Striving for the Ideal: The Call to Exaltation and the Covenant Path

When we study the divine pattern revealed through sacred scripture, we quickly realize that the Lord does not teach us merely to cope with the fallen state; He teaches us the ideal. Our mission, as disciples of the Restoration, is to understand and strive toward the celestial order of being—an order that stands in stark contrast to the temporal, often mutable, ideals presented by the world.

The revelation concerning the plan of salvation is fundamentally a revelation of ideals. From the moment of premortal life, the Lord established a divine pattern of purpose. This pattern culminates in the highest degree of glory—exaltation—which requires adherence to eternal covenants. The core of this covenant structure, as taught by the Prophet, centers upon the sacred institution of marriage, defining it not merely as a social contract, but as an eternal, binding covenant between a man and a woman in the holy temple.

The Imperative of the Ideal

Some may argue that since we are all in a fallen state—a state of inevitable imperfection—that perhaps the standards are too high, or perhaps that the ideals themselves are unattainable. This is the deceptive whisper that seeks to convince the faithful to abandon the pattern for the sake of immediate comfort. But the Lord’s teaching is not a mere description of our failings; it is a blueprint for our destiny.

The purpose of the restored Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is precisely to teach us this divine ideal. We are called to look to the Lord, and not to the world, for our standards. To do otherwise is to invite error into the very structure of our discipleship. As the scriptures teach us in Doctrine and Covenants 20:77, the Lord has provided a divine pattern that guides us back to Him.

Striving, Not Just Surviving

The doctrine of exaltation is not a passive hope; it is an active, covenant-keeping endeavor. It requires that we understand that our capacity for divine glory is predicated upon our willingness to align our lives—our deepest values, our relationships, and our covenants—with the eternal standards of the gospel. This is the heart of the missionary effort, whether we are teaching a newly converted soul or refining our own understanding of priesthood authority and temple ordinances.

To say that we should abandon the ideal simply because we fall short is to misunderstand the nature of grace and covenant. Grace is not an exemption from the law; it is the power to follow the law and return to the ideal. The good news of the Gospel, therefore, is that the Divine Pattern—the plan—is recoverable through faith, repentance, and the diligent observance of covenants. We are taught the ideal so that we may know what we are striving toward, and we are taught the way so that we may reach it.

This understanding demands continuous, deep scripture study. It requires that we approach the revelations of the prophets and apostles with scholarly humility and a pastoral heart, recognizing that every word given is intended to refine our understanding of the Lord’s highest, most glorious plan. Our calling, therefore, is to be faithful interpreters and diligent practitioners of the divine law.