Hi Ya'll

There was a wonderful talk given in our Sacrament meeting today about becoming perfect. It talked about perfection as being a process that we are all trying to go through in this life, not something that we can achieve all at once. An interesting point was made when the speaker compared the scripture in Matthew (When Jesus Christ was giving the sermon on the mount), "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect." to the scripture in 3 Nephi 12:48 "Therefore, I would that ye should be perfect even as I, or your Father who is in Heaven is perfect." In the latter scripture, Christ included Himself as being perfect, where in the first one He did not. So, even Christ was made perfect after going through the process of His life, and His death.
A quote that goes along with this is by Elder Dean L. Larsen:

"....Some of us create such a complexity of expectations for ourselves that it is difficult to cope with the magnitude of them. Sometimes we establish so many particulars by which to evaluate and rate ourselves that it becomes difficult for us to feel successful and worthy to any degree at any time.

We can drive ourselves unmercifully toward perfection on such a broad plane. When this compulsion is intensified by sources outside ourselves, the problem is compounded. Confronting these demands can bring mental and emotional despair.

Everyone needs to feel successful and worthy in some ways at least part of the time. The recognition of our frailties need not propel us to try to achieve perfection in one dramatic commitment of effort. The best progress sometimes comes when we are not under intense duress. Overzealousness is at least as much to be feared as apathy. Trying to measure up to too many particular expectations without some sense of self-tolerance can cause spiritual and emotional "burn-out"....("The Peaceable Things of the Kingdom," New Era, Feb. 1986, p. 6.)

I know that I for one am guilty of this. I sometimes set too many expectations for myself or my life, and fail to appreciate the gifts each day laid before me.

The ultimate end of becoming perfect is to be like the Savior. President Heber C. Kimball once said: "I am perfectly satisfied that my Father and my God is a cheerful, pleasant, lively, and good-natured Being. Why? Because I am cheerful, pleasant, lively and good-natured when I have His Spirit. That is one reason why I know; and another is - the Lord said, through Joseph Smith, "I delight in a glad heart and a cheerful countenance" (D&C 59:15).

I learned a lot from that talk. I hope we can all take something good from these thoughts. Love you all