Speaking Ill of Others

I chose this subject after attending the temple and noticing a phrase I had not seriously considered before. I have learned to give others the benefit of the doubt because we do not know what is going on in their lives. Not only do I ask myself if something I am about to say is gossip, I also ask others to not share gossip with me and cut them off mid sentence if needed.

1.To begin, show compassionate concern for others. Control the tongue, the pen, and the word processor. Whenever tempted to dispute, remember this proverb: “He that is void of wisdom despiseth his neighbour: but a man of understanding holdeth his peace.” (Prov. 11:12; see also Prov. 17:28.) Russell M. Nelson “The Canker of Contention” April 1989

2.If we will go forward, never losing sight of our goal, speaking ill of no one, living the great principles we know to be true, this cause will roll on in majesty and power to fill the earth. Gordon B. Hinckley “Look To The Future” October 1997

3.Gossip is the worst form of judging. The tongue is the most dangerous, destructive, and deadly weapon available to man. . .We never gain anything or improve our own character by trying to tear down another. N. Eldon Tanner “Judge Not, That Ye Be Not Judged” April 1972

4.Recognize the good in others, not their stains. At times a stain needs appropriate attention to be cleansed, but always build on his or her virtues. Richard G. Scott “The Atonement Can Secure Your Peace And Happiness” October 2006

5.By treating each other kindly, speaking words of support and encouragement, and being sensitive to each other’s needs, we can create loving unity among ward members. Where charity exists, there is no place for gossip or unkind words. M. Russell Ballard “Finding Joy Through Loving Service” April 2011

6.A woman’s words can be more piercing than any dagger ever forged, and they can drive the people they love to retreat beyond a barrier more distant than anyone in the beginning of that exchange could ever have imagined. Sisters, there is no place in that magnificent spirit of yours for acerbic or abrasive expression of any kind, including gossip or backbiting or catty remarks. Let it never be said of our home or our ward or our neighborhood that “the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity … [burning] among our members.” Jeffrey R. Holland “The Tongue of Angels” April 2007

7.Except in the case of His only perfect Begotten Son, imperfect people are all God has ever had to work with. That must be terribly frustrating to Him, but He deals with it. So should we. M. Russell Ballard “Lord, I Believe” April 2013

8.When you hear stories, be wise. Unless you are in all the interviews, and hear all the evidence, you are not in a position to really know. Be careful, lest you jump to a confusion. Boyd K. Packer “Judge Not According to Appearance” April 1979

9.Mother Teresa, a Catholic nun who worked among the poor in India most of her life, spoke this profound truth: “If you judge people, you have no time to love them.” 5 The Savior has admonished, “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.” 6 I ask: can we love one another, as the Savior has commanded, if we judge each other? And I answer—with Mother Teresa: no, we cannot. Thomas S. Monson “Charity Never Faileth” September 2010

10.There is really no way we can know the heart, the intentions, or the circumstances of someone who might say or do something we find reason to criticize. Thus the commandment: “Judge not.” Thomas S. Monson “Charity Never Faileth” September 2010