Chapter 23
Principle #15
A Priesthood Holder Judges Righteously
Ye shall be judges of this people.
—3 Nephi 27:27
Priesthood holders may be asked to be judges in Israel. While not all are called to serve in these capacities, the priesthood principle of judging righteously is part of the doctrine of the priesthood. Fortunately, judges in Israel today are not required to judge medical matters, as did priests anciently. But they do need to be wise and use all their faculties to fulfill their duties correctly, as the following account illustrates.
As Israel wandered in the wilderness, an infectious disease called leprosy was of concern to the safe movement of a large camp of people. The Lord directed that if a suspect skin lesion were noted, the Israelite was quarantined and the priest assessed it over the course of two weeks. If the lesion “be deeper than the skin,” it was diagnosed as leprosy, and the individual was permanently segregated from the congregation. On the other hand, if the “spot . . . be not deeper than the skin,”—in other words, if the lesion remained superficial—the quarantine ended (see Leviticus 13). A Talmudic scholar who wrote a commentary for Leviticus 13 suggested, “A one-eyed priest shall not judge cases of impurity.”1 Without binocular vision, a judge in Israel would have had difficulty determining whether the skin lesion was deep or superficial.
When called on to judge, a priesthood holder must metaphorically have both eyes open. Judging a person’s soul is much harder than diagnosing leprosy. This weighty responsibility of judging falls to bishops and stake presidents and their counselors. Ecclesiastical judgments assess the worthiness of a member for ordinances and callings. Additionally, ecclesiastical judgments are used to help transgressors repent, to protect innocent victims, and to safeguard the Church.
The priesthood holder must use good judgment. Unfortunately, the conferral of priesthood does not automatically confer good judgment. Good judgment is either brought to the calling or acquired during the magnifying of it. A priesthood holder needs to know when he should praise and encourage, calm and pacify, exhort and commit, or supplicate and persuade. A priesthood holder who exhorts when he should instead offer praise makes an error in judgment. The Holy Ghost will help, but it is difficult for the Holy Ghost to work with a priesthood holder who is insensitive to others’ feelings or oblivious to circumstances.
Righteous judging requires a priesthood holder to be certain of the details of specific circumstances and the correct course of action. He should be honest with himself and others. If he is uncertain, he should be willing to acknowledge it and say, “I don’t know.” He can learn from Alma, who said: “Now these mysteries are not yet fully made known unto me; therefore I shall forbear” (Alma 37:11).
Priesthood leaders make mistakes when they make up answers or invent explanations that have not been revealed by God.
Priesthood leaders also manifest bad judgment when they continue pursuing a path that is obviously wrong, perhaps settling for minor course corrections when a complete change of direction is needed. Elder Merlin R. Lybbert, Sister Renlund’s father, said that such a course violates the “First Rule of Holes”: “When you’re in one, stop digging!”
A priesthood holder who evaluates his actions, motives, and direction regularly and objectively will grow in his capacity to exercise good judgment. This is particularly true in counseling individuals regarding the timing of a temple endowment or a patriarchal blessing, or in responding to emotional challenges. Good judgment often means talking less and listening more. As Philippe de Commynes said, « Je me suis souvent repenti d’avoir parlé, mais jamais de m’être tu. » Or, as we would say in English, “I have often regretted having spoken, but never having kept silent.”
A priesthood holder performs a great service by listening and allowing the Holy Ghost time to communicate. Good judgment is acquired over time as a priesthood holder abides by the doctrine of the priesthood and listens to the Holy Ghost.
The Savior’s statement, “Judge not, that ye be not judged” (Matthew 7:1), may make a priesthood holder hesitant to judge others because His statement is followed by a caution, “For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again” (Matthew 7:2).
Yet, priesthood leaders are under mandate to render judgment. The Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible offers clarity on this passage: “Now these are the words which Jesus taught his disciples that they should say unto the people. Judge not unrighteously, that ye be not judged; but judge righteous judgment” (JST, Matthew 7:1–2). Jesus did not prohibit judging others; rather, He enjoined judging righteously.
The Savior told His disciples in the Americas the kind of judges they should be: “And know ye that ye shall be judges of this people, according to the judgment which I shall give unto you, which shall be just. Therefore, what manner of men ought ye to be? Verily I say unto you, even as I am” (3 Nephi 27:27).
