Why Every Leader Needs to Understand Justification & Sanctification | An Interview with Stephan Taeger

Stephan Taeger is an assistant professor in Ancient Scripture at Brigham Young University. He received a PhD from BYU in Instructional Design and Technology. Stephan’s research focuses on Homiletics (the study of preaching), narrative instruction, and ancient scripture. He is also an author and co-host of the RVVL podcast with David Butler.

Links

Y Religion: Justification by Faith The Science of Speaking in Sacrament Meeting | An Interview with Stephan Taeger President Spencer W. Kimball: “Jesus the Perfect Leader” Sermons and talks by Timothy Keller on YouTube Stephan Taeger: “Declared Guiltless: Justification by Faith in the Latter-day Saint Classroom” Toxic Perfectionism at Church | An Interview with Justin Dyer Justification: God’s Plan, Paul’s Vision N.T. Wright on YouTube Weakness Is Not Sin: The Liberating Distinction That Awakens Our Strengths RVVL Podcast StephanTaeger.com Tim Keller: Sin as Self-Deceit Watch the video and share your thoughts in the Zion Lab community Transcript available with the video in the Zion Lab community

Highlights

00:04:00 – Stephan Taeger’s Background and Teaching Focus 00:05:00 – Influence of Tim Keller on Understanding Justification 00:06:00 – Justification Explained 00:09:00 – The Relationship Between Justification and Works 00:10:30 – Understanding the Role of Covenants 00:11:30 – The Importance of Faithfulness 00:12:30 – The Marriage Analogy for Justification 00:13:30 – The Role of the Sacrament in Justification 00:14:30 – Defining Sanctification 00:15:30 – The Process of Becoming More Like God 00:17:00 – The Role of Obedience in Response to Grace 00:18:00 – Addressing Perfectionism in Leadership 00:19:00 – The Impact of Sin on Community 00:20:00 – The Role of Bishops in Restricting Ordinances 00:22:00 – Understanding Restrictions as Support 00:23:00 – The Nature of Punishment vs. Guidance 00:24:00 – Mental Health and Perfectionism 00:25:00 – Addressing Sexual Development and Sin 00:26:00 – The Importance of Striving for Sanctification 00:27:00 – The Role of the Bishop in Mental Health 00:28:00 – The Challenge of Perfectionism 00:29:00 – The Concept of Forgiveness 00:30:00 – The Nature of Grace in the Gospel

Key Insights

Justification Defined: Justification is described as being pardoned from sin and declared guiltless, occurring when individuals enter a covenant relationship with God through faith, repentance, baptism, and receiving the Holy Ghost.

Sanctification Explained: Sanctification is the ongoing process of becoming more like God, involving a change in one’s nature, thoughts, and desires over time, as individuals strive to live in accordance with their covenants.

The Role of Grace: Grace is central to understanding both justification and sanctification. It emphasizes that salvation is a gift from God, not solely based on individual works, and that individuals can have confidence in their justified state.

Addressing Perfectionism: Many Latter-day Saints struggle with perfectionism, often feeling unworthy despite understanding the doctrine. The conversation highlights the importance of recognizing one’s worth as inherent and not solely based on actions.

Mental Health Considerations: The discussion touches on the intersection of mental health and religious beliefs, particularly regarding OCD and scrupulosity, emphasizing the need for compassion and understanding in addressing these issues.

Leadership Applications

Fostering a Culture of Grace: Leaders can create an environment where members feel secure in their justified state, encouraging them to engage in the gospel without the burden of shame or guilt.

Understanding Individual Needs: By recognizing that unmet needs may drive certain behaviors, leaders can approach members with empathy, focusing on support rather than judgment.

Promoting Continuous Growth: Leaders should emphasize the importance of striving for sanctification, framing commandments and ordinances as opportunities for growth rather than as mere obligations, thus inspiring members to engage more fully in their spiritual journeys.

The award-winning Leading Saints Podcast is one of the top independent Latter-day Saints podcasts as part of nonprofit Leading Saints’ mission to help Latter-day Saints be better prepared to lead. Find Leadership Tools, Courses, and Community for Latter-day Saint leaders in the Zion Lab community. Learn more and listen to any of the past episodes for free at LeadingSaints.org.

Past guests include Emily Belle Freeman, David Butler, Hank Smith, John Bytheway, Reyna and Elena Aburto, Liz Wiseman, Stephen M. R. Covey, Benjamin Hardy, Elder Alvin F. Meredith III, Julie Beck, Brad Wilcox, Jody Moore, Tony Overbay, John H. Groberg, Elaine Dalton, Tad R. Callister, Lynn G. Robbins, J. Devn Cornish, Bonnie Oscarson, Dennis B. Neuenschwander, Kirby Heyborne, Taysom Hill, Coaches Jennifer Rockwood and Brandon Doman, Anthony Sweat, John Hilton III, Barbara Morgan Gardner, Blair Hodges, Whitney Johnson, Ryan Gottfredson, Greg McKeown, Ganel-Lyn Condie, Michael Goodman,