Alma 32:16 reads, “Blessed are they who humble themselves without being compelled to be humble.” President Benson, in a May 1989 Ensign article titled, “Beware of Pride,” stated, “God will have a humble people. Either we can choose to be humble or we can be compelled to be humble.” In his talk, President Benson gave the perfect definition of what it means to have pride. He states that, “The central feature of pride is enmity – enmity toward God and enmity toward our fellowmen. Enmity means ‘hatred toward, hostility to, or a state of opposition.’” He explains that, “Pride is essentially competitive in nature.” When we choose to put our own wills ahead of the Lord’s will, we are directing our pride toward God.

As we focus our attention on what others think of us, instead of what God thinks of us, we are consumed with pride. President Benson states that, “The proud wish God would agree with them. They aren’t interested in changing their opinions to agree with God’s.” Unfortunately, we see this a lot in the world today, especially in politics. Pride “manifest(s) in so many ways, such as faultfinding, gossiping, backbiting, murmuring, living beyond our means, envying, coveting, withholding gratitude and praise that might lift another, and being unforgiving and jealous.” Too often, when contention surrounds us, we are quick to blame the other person involved and not look at our own mistakes. President Benson warns us that, “Another face of pride is contention… Contention in our families drives the Spirit of the Lord away.” Proverbs 13:10 reads, “Only by pride cometh contention.” Those who are filled with pride are often easily offended or hold grudges. They do not receive counsel or correction easily and use defensiveness to justify and rationalize their failures. “They won’t change their minds to accept truths, because to do so implies they have been wrong.” To conquer pride, President Benson counsels us to, “...yield ‘to the enticings of the Holy Spirit,’ put off the prideful ‘natural man,’ become ‘a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord,’ and become ‘as a child, submissive, meek, humble.’” (Mosiah 3:19)

President Ezra Taft Benson's entire talk "Beware of Pride," can be found here: https://www.lds.org/ensign/1989/05/beware-of-pride.p1?lang=eng