God will have a humble people. Either we can choose to be humble

Hear the solemn and piercing words of Ezra Taft Benson, a prophet and servant of God, who declared: “God will have a humble people. Either we can choose to be humble, or we can be compelled to be humble.” These words fall like thunder upon the proud heart, yet they carry within them the gentle rain of mercy. In them is revealed an eternal truth: that humility is not optional in the kingdom of God—it is inevitable. For the soul that will not bend by choice will one day be bowed by circumstance, and the heart that refuses to yield in gratitude will one day break under the weight of its own pride. Benson’s message is both warning and invitation: to kneel willingly before the Almighty, rather than wait for the world to drive us to our knees.

The origin of this quote comes from President Benson’s sermon “Beware of Pride,” delivered in 1989 during his service as President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He spoke to a generation drowning in self-sufficiency, blinded by success, and deceived by the illusion of control. He saw in the pride of men the root of every spiritual decay—the rebellion of Lucifer, the fall of Adam, the destruction of nations. In that inspired discourse, he warned that pride is the great stumbling block of humanity, the enemy of love and the gateway to destruction. Against that arrogance of heart, God sets the eternal remedy: humility, which restores order to the soul and peace to the world.

To say, “Either we can choose to be humble, or we can be compelled to be humble,” is to acknowledge that life itself is the school of humility. The wise learn early through repentance, gratitude, and service; the foolish learn late, through suffering, loss, and defeat. Yet all must learn. For God will have a humble people, not because He delights in their lowliness, but because only the humble can be taught, healed, and exalted. The proud heart is closed like a stone, but the humble heart is fertile soil where faith and compassion grow. God does not punish to humiliate; He allows the storms of life to break our pride, so that humility may take root and bring forth peace.

Consider the tale of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, mighty ruler of nations, who walked upon his palace roof and said, “Is not this great Babylon that I have built by my mighty power?” In that moment of pride, his glory departed. He was driven into the wilderness, stripped of reason, living as a beast among the fields. Yet when his heart turned again to heaven, when he lifted his eyes and acknowledged that all power belongs to God, his understanding returned, and his kingdom was restored. He was compelled to be humble, but through that humbling, he found wisdom. His story is a mirror for every age, for every soul who forgets that greatness without gratitude is but a shadow before the fall.

And so it is in every generation. The proud build towers that reach toward heaven—empires, economies, reputations—only to see them crumble in the dust of time. The humble, though unseen by the world, endure. For humility is not weakness, as the arrogant believe—it is strength refined by surrender. It is not the posture of defeat, but the stance of reverence. The humble man knows who he is before God, and that knowledge makes him both meek and mighty. He can lift others because he kneels often. He can forgive, because he has felt the weight of his own forgiveness.

President Benson’s words also speak to the inner life of every person. Pride is not found only in thrones or crowns—it hides in every heart that says, “I need no help.” But the day comes, as it comes to all, when life itself compels humility: through sickness, failure, grief, or the slow crumbling of illusion. These are not punishments, but invitations. In our lowest moments, when strength fails and pride is stripped away, we are nearest to heaven. For then, the soul sees clearly that all good it possesses is borrowed light. To be compelled to be humble is painful—but it is also redemptive. In that brokenness, we find God waiting, patient and kind, to lift us higher than pride ever could.

Therefore, let this teaching be engraved upon your heart: choose humility before life compels it. Bow in prayer before you are bowed by burden. Give thanks before you are emptied. Forgive before you must beg for forgiveness. Serve before sorrow teaches you compassion. For those who humble themselves before God find that He lifts them up; but those who resist Him are gently, yet inevitably, brought low—until they, too, remember the Source of all things.

And so, O seeker of truth, remember this eternal law: God will have a humble people. It is not a threat but a promise—one of mercy, not wrath. For humility is not the end of the soul, but its beginning. When you choose humility freely, you do not diminish yourself—you are enlarged, illuminated, and made divine. Therefore, walk softly, speak kindly, and give glory to God in all things. In the end, it is not the proud who inherit the earth, but the meek, whose hearts are at peace with heaven.