The Opinion That Matters

I was reading today in the Book of Mormon and I read a verse that really impressed me. It is Mosiah 29:12, and it says:

Now it is better that a man should be judged of God than of man, for the judgments of God are always just, but the judgments of man are not always just.

I started to think about how we so often worry what other people think of us. I worry about how I look because I don’t want my friends, family, or roommates to be embarrassed by me or think poorly of me. I worry about my grades because I don’t want people to think I’m unintelligent, lazy, or unmotivated. I worry about what I say and how I act because I don’t want to be perceived as obnoxious, insecure, or in any way “not cool.”

But really, why do we worry so much about these things? I like to think I have a healthy amount of self-esteem and self-confidence. I am continuously striving to develop a relationship with my Savior. When it comes down to it, I know that His is the only opinion that counts, and I have already been told in 1 Samuel 16:7 that

the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.

If the Lord is more concerned with the state of my heart than the state of my hair, shouldn’t I spend at least as much time working on my inward beauty and I do trying to achieve outward beauty? Maybe I should spend as much time looking in my scriptures as I do looking in the mirror. Maybe instead of taking and criticizing pictures of myself, I should take note of my weaknesses and find ways to improve them.

Maybe, if I spend as much time looking at my heart as the Savior does, I will see the beauty in that as well. I also have a feeling that once I beautify my heart, I and the people around me will be much less concerned with my physical features because of the Spirit that I will have gained in the process.

Now it is better that a man should be judged of God than of man, for the judgments of God are always just, but the judgments of man are not always just.

In many ways, I am grateful that I have not been charged with the responsibility to judge others. It would be a burden much too large for me to bear. I do not know, nor could I possibly comprehend, the circumstances and the nature of each soul that exists. I am grateful for a Savior who has assumed that role.

On the other hand, many times it is hard to prevent myself from judging others. Almost immediately from the moment a person enters a room or speaks, I find myself thinking some judgmental thought. At times like these, though, I must remind myself of the scripture in Matthew 7 which says

Judge not, that ye be not judged.

For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged

I remember, at those times, my own imperfections, and I smother my judgmental thoughts with reminders that I don’t want others to judge me that harshly. If I am quick to forgive the weaknesses or imperfections of others, hopefully the Lord will more easily forgive mine.

I am grateful for a loving Savior who bestows upon me more love than I could ever hope to deserve. I am grateful that He knows me, and was willing to give His life and atone for my many transgressions. I pray that as I strive to beautify my heart, I will remember Him and know that He believes in me. I pray that I can remember, amidst any adversity the world may give, that His is the the opinion that matters the most.