Today's Favorite Verse: Acts 28:27 "For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them."
Why would anyone want to not see, hear and known and be converted? Do you intentionally do this? As I pondered on this and thought of people I knew that have done this. I thought yes, it is intentional for them. They don't want to see truth because that would mean they need to change. Pride is another reason they do not want to see, especially when they have openly persecuted the church. Thinking about this made me read 4 Nephi and how they did not dwindle in unbelief, but willfully rebel against the gospel of Christ. Yes, their hearts had waxed gross. It is my constant prayer that this never happens to me. I know how precious it is to have eyes that see and ears that hear, and know and understand.
Today's Favorite Verse: Luke 14:11 "For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted."
Jesus went to the chief Pharisees house to eat bread on the sabbath day. They were watching him and saw him heal a man of dropsy. Then Jesus explains that when you are invited to a wedding to not sit down at the highest room, or place next to the host. He explains that when you assume you are the highest place that you may be asked to move, being replaced by someone more honorable. That you should sit at the lowest place and be invited to come up. Then He speaks of not exalting yourself for you will be humbled. This made me reflect on President Benson talk on Pride. There sure is an issue with pride right now.
"Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall." (Proverbs 16:18)
Today's Favorite Verse: Matthew 27:3-4 "Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that."
What did Judas think was going to happen when he turned Jesus over to the chief priests and elders? This is the first time I thought of Judas and his motivation. It wasn't until Judas saw Jesus was condemned that he appears to wake to his awful situation of having betrayed Him. Did he think he would get money for turning Jesus over and Jesus was going to provide a miracle to get out of the situation? Did the chief priests and elders tell Judas something that made him think turning Jesus over wouldn't mean his death? Judas had asked them to lead him away safely.
"And he that betrayed him had given them a token, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he; take him, and lead him away safely." (Mark 14:44)
It's all very curious and something the scriptures do not say. Only Judas could tell that story and he hanged himself before speaking to the other apostles. The chief priests and elders would never tell anyone if they had deceived Judas on their intent.
Thinking about it, it makes more sense why at the last super when Jesus said "that one of you shall betray me", that Judas asked "Master, is it I?" That makes me think Judas didn't think he was betraying Christ. So I ask myself what can we learn from Judas?
As I reflected on this I think Judas' words are the best to ask ourselves, "is it I?" We should never be so prideful to not think we could fall. We must ever be watchful. Don't associate with those that would destroy your faith in Christ. We should counsel with the Lord if the path does not see clear. When Jesus said one would betray him, how different the story would have been if Judas had recognize himself. There were warnings to be careful and opportunities for Judas to change direction.
Today's Favorite Verse: Matthew 15:8-9 "This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men."
I had a few examples of people that came to mind that fit this. Then I thought about how this can apply to more people than I realize. All walks of life are not immune from vain worship. It is something we all have to guard against. I can't see the inside of a person and know what's going on. Now they do at times give themselves away by pride or being hypocrites. The most telling thing is when they teach the doctrines of men. That is also the most dangerous to me. That is why I am continually pondering and learning about the gospel of Jesus Christ and his doctrine. I don't want to be deceived.
Today's Favorite Verse: Obadiah 1:3-4 "The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground? Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the LORD."
Pride goeth before the fall. Pride is the most basic of tools the adversary possess. He can crack the protective shell around a righteous person by tell them how righteous they are. Now more than ever we need humility and the spirit to guide us, so we are not deceived. These two points remind me of President Oaks recent talk.
"I feel to emphasize the warning President Russell M. Nelson issued us: that “in coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost.” One of the many reasons you will need the constant influence of the Holy Ghost is that you live in a season in which the adversary has become so effective at disguising truth that if you don’t have the Holy Ghost, you will be deceived. Many obstacles lie ahead. The distractions will be many. Even active members may sometimes have concerns about some historical, doctrinal, or social issues connected with the Church. I want to help all our members overcome present or future doubts. Whatever those doubts, the way to overcome them is to get closer to our Savior Jesus Christ. Again and again, He has taught us that He is the way. III. Four Ways to Draw Closer to Our Savior I share four impressions that will draw us closer to our Savior: • First, strengthen our faith in Him. • Second, increase our humility. • Third, seek help from others. • Fourth, be patient. (Dallin H. Oaks, president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, delivered this BYU devotional address on February 10, 2026)
Today's Favorite Verse: Jeremiah 38:19 "And Zedekiah the king said unto Jeremiah, I am afraid of the Jews that are fallen to the Chaldeans, lest they deliver me into their hand, and they mock me."
