Be Ye Therefore Perfect

In the final chapter of the Book of Mormon, Moroni 10, the last prophet of the book discusses some of the most basic concepts of personal spirituality.  He reviews the concepts of faith, hope and charity; as discussed in my last entry, he talks about following the promptings of the Holy Ghost in determining whether the writings of the prophets are true; he writes several columns on spiritual gifts and completes his work with a discourse on becoming perfect.

We often excuse our behavior by saying something like, “Sorry, I’m not perfect,” or “Nobody’s perfect.”  We are taught that it is virtually impossible to be perfect in this life.  As Paul expressed it to the Roman saints, “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) Many, as a result of their realization that we cannot ever be perfect, tire of trying and decide that they may as well indulge in all those sins of which they have been deprived.  The result is always disastrous.  Inevitably, hearts are broken, lives are wasted, and by the time they discover that this path is leading them nowhere, their children are not indoctrinated in the essence of the Gospel and are lost. 

Why would Christ, then, have stated that famous phrase, “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect”?  If it is impossible, why did he put that before us? Much has been written on the subject and my insights are most likely no more valuable, but it has brought comfort to me to read the words of Moroni in this regard.  Here we find that while we cannot be perfect, we can be made perfect.  His invitation is the same that missionaries and members of the Church are commanded to give throughout all the world, “Come unto Christ and be perfected in Him.”
 

You will recall that the commandment to be perfect followed the Sermon on the Mount.  It was there that Christ expressed the need for us to step up our obedience such as don’t be angry with thy brother, but be reconciled to him.  The old law was “Thou shalt not kill.” Where the old law was “Thou shalt not commit adultery” Christ said we must not look lustfully at a woman.  The old law was that you put away a wife by a writ of divorcement, but Christ said we commit adultery when we divorce and remarry unless she has committed adultery.  Instead of love thy neighbor and hate thy enemy, He said love, bless, do good to and pray for our enemy. Then, after we find Christ in our hearts will he make us perfect.

There is something in each of us that says, “You are made for greater things.  There is more to you than this mundane life.”  God has placed it in you and Christ will help you find it.  Satan also knows about this and uses it to our disadvantage.  It is the reason we seek to know the doctrine of Christ, but it is also the reason some abandon their families and go out in search of themselves.  One finds peace, joy and eternal perspective; the other finds that no matter what the world has to offer, it is not enough.  It cannot satisfy, but until they turn to Christ, they either continue to try divergent paths, or they settle for mediocrity. 

When we find the doctrine of Christ, we find that it takes constant vigilance to retain that peace, so we read, study and meditate every day.  C.S. Lewis in Mere Christianity has an interesting perspective.  He says that we got our body from our parents, but that does not mean it will just stay there if we do nothing about it.  We can lose it from neglect or even purposely end it. It has to be constantly nourished and built up, but keep in mind that you are not creating your life, you are only keeping up something that came from someone else.   

Similarly, we have to realize that the testimony of Christ (what CSL calls the Christ-life) is not of our own creation, but is a gift from God.  We can lose it with neglect or even kill it because it is inconvenient to the way we choose to live.  When we nourish it we discover a great gift has been given.  It is not something we are creating any more than we created our own bodies.

We know that just because we have the amazing gift of life from our parents doesn’t mean we will never be hurt, but it means that if we are hurt there are elements within us and outside us that can provide healing. Similarly, a man or woman of Christ knows that just because we have been given this great gift does not mean that we will go wrong, but it does mean that we can repent and pick ourselves up each time we stumble no matter how many times or the severity of the fall.

In many ways we are like refugees and our vision is limited.  In his autobiography, Elder F. Enzio Buche talks about the aftermath of World War II as a young German soldier trying to return home.  He had to travel 300 miles without any means of transportation and no food.  The only shelter was a small tent with no floor and only a blanket for warmth and protection from the cold, wet nights.  It was constantly raining and cold.  He says that the only aspiration he had in life at that time besides finding something to eat was that he might someday own a tent with a rubber floor.  To aspire to a house and a car, a refrigerator and a store of food were beyond imagination.

