Judging

Thhhhhhhhats right, we are going to talk about Judging. This week I read a few cool things,
In Matthew 7 we read
1. Judge not, that ye be not judged.

Don't think I didn't see that eye roll, this is important!

In Luke 6 it says
36. Be ye, therefore, merciful , as your Father also is merciful.

Hands up if you have been judged or if you have judged someone else unfairly.



  It's unanimous we have all been on one or both sides of the judging.



I belong to a divorce support group, let me tell you something you may not have expected to hear...people can be soo judgy about divorce. You might think in a nation with such high rates of divorce, in a religion that preaches love and forgiveness and to NOT JUDGE, we would as a community be nicer, turns out we aren't. Some of the things divorced people are judged unfairly and often without any evidence about include but are not limited to the following:
-  stealing your spouse because we are now desperate for someone else's spouse now that we have finally  thrown ours away
- being abusive (if you are male)
- being a woman scorned (and therefore out for blood)
- being greedy (if you get alimony or child support)
- having an issue with porn (usually men are accused of this)
- infidelity
The list is endless, you may know someone who faces this reality. I have heard some of these in relation to me, I am now married ladies so thankfully your husbands are safe again.  You may know someone who has these very issues. And yet... im sure you can find the scripture about sweeping your own back door or scripturally put, worrying about the beam that is in your eye and not the mote(splinter) in your neighbors eye. (Matthew 7:3-5)
instead  of judging, BE MERCIFUL as the scriptures say or as  President Uchtodorf says:

Matthew 5:48 says
Be ye therefore perfect, even as your father which is in heaven is perfect
let's quickly compare that to Luke 6:36
Be ye therefore merciful , as your Father also is merciful.

This week I used a technique in my reading called Flag Phrases. flag phrases are there to alert us to something important. Well, friends, I see something important here.
Be ye therefore... perfect/merciful even as your Father is.

In our journey towards perfection perhaps we should spend a leeeeetle more time in trying to be merciful to each other.
Just because you don't understand is not a reason to dislike.
 Being Judged unfairly hurts  and not just the person being judged, It hurts the person judging too.  You have felt it, I have felt it. so let's stop perpetuating that hurt on others.

The profound poster above, is made from words in this talk, you should watch it. its pretty amazing
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2012/04/the-merciful-obtain-mercy?lang=eng