How are priesthood holders today to judge? They are to render judgment by following the Savior’s perfect example. They judge as He would. To give His kind of judgment requires spiritual insight, experience, and wisdom. Paul told Timothy that a judge in Israel, a bishop, should “not [be] a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil” (1 Timothy 3:6).
Judging righteously requires more than following directions in a handbook. Judging in the Lord’s way requires relying on every aspect of the doctrine of the priesthood, especially Christlike virtues.
Priesthood leaders may be called on to help a transgressor repent. The Lord provided a framework for Alma to use in judging and helping transgressors. The Savior said:
For behold, this is my church; whosoever is baptized shall be baptized unto repentance. And whomsoever ye receive shall believe in my name; and him will I freely forgive.
For it is I that taketh upon me the sins of the world; for it is I that hath created them; and it is I that granteth unto him that believeth unto the end a place at my right hand. . . .
Therefore I say unto you, Go; and whosoever transgresseth against me, him shall ye judge according to the sins which he has committed; and if he confess his sins before thee and me, and repenteth in the sincerity of his heart, him shall ye forgive, and I will forgive him also.
Yea, and as often as my people repent will I forgive them their trespasses against me. . . .
Now I say unto you, Go; and whosoever will not repent of his sins the same shall not be numbered among my people; and this shall be observed from this time forward. (Mosiah 26:22–23, 29–30, 32; emphasis added)
The framework for judging and helping transgressors includes these truths:
• This is the Lord’s Church; He has the right to forgive sin.
• The Lord forgives all who are baptized unto repentance.
• Those who confess sins to a priesthood leader and to God, and who repent, should be forgiven by the Church and will be forgiven by God.
• As often as people repent, God will forgive them.
• Those who fail to repent should not be numbered among the Church.
The role of a priesthood leader in judging transgressors is to help the transgressor repent and receive forgiveness from God. The priesthood leader cannot ignore sinful behavior. Making excuses for an individual does not help that person repent.
God’s love for the transgressor is divine and infinite.2 A priesthood holder should immediately convey His love and offer positive reinforcement for transgressors who come before him. The leader should suppress any surprise or disbelief as a member confesses his or her actions. The transgressor’s confession may be the first good decision he or she has made in a long time. The priesthood leader should consider thanking the individual for having the confidence and faith to repent.
The worth of a soul is great in the eyes of God (see Doctrine and Covenants 18:10). How great? As related in a story by President Thomas S. Monson, his former stake president, President Paul C. Child, once asked those attending a priesthood leadership meeting, “Who can tell me the worth of a human soul?” President Child then called on an unsuspecting elders quorum president, who hesitantly asked that President Child repeat the question. The elders quorum president thought for a moment and then said, “The worth of a human soul is its capacity to become as God.” As President Child passed President Monson on the way back to the podium, President Monson heard President Child utter, “a profound reply; a profound reply.”3
Given the great worth of souls, a priesthood holder should take the time necessary to help individuals through the repentance process. He should not rush the one who is confessing, nor should he be in a hurry to resolve the matter. With rare exception, matters typically being confessed do not require immediate resolution. A short delay may cause angst in the transgressor, but the priesthood leader may need time to think about the matter and seek inspiration. He may need to study the scriptures and handbooks for help.
In complicated matters, a bishop or stake president may wish to discuss an issue or situation with his counselors. The priesthood leader should first take care to obtain permission to divulge the transgressor’s name or circumstances. Priesthood holders should be very wary of the “do you have a minute” type of confessions in which the transgressor is demanding a quick decision as to outcome. A wise priesthood leader will not be pressured for a decision until he has received input from those who have been hurt by the transgressions.
Taking time ensures that all the “dirty laundry” is out on the table. Some sins are accompanied by other sins. Having the whole picture of the transgression and any associated transgressions leads to correct assessment. Take time to teach correct doctrine, particularly regarding the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Teach that it is the Savior who forgives, who eventually judges, and not the priesthood leader.
A judge in Israel has an awesome opportunity to help a transgressor partake of the Atonement. Helping a member through the repentance process may be the most important part of his priesthood service. When he approaches this responsibility with love for the transgressor, he can help the transgressor feel the Savior’s love. Because a priesthood leader represents the Savior in judging others, he must ensure that his judgment is accompanied by the Holy Ghost.
Notes