This was posted by the facebook page "Mormon Women Stand" and made an instant impression on me when I saw it. Most of the time I just like to read the comments and follow, but don't get too involved. Sometimes I feel compelled to comment and this was one of those times. I started typing, not really formulating my whole thought process in advance. As I typed my mind was opened to insights I had never really thought about. It was amazing to me to see my thoughts come out in words that inspired and taught me as I typed. This was my comment:
I love this visual. Thank you for posting it. Whether dealing with current world issues and views or personal and family struggles, finding the balance and not leaning toward one of these qualities over the other is key. When you encounter someone who is truly striving to develop and balance these qualities, you know and feel it inside. Too often we overlook knowledge, justice, judgement and truth when dealing with our own struggles and trials in an attempt to not be lacking in mercy toward others. We place far too much guilt on ourselves if we seem lacking in mercy. If these qualities were quoted in the order that Joseph Smith taught them, I believe the order is also profound. Knowledge of God's eternal plan has to come 1st before any of the others can truly be understood in their true context. We must have Faith in a loving Heavenly Father who wants all to have happiness, joy and eternal life in the end. We need that Knowledge and Faith to truly understand God's position on Justice and Judgment and we need to have that Knowledge and Faith so that we can set aside what Judgments and Justice we would personally place on others and put them at Christ's feet where they belong. Then Mercy can take place in it's proper place in our hearts as we understand the Justice and Judgement that is necessary for someone to come to know Christ for themselves. And Truth ties it all in together, "And truth is knowledge of things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come" D&C 93:24. "And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free" John 8:32
One of the administrators to the site sent a very favorable comment back. She then singled me out by name and asked me my thoughts on justice vs. mercy. She added "since you described it so well above". She also asked how I would better teach this to our youth and how we can best teach them to stand by doctrine with kindness, but not shying away from defending it. Wow......what did I get myself into! Of course my passion for writing and sharing what I'm learning pulled me in immediately, but "justice vs. mercy", that's pretty deep stuff. Luckily I was about to clock on for work and I let her know I would respond later, after my work day was over. I felt like I had just been asked to give a talk in sacrament meeting on a "not so favorite" topic. Don't get me wrong, I feel like I understand justice vs. mercy, but to put into words and then put those words out there for others was very intimidating, to say the least.
As the day went on, my thoughts kept coming back to this. Of course, I wanted some everyday event to use as an analogy. Perhaps that's because my mind is simple and I learn in simple ways. I wanted to find a parable to share that would simplify my understanding of this deep doctrine. Before the end of the day, my mind was opened to something so simple and appropriate. This was my reply:
Angela, you have caused me to think about this all day. Which is good. While I feel like I understand justice vs mercy, putting it into words is not always so easy. And then again, how to teach this to our youth. I do find that everyday experiences tend to teach gospel principles if we are looking for them. When I tell my daughter she can't go with her friends until her room is clean, I usually mean it. I often want her to go and have fun, I just want her to clean her room too. Quite often she puts it off and doesn't do anything until there really isn't time to do all the cleaning before time to go with her friends. I can either give in and let her go anyway, completely ruining my credibility with her, or I can stick to my word and not let her go. We can say this is just like our Heavenly Father giving us commandments and expecting us to follow them if we want the associated blessings. If we fall short, He can either give in and give us the blessings anyway or He can simply tell us too bad, we messed up and can't ever have the blessings. So back to my daughter's room...... I have, on more than one occasion, stepped into her room and helped her clean it to meet the deadline of her friends' activity. So maybe some would call that poor parenting and I should have just made her stay home. What I feel inside is a deep desire to let her have the fun she wants, but find it difficult to go back on my word. I won't say that I never go back on my word and that's just weakness on my part. But we know that our Heavenly Father never goes back on His word and he is bound by the law of justice, intertwined with the law of agency that we are given. He cannot interfere with our agency. It is key to the whole plan of salvation. But in His mercy and deep desire to ultimately give us the associated blessings, He has created a plan and provided a Savior to step into our dirty room and to help us where we come up short. He remains firm in His word and His law of justice. Again the law of agency comes into play and we choose to allow our Savior to help us or we don't. We, and we alone, choose to accept the mercy that coexists with the justice. It's our choice. The laws are set forth, the plan for mercy is in place and we choose what we do with it. And as for your question about how I would teach our youth to stand firm in our doctrine with kindness, that really is a tough one. But example is so important along with a lot of prayer. Also a lot of open discussion about how our Heavenly Father stands firm to the law of justice. He doesn't waiver or give in or shrink. Right is right and wrong is wrong. But it is His infinite love and kindness that has created a plan for all his children to be given the opportunity to accept the blessings awaiting them.
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