Practice, not Perfection in the Present - 7 August 2022

 

Life was never about being perfect. Life has always been about working towards perfection–through the process of persistent progression and the all-sufficient grace of Jesus Christ. It has always been about “[coming] unto Christ and [being] perfected in Him” (Moroni 10:32)

Sometimes we mistakenly think about our standing before God as if we were walking a tightrope. One wrong step, and we fall to the ground, losing all of our progress. In order to get back on, we have to go all the way back to the beginning and start over. With each misstep, we grow increasingly frustrated and discouraged, and we may feel tempted to give up.

Our journey through life is much more akin to practicing shooting in basketball. Missing a particular shot in no way lessens or cancels all of the shots that one has previously made. It simply indicates that there is more work we can do to become a more capable, perfected player–and gives important information about how to improve.

Importantly, turning away from the challenge of practice does NOT make us better players; rather, turning away leads to ignoring weaknesses and procrastinating improvement. On the other hand, the more we shoot and miss, the more we are able to recognize and work on our weaknesses–and be that much more prepared for game day.

Likewise, repentance is NOT about starting over from scratch, getting a clean slate, or trying harder to be perfect this time. While we do gratefully receive forgiveness for our mistakes, repentance is more about becoming a little better and a little holier each day. Alma taught that this life is “a time to PREPARE to meet God; a time to PREPARE for that endless state… after the resurrection of the dead” (Alma 12:24). That preparation comes as we face opposition, learn from how we respond, and use Christ’s enabling power to change our desires and habits, thereby ridding ourselves the impurities and spots that manifest themselves in those tests and trials. Through the essential process of making mistakes, recognizing weaknesses, and allowing Christ to help us refine those parts of ourselves, we become increasingly prepared to stand before God at the last day, confident that we are qualified to dwell in His presence.

“The Final Judgment is not just an evaluation of a sum total of good and evil acts—what we have done. It is an acknowledgment of the final effect of our acts and thoughts—what we have become. The gospel of Jesus Christ is a plan that shows us how to become what our Heavenly Father desires us to become.” - President Dallin H. Oaks, “The Challenge to Become"