So it is with us.  We aspire to so much less than we are capable of becoming, but our vision of our possibilities begins to expand well beyond our limited vision when we obtain the vision that God gives us as we work daily to build our Christ lives – our testimonies, our understanding of his principles and our appreciation of the great gift we have been given.Today, we cannot even imagine perfection, but through our Christ-given vision we begin to see that we are going to be perfect with all that status implies.  If you have ever felt the inner joy of love, perhaps on your wedding day or the birth of a child, magnify that feeling a thousand times and imagine that it will be yours forever, never to be lost.  Perfection is beyond even that.  Our limited vision makes us aspire to less, but Christ will not give us less.  It is the only way we can satisfy that feeling within us that says, "You are greater than this."

If These Things Are Not True

We are all familiar with the exhortation of Moroni in the last chapter of the Book of Mormon that we should ask God if these things are not true and that if we do so with a sincere desire and with faith, he will reveal that they are true.  What are "these things" and why is it important that we find that they are true?

When I ask these questions I get the usual answers: "these things" are cumulatively the Book of Mormon and it is important because if the Book of Mormon is true, Joseph Smith was a prophet and the Church of Christ has been restored.  All true and important, but do we really need to know that there were elephants, horses, chickens, cummons, and cureloms before we can believe?  Is it necessary that we find the city of Zarahemla or that the math of the reproductive numbers of the Nephites and Lamanites works out before we can accept this volume of scripture?  Nothing can be less important, in my experience and opinion.

For someone just reading the Book of Mormon for the first time or for someone reading it over again for who-knows-how-many times "these things" refers to the particular doctrines the writer has been preaching.  If the Book of Mormon  is true, as a whole, then what Nephi and Lehi taught their families and those who traveled with them is important for us.  If the teachings of Alma are true, then Christ truly has taken upon him our sins, knows our sorrows, is able to guide our lives toward something beyond our pathetically small dreams.  If what Moroni says is true, Christ was not being cruel, hypocritical or stating the impossible when he declared to his disciples (including us), "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect." (Matthew 5:48)

When we ask God if these wonderful doctrines are true or if we really do have to repent of immoral activity, or improper thoughts the answer has usually been given before we even ask.  It is true, so now we have a responsibility to dig into the doctrines of the Book of Mormon and understand them on a deeper basis.  When I read any book of scripture or the writings of the prophets I read to understand more completely what I need to do to become what is promised in their writing.  I was very impressed with one of the speakers in our Stake Conference who said she took a spiral notebook and drew a line from top to bottom in the middle of each page.  At the top of the first column she wrote "If" and at the top of the second column she wrote "Then".  As she read the Book of Mormon, she would see something like "...thus we see..." and she would know that the next words would go in the "If" column and the words following those would go into the "Then" column.  That is how we know the promises of God and how we can achieve them.

In the next post, I want to take up the idea of perfection, so I won't spend much time on that topic here.  As an example of how to approach this, however, the idea of perfection is a good example.  Moroni 10:32 has the invitation: "Come unto Christ" and the promise "and be perfected in Him."  How do we come unto Christ?  It goes on, "deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength..." The promise: "...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."  Is that true?  If that is true then I can become the man that somewhere in my deepest consciousness I believe I am supposed to become.  If it is not true, then I truly am lost and without hope for perfection and might as well eat, drink, abandon my higher instincts for my baser pleasures, for tomorrow I will die and my life would have been for naught just like the billions who have become dust before me.  Nice try, but God will not tell you it is not true.  If you are sincere, you know what the answer will be and you will discover in yourself a man or woman with unlimited potential, happiness, love and intelligence.  It's there if you are courageous enough to take the challenge.

Keep in mind, however, that it is not easy.  It means that you will have to dedicate time every day for the rest of your life to this path of discovery.  It means that you pay rapt attention in meetings and classes for that little nudge that tells you, "I need to look at this again from another perspective."  It means not judging those who are trying to teach or preach, but to look at every one as an opportunity to become better.  It is a commitment, but it is a commitment well worth the sacrifice.  Remember the word sacrifice means "to make holy."  Thus, it implies that whatever we are giving up to study, pray and meditate is worth it because properly applied it will make us holy.

Charity - The Pure Love of Christ

Like Paul in Corinthians, Moroni discusses faith, hope and charity.  While Paul spends almost no space on faith or hope, Moroni discusses them all in some depth.  It is interesting that much of the language Joseph Smith uses in the interpretation of this chapter is very similar to 1Cor. 13 and 1John 3:2.  Since the inspiration comes from the same source and since Joseph Smith was very familiar with the passages of the bible, it should not be surprising that they come out to be very similar.  The important thing is what we are taught here, whether it is the parts that are unique to Moroni (which is most of the chapter) or those that are similar to Paul's writings.