Jeremiah tells Zedekiah what he must do, that if he goes now to the Chaldeans he will live. Instead of obeying the prophet, who's words Zedekiah implied he wanted to hear, he says instead that he can't. He's afraid the Jews there will mock him. Even though the prophet tells him what will happen to Jerusalem, his women and children, it seems the fear of being mocked has a greater pull on him. I pondered on pride and faith, both can't exist at the same time. Either Zedekiah lost his pride and followed the prophet's words, or he doubted the prophet and would lose his life. Sadly, Zedekiah pride ruled over faith and he lost his life.
Today's Favorite Verse: Isaiah 14:12-15 "How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit."
This is how Lucifer became Satan, the devil. It was vanity and pride, he felt he should be exalted higher than God. Pride is the ultimate tool that Satan uses to destroy man. It is by pride that man will stoop to all the imaginations of his heart and no longer feel after God. As I was pondering on this it was the first time I realized that in the pre-existence we all had weaknesses. No wonder both God and the devil know us so well.
Today's Favorite Verse: Isaiah 2:12 "For the day of the LORD of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low:"
I've been reflecting on pride every since President Oaks speech the other day at the BYU Devotional. I had an interesting thing happen after that speech. I happened to read a post on social media from a friend of mine. We have the same faith, pray to the same God, attend the same church, read the scriptures, attend the temple, and are both trying to be good people. I know they are a good person, yet, they see and feel completely different on social and political matters than me. What I see them posting I just can't understand how they see things that way, and I've tried. As time has gone on their posts have gotten louder and bolder. I am sure they feel they are doing a good thing with their posts. I never reply because I don't feel I need to, or should.
Then I saw their post on President Oaks' talk and the warning about being deceived. From that talk they boldly warned people about listening and watching propaganda, accepting lies as truths. Basically, they took President Oaks warning of being deceived to heart and felt anyone that didn't see things the way they did were the ones being deceived. I found it so interesting because from afar they would be speaking of me.
So, then I had this question come to me, "How can two people trying to take the Holy Ghost as our guide see things do differently?" How can we both be sure we are receiving personal revelation and right? Then the spirit brought to my remembrance that President Oaks spoke about being humble. That is the difference on who truly is listening to the Holy Ghost as their guide. I need to sincerely keep asking that my eyes are open, and that my ears are hearing, and seek for understanding. Then with that understanding I will be guided if I need to change course and direction. If we are not humble and teachable we will be unable to change course or admit we've been deceived. It is the pride of this world that causes man to stumble. Pride is what stops a man from accepting revelation when it is right in front of them, and instead follow the whisperings of their own heart. That was such a powerful lesson from the Holy Ghost, and a confirmation that President Oaks is truly a prophet of God and spoke the word of the Lord. Humility is a shield and protection in the days we live in. I wish I could quote his whole talk but this is what stood out.
"I feel to emphasize the warning President Russell M. Nelson issued us: that “in coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost.” One of the many reasons you will need the constant influence of the Holy Ghost is that you live in a season in which the adversary has become so effective at disguising truth that if you don’t have the Holy Ghost, you will be deceived. Many obstacles lie ahead. The distractions will be many. Even active members may sometimes have concerns about some historical, doctrinal, or social issues connected with the Church. ...increased humility draws us closer to Jesus Christ. This will help us overcome questions about the Lord’s doctrine. When we are humble, we can more clearly hear the Lord’s voice. President Ezra Taft Benson .. said, “Humility responds to God’s will—to the fear of His judgments and to the needs of those around us.” President Spencer W. Kimball defined humility as “teachableness.” He explained: Humility is teachableness—an ability to realize that all virtues and abilities are not concentrated in one’s self. . . . . . .Humility is never accusing nor contentious. . . . Humility is repentant and seeks not to justify its follies. It is forgiving others in the realization that there may be errors of the same kind or worse [that we ourselves commit]. . . .Humility makes no bid for popularity and notoriety; demands no honors. To have humility is one of the powerful commandments we have been given to guide us in our mortal journey. It prepares us for our appointed meeting with our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ. Take care not to become distracted. Remember His parable of the ten virgins. We want to be among the five humble ones who were admitted to the presence of the Lord." (Dallin H. Oaks, "Coming Closer to Jesus Christ", BYU Devotional, 10 Feb 2026)
Today's Favorite Verse: Psalms 10:2, 6 "The wicked in his pride doth persecute the poor: let them be taken in the devices that they have imagined. He hath said in his heart, I shall not be moved: for I shall never be in adversity."
