They Have Done What They Could

The Widow's Mite

Christ instructs us to be “perfect,” but when we study his words and actions, it’s clear that he looks at our effort more than our outcomes. The modern world preaches that outcomes are the key indicators for success. What counts is whether or not we hit a metric, achieve a… Continue reading

How to Become like the Savior While Still Being Yourself

Boxes of fruit in a market

Becoming perfected in Christ (see Moroni 10:32) is a celebration of individuality, not conformity. When reading “Come unto Christ, and be perfected in him” (Moroni 10:32), I sometimes wonder, “As I become more like the Savior, will I become less like myself?”  Julie Crockett answers this question in her BYU… Continue reading

A Humble Roadmap to Reach Perfection

Question marks on colored paper

While achieving perfection may seem like an impossible feat, the perfect first step is asking our Heavenly Father, “What lack I yet?” Becoming perfect can seem daunting, but perfection is ultimately required by our Heavenly Father if we want to return to live with him. So how do we accomplish… Continue reading

Why Can’t I Just Be Perfect?

cracked road

From childhood, I had done my best to be “perfect.” But Heavenly Father subtly reminded me that imperfections were steppingstones to eternal life. As a kid, I was always happy and helpful, and as my mother called me “the angel child.” Somehow though, I took that nickname to heart in the worst… Continue reading

Your Body Is Not a Battleground

Fighting an eating disorder can sometimes seem like you’re fighting yourself. Luckily, you’re not the only one in the ring. In a world that advertises a strict standard of perfection, it’s easy to find ways you don’t fit the mold. This fault-finding attitude can have devastating effects on our mental… Continue reading

Embracing Our Quirks on the Path to Perfection

An aerial view of many different, multi-colored ceramic bowls

Our quirks and peculiarities are a strength as we strive to become more Christlike. I wear a dinosaur backpack around my college campus. I always arrive ridiculously early to the airport. Every year I celebrate several made-up holidays, such as the anniversary of the first time I got stitches. My… Continue reading

The Perfect Church for Imperfect People

Women with arms around each other

As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, do we have it in us to be “saints”? Continue reading

Perfection—Still in Progress

We are commanded to be perfect like Christ, but we aren’t expected to attain perfection immediately. It’s easy to see the distance between where we are and where we want to be—and even should be. It’s also easy to be discouraged when we realize how often we fail to “be… Continue reading

Love Yourself: A Key to Patience

Perhaps the best way to learn patience with others is to first be patient with yourself. How many perfect days have you had? Days that were truly perfect: love and harmony abounded, the sun shone brightly, and you were the paragon of patience. Or do you more often find yourself… Continue reading

Finding Peace While Pursuing Perfection

How do you know when you’re forgiven? In many LDS homes, a favorite activity for teaching children about repentance involves food coloring. In this object lesson, parents bring out a glass of water and add a few drops of food coloring to it, tainting the water to represent what happens… Continue reading