Oaks, now First Counselor in the First Presidency, was a supreme court judge in the state of Utah. As we place this passage side by side with the original statement, “Judge not, that ye be not judged” ( Matthew 7:1 3 Nephi 14:1), we see that the word judge must have various meanings in different scriptures.īefore being called to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 1984, President Dallin H. Mormon made it clear that we have a responsibility to make appropriate judgment.
JUDGEMENT VS JUDGMENT HOW TO
Mormon then revealed how to judge the opposite influence: “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” ( Moroni 7:17). In Moroni 7 we find a speech given by Mormon, including specific directions on how to judge: “Wherefore, I show unto you the way to judge for every thing which inviteth to do good, and to persuade to believe in Christ, is sent forth by the power and gift of Christ wherefore ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of God” ( Moroni 7:16). This point is further clarified in the Book of Mormon. He is commanding us to make sure the judgments we make are righteous. According to Joseph Smith’s addition to this passage in Matthew, Jesus is not telling us never to judge. That seems to be the case with the changes here, based on what other scriptures ( 3 Nephi 14:1, for example) and modern prophets have said about judging. Joseph Smith made some of his changes to the biblical text not to reflect what was originally said or written but to give prophetic interpretation and help clarify the meaning of certain passages. In the Joseph Smith Translation of Matthew 7, we read, “Judge not unrighteously, that ye be not judged but judge righteous judgment” (Joseph Smith Translation, Matthew 7:2 ). He continues to work with us through the process of time to “cast out the beam out of own eye” so we can “see clearly” ( Matthew 7:5). In His wisdom and mercy, the Lord withholds His judgment and does not immediately condemn us for our failings. The Lord, however, knows everything and is therefore the only one who can see clearly and judge perfectly.
Additionally, we do not understand all the surrounding issues, struggles, and circumstances that result in motes and beams in others’ eyes.
He was clearly teaching that our ability to judge imperfections in others is nearly impossible because of the large construction-sized beams of imperfection blinding our own vision. To drive this point further, Jesus clarified, “And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?” ( Matthew 7:3). Jesus continued, “For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged” ( Matthew 7:2). Immediately following these higher-law teachings, Jesus commanded, “Judge not, that ye be not judged.” Jesus understood that as disciples strive to live the principles and commandments taught in Matthew 5 and 6, it is easy to fall into the trap of noticing where others may be falling short of those ideals. 1 This includes praying, fasting secretly rather than publicly, and giving charitable gifts. Ultimately, true followers of Christ are to be “perfect, even as Father which is in heaven is perfect” ( Matthew 5:48). As we learn in those chapters, it is no longer enough for His followers to refrain from killing or committing adultery or to love only those who love us it is now required to not get angry, not allow immoral thoughts to linger, and to love our enemies (see Matthew 5:13–47).
This sermon is filled with commands that set the bar of discipleship very high-so high, in fact, that nobody can succeed without the merciful help of the Lord. Preceding this command are the first two chapters of His Sermon on the Mount (see Matthew 5–6). Let’s begin by looking at how the Savior used this “judge not” phrase.
Our ability to benefit from this command will increase as we examine how Jesus Christ used it in His teachings and how His prophets have reiterated it through time. Unfortunately, this phrase is not always correctly understood or applied. Few of Jesus’s teachings are more widely known than this one. Have you ever been in a situation where somebody tried to correct another person by saying, “Judge not, that ye be not judged”? ( Matthew 7:1).
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