Humility

“I hoped to gain clarity on the matter with my fiancé, and I did, just not in the way I expected.”

There is nothing wrong with aspiring to greatness, but we are warned against vain ambition. So where do we draw the line?

Former NBA player Shawn Bradley isn’t letting his new life as a quadriplegic keep him from finding joy.

Editor's Note: The views, information, or opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author. Readers should consider each unique situation. This content is not meant to be a substitute for individual, professional advice.

If there's one group of people the Savior had a problem with, it would probably be the Pharisees. Christ calls the Pharisees fools, serpents, and vipers, and at one point even says that they are "full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanliness" (Matthew 23:27). At every point in the Savior’s earthly ministry, there always seemed to be a Pharisee lurking about, trying to trip Him up or make Him look foolish. Is it any wonder that they frustrated Him so much?

In creating the world, God was organized and methodical. The foundations were built such that each step built upon the next. But when almost all the creative work was done, the Lord noted that Adam was alone: “And I, the Lord God, said unto mine Only Begotten, that it was not good that the man should be alone; wherefore, I will make an help meet for him…. And I, the Lord God, caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam; and he slept, and I took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh in the stead thereof; And the rib which I, the Lord God, had taken from man, made I a woman, and brought her unto the man” (Moses 2:18, 21–22). It was clear that Adam, on his own, was unequal to the tasks ahead of him. He needed a partner. It was then that Eve was brought forth. It was only after her creation that the world was complete.

Pride is often referred to as the universal sin. From the perspective of Latter-day Saint theology, this seems pretty accurate; pride caused Satan to rebel against heaven, pride led to the downfall of ancient civilizations, pride is the driving factor that has caused evil individuals throughout history to come to power, and anyone who has studied the Book of Mormon has probably heard of the pride cycle. However, for this discussion, I’d like to move away from the archetypal, “big picture” idea of pride to focus on the perspective of it as an individual characteristic, that is, of personal pride.

Years ago, before the Church instituted the three-hour block schedule for our Sunday meetings, we used to go to the chapel for meetings three times every Sunday—once in the morning for priesthood meeting, a second time for Sunday School opening exercises and classes, and finally a third time for a ninety-minute sacrament meeting. When I was a very young man, our ward’s Sunday School superintendent, Brother Marchant, came to our class one Sunday to ask for volunteers who would be willing to give the prayer, the 2½-minute talks, and the sacrament gem (a verse of scripture shared before the sacrament was passed) in the following week’s Sunday School opening exercises. My strategy was to quickly volunteer to say either the prayer or the sacrament gem. I was motivated by the desire to avoid having to give a talk at all costs! Unfortunately for me, I wasn’t the only person in the class with that strategy, and I missed out on my first choice, the prayer. I was quick enough, however, to score the sacrament gem assignment. Given the other alternative, I felt lucky.

Do we understand who we really are? Do we grasp the significance of the divine potential that lies within each of us? Based on the decisions I see many people make—decisions that seem to be founded on temporal trivia rather than eternal truth—I’m afraid the answer is "No, not really."

This month's edition of weekly FHE lessons is based on the new family movie Trek, which follows a young Mormon teenager named Tom and his friends on their handcart journey. Each lesson includes a scene from movie to watch and discuss. Your whole family will laugh along and be inspired by Trek: The Movie, available at Deseret Book stores and deseretbook.com.

Feeling good about yourself and realizing your worth is always important and, in fact, plays an important role in relationships. It’s very hard to connect with people who are constantly putting themselves down or dismissing the kind things others have to say. Some don’t say anything out loud, but you can get the sense from their behavior or posture that they feel they have nothing good to offer. It’s as though they are determined to prove that there is not a single good thing about them.

When I was released as a stake president, I was expecting a big thank you from the presiding authorities. I had worked diligently for years and felt I deserved such thanks. The weekend came, and the presiding authorities were focused on the call of the new stake presidency. They were not focused on thanking the outgoing stake presidency. After the stake conference, I felt disappointed.

There I was. A brand-new mom, alone in my bedroom at 3:00 a.m. with a one-month old baby girl who hadn’t stopped crying for six hours and wouldn’t eat. This was the low point of my postpartum anxiety. My husband was away traveling for work, as he often is, and I was left home to take care of our newborn by myself.

This is a whole different way of thinking about how we can avoid becoming a "stiff-necked people."

At the moment she was most desperate, an LDS mom asked why God wasn't helping and wasn't hearing her. That's when her husband asked a question that changed her entire perspective.

With school is back in session, there's one thing that we still need to prepare our hearts and minds for—October general conference. To help you prepare, LDS Living will feature some of the most beloved talks of all time. Every Friday in September, watch for a new talk that is sure to uplift you and help you feel the Spirit as general conference approaches.

Whether it's a physical hurt or a mental and emotional scar that runs deep, God has the power to heal us and Jesus Christ the power to succor us in our trials. So why hasn't He healed us yet?

As a former bishop and now a YSA branch president, many members have asked me, “How long will it take me to repent?” And I usually answer, “Well, that depends—it depends on you and on the Lord.” Some people are able to repent rather quickly, while others take a long time.

Humility is a Christlike attribute that we all desire. Humility is also the cure to pride which is the base sin that brings so many other sins. But the question is what exactly is humility, how do we cultivate it, and what are the promised blessings of humility? As I’ve studied this I’ve found many quotes about humility. Here are 16 quotes that changed the way I thought about humility.

MR says: It turns out there is a lot monkeys can teach us about humility and the dangers of clinging to things that won't really bring lasting happiness.

MR says: What simple things might be keeping you from repenting without you even realizing it? Learn how you can better access the power of the Atonement and repentance in your day-to-day life.

In honor of National Addiction Recovery Month, the Mormon Channel is releasing a series of powerful and raw videos, which focus on the struggles and triumphs of those overcoming various addictions. Watch the first six videos here.

In honor of National Addiction Recovery Month, the Mormon Channel is releasing a series of powerful and raw videos, which focus on the struggles and triumphs of those overcoming various addictions. Watch the first five videos here.

Conference Talk:

Humankind has always benefited from obedience to true principles. The fearless Polynesians in precarious craft crossed an immense ocean for destinations thousands of miles away. That feat was accomplished not by chance but by adherence to sound principles of celestial navigation. They prepared carefully and did not succumb to temptations to deviate from their course or delay en route. In like manner, you and I can be assured of reaching worthy objectives in life by understanding and consistently following correct principles rooted in revealed truth:

Conference Talk

I used to wonder why the Lord required the sacrifice of a broken heart, why He would want us to wade through sorrow. Now I believe that the very purpose of our adversities, even of our Abrahamic tests, is to break our hearts in the precise way that makes them open to the Lord’s light and guidance. D. Todd Christofferson said, “The gospel cannot be written in your heart unless your heart is open.” (Ensign, May 2004)

Growing up, I loved playing the board game “Risk“. There was an exciting rush that came from massing dozens of armies in a country before going on an attacking spree to dominate all the other continents. It was about being the winner and conqueror. It was about being in control. And it felt good.