Can we Become Perfect?
Yes, but we must live and follow the Lords commandments and allow His Atonement into our lives. We must STRIVE daily and perfection is possible, but we must not have hard heads and seek after comfortable gods.
Hard Heads
“There has been a great difficulty in getting anything into the heads of this generation. It has been like splitting hemlock knots with a corn-dodger for a wedge and a pumpkin for a beetle. Even the Saints are slow to understand. I have tried for a number of years to get the minds of the Saints prepared to receive the things of God; but we frequently see some of them, after suffering all they have for the work of God, will fly to pieces like glass as soon as anything comes that is contrary to their traditions” Joseph Smith, Jr. (January 21, 1844, History of the Church, 6:184-85
Comfortable gods
“Sadly enough, my young friends, it is a characteristic of our age that if people want any gods at all, they want them to be gods who do not demand much, comfortable gods, smooth gods who not only don’t rock the boat but don’t even row it, gods who pat us on the head, make us giggle, then tell us to run along and pick marigolds.
Talk about man creating God in his own image! Sometimes—and this seems the greatest irony of all—these folks invoke the name of Jesus as one who was this kind of “comfortable” God. Really? He who said not only should we not break commandments, but we should not even think about breaking them. And if we do think about breaking them, we have already broken them in our heart. Does that sound like “comfortable” doctrine, easy on the ear and popular down at the village love-in?” The Cost—and Blessings—of Discipleship By Elder Jeffrey R. Holland 2014
Secondary Evidence
I think there is importance when the Prophet and Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Brethren are being neutral on geography, evolution and other difficult issues. They want us to gain our own witness to secondary information. They have given us sound doctrine and that is what we should focus on. I know through the Spirit that the Book of Mormon is true. However, I love to seek for other truth like secondary evidence, as Moroni has said “I may know the truth of all things.” Are you willing to seek diligently for difficult answers, or continue to simply listen to prophets and other leaders, and wait to be told what to believe? What about personal revelation?
I believe the Land of Promise spoken of in the Book of Mormon is the United States of America as Elder Perry said, “The United States is the promised land foretold in the Book of Mormon—a place where divine guidance directed inspired men to create the conditions necessary for the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ.” Elder L. Tom Perry Ensign Dec. 2012.
The Constitution was created by the Lord, Adam and Eve were placed on this same land and the New Jerusalem will be on this same land of the United States of America. No need for me to check out Mesoamerica anymore as I did for 40 years.
What do the scriptures tell us about this Constitution [D&C 101:79] and this land of Promise? “For behold, they rejected all the words of Ether; for he truly told them of all things, from the beginning of man; and that after the waters had receded from off the face of this land it became a choice land above all other lands, a chosen land of the Lord; wherefore the Lord would have that all men should serve him who dwell upon the face thereof; And that it was the place of the New Jerusalem, which should come down out of heaven, and the holy sanctuary of the Lord. Behold, Ether saw the days of Christ, and he spake concerning a New Jerusalem upon this land.” Ether 13:2-4 [What Land? The United States of America near Independence Missouri according to scripture]
Just like evolution. I don’t believe we came from an ape and I know that matter cannot come from nothing. I don’t have to look into science to figure this out, but by the witness of what the scriptures tell us.
I don’t expect President Nelson to come right out and tell me where the Book of Mormon events happened, or if we came from an ape, I know through sound reasoning the answer that makes most sense to me. Now if the Brethren say otherwise, I would always listen to them first, and then seek personal revelation about it, but in my opinion the Church is neutral on secondary evidence that exists, to help each of us individually come to a knowledge of the “truth of all things” by personal revelation, as promised in the Book of Mormon. I don’t need to be commanded in all things!
Be Ye Therefore Perfect
I am perfect in my belief that Joseph Smith received the gold plates from the Hill Cumorah in upstate New York, and the final battles took place near that same hill. This is a great part of my testimony with the spirit of personal revelation assisting my beliefs.
Of course we have heard, the Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. When will be become righteous enough to become a ressurrected being living with the Savior again? As recorded in “Life Everlasting by Duane Crowther it says, “I was told that the Prophet Joseph Smith has his body, as also his brother Hyrum, and that as soon as I could do more with my body than I could do without it, my body would be resurrected.” (Peter E. Johnson, The Relief Society Magazine, op. cit., Vol. VII, pp. 451-452.) page 244 .
