The Eighth Commandment:
You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.

What does this mean?
We should fear and love God that we do not tell lies about our neighbor, betray him or give him a bad name, but defend him, speak well of him and take his words and actions in the kindest possible way.

Dear Grandpa,
Remember Samantha? She's the cheerleader you encouraged me to befriend after she had an abortion. Life's not going so well for Sam. The other cheerleaders won't hang out with her anymore. Even worse, they make fun of her—to her face and behind her back. She's thinking about transferring to another school; she's already quit the cheerleading team. I try to be a friend and be there for her. We talk about Jesus' love for her. She's even come with me to church a couple times. I stick up for her when others say hateful things. But that's hard because then they say mean things to me. Any suggestions?
I love you,
Denali

Dear Denali:
You are in a hard place. But I know God put you there. Our Savior is giving you a chance to show what his grace is and how it helps you deal with Samantha, cheerleaders, and everyone else. Let me start with a story of my own.

I had a friend at church who treated some of her company's money as though it was her own. She took tens of thousands of dollars over several years. Then she got caught. People at church found it hard to believe. She had always been thoughtful and kind. She was respected in our congregation. But there was no mistake; she admitted her crime. Some members openly accused her of being a hypocrite. Two families went to another congregation because my church allowed her to continue to be a member. That was a strange reaction since my friend had written a letter to the congregation confessing her sin and holding on to the forgiveness Jesus had given her. But gossip spread and infected more and more ears. Finally, my friend left for another church.

Through all of this your grandmother and I made sure to keep in touch with her. The three of us went out for breakfast a few times. We e-mailed and talked on the phone. I especially remember the pain she felt because it seemed as if all her Christian friends had deserted her. "It's like I have leprosy," she said.

At about that same time, I had a conversation with a member at church who said, "I'm ashamed that she belongs here. She's given us a bad name all over town." I tried to point out that every member in our church is in need of forgiveness. In that way all of us are no different than my friend. And like that friend, we all find forgiveness in Jesus.

"So next you'll tell me I shouldn't talk about that thief," he said. "Hey, I haven't said anything wrong. She stole from her employer. That's the truth. The truth can't be gossip."