What I do is not judge (that is God's job and I do not possess those keys), but what I will do is scope the scrips out and find out what the parameters are that God uses to judge individuals - and then families - and then nations. I am not bragging here - but I look for patterns, nail them down and then optimize the results. It is the engineer in me - EVERYTHING is optimized for best performance. When I put my mind to do something, I try to do it to win - best results and (hopefully) in as efficient a manner as is possible. When someone steps out of those bounds (including myself), I call them on it (if it affects me or others that I love and have stewardship over).
That is not being judgmental - that is doing my job. People can often misinterpret the command not to judge, with the command to NOT JUDGE UNRIGHTEOUS JUDGEMENT. Those two things are two different animals. We HAVE to judge ALL the time - whether it is choosing a good lawyer, a good mechanic, a good place to work, a good handyman to fix stuff around the house, whether a teacher for our children is someone we want them spending 7 hours a day with - so many things. We do it ALL the time. It is called discernment - and it would be a complete joke to not use a little in life. No one would expect you not to.....
What we cannot do is judge someone's final judgment ("that person is going to hell", etc). We have to exercise compassion and utilize the same kind of ruler stick there, that we would want used on us. That is Christ's injunction for us.
So, when I kept saying over and over that "this nation is going to be judged" right before 9/11, I knew we had crossed a line (mostly in supporting the Clintons in their shenanigans), and I could feel an impending feeling of doom for this nation, collectively.
I feel it again, but at a grass-roots level. 15 years ago, it was more of a national thing - now I feel that almost no one is exempt, for we have all partaken of her sins (we all support the hellish agendas put out by the gads on one level or another). In other words, many of us turn a blind eye to what is going on. At the very least, it may be getting something for nothing and sucking from the teat of the beast when we could be working for our sustenance, it could be supporting unjustifiable wars because our son or husband is in the military - it could be a whole host of so many things that draw us in sympathetically to support the beast/whore and her works. One that I have tried to de-couple myself from is paying taxes to support it. I want the beast to die - it needs to; so I allow only the bare minimum I have to, to go towards the sustenance of it. I would that it were zero. I want NO money to pay for an abortion. NONE. That is the most heinous thing I can think of - just sick and twisted and wrong - almost no matter how you package it. No amount of sweetener makes it sweet - just bitter and repulsive - as it is.
Here is a little more on keys to proper judgment that I found on FB:
My sister shared something with me that she saw on the Nephite Explorer program yesterday (Sunday, July 24, 2016). It is by Bruce H. Porter from BYU Religious Studies.
He said: "Individual wickedness is going to be judged in the eternities. But the sins or iniquities of a nation needs to be judged in mortality. When it's judged in mortality then it's the nation that has to be punished. We're told in the New Testament that there is no forgiveness of sin without the shedding of blood. Individual sin can be forgiven because of the blood of Christ. But the sin of a nation, and the blood that has to be shed in their turn from the absence of God, is the blood of the citizens themselves. The nation suffers because of it, not the individual. Individual sin is judged in the hereafter. The sins of a nation have to be judged here, because there are no nations in the hereafter. We see the same thing here at Gettysburg – the blood that was spilt from both sides was from the sin of a nation that began to turn away from God. As President Lincoln talked about returning to God – and the men that he inspired felt the same way – there was a need to defend not just the principles of freedom, but the principles of deity. The principles that God had set to defend the rights that man has."
Not all sin can be forgiven by the blood of Christ. This is why in the old temple ceremonies there were certain covenants we were put under to impress on our minds the severity of breaking such covenants. They are very important and serious. I wish we would get more of the meat in church and through talks, sometime I feel like I am drowning in all the milk.
ReplyDeleteThe doctrine of blood atonement was taught by Joseph, as indicated by Joseph Fielding Smith Jr. (10th prophet):
"Just a word or two now, on the subject of blood atonement. What is that doctrine? Unadulterated, if you please, laying aside the pernicious insinuations and lying charges that have so often been made, it is simply this: Through the atonement of Christ all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel. Salvation is twofold: General -- that which comes to all men irrespective of a belief (in this life) in Christ -- and, Individual -- that which man merits through his own acts through life and by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel.
"But man may commit certain grievous sins -- according to his light and knowledge -- that will place him beyond the reach of the atoning blood of Christ. If then he would be saved he must make sacrifice of his own life to atone -- so far as in his power lies -- for that sin, for the blood of Christ alone under certain circumstances will not avail.
"Do you believe this doctrine? If not, then I do say you do not believe in the true doctrine of the atonement of Christ. This is the doctrine you are pleased to call the "blood atonement of Brighamism." This is the doctrine of Christ our Redeemer, who died for us. This is the doctrine of Joseph Smith, and I accept it." (McConkie, Bruce R., ed. Doctrines of Salvation, Vol. 1, pp. 133 - 135, Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1954-1955)
Brigham Young clearly explained the doctrine of blood atonement in a sermon given on September 21, 1856:
"There are sins that men commit for which they cannot receive forgiveness in this world, or in that which is to come, and if they had their eyes open to see their true condition, they would be perfectly willing to have their blood spilt upon the ground, that the smoke thereof might ascend to heaven as an offering for their sins; and the smoking incense would atone for their sins, whereas, if such is not the case, they will stick to them and remain upon them in the spirit world.
"I know, when you hear my brethren telling about cutting people off from the earth, that you consider it is strong doctrine; but it is to save them, not to destroy them…
"And further more, I know that there are transgressors, who, if they knew themselves, and the only condition upon which they can obtain forgiveness, would beg of their brethren to shed their blood, that the smoke thereof might ascend to God as an offering to appease the wrath that is kindled against them, and that the law might have its course. I will say further;
"I have had men come to me and offer their lives to atone for their sins.
"It is true that the blood of the Son of God was shed for sins through the fall and those committed by men, yet men can commit sins which it can never remit.... There are sins that can be atoned for by an offering upon an altar, as in ancient days; and there are sins that the blood of a lamb, or a calf, or of turtle dove, cannot remit, but they must be atoned for by the blood of the man." (Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 4, pp. 53-54); also published in Deseret News, 1856, p. 235)