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How To Become Perfect

How To Become Perfect

"Do we frequently reject the Lord's love that He pours out upon us in much more abundance than we are willing to receive? Do we think we have to be perfect in order to deserve His love? When we allow ourselves to feel 'encircled about eternally in the arms of his love' (2 Nephi 1:15), we feel safe, and we realize that we don't need to be immediately perfect. We must acknowledge that perfection is a process. This is a gospel of eternal progress, and we must remember to appreciate the journey."
(Bonnie D. Parkin, "Eternally Encircled in His Love," Ensign, Nov. 2006, 108)

Perfect To How

I think most of us at some point or another feel inadequate to have the beautiful and special love of Jesus Christ in our lives. He is Perfect and His Love is as Perfect as He is. I am still amazed at how much he loves me despite my many imperfections and weaknesses. But I do know as I strive to live a little better every day, his sacrifice was not in vain.

How To Become Perfect Studies Doctrine Mormon

I was kind of expecting a "how to" on this topic. In my view, we become perfect by choosing each day to live a little better than the prior.

Perfect To How

Amonhi - Hello, I am new here. I was browsing the topics and found this thread. I wanted to throw out my thoughts on how to become perfect.

- First off, We were commanded to become perfect - Matt. 5:48
- The lord doesn't give us commandments that we cannot achieve in this life - 1 Ne. 3:7
- The problem is that we focus on the wrong thing. We focus on living the rules or laws perfectly. No man can or has lived the laws perfectly and so, no man is justified by the laws - Gal. 2: 16, Rom. 3:20, Acts 13:39
- So, we need a way to get out from under the law so that the law no longer condemns us. When we understand the purpose of the law and why it was given then we can fulfill the law. - Gal. 3:18-19 (The promise is the Abrahamic covenant also known as the calling and Election made sure.)
- So, we are not justified nor can we be saved by living the laws, but we can follow Christ's example by fulfilling the laws. In which case, that which is given, the laws, can also be taken away. When this happens, we are no longer under the law which was the school master given to teach us a lesson and bring us back to Christ. - Gal 3:21-25
- Something to consider about the law, the law is the carnal commandments, the physical ordinances of the Aaronic priesthood which administers the Atonement of Jesus Christ. God gave these things in his Wrath - D&C 84:23-27
- The ancient Children of Israel thought that by obeying the law they could be saved too. They thought that by doing the ordinances they were safe and free from justification. We now know that the ordinances did not save them, but pointed them to salvation. In other words, the ordinances were given to teach lessons and point to Christ and the true life, not just the dead works of doing the actions. - Alma 25:15-16
- Unfortunately, as much as we want to think we are better than they, we are still largely relying on dead works to save us. For this purpose, we have also been given the law of Moses which includes the Aaronic priesthood and it's ordinances. And just as these things did not provide salvation, they do not today. they are just dead works until we are able to see the messages and symbols which point to the true source of life. So this Church, LDS Church was built up because of our dead works (until we are brought back to the promise). - "Wherefore, although a man should be baptized an hundred times it availeth him nothing, for you cannot enter in at the strait gate by the law of Moses, neither by your dead works. For it is because of your dead works that I have caused this last covenant and this church to be built up unto me, even as in days of old." - D&C 22:2-3
- So, how do we get out from under this law? By understanding the reasons the laws were given. And in the end, all laws were given because we did not know how to love God and love one another. If we could love then we would automatically fulfill all the laws. - Matt. 22:36-40
- The word "Christ" can actually be substitutes with the word "love" as they are synonyms. This gives great insight into the scriptures, however, for this discussion it gives great insight into one particular scripture. "Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ (LOVE), that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster." - Gal. 3:24-25
- The purpose of the Aaronic priesthood then is to Prepare people for the Melkesidek Priesthood. it is interesting here to point out that all Aaronic priesthood positions and ordinances are focuses on administering the atonement to an imperfect people. None of the Melkesidek priesthood ordinances focus on repentance, baptism or the Atonement. This high priesthood is focused solely on exalting already saved men and women. - D&C 84:25-34

Message Edited... Persephone: It is not necessary to quote the entire post of the user above you. See Constructive Posting Policy.

