The LDS Daily WOOL Home Page
(4/27/98)
"Now, if you feel too spiritually maimed to come to the feast, please
realize that the Church is not a monastery for perfect people, though
all of us ought to be striving on the road to godliness. No, at least
one aspect of the Church is more like a hospital or an aid station,
provided for those who are ill and want to get well, where one can get
an infusion of spiritual nutrition and a supply of sustaining water in
order to keep on climbing."—Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, He Hath Filled
The Hungry With Good Things, General Conference, October
1997
(4/28/98)
"Mortal perfection can be achieved as we try to perform every duty, keep
every law, and strive to be as perfect in our sphere as our Heavenly
Father is in his."—Elder Russell M. Nelson, Conference Report,
November 1995
(4/29/98)
"The Greek rendering for 'perfect' is, by the way, 'complete, finished,
fully developed.' After his atonement and resurrection, Jesus included
himself as our pattern. 'Therefore I would that ye should be perfect
even as I, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect' (3 Nephi 12:48).
One of the problems we have in the Church is that we consider perfection
in abstraction, and it becomes too intimidating. But when we think of it
in terms of the specific, cardinal attributes, and we strive to develop
these in a steady process of self-improvement, it is quite a different
matter."—Elder Neal A. Maxwell, "In Him All Things Hold Together", BYU
Speeches of the Year 1990-91, 31 March 1991
(4/30/98)
"One of the first important lessons of survival in this stressful time
is to learn patience. Perfection is not achieved in one spasmodic burst
of effort. As we move along the path of progress, we must find moments
of enjoyment and refreshment along the way."—Elder Dean L. Larsen, The
Peaceable Things of the Kingdom, BYU Speeches of the Year 1984-85,
3 February 1985
(5/1/98)
"As children of promise, do not choose to be common; rather, choose to
excel. There is no prominent place in the society of men and women today
for the mediocre. Strive for perfection and you will attain perfection
in many areas and approach it in others. You have a rich heritage. Be
unafraid to think and act in accordance with gospel principles, and
enjoy the benefits and blessings of it as you fulfill on earth the full
measure of your creation as a child of God."—Elder Delbert L. Stapley, Conference
Report, October 1969, p.44
(2/26/04)
"The command 'Be ye... perfect' (Matt.
5:48) is not one that can be executed overnight, or even by the
end of mortality. It takes much, much longer to overcome all our mortal
weaknesses, doing 'all we can do,' so that by grace we may be saved and
attain (see 2 Ne.
25:23) godhood. Christ's resurrection, which assures our own
immortality, provides us time to at least seriously attempt to pursue
the goal of perfection. Had he not been resurrected, or if the
Resurrection had applied to him only and not to the rest of God's
offspring, there would be no hope for us mere mortals. Even if we
subscribed to the possibility of becoming perfect in mortality, there
would be nothing we could do about it. The pathway to perfection is just
too long, the time to walk it exceeding whatever our allotted years in
mortality may be." - Alexander B. Morrison, "I
Am the Resurrection and the Life," Ensign, Apr. 1995, p. 42
(4/16/05)
"The Church is not a place where perfect people gather to say perfect
things, or have perfect thoughts, or have perfect feelings. The Church
is a place where imperfect people gather to provide encouragement,
support, and service to each other as we press on in our journey to
return to our Heavenly Father.
"Each one of us will travel a different road during this life. Each
progresses at a different rate. Temptations that trouble your brother
may not challenge you at all. Strengths that you possess may seem
impossible to another.
"Never look down on those who are less perfect than you. Don't be upset
because someone can't sew as well as you, can't throw as well as you,
can't row or hoe as well as you.
"We are all children of our Heavenly Father. And we are here with the
same purpose: to learn to love Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and
strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. (Mark
12:30-31.) " - Joseph B. Wirthlin, "The
Virtue
of Kindness," General Conference, April 2005
1/2/06
"The most difficult of all challenges given to us is, 'I would that ye
should be perfect even as I, or your Father who is in heaven is
perfect.' (3 Ne. 12:48.)
Perfection is an eternal goal. While we cannot be perfect in mortality,
striving for it is a commandment, which ultimately, through the
Atonement, we can keep." - James E. Faust, "This
Is Our Day," Ensign (CR), May 1999, p.17
5/7/06
"We need not be dismayed if our earnest efforts toward perfection now
seem so arduous and endless. Perfection is pending. It can come in full
only after the Resurrection and only through the Lord. It awaits all who
love him and keep his commandments. It includes thrones, kingdoms,
principalities, powers, and dominions. (See D&C
132:19.) It is the end for which we are to endure. (Matt.
