-Begin by asking the Young Women to think of a time when they have needed to forgive.
“I imagine that every person on earth has been affected in
some way by the destructive spirit of contention, resentment, and revenge.
Perhaps there are even times when we recognize this spirit in ourselves. When
we feel hurt, angry, or envious, it is quite easy to judge other people, often
assigning dark motives to their actions in order to justify our own feelings of
resentment.” –Elder Uctdorf
“We all depend on the Savior; none of us can be saved
without Him. Christ’s Atonement is
infinite and eternal. Forgiveness
for our sins comes with conditions. We
must repent, and we must be willing to forgive others. Jesus taught: “Forgive
one another; for he that forgiveth not … [stands] condemned before the Lord;
for there remaineth in him the greater sin”3
and “Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.”- Elder Uctdorf
-This seems easy when applies to others. We can often see
the effects of it in others, and how THEIR judgements effect YOU, but it is
much harder for us to apply this principle to ourselves.
-“When it comes to our own prejudices and grievances, we too
often justify our anger as righteous and our judgment as reliable and only
appropriate. Though we cannot look into another’s heart, we assume that we know
a bad motive or even a bad person when we see one. We make exceptions when it
comes to our own bitterness because we feel that, in our case, we have all the
information we need to hold someone else in contempt.” - Elder Uctdorf
-Share a personal experience about how being unforgiving effected you.
-What do I do when my friends aren’t being good friends to
me?
-Be
the kind of friend that you want to be. Treat them the way you want them to
treat you. Love and serve them more.
-How do I love someone who I don’t feel like they love me?
-
When we think of Jesus’ life on earth. There were many people to did not like
him or treat him the way he deserved, or the way he treated everyone. Sometimes
YOU have to be the bigger person. Love those that want to harm you, pray for
them, serve them, so in the end at least one person will have had a change of
heart…YOU!
-Ask the girls to share an experience where they forgave someone and how it made them feel.
-D&C 64:10 “I the Lord will forgive…
This
topic of judging others could actually be taught in a two-word sermon. When it
comes to hating, gossiping, ignoring, ridiculing, holding grudges, or wanting
to cause harm, please apply the following: STOP IT! It’s that simple. We simply have to stop judging
others and replace judgmental thoughts and feelings with a heart full of love
for God and His children. God is our Father. We are His children. We are all
brothers and sisters. I don’t know exactly how to articulate this point of not
judging others with sufficient eloquence, passion, and persuasion to
make it stick. I can quote scripture, I can try to expound doctrine, and I will
even quote a bumper sticker I recently saw. It was attached to the back of a
car whose driver appeared to be a little rough around the edges, but the words
on the sticker taught an insightful lesson. It read, “Don’t judge me because I
sin differently than you.”
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