Faith is the First Principle - AofF 1

We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.

These principles are foundational to the disciple of Christ. Without faith, for example, repentance nor the following ordinances can be possible.

This is the last entry in the listing on faith under the topical guide. This study has been eye opening and strengthening for me. I came to realize that I do have faith, but that I have many flaws and weaknesses. And while my weaknesses are troubling, I know that through the grace of Jesus Christ, in time, those weaknesses will become strengths.

I think the most difficult thing about having strong faith is actually self-discipline. It is easy to believe that He is all-powerful, and that He has the ability to help us. It is quite another to behave according to that belief. At times my faith has been challenged, I have felt the spirit of God working upon me to do things - often very simple things. But all too often I shrug them off because they may seem inconvenient, too simple to make any difference or even nonsensical.

There is great danger in shrugging off the workings of the spirit. For one thing, doing so is sin - any act that is contrary to the will of God is sin. For another, when we ignore those feelings, we bypass opportunities for growth. Most importantly and most devastatingly, ignoring promptings from the Holy Spirit makes it harder to recognize future promptings - we cannot feel them as strongly (Matt 13:15,1 Nephi 17:45), and ignoring the Spirit in the future becomes easier.

I see myself doing this and feel to grieve as did Nephi:

... Notwithstanding the great goodness of the Lord, ... my heart exclaimeth: O wretched man that I am! Yea, my heart sorroweth because of my flesh; my soul grieveth because of mine iniquities. I am encompassed about, because of the temptations and the sins which do so easily beset me. And when I desire to rejoice, my heart groaneth because of my sins; nevertheless, I know in whom I have trusted. (2 Nephi 4:17-19)

Living by the spirit is the ultimate test of faith. But as we do, our faith and trust in the Almighty will grow. This is the ultimate challenge of life. May the Lord give us grace to overcome our weakness and become strong is my prayer.

We Must Have Faith - Moses 7:47

Enoch saw the day of the coming of the Son of Man, even in the flesh; and his soul rejoiced, saying: The Righteous is lifted up, and the Lamb is slain from the foundation of the world; and through faith I am in the bosom of the Father, and behold, Zion is with me.

We must never forget that faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is the first principle of the gospel. There is good reason for that. It is so easy to lose sight of what's really important. Many of us are so sorely tried and busy that our priorities and perspectives get sidetracked on a constant and daily basis. If we forget that through Him all things will be made right, it can be very difficult to keep going.

The "good news" of the gospel is that there is never need to despair as long as we keep His commandments. There is a popular movement at this time. It is a practice called "mindfulness". It is based on Buddhist meditation practices. Its core is centered around the concept of watching your thoughts as they occur and rejecting anything negative.

I think this is a very good practice. In fact, it is something I discovered for myself when I was younger. The fact is, negative thoughts have no good consequences. They tend to lead us to negative feelings and attitudes such as hatred and despair. Of course there are a lot of types of thoughts that are negative. Some are about others, some are about ourselves, some are about other things. We can't indulge in any of them. We have to catch ourselves and correct those thoughts - it is a constant process.

But this much I can tell you, that if ye do not watch yourselves, and your thoughts, and your words, and your deeds, and observe the commandments of God, and continue in the faith of what ye have heard concerning the coming of our Lord, even unto the end of your lives, ye must perish. And now, O man, remember, and perish not. (Mosiah 4:30)

Here's the kicker: Your thoughts define you. Thus it is imperative that we discipline not only our actions, but our thoughts as well. There is great good in this practice of mindfulness. However, it falls short in one major area. It does not center itself in Christ. Indeed, Buddhism - and the world - tend to believe that death is the end of the individual. This is the ultimate unhappy thought. But as believers in Christ, we do not anticipate and end with death, instead, we anticipate a better world:

Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God. (Ether 12:4)

By faith Abraham, ... sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. ... These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city. (Hebrews 11:8-10,13-16)

A common trait among the happy faithful, is that they have hope for the future, that "better world" and the mansion that is prepared for them.

