Willingness versus perfection — Worthiness versus flawlessness
Elder Bradly R. Wilcox
Wonderful thoughts from a talk by Brother Brad Wilcox delivered at General Conference, October 2021. The talk is entitled, “Worthiness is not flawlessness”:
- “Worthiness is not flawlessness.” — Brother Brad Wilcox
- Gratefully, the sacramental prayers do not demand perfection — it mentions “…that they are WILLING…”
- “Developing a Christ-like character requires patience and persistence more than it requires flawlessness. The Lord has said the gifts of the Spirit are given for the benefit of those who love me and keep all my commandments, and him that seeketh so to do.” — Elder Bruce C. Hafen
- Being honest about your actions and taking steps to move forward is not being a hypocrite. It is being a disciple.
- “The Lord sees weaknesses differently than He does rebellion…When the Lord speaks of weaknesses, it is always with mercy.” — Elder Richard G. Scott
- The Lord does not look at us and say “He or she blew it again!” He probably says, “Look how far he or she has come!”
- We are quick to ask the Lord for forgiveness. We should spend more time asking for His grace.
- Rather than setting ‘all-or-nothing’ expectations, we should focus on incremental improvement and growth.
- The enslaved people of Limhi “prospered by degrees”.
- “To deal with something very big or challenging, we may need to work at it in small, daily bites…” — Elder D. Todd Christoffersen
- “Repentance is a process, and worthiness is not flawlessness.” — Brother Bradley Wilcox
- God does not only help us after we repent — He helps us as we repent.
- “God does not need people who are flawless. He seeks those who will offer their hear and a willing mind.” — Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf
- God’s grace is not just a prize for the worthy. It is divine assistance He gives to help us become worthy.
- We are not just walking toward God and Jesus — we are walking with them.
- “To be worthy does not mean to be perfect.” — Elder Gerrit W. Gong
- “One can be fully worthy in the gospel while dealing with personal imperfections.” — Elder Cecil O. Samuelson
- “Worthiness is a process, and perfection is an eternal trek. We can be worthy to enjoy certain privileges without being perfect.” — Elder Marvin J. Ashton
- “The Lord does not expect perfection from us at this point in our eternal progression, but He does expect us to become increasingly pure. — President Russell M. Nelson
- “The Lord does not require perfect faith for us to have access to His perfect power.” — President Russell M. Nelson
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