When you act in accordance with your sincere idea of what is best, God forgives you of any errors in understanding, limits in capacity, or lack of resources. You are not accountable for circumstances beyond your control.3 Incapacity is innocence. It was by this law that Christ was sinless in spite of not beginning with perfect knowledge. Jesus was sinless in the sense that he lived up to what he understood, he did the best he had the capacity to do, and used the resources he had to the greatest long-term benefit. He did this while he had an incomplete understanding, limited capacity, and finite resources. You can, too.
You are accountable for your best, but your best will fluctuate based on circumstances beyond your control. Your best is subject to your circumstances, including the choices of others. When others don’t do all that they can, you will not be able to do what you could if they did. God forgives you of the shortcomings that result from the action or inaction of others.4
Given all of this, it is vital to understand that “your best” is not a euphemism for any partial effort you arbitrarily decide to put forth. Remember that God’s standard requires your whole soul— all of your heart, might, mind, and strength. You are only forgiven by God from what you do not know as long as you live according to what you do know.
Remember, to be perfect in Christ is to obey all you know, seek all you can, and instantly obey all you receive.5 As long as you live the best you know, all of the time, the sacrifice of Jesus Christ will atone for your prior willful sins and your present and future unknown sin.582
Footnotes
- 1. But remember that he that persists in his own carnal nature, and goes on in the ways of sin and rebellion against God, remaineth in his fallen state and the devil hath all power over him. Therefore, he is as though there was no redemption made, being an enemy to God; and also is the devil an enemy to God. (Mosiah 16:5) ↩
- 2. And wo unto them who shall do these things away and die, for they die in their sins, and they cannot be saved in the kingdom of God; and I speak it according to the words of Christ; and I lie not. (Moroni 10:26) ↩
- 3. Verily, verily, I say unto you, that when I give a commandment to any of the sons of men to do a work unto my name, and those sons of men go with all their might and with all they have to perform that work, and cease not their diligence, and their enemies come upon them and hinder them from performing that work, behold, it behooveth me to require that work no more at the hands of those sons of men, but to accept of their offerings. And the iniquity and transgression of my holy laws and commandments I will visit upon the heads of those who hindered my work, unto the third and fourth generation, so long as they repent not, and hate me, saith the Lord God. (D&C 124:49-50) ↩
- 4. Verily, verily, I say unto you, that when I give a commandment to any of the sons of men to do a work unto my name, and those sons of men go with all their might and with all they have to perform that work, and cease not their diligence, and their enemies come upon them and hinder them from performing that work, behold, it behooveth me to require that work no more at the hands of those sons of men, but to accept of their offerings. (D&C 124:49) ↩
- 5. See Moroni 10:32, previously cited. ↩