Hey friends and family, the past week has
been full of many miracles and fun experiences. I'll tell you just one of them,
we went to go see a less active member and while doing so we met her
boyfriend, Bobby. We were talking to her when Bobby asked us what it takes to
be baptized. So we told him briefly about the steps to baptism. He has had a
rough past few weeks, really years. And he said he needed change, he needed
something different in his life. So we told him a little bit about the church in
the book of Mormon. He is very excited to read it even had my companion and I
write our testimonies in i and he said he needed change, he needed something
different in his life. So we told him a little bit about the church in the book
of Mormon. He is very excited to read it even had my companion and I write our
testimonies in the copy we gave him.
I am so excited to see the peace and
joy that is about to come into his life through his humility. He seems rough
around the edges, but he is a very humble man.
"The Most Misunderstood Sin"
About four years ago, I was a freshman
in high school. Growing up I went through a pretty rebellious stage in my life.
And right when I was a freshman is right when it started to escalate. But
I had one of the most amazing seminary teachers anyone could ever ask for! But,
I never really paid any attention. There was one experience though, that has
stuck with me to this day.
From what I remember, I was probably
flirting with the girl in front of me. When the teacher called on a Senior, and
asked what her experience has been with repentance. She couldn't answer. He
then asked if she has ever repented. She sadly shook her head and said,
"No, I haven't".
I remember this experience like it was
yesterday. The reason this has stuck with me is because at that moment I
realized, I had never repented, I had never strived to change. Looking back now
I can see my Father calling out to me at that moment. I was over come by the Spirit.
I can see His arms out stretched, warning me of the path I was about to go on.
But, did I listen. No, I ran, deep in my heart I knew it was right, but my
heart was to hard to listen. Mainly because, I was beginning to be very
successful in the eyes of the world. When before I was not. Before my freshman
year no one at school but a few ever liked me. But for whatever reason, people
started to like me, and I was begging to be very popular and esteemed in the
eyes of men. And I knew in my heart that if I changed, all that would be gone,
because the reason people were starting to like me were for not the best ways.
At that moment, when I decided to ignore the council of my Omnipotent Father, I
committed what President Ezra Taft Benson called "the most misunderstood
sin".
"The most misunderstood sin, is
the sin of all sins, and that is the sin of pride. Just like Faith, Hope, and
Charity, pride is an underlying feeling or emotion that guides all of our
thoughts, words, and actions. The Lord commands us to have Faith, Hope, and
Charity so much because, He knows that if we possess those, they will lead us
to humility and obedience, which in turn will direct us to eternal life and
happiness. Those three attributes are what have and will continue to produce
every good thought we have, every nice word we say, and every kind deed we do.
But just like Faith, Hope, and
Charity; pride, in the negative, is the foundation stone of every sin you, I,
or anyone else on this earth has ever committed. That is why the Lord tells us
over and over "beware of pride" (1). Our Savior taught us that pride
leads to transgression. He told Oliver Cowdrey, the second Elder of the church,
to "beware of pride, lest thou shouldst enter into temptation." (2)
Pride is the original sin. Pride is what caused Lucifer "the son of the
morning" (Satan), one of our favorite brothers, to rebel against Father.
That pride eroded his heart completely.
"Every mortal has at least a
casual if not intimate relationship with the sin of pride. No one has avoided
it; few over come it" (3). "Pride is a sin that can readily be seen
in others but is rarely admitted in ourselves." (4) For example, when I
ignored God telling me to change my life, in the moment I had no idea I was
being prideful. I always just thought being prideful was being selfish, but it
is so much more.