In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. (John 14:2)

Let not your hearts be troubled; for in my Father’s house are many mansions, and I have prepared a place for you; and where my Father and I am, there ye shall be also. (D&C 98:18)

And I also remember that thou hast said that thou hast prepared a house for man, yea, even among the mansions of thy Father, in which man might have a more excellent hope; wherefore man must hope, or he cannot receive an inheritance in the place which thou hast prepared. (Ether 12:32)

Thinking "happy thoughts" is part of repentance. We must accept the atonement and the happy rewards He has in store for us, or we have not had the change of heart associated with repentance. This sort of change must start with faith in Christ, or it will not occur at all.

... Consider the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it. (Mosiah 2:41)

Faith and War - Moses 7:13

And so great was the faith of Enoch that he led the people of God, and their enemies came to battle against them; and he spake the word of the Lord, and the earth trembled, and the mountains fled, even according to his command; and the rivers of water were turned out of their course; and the roar of the lions was heard out of the wilderness; and all nations feared greatly, so powerful was the word of Enoch, and so great was the power of the language which God had given him.

It is common practice among the nations to trust in armaments and war machines. However, if we look at the pattern of ancient Israel, the only time they were truly safe was when they were focused on keeping the commandments of God. The secret to winning a war is not in powerful armaments nor tactics, but in the righteousness of the people.

Consider Balaam's advice to the wicked king of Moab. Because Israel was righteous, they could not be overthrown and so instead of a military assult, they sent idol worshippers and whores among them to seduce them. This was the most effective strategy because it made them lose the favor and protection of God. However, when the unrighteous were destroyed from among them, Israel overran Moab.

In the Old Testament, He is called the "Lord of Hosts" for a reason. It means God of war. But His warfare is different than that of the world. He uses the vices of the wicked against them. Indeed "it is by the wicked that the wicked are punished" (Mormon 4:5)

Except in special circumstances, such as under Joshua and Moses, God's children are not commanded to go to war, but instead to rely on the arm of the Lord. Such was the situation of Zion in Enoch's day and such is our situation, though we are permitted to defend ourselves (Alma 43:46). God protects his saints in other ways.

When the armies of Assyria had encamped with hundreds of thousands against Israel, the people feared, but Isaiah the prophet told King Hezekiah:

Therefore thus saith the Lord concerning the king of Assyria, He shall not come into this city, nor shoot an arrow there, nor come before it with shields, nor cast a bank against it. (Isaiah 37:33)

And the Lord delivered on His promise:

Then the angel of the Lord went forth, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians a hundred and fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses. So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, and went and returned, and dwelt at Nineveh. (Isaiah 37:36,37)

Thus the best defense and the surest form of safety is not in armaments, missile silos, war ships, bombs and airplanes, it is simply to have faith and to keep the commandments of God.

Circumventing the Great Hoax - Moses 6:8,9,15,22,23

In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him; In the image of his own body, male and female, created he them, and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created and became living souls in the land upon the footstool of God. ... And the children of men were numerous upon all the face of the land. And in those days Satan had great dominion among men, and raged in their hearts; and from thenceforth came wars and bloodshed; and a man’s hand was against his own brother, in administering death, because of secret works, seeking for power. ... And this is the genealogy of the sons of Adam, who was the son of God, with whom God, himself, conversed. And they were preachers of righteousness, and spake and prophesied, and called upon all men, everywhere, to repent; and faith was taught unto the children of men.

The topic scripture comes from the genealogy of Adam. It is interesting that although these people actually had their father Adam - a living witness of God -  living among them for 900+ years, they still chose to rebel and follow Satan. We are also told that Seth and others saw and conversed with God.

