In My Imperfection, I Believe Christ: Phrasing My Beliefs In a More Meek Way

My mission really helped me to understand that I needed to change a certain  ideology that I have developed over the years, however I would not say that I am even near that ideal yet. Others in the Church seem to struggle with this concept as well. How can we preach what we believe without coming across as thinking that we are farther along the path to perfection than our audience? What kinds of attitudes can we avoid to help others feel welcome and genuinely interested in what we have to say about Christ instead of making them feel like we are crazy or fanatical? Why should we care about how our message is received, and how can we be more considerate of other people's circumstances while sharing it?

I theorize that in portraying an "in my imperfection, I believe Christ" mindset we can overcome the appearance of self-righteousness. I worded this very carefully. This phrase acknowledges that I struggle to keep all of the Lord's commandments in their fulness, but that I am willing to trust Christ enough to decide that His way is probably better than mine so I will do my best to follow His counsels. I recognize that though I believe that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints receives all truth from God Himself, I do not aspire to having obtained all of that truth yet. Paul demonstrates such a demeanor in the New Testament:

 "12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.

 13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

 14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

 15 Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.

 16 Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.

 17 Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample."

Philippians 3:12-17

I would like to show what I believe in a way that to me seems to show this attitude. Missionaries should know this before hitting the field.
I really do believe in Christ. He is my Friend, my Savior and King. I love Him with all of my heart and daily battle from where I am to become like Him. I believe that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is His true and living Church, and that therein lies the Holy Priesthood, the authority of God to provide saving ordinances. I believe that through His merits all mankind may be saved through obedience to the ordinances and principles of His Sacred Gospel.

I have tried to live my life in a way that reflects that belief, but it is not as easy as I thought it would be when I was a child. It was so clear and simple to understand for me that I never could understand how others couldn't believe it or see it from my perspective. I never knew how to say that in a way that wasn't offensive or condescending to others and that didn't radiate self-righteousness. The whole "Holier-than-thou" attitude came a little as an instinct for me as I learned to cope with others' beliefs, not because I really am holier than anyone else, but because on certain subjects I believe that God has defined His commandments very strictly and I would rather err on the side of keeping them than on the side of rebelling against the most powerful being in the Universe.

Part of my personal striving within has been my confrontation with depression. I grew up perceiving depression as fault of the sufferer and that those who suffered from it were somehow less than other people. When I cracked under the stress of the mission and fell into depression myself for a time, I began to assume that it was because I was weak and could not handle the pressures of life as a "normal" person. I was very hard on myself for my imperfections.

At this point I learned how others felt when I told them to just be better and not to worry about it, because I was doing it to myself every living moment. It was in a little fourth-floor apartment in Rio Cuarto, Córdoba, Argentina that I felt the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ begin to act in my life.

I began to follow Him because I wanted to get rid of sin in my life, not just because I was supposed to or expected to. I told others to get off of my back and exercised more mercy in my views of others.  Instead of telling them that they HAD TO GO TO CHURCH IN ORDER TO BE FOLLOWING GOD, or YOU MUST GET BAPTIZED OR ELSE YOU WILL GO TO HELL, WHY HAVEN'T YOU EVEN READ THE BOOK?, I explained that I had received greater light and knowledge in doing so and I promised them that they would see the same results if they followed the example of Jesus Christ by seeking His truth. This would involve reading the Book of Mormon to see if the promises that we gave as missionaries and that the Prophets gave in the Book of Mormon really would come to pass. Instead of judging them for electing not to go, I decided to think of their shortcomings as in similitude of my own. 

"I know that it is difficult to change habits, and I am sad for you that you have missed this great experience, but I love you too much to get upset at you. I will keep coming by and showing you that love and the importance that I give this message. You really don't want to lose the blessings that you will get. I love this gospel so much, and I hope that you can find out for yourself why I do."

So, if you currently tend to portray your standards as self-righteous statements, like how I tend to do, I would invite you to begin to learn what you can do to overcome that attitude. I have been trying to cease my Pharisaical spews and I would like to know how to better my healthy predication of Christ to the individual more than to the empty air. In so doing, I have found deep friendships with people that before I would never have maintained contact with, and I have seen Christ enter their countenance through my willingness to understand. As my earlier posts attest, it is an upward battle, but I promise to keep up the fight.