Jesus Christ sitting on a rock on the shores of the sea of Galilee. Numerous people are gathered around Him. The people are listening to Christ preach. (Mark 4:1) (Luke 5:1)
Judgment is an important use of our agency and requires great care, especially when we make judgments about other people. All our judgments must be guided by righteous standards. Only God, who knows each individual’s heart, can make final judgments of individuals.
Sometimes people feel that it is wrong to judge others in any way. While it is true that we should not condemn others or judge them unrighteously, we will need to make judgments of ideas, situations, and people throughout our lives. …
… As much as we can, we should judge people’s situations rather than judging the people themselves. Whenever possible, we should refrain from making judgments until we have an adequate knowledge of the facts. And we should always be sensitive to the Holy Spirit, who can guide our decisions.
Official Portrait of President Dallin H. Oaks taken March 2018.
There are two kinds of judging: final judgments, which we are forbidden to make, and intermediate judgments, which we are directed to make, but upon righteous principles. …
… Let us consider some principles or ingredients that lead to a “righteous judgment.”
First, a righteous judgment must, by definition, be intermediate. It will refrain from declaring that a person has been assured of exaltation or from dismissing a person as being irrevocably bound for hellfire. …
Second, a righteous judgment will be guided by the Spirit of the Lord, not by anger, revenge, jealousy, or self-interest. …
Third, to be righteous, an intermediate judgment must be within our stewardship. We should not presume to exercise and act upon judgments that are outside our personal responsibilities. …
Fourth, we should, if possible, refrain from judging until we have adequate knowledge of the facts. …
A fifth principle of a righteous intermediate judgment is that whenever possible we will refrain from judging people and only judge situations.
(Dallin H. Oaks, “‘Judge Not’ and Judging,” Ensign, Aug. 1999, 7, 9–11)
Official portrait of Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, January 2016.
To be Christlike, a person loves mercy. People who love mercy are not judgmental; they manifest compassion for others, especially for those who are less fortunate; they are gracious, kind, and honorable. These individuals treat everyone with love and understanding, regardless of characteristics such as race, gender, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and tribal, clan, or national differences. These are superseded by Christlike love.
(Dale G. Renlund, “Do Justly, Love Mercy, and Walk Humbly with God,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2020, 111)