Ezra Taft Benson the Prophet said,
"Most of us think of pride as self-centeredness, conceit, boastfulness,
arrogance, or haughtiness. All of these are elements of the sin, but the heart,
or core, is still missing. The central feature of pride is enmity--enmity
toward God and enmity toward our fellowmen. Enmity means “hatred toward,
hostility to, or a state of opposition.” It is the power by which Satan wishes
to reign over us." (5) I love what he said, "pride is
enmity......Enmity means “hatred toward, hostility to, or a state of
opposition." All of anger and selfishness are his pride in action. There
are many faces to pride, and we need to know them so we can recognize them in
our own lives. Some of the faces of pride our disobedience, selfishness, and
contention. These lead us to faultfinding, gossiping, backbiting, murmuring,
living beyond our means, envying, coveting, withholding gratitude and praise
that might lift another, being unforgiving and jealous, holding grudges, and
depending on the world to tell us if we have value or not.
Pride is ugly. Again it is easy to
see in others but hard to see in ourselves. But we must learn to recognize it
in ourselves, because if we don't we will not be comfortable in the presence of
God. And is that not our end desire. Alma stated, "Behold, are ye stripped
of pride? I say unto you, if ye are not ye are not prepared to meet God. Behold
ye must prepare quickly; for the kingdom of heaven is soon at hand, and such an
one hath not eternal life." (6) We must learn to see the pride in our
hearts, because if we see it we can then fix it and ultimately become,
"purified even as he is pure" (7).
So how do we conquer the
center of pride that is so prevalent in our day and so damaging in our lives.
Alma earlier in his sermon I just quoted declared, "Have ye walked,
keeping yourselves blameless before God? Could ye say, if ye were called to die
at this time, within yourselves, that ye have been sufficiently humble? That
your garments have been cleansed and made white through the blood of Christ,
who will come to redeem his people from their sins?" (8) Could ye say, if
ye were called to die at this time, within yourselves, that ye have been
sufficiently humble? I know I couldn't. Humility is our only weapon against the
pride in our hearts. President Uchtdorf once said that, "Some suppose that
humility is about beating ourselves up. Humility does not mean convincing
ourselves that we are worthless, meaningless, or of little value. Nor does it
mean denying or withholding the talents God has given us. We don’t discover
humility by thinking less of ourselves; we discover humility by thinking less
about ourselves. It comes as we go about our work with an attitude of serving
God and our fellowman. Humility directs our attention and love toward
others and to Heavenly Father’s purposes. Pride does the opposite." (9)
If we can be humble, we can be
changed. Christ himself said, "For whosoever will save his life shall lose
it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it." (10)
Brothers and sisters, maybe all let go of this ungodly sin. May we free
ourselves from chains which hold us bound. Pride is a form of earthly
damnation, when pride is in our hearts we cannot progress. I am not perfect, I
am striving to apply what I have said in my life just as much as I hope you
would. Pride is enmity, pride is a sin that causes all other sin.
I have not spoken even a
hundredth part of what I desire to say on the subject. And I hope and pray that
in my weakness of writing, that the Holy Ghost may have touched your heart
today, and will have lead you to have a desire to change. May we all be humble
followers of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
I know that as we let go of
our pride, that love and joy will begin to enter our heart. I know Jesus Christ
lives. I know he came to this earth and suffered in the garden of and was
resurrected the third day. I know Joseph Smith was a prophet of God. I know the
book of Mormon is true. I would encourage all of you to read it every day and
see how your life has changed. I love all of you, keep doing good, keep trying,
and always be humble. I say things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Elder
Philip R. Bredsguard
Thermopolis,
WY
Notes
1.
Doctrine & Covenants 25:14
2.
Doctrine & Covenants 23:1
3.
"Pride in the Priesthood" President Dieter F. Uchtdorf
4.
"Beware of Pride" President Ezra Taft Benson
5.
"Beware of Pride" President Ezra Taft Benson
6.
Alma 5:28
7.
Moroni 7:48
8.
Alma 5:27
9.
"Pride in the Priesthood" President Dieter F. Uchtdorf
10.
Matthew 16:25
*This
is a talk I just gave in Sacrament meeting here in Thermopolis, Wyoming
Administrator/Mom's
Note: If you want to write to Elder Bredsguard, you can reach him at
philip.bredsguard@myldsmail.net.
Some
P-Day Fun... (Kayli, did you see this! LOL)
