MORMON 8
v. 20 Behold what the scripture says - man shall not smite, neither shall he judge; for judgement is mine, saith the Lord, and vengeance is mine also, and I will repay.
Final Judgement (don't do it)
I will speak first of the final judgment. This is that future occasion in which all of us will stand before the judgment seat of Christ to be judged according to our works (see 1 Nephi 15:33, 3 Nephi 27:15, Mormon 3:20, D&C 19:3). Some Christians look on this as the time when individuals are assigned to heaven or hell. With the increased understanding we have received from the Restoration, Latter-day Saints understand the final judgment as the time when all mankind will receive their personal dominions in the mansions prepared for them in the various kingdoms of glory (see D&C 76:111, John 14:2, 1 Corinthians 15:40–44). I believe that the scriptural command to “judge not” refers most clearly to this final judgment, as in the Book of Mormon declaration that “man shall not . . . judge; for judgment is mine, saith the Lord” (Mormon 8:20).
Since mortals cannot suppose that they will be acting as final judges at that future, sacred time, why did the Savior command that we not judge final judgments? I believe this commandment was given because we presume to make final judgments whenever we proclaim that any particular person is going to hell (or to heaven) for a particular act or as of a particular time. When we do this—and there is great temptation to do so—we hurt ourselves and the person we pretend to judge.
The effect of one mortal’s attempting to pass final judgment on another mortal is analogous to the effect on athletes and observers if we could proclaim the outcome of an athletic contest with certainty while it was still underway. Similar reasoning forbids our presuming to make final judgments on the outcome of any person’s lifelong mortal contest.
President Brigham Young taught:
I am very t`hankful that it is not our province . . . to judge the world; if it were, we would ruin everything. We have not sufficient wisdom, our minds are not filled with the knowledge and power of God. . . . And we must also acquire the discretion that God exercises in being able to look into futurity, and to ascertain and know the results of our acts away in the future, even in eternity, before we will be capable of judging. [JD 19:7–8]
In this teaching Brigham Young was, typically, merely elaborating on a teaching of the Prophet Joseph Smith, who said:
While one portion of the human race is judging and condemning the other without mercy, the Great Parent of the universe looks upon the whole of the human family with a fatherly care and paternal regard. . . . He holds the reins of judgment in His hands; He is a wise Lawgiver, and will judge all men, not according to the narrow, contracted notions of men . . . , “not according to what they have not, but according to what they have,” those who have lived without law, will be judged without law, and those who have a law, will be judged by that law. [Teachings, p. 218]
Final Judgement (don't do it)
I will speak first of the final judgment. This is that future occasion in which all of us will stand before the judgment seat of Christ to be judged according to our works (see 1 Nephi 15:33, 3 Nephi 27:15, Mormon 3:20, D&C 19:3). Some Christians look on this as the time when individuals are assigned to heaven or hell. With the increased understanding we have received from the Restoration, Latter-day Saints understand the final judgment as the time when all mankind will receive their personal dominions in the mansions prepared for them in the various kingdoms of glory (see D&C 76:111, John 14:2, 1 Corinthians 15:40–44). I believe that the scriptural command to “judge not” refers most clearly to this final judgment, as in the Book of Mormon declaration that “man shall not . . . judge; for judgment is mine, saith the Lord” (Mormon 8:20).
Since mortals cannot suppose that they will be acting as final judges at that future, sacred time, why did the Savior command that we not judge final judgments? I believe this commandment was given because we presume to make final judgments whenever we proclaim that any particular person is going to hell (or to heaven) for a particular act or as of a particular time. When we do this—and there is great temptation to do so—we hurt ourselves and the person we pretend to judge.
The effect of one mortal’s attempting to pass final judgment on another mortal is analogous to the effect on athletes and observers if we could proclaim the outcome of an athletic contest with certainty while it was still underway. Similar reasoning forbids our presuming to make final judgments on the outcome of any person’s lifelong mortal contest.
