Judgment day

charitably

For me, it really is that simple.

I wonder whether god even needs to judge us.

First and foremost, I feel we’re often our own worst critics. Maybe we judge ourselves more harshly than god ever will. Second, us humans already do a bang-up job of judging one another. With all that judgment going around, god may not feel the need to pile on.

Now to do something dangerous, apply logic to scripture.

And now it came to pass that when Jesus had spoken these words he turned again to the multitude, and did open his mouth unto them again, saying: Verily, verily, I say unto you, Judge not, that ye be not judged.

For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged; and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

First the assumptions to prime the pump for the logic. I’m assuming god is “better” than I am. If I can forgive someone for an offense but god won’t, wouldn’t that make me more powerful than god? But given the assumption, that can’t happen. God would have to be more forgiving than humans, and humans can be pretty forgiving if they work at it.

I don’t think god’s judgments keep us from experiencing heaven, our judgments of one another do. I also think we tend to look at judgment in reverse. The question isn’t whether god’s judgement will keep me out of heaven, it’s whether my judgment of others will keep me out of heaven.

Imagine a world of “where are thine accusers?” Not in the spirit of getting away with things, but in a spirit of the peace of mind that comes from being forgiven for being human.

I have adjusted my view of “Judgment day” thanks to a former poster here. I quote her excellent words.

There is no law of justice. This is a misnomer that does not appear in the text of scriptures anywhere. There are rights of mercy and demands of justice. God must respect the demands of justice or He would cease to be God. The rights of mercy must be claimed by one who can exercise them to overpower justice.

So, the real questions are:

a) Who demands justice?

b) Who claims mercy?

c) How does mercy overpower but not rob justice?

The answers to those questions are written throughout the scriptures and even more plainly in the writings of Joseph Smith.

a) Satan, the accuser of his brethren (Rev. – I forget the chapters and verse) and each of us when we refuse to forgive those who’ve offended us and when we refuse to forgive ourselves

b) Christ (Moroni 7:27)

c) Consider the account of the woman taken in adultery. A sinless intermediary pleads for mercy on behalf of the guilty. Because this intermediary willingly bore the infinite and eternal anguish of injustice for us, we who have a right to demand justice are shamed by His gracious and merciful forgiveness into laying down our own stones. We refuse to accuse our brethren and the breach between us is healed through the pure love of Christ. We are reconciled to each other and it changes our nature such that we can become reconciled to God. This is why only the merciful can receive mercy.

Joseph Smith taught that ‘if we do not accuse each other, God will not accuse [us]’ and that ‘if a man has no accusers he will enter heaven’.

Longer answer:

All of this becomes clear when you remember that God is primarily the great parent of the universe. Would your children continue to honor you, respect you, and love you if you treated them with favoritism and injustice? You would cease to have an uncompelled dominion (d&c121) – they would not choose to follow after you. You must respect their need for justice. If one comes to you with a complaint against another, you must address it fairly.

Now imagine that your oldest child willingly accepts the punishment for your second child every time that second child misbehaves. The second child comes to you with a complaint against the third child. Your oldest comes between the two younger children and implores the second child, for whom he has willingly and selflessly suffered, to forgive the younger child. Your second child, seeing that his older brother loves the youngest child also, and feeling the love his older brother has shown him already, albeit undeserved, relinquishes his right to just recompense in favor of saving the youngest child.

Justice can’t be robbed. It must be willingly abdicated.

Christ did this and in Phillipians, we see that it was through this willingness to give up His rights that He achieved exaltation. So it must be for all of us.

There is a judgment, a final judgment, and you will have been prepared to meet it successfully before you are presented at the veil. It is an individual presentation and you must have been taught everything that you need to know before arriving.

http://forum.staylds.com/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=2288&hilit=wins

Here’s a short post about the judgment day I wrote in early 2017:

http://thingsofmysoul.blogspot.com/2013/05/there-really-isnt-final-judgment-in.html

I have always believed if there is any kind of judgement, it will be more a matter of is judging ourselves, as opposed to adherence to some set of predefined benchmarks.

If we feel we are ready to move on we will.

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