Rumours, Lies, And Bearing False Witness

When Christ came He tried to lift the standard of morality by applying the commandments to the heart and mind, instead of just the outward physical acts.  For example:

Ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, and it is also written before you, that thou shalt not kill, and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment of God; 

But I say unto you, that whosoever is angry with his brother shall be in danger of his judgment. And whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council; and whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. 

If we apply the same principle to all the commandments we find that there is plenty of room for improvement, which is hopefully what we are all trying to do; to improve, to progress.  One of the commandments; Thou shalt not bear false witness, is easy to apply to the mind and to the heart.  If we follow the same pattern as Christ taught about not killing or even being angry, then we can see that those things that would lead a person to bear false witness, or precede bearing false witness, are also sin and should be avoided at all costs. 

Bearing false witness is often justified as only lying about someone in court, or at a trial, or in some legal way, though telling rumours or lies about someone is still bearing false witness even when not in court.  If a person were to say that they saw another stealing, yet they did not see the person steal, that lie is still false witness whether in court or not.  A false witness is a false witness.

Is the person who repeats a false witness, or an exaggerated account, or whatever other way spreading rumours not also contributing to that false witness?  Of course he is! 

For he who is not able to abide the law of a celestial kingdom cannot abide a celestial glory. 

And he who cannot abide the law of a terrestrial kingdom cannot abide a terrestrial glory. 

And he who cannot abide the law of a telestial kingdom cannot abide a telestial glory; therefore he is not meet for a kingdom of glory.  Therefore he must abide a kingdom which is not a kingdom of glory. 

D&C 88:22-24

It is a harsh reality, that if a person cannot live the telestial law of not bearing false witness, that person cannot abide a telestial glory. 

As with sins of commission, there are sins of omission.  It is a personal responsibility to ensure the validity and truth of the information we pass on. 

Let’s be careful and cautious and raise our standards and strive with all our might to live up to the principles that Jesus taught.  Let us go forward and purify ourselves so that we too may stand in His presence and look upon His face and not be ashamed. 

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