Humility

Make wordstrips describing what humility is and is not. For example, humility is: teachable, loving, dependent on the Lord, obedient to God, gracious. It is not: proud, arrogant, boastful, self-depreciating, weak, lacking confidence. Prepare a chart as follows:

As each person chooses a wordstrip, discuss what each means and place it in the appropriate column. Discuss the differences between being truly humble and belittling oneself.

Read Mosiah 4:19.

• In what way are we all beggars?

Explain that real humility begins when we understand our true relationship to Heavenly Father. When we know that we owe everything to him, we realize that our achievements and possessions are not our own.

• Does this mean we should belittle ourselves or feel worthless?

Point out that, knowing that we are important to our Heavenly Father and that he is willing to help us, we can be confident.

Together make a list of achievements and successes of the members of your family, including at least one for each person. For example, one child might have a musical talent or a gift for making friends. Perhaps someone has won a place on a sports team or written a beautiful poem. After you have finished this list, give a word of praise for each item on the list. You might mention how hard each person had to work for each achievement listed.

Ask each person to tell who is responsible for his achievement or ability. For example, a child might tell how he worked for the achievement he listed (for example, “It took a lot of time to learn how to play soccer well enough to make the team, and I had to miss out on a lot of other activities to practice”).

Then have him talk about other people who helped make his success possible (for example, “Dad taught me the rules of the game, and Mark practiced with me on Saturdays. Mom let my chores wait whenever I had a game”). Last, have him tell how Heavenly Father is ultimately responsible for this achievement (for example, “I can play soccer because Heavenly Father blessed me with a strong, healthy body. And our family has enough material blessings that I can afford to spend some time in such an enjoyable way”).

Point out that being humble does not mean denying our achievements. But it does mean acknowledging the source of our blessings. Challenge your family to develop a humble spirit by remembering that all good things in our lives come from Heavenly Father.

To help your family understand how the Savior showed humility, discuss these:

• Whom did he honor in all his actions? (See John 6:38 and John 5:30.)

• How did he treat everyone, including the poor, the sick, the lonely, the repentant sinner? (See Luke 4:18; Matthew 14:14; John 8:11.)

Have your family name other specific times when the Savior showed humility. (See Luke 23:1–9.)

Read the parable in Luke 18:9–14 and discuss how the differences between the Pharisee and the publican can help us define humility.

List things family members can do to develop Christlike humility. Set a goal and work on one thing at a time, individually or as a family.

To discover the great blessings the Lord has promised the humble, have each person read one or more of the following scriptures and tell what blessings the humble will receive: Doctrine and Covenants 112:10, 136:32, 67:10, 12:8, and D&C 1:28; 3 Nephi 12:2; Ether 12:26–27.

Have each person choose his favorite scripture, write it on a card, and decide at least one way he will practice humility during the coming week. Family members may wish to memorize their scripture.

Psalm 34:18 (The Lord is near those with broken hearts and contrite spirits.)

Isaiah 57:15 (The Lord dwells with those with humble spirits.)

Mosiah 4:11 (Humble yourselves and be steadfast in the faith.)

See also “Humility, Humble” in the Topical Guide.

“Father Up Above,” Children’s Songbook, p. 23.

“More Holiness Give Me,” Hymns, no. 131.

“In Humility, Our Savior,” Hymns, no. 172.