Pattern of Humility

Elder Joseph Sitati spoke about patterns of discipleship that will help us not to be deceived in the most recent general conference. One of those was humility, and he said this: “It is a lack of humility that contributes most to the fulfillment of the Apostle Paul’s prophecy in these last days: ‘For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good.’” He continued, “The invitation of the Savior to learn of Him is an invitation to turn away from the enticings of worldliness and to become as He is—meek and lowly of heart, humble.” Indeed, the absence of humility is at the root of so many problems in a world that sees pride as a strength and humility as a weakness. From politicians to sports stars to Hollywood celebrities, humility is overwhelmingly absent. But if we want to be like the Savior we have to choose humility and meekness above all else—and it is the only way to find the “joy which none receiveth save it be the truly penitent and humble seeker of happiness” (Alma 27:18).

               Elder Sitati also made this observation about humility: “All new disciples are required to demonstrate humility before God through the ordinance of baptism.” Baptism is a physical sign of being willing to lower ourselves even unto the dust of the earth. As we go through the act of baptism we show our willingness to humbly submit to the Lord in the way we go under the water and place ourselves near to the ground. Indeed in the modern-day revelation describing the manner of baptism we read, “All those who humble themselves before God, and desire to be baptized, and come forth with broken hearts and contrite spirits, and witness before the church that they have truly repented of all their sins, and are willing to take upon them the name of Jesus Christ, having a determination to serve him to the end, and truly manifest by their works that they have received of the Spirit of Christ unto the remission of their sins, shall be received by baptism into his church” (Doctrine and Covenants 20:37). Humility is the first requirement to be baptized and it is the basis for a broken heart and contrite spirit, ready to make a covenant with the Lord. And surely it is the basis for our weekly renewing of that covenant with the Lord each week as we partake of the sacrament. In the description of the sacrament among the Nephites, Moroni recorded, “The elder or priest did minister it—And they did kneel down with the church, and pray to the Father in the name of Christ, saying: O God, the Eternal Father, we ask thee in the name of thy Son, Jesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this bread to the souls of all those who partake of it” (Moroni 4:1-3). Here again a physical position of humility is taken to administer the sacrament: the priest and the church knelt down before the Lord to bless the emblems of the Lord’s supper. Today we don’t all kneel together during the sacrament since certainly many patrons would not be able to do so physically, but the priest does kneel representing us as he blesses the bread and water. We should remember that this is a powerful symbol of the humility that we should have before the Lord as we renew our covenants with Him, and as we listen to the words of the prayers we should kneel in our hearts before Him.