Hypocrisy and Judgment

"People in Utah are so judgmental."  Statements like this can be heard from Utahns and non-Utahns alike.  "They're so hypocritical.  But I'm not like them."  What do they really mean when they say things like this?

I'm reminded of a number of conversations that I've had with different people at different times, but if you strung them all together, it would go something like this:  In Russia, the non-Mormons would say "Mormons are so judgmental."  Then the Russian Mormons would say, "Oh, no, that's just those American Mormons."  Then the American Mormons would say, "That's just those Utah Mormons."  Then the Utah Mormons would say, "That's just those Utah County Mormons."  Then the Utah County Mormons would say "That's just those BYU Mormons."  So who am I supposed to dump it off on?  Maybe I'm being judged the most?

I've also noticed that judgment can be perceived when there really was no judgment present.  When people are doing something wrong, they naturally feel guilty.  But if they don't want to admit they're wrong, they just put the blame on you.  It's your fault that they feel guilty because you were silently judging them.

I'm even more amused at the use of the word "hypocrite."  This often comes from people who profess to believe in Christ and the Prophet, when in reality, they don't believe anything of the sort.  They go to Church to just look righteous, and then go home and criticize the Gospel to look cool in front of their friends.  In other words, "they draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof" (JSH 1:19).

Judging judgers is hypocrisy, and we're all working on that.  If people think you are dumb or weird or unrighteous, don't worry about it.  What they think doesn't matter.  Just forget about them and do what's right (1 Samuel 16:7).