10:22; Matt.
24:13; Mark
13:13.) It is the eternal perfection that God has in store for
each of us." - Russell M. Nelson, "Perfection
Pending," Ensign (CR), November 1995, p.86
1/7/07
"To overcome the world—meaning sin, evil, and all that is worldly—men
must repent of their sins and thereafter 'hold fast,' in the language of
Paul, 'that which is good'. Forgiveness, of course, is a gift of the
Spirit; it comes when men have the companionship of the Holy Ghost,
which companionship comes as men repent, keep the commandments, and
submit to the ordinances of forgiveness, such as baptism and the
sacrament. Thereafter, spiritual growth is a continued step-by-step
process of perfecting one's self, first in one thing, then in another,
until finally, in that great eternal day, men are perfect in all things,
even as are Jesus and his Father (Matt.
5:48; 3 Ne.
12:48)." - Bruce R. McConkie, "Sermons and Writings of Bruce R.
McConkie," p.345
1/29/07
"This is a time to ask ourselves whether, although we have grown in
numbers and strength, we are any nearer perfection in the virtue of our
individual lives. The milestone of five million members has real
significance only to the degree that we as a people bring the gospel
into our lives and demonstrate its fruits in our actions. The Lord has
reminded us in no uncertain terms that 'of him unto whom much is given
much is required.' (D&C
82:3.)" - Gordon B. Hinckley, "Five Million Members—A Milestone
and Not a Summit," Ensign (CR), May 1982, p.44
3/31/07
"We should labor for perfection so far as possible, and seek to go
onward. There is no man or woman who can stand still any great length of
time. In this path over which we are moving we are very likely to go
backward if we undertake to stand still or act indifferently. We must
push forward, because as the Church moves on, it is very evident that
things of a more difficult character are occurring constantly, and we
will find it far from easy to overcome them. Unless we improve as we
move along we will find it very difficult to magnify our callings and to
perform the work required at our hands. Latter-day Saints should not
permit themselves to stand still. It is a privilege we have to serve the
Lord and enjoy His spirit in our labors, but many of the people lose
that portion of happiness that they might enjoy because of not
reflecting seriously upon their duties and acting wisely and prudently.
(6 April 1898, CR, p. 12.)" - "The Teachings of Lorenzo Snow, edited by
Clyde J. Williams," p.95
8/12/07
"When comparing one's personal performance with the supreme standard
of the Lord's expectation, the reality of imperfection can at times be
depressing. My heart goes out to conscientious Saints who, because of
their shortcomings, allow feelings of depression to rob them of
happiness in life.
"We all need to remember: men are that they might have joy—not guilt
trips! (2
Ne. 2:25.)" - Russell M. Nelson, "Perfection
Pending," Ensign (CR), November 1995, p.86
11/4/07
"We will not attain a state of
perfection in this life, but we can and should press forward with
faith in Christ along the strait and narrow path and make steady
progress toward our eternal destiny. The Lord’s pattern for
spiritual development is 'line upon line, precept upon precept, here
a little and there a little' (2
Nephi 28:30). Small, steady, incremental
spiritual improvements are the steps the Lord would have us take.
