"And in the commencement of the sixty and seventh year the people began to grow exceedingly wicked again.
For behold, the Lord had blessed them so long with the riches of the world that they had not been stirred up to anger, to wars, nor to bloodshed; therefore they began to set their hearts upon their riches; yea, they began to seek to get gain that they might be lifted up one above another; therefore they began to commit secret murders, and to rob and to plunder, that they might get gain."
Helaman 6:16-17
It is both interesting and sad that we do this so often that we've named it the pride cycle. We repent, God blesses us, but then too long in prosperity makes us greedy and we start thinking too highly of ourselves, and we start descending into wickedness again, at which point things fall apart, we finally wake up and start to repent, and the cycle starts again.
So, how do we escape the cycle? I think a lot of it is what we've talked about before... just remembering. Remembering God, remembering to keep those habits in our lives that remind of of God and the gospel, and keep the spirit with us for guidance and peace. Read, ponder, maybe keep a journal of spiritual experiences, listen to some uplifting music? It's hard sometimes to choose the positive path rather than wallowing in the negativity a little... we want to complain and get some people to see our side, to feel justified, etc. But often it is better to let it go, get it out of our minds and hearts if there isn't anything we can do about it. Learn to heal.
Today, let's try breaking the cycle. Let's repent and get right with God, and then stay there rather than getting complacent and prideful and setting our hearts on things other than God. Little things can help us stay okay, if we listen to God's reminders to pray, to read our scriptures, to attend church, etc.
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