Moroni 10: 32
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, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.
There are a few scriptures which speak of being perfect…
Matt 5:48
Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
3 Nephi 12:48
Therefore I would that ye should be perfect even as I, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect.
But I love how Moroni really lays it out and expands on what it looks like and how it's done:
We are to deny ourselves of all ungodliness or anything ungodly
and
We are to love God with all our might, mind and strength
Then
The Lord's grace will perfect us
What is grace?
From the Guide to the Scriptures we read:
Grace is the gift of divine help and strength we receive from Heavenly Father through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. The scriptures often speak of grace as the enabling power and spiritual healing offered through His mercy and love. All God’s blessings and tender mercies come to us through the grace of Jesus Christ.
Isaiah 40:29
He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength
President George Q. Cannon:
1 Cor 12:31
But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.
D&C 46:8-9
8 Wherefore, beware lest ye are deceived; and that ye may not be deceived seek ye earnestly the best gifts, always remembering for what they are given;
9 For verily I say unto you, they are given for the benefit of those who love me and keep all my commandments, and him that seeketh so to do; that all may be benefited that seek or that ask of me, that ask and not for a sign that they may consume it upon their lusts.
Elder Bruce R. McConkie:
Their purpose is to enlighten, encourage, and edify the faithful so that they will inherit peace in this life and be guided toward eternal life in the world to come. Their presence is proof of the divinity of the Lord’s work”. (Mormon Doctrine, 2nd edition [1966], 314).
Spencer W Kimball:
“Why will only a few reach exaltation in the celestial kingdom? Not because it was not available to them, not because they did not know of its availability, not because the testimony was not given to them, but because they would not put forth the effort to pattern their lives and make them like the Savior’s life and establish them so well that there would be no deviation until the end.
There are . . . many members of the Church who are lax and careless and who continually procrastinate. They live the gospel casually but not devoutly. They have complied with some requirements but are not valiant. They do no major crime but merely fail to do the things required—things like paying tithing, living the Word of Wisdom, having family prayers, fasting, attend- ing meetings, serving. . . .
“. . . The Lord will not translate one’s good hopes and desires and intentions into works. Each of us must do that for himself. . . .
“Only the valiant will be exalted and receive the highest degree of glory, hence many are called, but few are chosen.” (D&C 121:40.) As the Savior put it, “. . . strait is the gate, and narrow the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” And conversely, “. . . wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat.” (Matt. 7:13, 14.)
“It is true that many Latter-day Saints, having been baptized and confirmed members of the Church, and some even having received their endowments and having been married and sealed in the holy temple, have felt that they were thus guaranteed the blessings of exaltation and eternal life. But this is not so.
There are two basic requirements every soul must fulfill or he cannot attain to the great blessings offered. He must receive the ordinances and he must be faithful, overcoming his weaknesses. Hence, not all who claim to be Latter-day Saints will be exalted.”(Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball, pp. 8-9)
Note Pres Kimball teaches we must overcome our weaknesses to receive exaltation. In the scriptures we learn that the Lord treats rebellion with punishment, thus it behooves us to learn of any areas of our lives where we are being rebellious and sincerely repent.
Mosiah 15:26
But behold, and fear, and tremble before God, for ye ought to tremble; for the Lord redeemeth none such that rebel against him and die in their sins; yea, even all those that have perished in their sins ever since the world began, that have wilfully rebelled against God, that have known the commandments of God, and would not keep them; these are they that have no part in the first resurrection.
Mosiah 16:5
But remember that he that persists in his own carnal nature, and goes on in the ways of sin and rebellion against God, remaineth in his fallen state and the devil hath all power over him. Therefore he is as though there was no redemption made, being an enemy to God;
Elder Richard G. Scott:
“The joyful news for anyone who desires to be rid of the consequences of 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.” (Richard G. Scott, Personal Strength through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, October 2013 General Conference).
And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.
Above the Lord tells us His grace is sufficient or enough to help us, but how do we access His grace or enabling power? It's after ALL we can do
2 Nephi 25:23
...for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.
Moroni 10:33
And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy, without spot.
Perfection Comes Only Through the Power of God As Saints Place Themselves in a Position to Receive Divine Assistance
Elder George Q. Morris:
”’Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.’ (Matt. 5:48) “It is not humanly possible for us to become perfect and to keep all the commandments of God, but we are not talking about a human institution. We are talking about what the Apostle Paul said 'is the power of God unto salvation (Romans 1:16), and it is by the power of God that these things are done, as we place ourselves in a position for these principles to operate upon us."
(George Q, Morris in CR, Apr.1953, pp. 110-11.)
[T]he Holy Ghost [is] a true guide to your journey through life. However, this is not sufficient. The initial testifying power of the Holy Ghost was meant to be only a beginning. The real purpose of the spirit is to assist you in becoming perfect, and, barring resistance on your part, the power of Christ will make you perfect.