President Brigham Young taught:
I am very t`hankful that it is not our province . . . to judge the world; if it were, we would ruin everything. We have not sufficient wisdom, our minds are not filled with the knowledge and power of God. . . . And we must also acquire the discretion that God exercises in being able to look into futurity, and to ascertain and know the results of our acts away in the future, even in eternity, before we will be capable of judging. [JD 19:7–8]
In this teaching Brigham Young was, typically, merely elaborating on a teaching of the Prophet Joseph Smith, who said:
While one portion of the human race is judging and condemning the other without mercy, the Great Parent of the universe looks upon the whole of the human family with a fatherly care and paternal regard. . . . He holds the reins of judgment in His hands; He is a wise Lawgiver, and will judge all men, not according to the narrow, contracted notions of men . . . , “not according to what they have not, but according to what they have,” those who have lived without law, will be judged without law, and those who have a law, will be judged by that law. [Teachings, p. 218]
v. 37 For behold, ye do love money, and your substance, and your fine apparel, and the adorning of your churches, more than ye love the poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted.
Love of Money
Moroni is speaking here to us, the modern day church, just like in the rest of the Book of Mormon. The warning of being rich was meant for the church, the covenant people:
Jacob 2-3 - The wealth cycle inside the church community:
Jacob isn't preacing to the wicked world, he is preaeching to the righteous Nephites. He warns: riches lead to pride, pride leads to class divisions, class divisions lead to unbelief and spiritual collapse, God will visit the church in judgement if they despise the poor.
Alma 4:
Describes what happens to the righteous church after it prospers: Pride enters, distinctions arise, discord follows, the church becomes ineffective, members leave, persecution begins insdie the church, leadership has to reform everything. Alma literally has to step down as chief judge so he can focus on calling the church to repentance from pride and riches. This isn't outsiders, this is the covenant people falling into the wealth trap.
Helaman:
This cycle (righeousness, blesing and prosperity, wickedness, destruction and suffering, humility and repentance) is repeated four times in the book of Helaman alone.
Mormon and Moroni: In the end-time the church will face this same temptation. Moroni says: the latter-day Gentile church will become: lifted up in pride, filled with envy and strife, love fine clothing, care more for their buildings than the poor, deny the miracles of God.
American culture influences Church culture
In places like Utah:
This is precisely what the Book of Mormon warns against.
So what does the Church do to combat the love of riches and pride?
1) Structures generosity: fast offerings, tithing
2) Creates equality: unpaid callings
3) Service and caring for the poor and needy: welfare system
4) Uses rituals to remind us weekly of our covenants: sacrament
5) Uses study of the scripture to warn us: Book of Mormon
6) Builds humility: missions, callings, service, temple worship
7) Encourages simple worship on Sundays: modest buildings
8) Checks pride internally: temple worthiness questions
Love of Money
Moroni is speaking here to us, the modern day church, just like in the rest of the Book of Mormon. The warning of being rich was meant for the church, the covenant people:
Jacob 2-3 - The wealth cycle inside the church community:
Jacob isn't preacing to the wicked world, he is preaeching to the righteous Nephites. He warns: riches lead to pride, pride leads to class divisions, class divisions lead to unbelief and spiritual collapse, God will visit the church in judgement if they despise the poor.
Alma 4:
Describes what happens to the righteous church after it prospers: Pride enters, distinctions arise, discord follows, the church becomes ineffective, members leave, persecution begins insdie the church, leadership has to reform everything. Alma literally has to step down as chief judge so he can focus on calling the church to repentance from pride and riches. This isn't outsiders, this is the covenant people falling into the wealth trap.
Helaman:
This cycle (righeousness, blesing and prosperity, wickedness, destruction and suffering, humility and repentance) is repeated four times in the book of Helaman alone.
Mormon and Moroni: In the end-time the church will face this same temptation. Moroni says: the latter-day Gentile church will become: lifted up in pride, filled with envy and strife, love fine clothing, care more for their buildings than the poor, deny the miracles of God.
American culture influences Church culture
In places like Utah:
- big houses
- business success
- prosperity
- achievement
- visible status
This is precisely what the Book of Mormon warns against.
So what does the Church do to combat the love of riches and pride?
1) Structures generosity: fast offerings, tithing
2) Creates equality: unpaid callings
3) Service and caring for the poor and needy: welfare system
4) Uses rituals to remind us weekly of our covenants: sacrament
5) Uses study of the scripture to warn us: Book of Mormon
6) Builds humility: missions, callings, service, temple worship
7) Encourages simple worship on Sundays: modest buildings
8) Checks pride internally: temple worthiness questions