Becoming the Perfect Man.
That’s my goal.
Here is a great link by Elder Gereld N. Lund:
http://lds.org/ensign/1986/08/i-have-a-question/i-have-a-question?lang=eng&query=perfect+man
In this essay he explains perfection very clearly and has some great quotes. I’ve pulled out a few of my favorite quotes:
One definition of perfect is “never having flaw or error.” In this sense, only one person in all of human history—our Savior—has been perfect.
But perfect can also mean “having all flaws and errors removed.” A better way to state the original question might be: “Do we have to be perfectedto be exalted?” Here the scriptural answer is a resounding yes.
In the great sermon known as the King Follett discourse, the Prophet Joseph taught:
“When you climb up a ladder, you must begin at the bottom, and ascend step by step, until you arrive at the top; and so it is with the principles of the Gospel—you must begin with the first and go on until you learn all the principles of exaltation. But it will be a great while after you have passed through the veil before you will have learned them. It is not all to be comprehended in this world; it will be a great work to learn our salvation and exaltation even beyond the grave.”
President Joseph F. Smith confirmed this idea:
“We do not look for absolute perfection in man. Mortal man is not capable of being absolutely perfect. Nevertheless, it is given to us to be as perfect in the sphere in which we are called to be and to act, as it is for the Father in heaven to be pure and righteous in the more exalted sphere in which he acts.”
Elder Joseph Fielding Smith spoke with equal clarity on the same subject:
“Salvation does not come all at once; we are commanded to be perfect even as our Father in heaven is perfect. It will take us ages to accomplish this end, for there will be greater progress beyond the grave, and it will be there that the faithful will overcome all things, and receive all things, even the fulness of the Father’s glory....“But here we lay the foundation.”
___________________________
Here is what I got out of that:
We are supposed to be perfect, in our sphere, which means becoming perfected through the Savior, which happens exactly in proportion to how much we seek to become perfected in Him. Our goal is to become as perfect as possible here on this earth life, and we can choose that path--if we want to.
The Perfect man is the one who has become perfected of his past mistakes, and is continually working on becoming more perfect. That is our sphere. Learning to walk in God’s Statutes and keep His commandments. Learning to control our bodies, our minds and our emotions and shaping them into alignment with the Lord.
Moroni in his last words invites us to become perfect men:
“Yea, come unto Christ and be perfected in Him and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is His grace sufficient for you, that by His grace ye may be perfect in Christ....and if by the grace of God, ye are perfect in Christ, and deny not His power, then are ye sanctified by the grace of God...that ye become holy, without spot.” (Moroni 10:32-33)
Perfection doesn’t mean that we don’t have spots--yet. That’s the end goal, but as I’m working on that I can become continually perfected, through grace, as I
1. Deny myself of all ungodliness.
2. Love God with all my might: align my desires/motives
my mind: align my thoughts
and my strength: align my body, my actions
(to Love God is to serve Him, but also to serve him for the highest of reasons, not just out of fear of punishment, or out of a feeling of obligation, but because we really do love Him, like He first loved us. So to become perfect is to continually serve God more fully and out of continually more loving motives. That is being perfect in our sphere. We can be perfect men and women in our sphere, striving without ceasing to be one day fully perfect, without spot, or blemish, or imperfections.)
That’s my goal.
Here is a great link by Elder Gereld N. Lund:
http://lds.org/ensign/1986/08/i-have-a-question/i-have-a-question?lang=eng&query=perfect+man
In this essay he explains perfection very clearly and has some great quotes. I’ve pulled out a few of my favorite quotes:
One definition of perfect is “never having flaw or error.” In this sense, only one person in all of human history—our Savior—has been perfect.
But perfect can also mean “having all flaws and errors removed.” A better way to state the original question might be: “Do we have to be perfectedto be exalted?” Here the scriptural answer is a resounding yes.
In the great sermon known as the King Follett discourse, the Prophet Joseph taught:
“When you climb up a ladder, you must begin at the bottom, and ascend step by step, until you arrive at the top; and so it is with the principles of the Gospel—you must begin with the first and go on until you learn all the principles of exaltation. But it will be a great while after you have passed through the veil before you will have learned them. It is not all to be comprehended in this world; it will be a great work to learn our salvation and exaltation even beyond the grave.”
President Joseph F. Smith confirmed this idea:
“We do not look for absolute perfection in man. Mortal man is not capable of being absolutely perfect. Nevertheless, it is given to us to be as perfect in the sphere in which we are called to be and to act, as it is for the Father in heaven to be pure and righteous in the more exalted sphere in which he acts.”
Elder Joseph Fielding Smith spoke with equal clarity on the same subject:
“Salvation does not come all at once; we are commanded to be perfect even as our Father in heaven is perfect. It will take us ages to accomplish this end, for there will be greater progress beyond the grave, and it will be there that the faithful will overcome all things, and receive all things, even the fulness of the Father’s glory....“But here we lay the foundation.”
___________________________
Here is what I got out of that:
We are supposed to be perfect, in our sphere, which means becoming perfected through the Savior, which happens exactly in proportion to how much we seek to become perfected in Him. Our goal is to become as perfect as possible here on this earth life, and we can choose that path--if we want to.
The Perfect man is the one who has become perfected of his past mistakes, and is continually working on becoming more perfect. That is our sphere. Learning to walk in God’s Statutes and keep His commandments. Learning to control our bodies, our minds and our emotions and shaping them into alignment with the Lord.
Moroni in his last words invites us to become perfect men:
“Yea, come unto Christ and be perfected in Him and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is His grace sufficient for you, that by His grace ye may be perfect in Christ....and if by the grace of God, ye are perfect in Christ, and deny not His power, then are ye sanctified by the grace of God...that ye become holy, without spot.” (Moroni 10:32-33)
Perfection doesn’t mean that we don’t have spots--yet. That’s the end goal, but as I’m working on that I can become continually perfected, through grace, as I
1. Deny myself of all ungodliness.
2. Love God with all my might: align my desires/motives
my mind: align my thoughts
and my strength: align my body, my actions
(to Love God is to serve Him, but also to serve him for the highest of reasons, not just out of fear of punishment, or out of a feeling of obligation, but because we really do love Him, like He first loved us. So to become perfect is to continually serve God more fully and out of continually more loving motives. That is being perfect in our sphere. We can be perfect men and women in our sphere, striving without ceasing to be one day fully perfect, without spot, or blemish, or imperfections.)
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