When I was younger, there was always one thing that was tough for me to understand in the Book of Mormon. It was the Pride Cycle. For those of you who may not know what the Pride Cycle is, it’s the idea that mankind follows a certain pattern. First they are humble, which leads to righteousness. When the people are righteous the Lord blesses them and they prosper. After enjoying prosperity, the people become prideful and arrogant (wickedness). The Spirit is grieved, blessings are removed and pain, destruction, war and all manner of badness occurs. The difficulties force the people into humility, which starts the cycle over again. Here is a diagram of the process…
I didn’t have difficulty believing in the cycle, it’s a logical cycle and clearly evident. What I had trouble understanding was just how quickly the cycle would go around. You can often see one generation be humble and blessed and their children being prideful and evil. Sometimes it’s the same people who do the whole cycle!
I always felt that the humble parents would lead a humble generation of children, who in turn would lead wonderful children and on and on, until a few generations later, they start to think, ‘hey, we are pretty hot stuff here… lets forget God!’
I no longer have any difficulty believing that anymore. I look at the humility and hard working nature of our grandparents who either (depending upon our age) came through the Great Depression or WWII. How are parents survived the disastrous Jimmy Carter presidency and recession. All that hard work lead to a booming 90s and after a blip with the tech bubble, a pretty hoping 2000s. And now I look at how prideful we had/have become… especially in the mid 2000s and the general wickedness in the world that has arisen from that, like…
- Divorces on the rise
- Teen pregnancies on the rise
- Mocking of abstinence programs
- Easing the abilities to get abortions
- Extending the dates on when you can get abortions (do you realize there are people in power right now that believe you should be able to have an abortion up to a month or more after you’ve given birth?)
- Vehement attacks against anything that suggests there is a higher power in public places (groups fighting to not allow the highway patrol to use crosses to mark their fallen comrades, 10 commandments in courts, nativity scenes are not allowed anywhere!)
- The fight to legalize drugs
- The fight to end the war on drugs entirely
- Contemplating absurd and possibly irreversible measures in order to fix a “problem” that may only be a problem because it is based on shady science (There are some who are suggesting shooting reflective particles into the air in order to reflect the sun’s rays and heat from reaching the Earth in order to stop global warming)
- Loss of innocence among our children
- and so on and on and on…
I was at dinner the other day and the man sitting behind me claimed that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints had transformed from being the true church to nothing more than a big beaurocratic set of rules and regulations. I’ve heard this many times before, from friends, from family, from people I hardly know. In almost every single case, it’s because they have become caught up in some activity or habit that is against one of those rules. It could be alcohol, pornography, R-rated movies, not shopping on Sunday, etc. It really doesn’t matter what it is, but once they find themselves on the other side of an issue, rather than admit that they were wrong it is far easier to justify their action and accuse the accuser of being in the wrong.
The man’s proof that the Church had gone astray? Joseph Smith received many revelations, including scripture. Today the church is not receiving revelation. ‘When was the last time the Church received revelation?’ he asked. I didn’t speak to him, his heart was already hardened. His companion did try to half heartedly defend the Church, but was easily cowed by his unbelieving friend in his too loud voice so that everyone would know how he didn’t believe.
I feel badly for him, because this is a day in which the church receives a great deal of revelation. Perhaps the Church is not putting out new books to join the Bible and the Book of Mormon, but why should they until we have learned to live by the tenets that are laid out before us now? We were warned several times before the economic crunch to have our houses in order, that the 7 years of feast were coming to an end. Conference just a few weeks ago was a smorgasbord of information for those who had ears to hear. And one of the most powerful pieces of written prophesy ever written was released on September 23, 1995. It reads:
The Family: A Proclamation to the World
The First Presidency and Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
We, the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, solemnly proclaim that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator's plan for the eternal destiny of His children.
All human beings—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose.
In the premortal realm, spirit sons and daughters knew and worshiped God as their Eternal Father and accepted His plan by which His children could obtain a physical body and gain earthly experience to progress toward perfection and ultimately realize his or her divine destiny as an heir of eternal life. The divine plan of happiness enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave. Sacred ordinances and covenants available in holy temples make it possible for individuals to return to the presence of God and for families to be united eternally.
The first commandment that God gave to Adam and Eve pertained to their potential for parenthood as husband and wife. We declare that God's commandment for His children to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force. We further declare that God has commanded that the sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife.
We declare the means by which mortal life is created to be divinely appointed. We affirm the sanctity of life and of its importance in God's eternal plan.
Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children. "Children are an heritage of the Lord" (Psalms 127:3). Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, to teach them to love and serve one another, to observe the commandments of God and to be law-abiding citizens wherever they live. Husbands and wives—mothers and fathers—will be held accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations.
The family is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan. Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity. Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities. By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners. Disability, death, or other circumstances may necessitate individual adaptation. Extended families should lend support when needed.
We warn that individuals who violate covenants of chastity, who abuse spouse or offspring, or who fail to fulfill family responsibilities will one day stand accountable before God. Further, we warn that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets.
We call upon responsible citizens and officers of government everywhere to promote those measures designed to maintain and strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society.
This proclamation was read by President Gordon B. Hinckley as part of his message at the General Relief Society Meeting held September 23, 1995, in Salt Lake City, Utah.
The official document is here.
These warnings are real, we are already seeing them in action.
I have thought a lot lately about where I want to be on the Pride Cycle, and I realized that I was on the opposite end. It takes a lot of work to to skip from the prideful side to the humble side, but it is worth it.
I hope this will have helped someone out there. If nothing else though, I believe it will be a powerful tool for me and my family.