I pondered on why the wicked hated the poor? The poor would have no power over them. As I was going over this and other chapters I realized to see the poor is to fear being poor. That is why in their pride they say "I shall never be in adversity." They puff themselves up that they are better, and what better way to show that than to oppress the poor for their poverty. The wicked are also liars to themselves. They do not want to think that "there but for the grace of God go I."
Today's Favorite Verse: Esther 3:5-6 "And when Haman saw that Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence, then was Haman full of wrath. And he thought scorn to lay hands on Mordecai alone; for they had shewed him the people of Mordecai: wherefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews that were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even the people of Mordecai."
Haman was not just wicked because of his pride, he was evil. To be wicked you are morally wrong in a principle. To be evil you have a plan or passion to hurt someone. In this case because Mordecai would not bow down to him he plotted to kill all Jews. With Haman I see the warning to be aware of pride, that can grow into revenge and pure evil.
Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Samuel 15:24 "And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned: for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD, and thy words: because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice."
This is the driving force that caused Saul to disobey the word of the Lord and do what he thought was right in his own eyes. It was a fear of the people and not God. He loved the adoration of the people and wanted to look big in their eyes. It was pride. It was pride that made him offer burnt offerings when he had no authority to do so. It was pride that made him keep the spoils of war against the Lord's command, and then try to justify it by giving them as offerings. It is because of pride and disobedience that the Lord rent the kingdom from him.
"Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall." (Proverbs 16:18)
"Perhaps the greatest obstacle to our ability to hearken courageously to the word of the Lord involves our egos, vain ambitions, and pride. It seems that the proud find it burdensome to hear and accept the instruction of God. We are told in Proverbs that “pride goeth before destruction”. The proud are more anxious about man’s judgment than they are of God’s judgment." (H. David Burton, "Courage to Hearken", Apr 1994 General Conference)
"And behold, how oft you have transgressed the commandments and the laws of God, and have gone on in the persuasions of men. For, behold, you should not have feared man more than God. Although men set at naught the counsels of God, and despise his words—" (Doctrine and Covenants 3:6-7)
Today's Favorite Verse: Doctrine & Covenants 3:4 "For although a man may have many revelations, and have power to do many mighty works, yet if he boasts in his own strength, and sets at naught the counsels of God, and follows after the dictates of his own will and carnal desires, he must fall and incur the vengeance of a just God upon him."
The made me think of pride and humility. I have often thought that the only tool the adversary has to crack the shell around a righteous man is to tell him he is so righteous. It is the loss of humility that will crumble him. The proud care more about what others think of them than God's judgment. Part of what Joseph needed to learn was spiritual maturity, something that must be experienced first hand to learn from.
"Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall." (Proverbs 16:18)
"We are here on earth to gain experience we can obtain in no other way. We are given the opportunity to grow, to develop, and to gain spiritual maturity. To do that, we must learn to apply truth. How we face challenges and resolve difficult problems is crucially important to our happiness." (Richard G. Scott, "Learning to Recognize Answers to Prayers", Oct 1989 General Conference)
Today's Favorite Verse: Mormon 8:34-35 "Behold, the Lord hath shown unto me great and marvelous things concerning that which must shortly come, at that day when these things shall come forth among you. Behold, I speak unto you as if ye were present, and yet ye are not. But behold, Jesus Christ hath shown you unto me, and I know your doing."
I pondered on Moroni seeing Joseph Smith's time and our day. Moroni went on to make an abridgment of the Jaredite record, and what would become the sealed portion of the Book of Mormon for us later. He would see the growth of the world wide church in my day. What marvelous inventions he would see that furthered the gospel message. As he is talking about the condition of men walking in their pride, and suffering the needy, hungry, and sick to pass by, he was also seeing us. The church does wonderful humanitarian things, but the hearts of men can do far more. This year, more than ever, I have understood how well they saw our day.
