Continue In Patience.

Our objective in this life: Perfection.  Being a mortal, in a flawed realm, this ambition at times, or in moments, or perhaps even during extended stretches of life, may seem implausible.  We may dubiously exclaim, How could I, one with so many flaws, ever reach such a destination?  Indeed, we are all well versed in our imperfections.  Our heightened awareness of the areas in which are weak, may almost obscure our view of the places in which we stand strong.  With a contorted perspective, achieving such a goal truly seems like an unattainable feat.  However, we have been given distinct clarification that this is, and should be, our aim.  It is our precise purpose for existing as we currently do.  And more than that, if we are ineffective in reaching this target, we realize the consequence that it brings upon us: separation from our Father’s presence, because no unclean thing can dwell alongside Him.  This implication dispatches terror to the deepest part of our soul, as it pines to return and forever reside within reach of His embrace. 

As the Savior began His ministry, news of His teachings and miracles disseminated rapidly.  Great multitudes of people began following after Him.  When He saw the assembly, He led them to the top of a mountain, and once established, began delivering the Sermon on the Mount.  I dearly love and pore over the pages of the New Testament that describe this profound experience.  I cherish the words He delivers during these moments.  Midway in His instructing, He provides an explicit description of our individual responsibility.  It is that we must become perfect, and not by a worldly definition, but by aligning our perfection with that of our Heavenly Father.  Knowing that our Father stands entirely and celestially flawless, means that we, too, must become faultless in thought, word, deed, essentially in every aspect of our existence.  I vividly recall the first time I really read that verse.  Meaning that the words did more than follow along with the movement of my eyes, but instead penetrated into my mind, and became stationed there.  I became fixated upon it, and not in a positive way.  That single verse created a fear inside of me that brought to life every inadequacy that had ever been housed within.  I became hypercritical of every action, and found it almost impossible to deal with my continuous unsuccessful attempts at instantaneous perfection.  My yearnings towards my objective were sincere and good, however, my need for immediate perfectionism, was not.  Satan was elated.   It was so tangible to me, it seemed as though I could sense his diabolical joy as he coupled with my self-deprecation.  I prayed for release.  As He always does, He rescued me.  His liberation came through an originally neglected, italicized letter b that stood clearly before the word perfect within the very verse my heart was agonizing over.  Indeed, it came by way of a footnote. 

The words that Christ has spoken, and continues to speak, are absolute.  We believe the scriptures, as far as they are translated correctly, to be the very word of God.  There are no errors, for He does not make mistakes, or experience oversights.  What He declares, is truth.  However, our undeveloped spirits, and mortal minds, may not immediately understand the full definition of what is being communicated.  Or perhaps with our narrow perspective, we are unable to promptly decipher it.  This is the exact reason why it is imperative that we not only read the scriptures, but that we search and study them.  We must ponder on the words to gain an accurate comprehension.  When I read the word perfect, and learned that I was to be as my Heavenly Father, I decided in that moment that it was an objective that had to be met within an instant, or I was unworthy of its eternal reward.  However, when you view the footnote on the word perfect it provides clarification of all that reaching such a destination involves by utilizing three descriptions: complete, finished, fully developed.  When this enlightenment was given to me, my entire approach towards reaching my target was modified. 

The goal of full development within this blemished sphere is unrealistic.  As mortals we will not become finished, we will not experience completion, until after we have passed through the veil, entering into a perfect surrounding.  Once we have left this life, it will be required that we continue to endeavor towards our goal.  We will resume our strivings to attain all qualities, characteristics, and behaviors of our exemplary Father and Savior.  Does this knowledge conflict with the commandment our Savior gave to become like our Father? Perhaps we find ourselves wondering which side we should doubt, the knowledge of continual efforts hereafter, or the clear instruction of the Almighty?  It is neither, for together these understandings fortify the other.  The Lord meant just what He said.  Our efforts and energies should persistently be placed towards bettering and enhancing ourselves towards a state of perfection.  We should set high standards, worthy goals, and practice personal evaluation upon our progression.  However, we must not expect, nor demand, expeditious conclusions.  As our Savior sat upon the mountain speaking these words, He was not requesting such an occurrence.  He understood the mortal, and the heavenly, path we would need to experience and travel to reach this concluding goal.  Although He understands the timeline, He continues to expect that we incessantly labor towards refinement, and inch closer to aligning ourselves with this objective every day. 

