God wants us not only to respect and honor holy things but also to become holy ourselves.
“Ye shall be holy,” He said to ancient Israel, “for I the Lord your God am holy” (Leviticus 19:2; see also Leviticus 11:44; Leviticus 20:26).
The prophet Alma praised people who “humble themselves and do walk after the holy order of God” (Alma 5:54; see also Alma 7:22).
And in April, 1830 the Lord instructed members of the newly organized Church of Jesus Christ to live in accordance with the scriptures and the words of living prophets, “walking in holiness before the Lord” (Doctrine and Covenants 20:69; see also Doctrine and Covenants 21:4).
We often think of holiness as the absence of impurities. But holiness is more than the absence of bad things; it is also the presence of good things.
Elder Gerrit W. Gong recently taught:
Holiness sets things apart for sacred purpose. But holiness also invites us to infuse daily living with the sacred—to rejoice in daily bread amidst this world’s thistles and thorns. To walk with the Lord, we must become holy, for He is holy, and to help us become holy, the Lord invites us to walk with Him. …
Holiness to the Lord says no to the profane, no to snarky cleverness at others’ expense, no to algorithms that monetize anger and polarization. Holiness to the Lord says yes to the sacred and reverent, yes to our becoming our freest, happiest, most authentic, best selves as we follow Him in faith.
“Holiness to the Lord in Everyday Life,” General Conference, October 2024
Today, I will walk in holiness. I will avoid inappropriate influences and replace them with good and virtuous things. I will find more joy in my daily activities as I strive to become more like God.
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