Music & the Spoken Word: Of motes and beams

Editor’s note: “The Spoken Word” is shared by Lloyd Newell each Sunday throughout the weekly Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square broadcast. This can be given Sunday, Jan. 14, 2024.

In a court of law, a judge is someone who has been chosen or appointed to pass judgment, based on their qualifications and wisdom. In the court of on a regular basis life, we frequently resolve to turn out to be self-appointed judges, even when we aren’t qualified or clever. That could also be all right with regards to personal decisions about what to do and the right way to live. But it becomes an issue once we start judging other people.

The problem is that we don’t see clearly. Jesus Christ asked this penetrating query: “Why beholdest thou the mote that’s in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that’s in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first solid out the beam out of thine own eye; after which shalt thou see clearly to solid out the mote out of thy brother’s eye” (Matthew 7:3-5).

God is the one perfect judge, the just one who sees each motes and beams. Only He knows everybody’s background, intents, actions and heart. As for the remainder of us, if we really need to assist others with something as small and superficial as a mote or speck of dust, the most effective place to start out is by removing the beam — the long, thick lumber — blocking our own vision. Unless we get that order right, we do more harm than good. Religious leader Elder Marvin J. Ashton properly said, “Peace can only come as we resist the damaging pastime of passing judgment” (see “Straightway,” Ensign, May 1983).

That peace comes each on this life and the following, for the Lord also said, “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). In other words, the measuring stick we use to evaluate others will someday be used to measure us. When that day comes, knowing that we haven’t fully measured up, we’ll all surely hope for mercy. So it’s helpful if mercy hasn’t been a complete stranger to us.

In the meantime, we’d do well to withhold judgment. And when we’ve to evaluate, since limited vision keeps us from judging fairly, we are able to at the very least judge mercifully.

Tuning in …

The “Music & the Spoken Word” broadcast is accessible on KSL-TV, KSL NewsRadio 1160AM/102.7FM, KSL.com, BYUtv, BYUradio, Dish and DirecTV, SiriusXM Radio (Ch. 143), the tabernaclechoir.org, youtube.com/TheTabernacleChoir and Amazon Alexa (must enable skill). The program is aired live to tell the tale Sundays at 9:30 a.m. on lots of these outlets. Look up broadcast information by state and city at musicandthespokenword.com/viewers-listeners/airing-schedules.