"The second great reason why we must make the Book of Mormon a center focus of study is that it was written for our day. The Nephites never had the book; neither did the Lamanites of ancient times. It was meant for us. Mormon wrote near the end of the Nephite civilization. Under the inspiration of God, who sees all things from the beginning, he abridged centuries of records, choosing the stories, speeches, and events that would be most helpful to us. Each of the major writers of the Book of Mormon testified that he wrote for future generations. Nephi said: “The Lord God promised unto me that these things which I write shall be kept and preserved, and handed down unto my seed, from generation to generation” (2 Ne. 25:21). His brother Jacob, who succeeded him, wrote similar words: “For [Nephi] said that the history of his people should be engraven upon his other plates, and that I should preserve these plates and hand them down unto my seed, from generation to generation” (Jacob 1:3). Enos and Jarom both indicated that they too were writing not for their own peoples but for future generations (see Enos 1:15–16, Jarom 1:2). Mormon himself said, “Yea, I speak unto you, ye remnant of the house of Israel” (Morm. 7:1). And Moroni, the last of the inspired writers, actually saw our day and time. “Behold,” he said, “the Lord hath shown unto me great and marvelous things concerning that which must shortly come, at that day when these things shall come forth among you.“Behold, I speak unto you as if ye were present, and yet ye are not. But behold, Jesus Christ hath shown you unto me, and I know your doing” (Morm. 8:34–35). If they saw our day and chose those things which would be of greatest worth to us, is not that how we should study the Book of Mormon? We should constantly ask ourselves, “Why did the Lord inspire Mormon (or Moroni or Alma) to include that in his record? What lesson can I learn from that to help me live in this day and age?” (Ezra Taft Benson, "The Book of Mormon - Keystone of Our Religion", Oct 1986 General Conference)
I have asked myself this while studying the Book of Mormon with my family and personally this year. I have seen so many examples of why certain stories were included as a warning to us. Mormon and Moroni absolutely knew what needed to be included.
Today's Favorite Verse: Helaman 3:1, 36 "And now it came to pass in the forty and third year of the reign of the judges, there was no contention among the people of Nephi save it were a little pride which was in the church, which did cause some little dissensions among the people, which affairs were settled in the ending of the forty and third year. And it came to pass that the fifty and second year ended in peace also, save it were the exceedingly great pride which had gotten into the hearts of the people; and it was because of their exceedingly great riches and their prosperity in the land; and it did grow upon them from day to day."
At the start of the chapter there is a little pride. By the end of the chapter there is exceedingly great pride. They had peace without war, riches and prosperity, and they yet were effected with the greatest of Satan's tools, pride. That is something every human being that walks this earth has to learn to overcome. It is something that constantly has to be monitored within us. Pride is my greatest fear.
"At this point you may be thinking that this message would really help someone you know. Perhaps you are hoping that it will help him or her to be nicer to you. I hope it will! But I also hope that you will look deeply into your heart to see if there are shards of pride or jealousy that prevent you from becoming a peacemaker." (Russell M. Nelson, "Peacemakers Needed", Apr 2023 General Conference)
Today's Favorite Verse: Helaman 1:31-32 "And now, behold, the Lamanites could not retreat either way, neither on the north, nor on the south, nor on the east, nor on the west, for they were surrounded on every hand by the Nephites. And thus had Coriantumr plunged the Lamanites into the midst of the Nephites, insomuch that they were in the power of the Nephites, and he himself was slain, and the Lamanites did yield themselves into the hands of the Nephites."
I pondered on what would cause the Lamanites to drive themselves into the heart of the Nephite land to overtake it? They would be surrounded on every side. Then it occurred to me, it was pride, arrogance, and greed. In their pride they could be as open and bold as they wanted. They thought they could not be overpowered. They, like most overcome with pride, were defeated.
"Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud." (Proverbs 16:18-19)
"Therefore, if we are not faithful and obedient, we can transform the God-given blessing of prosperity into a prideful curse that diverts and distracts us from eternal truths and vital spiritual priorities. We always must be on guard against a pride-induced and exaggerated sense of self-importance, a misguided evaluation of our own self-sufficiency, and seeking self instead of serving others. As we pridefully focus upon ourselves, we also are afflicted with spiritual blindness and miss much, most, or perhaps all that is occurring within and around us. We cannot look to and focus upon Jesus Christ as the “mark” if we only see ourselves."... "The prophet Mormon observed, “The more part of the people [remained] in their pride and wickedness, and the lesser part [walked] more circumspectly before God... "May I suggest that if you or I believe we are sufficiently strong and stalwart to avoid the arrogance of pride, then perhaps we already are suffering from this deadly spiritual disease. Simply stated, if you or I do not believe we could be afflicted with and by pride, then we are vulnerable and in spiritual danger. In the space of not many days, weeks, months, or years, we might forfeit our spiritual birthright for far less than a mess of pottage” (David A. Bednar, "In the Space of Not Many Years", Oct 2024)
Today's Favorite Verse: Alma 39:14 "Seek not after riches nor the vain things of this world; for behold, you cannot carry them with you."
President Oaks explains what vain things of the world are. "The “vain things of [the] world” include every combination of that worldly quartet of property, pride, prominence, and power. As to all of these, the scriptures remind us that “you cannot carry them with you” We should be seeking the kind of treasures the scriptures promise the faithful: “great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures” (Dallin H. Oaks, "Focus and Priorities", Apr 2001 General Conference)
I have also been reflecting on President Nelson's General Conference talk.
