LDS/Mormons. Ahh, I can sincerely say that these are the types of people most dear to my heart. The bond of our religious convictions is truly unlike any other, it unites with a firm hold. I'm mesmerized when I hear of folks remaining faithful; my heart swells with pride the moment I hear of someone sticking to their values, I even cheer on vivacious celebrities proclaiming 'true to the faith!' (Yes David Archuleta, I mean you!) It's not too outlandish to say that my day begins to exceed the brightness of the sun when I hear of the sheer impact others positively bring to the gospel.
On the flipside, I am distraught when one makes massive changes unaligned to the standards, forgoes the knowledge they have gained or simply leaves the Church altogether. Deep in my inner- most being I feel saddened, I long for the aid these people need... And there it is, a bit of judgement mixed in with all of the remorse. How could you do that? Why wouldn't you think that through? Did you even think at all? I, for one, get harsh.
When I initially wrote on this, my fingers couldn't stop, I had very personal anecdote written out to accompany this, absolutely my fashion. Graham and I verbally had this conversation, and I shared that specific story for the first time which him, afterwards undecided not to harp upon that instance- haven't we all fallen short? Haven't we each had to repent after the guilt toppled over? But I can voice from firsthand experience, that it is not always easy to refuse judgement towards anyone! But it certainly is important to realize how you approach situations.
The final say I want to include comes from 2 men of great faith. The first comes from my husband.
"When necessary, use discretion."
How perfectly worded, right? Of course we shouldn't judge in the sense that we allow ourselves to feel superior towards others, but we have to use our best judgement in situations. As long as the situation is directed towards us we are required to make decisions in our best interest! To expand in a different realm, I offer these words from Pres. Dieter F. Utchdorf of the General Presidency.
"This topic of judging others could actually be taught in a two-word sermon. When it comes to hating, gossiping, ignoring, ridiculing, holding grudges, or wanting to cause harm, please apply the following: Stop it."
Thus, while we should not pass judgement, we should use judgement. A concept I hadn't grasped until now, as silly as that sounds. My agency is so important to me, I love making my own choices, I love learning more each day... The gospel is a place of growth, hope and love. I hope we each can wisely judge, always aiming to do better than the past.
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