Prez Says: Do What We Can

Weekly words of wisdom by our fearless leader, Kathy Diehl:

“Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which in heaven is perfect,” (Matt. 5:48) can feel overwhelming, impossible, and guilt-provoking. But go back to verse 43, which is the beginning of the paragraph or thought, and read through verse 48. The passage when read in its entirety, talks about loving others. We are asked to love others perfectly, as our Father in heaven does.

Lazarus’ sister, Mary, bought an alabaster box filled with precious, very expensive ointment and poured it on Jesus’ head as he “sat at meat.” (Matt. 26:6-13; Mark 14:3-9; Luke 7:36-50). The apostles complained that she’d wasted her money, which could have helped many poor people. Jesus explained that they should not criticize Mary because she “wrought a good work...and she hath done what she could.” That’s all the Lord asks or expects—that we do what we can! In Luke’s account, Mary is described as “a sinner.” Jesus agreed that Mary had many sins, which had been forgiven, “for she loved much.”

We are asked to do what Mary did—to do what we can and to love much. Moroni 7:47-48 defines love as “charity, which is the pure love of Christ,” and says that this is a gift of the spirit. The Lord will give us, as a gift, what he’s asking from us! Let’s replace thoughts of perfectionism and needless guilt with the charge to ‘do what we can, and to love much.’