Jumping to Conclusions

I have been preparing a lesson to teach in my Gospel Doctrine class that has to do with Captain Moroni's scathing rebuke in an epistle (letter) to Pahoran, the chief judge of the Nephites (Alma 60). In Capt. Moroni's letter, he rebukes Pahoran and the other government officials for not sending reinforcements to him on the battlefield. He needs food desperately and he also needs more men to help with the fighting. They have suffered hunger, thirst, and fatigue. In the letter, when speaking of Pahoran and the government, Capt. Moroni uses words like neglect, thoughtless stupor, withholding provisions, slothful government, seeking authority, traitors to your country, power & authority, insurrection, etc. Captain Moroni is hopping mad and is not holding back at all about how he feels! 

What intrigues me about this story is Pahoran's letter back to Moroni calmly explaining to him why they hadn't received reinforcements (Alma 61). Pahoran says: "And now, in your epistle you have censured me, but it mattereth not; I am not angry, but do rejoice in the greatness of your heart. I, Pahoran, do not seek for power, save only to retain my judgment-seat that I may preserve the rights and the liberty of my people. My soul standeth fast in that liberty in the which God hath made us free." He also said: "I do not joy in your great afflictions, yea, it grieves my soul. But behold, there are those who do joy in your afflictions, yea, insomuch that they have risen up in rebellion against me...and it is those who have sought to take away the judgment-seat from me that have been the cause of this great iniquity..."  

So, what Capt. Moroni didn't know when he wrote the epistle was that Pahoran himself had been ousted from the judgment seat and had fled to the land of Gideon, so there was nothing Pahoran, could do to help. His hands were tied.

Captain Moroni

I wonder - if Capt. Moroni had known all of the facts, would he have written such a scathing letter? I doubt it. Capt. Moroni had jumped to conclusions that the government was just being neglectful and were sitting around acting like kings while he and his soldiers were suffering.

Do we sometimes jump to conclusions without knowing the facts? The answer is YES! I did that just yesterday and had to repent and apologize to my dear husband for over-reacting to a situation that turned out not to be what I thought. I felt horrible, just like Capt. Moroni probably felt horrible for accusing Pahoran of all those things that were untrue.

I remember Pres. Hinckley teaching us to be kinder and gentler to each other. He said, "Let us be more merciful. Let us get the arrogance out of our lives, the conceit, the egotism. Let us be more compassionate, gentler, filled with forbearance and patience and a greater measure of respect one for another. In so doing, our very example will cause others to be more merciful, and we shall have greater claim upon the mercy of God who in His love will be generous toward us."

I reacted more like Capt. Moroni and Alan reacted more like Pahoran, which was a kinder and gentler approach. I promise to turn over a new leaf.