The Savior never allowed the way He was treated to determine how He would treat others. We must steadily and prayerfully strive to do likewise. Far easier said than done. When someone is unkind to us, our first impulse is almost always one of wanting justice. We feel justified in treating an offender in the same way he treated us, the Golden Rule notwithstanding. It’s only fair, we think. Shouldn’t we be allowed to do unto others as they did to us? Experiencing the “mighty change of heart” spoken of by Alma (see Alma 5:14) so that even our responses are motivated by love requires a force stronger than the feelings of anger or even hatred that may so easily beset us. But even before this power can be accessed and applied, our journey toward becoming the Christlike response begins with a choice.
