“Among the timeless lessons to be learned from the Book of Mormon are the perils of the prosperity cycle. It is as though a people could not learn from the mistakes of the past. Whenever any group chose to keep the commandments of God, he blessed and prospered them. At that point, instead of returning constant thanks to him who had rewarded them-instead of acknowledging in humility that all that they had was a direct blessing from the Almighty-most of the people in the Book of Mormon (Nephites and Jaredites alike) lost sight of the source of their blessings. They traded the confidence of heaven for the approbation of men. Wealth became the end in life rather than a means to the accomplishment of good. Whenever the acquisition of ‘things’ became more important than people, then it was only a matter of time before class distinctions, caste systems, and the persecution of the poor followed. ’Wealth is a jealous master who will not be served half-heartedly and will suffer no rival-not even God.... The more important wealth is, the less important it is how one gets it.’ (Hugh Nibley, Since Cumorah, p. 393.)” (McConkie and Millet, Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon, vol. 2, p. 14)
There are few themes covered more completely in the Book of Mormon. Jacob includes this sermon on pride because it applies so well to us. Apparently, the ancient prophets who saw our day saw a lot of pride and its companions, materialism, envy, and idolatry. As Moroni tells us:
’Jesus Christ hath shown you unto me, and I know your doing.
And I know that ye do walk in the pride of your hearts; and there are none save a few only who do not lift themselves up in the pride of their hearts, unto the wearing of very fine apparel, unto envying, strifes, and malice, and persecutions, and all manner of iniquities…
For behold, ye do love money, and your substance, and your fine apparel…more than ye love the poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted.’ (Mormon 8:35-37)
From the Church News
"I have concluded that religious people are particularly susceptible to pride. Sometimes our very goodness, or our feeling that we have the truth, sets us up for a bad case of pride. One of the problems with pride is that the more we are infected with it, the least likely we are to be aware of it. President [Ezra Taft] Benson said, ’Pride is a very misunderstood sin, and many are sinning in ignorance.’
“Obviously, then, we must assume we all have a problem with it. We simply cannot fully love the Lord as long as there is any competing pride.” (Larry W. Tippetts, Church News, Sept. 2, 1989)
Ezra Taft Benson
"Pride is a very misunderstood sin… . The proud cannot accept the authority of God giving direction to their lives. They pit their perceptions of truth against God’s great knowledge, their abilities versus God’s priesthood power, their accomplishments against His mighty works.
"Our enmity toward God takes on many labels, such as: rebellion, hard heartedness, stiffneckedness, unrepentant, puffed up, easily offended and sign seekers. The proud wish God would agree with them. They aren‘t interested in changing their opinions to agree with God’s.
“Certainly, to salvage our pride, it is easy to place the blame on others. We, nevertheless, need to rid ourselves of the festering burr before it becomes a consuming cancer that directs our rage at all we hold dear.” (Church News, Aug. 1, 1992)
Brigham Young
“There are hundreds of people in these valleys, who never owned a cow in the world, until they came here, but now they have got a few cows and sheep around them, a yoke of oxen, and a horse to ride upon, they feel to be personages of far greater importance than Jesus Christ was, when he rode into Jerusalem upon an ass’s colt. They become puffed up in pride, and selfishness, and their minds become attached to the things of this world. They become covetous, which makes them idolators. Their substance engrosses so much of their attention, they forget their prayers, and forget to attend the assemblies of the Saints, for they must see to their land, or to their crops that are suffering, until by and by the grasshoppers come like a cloud, and cut away the bread from their mouth, introducing famine and distress, to stir them up in remembrance of the Lord their God.” (1853, Journal of Discourses, vol. 1, p. 267)
Boyd K. Packer
"Pride is the most deadly spiritual virus. In the eternal scheme of things, who is to say which is the more favored? Note carefully these words from the Book of Mormon: ’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.)
Spencer W. Kimball
“All too frequently, one who has done many splendid things in life and made an excellent contribution will let pride cause him to lose the rich reward to which he would be entitled otherwise. We should always wear the sackcloth and ashes of a forgiving heart and a contrite spirit, being willing always to exercise genuine humility, as did the publican, and ask the Lord to help us to forgive.” (Miracle of Forgiveness, p. 297)
Spencer W. Kimball
"When one becomes conscious of his great humility, he has already lost it. When one begins boasting of his humility, it has already become pride-the antithesis of humility.
"Humility is repentant and seeks not to justify its follies. It is forgiving others in the realization that there may be errors of the same kind or worse chalked up against itself. ...
“It is not self-abasement-the hiding in the corner, the devaluation of everything one does or thinks or says; but it is the doing of one‘s best in every case and leaving of one’s acts, expressions, and accomplishments to largely speak for themselves.” (The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, p. 233)