It is the combination of the three that allows us to receive of the grace of Christ and receive eternal life.  That is we must have faith in Christ, a hope borne of the power of the Holy Ghost through our personal meekness and lowliness of heart, and then add to that charity towards our fellow beings.

Moroni defines charity as the pure love of Christ.  That is a very apt definition and unique to the Book of Mormon.  In discussing the concept of charity with a friend who is an evangelical, I mentioned that charity was the pure love of Christ and he was very enthusiastic about that definition.  Who can argue with that?  As Christ loved us without guile, so we should love others with that same guilelessness.  It is sometimes rewarding to think of a comeback that will put someone in his place, but is that practicing what Christ would have us do?  We win, but we have done little to persuade or advance the cause of Christ in most cases.  If we are inspired to do so, we must be prepared to show forth afterward an increase of love as directed in D&C 121:43.

Such things will fail to bring us satisfaction in the end and they fail to bring another person closer to Christ, but charity never fails.  When our loving heart is expressed in our actions towards others, they are touched in a way that leads them to the source of pure love.  It has to be motivated by pure love, however, and not a mixed motive such as manipulation, desiring to win approval of a person who could be a good referral source, getting approval of someone we consider our superior or any other mixed motive.  It must be only for the pure motive of just loving and serving for the sake of lifting and empowering that person.

Moroni suggests that the only way to achieve that level of purity is to pray for it with all the energy of our heart.  Then, when we have achieved this level of love, when our heart is pure and our love is without a hidden agenda, we are so Christlike that when we see Him, as we are promised in D&C 93:1 that we will, we will be like Him.  Our hope in him will be perfected for we will be purified to become as pure as He is.  Simple, huh?  Yes, except for that natural man that keeps tugging us back to be less that we ought to be.  It cannot be done without our constant striving, repenting and totally relying on Christ.

A Hope in Christ

At a ward conference, several years ago, I was asked to speak on the subject of hope. One of the brethren stated that we should not just hope that Christ is a redeemer or that we can be saved, but we should know those things are true. In a sense, he was right. There is a way to obtain the testimony of which he spoke and we should have a conviction borne of the Spirit. We can obtain that testimony by our application of true principles and asking in faith for the direction we seek.

Hope in Christ, however, is not the same as hoping we got it right. The way to express the hope in Christ is to understand that without Christ, there is no hope. I have, in past posts, stated that we do not receive what we need from God, but what we deserve. We cannot go out to our garden and expect to get food if we never planted, cultivated or harvested, no matter how hungry we are. However, we cannot deserve Eternal Life, that is life with God, no matter what we plant, water, fertilize or cultivate. We do not have the capacity to make our wrongs right. As James Ferrell puts it in his book, The Peacegiver, the only thing we deserve as a result of our living here in mortality is Hell. Without the atonement of Christ and the power of his resurrection we are without hope. With faith in Him, we have hope in a glorious resurrection. (verse 42) Additionally, our faith and hope are meaningless if we do not have a meek and lowly heart and confess by the power of the Holy Ghost that Jesus is the Christ. In other words, we must come to understand that no matter how expert we become, no matter how closely we follow the commandments or how much we read the scriptures, etc., we must admit that without the selfless act of the atonement, we cannot expect eternal life. (Verse 43) With Christ, our hope is fulfilled and we can expect perfection, not because we deserve it, but because Christ makes up the difference. (2Nephi 25:23; Moroni 10: 32-33)

Faith is the primary subject of most of Moroni 7. Faith is defined elsewhere in the scriptures, but this chapter has excellent examples of faith as well as the purpose of faith. Faith in Christ is the paramount requirement for receiving the blessings of God. We must ask in faith, act in faith, wait in faith and in gratitude, acknowledge the hand of God in our lives. In doing so we become the sons and daughters of Christ. That is our ultimate goal. In other areas of the scriptures we find that the disciples of a prophet become the sons of that prophet. In the same manner, true disciples of Christ become the family of Christ.

The book, Believing Christ, by Stephen E. Robinson points out that to receive the blessings of God we must not just believe in Christ, but that we must believe Christ. We don't just believe that Christ can heal a wicked heart, but that our own wicked heart is healed. We don't just believe that He has provided a living prophet, but we believe that following the counsel of the prophet is not only possible but necessary if we expect to receive all that God has.

