Matthew 12... Don't Judge, We All Sin

It is clear that the people of this time have lost sight of the meaning and feeling of the Gospel.
They are obeying the law to the fault of it being more important that humanity, than caring, than inclusion and love.

I don't think that is the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

God has laws, that is an eternal truth.  In laws and commandments we find His order, we find clear boundaries and need for agency, which offers us growth as we figure out how to use that.
We find that as we use this agency and make good choices, we find happiness.

God's laws are His, not ours.  As He rules and reigns He will judge with clarity, mercy and appropriateness.
Sometimes we take that on ourselves.  This is not God's law.
We see the Pharisees falling into this.
Christ reminds them:
8 For the Son of man is Lord even of the ^asabbath day.

11 And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out? 
12 How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days.

On this same note...
15 But ^awhen Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence: and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all;

He didn't ask who had money, who'd been to church recently, who was still skeptical of Him, in what way they needed to be restored.  He healed them all!

This is the Gospel of Jesus Christ, being made whole through Him, as we come unto Him.  It is for all of us, and it is individual.  It is a resource of love.

The other verse that spoke to me was:
36 But I say unto you, That every ^aidle ^bword that men shall ^cspeak, they shall give ^daccount thereof in the day of ^ejudgment.

We often think we will obviously be judged by our works.  
Um, an account of every idle word... I need to watch what is coming out of my mouth!!!
It also indicates that this won't be a generalized judgement!  It will be specific.
It doesn't scare me, but reminds me that I want to live with purpose.  I want to be specific.  I want to continue to improve.
AND, thank heavens that I can repent of those times I fail!

Days 309 & 310

309 - Mormon 3: 8-11  refusing to be commander

The study guide talks about how Mormon was abridging the plates still, while all of this was going on... and surely he was learning about the wars of the past and the righteous cause with which his people used to fight.  Now the purpose of war is to avenge and out of hate.  He removes himself from that.
This abridging he is doing is surely how he continued in righteousness... getting that lift and connection he needed with Heavenly Father while the world around him fell into wickedness.  There is something to learn from that right?  Stay in your scriptures, there is safety there!

I also read down into verse 12 and Mormon talks about how he had led the Nephites, as a commander, how he loved them, despite their wickedness.  He stuck with his people.  He led them.  He continued to cry repentance unto them... he continued to love them... even as they turned from their faith, even as they spiraled further into wickedness.  When is the time to separate yourself from those you love, that may be wicked?

There is a point of no return. 
President Spencer W. Kimball (1895–1985) described how we today might also remove ourselves from the cleansing grace of repentance: “It is true that the great principle of repentance is always available, but for the wicked and rebellious there are serious reservations to this statement. For instance, sin is intensely habit-forming and sometimes moves men to the tragic point of no return. … As the transgressor moves deeper and deeper in his sin, and the error is entrenched more deeply and the will to change is weakened, it becomes increasingly near-hopeless, and he skids down and down until either he does not want to climb back or he has lost the power to do so” (The Miracle of Forgiveness [1969], 117).

Mormon separates himself, but I'm sure the love for his people still remains.

310 - Mormon 3:20-22 admonition to believe in Christ

Is there any question we are Christian?  The Book of Mormon is here as an additional witness that Jesus is the Christ!  We do have this record among us today, brought forth at a time the world needs additional witnesses, additional record, that our Savior indeed walked the earth, atoned for our sins, died on the cross, returned as a resurrected being and established his church here on the earth.  And, it has been restored to the earth again.  This book is witness of that!