Lesson 9: “Seek Ye for the Kingdom of
God”
1. When the Book of Mormon prophet
Jacob encouraged his people to seek for the kingdom of God ( Jacob 2:18),
he did so at a time when the sins of pride, love of riches, and immorality were
serious problems. These sins are a threat to the unity and progress of God’s
kingdom on earth. To seek for the kingdom of God is to make living the gospel a
top priority in our lives.
2. “Thou Shalt
Have No Other Gods before Me,” ch. 14 in TPC: Spencer W.
Kimball (2006), 145–53. “The Great
Commandment—Love the Lord,” ch.
1 in TPC: Ezra Taft Benson (2014), 37–45.
3. Alma
7:14–16, 19, - We need to consistently review the condition of
our spiritual lives to assess weaknesses and avoid danger. “The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints as it is now constituted is the kingdom of God on
earth. … In the eternal worlds, the celestial kingdom is the kingdom of
God. … The gospel is designed to prepare men for an inheritance in the
celestial kingdom of God” (Mormon Doctrine, 415–17.)
4. Alma 7:21–24-
5. Jacob 2:12-14; Mosiah 4:13, 21-26
6. Jacob 2:20-21; Mosiah 2:20-25
7. Jacob 2:23-28; 3 Nephi 12:27-30
9. “When we put God first, all other things
fall into their proper place or drop out of our lives. Our love of the Lord
will govern the claims for our affection, the demands on our time, the
interests we pursue, and the order of our priorities” (TPC: Ezra Taft
Benson[2014], 40).
“Wherefore, seek
not the things of this world but seek ye first to build up the
kingdom of God, and to establish his righteousness, and all these
things shall be added unto you” (JST Matthew 6:38)
10. “‘Seek … first to build up the kingdom
of God’ means to assign first priority to God and to His work. The work of God
is to bring to pass the eternal life of His children and all that this entails.
… Everything else is lower in priority. … As someone has said, if we do not
choose the kingdom of God first, it will make little difference in the long run
what we have chosen instead of it” (DHOaks, “Focus and
Priorities,” Ensign, May 2001, 83–84).
11. “By choosing to be in [God’s] kingdom,
we separate—not isolate—ourselves from the world. Our dress will be modest, our
thoughts pure, our language clean. The movies and television we watch, the
music we listen to, the books, magazines, and newspapers we read will be
uplifting. We will choose friends who encourage our eternal goals, and we will
treat others with kindness. We will shun the vices of immorality, gambling,
tobacco, liquor, and illicit drugs. Our Sunday activities will reflect the
commandment of God to remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy. We will follow
the example of Jesus Christ in the way we treat others. We will live to be
worthy to enter the house of the Lord” (RDHales, “The Covenant
of Baptism: To Be in the Kingdom and of the Kingdom,” Ensign, Nov.
2000, 8).
12. Every mortal has at least a casual if
not intimate relationship with the sin of pride. No one has avoided it; few
overcome it.
I also remember one interesting side effect of President
Benson’s influential talk. For a while it almost became taboo among Church
members to say that they were “proud” of their children or their country or
that they took “pride” in their work. The very word pride seemed
to become an outcast in our vocabulary. I believe there is a difference between
being proud of certain things and being prideful. I am proud of many things.
So what is the difference between this kind of feeling
and the pride that President Benson called “the universal sin”?
Pride is sinful, as President Benson so memorably taught, because it breeds
hatred or hostility and places us in opposition to God and our fellowmen. At
its core, pride is a sin of comparison, for though it usually begins with “Look
how wonderful I am and what great things I have done,” it always seems to end
with “Therefore, I am better than you.”
Pride is the great sin of self-elevation. It is for so
many a personal Rameumptom, a holy stand that justifies envy, greed, and
vanity. In a sense, pride is the original sin, for before the
foundations of this earth, pride felled Lucifer, a son of the morning “who was
in authority in the presence of God.” If pride can
corrupt one as capable and promising as this, should we not examine our own
souls as well?
Pride is a deadly cancer. It is a gateway sin that leads
to a host of other human weaknesses. In fact, it could be said that every other
sin is, in essence, a manifestation of pride.
This sin has many faces. It leads some to revel in their
own perceived self-worth, accomplishments, talents, wealth, or position. They
count these blessings as evidence of being “chosen,” “superior,” or “more
righteous” than others. This is the sin of “Thank God I am more special than
you.” At its core is the desire to be admired or envied. It is the sin of
self-glorification.
For others, pride turns to envy: they look bitterly at
those who have better positions, more talents, or greater possessions than they
do. They seek to hurt, diminish, and tear down others in a misguided and
unworthy attempt at self-elevation. When those they envy stumble or suffer,
they secretly cheer.
Perhaps there is no better laboratory to observe the sin
of pride than the world of sports. I have always loved participating in and
attending sporting events. But I confess there are times when the lack of
civility in sports is embarrassing. How is it that normally kind and
compassionate human beings can be so intolerant and filled with hatred toward
an opposing team and its fans?
When I was called as a General Authority, I was blessed
to be tutored by many of the senior Brethren in the Church. One day I had the
opportunity to drive President James E. Faust to a stake conference.
During the hours we spent in the car, President Faust took the time to teach me
some important principles about my assignment. He explained also how gracious
the members of the Church are, especially to General Authorities. He said,
“They will treat you very kindly. They will say nice things about you.” He
laughed a little and then said, “Dieter, be thankful for this. But don’t you
ever inhale it.”
That is a good lesson for us all, brethren, in any
calling or life situation. We can be grateful for our health, wealth,
possessions, or positions, but when we begin to inhale it—when we become
obsessed with our status; when we focus on our own importance, power, or
reputation; when we dwell upon our public image and believe our own press
clippings—that’s when the trouble begins; that’s when pride begins to corrupt.
In this, as in all things, Jesus Christ is our perfect
example. Whereas Lucifer tried to change the Father’s plan of salvation and
obtain honor for himself, the Savior said, “Father, thy will be done, and the
glory be thine forever.” Despite His magnificent abilities and
accomplishments, the Savior was always meek and humble.
Pride is a switch that turns off priesthood power. Humility
is a switch that turns it on.
How do we become more humble? It is almost impossible to
be lifted up in pride when our hearts are filled with charity.
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.
Humility directs our attention and love toward others and
to Heavenly Father’s purposes. Pride does the opposite. Pride draws its energy
and strength from the deep wells of selfishness. The moment we stop obsessing
with ourselves and lose ourselves in service, our pride diminishes and begins
to die. (Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “Pride and the Priesthood,” Oct. 2010)
Abridged by GLP.