What is the relationship between perfection and knowing the truth of all things?
The Prophet Joseph Smith taught this important insight about knowledge:
"In knowledge there is power. God has more power than all other beings, because he has greater knowledge and hence he knows how to subject all other beings to Him. He has power over all."
(HC 5:340.)
What is another way the Holy Ghost will aid you in becoming perfect?
Moroni 10:8
How does the bestowal of the gifts enable a person to perform more perfectly his labor in the kingdom?
How do these gifts help him to perfect his own life?
Can you become perfect without receiving the gifts of the Spirit?
Since the Holy Ghost reveals knowledge to us, he is also a source of great power. (Book of Mormon student manual 121-122, Moroni Chap 10)
Elder Orson Pratt:
“Whenever the Holy Ghost takes up its residence in a person, it not only cleanses, sanctifies, and purifies him, in proportion as he yields himself to its influence, but also imparts to him some gift, intended for the benefit of himself and others." (Masterful Discourses, pp. 539–41.)
Elder Bruce C. Hafen:
"We know very little about this process of sanctification, but it is clear that we do not achieve perfection solely through our own efforts. Knowing just that much is enough to give us a new perspective. Because so many of us feel overwhelmed with the scriptural injunction to be perfect, the idea that divine grace is the final source of our perfection may seem too good to be true. That is how Christ's grace appears to those carrying the burden of truly serious sins. Honest people who carry the burden of being called 'saints' may feel the same way, as they stumble daily through the discouraging debris of their obvious imperfections. But the gospel has good news not only for the serious transgressor, but for all who long to be better than they are. We truly become saints ‘through the atonement of Christ, the Lord, 'which, after all we can do, has power to help us become 'as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love.' (Mosiah 3:19; emphasis added.)" (The Broken Heart, p. 18)
The Christlike attributes listed above are our goal and although it is not easy to put off the natural man and overcome our weaknesses, we must continue to strive. To do this we must know what our weaknesses are. Certainly we can kneel in prayer and so we should as we discuss all we do with the Lord.
President Harold B Lee:
"Every one of us, if we would reach perfection, must one time ask ourselves this question, 'What lack I yet?' if we would commence our climb upward on the highway to perfection." (Stand Ye in Holy Places, 1974, 210)
President Harold B. Lee:
“One who lives … worthy of a testimony that God lives and that Jesus is the Christ, and who is willing to reach out to Him in constant inquiry to know if his course is approved, is the one who is… preparing for the celestial world, which is to live eternally with his Heavenly Father.”(The Teachings of Harold B Lee p.614)
How do we know if God approves of our current course? We come to know if our course is approved by Him by reaching out in constant inquiry seeking for personal revelation through prayer.
In his very first talk after he was made President of our church, our beloved Prophet encouraged us to follow the example of Joseph Smith and receive personal revelation for our daily lives.
President Nelson:
"In like manner, what will your seeking open for you? What wisdom do you lack? What do you feel an urgent need to know or understand? Follow the example of the Prophet Joseph. Find a quiet place where you can regularly go. Humble yourself before God. Pour out your heart to your Heavenly Father. Turn to Him for answers and for comfort. Pray in the name of Jesus Christ about your concerns, your fears, your weaknesses—yes, the very longings of your heart. And then listen! Write the thoughts that come to your mind. Record your feelings and follow through with actions that you are prompted to take. As you repeat this process day after day, month after month, year after year, you will “grow into the principle of revelation.” (Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives, 2018)
He also shared good inspiration is based upon good information and the scriptures are replete with scriptures teaching us what we need to become to qualify for exaltation.
One of my favourites is from Peter teaching the Saints the steps to perfection and encouraging them to seek to receive their Calling and Election Made Sure.
2 Peter 1:1-7
...to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:
2 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,
3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
The scriptures teach us as we overcome the natural man, we shall increase in these Christlike attributes.
Mosiah 3:19
For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.
President Nelson:
"Charity is the spiritual gift that helps us to cast off the natural man, who is selfish, defensive, prideful, and jealous. Charity is the principal characteristic of a true follower of Jesus Christ. ...When we humble ourselves before God and pray with all the energy of our hearts, God will grant us charity." (Peacemakers Needed, April 2023)
Moroni 7:46-48
46 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail—
47 But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.
48 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen
President Nelson:
"Each person who makes covenants in baptismal fonts and in temples—and keeps them—has increased access to the power of Jesus Christ. Please ponder that stunning truth! The reward for keeping covenants with God is heavenly power—power that strengthens us to withstand our trials, temptations, and heartaches better. This power eases our way. Those who live the higher laws of Jesus Christ have access to His higher power. Thus, covenant keepers are entitled to a special kind of rest that comes to them through their covenantal relationship with God."
