Murmuring

Neal A. Maxwell

General Conference - October 1989

Of course there are ways provided—formal and informal—for expressing legitimate concerns and complaints, and for doing so productively. These avenues often go unused, especially if one’s real desire is to parade his discontent. Letting off steam always produces more heat than light. True, we may merely gripe or grumble in a passing way. We may even do it cleverly. Still, even mild murmuring can be more pointed than we may care to admit.

.... individuals may acknowledge God, but they criticize his ways. We want things to be done in our ways, even though our ways are much lower ways.

View the complete talk HERE

Contention - Pride

President Ezra Taft Benson

General Conference - April 1989

Another face of pride is contention. Arguments, fights, unrighteous dominion, generation gaps, divorces, spouse abuse, riots, and disturbances all fall into this category of pride.

Contention in our families drives the Spirit of the Lord away. It also drives many of our family  members away. Contention ranges from a hostile spoken word to worldwide conflicts. The scriptures tell us that “only by pride cometh contention.”

The scriptures testify that the proud are easily offended and hold grudges. They withhold forgiveness to keep another in their debt and to justify their injured feelings.

The proud do not recieve counsel or correction easily. Defensiveness is used by them to justify and rationalize their frailties and failures.

View the complete talk HERE

Contention is of the Devil

Elder Bruce R. McConkie

Mormon Doctrine pg. 161

DNTC   vol. 3 pg. 105

The Life and Teachings of Jesus & His Apostles

(Institute Student Manual) pg. 376

Contention and division are of the devil. Agreement and unity are of God. Since true religion comes by revelation, man’s sole purpose in trying to understand and interpret gospel principles should be to find out what the Lord means in any given revelation. This knowledge can be gained only by the power of the Spirit. Hence, there is no occasion to debate, to argue, to contend, to champion one cause as against another. Those who have the Spirit do not hang doggedly to a point of doctrine or philosophy for no other reason than to come off victorious in a disagreement. Their purpose, rather, is to seek truth by investigation, research, and inspiration.