Jacob 5:48

"And it came to pass that the servant said unto his master: Is it not the loftiness of thy vineyard- have not the branches thereof overcome the roots which are good? And because the branches have overcome the roots thereof, behold they grew faster than the strength of the roots, taking strength unto themselves. Behold, I say, is not this the cause that the trees of thy vineyard have become corrupted?"

Loftiness, or pride, is the reason for destruction. Pride here is not heeding the counsel of the scriptures and the faith of past generations. When generations think they do not need the righteous traditions of the past, they are ripe for destruction. They become corrupt. This is so prevalent today.