Matthew 5:48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
This is a tall order. lol. The thought of being perfect is slightly overwhelming. When I think about all the things I’ve done wrong and I do wrong, it feels like an impossible task. But something my institute teacher taught me in during summer 2012 has been helpful. Elder and Sister Enos were really wonderful institute teachers. They taught with love and compassion and a true desire to help the people around them. I really loved going to their classes. I learned so much and received a new perspective on the Gospel.
One of the things Elder Enos taught and reiterated was that it is not possible for us to be entirely perfect without the Atonement. What we can do, though, is try and not give up. He recommended that we pick one particular part of the Gospel and work until we are perfect in that aspect before moving on to the next. By working on one attribute of the Savior at a time or one of His teachings at a time, we will have an easier time of it. He also suggested we start with the simple things first, like reading our scriptures, attending all of our meetings, keeping the Sabbath Day holy and praying. Once we have mastered these things, move on to something we find more difficult.
That certainly does sound easier to me. I guess it’s like building a house. You don’t just build a house all at once and expect it to be perfect and sound. You have to start with the foundation and then the structure of the walls before you can put up a roof. Each of these elements needs to be done in the correct and proper way before it can be considered ‘perfect.’ After that you can start putting in the electrical work and then the drywall. Everything is done in step and through a process. It takes time. Each of us is building our own little spiritual house and while we may make some mistakes on the alignment of the walls or wiring the power outlets, it can all be fixed. We just need to keep working at it and use the Atonement as often as we need it. God and Jesus Christ have provided us with a way to become perfect. We just need to do our part and they will make up the rest.
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