An example of a Bible mistranslation affecting us as a church could be the following verse found in Matthew 5:48 (KJV)
Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
The Greek word translated as “perfect” is τέλειοι (teleioi) which means “brought to its end, finished; lacking nothing necessary to completeness”
What if it would have been translated “Be ye therefore complete…..”
The church’s online “Guild to the Scriptures” has the definition of perfect as ” Complete, whole, and fully developed; totally righteous. Perfect can also mean without sin or evil. Only Christ was totally perfect. True followers of Christ may become perfect through His grace and Atonement. “
Even Pres Nelson has tried to move us from thinking perfect means “without sin”
“Perfect” in Matthew 5:48 comes from the Greek word teleios, meaning “complete,” and is derived from the Greek word telos, which means “to set out for a definite point or goal.” Thus, this scripture conveys the concept of conclusion of an act. Therefore, perfect in this scripture also means “finished,” “completed,” “consummated,” or “fully developed,” and refers to the reality of the glorious resurrection of our Master.
Russel M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles August 19, 1986 • BYU Devotional
If we compare this to the same passage in the Book of Mormon 3 Nephi 12:48
Therefore I would that ye should be perfect even as I, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect.
Notice the difference? Jesus did NOT include himself in Matthew, during his earthly ministry. He was without sin, but he was not perfect (complete). He only became perfect/compete after his atonement and resurrection, which was his state when he appeared in the New World.
What are the ramifications to us as members if we think the word “perfect” as only “sinless”? There have been studies on the negative affects of “perfectionism” in Mormon culture. It is even referred to as Toxic Perfectionism in some studies, and has been linked to higher rates of depression in LDS women.
Do you think the church has done enough to dispel the thought that that we need to be perfect (sinless)? If not, what more could they do? What can we do as members to help those that feel they don’t “measure up”?
Wheat & Tares 
The ramifications of our misunderstanding of “perfect” are legion. One that sometimes goes unnoticed is the phrase “perfect the saints,” which may have much more to do with education and social welfare than it does with rooting out transgression.
FWIW, even the english word gives us a shot at a better understanding: “perfect” is from latin per (an intensive, meaning “thoroughly”) and facio, facere (make or do). Thus, to be perfect is to be “thoroughly made,” or complete, in the same sense as the greek.
It’s worth distinguishing between the LDS idea of “moral perfectionism” (Jesus and grace will save you, but only after all you can do) and “toxic perfectionism” (which only happens if you accept and internalize the LDS idea of moral perfectionism). Toxic perfectionism is kind of like a mental disease that only strikes diligent Mormons.
“Do you think the church has done enough to dispel the thought that that we need to be perfect (sinless)?”
Seriously? To enter God’s presence I must be sinless. Since I cannot do that alone, I need and require a Redeemer. But he’s kinda busy so along the way I help others and accept help from others on how exactly to do this.
If I do not need to be sinless then I also don’t need a Redeemer.
“What can we do as members to help those that feel they don’t measure up?”
Show them the next step on the ladder. Of course they don’t measure up and neither do I.
I also disrupt lessons on perfection since, as sometimes presented, they serve to excuse imperfection. Is anyone here perfect? Yes, I am. Now let’s see you make something of it. If you judge me to be not perfect, then you have committed the sin of judgement. But of course, that’s not really a sin, either. And down the rabbit hole we go! Endless entertainment and maybe just a bit of deep thinking about some scriptures.
One passage of scripture is particularly meaningful to me, in addressing this question, Luke 18:9-14:
9. And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:
10. Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee and the other a publican.
11. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
12. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
13. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful unto me a sinner.
14. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalted himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
It is Christ’s grace that makes our imperfections perfect, that completes us.
In the parable I quoted, the Pharisee did indeed do many good things, and avoided sinful behavior. But because of his prideful attitude, he ruined the worth of his good deeds in the eyes of God.
The publican, because of his job, presumably collected taxes, and was no doubt hated by the Jews of New Testament Times. He was an outcast. But his repentant attitude justified him before God.
