Practically Perfect in Every Way

April 8, 2007 at 12:21 pm

The folks over at Main Street Plaza graciously posted some of my recent thoughts about perfection.

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4 Comments »

  1. RandyNo Gravatar said,

    April 8, 2007 @ 3:34 pm

    Well, and the Mormon definition of “perfection” is filled with jots, tittles, and checklists. Striving for goodness while recognizing one’s shortcomings is one thing; attempting to acheive perfection by checking off boxes, then feeling guilty anyway, is another.

  2. Jonathan BlakeNo Gravatar said,

    April 8, 2007 @ 5:08 pm

    Amen to that.

    At one point, I realized that I viewed my life like a big résumé. My self worth was defined by how many good things I could put on that résumé: Teachers Quorum President, Eagle Scout, missionary service, temple marriage, yada yada. That is not a healthy way to live.

  3. FYINo Gravatar said,

    April 8, 2007 @ 5:24 pm

    This is another instance where members of the church struggle. Leaders teach that we should be all these things but in the end it is virtually impossible. I did read an article not long ago that was written by Dallin H. Oaks about the misconceptions that church members often have in regard to perfection; he warns against being sucked into perfectionism. It is a tendency in Mormon culture to not look at people for their individual strengths and for who they are really are as a person but to compare who is better, who has more blessings, and who has had the better callings. This is dangerous.

  4. Jonathan BlakeNo Gravatar said,

    April 9, 2007 @ 7:43 am

    Elder Oaks spoke at a regional conference that I attended while on my mission. One statement stuck out to me: he said something to the effect that the Church has more to worry about from those who try to do 110% rather than those who try to do only 90%. I won’t put all the blame for perfectionism on the shoulders of the Brethren. They’ve been trying to pull members back from that brink for a while. The culture plays a large role in driving them over it.

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