Lehi makes a point to all his children, though he begins with Jacob, that there was a purpose to Adam's transgression and fall. Therefore, there is a purpose to Satan. The Father had to know there would be one who would take up the satanic role, but there had to have been great sorrow, nonetheless. The son whose brilliance exceeded the brilliance of all other spirits except Jehovah's and whose name implies "light" rebelled and the eternal war began. Who was there to tempt him away from Father's will? Pride, it seems, is an eternal problem. Is that one of the traits of the "natural man?" Is pride a trait that needs no satanic influence? There must continue to be opposition even after this life, or according to Lehi, progress would cease.
The opposite of pride must be faith in Christ. Humility, of course, is necessary to achieve the depth of faith necessary to overcome pride. Pride is centered in self. Faith is centered in Christ and his atonement. The ultimate end of pride is misery, while the ultimate end of faith is holiness which is unspeakable joy. To Lehi, holiness and happiness are the same for the opposite of both is misery.
I never considered pride in this way. It makes me think of the millenium differently. I always imagined a bunch of people making right choices because there was no adversarial influence, but really people will still have choice. And we will all have to act. Act in faith, or act with pride. Interesting.
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