Sanctification

And we know also, that sanctification through the grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is just and true, to all those who love and serve God with all their mights, minds, and strength. Doctrine & Covenants 20:31

As we come unto Christ by covenant and receive the ordinances of salvation, we are justified by him - our slate is wiped clean, and we are treated as if we had never sinned. Justification thus deals with our legal standing before God. Thereafter, we cultivate the influence of the Holy Spirit in our lives so that his divine influence can direct, empower, and cleanse us from the effects of sin. To be so cleansed is to be sanctified, to enjoy a change of state. This change also is a gift, a manifestation of God’s grace. “Therefore they were ... sanctified, and their garments were washed white through the blood of the Lamb. Now they, after being sanctified by the Holy Ghost, having their garments made white, being pure and spotless before God, could not look upon sin save it were with abhorrence; and there were many, exceedingly great many, who were made pure and entered into the rest of the Lord their God” (Alma 13:11-12). (Robert L. Millet and Lloyd D. Newell. Draw Near Unto Me: Daily Reflections on the Doctrine and Covenants. 69)