Holiness is in the striving and the struggle to keep the commandments and to honor the covenants we have made with God. Holiness is making the choices that will keep the Holy Ghost as our guide. Holiness is setting aside our natural tendencies and becoming “a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord.”None of those things are easy. The words "striving" and "struggle" instantly bring difficulty to mind, but making the sorts of choices that will allow us to maintain the companionship of the Holy Ghost can be very difficult, too. The Holy Ghost is easily driven away by impure or unholy thoughts or actions. If we ever think or say something mean about someone, even ourselves, we run the risk of losing the Spirit, and we certainly detract from our holiness. And overcoming the natural man isn't just a challenge; it is the major challenge of mortality.
Every aspect of holiness, as it is defined by Sister McConkie, is difficult, but it is also worth it. There are many perks to being holy, from what I've heard. Keeping the commandments and our covenants can earn us a myriad of blessings, keeping the Holy Ghost with us is a host of blessings in and of itself, and "becoming 'a saint through the atonement of Christ'" may be the greatest blessing of all. Yes, it is challenging, but almost every worthwhile goal is. Holiness is not something one can achieve easily, but it is a trait well worth "the striving and the struggle" to earn.
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