Week 8: Beware of Pride

       President Ezra Taft Benson, the 13th president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1985 until his death in 1994, gave an amazing talk about pride during the General Conference (Beware of Pride talk). Our Savior, Jesus Christ, was crucified because the Pharisees feared He was a threat to their position. There are numerous times in the history of mankind where people have done horrible and unjust deeds out of man's fear. They decided to care more about what people think rather than what God thinks. President Benson further explains the terrible effect of pride: "When pride has a hold on our hearts, we lose our independence of the world and deliver our freedoms to the bondage of men’s judgment. The world shouts louder than the whisperings of the Holy Ghost". Humility is the antidote for pride.

       I have witnessed many times in my life the destructive consequences of pride. I've seen parents, children, brothers and sisters wasting precious time of their lives not talking to each other because they felt hurt and offended. Holding grudges for years and feeling they are entitled to feel the way they did and expecting apologizes from the other one involved. My father and older brother have this kind of relationship and had it for years. It's heartbreaking to witness it so close to my heart.

       In my own marriage I feel there are so many little ways in which pride can manifest. When we say we are too tired or too busy to give our spouses attention. Or when we complain about each other to other people and not initiate an honest conversation with our spouse. We are prideful when we don't listen to what our spouse has to say and try our best to understand where they are coming from. If we really care for our marriage and our spouses, then we need to put the other one's needs and happiness first. We need to serve more, love more, give more of our time, and pray for them more. I love my husband and the kind of marriage we have. We've always been good at communicating and forgiving each other. My husband taught me how to love selflessly, especially when life gets hard. I will forever be grateful for him.