The 78th Chronicle

Hello family and friends! 

I hope you'll be able to understand my thought process as I attempt to combine a multitude of thoughts and impressions. I believe we should judge books by their covers. I also believe we should judge them by their contents. The scriptures tell us to judge not in matters of salvation for God can only judge in this manner. We ARE asked to judge righteously though. Righteous judgment helps us to discern good from evil and give us the information to react accordingly.

 "Judge not unrighteously, that ye be not judged; but judge righteous judgment." (Matthew 7:2 - JST)

"Therefore, my son, see that you are merciful unto your brethren; deal justly, judge righteously, and do good continually; and if ye do all these things then shall ye receive your reward . . . " (Alma 41:14)

With that said, we must remember to never judge people off of just what others say. Unless one has a trusted source and can recognize that their intent (in disclosing such information) is for a good purpose, these conversations can lead to gossip. Gossip is not of God. Our sources of information should be in reality from our own experience, the direction of the Spirit, and ultimately inspiration from God. We must make our own attempt to get to know a person with a perspective that is unbiased. You CAN judge a book by it's cover as you include a perosnal study of its contents. A cover tells a lot about a book. A dive into the pages will reveal even more. You may not have the time or the comprehension to understand the whole book but through sincere questions and a kind heart we might be able to get an idea of the chapter headings. Treat everyone as if they are going through a rough time. Always say something good about others. Lift those that are rejected or left alone. Speak up for those that are attacked. Write down what you have learned from each person. Wait until you get to know someone first before developing any negative feelings. The reason I share this is because I have been working really hard to not judge others unrighteously. My tendency is to formulate an opinion in passing and stick to it. Often it's negative. That opinion can be worsened as I hear stories of any particular individual. Come to find out that many of those stories are not true or were desperately missing context. I find that even with close friends I can be a kind of Mr. Darcy for "when my good opinion is lost, it is lost forever". That's no way to live especially as a disciple of Jesus Christ. Protect yourself from abuse and bullying and in every other circumstance give people the benefit of the doubt, allow people to change, and let the Atonement of Jesus Christ help you to develop charity for all men.

Quote of the Week: "A man who conquers himself is greater than one who conquers a thousand men in battle." -Buddha

Kia Kaha!

Elder Brady