Still only 2 sides

     I can remember times as a mother that I pretty much whined at my kids after having asked or told something over and over and not received any cooperation. I really didn't want to have to get angry or threaten or punish. I didn't want to have to yell to get their attention but they simply would not listen or obey. I felt that everything would be so much easier and more pleasant if they would just recognize what needed to happen. The yearning of the Lord toward us can be heard in His words: how oft I would have gathered you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings..... and ye would not.... how oft will I gather you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, if ye will repent and return unto me with full purpose of heart. It's really pretty straightforward- we either obey or not; we either listen or not. Matthew records Jesus saying, He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad. Luke remembered the Savior's words nearly exactly the same, He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth. There is no fence-sitting when it comes to being on the Lord's side. It's like the saying that you're either part of the problem or part of the solution. You can't be both! However, we need to avoid judging for ourselves who is on the Lord's side when looking at those around us. D&C 10:67-68 includes the Lord's words:  Behold this is my doctrine- whosoever repenteth and cometh unto me, the same is my church. Whosoever declareth more or less than this, the same is not of me, but is against me; therefore he is not of my church. Then in D&C 18:20 is His further clarification: Contend against no church, save it be the church of the devil.  There may be some whose disobedience to the Lord's commandments is obvious to us but they may be sinning in ignorance. Often we indulge in willful ignorance by choosing to NOT study the scriptures to understand what the Lord would have us do or avoid, much the same as a child with selective hearing toward parents. But just as the parent doesn't want that child's sibling to butt in, we are not to issue condemnation toward others. We can, and should, however, recognize a sin and be honest in evaluating whether we are doing a version of the same thing ourselves. Personally, I would prefer not to have the Lord have to yell at me or threaten punishment. I'm trying to learn to be like Jesus and I try to encourage others to do the same- to help me and to avoid sorrow.