I. The word “pure.”
1. Definition: from Latin purus = clean, pure, unmixed
2. As applied to:
- a. material: pure gold (no dross)
- b. motives: unselfish
- c. morals: chaste, not sensual
- d. morality: free from blame
- e. colors: unmixed
- f. spirituality: pure love of (and for) the Savior
II. Related words and concepts
1. Purify: to make pure (Latin purus, pure + facio, to make)
2. Purge: to make pure (Latin purus, pure + ago, to make, to do)
3. Holy: Anglo-Saxon halig, from hal, whole, complete
To be holy is to have impurities purged and to become completely like the Savior.
4. Charity: Latin caritas, love, to care about someone unselfishly, purely
5. Perfect: Latin perfectus, complete
To become perfect is to be purged of sin and to be remade whole (wholly) in the image of the Savior.
6. Enduring to the end: to become like Him, to be purified even as He is pure. (Moroni 9:48)
III. Contrast of impure and pure states
| Problems of impurity | Blessings of purity |
| 1. Try to serve two masters (Matthew 6:24) | Eye single to the glory of God. (D&C 82:19) |
| 2. Confusion (melting together) of thought (D&C 123:7) | Understanding reaches to heaven (D&C 76:5–10) |
| 3. Confounded (poured with unbelievers) (1 Nephi 22:5) | Gathered out of all nations to serve God. (2 Nephi 6:11) |
| 4. Poor judgment (1 Corinthians 3:19) | Wisdom (Luke 21:15) |
| 5. Weakness (1 Corinthians 11:30) | Strength in the Lord (Psalms 27:1) |
| 6. Ineffective prayers (Isaiah 1:15) | Effectual fervent prayers (James 5:16) |
| 7. Self-serving (2 Peter 2:10) | Great blessing to fellow man (Mosiah 8:18) |
IV. How to become pure:
If people are honest and humble they can be made pure. (D&C 97:8)
No one can make himself pure. (D&C 18:23–24)
We can be saved from impurity only by faith in Jesus Christ. (3 Nephi 27:19)
If we put our trust in the Savior, He will guide us to stop sinning and will forgive our previous sins. (Moses 6:60)
We must pray to become pure, to have the pure love, with all the energy of our heart, (Moroni 7:48), yielding our hearts to the Savior. (Helaman 3:35)
It is the atonement of the Savior which makes it possible for us to become pure. (2 Nephi 9:7; Moroni 10:33)
V. Why we need to be pure:
When our hearts are not pure, we have neither the judgment nor the power to bless those around us maximally. (D&C 121:36–37)
VI. Special helps to become pure:
1. Get rid of ego involvement. (become as a little child: Mosiah 3:19)
2. Subdue the desire of the flesh. (2 Nephi 2:28–29)
3. Learn to do things which take great discipline and sacrifice. (D&C 97:8)
4. Learn might prayer. (Alma 34:17–28)
VII. The tests of purity
1. Look upon sin with abhorrence.
2. Complete obedience: Faith in Jesus Christ
3. Chastity: Unspotted from the world
4. Consecration: Serve the Lord in blessing the needy with all we have
5. Sacrifice: Be ready to give up anything and everything to serve our God of righteousness.
VIII. Selected additional scriptures on purity.
1. Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands and a pure heart. (Psalms 24:3–4)
2. Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God. (Matthew 5:8)
3. The pure can have anything they ask for. (D&C 50:28–30)
4. The pure in heart feast upon His love forever. (Jacob 3:2)
5. Charity is the pure love of Christ. (Moroni 7:47)
6. See that ye love one another with a pure love. (1 Peter 2:22–23)
7. The words of the pure are pleasant. (Proverbs 15:26)
8. Unto the pure let all things be pure (I.V. Titus 1:15)
9. Pure religion and undefiled. (James 1:27)
IX. What are the marks of purity?
They are the same as those of charity. (1 Cor. 13)
| Suffereth long | Rejoiceth not in iniquity |
| Envieth not | Rejoiceth in the truth |
| Vaunteth not itself | Beareth all things |
| Not puffed up | Believeth all things |
| Does not behave unseemly | Hopeth all things |
| Seeketh not her own | Endureth all things |
| Is not easily provoked | Seeketh everything which is virtuous, lovely, of good report or praiseworthy. |
| Thinketh no evil |