"Come unto Christ and “offer your whole [soul]” to Him. This is the secret to a life of joy! The best is yet to come, my dear brothers and sisters, because the Savior is coming again! The best is yet to come because the Lord is hastening His work. The best is yet to come as we fully turn our hearts and our lives to Jesus Christ." (Russell M. Nelson, "The Lord Jesus Christ Will Come Again", Oct 2024 General Conference)
If one's focus is on the vain things of the world there is no way you could "offer your whole soul to Him". When we fully turn our hearts and lives to Jesus Christ that is something we truly can take with us.
Today's Favorite Verse: Alma 31:24-25, 35 Now when Alma saw this his heart was grieved; for he saw that they were a wicked and a perverse people; yea, he saw that their hearts were set upon gold, and upon silver, and upon all manner of fine goods. Yea, and he also saw that their hearts were lifted up unto great boasting, in their pride. Behold, O Lord, their souls are precious, and many of them are our brethren; therefore, give unto us, O Lord, power and wisdom that we may bring these, our brethren, again unto thee."
Alma having heard that the Zoramites were perverting the ways of the Lord, has his heart begin to sicken. His heart is sorrowful for them. He gathers others to go with him to preach to the Zoramites. What they witness of the Zoramites manner of worship astonished them beyond all measure. Even though their gross wickedness grieves Alma he prays for them. He looks upon them as children of our Heavenly Father. They need to be saved. Alma does all that he can. I think that is a good lesson. That even though some people's sins may sicken us to our cores, we still pray for them. We still try to be there to turn their hearts. We don't mock, belittle, make fun or condemn them. We pray for them, and try to do what the Lord would have us do for them. Truly every soul is precious.
Today's Favorite Verse: Mosiah 19:7-8, 11 "And now the king cried out in the anguish of his soul, saying: Gideon, spare me, for the Lamanites are upon us, and they will destroy us; yea, they will destroy my people. And now the king was not so much concerned about his people as he was about his own life; nevertheless, Gideon did spare his life. Now it came to pass that the king commanded them that all the men should leave their wives and their children, and flee before the Lamanites."
I pondered on how the example of a wicked leader is shown us with king Noah. When first introduced to him we are told he did not keep the commandments of God, and walked in the desire of his own heart. He was morally bankrupt, spending time with his wives and concubines. He was vain, and spoke flattering words. He was a wine-bibber. He built many elegant and spacious buildings and covered them in gold and other precious things. He also encouraged his people to sin. He removed priests consecrated by his father and setup new ones lifted up in the pride of their hearts. They became idolatrous. King Noah's heart was so hardened he would not listen to a prophet and instead killed him.
This chapter shows how he only cared about preserving his life and not his people. He cared nothing about the women and children and commanded the men to leave and flee without them. Some men, like his son Limhi, loved their wives and children and would not abandon them to the Lamanites. The love of family preserved all of their lives. However, the men that at first fled with king Noah and his priests became angry when commanded not to return to their families. In that anger they fulfilled Abinadi's prophesy and king Noah suffered death by fire. Sadly, justice did not come to the priests because they had escaped. There are many important lessons from watching a king Limhi. It's best that they are never supported to begin with.
"For behold, how much iniquity doth one wicked king cause to be committed, yea, and what great destruction! And behold, now I say unto you, ye cannot dethrone an iniquitous king save it be through much contention, and the shedding of much blood. " (Mosiah 29:17, 21)
Today's Favorite Verse: Jarom 1:3 "Behold, it is expedient that much should be done among this people, because of the hardness of their hearts, and the deafness of their ears, and the blindness of their minds, and the stiffness of their necks; nevertheless, God is exceedingly merciful unto them, and has not as yet swept them off from the face of the land."
I had this note added to this verse, "Parents & family picking up returning missionaries during COVID-19". It reminded me of how the church gave guidelines for returning missionaries during the pandemic, which included a 14-day self isolation. After the first arrivals we watched horrific news broadcasts that showed families swarming the airport to welcome them home. It was so embarrassing for all of us, especially the church. The families had been told the returning missionaries needed to self isolate for 14-days upon arrival. It was crazy how families ignored it and brought huge groups to welcome them home. The Church and governor had to both reprimand them and set up even stricter guidelines. When we think rules don't apply to us and that we can ignore them, then we are showing a hardened heart, deafness, blindness and stiff necks, which is absolute pride and arrogance. It showed me how you may think you are doing a "good thing" but in reality you are showing behavior totally unbecoming a saint.
