“Yea, he that truly humbleth himself, and repenteth of his sins, and endureth to the end, the same shall be blessed--yea, much more blessed than they who are compelled to be humble because of their exceeding poverty.” [1]
Jesus began the Sermon on the Mount by specifying eight stipulations for human happiness, the third being “Blessed are the meek.” [2] The term meek has customarily implied being humble, free of pride and arrogance. David O. McKay referred to humility as “the solid foundation of all the virtues.” [3]
Humanity disdains the quality and characteristic of the humble and meek, but Jesus describes humility as the distinctive trait of His disciples. It is one of the greatest Christian virtues. Submissiveness to God is not a weakness but an eternal quality of the faithful. King Benjamin portrayed the humble and submissive as yielding “to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.” [4]
The world does not place humility high on its list of desirable attributes. The humble are most often viewed as compliant and cowardly, timid and retiring, weak-willed and wary, submissive and subservient; attempting nothing, accomplishing nothing, and adding nothing to society. These false worldly views should not dissuade us from developing this attribute that the Savior himself personified.
Humility is an attribute of those with a healthy sense of self-worth. Being sensitive to shortcomings and aware of our weaknesses is essential to our personal growth and progress. Self-esteem and self-conceit are counterparts, not equivalences.
The humble submit themselves to the will of God and find increased strength and greater power. We should develop humility simply because God commands us to be humble but the blessings of being humble clarify also our constant need for this Christian virtue. Some of the benefits of being humble are specifically outlined in the scriptures.
The Lord “shall lead thee by the hand, and give thee answer to thy prayers.” [5]
The Lord’s grace is sufficient for the humble and He will “make weak things become strong unto them.” [6]
The humble will be made strong and “receive knowledge from time to time.” [7]
The spirit will be sent to enlighten those who are humble. [8]
The “ignorant” will “learn wisdom by humbling himself.” [9]
The “veil shall be rent” and the humble will see and know the Lord. [10]
No one can assist in the work of the Lord “except he shall be humble.” [11]
The pragmatic appeal of personal humility is in its ability to notice a failing and accept the instruction and consequent correction that come from that failing. Humility is the indispensable element in improvement and personal growth, despite mistakes and disappointments. Progress, whether in business, education, religion, or elsewhere is accelerated when we quickly and humbly learn from our mistakes and failures.
The humble are teachable and open-minded. They are taught by their contemporaries as well as by God because they are not concerned with their own self-image and self-importance and can truly listen and learn. As humble followers of Christ, they recognize that there is a standard of perfection to be pursued.
Pride, on the other hand, disconnects us from God and disengages us from others. Pride deadens our sense of relationship with our Father in heaven. It dictates that “my will,” not “thine,” be done.
Pride wears many guises. It ascends in the arrogance of the academic and parades in the pompousness of the prosperous. It hides in the hypocrisy of the self-righteousness and struts in the sanctimoniousness of the socialite.
The proud isolate themselves from others. Grateful that they are “not as other men are,” [12] they shun sympathy, compassion and kindness toward others. The humble, on the other hand, abandon arrogance and accept that in God’s guidelines there can be no constraint on love.
The love Jesus exemplified is boundless. He despised the self-importance and presumptuousness of the Pharisees. They perform “all their deeds to be seen by people, for they make their phylacteries wide and their tassels long. They love the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues and elaborate greetings in the market place.” [13] Conceivably the most treacherous characteristic of their conceit was that they saw themselves as not needing repentance. [14] But of us, Christ invites a profound, personal, and positive humility that will collapse our conceit and dissolve the defenses between us and God and between us and all of humanity.
Elder Bruce R. McConkie wrote, “As things are now constituted, the meek do not inherit the earth; even He who said of himself, ‘I am meek and lowly of heart’ (Matt. 11:29) had in fact no place of his own to lay his head. This world's goods were of little moment to him, and he had neither gold nor silver nor houses nor lands nor kingdoms. Peter was even directed to catch a fish in whose mouth a coin was lodged, that a levied tax might be paid for the two of them. The meek—those who are the God-fearing and the righteous—seldom hold title to much of that which appertains to this present world. But there will be a day when the Lord shall come to make up his jewels; there will be a day when Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and the faithful of ancient Israel shall dwell again in old Canaan; and there will be also an eventual celestial day when ‘the poor and the meek of the earth shall inherit it.’ (D&C 88:17.)” [15]
The day will soon come when eternal principles will prevail on earth. What humanity despises today will eventually be acknowledged and appreciated as an essential attribute of a righteous and Christ-like character.
Bill Wylson
[1] Alma 32:15
[2] Matthew 5:5.
[3] McKay, David O., Ancient Apostles, p. 118.
[4] Mosiah 3:19.
[5] D&C 112:10.
[6] See Ether 12:26,27.
[7] See D&C 1:28.
[8] See D&C 136:33.
[9] D&C 136:32.
[10] See D&C 67:10.
[11] See D&C 12:8.
[12] Luke 18:11.
[13] Matthew 23:5-7 (NET).
[14] See Luke 15:1-7.
