“If ever you make a mistake of judgment, let it be on the side of mercy.” Joseph Fielding Smith
We all need room to make our mistakes. Whether or not we learn from them and improve, they are a part of life. In my younger years I was prone to judge too quickly and sometimes harshly. When my own mistakes grew in number and sometimes damage, I grew more mellow from understanding first hand how others were negatively affected.
It is interesting how this ‘law of the harvest’ works. I reap what I sow, (Matthew 7:1-5, D&C 6:33) has come into play when sloppy analysis has caused me to have that less than merciful approach. When I have cast a critical eye upon another’s actions or predicament, whether or not it is ‘justified’, the Lord undoubtedly sends me a reminder of just how silly I am. The modern version of this principle, ‘what goes around, comes around’ when played out means when I go around sowing discord, my life becomes a life of discord. When, on the other hand, I reject judgement and always err in favor of mercy, life for myself and those I would otherwise judge becomes sweeter, ‘quieter’, more in tune with the Lord… for again, mercifully is the way He always treated others! kdm
