Judges and the Pride Cycle

The Book of Mormon identifies a societal pattern often called “The Pride Cycle.” In short, prosperity leads to pride, which results in destruction, which prompts humility. And the cycle repeats. The pattern appears many times in the book, notably in Helaman 10-11, followed by a brief description of the pattern by Mormon:

We can see that the Lord in his great infinite goodness doth bless and prosper those who put their trust in him.
Yea, and we may see at the very time when he doth prosper his people, … then is the time that they do harden their hearts, and do forget the Lord their God, and do trample under their feet the Holy One—yea, and this because of their ease, and their exceedingly great prosperity.
And thus we see that except the Lord doth chasten his people with many afflictions, yea, except he doth visit them with death and with terror, and with famine and with all manner of pestilence, they will not remember him.

Helaman 12:1-3

Here’s the pattern in diagrammatic form:

This pattern appears many times in the book of Judges, signaled by a set of repeated refrains:

1. Pride: “The children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and forgat the Lord their God” (Judges 3:7).
2. Destruction: “Therefore the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of…” (Judges 3:8).
3. Humility: “The children of Israel cried unto the Lord” (Judges 3:9).
4. Prosperity: “The land had rest” (Judges 3:11).

On paper, the cycle looks like a continuously repeating pattern, but in practice, it descends toward chaos. In both the Book of Mormon and Judges, each iteration of the cycle gets worse. The destruction is more devastating and the prosperity less durable. It’s a vicious cycle, not a neutral one: a downward spiral.

But as Mormon shows several times, there is an offramp, and it is located at prosperity:

Multiple times in Mormon’s narrative, the Nephites broke the cycle. They managed to remain humble even in their prosperity. One example occurs at the end of the Great War between the Nephites and the Lamanites:

Notwithstanding their riches, or their strength, or their prosperity, they were not lifted up in the pride of their eyes; neither were they slow to remember the Lord their God; but they did humble themselves exceedingly before him. …
And they did pray unto the Lord their God continually, insomuch that the Lord did bless them, according to his word, so that they did wax strong and prosper in the land.

Alma 62:49, 51

The Book of Mormon, like Judges, shows us many occurrences of the Pride Cycle. Unlike Judges, it also provides the answer. Prosperity need not lead to pride. With intentional effort, we can remain humble even when the Lord has blessed us abundantly. As we remember the source of our blessings, He will continue to bless and prosper us.

Today, I will rise above the Pride Cycle. I will intentionally cultivate an attitude of humility by expressing gratitude to God in prayer.