Modesty Part II

I was out checking out some blogs this morning. I found one, very interesting, in light of an earlier blog posting of mine.

The blogger was an inactive lady who had, in her own words, long since given up her testimony, but wanted some good friends and associates for her daughter.

“…So I took the kids to Church. Bad idea. Apparently I am not keeping my temple holy, as I have a third piercing in my ear. The kids were taught that Jesus Christ is not happy when we get tattoos, when girls get pierced more than once and only at the bottom of their ear lobe, and when boys get their ears pierced at all. Sierra says that they told her it's all in the bible. Yep, the Book of No Tattoos. I believe it's mentioned also in The Book of Mormon under the Yer Goin Ta Outer Darkness Fer That Earring section.

“Saddle up! War, famine and pestilence! Mama got a third earring!”

Now, I got no gripes with the prophet when he sets out standards. I’ve seen the way kids act. They want to know exactly where the line is drawn and how close they can get to it before they need to repent.

I guess we adults are kinda like that too, sometimes, huh?

But anyway, I’m talking about kids.

Actually what I’m talking about is our attitudes. It sounds a little to me like swallowing camels and straining at gnats. I mean, if MY worst sin was a pierced ear (we guys don’t get that much allowance), or a little tattoo, I’d be in pretty good shape.

Now, if the prophet says that she shouldn’t have three earrings, and she decided to get a third one, then that’s between her, the Lord, and the Prophet, right? I certainly don’t have the stewardship, much less the right to be running her out of church.

“JUDGE not, that ye be not judged.

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

“And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

“Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?

“Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.” –Matt 7:1-5

See, there, in verse two, it tells me about my final judgment. It says that I’ll be judged with the same measure that I give out.

I dunno ‘bout anyone else, but I’m gonna need a pretty big helping of lenience and forgiveness when my time comes, so I don’t have much room to be picky with anyone else.

MRKH
Mark Hansen
http://markhansenmusic.com