Helaman 11–12

The Pride Cycle

One of the patterns throughout the Book of Mormon is that people tend to forget God and become prideful when things are going well for them. On the other hand, people tend to humble themselves and turn to God when things are difficult. Have you noticed this pattern in society or in your life? This lesson can help you feel a greater desire to increase in humility toward God.

Help students learn from scriptural patterns. There are patterns throughout the scriptures in attitudes and behaviors, doctrinal themes, and scriptural language. By emphasizing these patterns, you can help students recognize significant doctrine and principles. Encourage them to apply what they learn with the help of these patterns.

Student preparation: Consider inviting students to read President Ezra Taft Benson’s April 1989 general conference talk titled “Beware of Pride.” This talk can be found on Gospel Library or in Ensign, May 1989, 7–12.

Possible Learning Activities

Patterns

Look at the following numbers. In 30 seconds, find as many numbers as you can in numerical order, beginning with “1.”

The following activity is intended to demonstrate the value of identifying patterns. Display the image or write the numbers on the board, following the pattern explained below.

• How many numbers were you able to find in 30 seconds? Did you notice a pattern to where the numbers are located?

If students noticed a pattern, invite them to share it. If students did not notice the pattern described in the following paragraph, teach it to them. Point out the first several numbers in order as examples.

There is a pattern to the numbers on the chart. If you insert a vertical and a horizontal line in the center of the chart to create four equal quadrants, you will find that the numbers follow a clockwise pattern, like the arrow shows. For example, “1” is in the top left quadrant, “2” is in the top right, and so on.

Take 30 more seconds to redo the challenge and see the difference it makes to follow the pattern.

You may want to invite students to share if they improved and by how much.

• What is the value of identifying patterns such as this?

Being able to identify patterns is a skill that can enhance your scripture study. Doing so can help you better apply what is in the scriptures to your life.

In today’s lesson, you are going to learn about a pattern often referred to as the pride cycle. As you study, think about how that pattern may be happening in your own life and what you can do to avoid pride and increase in humility.

The pride cycle

You might remember that the prophet Nephi was diligent and sought only to do the Lord’s will. As a result, the Lord blessed him with great power and promised that “all things would be done according to [his] word” (Helaman 10:5). The events that occurred after Nephi was granted this power can help us see an example of the pride cycle among the Nephites.

Consider displaying the following diagram and inviting students to draw something similar in their study journal.

Consider splitting students into groups of four. Have each student complete the following activity for one of the phases of the pride cycle. Students could then share their findings with group members and mark their scriptures for each phase of the pride cycle. Groups could also discuss the question that follows.

Read the scripture passages in the diagram, beginning with Helaman 10:13–15. Look for words or phrases that describe the phase of the pride cycle the people were in. Consider marking those words and phrases and writing the name of the phase in the margins of your scriptures next to the corresponding verses.

• Why can it be helpful for us to be aware of this pattern?

Think about where you see yourself in this pattern. As you continue to study, think about how you can increase in humility and reliance upon the Lord.

Learning from the pride cycle

Rather than summarizing the following verses, you could invite a few volunteers to read them aloud to the class.

After the Lord lifted the famine, the people prospered. However, within just a few years, the people again became prideful and experienced war and affliction (see Helaman 11:21–33). They were stirred up to remember God but quickly fell into pride and wickedness again (see Helaman 11:34–38).

You might have noticed from your study of the Book of Mormon that there are instances when the prophet Mormon paused his narration of certain accounts to identify lessons we can learn. He would often use phrases such as “thus we see” or “thus we can behold.”

Write the phrase And thus we can behold … on the board. Invite multiple students to share their responses to the following question.

• Based on what you have studied about the Nephites in Helaman 11, how would you complete this statement: “And thus we can behold …”?

Read Helaman 12:1–6, looking for some of the conclusions Mormon made after sharing this account.

• Why do you think people who are prosperous sometimes forget the Lord?

• How can a person avoid or skip the pride and suffering portions of the pride cycle (boxes 1 and 2)?

