Jacob 2:1–21

“Let Not This Pride … Destroy Your Souls”

The prophet Jacob knew by revelation from God that the Nephite people were struggling with several sins. He preached a sermon at the temple to address these sins, including the sin of pride. All of us struggle with pride at times. This lesson can help you become more like Jesus Christ by recognizing and resisting the sin of pride.

Ask questions that invite discovery. Ask questions that help learners discover gospel truths on their own. Questions can engage students in the process of understanding the scriptures and can help them identify and understand important gospel truths.

Student preparation: Invite students to come prepared to share examples of how they see pride manifested in the world today.

Possible Learning Activities

Pride

Display the following scenarios and invite students to look for evidence of pride.

• Koji hopes a teammate makes a mistake during a game so he can get more playing time.

• Silvia exaggerates her accomplishments in order to look better or more important to others.

• Jens withholds gratitude and doesn’t recognize the good others do.

• Amy mocks others and makes fun of them behind their back.

• What evidence of pride did you find?

President Ezra Taft Benson (1899–1994) taught:

Pride is a sin that can readily be seen in others but is rarely admitted in ourselves. (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Ezra Taft Benson [2014], 235)

Now think of the Savior. Despite His many accomplishments and abilities, He was always meek and humble (see Matthew 11:29). As you study, think about ways pride may be manifest in your life. This lesson can help you become more like Jesus Christ by resisting the sin of pride.

“Let not this pride … destroy your souls”

The Lord helped the prophet Jacob know the thoughts of the people and commanded him to go to the temple and testify against their sins, including the sin of pride (see Jacob 2:1–13).

Consider completing the following activity as a class on the board as well as inviting students to complete it in their study journals.

In your study journal, draw a line down the middle of the page. On the top of the left side of the page, write “Manifestations of pride.” On the top of the right side, write “Ways we can be like the Savior and resist pride.”

Invite students to come up and list manifestations of pride they find in the following verses on the left side of the board.

Read Jacob 2:12–16, looking for manifestations of pride. Add them to the left side of your journal entry. You could also watch “Jacob Teaches about Pride,” available on ChurchofJesusChrist.org, from time code 0:23 to 4:39.

You may want to write the following bolded truth on the board and use the following questions to help students articulate how pride can influence us today.

One truth we can learn from this passage is that pride destroys our souls (Jacob 2:16).

• How do you think pride can destroy our souls?

• How do you think Jacob’s warning is still relevant today?

Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf, then of the First Presidency, and President Ezra Taft Benson (1899–1994) shared additional ways that pride can be manifest in our lives. Add insights from their words to the left side of your journal entry.

Display the following statements and invite students to share insights from the statements and add them to the left side of the board.

The great enemy of charity is pride. Pride is one of the biggest reasons marriages and families struggle. Pride is short-tempered, unkind, and envious. Pride exaggerates its own strength and ignores the virtues of others. Pride is selfish and easily provoked. Pride assumes evil intent where there is none and hides its own weaknesses behind clever excuses. Pride is cynical, pessimistic, angry, and impatient. Indeed, if charity is the pure love of Christ, then pride is the defining characteristic of Satan. (Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “In Praise of Those Who Save,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2016, 80)

Most of us consider pride to be a sin of those on the top, such as the rich and the learned, looking down at the rest of us. (See 2 Ne. 9:42.) There is, however, a far more common ailment among us—and that is pride from the bottom looking up. It is manifest in so many ways, such as faultfinding, gossiping, backbiting, murmuring, living beyond our means, envying, coveting, withholding gratitude and praise that might lift another, and being unforgiving and jealous. (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Ezra Taft Benson [2014], 235)

Invite students to reflect on their preparation for class as they discuss the following questions.

• What are additional ways you see pride manifested in our world today?

• How is pride the opposite of the character of Jesus Christ?

Display the following prompt and invite students to honestly consider ways pride might be manifest in their lives.

Pause and ponder your own thoughts and actions. In what ways do you sometimes struggle with the sin of pride? How are these manifestations of pride impacting your relationships and happiness? What might you want to change? Why?

