To be Perfect

In today's society there isn't a strong push to stand up for what is right; instead the direction is moving towards accepting your weaknesses and giving in to your temptations. Morality has become a thing of the past and the sacred union of marriage is being threatened. To the world perfection has thus become the image of a muscular man or slender woman; perhaps the movie star with the glamorous life or the wealthy land owner with riches worth coveting. Not long ago a man giving a sermon on the mount gave us the true definition of what perfection truly is; "be ye therefore perfect as your father which is in heaven is perfect". And again on the American continent he stated to the Nephites "be ye therefore perfect as I or your father which is in heaven is perfect". Even though we believe this man to be perfect from birth Christ considered himself imperfect until he accomplished all his father asked; when speaking to the Nephites he had accomplished all and knew his perfection therefore stating it in his latter sermon. How do we know when we have achieved perfection? Is this something that we can attain in this life? Perfection is as it implies, flawlessness in every aspect of every fibre of our being. Achievable, of course through the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ. Suppose you lived a flawless life, a perfect, giving, teaching, and unspotted life; you still have an imperfect body: one that gets sick, injured, and can pass on to the next life. Perfection is the entire existence of you soul, your heart, might, mind, and strength; in essence your body. Perfection isn't something we are to look at as unattainable in this life however; we can and must be perfect in that which we can perfect in ourselves. For example we can be perfect in our tithes and offerings, we can be perfect in our home and visiting teaching, we can be perfect in our church callings and attendance, and we can be perfect in study and prayer. There are things we can control; after all we were sent here to learn to control a worldly body with a spiritual soul. Complete opposites trying to push and pull one another in the right direction. Perfection does not happen overnight, and it does not happen when you are converted; perfection is something that happens everyday, every hour, every minute, and every second. When we choose to follow our spirit instead of our mind, when we choose to listen to the still small voice instead of the TV, when we choose to read our scriptures instead of play video games, when we decide to pray before giving in to temptation that is when we are truly growing toward perfection. That is when our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are closest; that is when perfection becomes attainable and the world behind us gets quieter. Stand up for what you believe in and "be ye therefore perfect as your father (and his son) which is in heaven is perfect". "Be Believing", and "Be of Good Cheer" perfection is but a saviors grasp away. Grab hold and never let go.