As I approach my late 60s, I am less interested in doing all the good and wonderful things on a typical LDS checklist—as good and wonderful and worthwhile as they are—-and try to do what I can, and rely on God to make up my lack.
I think that as a Church and as a people and as a culture, we are gradually moving toward that attitude. But it has been a slow and painful road; when I was a missionary in Taiwan in the late 1970s, an adult convert of a few years, from an evangelical background, I regularly upset other missionaries, 90 percent of whom had been raised in the Church in Utah or Idaho, who were also in Taiwan, whenever I brought up the topic of grace, and was told by them many times, “That’s the Protestant in you speaking. We Mormons don’t do grace.” I replied to them, “Read the Book of Mormon you grew up with—-it’s full of grace!” I was pleased that my Mission President accepted my opinions as valid.
Thank you Michael 2! Bishop Bill, thank you for not cherry picking perfect and for researching perfect in the original Greek. Let us not forget it went from the mother language Greek then scribes tried their best to translate meaning to Hebrew and then after many years and scribes.. into English King James. RMN totally skewed
Perfect to be what he wanted it and that is all the research we need right? RMN said so.
Michael 2 provides food for thought.
Why do we always read this verse out of context? It comes at the end of a paragraph that begins talking about the need to love your enemies and that we must do good to those who despise us. This then transitions to the sentences about how God gives rain and sun (provides succor) to the just and unjust, and that it is hardly much to love those that love us already. The last command to be whole or complete seems simply to say that we need to be like our Father in Heaven, and treat all with fairness and generosity, not just our friends. I really don’t know where we get the notion that this sentence is talking about being sinless or without mistakes. What does that have to do with the proceeding sentences?
Totally agree 10ac, we are to love our fellows perfectly as God does.
First step to not discriminate against anyone. Not women, not gays, respect all(respect part of love). If you require people to live as you want before you can love them, you are not loving.
Collectively vote for governments that help the poor.
Individually love and help all we can.
Maybe President Nelson could have Wendy/Sheri Dew/Deseret Book stop publishing Wendy’s ‘The Not Even Once Club’ book.
We’re to be like our heavenly father. However it’s also abundantly clear we all fall short and we shouldn’t worry as much about not yet being exactly like Jesus or our Father. This is reiterated so much at Church I’m surprised people say the Church teaches perfectionism. Further those caught up in “perfectionism” typically are more caught up in signaling commitment or an “arms race” with some other family they’re competing against. It’s attempting to show they are more righteous which of course falls right into the place Jesus condemned the Pharisees. (Particularly because the Pharisees were also falling quite short especially in terms of helping the marginalized)
I think people disparage the attempt to improve oneself with checklists or the like. That’s unfortunate as we should all be improving ourselves. But we can only do so much at a time. It’s the process that ultimately counts. However simultaneously many who condemn checklists and perfectionism are quite willing to condemn sins they really dislike socially. So there’s an interesting tension at play.
The real problem is people becoming hung up on things that ultimately aren’t that important. Especially to impress others. That’s what’s unhealthy and what is typically going on with so-called perfectionism.
Thank you 10ac. I have been obsessing about that for years. And if the context isn’t enough, even the verse itself uses the word “therefore” to grammatically connect the idea to what has immediately preceded it. Words have meanings!
I think we need to make sure that our lesson materials, our hymns, general conference talks, magazine articles all make sure that we do not promote toxic perfectionism. There was a post on Zelophehad’s Daughters that talked about the song “To Think about Jesus.” The issue was that the song teaches kids it shouldn’t be hard to sit very still, even though it actually can be hard, especially if the kid has a mental illness. Instead, we should be singing that it is okay if it is hard. Love at Home has similar issues. No one’s home is so perfect that hate and envy never annoy. And who has roses that bloom beneath their feet? As we purge the hymns of perfectionist ideals we will get closer to healthy attitudes towards self-improvement.