I just finished reading about Lucifer being cast out of heaven.
"How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! ... For thou hast said in thy heart: I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God..."(2 Nephi 24:12-23)
I, too, have wondered how Lucifer, who knew God's plan just as well as Jesus Christ knew the plan, could fall. And the answer comes as this, "Pride."
Lucifer fell because he wanted to be greater than God. He wanted glory and honor that wasn't his to take.
This same sentiment carried over into the tempting of Adam and Eve in the garden. If Lucifer, now Satan, knew the plan of God, he had to have know that God's plan would be ruined if Adam and Eve stayed in the garden. So why did he tempt Adam and Eve to partake of the fruit, which Satan had to know was all part of the plan? Here comes his pride again. Satan must have thought that his banished spirits (the hosts of heaven who were cast out with him) would be able to obtain bodies. His pride wouldn't let him accept defeat. He still wanted a body, and thought he knew better than God.
But God said, "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed". (Genesis 3:15)
Satan's biggest mistake has always been pride.
So it is that pride leads to destruction. And I have a feeling that is why our leaders have boldly warned us of pride and entreat us to be humble and submissive.
Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.(2 Nephi 24:15)
What dangers do you see in pride? Do you think
Lucifer's biggest weakness was pride?
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Some friends of ours lived in a ward some years back where the collective wisdom of the High Priests' Group was that Satan must be illiterate. They just couldn't jive with the pride thing and decided that Satan continued to do what he does because he can't read the scriptures. Our friends were exasperated and wondered if that high priests' group was functionally illiterate! Pres. Benson's seminal talk about pride is so enlightening. He quotes several scriptures to back up your statement that pride was (and is) Satan's problem. I love his definition of pride--as enmity toward God and our fellowmen. He even goes so far as to say that pride is the power by which Satan hopes to reign over us! Pride is, to quote Pres. Benson, the universal sin. Ultimately pride is what we are following when anything is more important than God's will. It ruins congregations, it ruins families, it ruins lives. Thinking about all of this reminds me to go back and read that talk again!
ReplyDeleteIt took me a very long time to realize that I had a pride issue. I've always been shy and reserved and just thought that was why I behaved certain ways. I had an aha moment when I realized pride was really the issue not the shyness. I didn't want to look stupid. Instead I was just stupid and prideful. Love Pres Benson's talk on pride. So amazingly powerful.
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