---
title: Improvement Era
description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930.
authors:
  - Goff, Harold
collections:
  - periodicals
tags:
  - magazine
  - improvement-era
periodical: Improvement Era
volume: 12
number: 6
published: 1909-04
publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations
publisher_place: Salt Lake City
language: en
type: magazine
reference: 'Goff, Harold, "Judge Not," *Improvement Era* 12, no. 6 (April 1909): 434.'
source:
  url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1206unse
  transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers.
  identifier: improvementera1206unse
start_page: 434
end_page: 434
rights:
  status: public-domain
  basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1909-04)
  source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1206unse
  publication_year: 1909
  note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1909, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright.
---

# Judge Not

<!-- page:434 -->

"JUDGE NOT".
(For the Improvement Era.)
"Judge not," the gentle Master said,
And heaven's glory round him spread;
' 'Forgive," he cried, and on his face
Fell full the holy light of grace;
"Let him who sins not, cast a stone."
The vengeful left their prey alone;
"Go sin no more, I don't condemn,"
Oh, blessed words! God prompted them.
How then shall we, so frail and weak,
Against our kin the judgment speak,
When he reached out his hand to bless
The sinner in his wickedness?
Keep back the curse, let mercy in,
For mercy is to justice twin;
And God will smile on him alone
Who stoops to help an erring one,
New York, N. Y. Harold Goff.