Judge Righteous Judgment

"Judge not, that ye be not judged." (Matthew 7:1)

This phrase from the Savior's teachings in the Sermon on the Mount is often quoted and discussed.  Joseph Smith refined the thought in his inspired revision of the verse:

"Judge not unrighteously, that ye be not judged; but judge righteous judgment."

This expansion is consistent with the Savior's teachings in other places, particularly John 7:24:

"Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment."

As we try to learn the difference between unrighteous and righteous forms of judgment, that insight is helpful.  Judging "according to the appearance" of an action or incident is often unrighteous.  Similarly, the Lord counseled an ancient prophet, "...the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7).  How do we get beyond making judgment based on appearance?  How can we be sure to judge righteously?

Our natural tendency is to make evaluations and decisions based on what we see or perceive in individuals and situations around us.  Often that's a necessary part of how we deal with the world — prioritizing, judging, choosing how to react and interact.  But sometimes, we make mistakes in those judgments that can have serious implications.

I've come to believe that some of the greatest challenges in personal interactions can result from this problem of "hasty judgment."  We hear words or see an action, and quickly assume we understand the history, motivation, or thoughts that led to the action.  We are judging on appearance, not allowing either our reason or the Spirit to lead us to what might be a different story.

Lessons from YW Camp 2001

In 2001, I was serving as a high councilor in the Orem Canyon View stake. I had been assigned as the stake representative to the Young Women — a wonderful responsibility!  We prepared through the year for the annual Young Women Camp, and had been assigned to a week in August at Camp Mia Shalom, where we had attended many times.  During this year, however, the summer was hot and dry, and the water supply at Shalom ran low.  We would have to bring in water for all our needs — a challenging task. We looked for alternatives, and found one option: Camp Bennion, several miles up Spanish Fork canyon. It had water and some good options for activities and was closer to home. It was, however, a tent camp — no cabins — providing a different experience for the young women, and their leaders! But there was a lot of enthusiasm for the new setting.

As the high council representative, I had the privilege to spend the whole week at the camp with the young women and their leaders.  During the course of the week, there were some wonderful experiences, as always.  But three specific lessons that came to me personally have lingered in my mind in the years that have passed; in fact, they always come back to mind when I drive down Spanish Fork Canyon. I decided it was time to record them. I'll list them in the reverse order of when they occurred.