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Doctrine and Covenants 67:1212 Neither can any natural man abide the presence of God, neither after the carnal mind.
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Mosiah 3:19
19 For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.
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1 Corinthians 2:14
14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
1. Coveting
You’ll never be happy if you are comparing yourself to other people. There are so many things that people covet after. Coveting doesn’t just lead to theft… it leads to a miserable self image where you never are content with what you have or who you are. It’s a Natural Man disease. Some of the happiest people in the world have little to nothing of possessions, fame, or good looks. But they have learned to be content with what they have, and with who they are.
2. Not Forgiving
Another tendency of the natural man is to hold on to grudges and not forgive others. They hold personal court daily where they are the judge and jury. The problem is they are also very hard on themselves. They hold onto past mistakes like a security blanket and condemn even themselves. Most of the time, the unforgiven don’t even know they have been put on trial by the unforgiving. The unforgiving end up hurting themselves.
3. Not Repenting
In the end, there isn’t away around the justice of God. It has it’s claim and even mercy cannot rob it. The price must be paid. Some natural man tendencies are to run away from our past mistakes. Some people try to run so far that they imagine there is no right and wrong. They don’t want to be held accountable so they imagine God doesn’t exist. But they are still miserable because they still want justice. They want everyone to do what they think is right, but don’t want to be accountable for the things they have done wrong. So, they end up being hypocrites. Demanding justice on everyone else but themselves. The only way out of this miserable state is to acknowledge that right and wrong and God do exist and to repent. The act of repentance alone can’t fully satisfy the demands of justice, but a loving Savoir who died for us can. The only escape from this misery is through Jesus Christ.
4. Lacking Gratitude
Being grateful is one of the most important keys to happiness. And the antithesis is also true. The tendency to be ungrateful will kill happiness like cold water on a hot fire. When you look at the world on only see the evil and miserable, you will become miserable. Your mind will become dark and jaded. You will sink into despair.
5. Living in the Past
The only value of looking at the past is to learn from it. But if you find yourself always looking behind you and focusing on past mistakes or poor choices you will be miserable. The only way you can change your life is to start from right now…and stay in the now. Likewise, always pinning your hopes on some future happiness will rob you of today’s happiness. Jesus said: “Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” – Matthew 6:34