Saturday, November 22, 2008

Prideful Thoughts


A few years ago, or rather something like 9 years ago, while on my mission I was given a copy of the talk "Beware of Pride" by President Ezra Taft Benson, April 1989. I keep it tucked away in my scriptures and every now and then as I am flipping through the pages I will come across it and read it yet again. I will warn you though, it is not "light" reading. This talk is serious, no holding back, plain spoken doctrine that always leaves me feeling the need to make some changes in my life.

I read it again a couple of days ago and began thinking of the way that I so frequently use the word "proud" when referring to my children. In the talk President Benson said, "Pride is essentially competitive in nature." However, when referring to my children I am not trying to say that I think that my kids are better than anyone else and I would hope that I have never made anyone feel that way.

I have tried thinking of perhaps another way of expressing what I am really trying to say when I use the word "proud". I even thought of copying Heavenly Father's phraseology of his reference to his son, "This is My Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." But when I say the phrase, "I am so pleased with my children," it just doesn't seem to pack the same punch as saying, "I am so proud of my children."

For me, that particular phase conveys a compilation of emotions. When I look and think of my children my heart swells with feelings of joy, fulfillment, gratitude, love, and rejoicing that I am their mother and they are my children. So for now, since I can't seem to come up with a better phrase, just call me a sinner, because "I am so proud of my children."

2 comments:

The Sauls Family said...

It's interesting you bring this up, Katheryn. One of the LDS blogs I keep up with just did a post about the subject of pride a few days ago. You can find it here. Lots of great discussion in the comments.

C.S> Lewis called it "The Great Sin" which I think might be going a little to the extreme. I also think that it doesn't do us any good to get caught up in semantics, as language is constantly changing and evolving.

Honestly, no one in their right mind should judge you for saying you are proud of your children. If they do, the sin of pride becomes *their* sin.

Becky said...

Isn't there something about "righteous pride" though? You're not proud that you're this amazing mother (which you are, you're just humble about it). You're proud of your children for the things they're learning and doing. That's different than a selfish pride. And believe me, your sweet, wonderful children need you to be PROUD (in a righteous way, in their direction) of them for what they do and for who they are.

I think that when we become perfect, it will be easier to say pleased than proud, because it will mean something different coming from perfection. Heavenly Father is perfect and all-knowing, and hearing that He is pleased, means so much more because He IS perfect. How wonderful that a perfect being can be so pleased with us, who are so imperfect!