As I read of the many Nephites who professed faith and membership in the church, but were lead to destruction, I was reminded of the importance of obedience to the Law of the Fast and Offerings, for without the constant reminder to care for the poor as we would ourselves (Isaiah: 58:6-8), imparting of our substance freely (Mosiah 4:26), and voluntarily abstaining from food in order to dominate our natural desires it would be so easy to succumb to the same pitfalls that consumed them and caused them to fall away, because of their pride. 

What is pride?

Pride causes us to focus on that which is different. Pride creates a division between people. Pride is that which causes us to think of ourselves as better than others. Pride causes us to shrink from personal accountability. Pride reacts with anger and violence. Pride instills within us a sense of entitlement. Pride would have us play the victim over taking responsibility. Pride causes us to hide our sins, to feel shame instead of sorrow. Pride has the power to destroy relationships. Pride is pervasive and deceitful and can spread like a plague consuming entire cities and kingdoms. Pride causes us to be blind to opportunities. Pride is that which caused the very destruction of the Nephites (Moroni 8:27).

How do we combat pride?

Repent. The destruction that follows pride is often qualified with the statement, "except they should repent". I also suggest that the opposite of pride is charity. Charity inspires responsibility. Charity builds and strengthens relationships. Charity creates opportunities. It is our primary weapon in the battle for the hearts of the children of God. Charity will build the everlasting foundation of the kingdom of God on Earth. Repentance is what replaces pride with charity. Repentance is the process described in Helaman 3:35 

"Nevertheless they did fast and pray oft, and did wax stronger and stronger in their humility, and firmer and firmer in the faith of Christ, unto the filling their souls with joy and consolation, yea, even to the purifying and the sanctification of their hearts, which sanctification cometh because of their yielding their hearts unto God." 

Repentance was possible in those who were persecuted by the prideful because they allowed themselves to be made humble, preparing them to experience a change of heart. The power and blessings that come from choosing humility include sanctification, a requirement for entering the kingdom of God (1 Nephi 15:33-34). 

I love the simplicity of the instruction that is given so frequently in the Book of Mormon, that teaches us what we must do obtain prosperity. It is given again in Helaman 4:15 “and inasmuch as they did repent they did begin to prosper“. Of course it is the instruction that is given simply. Following it is not always so easy, but is is good to have the frequent reminder. Think for a few minutes of what it means to prosper? What would your lifestyle be like if you were prospering? I have a few ideas of what that would mean to me, and they change depending on how much pride is in my heart. Here are two examples for you the judge: Prospering means that I make so much money in my career that I can buy anything I could ever want, or, prospering means that my faith grows to the point of obtaining personal revelation about all the mysteries of God that I desire to know. While not inherently evil, the first desire has a focus on temporal prosperity and a privides a definite opportunity for pride to take root. Remember the words of Alma to his son Corianton, "Seek not after riches nor the vain things of this world; for behold, you cannot carry them with you." (Alma 39:14) The second desire for prosperity has a focus on the eternal and requires continuous humility to be achieved. As Jesus taught, "But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you." (3 Nephi 13:33) and Helaman to his sons Lehi and Nephi, "that ye may not do these things that ye may boast, but that ye may do these things to lay up for yourselves a treasure in heaven, yea, which is eternal, and which fadeth not away" (Helaman 5:8)

Pride is often easier to see in others rather than ourselves. But we can be sure that without giving constant effort in the way of fasting and prayer, we are giving it place to grow within us. It is good for us to take a step back and elevate our view, analyze our behavior, and then we might identify those times we lashed out in anger or contempt, spoke unkind or deceitful words or failed to do the things we know we should have done. We should do this often, hopefully many times within a day. But if not, as we are so forgetful, we have the sabbath given to us for such purpose. Use the sabbath that we have bene given to reflect, to repent and to seek that sanctification that was the salvation those Nephites who were humble, despite the destruction around them. In fact we see through the example of Helaman in 3:20 that it is possible to prosper even through such circumstances, "Nevertheless Helaman did fill the judgment-seat with justice and equity; yea, he did observe to keep the statutes, and the judgments, and the commandments of God; and he did do that which was right in the sight of God continually; and he did walk after the ways of his father, insomuch that he did prosper in the land." So as we see the destruction increasing around the world and even around us, let us not forget the type of prosperity that is everlasting, and seek it.

The leadership of Moronihah

Much like his predecessor Moroni, Moronihah has shouldered the responsibility of defending his people from the Lamanites with the sword, and even from themselves by preaching the word of God (Helaman 4:14). It is a lesson in leadership to us - he did not complain and pass on the responsibility of his stewardship even knowing that the Nephites had brought the destruction upon themselves. Have we ever thought a one time, "it's their fault, they will have to fix it"? A leader is one who makes themselves accountable for those within his stewardship regardless of the circumstances. How much easier would it have been for him to take his family and go to the land northward, never to be heard from again like many of the other Nephites? But that was not his calling. Another attribute of leadership exhibited by Mornonihah is the wisdom he showed in recognizing when the people had repented. He knew that without their humility he would not be able to lead the people successfully toward their goal of reclaiming their land. It takes humility to recognize that of ourselves we are weak in comparison to what can be done as a team, and even that is nothing compared to what can be done when the grace and power of the Lord is with us. As Ammon said, "I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things" (Alma 26:12)

Laws and Governments

Is there not a better scripture that describes the condition of our government better than Helaman 5:2? "For as their laws and their governments were established by the voice of the people, and they who chose evil were more numerous than they who chose good, therefore they were ripening for destruction, for the laws had become corrupted." I recognize that within the church today there is a diverse range of political ideals, made even more apparent as we are to elect a new president this year. And so rather than digress into a rant about the state of politics in our country and around the world, I opt to remind the saints that, "we have the responsibility to become informed about the issues and candidates and to independently exercise our right to vote" - Elder Dallin H. Oaks, September 13, 2016

Elections Hope and Freedom

(link to full address)

The rock of our Redeemer

And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall - Helaman 5:12

Great and marvelous things happened through the faith of Lehi and Nephi, even that they were saved by the very voice of the Lord. A voice described as it has at other times, "not a voice of thunder, neither was it a voice of a great tumultuous noise, but behold, it was a still voice of perfect mildness, as if it had been a whisper, and it did pierce even to the very soul." With all the emphasis that president Nelson has recently given for us to be prepared to "Hear Him" I feel a great urgency and desire to also be able to hear, "marvelous words which cannot be uttered by man" (Helaman 5:33) Even if we have become as Aminadab, we can still recognize as he did what we must do to prepare, "You must repent, and cry unto the voice, even until ye shall have faith in Christ." Hope is not lost for those who fall away. Aminadab had heard those words spoken to him before, and when the time came he was able to remember them and even help bring others to repentance. Through these experiences we see one of the biggest role reversals in history, the Lamanites did what the Nephites could not do when Alma and Amulek were released from prison by the power of God, this time as Nephi and Lehi were released by the same power from prison the Lamanites did humble themselves. We should not think that because we have the blessing of the gospel and the restored church that it makes us better in any way. Without humility we could not gain anything from the truth, nor could we effectively invite others into it.

Mortality grants us weaknesses, recognizing our weaknesses makes us humble, humility leads us to God and in doing gives us answers to our prayers. (D&C 112:10)