Just when will we learn to do more with our body than we could do without? That is a long and steady progression speaking for most of us today. As it says in the Bible, “Ever , and never able to come to the of the .” 2 Timothy 3:7
Yet, can we become perfect in this life? “Till we all come in the of the faith, and of the of the Son of God, unto a man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ” Ephesians 4:13, and in Matthew 5:48 it says, “ ye therefore , even as your which is in heaven is .” Is it then possible to become perfect?
With diligence, patience, and divine aid, we can obey the Lord’s command to be perfect.
“And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me and be thou perfect.” [Genesis 17:1.]
Lorenzo Snow said, “We ought to feel in our hearts that God is our Father, and that while we make mistakes and are weak yet if we live as nearly perfect as we can all will be well with us.”
“We may think that we cannot live up to the perfect law, that the work of perfecting ourselves is too difficult. This may be true in part, but the fact still remains that it is a command of the Almighty to us and we cannot ignore it. When we experience trying moments, then is the time for us to avail ourselves of that great privilege of calling upon the Lord for strength and understanding, intelligence and grace by which we can overcome the weakness of the flesh against which we have to make a continual warfare…
When the Latter-day Saints received the gospel in the nations afar, and when the voice of the Almighty to them was, to leave the lands of their fathers, to leave their kindred as Abraham did, so far as they complied with this requirement, so far they were walking in obedience to this law, and they were as perfect as men could be under the circumstances and in the sphere in which they were acting, not that they were perfect in knowledge or power, etc.; but in their feelings, in their integrity, motives and determination. And while they were crossing the great deep, providing they did not murmur nor complain, but obeyed the counsels which were given them and in every way comported themselves in a becoming manner, they were as perfect as God required them to be…
The Lord designs to bring us up into the celestial kingdom. He has made known through direct revelation that we are His offspring, begotten in the eternal worlds, that we have come to this earth for the special purpose of preparing ourselves to receive a fulness of our Father’s glory when we shall return into His presence. Therefore, we must seek the ability to keep this law to sanctify our motives, desires, feelings and affections that they may be pure and holy and our will in all things be subservient to the will of God, and have no will of our own except to do the will of our Father. Such a man in his sphere is perfect, and commands the blessing of God in all that he does and wherever he goes.
But we are subject to folly, to the weakness of the flesh and we are more or less ignorant, thereby liable to err. Yes, but that is no reason why we should not feel desirous to comply with this command of God, especially seeing that he has placed within our reach the means of accomplishing this work. This I understand is the meaning of the word perfection, as expressed by our Savior and by the Lord to Abraham.
A person may be perfect in regard to some things and not others. A person who obeys the word of wisdom faithfully is perfect as far as that law is concerned. When we repented of our sins and were baptized for the remission of them, we were perfect as far as that matter was concerned…
One of the chief difficulties that many suffer from is, that we are too apt to forget the great object of life, the motive of our Heavenly Father in sending us here to put on mortality, as well as the holy calling with which we have been called; and hence, instead of rising above the little transitory things of time, we too often allow ourselves to come down to the level of the world without availing ourselves of the divine help which God has instituted, which alone can enable us to overcome them. We are no better than the rest of the world if we do not cultivate the feeling to be perfect, even as our Father in heaven is perfect.” Lorenzo Snow Study Manual, Becoming Perfect before the Lord: “A Little Better Day by Day” Lesson 6
Can You?
…be a perfect tithe payer?
…never cheat on your spouse?
…never lie?
…pray regularly?
…obey your temple covenants?
…brush your teeth daily?
…never speak ill of your spouse?
…read the book of Mormon daily?
…always partake of the sacrament worthily?
…repent daily?
You are on your way to perfection!
Hugh Nibley said, “Who is righteous? Anyone who is repenting. No matter how bad he has been, if he is repenting, he is a righteous man. There is hope for him. And no matter how good he has been all his life, if he is not repenting, he is a wicked man. The difference is which way you are facing. The man on the top of the stair’s facing down is much worse off than the man on the bottom step who is facing up. The direction we are facing, that is repentance; and this is what determines whether we are good or bad.” Hugh Nibley Approaching Zion, pg. 301-302
