Jesus Christ, the perfect example of humility, shows us that being humble is not the same as downplaying our positive traits.
Our reputation often feels like the most important thing we have. Many of us work hard to maintain our desired public image. However, when we constantly obsess over what people think of us, we cannot conquer pride or practice humility.
In his talk “Pride and the Priesthood,” President Dieter F. Uchtdorf explains the natures of pride and humility. He dispels misconceptions regarding both concepts and offers Jesus Christ as the flawless example of one who was perfectly humble and free of pride.
PHOTO BY VIC_B
President Uchtdorf notes that many people confuse feeling proud of something or taking pride in something with the sin of pride. When people use the word pride in one of these ways, they are referring to being pleased about or delighting in something, which isn’t a sin. The sin of pride is what President Uchtdorf describes as “a sin of comparison.” We exhibit pride whenever we consider ourselves better—or worse—than others.
Humility is also often misunderstood. Sometimes we think that we must see ourselves as worthless to be humble. Jesus Christ shows otherwise. Christ declared his meekness in ancient Palestine (Matthew 11:29), acknowledged his perfection to the Nephites (3 Nephi 12:48), and stated to Saints in modern times that he is the greatest of all (Doctrine and Covenants 19:18). Despite directly acknowledging his virtues and importance, Christ remained humble and never turned prideful. Each time he mentioned his strengths, it wasn’t to brag, but to teach. His focus was never on himself; it was always on serving others.
Service is the key to conquering pride and developing Christlike humility. As President Uchtdorf explains, “We don’t discover humility by thinking less of ourselves; we discover humility by thinking less about ourselves.… The moment we stop obsessing with ourselves and lose ourselves in service, our pride diminishes and begins to die.”
Learn more about pride and humility by reading or listening to President Dieter F. Uchtdorf’s full talk “Pride and the Priesthood.”
Source: General Conference
—Eli Gibbons, Latter-day Saint Insights
FEATURE IMAGE COURTESY OF GOSPEL MEDIA LIBRARY
Find more insights
Discover additional insights on pride by reading or listening to “Beware of Pride” by President Ezra Taft Benson.
Read more about conquering pride in the article “An Antidote for Pride” by Alec Joseph Harding.
Learn what humility can do for you in the article “Why Humility is the Key to Self-Improvement” by Amanda Buxton.