Helaman 3:35 -- On Sanctification

"Nevertheless they did fast and pray oft, and did wax stronger and stronger in their humility, and firmer and firmer in the faith of Christ, unto the filling their souls with joy and consolation, yea, even to the purifying and the sanctification of their hearts, which sanctification cometh because of their yielding their hearts unto God."
Helaman 3:35


All of this is good of course, but what struck me today is the idea that sanctification (to purify or make sacred) comes through yielding our hearts to God. The whole idea of sending us into the world in one way is to create individuality... to give us physical presence and the ability to make choices that are not overly influenced by God. Unforced individuality... the ability to do whatever we want to do, and realize who we are, separate from other voices. And yet we, like mortal children, can make so many mistakes that put us in physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual danger. We're flailing about here, often not understanding fully the consequences of our own actions, and so easily influenced by other things. God keeps us free, which I am sure is a crazy balancing act keeping Satan out to the extent that we can still choose. Mortality puts us purposely out of Eden, and heaven, and encourages us to be independent and learn to be individual people.

Sanctification though... sanctification is the point where we realize that we want back in. It's us learning to be like God, not because he forced us into it, but because we have experienced individuality, and learned to make our own choices, and knowing what we now know, we understand why God does what he does (at least to an extent), and why heaven is the ideal... a perfect society without all of the corruption of mortality. So the idea of sanctification in some ways is a return to the idea of an Eden-type paradise, but now with the understanding of why it is a paradise, and with sanctification replacing innocence, which is part of why it is Heaven rather than Eden that we strive for. We follow the example of Christ, who knows all things, and yet is pure and uncorrupted. Today, let's work on that for ourselves as well. Let's ask God how he does it, and listen and learn from him. Let's give him our hearts and discover what he can make of us, with our participation and blessing. We can be more loving and kind and good than we could become by ourselves, with God to show us the way. :)