Judging Righteously

Elder Dallin H. Oaks - "Judge Not and Judging"
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Two kinds of judging:

• final judgments- these are forbidden for us to make. (condemning)

• Intermediate judgments- these we are directed to make, but upon righteous principles.

Righteous Intermediate Judgments

• First, a righteous judgment must, by definition, be intermediate. It will refrain from declaring that a person has been assured of exaltation or from dismissing a person as being irrevocably bound for hellfire.

• Second, a righteous judgment will be guided by the Spirit of the Lord, not by anger, revenge, jealousy, or self-interest. 

• Third, to be righteous, an intermediate judgment must be within our stewardship. We should not presume to exercise and act upon judgments that are outside our personal responsibilities.

• Fourth, we should, if possible, refrain from judging until we have adequate knowledge of the facts.

• Fifth, whenever possible we will refrain from judging people and only judge situations.

• Sixth, a final ingredient or principle of a righteous judgment is that it will apply righteous standards.