Humility is harder when we are compelled to be humble. We cannot afford to ignore the counsel of the Lord.
“When we neglect this and other duties we do not have the same claim on the blessings of the Lord, and he has said if we are slow to hear him he may be slow to hear us in the hour of our trouble. (D. & C. 101:7-8.) The Lord was slow to hearken to the Nephites in their rebellion until they were humbled and so with the Israelites, and this happened repeatedly. We should profit by their example.
In our praying we should seek to do the will of the Lord and not merely to reap some advantage or gratification which may not be the best for us. This is a very significant saying: ‘Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you; seek me diligently and ye shall find me; ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. Whatsoever ye ask the Father in my name it shall he given unto you, that is expedient for you; and if ye ask anything that is not expedient for you, it shall turn unto your condemnation.’ (DC 88:63-65) Therefore we should not be too insistent, but should pray earnestly seeking light and to know the will of the Lord, with an unselfish spirit. Then, with this spirit, will our bodies be filled with light.” (Joseph Fielding Smith; Church History and Modern Revelation, p. 135)
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