Knowing that opportunities will be offered into the eternities may create a fallacious attitude that our exertions in this state of probation are inconsequential.  Perhaps we may find that we become deceived by Satan’s whisperings of earthly merriment, prolonging our advancement.  This is a deception.  An enormous one, that carries a tremendous consequence.  Our labors upon this sphere are what lay the foundation for how we will be allowed and how we will desire to continue forward hereafter.  There is a mistaken theory that once we leave this life, our hearts and minds will be instantly turned towards righteousness.  That regardless of how we feel here, once we return home, all comprehension will be given to us, and we will ache to achieve our celestial objective.  This is not truth, far from it.  We have been continuously taught that the desires of our heart here, that the progression of our spiritual expansion here, that the strength of our relationships here, that the enhancement of our talents here, and that the acquisition of divine knowledge here, will be exactly the same there.   Just as who we were in the premortal life accompanied us to earth, it again will coexist with us back home.  There is no separation for who or what we are here, to who and what we are there.  It will be identical.  That is why the Lord talks so frequently about gaining control of the desires of our hearts here.  We will not yearn for something different when we are there.  Our efforts towards our objective here, are required in order to proceed on a  pathway leading to perfection there.

Satan can seem to have the upper hand when it comes to this area.  Our awareness of our weaknesses can create distressing feelings within us.  These emotions can be dealt with externally or internally, most commonly being presented through destructive behaviors.  He knows of this.  He has a strong understanding of our current imperfections, and through his vicious magnification of these areas, seeks to have us believe that they are deficiencies, ones that will only continue to canker.  He will ruthlessly murmur that we are unfit for the kingdom of God.  That we don’t belong in Heavenly Father’s presence because we are too inferior.  And the one exaggeration that has always maimed my heart, that we are unsuitable for His love.  The reason why these lies are so piercing is because there is a piece of truth that exists within them.  It is true that we are not yet prepared to enter His sight in our current conditions.  It is true that we are not yet ready to return to His arms.  But the most important word in both of those sentences is yet.  We are works in progress.  We cannot go home right now, but we are not unworthy of His presence in our current lives.  Worthiness does not denote perfection.  We do not have to be perfect to qualify for His love, attentions, and affections.  It is true that He cannot abide with us if we choose Satan as our master.  But if we are working towards the things of righteousness and are following after Him, He will surround us on every side, and will never depart. 

We must recognize Satan’s pitiful efforts in making our places of progression, amplified inadequacies.  We do have weaknesses, and it is okay.  These are simply regions of our souls that are still learning to evolve.  Just as we allow a baby to crawl before it walks, we too, must allow our spirits to learn in a step by step fashion, and not criticize our exertions, even if we stumble.  Our requirement is that we constantly labor to strengthen these areas of frailty.  There will be specific flaws that seem almost impossible to build.  We may become frustrated, embarrassed, or feel defeat as our continual efforts end in failure.  During these moments, remember, we are yoked with the Lord.  Keep that bond powerful.  He will provide us strength beyond our abilities to conquer all.  We will truly look back on our advancement and see divine pieces of resilience, fortitude, or courage that were delivered to our souls straight from His own.  Indeed, we will see Him entwined in our labors, for He never asks us to travel towards this objective alone.  Our Father has told us that He cannot allow sin, and that there is not a degree of allowance regarding it, but He also recognizes that we are His imperfect children.  He aches for us to be back with Him as intensely as our hearts yearn for home.  He is aware of our weaknesses, is familiar with our struggles, and always deals with them compassionately.  Richard G. Scott’s words regarding this always calms my heart:

The joyful news for anyone who desires to be rid of the consequences of past poor choices is that the Lord sees weaknesses differently than He does rebellion.  Whereas the Lord warns that unrepented rebellion will bring punishment, when the Lord speaks of weaknesses, it is always with mercy. 

Although our goals are driven towards perfection, we are not yet perfect, because we are not yet completed.  We are still in the process of developing, not yet developed.  Our desires towards righteousness are good, very good, but we must not overlook the multitude of opportunities that He is releasing to aid in our progression.  We should not demand more than the Lord requires.  We must be cautious in creating unrealistic expectations, and avoid deprecating our endeavors, even if they conclude in an unsuccessful attempt. Instead we must allow our spirits to evolve after a manner of order.  Satan will be steady in his aims of breaking us down, brewing shame, irritation, or anger in our hearts bred from feelings of insufficiency.  When we recognize these deceptions for what they are and instead turn to the voice and hand of the Lord, we can be directed to a path that leads to endless development, with the conclusion existing in perfection.  We will stumble.  We will have moments where even in our best efforts we topple over.  At times we will take a wrong turn, make a wrong choice, we will sin.  But as we cling to the Savior’s Atonement, the one He offers us so full of love, and repent with the most humble of hearts, He will personally reach down, with His hands, and stand us back up.  We are not asked to be perfectionists, but only faithful and earnest students.  We must recognize our need for our Savior in achieving this goal.  The word perfect means free from flaw.  Because we are mortal, because we have sinned, because we are imperfect beings, we could never fit this description.  But with Christ, we can.  His immense suffering swallowed up the sins that defiled us.  We may not stand perfect, but we can become perfected to receive exaltation.  We need Him.   As we toil towards our objective, the one that leads us home, we can take comfort in His words:

Ye are not able to abide the presence of God now, neither the ministering of angels; wherefore, continue in patience until ye are perfected. (D&C 67:13)