"Now, I speak unto you concerning your families—if men will smite you, or your families, once, and ye bear it patiently and revile not against them, neither seek revenge, ye shall be rewarded;
But if ye bear it not patiently, it shall be accounted unto you as being meted out as a just measure unto you.
And again, if your enemy shall smite you the second time, and you revile not against your enemy, and bear it patiently, your reward shall be an hundred-fold.
And again, if he shall smite you the third time, and ye bear it patiently, your reward shall be doubled unto you four-fold;"
Doctrine and Covenants 98:23-26
This is really instructive, and I like it not just from the main perspective, but from the perspective of someone that smites as well. The Lord is promising blessings for *not* smiting back... giving room for the smiters to repent. And the rules don't stop there... further in the section we learn that there is a point where God will justify us for fighting back, but still prefers that we not, showing how much he loves the sinners and wants to help them... but not to the point where sinners destroy the righteous. On his timetable, he will require justice for things we haven't repented of, and he will fight the battles for the righteous, but judgement is His, not ours.
Today, let's bear our burdens patiently, even when, or perhaps especially when, they are undeserved. Let's give our brothers and sisters the chance to see a good example, and to change and learn, and for God to work on their hearts. And lets also learn not to smite. Not because we won't get away with it... sometimes we can, for a time, but because not smiting is better, and Godly, and can teach us about the highest form of love there is, and so much more, if we can get past our own fear and envy and pride.
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