[Title] Suggestions: Expecting Perfection Striving for Perfection Defining Perfection Word count: 265
[Kicker] The righteous desire to be perfect can overwhelm us and tear us down, but redefining “perfection” can help us draw closer to Christ.
[Highlights of the source article] The expectation to be perfect makes it easy for us to compare ourselves to others and fear that our mistakes are keeping us from deserving God’s love. We are supposed to be striving for perfection, but when it feels so far out of our reach, we can crumble under fears and pressure. Often, as we try to gain more control over the circumstances and people around us and worry about the mistakes that we make, we feel even further from the perfection we desire. In Elder Gerritt W. Gong’s article in the July 2014 Ensign, “Becoming Perfect in Christ,” Elder Gong helps us recognize that as we understand the Atonement, we can feel confident that we are not either “absolutely perfect or hopelessly flawed,” but that we are a work in progress. The Savior provided a way for us to repent because we all need it. If only the perfect were accepted by our Heavenly Father, an atonement would not help anyone. By having faith and embracing repentance and the power of the Atonement, our weaknesses can be made strong. Elder Gong encourages us in times of anxiousness or burden to ask ourselves if how we define and measure “perfection” is based on the doctrines of the Savior’s atoning love or by the world’s standards. Challenges and weaknesses have the potential to bring growth and help us draw closer to the Savior. We should look at how those challenges can lead us to perfection if we face them with faith and confidence that we can become perfect in Him and a realistic expectation of perfection. [Link to the Source Article] Read “Becoming Perfect in Christ” and ponder how you can redefine “perfection” for yourself. https://www.lds.org/liahona/2014/07/young-adults/becoming-perfect-in-christ?lang=eng [Byline] —Nicole Terry, Mormon Insights contributor
Find more insights Learn about how you can overcome the world’s expectations and instead focus on Heavenly Father’s expectations: https://www.lds.org/new-era/2015/06/breaking-expectations?lang=eng Understand the differences between mortal and eternal perfection: https://www.lds.org/ensign/1995/11/perfection-pending.p1?lang=eng Discover places to seek help when discouragement becomes too much to handle: https://www.mormonchannel.org/watch/series/mormon-messages/like-a-broken-vessel Be reminded of why it is important to keep trying: http://mormoninsights.byu.edu/en/failing-path-perfection/ [Tags] perfection, challenges, atonement [SEO Keywords] expectations, faith