Hi, my name is Bailey Holloway and today I was asked to speak on perfectionism. So my dad thought I could just talk about him for the next 5 minutes!
Perfectionism or being a perfectionist is when you can’t finish or do anything unless it’s perfect. But in mortality, no one can or ever will be perfect, except for our Savior Jesus Christ, of course.
In Elder Jeffrey R. Holland’s talk “Be Ye Therefore Perfect…Eventually,” he says, “The scriptures were to bless and encourage us, and surely they do that. We thank heaven for every chapter and verse we have been given. But have you noticed that every now and then a passage will appear that reminds us that we are falling a little short? In the Sermon on the Mount we are told not to kill, but also to not be angry. We are told not to commit adultery, but also to not even to have impure thoughts." Then Jesus commanded, "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father…in heaven is perfect."
But in life failure, falling short, making a mistake, even sin are bound to happen. As followers of Jesus Christ, we always want to be doing our best, but sometimes we can get down on ourselves for being less than perfect. The truth is that there’s no way we can be perfect on our own. In Moroni 10:32 it says, “ Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him.” As we come to Him, are humble, repent, and exercise faith, He will make our weak things become strong.
A couple of years ago when our family was studying Mosiah 15 my mom did an object lesson to help us understand what it means to have our will swallowed up in the Father’s will. She gave us some vanilla pudding, which on its own is okay, but none of us were begging her for it. Then she added it to a cookie recipe, where it got swallowed up. It could no longer be pudding, but by being swallowed up in the cookie it became something much better.
President Ezra Taft Benson taught, “ Men and women who turn their lives over to God will discover that He can make a lot more out of their lives than they can. He will deepen their joys, expand their vision, quicken their minds, strengthen their muscles, lift their spirits, multiply their blessings, increase their opportunities, comfort their souls, raise up friends, and pour out peace. Whoever will lose his life in the service of God will find eternal life."
We may get frustrated when we are trying our hardest to follow the commandments and come up a little short, but we don’t need to get discouraged. Despite our weaknesses, as we are humble and have faith in God, He will help us become more than pudding…He will help us find our true identity and become more like Him.
In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.