Preparing to walk guiltless before God is one of the primary
purposes of mortality and the pursuit of a lifetime; it does not
result from sporadic spurts of intense spiritual activity." - David
A. Bednar, "Clean
Hands and a Pure Heart," General
Conference, 7 October 2007
9/14/08
"Change is hard. Rather than
going through the struggle to overcome a bad habit or rectify a mistake,
some of us choose to make excuses for inactivity. Progress comes as we
are able to give up something for something we want more. Honesty with
oneself and setting of desirable but attainable goals day by day can
determine the paths we follow. One might make a list of goals and then a
price list for each goal. One day at a time the price of change can be
paid. The cost will then not be overwhelming." - Elder Marvin J. Ashton,
"Roadblocks to Progress," Ensign (CR), May 1979, p.67
9/30/08
"When we look at all the Lord
asks of us, it can sometimes seem overwhelming. Of course, where much
has been given, much is expected. I believe it is helpful when faced
with an enormous challenge to view it as a step-by-step process. We
begin by taking the first step, then continue by taking one step at a
time. I am certain that the Lord is pleased even with our small
beginnings, because in His infinite wisdom He knows that small things
often become great things." - L. Tom Perry, "United in Building the
Kingdom of God," Ensign (CR), May 1987, p.33
10/4/08
"The gospel is calculated to
lead us on from truth to truth and from intelligence to intelligence,
until that scripture will be fulfilled which declares that we shall see
as we are seen and know as we are known [see D&C 76:94], until one
will not have to say to another, know ye the Lord, but all shall know
Him from the least unto the greatest [see Jeremiah 31:34], until the
light and intelligence of God shall beam forth upon all, and all shall
bask in the sunlight of eternal truth." - "Teachings Of Presidents Of
The Church: John Taylor," p.209
11/18/08
"In announcing his famous 'as
if' principle, William James
said that if you want a quality, act 'as
if' you already had it. If you
want to be friendly, act as if you are already friendly. If you want to
be courageous, don't go around talking fear and indulging in negative,
un-Christian thinking. If you want to be faithful, act 'as
if' you are already faithful. Do
the things that faithful people do. Go to church, say your prayers, love
God, refrain from evil, study the scriptures, be honest with yourself,
and everyone else. And if you would like to be perfect, act 'as
if' you were already perfect.
Don't go around glorying in your sins and weaknesses. We can come very
close to perfection if we really get the spirit of it in our hearts. If
we really want to obey God, we should act 'as
if' we were already obedient. We
should think obedience, love obedience, practise obedience, and we
should allow no exceptions to obedience. The fewer the exceptions to
perfection, the nearer we get to perfection." - Sterling W. Sill,
"Conference Report," October 1962, Second Day—Morning Meeting, p.38 -
39
2/13/09
"We do not teach the principle
of faith merely for what it will do for one in the next world. We
believe that there is real practical value in mental concepts which
increase one's self-respect and effectiveness here and now. To believe
that there is an all-wise Father in charge of the universe and that we
are related to him, that we are in fact children of God with the 'hallmark'
of divinity upon us, is to live in a different world from those who
believe that man is a mere animal concerned only with requirements for
creature existence, which must end at death. Because of low aim, the
lives of such people lack trajectory and vision and fall short of their
spiritual capacity."
- Hugh B. Brown, "Conference Report," October 1969, Third
Day—Morning Meeting, p.105
8/29/09
“As
we move towards perfection, it is easy to feel that we fall short.
We can take confidence that the Lord knows us intimately; He knows
the intent of our hearts. He will surely show us the way as we
humble ourselves, are obedient, and work toward continual
improvement. Even now, He prepares us in ways that we can’t yet see.
The eyes of our understanding will be opened as we keep the
commandments and seek to serve Him. We have the potential to
eventually become perfected in Christ. This is a divine
inheritance.” - Dale E. Miller, “The
Kingdom’s Perfecting Pathway,” Ensign (CR), May 1998, p. 29
12/3/09
“My
dear brothers and sisters, don’t get discouraged if you stumble at
times. Don’t feel downcast or despair if you don’t feel worthy to be a
disciple of Christ at all times. The first step to walking in
righteousness is simply to try. We must try to believe. Try
to learn of God: read the scriptures; study the words of His
latter-day prophets; choose to listen to the Father, and do the things
He asks of us. Try and keep on trying until that which seems difficult
becomes possible—and that which seems only possible becomes habit and
a real part of you.” - Dieter F. Uchtdorf,
“The Love of God,” Ensign, Nov 2009, 21–24
12/15/09
“The
Lord does not expect that we do what we cannot achieve. The command to
become perfect, as He is, encourages us to achieve the best of
ourselves, to discover and develop the talents and attributes with
which we are blessed by a loving Eternal Father, who invites us to
realize our potential as children of God. He knows us; He knows of our
capacities and our limitations. The invitation and challenge to become
perfect, to achieve eternal life is for all mankind.” – Jorge
F. Zeballos, “Attempting the Impossible,” Ensign, November 2009
5/23/10
"We cannot reach perfection by imperfect means. Being lax in our
attention to the Lord and slovenly in our obedience to him spell
nothing but imperfection and failure.
"The Lord knows this. Because he wants us to become like him, he
requires that we follow his formula, and that requires consistent
daily obedience, the living of his kind of life, the thinking of his
kind of thoughts, in order that 'the works that I do shall [ye] do
also,' and 'greater works than these shall [ye] do.' (John 14:12.)"
