¨The purpose of the gospel is to
educate, perfect, and sanctify man, lifting him to the status of a god in
celestial glory. A person cannot lift himself or herself by individual effort
alone but must be lifted by the power of the atonement of Jesus Christ.
¨The Lord requires certain
duties of all members of his Church, but each must also struggle with his own
nature and personality. Timid souls must learn to be brave; overzealous natures
must develop patience; rebellious persons must learn to conform; the slothful
must become diligent; the spiritually uncultured must be
refined; and all must learn self-discipline.¨The covenant
relationship encourages
us to deal with these personal weaknesses; every gospel covenant ties the individual closer to
the Lord Jesus Christ, who has the power to help us turn weaknesses into
strengths (see Ether 12:27).
(Robert J. Matthews, “Our
Covenants with the Lord,” Ensign, 1980; emphasis added)