First, he points out the obvious – we must use the light of Christ that is in all people to distinguish right from wrong and lay hold on every good thing. In Christ comes every good thing (V. 18-22). There is no virtue in hanging on to any evil thing, no matter what excuse we may come up with and no matter how small we think that thing is. The light of Christ will help us identify those things and then it is up to us to be rid of them.

Next, he points out that faith is power. In the Lectures on Faith, Joseph Smith points out that this principle is how the worlds were created and everything that is in them. It is this principle that all the writers of Holy Scripture are trying to teach us the readers. Faith is power to do whatsoever thing is the will of God (Lecture One). No General Conference goes by without some illustration of someone who exercised faith despite the logic of man and had miracles come to pass. Most recently, President Monson illustrated the principle with the example of the dedication of the Bern Switzerland temple. Knowing that Brother Peter Mourik was not in the building, he nonetheless called on him to speak because the Spirit so prompted him. Brother Mourik, likewise interrupted a meeting to drive to the temple even though he intended to attend a different session and arrived just as it was announced that he would be the next speaker. There are countless examples of people who paid tithing when they had nothing to eat or feed their children, or who bore children not knowing how they would pay for them, or who chose to honor the Sabbath giving up potential fame or fortune. When the Lord knows that we will follow Him in faith, power is given us to accomplish His will.

Moroni points out that the exercise of faith is the reason that miracles have not ceased in the world. Miracles cease only when there is unbelief. Where there is unbelief, it is as if no redemption of Christ had been made. Finally, it is by faith that the greatest miracle of all becomes available to us - the atonement of Christ and our personal redemption.

Giving and Receiving Gifts

Some time ago our bishop challenged us to read the Book of Mormon by Christmas. I was well on my way by then, so I didn't think there would be a problem. However, as the days wore on I realized that I couldn't write in my study journal and finish the book before Christmas. I did finish on time, but as I read Moroni 7, I realized that I had gone through the chapter too perfunctorily, so after Christmas, I went back to it several times in order to understand it more deeply. It is not the first time I have meditated on this chapter. It and chapter 10 are among my favorites because of the meaning of hope and perfection they offer. They contain lessons of a deeply spiritual nature for those who are seeking to truly know Christ and accept the atonement much more deeply.

This chapter is primarily a lecture on faith, hope and charity and is similar in many ways to the teachings of Paul in the New Testament (1Cor. 13). Moroni teaches that these virtues are a gift. I have wondered at this concept as it is found throughout the scriptures. It is obvious that you have to work at receiving the gift for it to be given to you, which seemed to me to be closer to wages than to a gift. I have come to appreciate that it is truly a gift, however.

In my law practice, I have many times heard the childless aunt complain about, and in some cases disinherit the niece or nephew who showed no gratitude for the gifts she had given. Almost no one wants their gift to be transferred to their loved ones at too young an age, because they are not prepared enough to appreciate the gift if they have not experienced enough of life. In the teachings of Paul we learn that "the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ, our Lord." (Romans 6:23. Emphasis added).

I believe we are given these gifts, but that we become less aware of them as we yield to the natural man tendencies. On the other hand, as we become more prepared, the gifts are more freely bestowed. "What good", asks the Lord, "is a gift if we refuse the gift, or if it is squandered on our 'lusts'?" Neither the giver nor the receiver are prospered (D&C 88:32-33; 46:9).

In Moroni 7: 6-8, Moroni offers some insight on the giving of gifts. As I read these verses, it becomes obvious that the gift he is referring to is the gift of ourselves to Christ. He observes that we are not expected to just give !0% of our increase or one day a week or even an hour each day and Monday evening. We are expected to give our whole selves, or as Elder Neil L. Maxwell observed, we must place our will on the alter. "Brethren, as you submit your wills to God, you are giving Him the only thing you can actually give Him that is really yours to give. Don’t wait too long to find the altar or to begin to place the gift of your wills upon it! " (April 2004 General Conference, Priesthood Session. Emphasis in original.)