The following passage is very intriguing and instructive:

Adam and Eve blessed the name of God, and they made all things known unto their sons and their daughters. And Satan came among them, saying: I am also a son of God; and he commanded them, saying: Believe it not; and they believed it not, and they loved Satan more than God. And men began from that time forth to be carnal, sensual, and devilish. And the Lord God called upon men by the Holy Ghost everywhere and commanded them that they should repent; And as many as believed in the Son, and repented of their sins, should be saved; and as many as believed not and repented not, should be damned; and the words went forth out of the mouth of God in a firm decree; wherefore they must be fulfilled. (Moses 5:12-15)

So we have Adam and Eve teaching their posterity about God and His plan for them. And Satan, the perpetrator of the great hoax, just walks in and says "Aw don't believe that stuff." and idiotically, a most of them just drop the gospel and follow him. Now, I'm sure the phrase "believe it not" was only the first sentence of a long speech that Satan had carefully prepared in order to make his pitch to Adam's children. Regardless of the length of the speech, we have to ask the question: Why? Why did they fall for it?

In thinking about this, I have to admit that we as humans are quite gullible. This is why propaganda can be such a valuable tool. If something is advertised to us enough times, we eventually begin to believe it without thinking critically. I've seen some of the WWII propaganda that was circulated in the U.S. at the time. Many of the posters depict ugly Japanese and Germans, almost to the extent of making them look like monsters. The truth of the matter is that most of these soldiers were just regular people like you and me, just doing their duty to their country. I wonder how many took a critical look at the propaganda or even thought about calling for a more fair representation of their enemies. I cite this as an example, not to point the finger of scorn at anybody. The point is that we are all susceptible to propaganda and advertisements. But we have to be very scrupulous about what we allow ourselves to believe.

Another weakness is that we have strong tendencies to give into our carnal natures. When we are presented with an idea that appeals to our carnal side, our better judgment tends to be left on the backburner. I'm quite certain that this is why Satan's campaign of "believe it not" won such an easy victory. All he had to do was paint a picture that appealed to the carnal appetites, and re-tell the story over and over. Such an easy and effective approach.

The Lord tells us that "men loved darkness rather than light ... neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved." (John 3:16-21) We're all in the same boat. The question is not whether we're perfect. We're told in many ways: "there is none that doeth good, no, not one." (Romans 3:12) The question is what are we doing about it.

Father Lehi gives us some important information about this:

God, ... hath created all things, both the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are, both things to act and things to be acted upon. ... And the Messiah cometh in the fulness of time, that he may redeem the children of men from the fall. And because that they are redeemed from the fall they have become free forever, knowing good from evil; to act for themselves and not to be acted upon, save it be by the punishment of the law at the great and last day, according to the commandments which God hath given. (2 Ne 2:14,26)

In taoism, the way is likened to a great river. When we presume to go against the way, life gets hard, things don't work out right, we stumble and have terrible difficulties until we learn to "flow" with the way. As the lord told Saul: "it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks." (Acts 9:5) This analogy has resemblances to the workings of the spirit of God which we must follow if we are to achieve happiness in this life and follow His divine will. However, viewing the analogy in the opposite manner, where the flow is the way of the world is also instructive. Consider all of the forces of the world, pulling us in one direction - "wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat" (Matt 7:13) Honestly, most of the time, it seems easier to just "go with the flow". Take it easy. Turn off your mind and turn on the TV. Stream something. Sleep in. Eat, drink and be merry. But doing these things is really doing nothing. It is to "be acted upon" and not act! We must not give in! We must study and improve our minds! We must think critically about the advertisements and propaganda being spewed forth. We must both have faith and repent and preach the gospel of faith and repentance! We must be anxiously engaged in a good cause! We must put on the yoke of the master whose burden is light!

The Gospel Preached to the Dead - D&C 138:32-33

Thus was the gospel preached to those who had died in their sins, without a knowledge of the truth, or in transgression, having rejected the prophets. These were taught faith in God, repentance from sin, vicarious baptism for the remission of sins, the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands, And all other principles of the gospel that were necessary for them to know in order to qualify themselves that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.