[15] McConkie, Bruce R., The Mortal Messiah, Vol. 2, p. 122. Deseret Book Company.
Jesus began the Sermon on the Mount by specifying eight stipulations for human happiness, the third being “Blessed are the meek.” [2] The term meek has customarily implied being humble, free of pride and arrogance. David O. McKay referred to humility as “the solid foundation of all the virtues.” [3]
Humanity disdains the quality and characteristic of the humble and meek, but Jesus describes humility as the distinctive trait of His disciples. It is one of the greatest Christian virtues. Submissiveness to God is not a weakness but an eternal quality of the faithful. King Benjamin portrayed the humble and submissive as yielding “to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.” [4]
The world does not place humility high on its list of desirable attributes. The humble are most often viewed as compliant and cowardly, timid and retiring, weak-willed and wary, submissive and subservient; attempting nothing, accomplishing nothing, and adding nothing to society. These false worldly views should not dissuade us from developing this attribute that the Savior himself personified.
Humility is an attribute of those with a healthy sense of self-worth. Being sensitive to shortcomings and aware of our weaknesses is essential to our personal growth and progress. Self-esteem and self-conceit are counterparts, not equivalences.
The humble submit themselves to the will of God and find increased strength and greater power. We should develop humility simply because God commands us to be humble but the blessings of being humble clarify also our constant need for this Christian virtue. Some of the benefits of being humble are specifically outlined in the scriptures.
The Lord “shall lead thee by the hand, and give thee answer to thy prayers.” [5]
The Lord’s grace is sufficient for the humble and He will “make weak things become strong unto them.” [6]
The humble will be made strong and “receive knowledge from time to time.” [7]
The spirit will be sent to enlighten those who are humble. [8]
The “ignorant” will “learn wisdom by humbling himself.” [9]
The “veil shall be rent” and the humble will see and know the Lord. [10]
No one can assist in the work of the Lord “except he shall be humble.” [11]
The pragmatic appeal of personal humility is in its ability to notice a failing and accept the instruction and consequent correction that come from that failing. Humility is the indispensable element in improvement and personal growth, despite mistakes and disappointments. Progress, whether in business, education, religion, or elsewhere is accelerated when we quickly and humbly learn from our mistakes and failures.
The humble are teachable and open-minded. They are taught by their contemporaries as well as by God because they are not concerned with their own self-image and self-importance and can truly listen and learn. As humble followers of Christ, they recognize that there is a standard of perfection to be pursued.
Pride, on the other hand, disconnects us from God and disengages us from others. Pride deadens our sense of relationship with our Father in heaven. It dictates that “my will,” not “thine,” be done.
Pride wears many guises. It ascends in the arrogance of the academic and parades in the pompousness of the prosperous. It hides in the hypocrisy of the self-righteousness and struts in the sanctimoniousness of the socialite.
The proud isolate themselves from others. Grateful that they are “not as other men are,” [12] they shun sympathy, compassion and kindness toward others. The humble, on the other hand, abandon arrogance and accept that in God’s guidelines there can be no constraint on love.
The love Jesus exemplified is boundless. He despised the self-importance and presumptuousness of the Pharisees. They perform “all their deeds to be seen by people, for they make their phylacteries wide and their tassels long. They love the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues and elaborate greetings in the market place.” [13] Conceivably the most treacherous characteristic of their conceit was that they saw themselves as not needing repentance. [14] But of us, Christ invites a profound, personal, and positive humility that will collapse our conceit and dissolve the defenses between us and God and between us and all of humanity.
Elder Bruce R. McConkie wrote, “As things are now constituted, the meek do not inherit the earth; even He who said of himself, ‘I am meek and lowly of heart’ (Matt. 11:29) had in fact no place of his own to lay his head. This world's goods were of little moment to him, and he had neither gold nor silver nor houses nor lands nor kingdoms. Peter was even directed to catch a fish in whose mouth a coin was lodged, that a levied tax might be paid for the two of them. The meek—those who are the God-fearing and the righteous—seldom hold title to much of that which appertains to this present world. But there will be a day when the Lord shall come to make up his jewels; there will be a day when Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and the faithful of ancient Israel shall dwell again in old Canaan; and there will be also an eventual celestial day when ‘the poor and the meek of the earth shall inherit it.’ (D&C 88:17.)” [15]
The day will soon come when eternal principles will prevail on earth. What humanity despises today will eventually be acknowledged and appreciated as an essential attribute of a righteous and Christ-like character.
Bill Wylson
[1] Alma 32:15
[2] Matthew 5:5.
[3] McKay, David O., Ancient Apostles, p. 118.
[4] Mosiah 3:19.
[5] D&C 112:10.
[6] See Ether 12:26,27.
[7] See D&C 1:28.
[8] See D&C 136:33.
[9] D&C 136:32.
[10] See D&C 67:10.
[11] See D&C 12:8.
[12] Luke 18:11.
[13] Matthew 23:5-7 (NET).
[14] See Luke 15:1-7.
[15] McConkie, Bruce R., The Mortal Messiah, Vol. 2, p. 122. Deseret Book Company.
RSS Feed