Overcoming pride

Jacob taught how we can obtain a hope in Christ and resist the sin of pride.

As students study the following, invite them to come up and write what they find on the right side of the board.

Read Jacob 2:17–21, looking for ways you can avoid the sin of pride. Add them to the right side of your journal entry. You could also watch “Jacob Teaches about Pride,” available on ChurchofJesusChrist.org, from time code 4:40 to 5:44.

Consider inviting students to discuss the following questions in pairs or small groups.

• How could following Jacob’s counsel help us resist pride and obtain a hope in Christ?

• Who do you know who is a good example of resisting pride in the ways described in these verses? What do they do?

• What Christlike attributes can we focus on and develop that would help us avoid pride? Why or how would those attributes help?

Display the following invitation.

Reflect on your own need to recognize and resist the sin of pride in your life. Think about specific situations or relationships where you manifest pride. Try to recognize how pride may be impacting your relationships. Seek Heavenly Father’s help through the Holy Ghost to become more like the Savior by resisting pride as you do the following:

1. Choose one manifestation of pride from the left side of your journal entry that you feel inspired to focus on overcoming at this time.

2. From the right side of your journal entry, choose one way that you can resist that manifestation of pride. Think of Christlike attributes and write down specific actions you can take.

Consider sharing a testimony of the Savior’s ability to help us overcome pride and become more like Him.

Commentary and Background Information

What are some ways pride is manifest?

Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles gave the following examples:

President Ezra Taft Benson (1899–1994) taught:

In the words of C. S. Lewis: “Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next man. … It is the comparison that makes you proud: the pleasure of being above the rest. Once the element of competition has gone, pride has gone.” (Mere Christianity, New York: Macmillan, 1952, pp. 109–10.) …

The proud stand more in fear of men’s judgment than of God’s judgment. (See Doctrine & Covenants 3:6–7; Doctrine & Covenants 30:1–2; Doctrine & Covenants 60:2.) “What will men think of me?” weighs heavier than “What will God think of me?” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Ezra Taft Benson [2014], 233)

Watch “Pride and the Priesthood,” available on ChurchofJesusChrist.org, from time code 2:52 to 4:27 to see Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf, then of the First Presidency, explain what pride is not.

Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf, then of the First Presidency, explained:

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. (Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “Pride and the Priesthood,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2010, 56)

How can I resist the sin of pride?

Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explained:

Pride is the opposite of humility, which is a “willingness to submit to the will of the Lord” [see Preach My Gospel: A Guide to Missionary Service (2004), 120–21]. … Pride, however, can be swallowed in the Christlike attribute of humility. (Gary E. Stevenson, “Spiritual Eclipse,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2017, 47)

Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf, then a member of the First Presidency, gave the following counsel. Watch “Pride and the Priesthood,” available on ChurchofJesusChrist.org, from time code 13:26 to 15:05.

You may also want to watch “Elder and Sister Bednar—Pride” (3:10), which can be found on ChurchofJesusChrist.org, to see Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and Sister Bednar describe ways to overcome pride.

Supplemental Learning Activities

Jacob 2:17–19. The purpose of riches

Invite students to discuss how the world views the purpose of riches. Read Jacob 2:17–19, 1 Timothy 6:6–11, and Doctrine and Covenants 38:39. Discuss the Lord’s purposes for riches and how we can overcome the false ideas of the world. You could also discuss examples of people who view riches like the Lord does and how following these teachings can help us become more like the Savior.

Jacob 2:21. “The one being is as precious in his sight as the other”

Consider discussing how trying to see others as God does can help us overcome pride. Talk about how students’ families, communities, school, etc. would be different if everyone looked at others this way.

Thinking less about yourself

After students have studied Jacob 2:11–21, invite them to consider the importance of the Christlike attribute of humility and thinking less about themselves. Consider sharing the following statement from Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf, then of the First Presidency:

“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. It comes as we go about our work with an attitude of serving God and our fellowman” (“Pride and the Priesthood,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2010, 58).

Then invite students to share examples from the Savior’s life that impress them of times when He showed that He was thinking about others more than Himself. Ask students to create a plan for how they can follow the Savior’s example in this way on a daily basis.