- Mark E. Petersen, "Moses: Man of Miracles," p. 127
9/18/10
"Perfection
does not come in this life, but we exercise faith in the Lord Jesus
Christ and keep our covenants. President Monson has promised, 'Your
testimony, when constantly nourished, will keep you safe.' We push our
spiritual roots deep, feasting daily on the words of Christ in the
scriptures. We trust in the words of living prophets, placed before us
to show us the way. We pray and pray and listen to the quiet voice of
the Holy Ghost that leads us along and speaks peace to our soul.
Whatever challenges arise, we never, never leave Him." - Neil
L. Andersen, "Never
Leave Him," Ensign (CR) October
2010
2/20/12
Decide now that whatever your pursuit in life, you will do better than
your best. Leaving a legacy is an outgrowth of attitude. It emerges as
we rise above ourselves. - Keith B.
McMullin, "Signposts
for Your Future," New Era, January 2000
8/23/12
With reference to the perfecting of the Saints, the Savior has asked us
to become perfect even as our Father in heaven is perfect. (See Matt.
5:48.) In modern revelation we are told that we “are not able to
abide the presence of God now, neither the ministering of angels;
wherefore, continue in patience until ye are perfected.” (D&C
67:13.) - Franklin D. Richards, "Perfecting
the Saints," Ensign (CR) November 1976
11/27/12
Part of our
difficulty as we strive to acquire spirituality is the feeling that
there is much to do and that we are falling far short. Perfection is
something yet ahead for every one of us; but we can capitalize on our
strengths, begin where we are, and seek after the happiness that can
be found in pursuing the things of God. - Howard W. Hunter, "Developing
Spirituality," Ensign (CR) May 1979
11/28/12
We ought to
understand--and I presume that we do generally--that the work which we
have come into this life to perform cannot be done to the glory of God
or to the satisfaction of ourselves merely by our own natural
intelligence. We are dependent upon the Spirit of the Lord to aid us
and to manifest to us from time to time what is necessary for us to
accomplish under the peculiar circumstances that may surround us. It
is the privilege of Latter-day Saints, when they get into
difficulties, to have supernatural power of God, and in faith, day by
day, to secure from the circumstances which may surround us that which
will be beneficial and advance us in the principles of holiness and
sanctification, that we may as far as possible be like our Father. (6
October 1898, CR, p. 2.) - "The Teachings of Lorenzo Snow," edited
by Clyde J. Williams, p.109
12/13/12
We have been told to purify
ourselves, to come closer to the perfect ideal which Jesus our
Redeemer taught. The path is straight before us. We must love God; we
must love our neighbor; we must do unto others as we would have them
do unto us. Our attention has been called to the Ten Commandments, the
Sermon on the Mount, the Lord's Prayer, the birth and resurrection of
Jesus Christ, our Redeemer. We must have faith in mankind, and the
divinity of man should be made known to our children. We must be more
determined than ever to fulfil the great task expected of us, to make
ourselves better, to make this a better world to live in, and to bring
mankind nearer to God. We have been taught that our salvation and the
salvation of all mankind is found in the true and everlasting gospel.
- Levi Edgar Young, Conference Report, October 1956, Afternoon
Meeting, p.119
2/1/13
The Lord asked His disciples what manner of men they should be and
then answered, "Verily I say unto you, even as I am" (3
Nephi 27:27; see also 3
Nephi 18:24). That is our ultimate quest. What did He do that
we can emulate as men? - D.
Todd Christofferson, "Let
Us Be Men," Ensign (CR) October 2006
2/10/13
In this life, certain actions can be perfected. A baseball pitcher can
throw a no-hit, no-run ball game. A surgeon can perform an operation
without an error. A musician can render a selection without a mistake.
One can likewise achieve perfection in being punctual, paying tithing,
keeping the Word of Wisdom, and so on. The enormous effort required to
attain such self-mastery is rewarded with a deep sense of
satisfaction. More importantly, spiritual attainments in mortality
accompany us into eternity. - Russell M. Nelson, "Perfection
Pending," Ensign (CR), November 1995, p.86
10/6/13
Perfection does not come in this life, but we exercise faith in
the Lord Jesus Christ and keep our covenants. President Monson has
promised, “Your testimony, when constantly nourished, will keep
you safe.” We push our spiritual roots deep, feasting daily on the
words of Christ in the scriptures. We trust in the words of living
prophets, placed before us to show us the way. We pray and pray
and listen to the quiet voice of the Holy Ghost that leads us
along and speaks peace to our soul. Whatever challenges arise, we
never, never leave Him. - Neil
L. Andersen, "Never
Leave Him," Ensign (CR) November 2010
2/11/15
My general counsel to you is that
we must create regimens that foster spiritual housecleaning—ongoing
and continual processes that draw us closer to the Lord our Savior
so that we can be numbered among His disciples. - L.
