Judging Righteously

This week's lesson comes again from my church's weekly reading, but this lesson is for us all, especially in our current circumstances. Not coincidentally, there was also a talk in our church Zoom meeting today touching on these same principles, and also not to mention that several times in early October, many similar talks were given in our church's General Conference. It is clearly a lesson our church desperately wants us to hear, so I invite all to listen up, because this is darn important.

Today I will concentrate on this question: how can we learn to judge righteously?

For a backdrop, let me describe the situation for those not familiar with the Book of Mormon. Being toward the end of the year, we're at the very end when the Lamanites (the bad guys) are wiping out the Nephites (the former good guys), and there is no righteousness left anywhere. Only Moroni remains the sole faithful person.

As described in Moroni 9: 5,19:

(5) For so exceedingly do they anger that it seemeth me that they have no fear of death; and they have lost their love, one towards another; and they thirst after blood and revenge continually.

(19) And they have become strong in their perversion; and they are alike brutal, sparing none, neither old nor young; and they delight in everything save that which is good; ...

This may seem a little scary, but doesn't this describe the situation today, though not quite so bad -- just yet? Don't we have two "parties" that are being increasingly violent toward each other? Isn't everything today more about revenge and putting down the other party? And frighteningly, we now hear talk of rising up and fighting? Is there any way to avoid all this? Can we diffuse this increasingly dangerous situation?

There's one thing you can do. You can make right choices. If you are able to judge righteously, and act on those choices, then you can not only avoid the "thirst after blood" but you can also help to diffuse our nation's current predicament.

Moroni 7:17-19 says:

(17) But whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do evil, and believe not in Christ, and deny him, and serve not God, then ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of the devil; for after this manner doth the devil work, for he persuadeth no man to do good, no, not one; neither do his angels; neither do they who subject themselves unto him. 

(18) And now, my brethren, seeing that ye know the light by which ye may judge, which light is the light of Christ, see that ye do not judge wrongfully; for with that same judgment which ye judge ye shall also be judged.

(19) Wherefore, I beseech of you, brethren, that ye should search diligently in the light of Christ that ye may know good from evil; and if ye will lay hold upon every good thing, and condemn it not, ye certainly will be a child of Christ.

Right now, between those two parties I mentioned before, if you listen to what each side says, you will hear the same thing. "We are the ones upholding the Constitution. We're right, and you're wrong, and you're trying to cheat and steal to gain power." To me it's pretty clear which side is doing the most cheating in this specific instance, but I'm trying to remain neutral in this post because of two reasons:

• This has been going on for years, and at different times, each party has had its fair share of doing most of the cheating or power grabbing; AND
• I want you to be able to turn to God and JUDGE for yourself the best way to proceed -- not just in the most immediate instance, but EVERY TIME this type of thing comes up.

So, I challenge you to stop and think, and reconsider. Here are some tips that come from the whole 7th chapter of Moroni:

• Make sure that you are not calling good evil and evil good.
• Make sure to pray with real intent of heart.
• Whatever you ask God will be answered.
• Consider: does your proposed plan of action bring good or evil? Does your plan come out of hatred and anger, or does it come from love and patience?
• Make sure you remain a servant of Christ, and not the devil.
• Remember faith and hope.
• Remember humility.
• If you are in tune, then judging good from evil will be as "a perfect knowledge, as the daylight is from the dark night."

Whatever side you may be on, I hope you will decide today to continue on in peace, love, and a willingness to work together. Make sure you're always on the right side of things as you judge, so that you can always have a clear conscious and receive judgments on yourself with the best outcomes.

I wish you luck ... and together we judge righteously and figure this all out.