A Mile In My Shoes
There is a great story about Elder Delbert L. Stapley in the May, 1990 New Era. As a young man Elder Stapley was called to the Southern States Mission. His mission president, Charles A. Callis, told Elder Stapley they would catch a train together that would take the new missionary to his area.
“The train stopped in a very small community and the bags were unloaded. They were transferred to a buggy. There was only room for two riders, the driver and one passenger. President Callis climbed up on the seat beside the driver and asked Elder Stapley to follow on foot.
The horse and buggy kicked up the dust as Elder Stapley walked along behind. He said he began to resent his new mission president. The farther he walked and the more the dust was raised, the more he came to dislike his mission president. He felt he was losing respect for this leader.
After he had walked a mile, however, the president had the driver stop. Then President Callis traded places with Elder Stapley and he walked for two miles.
“I grew to love him more with every step,” Elder Stapley recalled. “I thought he was about the greatest man who had lived.”
Dallin H. Oaks has said: “We should, if possible, refrain from judging until we have adequate knowledge of the facts. ….We do not need to judge nearly so much as we think we do. This is the age of snap judgments. … [We need] the courage to say, ‘I don’t know. I am waiting further evidence. I must hear both sides of the question.’ ….this suspended judgment is the supreme form of charity.” Elder Oaks then makes the comment: “You cannot slice cheese so fine that it doesn’t have two sides.” (“Judge Not and Judging,” Ensign, Aug. 1999 p. 7-12.)
~ Sister Pat Barton
Alma 41:14 “Therefore, my son, see that you are merciful unto your brethren; deal justly, judge righteously, and do good continually; and if ye do all these things then shall ye receive your reward; yea, ye shall have mercy restored unto you again; ye shall have justice restored unto you again; ye shall have a righteous judgment restored unto you again; and ye shall have good rewarded unto you again.”
D&C 11:12 “And now, verily, verily, I say unto thee, put your trust in that Spirit which leadeth to do good-yea, to do justly, to walk humbly, to judge righteously; and this is my Spirit.”