Don't hold grudges

This is a tough commandment from God.  He has told us to not hold grudges, or to seek revenge. . .Today's scripture mastery is Leviticus 19:18

 18 Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the Lord.

 This tough commandment is also given to us for our benefit.  When we hold grudges, or seek revenge, it most often doesn't affect the other person much.  It most often affects us greatly though.  Often we think to ourselves "I am going to be mad at so and so, because of what they did"  That other person often goes through life not even knowing that they have offended us.  Sometimes the offense was even done without their realizing that they had hurt us. . .

In Matthew 7:1-2, Christ teaches us more on this:

 1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.

 2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

We don't have all the information in most cases.  It is not our responsibility to do the judging.  If we make a rash judgement, we have been told that the consequence is that we will also be judged rashly.  I know that I need all the help I can get.  I don't want to handicap myself when it is my turn for the final judgement by tipping the scales towards a rash judgement.  I want the judgement to be fair!

Joseph Smith was able to clarify those verses a little.  Here is how he translated those verses:

JST Matt. 7:1–2 Now these are the words which Jesus taught his disciples that they should say unto the people. Judge not unrighteously, that ye be not judged: but judge righteous judgment.

There are cases where people do need to judge.  One of them is a civil judge who has people brought to him in a court of law.  Another is a bishop who judges spiritual matters.  Those people do need to make judgements, but they need to "judge righteously"  They need to do their very best to make their judgement the best they can, without bias and taking in to account all the known facts.  The rest of us however should not presume to judge others.  We should not make ourselves judges.

Probably one of the clearest scriptures on the subject of holding grudges and seeking revenge is found in Doctrine and Covenants 64:9-11:

 9 Wherefore, I say unto you, that ye ought to forgive one another; for he that forgiveth not his brother his trespasses standeth condemned before the Lord; for there remaineth in him the greater sin.

 10 I, the Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to forgive all men.

 11 And ye ought to say in your hearts—let God judge between me and thee, and reward thee according to thy deeds.