Elder Holland once began a talk on a humorous note by saying the following:
"The scriptures were written to bless and encourage us, and surely they do that. . . But have you noticed that every now and then a passage will appear that reminds us we are falling a little short? For example, the Sermon on the Mount begins with soothing, gentle beatitudes, but in the verses that follow, we are told—among other things—not only not to kill but also not even to be angry. We are told not only not to commit adultery but also not even to have impure thoughts. To those who ask for it, we are to give our coat and then give our cloak also. We are to love our enemies, bless those who curse us, and do good to them who hate us.
"If that is your morning scripture study, and after reading just that far you are pretty certain you are not going to get good marks on your gospel report card, then the final commandment in the chain is sure to finish the job: 'Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father … in heaven is perfect.' With that concluding imperative, we want to go back to bed and pull the covers over our head. Such celestial goals seem beyond our reach. Yet surely the Lord would never give us a commandment He knew we could not keep." (Be Ye Therefore Perfect--Eventually, October 2017 General Conference.)
This presents a difficult issue. I know people who have a very hard time feeling that God loves them because they do not do every little thing that we're "supposed" to be doing as followers of Jesus Christ. I myself have fallen into this pattern of thinking at times. When this happens, it's like the Gospel has backfired on us: instead of allowing us to feel happy and peaceful, we spend our time chasing happiness and peace by trying to do everything "right" only to discover that there is yet another area in which we need to improve. It's like a game of Whac-A-Mole, except that we can never win. Because this thinking pattern works opposite of what the Gospel is supposed to do (See D&C 59:23), I am convinced that it comes directly from Satan. In fact, in the talk from Elder Holland that I mentioned above, he quotes Darla Isackson's article, Line Upon Line saying that "Satan can make covenants and commandments seem like curses. . ." Yes, Jesus invites us to do better. But, to paraphrase Brother David Butler, if an encounter with Jesus leaves you feeling discouraged, then it probably wasn't an encounter with the true Him.
As quoted in the CFM manual, President Russell M. Nelson has taught:
“The term perfect was translated from the Greek teleios, which means ‘complete.’ … The infinitive form of the verb is teleiono, which means ‘to reach a distant end, to be fully developed, to consummate, or to finish.’ Please note that the word does not imply ‘freedom from error’; it implies ‘achieving a distant objective.’ …
“We need not be dismayed if our earnest efforts toward perfection now seem so arduous and endless. Perfection is pending. It can come in full only after the Resurrection and only through the Lord. It awaits all who love him and keep his commandments." (Perfection Pending, October 1995 General Conference.)
After learning all of these things during my study this week, Jesus' commandment to be perfect has taken on new meaning for me. I don't think He's saying "beat yourselves to death with the measuring rod of my standards and then I'll make up the difference." He's saying "come, enter into a relationship with me; make sacred covenants with me, and I'll take you by the hand and lead you to exaltation." This the Jesus that I have come to know and love. Indeed, perhaps Matthew 5:48 could be redered as "be ye therefore perfected, even as your Father which is in heaven has been perfected." I thought of this after reading Moroni's final plea in the Book of Mormon: "Come unto Christ and be perfected in him (emphasis added, Moroni 10:32.)"
One last thought:
In another talk, Elder Holland said:
"My brothers and sisters, the first great commandment of all eternity is to love God with all of our heart, might, mind, and strength—that’s the first great commandment." Here again, the C word, "commandment," something Satan tells us we have to be doing or else we've failed. But read the rest of the quote:
". . . But the first great truth of all eternity is that God loves us with all of His heart, might, mind, and strength. That love is the foundation stone of eternity, and it should be the foundation stone of our daily life. Indeed it is only with that reassurance burning in our soul that we can have the confidence to keep trying to improve, keep seeking forgiveness for our sins, and keep extending that grace to our neighbor." (Tomorrow the Lord Will Do Wonders among You, April 2016 General Conference.)
God knows we can't become perfect yet. He sent His Son so that one day we would be.
If you've found this helpful, please do me a favor and share it so that others can experience in the goodness. Thanks for reading!
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