteous people "who rejoice in righteousness and at the same time glory in the goodness of God." As examples, he cited the Father Himself, who introduced His Beloved Son with the words "in whom I am well pleased"; Alma, who gloried in the thought that he might "be an instrument in the hands of God"; the apostle Paul, who gloried in the faithfulness of members of the Church; and Ammon, who gloried in the success he and his brothers experienced as missionaries.
"I believe there is a difference between being proud of certain things and being prideful," President Uchtdorf said, adding he is proud of many things, including his wife, their children and grandchildren, the youth of the Church and the priesthood bearers to whom he was speaking.
"So what is the difference between this kind of feeling and the pride that President Benson called 'the universal sin'?" he asked. "Pride is sinful … because it breeds hatred or hostility and places us in opposition to God and our fellowmen. At its core, pride is a sin of comparison, for though it usually begins with 'Look how wonderful I am and what great things I have done,' it always seems to end with 'Therefore, I am better than you.'"
A heart filled with pride violates two great commandments he said, explaining that instead of worshiping God and loving one's neighbor, a prideful person loves and worships the image he sees in the mirror.
"Pride is the great sin of self-elevation," President Uchtdorf said. "It is, for so many, a personal Rameumptom, a holy stand that justifies envy, greed and vanity."
Pride has many faces, he said, leading some to revel in their own perceived self-worth. "At its core is the desire to be admired or envied. It is the sin of self-glorification.
"For others, pride turns to envy: They look bitterly at those who have better positions, more talents or greater possessions than they do. They seek to hurt, diminish and tear down others in a misguided and unworthy attempt at self-elevation. When those they envy stumble or suffer, they secretly cheer."
Sports, politics, ethnicity and religion were some that President Uchtdorf identified as areas where the sin of pride is apparent. "As priesthood bearers, we must realize that all of God's children wear the same jersey," he said. "Our team is the brotherhood of man. This mortal life is our playing field. Our goal is to learn to love God and to extend that same love toward our fellowman."
He told of traveling as a General Authority with President James E. Faust to a stake conference. President Faust talked of how gracious the members of the Church are especially to General Authorities, treating them kindly and saying nice things about them. "He laughed a little and then said, 'Dieter, be thankful for this. But don't you ever inhale it.'
"That is a good lesson for us all, brethren. Let us not inhale it in any calling or life situation. We can be grateful for our health, wealth, possessions or position, but when we begin to inhale it — when we become obsessed with our status; when we focus on our own importance, power or reputation; when we dwell upon our public image and believe our own press clippings — that's when the trouble begins; that's when pride begins to corrupt."
President Uchtdorf said men are "not given the priesthood so that we can take bows and bask in praise. We are here to roll up our sleeves and go to work."
Servants of God should give Him the glory, President Uchtdorf said. "In this, as in all things, Jesus Christ is our perfect example. … Despite His magnificent abilities and accomplishments, the Savior was always meek and humble."
Posing the question of how one becomes more humble, President Uchtdorf said, "It is almost impossible to be lifted up in pride when our hearts are filled with charity." He added that some suppose humility "is about beating ourselves up. Humility does not mean convincing ourselves that we are worthless, meaningless, or of little value. Nor does it mean denying or withholding the talents God has given us. We don't discover humility by thinking less of ourselves; we discover humility by thinking less about ourselves."
Like a reliable pen he owned and loved to use, "we are tools in the hands of God," he said. "We gladly serve wherever we are asked." — R. Scott Lloyd