"Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful" (Luke 6:36)

I have been thinking a lot about mercy lately. I made a choice as a mother to behave like a mother and corrected some teenager's behavior and they didn't like it. They threw me under the bus, so to speak, and have they caused me some grief for telling them to behave as they know they should. Without going into too many details, I will just say it has been a difficult week. But justice certainly isn't being done. Not for me, not for the kids, not for anyone. Justice seems to rule supreme in our society where one can "get even", and an "eye for an eye" (see Leviticus 4:20; 3 Nephi 12:38; Matthew 5:38-42) has turned into four eyes for one eye and you definitely must pay all your teeth for the loss of one tooth. What has happened to mercy?

This has led me to thinking and asking, what is mercy? Mercy is: "the spirit of compassion, tenderness, and forgiveness. Mercy is one of the attributes of God" (The Guide to the Scriptures). As I think about this godly attribute, I wonder what we must do to develop it more fully. How can we "turn to him the other [cheek] also" (Matthew 5:39; 3 Nephi 12:39), especially when we have been fully slapped in the face, embarrassed, lied about, taken advantage of, used or abused, or much more? "And if any man will sue thee at the law and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also" (Matthew 5:40; 3 Nephi 12:40). This is really difficult to do when we know that we haven't done anything wrong, but have "...with unwearyingness declared the word [of God]...and hast not feared [man] and hast not sought [our] own life, but hast sought [God's] will, and to keep [His] commandments" (Helaman 10:4). We basically live our life the best we can, keeping the commandments to our best ability, following the prophets, and doing good to those we serve, live by, and associate with. And then we get kicked in the teeth for doing what we thought was standing for truth, or doing someone a favor by helping them out in a tight spot and they sue us....They want justice, no matter the cost, even at the expense of their own family to ensure the ruin and misery of ours. This is what the world teaches, justice. Christ has a different method.

Jesus Christ taught, "Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful" (Luke 6:36), and "Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy" (Matthew 5:7; 3 Nephi 12:7). This isn't an easy thing to do where in our society we are demanding justice for every little imperfection, wrong doing, even trying to legislate bullying. These things can't be legislated. We can't be "told" and "forced" to love each other. This desire to "love one another" (John 13:34) must be taught by example and come from within ourselves. These are godly qualities that are there, waiting to be lit, and ignited through doing them. These things, mercy, compassion, tenderness, forgiveness, must be taught; they must come from our heart. President Gordon B. Hinckley taught:

"How godlike a quality is mercy. It cannot be legislated. It must come from the heart. It must be stirred up from within. It is part of the endowment each of us receives as a son or daughter of God and partaker of a divine birthright. I plead for an effort among all of us to give greater expression and wider latitude to this instinct which lies within us. I am convinced that there comes a time, possibly many times, within our lives when we might cry out for mercy on the part of others. How can we expect it unless we have been merciful ourselves?" (Blessed are the Merciful)

When we extend mercy, even in small doses, we are tapping into that instinct of mercy "that lies within us" (Blessed are the Merciful) and thereby being changed and developing this godlike quality that is desperately needed among all of God's children. Sometimes, mercy is saying "No" or "Stop" to a behavior, and teaching correct behavior. Mercy isn't anything goes. Christ teaches many lessons about mercy in the story of the "woman taken in adultery" (John 8:3-11). By the law the woman could be stoned because of her actions. The scribes and Pharisee's wanted to trick Christ and had brought her before Him, asking Him if He thought she should be stoned. He at first doesn't respond. But they continue to ask Him until He finally says, "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her" (John 8:7). Their conscience is pricked and all the people leave until Christ and the woman are alone. Christ asks the woman, "Where are thine accusers" (John 8:10)? Christ, being perfect, could have demanded justice. He had every right to demand justice, being perfect, He could have thrown the first stone. But He did not. His purpose in coming was to extend, teach, and give mercy...to all of us. He continues to teach mercy by saying to the woman, "Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more". He corrected her behavior. He told her to stop what she was doing, to "sin no more" (John 8:11).

When we correct our children and teach them to "sin no more" or teach them correct behavior, we are also extending mercy to them. We do this because we love them and don't want them to experience the challenges that come from "bad" behavior, negative behavior, or sin. True mercy is from the heart and eventually the mind follows, making behavior it's fruit.  When we do as the Savior taught, to "be ye therefore merciful, as [our] Father also is merciful" (Luke 6:36) not only will our children be more loving, but we will influence generations. This I testify is how to change the world, to extend mercy, even when justice may be screaming in our ears.