Elder Dallin H. Oaks clarified the meaning of verses 1–2 in 3 Nephi 14 by explaining the difference between righteous and unrighteous judgments. Then he outlined those righteous principles:
“I have been puzzled that some scriptures command us not to judge and others instruct us that we should judge and even tell us how to do it. But as I have studied these passages I have become convinced that these seemingly contradictory directions are consistent when we view them with the perspective of eternity. The key is to understand that there are two kinds of judging: final judgments, which we are forbidden to make, and intermediate judgments, which we are directed to make, but upon righteous principles. …
“First, a righteous judgment must, by definition, be intermediate. …
“Second, a righteous judgment will be guided by the Spirit of the Lord, not by anger, revenge, jealousy, or self-interest. …
“Third, to be righteous, an intermediate judgment must be within our stewardship. …
“Fourth, we should, if possible, refrain from judging until we have adequate knowledge of the facts” (“‘Judge Not’ and Judging,” Ensign, Aug. 1999, 7, 9–10).