The Beautiful Burden of 'Perfect': Finding Our Pace on the Covenant Path

Brothers and sisters, if you’ve ever been in a Sacrament Meeting, or perhaps listening to a General Conference talk, and the thought has struck you—that deep, yearning whisper, “I want to do better,” or “How do I truly follow Christ?”—you know that feeling. It’s the ache of discipleship, the desire to be more, to *arrive* at that perfect state of grace.

We look at the Savior’s words, like the Beatitudes, and we feel that electric surge: *Yes! I can do that! I will forgive! I will serve! I will come unto Christ!* But then, the question inevitably follows, doesn't it? How? How do I sustain this effort over a lifetime of trials, doubts, and necessary stumbles?

The recent insights into Matthew 5 and Luke 6 really brought this tension into sharp focus. We are taught to strive for perfection, to be *like* our Father in heaven. And while that goal is eternal, the language used by the Savior himself—and the deeper linguistic dive into the word 'perfect'—offers us a profound breath of relief. It’s not a finish line; it’s a journey guided by Him.

I remember years ago, I was so eager to prove my worthiness. I felt this intense pressure to *be* perfect—to be 'finished'—that I actually stopped partaking of the sacrament because I felt I hadn't reached that benchmark. I was trying to do the perfecting myself, trying to tell the Spirit, “No, I got this. I’ll do your work on my own.”

It was a sobering realization, a moment where I had to stop and whisper to myself: *Wait a second. I am denying the very essence of how I get there.* The Savior isn't asking us to achieve perfection in isolation. He is inviting us into the process, allowing Him to do the perfecting *in* us.

The key takeaway, which I think we all need to internalize, is that our striving is not self-generated. It is Spirit-assisted. The word 'perfect' has layers—it means complete, whole, but it also carries a beautiful connotation of being covenantally loyal to God. We are perfect *with* Him, not *by* ourselves.

This understanding is vital whether you are preparing for your own mission, or whether you are a seasoned returned missionary feeling the weight of the ongoing work. The covenant path is long. It requires patience, grace, and the willingness to admit when we need the Savior’s sustaining power. We are disciples *in* the process, not disciples *at* the destination.

If you are feeling the weight of the 'shoulds'—the 'I should be doing more,' or 'I should understand this scripture better'—I encourage you to breathe. Remember the Spirit is doing the work. We are meant to keep showing up, keep learning, and keep drawing near to Him, trusting that He is the one who makes us whole.

For those of us who are deep in scripture study, I highly recommend diving into the social scripture study layer within LivingBook. Sometimes seeing how others are wrestling with the same passages—the related panels or the scripture_insight community feed—can normalize the struggle and point us back to the grace we need.

If you're looking for a refresher on this topic, or just want to talk through how to apply Christlike principles in your daily life, I invite you to join our next HolyPlaces gathering. It’s a wonderful, low-pressure space to discuss these big gospel concepts with fellow disciples. Or, if you prefer to work one-on-one, I’m always here to chat about it!