This passage comes from Joseph F. Smith's revelation concerning the spreading of the gospel among the dead. This revelation amplifies Peter's statements about the dead receiving the gospel via Christ's organized messengers in heaven.

For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. ... for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit. (1 Peter 3:18-20,4:6)

Now a quick word on the meaning of "prison" which is used here. The early saints did believe in an intermittent state of man in which he was to await final judgment. It is referred to as Sheol in Hebrew - a place of darkness separated from God in which the dead await judgment. There is a section of Sheol sometimes referred to as the Bosom (or lap) of Abraham and as the refrigerium by early doctors of the church which is a place where the righteous await judgment in paradise and peacefulness as opposed to prison, where there is only darkness.

Judgment comes before the resurrection where we will all receive a body. However, what kind of body we receive depends on our willingness to repent. Paul described the difference between a natural body and a resurrected one, and that resurrected  bodies are different types of bodies with differing levels of glory. These are what we will receive at the resurrection:

... How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come?

All flesh is not the same flesh ... There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory.

So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. (1 Corinthians 15:35,39-44)

So the judgment determines the type of our final resurrection and  corresponding endowment of glory. Note that I said that the judgment is based on our willingness to repent. Many have the notion that the final judgment is based on the sum-total of our deeds in this life. I believe this is only partially true. Our thoughts, words and actions are a manifestation of who we really are (Mosiah 4:30). They are the evidence with which we are ultimately convicted or exonerated at the final judgment.

So, in the end it is about what we become, our total character and makeup. It is not about a sum-total of our good deeds and mistakes, it is about our core motivations, desires and level of self discipline. Thus repentance is a very difficult thing. It's not just about saying "I'm sorry". It is about a real change of heart; self betterment. This usually takes a lot of time and perseverance. Thus deathbed repentance is not possible.

... I beseech of you that ye do not procrastinate the day of your repentance until the end; for after this day of life, which is given us to prepare for eternity, behold, if we do not improve our time while in this life, then cometh the night of darkness wherein there can be no labor performed. Ye cannot say, when ye are brought to that awful crisis, that I will repent, that I will return to my God. Nay, ye cannot say this; for that same spirit which doth possess your bodies at the time that ye go out of this life, that same spirit will have power to possess your body in that eternal world. For behold, if ye have procrastinated the day of your repentance even until death, behold, ye have become subjected to the spirit of the devil, and he doth seal you his. ... (Alma 34:33-35)

Then if our hearts have been hardened, yea, if we have hardened our hearts against the word, insomuch that it has not been found in us, then will our state be awful, for then we shall be condemned. For our words will condemn us, yea, all our works will condemn us; we shall not be found spotless; and our thoughts will also condemn us; and in this awful state we shall not dare to look up to our God; and we would fain be glad if we could command the rocks and the mountains to fall upon us to hide us from his presence. But this cannot be; we must come forth and stand before him in his glory, and in his power, and in his might, majesty, and dominion, and acknowledge to our everlasting shame that all his judgments are just; that he is just in all his works, and that he is merciful unto the children of men, and that he has all power to save every man that believeth on his name and bringeth forth fruit meet for repentance. (Alma 12:13-15)

All will be resurrected to the glory they deserve. We are told that even the wicked will be resurrected. However they will be resurrected exactly as they are - in misery.

Do not suppose, because it has been spoken concerning restoration, that ye shall be restored from sin to happiness. Behold, I say unto you, wickedness never was happiness. ... all men that are in ... a carnal state, are in the gall of bitterness and in the bonds of iniquity; they are without God in the world, and they have gone contrary to the nature of God; therefore, they are in a state contrary to the nature of happiness. And now behold, is the meaning of the word restoration to take a thing of a natural state and place it in an unnatural state, or to place it in a state opposite to its nature? ... this is not the case; but the meaning of the word restoration is to bring back again evil for evil, or carnal for carnal, or devilish for devilish—good for that which is good; righteous for that which is righteous; just for that which is just; merciful for that which is merciful. ... therefore, the word restoration more fully condemneth the sinner, and justifieth him not at all. (Alma 41:10-15)

Now we come around full circle. What has this got to do with faith, and the preaching of the gospel to the dead?

