March - Humility
This month we will be exploring the principle of Humility and it's antonym Pride. In the early Christian churches there was a list called the 7 deadly sins. Essentially no matter what other sins might be on the list Pride was always number one and it was said that it led to all of the other sins.
On the church website there is a great definition of Humility -
To be humble is to recognize gratefully our dependence on the Lord—to understand that we have constant need for His support. Humility is an acknowledgment that our talents and abilities are gifts from God. It is not a sign of weakness, timidity, or fear; it is an indication that we know where our true strength lies. We can be both humble and fearless. We can be both humble and courageous.
Jesus Christ is our greatest example of humility. During His mortal ministry, He always acknowledged that His strength came because of His dependence on His Father. He said: “I can of mine own self do nothing. . . . I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me” (John 5:30).The Lord will strengthen us as we humble ourselves before Him. James taught: “God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. . . . Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up” (James 4:6, 10).
So often people believe that to be Humble is to be self abasing but that doesn't sound like what the church has said about it. It is about knowing where your talents come from - not saying you don't have any.
The scripture this month is all about how being humble will strengthen us. Here it is -
And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.
Ether 12:27
The poem is a very famous one that American school children used to all memorize in the 5th Reader.
Ozymandias
I met a traveller from an antique land,
Who said—“Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. . . . Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed;
And on the pedestal, these words appear:
My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;
Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away.”
Building the Tower of Babel was, for Dante, an example of pride. Painting by Pieter Brueghel the Elder
Pride is identified as believing that one is essentially better than others, failing to acknowledge the accomplishments of others, and excessive admiration of the personal self (especially holding self out of proper position toward God). Dante's definition was "love of self perverted to hatred and contempt for one's neighbour". In perhaps the best-known example, the story of Lucifer, pride (his desire to compete with God) was what caused his fall from Heaven, and his resultant transformation into Satan. In Dante's Divine Comedy, the penitents are burdened with stone slabs on their necks which force them to keep their heads bowed.
Let's find out more about Humility and how it can help us, not only here on earth but in the eternities as well.
Inspirements For Everyone
Read or listen to President Benson’s talk - Beware of Pride
Please pick out 5 things about pride and humility that you learned from this talk. WRITE them down and bring them.
Listen to this hymn, https://www.lds.org/music/library/hymns/truth-reflects-upon-our-senses?lang=eng. Read all the verses, but pay special attention to verses 3, 4 & 5
Inspirement - Choose one to do to share with the rest of us
Think of a movie or book you have recently seen or read. Is there a character with pride issues? What are they? Did they feel like they were better than other people, fail to acknowledge others accomplishments, or have an excessive admiration of themselves by any chance? Do they match up with President Benson’s talk? How?
Read this article on The Art of Manliness website - http://www.artofmanliness.com/2014/07/07/the-myth-of-the-alpha-male/ Are you an Alpha Male or a Beta Male or is it all just a myth?
Read this list on The Elegant Woman website and explore the website - http://www.elegantwoman.org/how-to-be-a-lady-2.html
What did you agree with or like on the website
Read this article from the Harvard Review - https://hbr.org/2009/09/humility-as-a-leadership-trait/. Think of a leader you admire - do they fit this description?
Do a word study on Humility, Meekness, Modesty and Pride. How does the 1828 Dictionary differ from a current dictionary? http://webstersdictionary1828.com/ and http://dictionary.reference.com/