Tom Perry, “Discipleship,”
October 2000
3/20/15
Sometimes this quest for
perfection tries our patience and our faith as we continue to
wrestle with the weaknesses of the flesh. But a loving Heavenly
Father has not left us alone in our battle with the adversary. A
recurrent doctrine of the Book of Mormon is that the Holy Ghost is
an active participant in our lives, influencing us for good. Both
Nephi and Mormon teach us that the Holy Ghost strives with us to
help us resist evil (see 2
Ne. 26:11; Morm.
5:16). - Spencer J. Condie,
"A
Mighty Change of Heart," Ensign (CR), November 1993, p.15
4/4/15
We were told
many, many years ago by President Young, that outside of the Gospel
there were but three things—death, hell and the grave. None of us
want either of those things. We desire to live, and to live forever,
with the gift of eternal lives granted unto us. Our desires are to
so live in this probation, that when that which is perfect is come
we shall inherit it, and we shall eventually become, through the
atonement of our Lord Jesus Christ, like unto Him. As Christ said,
"Be ye perfect, even as I and my Father in heaven are perfect.” - George
Reynolds, Conference Report, April 1906, Afternoon Session, p.25
6/17/15
Men cannot really long rest content with mediocrity once they see
excellence is within their reach. - Thomas
S. Monson, "To
the Rescue," Ensign (CR), May 2001, p. 48
6/20/15
By accepting this challenge to become perfect, we avoid the idea
that attaining perfection is a bar to further progress. Perfection
is overcoming, one by one, every facet of character weakness. We
understand that perfection is a goal of excellence toward which we
strive. With this understanding, one can attain perfection. - Delbert
L. Stapley, "Conference Report," October 1968, Afternoon Meeting,
p. 27
8/19/15
In both His Old and New World
ministries, the Savior commanded, "Be ye therefore perfect.” A
footnote explains that the Greek word translated as perfect means
"complete, finished, fully developed." Our Heavenly Father wants us
to use this mortal probation to "fully develop" ourselves, to make
the most of our talents and abilities. If we do so, when final
judgment comes we will experience the joy of standing before our
Father in Heaven as "complete" and "finished" sons and daughters,
polished by obedience and worthy of the inheritance that He has
promised to the faithful. - Joseph
B. Wirthlin, "The
Time to Prepare," Ensign (CR), May 1998, p. 14
3/4/16
As we strive for perfection, we seek excellence. Excellence may
leave one sensitive in the face of the jaded; curious in the crowd
of uninterested; quiet in groups of static and noise; caring in the
company of the unconcerned; exact while all about us is
approximation; refined in place of gross; exceptional instead of
commonplace. - Thomas S. Monson,
"Pathways to Perfection," p.112
6/11/16
Meanwhile, brothers and sisters, let us do the best we can and try
to improve each day. When our imperfections appear, we can keep
trying to correct them. We can be more forgiving of flaws in
ourselves and among those we love. We can be comforted and
forbearing. The Lord taught, “Ye are not able to abide the presence
of God now …; wherefore, continue in patience until ye are
perfected.” - Russell M. Nelson,
“Perfection
Pending,” Ensign (CR), November 1995, p.86
6/23/16
If you will permit a personal reference, I believe that I feel worse
over the thoughtless things I do and say to other people than I do
over the things they say and do to me, and I would like to enjoy the
Spirit of God to such an extent that I never would say or do a thing
that would be detrimental to another. Then, perhaps, I might enjoy
that wonderful peace of Christ. He said in effect, "I leave it with
you," and that implies that it is possible of attainment, but we
must admit that the struggle of attainment is great, that none of us
is perfect, that failure seems to be the lot of most of us in most
things that we attempt to do to approach perfection. But we must
strive for it, nevertheless. It was held out as a goal to us, and
the nearer we approach perfection in that respect the greater will
be our joy and our happiness. - Antoine
R. Ivins, “Conference Report,” April 1948, Afternoon Meeting, p.42