We know that faith in Jesus Christ is the first step toward repentance. Without a knowledge of Him and His sacrifice, there is no faith. Once we have this knowledge, if we let it stir our souls and change our desires, we can start exercising faith and it will begin to grow. Thus we start a process of development and progression toward the devine through the merits and mercy of Christ.

In the case of the dead, there are many valiant who, had they only the opportunity in this life to receive and understand this knowledge, would have fully repented and received a glorious resurrection.

All who have died without a knowledge of this gospel, who would have received it if they had been permitted to tarry, shall be heirs of the celestial kingdom of God; Also all that shall die henceforth without a knowledge of it, who would have received it with all their hearts, shall be heirs of that kingdom; For I, the Lord, will judge all men according to their works, according to the desire of their hearts. (D&C 137:7-9)

Thus we see the necessity of the gospel being preached to the dead.

Growth Through Sacrifice - D&C 105:16-19

Behold, I have commanded ... [b]ut the strength of mine house have not hearkened unto my words. But inasmuch as there are those who have hearkened unto my words, I have prepared a blessing and an endowment for them, if they continue faithful. I have heard their prayers, and will accept their offering; and it is expedient in me that they should be brought thus far for a trial of their faith.

The subject scripture is concerning Zion's Camp which was a small army that banded together in 1834 to protect and redress the wrongs of their fellow saints who were being persecuted and attacked in Jackson County, Missouri. Through the Prophet Joseph the Lord asked for a camp of 500 (D&C 103:30), but less than 200 showed up. There were many who certainly could have went up, but presumably had excuses which they assumed excluded them from the call of the Lord.

We can't judge these men, because we are for the most part, guilty of the same excuses. The Lord outlined some of them (D&C 105:2-5,8):

... were it not for the transgressions of my people, speaking concerning the church and not individuals, they might have been redeemed even now. But behold, they have not learned to be obedient to the things which I required at their hands, but are full of all manner of evil, and do not impart of their substance, as becometh saints, to the poor and afflicted among them; And are not united according to the union required by the law of the celestial kingdom; And Zion cannot be built up unless it is by the principles of the law of the celestial kingdom; otherwise I cannot receive her unto myself. ... [T]here are many who will say: Where is their God? Behold, he will deliver them in time of trouble, otherwise we will not go up unto Zion, and will keep our moneys.

This event and our other failures to keep celestial laws has caused speculation as to our willingness to really keep God's laws and to be ready to build Zion and ready the earth for the return of the Lord.

George Q. Cannon:

I do fear that we will defer the redemption of Zion indefinitely through our unwillingness to do the things that God requires at our hands.

In the case of those who did go up to Zion's camp, the topic quotation says: I have heard their prayers, and will accept their offering; and it is expedient in me that they should be brought thus far for a trial of their faith.

The end result of the assembly and march of Zion's camp is interesting. The Missourians assembled an army on horseback with every intention of attacking Zion's Camp, but never succeeded due to fierce storms which swelled the river, putting their lives in danger and precluding them from advancing on the Camp. The Camp was also struck with Cholera, and it was revealed that the cause was infighting among them.

The whole enterprise truly was more a trial of faith than a rescue mission. And those who were faithful through the ordeal were blessed with greater faith - many went on to hold offices in the church and do great things in Zion.

I believe that it is helpful for us to view our service in whatever capacity as an offering to the Lord. When our hearts are in the right place, sacrifice tends to strengthen us and help us grow. And most importantly, we draw closer to God in the process.

Learning - D&C 88:118

And as all have not faith, seek ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith.

