Strength Through Humility

I've been thinking about how strong people who are truly humble become, or how we can all be strong in moments of humility. I think that in pretty much any circumstance we're better off being humble than being prideful, so let me present two brief case studies.

Case 1: I'm 90% sure I'm right about something.
- Humility: consider reasonable objections. If I'm right or if I'm wrong, considering these things appropriately will probably make me understand the idea better by the time I'm done.
- Pride: rule out other ideas. My 90% is better than most people's 110%, so why waste my time?

Case 2: I've reached my conclusion, but I am confronted with a challenge to my conclusion.

- Pride: discount all evidence to the contrary, and if eventually I can't deny it any more then I'll pretend I didn't really think that in the first place and claim people misunderstood.
- Humility: consider if there's merit to the challenge. If there is, think it through and decide whether or not to change your mind. Doing this with humility, when wrong, will help you change your mind.

   - What if you're right? Does humility require you to endlessly ponder being wrong? In my opinion you can accept certain things as proven and remain humble. This is why I say consider if there's a merit to the challenge.


Obviously these are very abstract case studies, but I think that being humble is more practical in almost all cases, if your objective is reaching the truth. These simple examples are backup for what President Benson eloquently taught: "Pride is a damning sin in the true sense of that word. It limits or stops progression." I know these are hardly exhaustive examples, but I think that in just about any situation a humble person is likely to progress faster than a proud one.

However, we haven't yet discussed the strength from humbling ourselves before God. What if you knew that something you were doing was something God meant for you to do? Wouldn't it help you stick to it and help uplift you through difficult times? How could you gain that conviction? In my estimation, only someone who has humbled themselves and asked Heavenly Father can truly gain this conviction.


I remember a decision I had to make a few years ago. Essentially, I needed to decide whether or not I was willing to accept some additional responsibility. It was a situation where no one would've blamed me if I'd said no, which is what I fully intended to do. Fortunately, I received the inspiration to pray about it. When I did, the answer was unmistakeable: I needed to accept. It wasn't easy to carry out; the reasons I was going to say no were all obstacles that still had to be overcome, but knowing that it was what I was supposed to be doing sustained me. Eventually, I was able to measure up to the task. Looking back, accepting the responsibility has blessed me tremendously; it is among the best decisions I've ever made.

I wish I could sustain that decision-making ability always, but I have a very long way to go. I can say that when I look at my life with perspective I see that humility has blessed me and uplifted me, while pride has damned me, just as the prophet taught.