As part of the discussion of the previous question, you could invite students to read Alma 62:48–51 and notice how a group of Nephites were able to avoid pride and its consequences.

Write the following truth on the board. You might also consider drawing arrows on the pride cycle diagram that go from box 4 back to box 3.

A truth that can help us remain in the better parts of this cycle is if we choose to remember the Lord, humble ourselves, and repent, we can avoid pride and its consequences.

Invite students to think of several answers to the following question. You could give multiple students a marker and invite them to write one answer on the board. Or students could make a list in their study journals and then share their responses.

It may also be helpful to share some or all of the statements in “Commentary and Background Information” as part of this discussion.

• What can we do that will help us remember the Lord and avoid pride?

Evaluate yourself

Think about how the truths you have studied today relate to you. The following self-assessment can help with this. Rate your efforts in the following areas on a scale from 1 to 5, with 1 being “never” and 5 being “always.”

You might display the questions and give students quiet time to reflect and evaluate themselves on each question in their study journal. It could also be beneficial for students to come up with their own set of questions they could use to evaluate themselves about pride. Do not ask the students to share their responses.

1. Do you feel and express gratitude to God and others?

2. Do you make time for God each day?

3. Do you feel like your successes are the result of your own efforts?

4. Do you seek God’s help and guidance in your life?

5. Do you treat others with kindness and respect?

6. Do you criticize others or exercise unrighteous judgments toward them?

Commentary and Background Information

How can I avoid pride and stay humble?

President Henry B. Eyring of the First Presidency taught:

We so easily forget that we came into life with nothing. Whatever we get soon seems our natural right, not a gift. And we forget the giver. Then our gaze shifts from what we have been given to what we don’t have yet. …

Confronting death and difficulty does return memory and therefore gratitude to righteous people as well as the wicked. But there must be another way to remember, one we can choose. …

You can choose to remember the greatest gift of all. Next week, you can go to a meeting where the sacrament is administered. You will hear the words, “Always remember him.” You can pledge to do that, and the Holy Ghost will help you. (Henry B. Eyring, “Remembrance and Gratitude,” Ensign, Nov. 1989, 12, 13)

Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught:

Our Heavenly Father wants us to recall His and His Beloved Son’s goodness, not for Their own gratification but for the influence such remembrance has on us. By considering Their kindness, our perspective and understanding are enlarged. By reflecting on Their compassion, we become more humble, prayerful, and steadfast. (Dale G. Renlund, “Consider the Goodness and Greatness of God,” Liahona, May 2020, 41)

Elder Wilford W. Andersen of the Seventy explained:

When it seems like we can do no wrong, when all is going well, if instead of becoming proud we become thankful, then we will exit the pride cycle. But … we will exit upward toward God. To exit the pride cycle … , we must recognize that every blessing we receive comes from Heavenly Father. He is the source of all that is good in our lives—the fount of every blessing. … Fill your heart with gratitude for His merciful kindness. Treasure and follow the counsel of His servants. Your gratitude will inoculate you against pride and make a way for your escape from the pride cycle. (Wilford W. Andersen, “The Pride Cycle” [Brigham Young University devotional, Nov. 7, 2017], 5–6, speeches.byu.edu)

Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught what humility is and how it can help us overcome pride.

Supplemental Learning Activities

Alternate way to teach the pride cycle

Rather than showing students the steps of the pride cycle, you could list the scripture references for each of the steps and invite students to try to identify the four steps based on what they studied.

Other places the pride cycle is manifest

You may wish to let students practice identifying the pattern of the pride cycle in other parts of the Book of Mormon. You could invite them to select one of the following passages and look for the four parts of the pride cycle.

• 3 Nephi 1:20–23, 27–30; 2:1–3

• Ether 6:16–18; 7:20, 23–27

Beware of pride

Students could read part or all of President Ezra Taft Benson’s April 1989 general conference talk titled “Beware of Pride.” You could ask students to share what stood out to them from President Benson’s teachings. They could discuss what they learned about what it means to have pride, as well as how we can increase in humility.