Perfect To How

This scripture has been very comforting to me in the past . We can not achieve perfection in this life, but we are expected to be patient in the pursuit. Only when we have gone through this test are we then given the gift of perfection and eternal life.

I also love how precise the lord is in his wording to the Prophet. He does not say continue in patience and you will be perfect. He says we will be "perfected"(an implication that something is being done to us), reminding us that a very large part of the perfection process is the Lord sanctifiing us through is atonement and his gift of the Holy Ghost.

Perfection, I believe, is given to us not because we earned it, but because we abided by the principles that allowed us to partake of a unfathonable gift that only the humble and penitent can partake of.

How To Become Perfect

Interesting, but I disagree. A few thoughts. Notice that the the Lord says that "are not able to abide the presence of God, neither the ministering of Angels". This has direct reference to the blessings of the Aaronic and Melchizedek priesthoods. Notice the following scriptures that point this out:

The Ministering of Angels is directly connected to the Aaronic priesthood which is the lower law of Moses which was given to us by God in his wrath and it is directly related to the "dead works" for which God caused this church to be built up. see D&C 84:25-27 & 22:2-3 In other words, meeting the requirement for the administering of angels is very easy and most in the church have already achieved it, although they do not receive the full benefits because they lack knowledge or faith.

The second is the ministering of God, Christ and communion with the general assemble and church of the first born. This is the blessing of the Melchizedek priesthood. Far fewer receive this blessing, mostly because they 1) don't know how and 2) don't believe they can in this life for any number of reasons.

That is very important because the 2 reasons are completely in our hands. (Jacob received his before he was 16 years old. 2Ne. 2:3-4) We choose how soon we are willing to receive the blessings God has already prepared for us. Oh, and the Ministering/Presence of God and Christ happen after you receive your calling and Election. Being visited by Christ or God does necessarily happen at the time you receive your calling and election, however, you do immediately have access/communion with the general general assembly and become a member of the church of the First Born. (Calling and election is like being baptised into the Church of the First Born, your name is recorded in heaven and you become number with the just men made perfect. These are they who are built upon the rock from which you cannot fall, except by choice. Those in this position who choose to fall become sons of perdition.)


Only when we have gone through this test are we then given the gift of perfection and eternal life.

Yes, I agree.

This is an interesting comment also. It would seem that by "abiding by principles that allow..." we are earning the right to "partake of a unfathonable gift". This so called gift is not given freely, but with strings attached, and so it would seem that it must be earned. Perhaps not purchased, but definitely earned. Also, I have not yet found any aspect of "the unfathonable gift" to be unfathomable. I have found that when I do not understand a thing it is because I am close minded or have already rejected the possibility by not "believing all things". For example, until we can understand that Christ did not take our sins on his head, we will not understand the atonement, and will not understand how we caused his death and how we continue to cause the "death" of others and thus we cannot become perfect. What is also interesting to point out here is that after one received their calling and election, they can no longer, "assent to the death of Christ". (D&C 132:27) The word "assent" means something to the effect of:

As far as perfection goes, it does not mean completed as in reached a state on non-growth. christ was perfect as a spirit and a child. In fact he was perfect his entire life and yet he grew, learned and eventually learned to walk, learned to talk, read, etc. He was perfect as in sinless. So to can we become perfect as in sinless. In that respect, contrary to popular belief, Joseph Smith taught,

How To Perfect

For those willing to really go further into investigative study and the actual tasks that need to be performed or blessings that need to be received to be 'numbered' you should view the Threads within the LDS Mature Section.

How To Perfect Mormon Doctrine Studies

I had forgotten to add one thought last night. We see Christ as an example. In order for Christ to be a valid example, he must be under the same limitations as ourselves or we must have the same abilities as he does. This means that any thing he did, we can do too. Thus he is an example.

If we could NOT do as he did, then he would not be an example to us. For example, if he had certain blessings from God that were NOT available to us then we could not do as he did. This would rather be much like a dog looking looking at a horse as an example. A dog will not be able to pull as heavy a load or carry a rider or jump as high as a horse can. This is not the case with us and Christ who came to show us what we can do if we will but repent and follow him.