Once again, using the current law as an example, a gift must be given with no strings attached or it is not a completed gift. If, for instance, you desire to make a gift of appreciating assets out of your estate in order to not have them counted for estate tax purposes and to have them grow in your child's estate instead, there cannot be a way for you to pull back the gift if your child subsequently disappoints you. If you have retained that authority, the asset is still considered part of your estate because it was not freely given. It will be taxed as part of your estate as if you had never bestowed the gift at all.

The same is true of the only gift we can give to God or to Christ. If we offer the gift of tithing, we are only offering a tenth of our increase. If we offer it grudgingly by seeking for loopholes, for instance, only that part that was given freely will be counted to us for righteousness. If we accept a calling, but only show up when necessary; if we never read the manual; if we never get to know the people we are to serve and find a way that our calling will benefit them, then, as I read Moroni, nothing is profited. It is as if we had retained the gift.

He equates gifts with prayer and says whether we are offering a gift or a prayer to the Lord it must be done with real intent. Why? Because all things that are good come from God and all that is evil comes from the devil. (Verse 12) To that degree that we hold back some of ourselves because we don't want to give all to God, or we fear the consequences, or we love a little badness, or we have a better idea, we are yielding that much to Satan and, while we are not keeping anything from God (He has everything), we are keeping ourselves from receiving all that God can give to us. We are only going to receive what we are prepared to receive.

Power Given To the Righteous

The beginning chapters of Heleman finds the people in the depths of wickedness and seeing no way out. The few who were righteous are intimidated by the fact that there is no support or protection for them. Not only are the people more interested in the lusts of worldly pleasures, but the government is corrupt, as well. With a corrupt government there can be no justice because those in favor or those who are wealthy enough to provide bribes are free to place all others under subjection.

In the midst of all this, a righteous prophet named after the first prophet following the division of the people, Nephi, boldly calls the people to repentance and prophesies of the coming of Christ. He condemns the corruption of the day, so many are drawn to him. Some are just curious to see a man with such courage; others are anxious to follow his teachings; still others are anxious to see him stopped even if it means that he is destroyed. In the attempt to silence him and cause him to be "tried" for treason, he first preaches unto them about the fact that Christ is prophesied of by all prophets and he condemns them for their iniquities. As they attempt to take him, he tells them that the chief judge is murdered and he tells them who committed the crime.

There are other details to the story that are very interesting, but the point I wish to make here is that the complete righteous nature of Nephi led him to accept the will of God, no matter what the circumstances might be for him. The result of that could have been the same as that of Jeremiah where no relief ever came and he died an ignominious death. To him it did not matter so long as he was doing the will of God. What happened to Nephi is not entirely unique as we see something similar with Elijah, but something for which we could all strive. In the midst of his pondering on the wickedness of the people and wondering if what he was doing made any difference, a voice came to him telling him that because of his faithfulness, the Lord would make him mighty in faith, word, deed and works. In fact, he was told, anything he asked would be done. A lesser man would have asked for a safe place away from all the trials, abundance to avoid the negative consequences of the wicked society and peace for the rest of his life. The Lord knew, however, that Nephi would ask only for those things that would further his ministry to the people.

Rather than ask for ease, he asked the Lord to bring famine to replace war. The famine brought the desired result, at least until it was relieved, in that the people began to listen to this prophet who predicted the destruction of the people if they did not repent. They laid down their weapons of war and paid heed to his teachings, but as soon as they were relieved of the famine, they turned back to their former ways.

There is a lesson for each of us here, I believe. The will of God is always superior to the will of man. There is no security in our own attempts at self-security, especially if they are made without the promptings of the Spirit. Even worse, there is never security in evil. When we come to a place in our lives where it seems we could acquire wealth or prestige through deceit, theft, or by corrupt means, we will find that it is temporary at best. If it is not lost during our lifetimes, it will destroy our children and leave them destitute of material, spiritual, emotional or social well being. Sin in all its manifestations is selfishness at its core.

The only security is in following the words of God. As it says in D&C 84:43-44, we must give diligent heed to the words of eternal life and live by every word that proceeds forth from the mouth of God. If we do so today, we find that there is a reason to procure a good education, establish ourselves in a business or profession and set aside money, food, water and fuel against a day of disaster, but we never rely solely on those things. Rather, we rely on God by putting His will above ours to a point that we completely substitute His will for our own. When we do that, we find, at least in a small degree, that we, like Nephi, can call upon him to receive the blessings we desire for ourselves, our loved ones and those for whom we have responsibility in our callings.