Judge not, President Monson counsels women

SALT LAKE CITY — In a hundred small ways, all Latter-day Saint women wear the mantle of charity, President Thomas S. Monson said Saturday evening.

"Rather than being judgmental and critical of each other, may we have the pure love of Christ for our fellow travelers in this journey through life. May we recognize that each one is doing her best to deal with the challenges which come her way, and may we strive to do our best to help out," President Monson said while offering the closing address at the General Relief Society Meeting of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Held in the Conference Center in downtown Salt Lake City, the meeting was translated into 82 languages and sent via satellite to 175 territories, nations and countries around the world. In addition to President Monson, Sister Julie B. Beck, Relief Society general president, and her counselors, Sister Silvia H. Allred and Sister Barbara Thompson, also spoke.

President Monson began his address by asking Latter-day Saint women worldwide not to judge one another.

"None of us is perfect," he said. "I know of no one who would profess to be so. And yet, for some reason, despite our own imperfections, we have a tendency to point out those of others. We make judgments concerning their actions or inactions."

President Monson said there is really no way a person can know the heart, the intentions or the circumstances of another.

"My dear sisters, each of you is unique," he said. "You are different from each other in many ways. There are those of you who are married. Some of you stay at home with your children, while others of you work outside your homes. Some of you are empty nesters. There are those of you who are married but do not have children. There are those who are divorced, those who are widowed. Many of you are single women. Some of you have college degrees; some of you do not. There are those who can afford the latest fashions and those who are lucky to have one appropriate Sunday outfit. Such differences are almost endless. Do these differences tempt us to judge one another?"

President Monson said he has always loved the Relief Society motto, "Charity never faileth."

"I consider charity — or the pure love of Christ — to be the opposite of criticism and judging," he said. "In speaking of charity, I do not at this moment have in mind the relief of suffering through the giving of our substance. That, of course, is necessary and proper. Tonight, however, I have in mind the charity that manifests itself when we are tolerant of others and lenient toward their actions; the kind of charity that forgives; the kind of charity that is patient.