Day 299

  • Principle: "Wherever it is found and however it is expressed, the Golden Rule encompasses the moral code of the kingdom of God."

  • Book of Mormon Reading: 3 Nephi 14:1 - 14:27

  • Verses 1-2

    • Dallin H. Oaks taught about righteous and unrighteous judgements:

      • “I have been puzzled that some scriptures command us not to judge and others instruct us that we should judge and even tell us how to do it. But as I have studied these passages I have become convinced that these seemingly contradictory directions are consistent when we view them with the perspective of eternity. The key is to understand that there are two kinds of judging: final judgments, which we are forbidden to make, and intermediate judgments, which we are directed to make, but upon righteous principles. …

        “First, a righteous judgment must, by definition, be intermediate. …

        “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. …

        “Fourth, we should, if possible, refrain from judging until we have adequate knowledge of the facts” (“‘Judge Not’ and Judging,” Ensign, Aug. 1999, 7, 9–10).

  • Verses 7-8

    • James E. Faust taught about prayer

      • “Access to our Creator through our Savior is surely one of the great privileges and blessings of our lives. … No earthly authority can separate us from direct access to our Creator. There can never be a mechanical or electronic failure when we pray. There is no limit on the number of times or how long we can pray each day. There is no quota of how many needs we wish to pray for in each prayer. We do not need to go through secretaries or make an appointment to reach the throne of grace. He is reachable at any time and any place” (in Conference Report, Apr. 2002, 67; or Ensign, May 2002, 59).

  • Verse 12

    • Russell M. Nelson spoke on the Golden Rule

      • “[Jesus] taught the Golden Rule, saying, ‘All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them’ [Matthew 7:12]. This principle is found in nearly every major religion. Others such as Confucius and Aristotle have also taught it. After all, the gospel did not begin with the birth of the Babe in Bethlehem. It is everlasting. It was proclaimed in the beginning to Adam and Eve. Portions of the gospel have been preserved in many cultures. Even heathen mythologies have been enriched by fragments of truth from earlier dispensations.

        “Wherever it is found and however it is expressed, the Golden Rule encompasses the moral code of the kingdom of God. It forbids interference by one with the rights of another. It is equally binding upon nations, associations, and individuals. With compassion and forbearance, it replaces the retaliatory reactions of ‘an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth’ [Matthew 5:38]. If we were to stay on that old and unproductive path, we would be but blind and toothless” (in Conference Report, Oct. 2002, 41–42; or Ensign, Nov. 2002, 39).

  • Verse 15

    • M. Russell Ballard warned about false prophets:

      • “Let us beware of false prophets and false teachers, both men and women, who are self-appointed declarers of the doctrines of the Church and who seek to spread their false gospel and attract followers by sponsoring symposia, books, and journals whose contents challenge fundamental doctrines of the Church. Beware of those who speak and publish in opposition to God’s true prophets and who actively proselyte others with reckless disregard for the eternal well-being of those whom they seduce. … They ‘set themselves up for a light unto the world, that they may get gain and praise of the world; but they seek not the welfare of Zion’ (2 Nephi 26:29)” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1999, 78; or Ensign, Nov. 1999, 63).

  • From what you have studied today how can you better follow the Golden Rule?

  • Additional Study: