19 Wherefore, I beseech of you, brethren, that ye should search diligently in the light of Christ that ye may know good from evil; and if ye will lay hold upon every good thing, and condemn it not, ye certainly will be a child of Christ.
(Moroni 7:19)
The Apostle Paul counseled the Thessalonian saints to “prove all things; hold fast that which is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21). In the passage above, Mormon urges members of the church to learn to judge righteously, both in order to reject evil influences and to recognize and accept good ones. The gospel is not just about (or even primarily about) condemning evil. It is mostly about identifying and embracing good. “If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things” (Articles of Faith, 13).
As President Gordon B. Hinckley counseled:
I am asking that we stop seeking out the storms and enjoy more fully the sunlight. I am suggesting that as we go through life we “accentuate the positive.” I am asking that we look a little deeper for the good, that we still voices of insult and sarcasm, that we more generously compliment virtue and effort (“Words of the Prophet: The Spirit of Optimism,” Ensign, July 2001).
Today, I will strive to judge righteously. In particular, I will make an effort to recognize and appreciate the good things around me, recognizing that disciples of Christ should maximize and celebrate the good in the world, not merely recognize and reject the evil.