Judge Not

Mosiah 4:22 And if ye ^ajudge the man who putteth up his petition to you for your substance that he perish not, and condemn him, 

King Benjamin tells us in verse 22 that if we look at the beggar and judge him and condemn him, we will be in big trouble.  We're setting ourselves up as judges, but we only look on the outward appearance.  We can't see another's heart.  We don't know what brought him to this point.  Does he have health problems which prevent him from working?  Does he battle depression?  Sometimes a series of disasters in someone's life have brought him to this.  We can't know.  We can't judge.  It isn't our place to judge.  And Benjamin tells that if we withhold our substance, it isn't ours at all, but His who gave it to us. 

This also brings us back to the basic premise which Benjamin taught us earlier that if we are truly converted and have true charity, or the pure love of Christ, we will have no desire to judge.  We will see the beggar as Christ sees him and love him and have compassion for him and desire all that is best for him.