"As we strive to live the higher laws of Jesus Christ, our hearts and our very natures begin to change. The Savior lifts us above the pull of this fallen world by blessing us with greater charity, humility, generosity, kindness, self-discipline, peace, and rest."(Overcome the World and Find Rest, Oct 2022)
D&C 6:36
Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not.
Spencer W. Kimball:
“The cultivation of Christlike qualities is a demanding and relentless task—it is not for the seasonal worker or for those who will not stretch themselves, again and again.” (Ensign, Nov. 1978, 105)
Elder Anderson:
“We may not always succeed as quickly as we would want, but as we make repentance a constant part of our lives, miracles occur. This is what happens as we see that we really can overcome our sins[weaknesses]: Our “confidence [waxes] strong in the presence of God” (D&C 121:45). We kneel in humility before our Father. We tell him openly of our progress, and also of our fears and doubts. As we draw near to him, he draws near to us. He gives us peace and encouragement. He heals our souls. As we continue inch by inch to repent, we determine that nothing will hold us back; we will do our part. We come to feel like that great Lamanite king who cried, “Oh God, … wilt thou make thyself known unto me, and I will give away all my sins to know thee” (Alma 22:18). With this commitment to who we can become, the spiritual doors swing open. There is a new freedom to feel and to know, a freedom to become.” (The Joy of Becoming Clean, April 1995)
Elder Neal A. Maxwell:
"Jesus called upon us to be 'perfect even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.'(Matthew 5:48.) “Would a Lord who cannot lie taunt us with any possibility that is irrevocably out of our reach? With God's helping grace, Moroni promised, we can become 'holy, without spot.' (Moroni 10:33.) "It can be done, but not all at once." (Notwithstanding My Weakness, p. 28)
1 Nephi 3:7
And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.
We can be as Nephi and have the faith that the Lord does provide the way for us to achieve this perfection.
One of the questions I've had is how can we who have had relatively easy lives think we can slide into exaltation and sit beside those who have sacrificed so much, even their lives. How can we qualify for the same when much less has been asked of us? How can we qualify for the same when others have reached a much higher level of progress or perfection?
Beside the scriptures that teach their are many mansions in the kingdom of God(John 14:2, D&C 98:18), Joseph Smith taught that that just as climbing a ladder, we will be continuing to progress towards perfection. It makes so much sense to me that after we die and even into exaltation we are not finished yet. We are climbing the rungs on the ladder and according to our obedience and perfection, some are above us and some are below us. As we strive for perfection we qualify to be there but where we are on the ladder is up to us and our diligence. Thus our choices determine our position on the ladder.
To be clear, he is discussing exaltation, not that we can progress up the ladder from lower kingdoms, that is not correct doctrine.
"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(Heb 10:20) 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(Luke 1:77, Alma 37:8, Alma 38:9, 3 Nephi 5:20, D&C 128:11) and exaltation even beyond the grave. " (Teachings, p. 348)
President Spencer W. Kimball … explained the need to strive for perfection: “‘Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.’ (Matthew 5:48.) Now, that is an attainable goal. We will not be exalted, we shall not reach our destination, unless we are perfect, and now is the best time in the world to start toward perfection. I have little patience with persons who say, ‘Oh, nobody is perfect,’ the implication being; ‘so why try?’ Of course no one is wholly perfect, but we find some who are a long way up the ladder” (Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, 165).
- Book of Mormon Student Manual (Chapter 41: 3 Nephi 12-14)
Because people are not all equally good or equally evil, the Prophet Joseph Smith (1805–1844) explained:
“In the 14th chapter of John— ‘In my Father’s house are many mansions’ [John 14:2] … should be— ‘In my Father’s kingdom are many kingdoms. … “There are mansions for those who obey a celestial law, and there are other mansions for those who come short of the law; every man in his own order.”
(Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith [2007], 219)
President Joseph Fielding Smith:
“When a person rises in the resurrection, his body will be perfect but that does not mean that he will be perfect in faith. There will be different kinds of bodies in the resurrection-
celestial,
terrestrial, and
telestial
D&C 130:19
‘If a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life through his diligence and obedience than another, he will have so much the advantage in the world to come.
I am grateful for the gift and power of God which enables us to be perfected in Christ. Moroni 7:30 teaches us that "miracles are wrought upon those with a strong faith and a firm mind in every form of godliness", certainly this "miracle" is one we ought to seek after. Recently as my husband prayed for what more he could do, he was told to ask for the gifts of God, I know as we plead for these gifts, and covet earnestly for them, He will through His grace grant us the power we need to overcome our weaknesses, become like our Saviour and qualify for exaltation. I testify through our obedience to the laws of heaven, we can gain the gifts of the Spirit to enable us to unlock this first round of perfection. In the name of Jesus Christ amen
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