With the advent of the Dead Sea Scrolls and similar discoveries, a common question is - Can we add these new discoveries to our cannon of scripture? The problem is, how do we know which of the writings are inspired and which are the aberrations of men? In fact, this is not just a problem with the discovery of ancient writings, but in all aspects of our lives. It is about which philosophies to take in and which to reject.

The task of weighing, sorting and applying new evidence is one which we will do throughout our lives. It underscores the heinousness of telling a lie. Doing so distorts others' ability to weigh evidence properly.

As the topic scripture suggests, we should teach wisdom amongst ourselves, and seek wisdom out of the best books. I take this by extension to mean that we should expose ourselves to as much wholesome learning as we can and apply and share our knowledge with others.

We would do well to remember that this life is not just about the "management of the creature", in other words keeping ourselves alive, comfortable and well entertained. It is about "becoming something". Becoming what?:

Therefore, what manner of men ought ye to be? Verily I say unto you, even as I am. (3 Nephi 27:27)

Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. (Matt 5:48)

I submit that this is the purpose of our existence - to progress and become like God Himself. Now, I'm not saying that it can happen overnight, or even that it is possible by the end of our lives. What I am saying is that it is our goal and our ideal. The old saying "shoot for the stars" comes to mind. The meaning of the saying is that we should set our goals high, no matter how unrealistic they may seem, we'll end up in a lot better place than if we set our goals for something mediocre.

I believe that there are two very important parts to this quest to be like Him. Learning and doing. The topic scripture is about the learning part of the equation. All truth is in the realm of God's knowledge. Thus the study of most any topic is beneficial - anthropology, mathematics, astrophysics, nutrition, art, history, etc. God obviously knows the infinite details on all of these subjects. In secular learning, we also have this admonition:

Whatever principle of intelligence we attain unto in this life, it will rise with us in the resurrection. And if a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life through his diligence and obedience than another, he will have so much the advantage in the world to come. (D&C 130:18,19)

We have to ask ourselves; Why would God send us here in the first place? What's the point? I mentioned earlier that the purpose of our existence is to become like God -- Couldn't that happen without us having to come here and have this experience? I have to assume the answer is no. Apparently this experience is absolutely vital in our progression. I believe that this life is a time of accelerated learning. This life is the perfect scenario for us to learn and grow. We live amongst daily temptation and various forms of adversity. Why would He put us in such a situation except for our own benefit? It is imperative to have these experiences so that we can learn and grow and increase.

Thus the pursuit of the "easy life" is counter productive to the purpose of our existence. We should use as much of our time as possible to improve ourselves, our mind and talents; and to help others do the same. But taking this course of action requires faith -- if, as some have suggested, this life ends in oblivion, why should we seek to build character? Why do we feel so strongly about being good; we judge each other daily and we like to immortalize great people with statues and paintings. Why would we feel to call attention to people of principle and character if oblivion is the end? It is because our "end" is only a stepping stone to eternity. We all have an innate knowledge of good, and whether we seek it or not, we admire the qualities and attributes of God.

Seeing that this is how it is, we must remember to keep things well-rounded. Secular learning should be an important part of our lives, however we cannot be overzealous in the area or we will become lop-sided. We must pursue spiritual learning at the same time. We must also put into practice the principles of our learning or they will fade and become unlearned. We must practice all of the Christian virtues. We must perform meaningful service. We must nourish all of our relationships, those of family, friends, etc. We must also take care of ourselves, eat well, exercise, avoid debauchery. We must also take leisure and replenish ourselves. And we have to work and perform our functions in society.

Life is a delicate balancing act. We have to spread our focus out to many things to have a balanced life. And though doing all of these things perfectly is actually impossible, it is important to keep it as our ideal -- otherwise we begin to head down the wrong path. If you keep up something hard for long enough, eventually you become good at it. This is the only way I can think about striving for perfection.  A final important point is; You aren't expected to do it alone. He is there to help, and share the burden:

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (Matt 11:28-30)