Gospel Doctrine Commentary
Lesson No. Twelve
Jacob's General Conference Sermon on Pride
Jacob was Nephi’s successor as the leader of the Nephite church – Before Nephi died he “anointed a man to be king and ruler over his people” (Jacob 1:9). Jacob was anointed to be the next record keeper and prophet, and he was assisted by his brother Joseph. (Jacob 1: 1-8; 1: 17-19; 2:1-3) After Jacob had received his “errand from the Lord”, meaning that after he been anointed as prophet, he held a meeting on the grounds of the temple in the city of Nephi. (Jacob 1:17; 2:2; see also 2 Nephi 5:16)
The pride of the Nephites is similar to the pride of our day – Jacob presided over a meeting similar to a general conference in our day. It was a meeting for the general membership of the church including men, women, and children. The Lord told Jacob to call the people to repent of pride. (See Jacob 2:5, 9) Pride had caused them to seek for riches to the exclusion of their responsibility to the poor and needy.
“Pride is the universal sin, the great vice... The antidote for pride is humility - meekness, submissiveness. It is the broken heart and contrite spirit... God will have a humble people. Either we can choose to be humble or we can be compelled to be humble.”
This is similar to the warning against pride the Lord instructed President Ezra Taft Benson to deliver to us in General Conference. President Benson explained that the Book of Mormon “was written for us – for our day. Its scriptures are to be likened unto ourselves.” President Benson then explained that pride was the reason the Nephites were destroyed. Then he said: “And then, lest we miss that momentous Book of Mormon message from that fallen people, the Lord warns us in the Doctrine and Covenants, ‘Beware of pride, lest ye become as the Nephites of old’ (D&C 38:39). President Benson then concluded with this powerful statement: "This message has been weighing heavily on my soul for some time. I know the Lord wants this message delivered now” (Beware of Pride, Ensign, May, 1989).
The law of riches – Many Nephites had been successful in obtaining gold and silver, but they forgot from where their blessings came. They became prideful and believed their riches made them better than others. Jacob warns that this pride would destroy their souls, and that such an attitude was abominable to the Lord because “one being is as precious in his sight as the other.” (See Jacob 2:12-16, 21)
Jacob then explains the law of riches, and how riches can be acceptable to the Lord: “But before ye seek for riches, seek ye for the kingdom of God. And after ye have obtained a hope in Christ ye shall obtain riches, if ye seek them; and ye will seek them for the intent to do good – to clothe the naked, and to feed the hungry, and to liberate the captive, and administer relief to the sick and the afflicted” (Jacob 2:18-19).
The law of stewardship – In our time Jacob’s law of riches is referred to as the law of stewardship:
“For it is expedient that I, the Lord, should make every man accountable, as a steward over earthly blessings, which I have made and prepared for my creatures.
“I, the Lord, stretched out the heavens, and built the earth, my very handiwork; and all things therein are mine.
“And it is my purpose to provide for my saints, for all things are mine.
“But it must be done in mine own way; and behold this is the way that I, the Lord, have decreed to provide for my saints, that the poor shall be exalted, in that the rich are made low.
“For the earth is full, and there is enough and to spare; yea, I prepared all things, and have given unto the children to be agents unto themselves.
“Therefore, if any man shall take of the abundance which I have made, and impart not his portion, according to the law of my gospel, unto the poor and the needy, he shall with the wicked, lift up his eyes in hell, being in torment” (D&C 104:13-18).
“In reality, there is, perhaps, no one of our natural passions so hard to subdue as pride. Disguise it, struggle with it, beat it down, stifle it, mortify it as much as one pleases, it is still alive, and will every now and then peep out and show itself; you will see it, perhaps, often in this history; for, even if I could conceive that I had completely overcome it, I should probably be proud of my humility.”
Testimony – The Lord’s way for us to live the law of stewardship is to pay a full tithing. It is to pay a generous fast offering. It is to be self-reliant, to participate in the Church Welfare Program and support other opportunities the Church provides. By so doing we will be humble and profitable stewards.