Of all the many commandments which we have been asked to adhere to, this undoubtedly tops the list of the most daunting. As imperfect beings, we look at this command, and we can't help but think of all of the many ways that we are just the opposite of perfect. We look at our propensity to fall in the face of temptation; we look at our weaknesses in general and the way they prohibit us from reaching what we perceive to be our greatest potential. How can I possibly live up to the blessings I've received, we ask ourselves. I can never be perfect, we then determine.
But as we study out in our minds the true doctrines of the Gospel--of repentance and of the Atonement--we can quickly realize that this charge that Christ gave for us to be perfect is a lot more manageable and achievable that we could have thought. The blessing that is the Atonement allows for it all to happen. Here we will discuss the means by which we can "be perfect," and also address the fallacy of perfectionism.
Justification and Sanctification
"And we know that justification through the grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is just and true; and we know also that sanctification through the grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is just and true, to all those who love and serve God with all their mights, minds, and strength." Doctrine and Covenants 20:30-31
By keeping our first estate and accepting our Heavenly Father's Plan of Salvation and Happiness, we earned the opportunity to come to this earth and have our mortal experience. Because God is perfect, and no unclean thing can dwell with God, we could not return to His presence if we had come up short in any way. The Laws of God are strict, and our perfect adherence to them was absolutely necessary for exaltation according to the Plan. But knowing perfectly that we could not do it on our own, a Savior was provided, who would take upon Himself the consequences of our sins--among many other things--so that we could then make a covenant with Him that would satisfy the demands of justice to the Law.
That Savior, even Jesus Christ, prayed to the Father just prior to His performance of that Atonement, saying, "I in them, and thou in me, that they may be perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me" (John 17:23). With love as the motivation and our salvation the goal, the Atonement was performed.
It is through this Atonement that we can first be forgiven of our sins through justification.
The apostle Paul wrote, "Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; and being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him" (Hebrews 5:8-9). Because our loving Savior atoned for the sins of every living soul, all are covered under the great pavilion of forgiveness and grace, predicated on one singular thing, as Paul pointed out: obedience. There is much ado made over a verse in the Book of Mormon which describes our means of salvation. It reads:
"For we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do" (2 Nephi 25:23)
Detractors of our faith accuse us of trying to earn our way to heaven. In truth, it is just the opposite. "All we can do" is repent. By obeying the commandments of the Lord Jesus Christ, and repenting of our sins when we fall short, we qualify for Him to take our sins and give us unconditional forgiveness. We are justified. In essence, we are allowed to lean on Christ's perfection so that He can become our advocate before the Father in pronouncing us to also be perfect according to that standard.
The other side of perfection is sanctification.
The prophet-historian Mormon, in writing of the ancient members of the Church in the Americas, recorded that "they did fast and pray oft, and did wax stronger and stronger in their humility, and firmer and firmer in the faith of Christ, unto the filling their souls with joy and consolation, yea, even to the purifying and the sanctification of their hearts, which sanctification cometh because of their yielding their hearts unto God" (Helaman 3:35).
The other side of the coin of perfection involves the acts we do which allow our hearts to be made pure. It is the means by which we can eventually reach eternal perfection, and be like our Heavenly Father.
In short, justification is predicated on events: We are justified through acts--covenants made through ordinances, obedience, and repentance leading to a remission of sin. These events, as a result of our imperfection, must be repeated and refined through repentance. Sanctification is a process: We do the same things, but as we do them with perfected motivations and with diligence and consistency, we put ourselves on the path to exaltation. Justification allows us to one day stand in the presence of God and be pronounced clean. Sanctification is the means by which we can one day be like Him.
And so in truth, we needn't worry about being perfect. As we strive to be obedient, keep the commandments, and repent when necessary, the Lord will, through His grace, forgive us, and allow us to lean on His perfection. As we do so, we become sanctified as we strive to do so with a pure heart and those newly cleaned hands.
While the concept seems simple, in practice it is far more complicated. We are so easily reminded of our mistakes and shortcomings, and our limited perspective prevents us from remembered the scope of Christ's Atonement. We can often be far too hard on ourselves when we come up short, and thus only put ourselves deeper into a hole. Often we find ourselves believing what I call "The Fallacy of Perfectionism."
The Fallacy of Perfectionism
"It doesn’t take much imagination to explain what might drive a perfectionist to self-harm. The all-or-nothing, impossibly high standards perfectionists set for themselves often mean that they’re not happy even when they’ve achieved success. And research has suggested that anxiety over making mistakes may ultimately be holding some perfectionists back from ever achieving success in the first place." NY Magazine (http://nymag.com/scienceofus/2014/09/alarming-new-research-on-perfectionism.html)
The world would have us believe that perfection means that we are to be flawless. That our body is flawless, that our schoolwork is flawless, that we are flawless. The problem with that is it sets up a standard that we cannot possibly live up to. Christ's definition is very different. His standard for us is high, but He can apply something that the world can't: unbiased, perfect judgment based on love.
What's the difference? The difference is that His version of perfection doesn't mean that we must be flawless, but that we must try our very best to be. We will mess up. We will slip up. We will sin. But when that happens the remedy to regaining perfection as Christ defines it is to turn to Him and repent. His version of perfection carries with it the beautiful clause of forgiveness. Because He truly was flawless, He can offer us a remission of our sins, predicated on our obedience to simple requests of faith.
So we need not think that we must be flawless to tap into the immense amount of blessings that are in store for us in mortality and eternity. We must only remember our covenants strive to be obedient, and repent when necessary. This life is a process, and the perfection we hope to achieve will come naturally as we seek to live a life that is based on the gospel of Jesus Christ. If we seek to live that life, we will eventually become flawless--perfect just as our Father in heaven is perfect.
