The gospel in words: 'Humility,' part 1

Editor's note: Second in a series on the "ity" words.

"(Unless they) consider themselves fools before God, and come down in the depths of humility, he will not open unto them." (2 Nephi 9:42)

"Humility" comes from the root word which means "of the earth." This is the same root for the word humus, which is complex soil made up in part of organic matter. Hence also, the Latin word for man, which is homo, hence "dust thou art." Though the Hebrew for man is not connected to the word earth, nevertheless "the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground" (Genesis 2:7).

Humility, or humble, is defined as "having a low estimate of one's importance, worthiness, or merits; marked by the absence of self-assertion or self-exaltation; lowly: the opposite of proud" (Oxford English Dictionary). Humility also has the sense of a lowly condition or someone who is modest and unpretentious.

It is interesting how often the word humility is used in connection with the word depth, as in, for example, King Benjamin's sermon calling on his listeners to "humble yourselves even in the depths of humility" (Mosiah 4:11). Depth has the sense of "considerable extension or distance downwards, or inwards; the inner part far from the surface or outside, a deep region of thought, feeling or being; the inmost, remotest, or extreme part" (OED).

In order to really be prepared to understand and do God's will and to be in a position for the Atonement to be effective in our lives, we truly need to view ourselves as did the hearers of King Benjamin's sermon in our "own carnal state, even less than the dust of the earth" (Mosiah 4:2). Interestingly, after hearing King Benjamin's words, the people fell to the earth. When Alma pleaded with his son Corianton to embrace the mercy and long suffering of God, he said that thought should bring Corianton "down to the dust of humility."

If we are not humble "the things of the wise and the prudent shall be hid" from us. Jacob teaches that the Lord will not open these things to us unless we come down in the depths of humility (2 Nephi 9:42-43). For only the humble will "see" and "hear" (Psalm 34:2; 69:32).

Since "he natural man receiveth not the things of the spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him" (1 Corinthians 2:14), it is necessary to put off the natural man. Humility is an indispensable antidote to the natural man (Mosiah 3:19). Putting off the natural man also requires "humbleness of mind" (Colossians 3:12). To truly approach God, we must "be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble" (1 Peter 5:5).

Next week: More on humility.