When I read the Sermon on the Mount – the blueprint we have for becoming perfect (whole and complete), I have a very hard time defending anger – especially when it turns to wrath, but even before then. I just don’t see it anywhere in those chapters. I think anger is one of the most basic natural instincts, and I believe that eliminating that natural tendency is one of the most fundamental aspects of learning to forgive truly and completely. It’s impossible to forgive while anger exists, and anger impedes understanding and repentance and charity and compassion and patience and perhaps any other virtue it is possible to list.

I can understand the intellectual argument that posits anger as a first-level motivator, but not getting angry and not “letting the sun go down on wrath” is exactly what I am trying to learn. Tt is one of my goals to bite my tongue and take deep breaths and let the initial emotion pass before I react to any provocation – to never make a decision or say a word or take an action in the grip of anger – and, if possible, learn to dismiss anger entirely – to learn to be motivated by love instead – to act out of love for the attacked instead of anger toward the attacker.

My sixth child has taught me that I still have more to accomplish in this area than I thought prior to the last year – and Pres. Hinckley’s talk in the GC Priesthood Session was the motivator to change how I react to her temper tantrums. It is amazing the difference I have observed in the last two weeks – as I have focused consciously on simply not letting myself get angry with her – to remain calm and patient in the midst of her storms. Truly, it is amazing.

I know what anger is for me — loss of control, holding on to an incident and nursing it, justification of blaming and judging — and I know it is a sin. It is damn hard to control our emotions, but it’s what is required of us … which is probably why we all talk about the word of wisdom and paying tithing so much and avoiding anger and being patient not so much.

When Gandhi got thrown off the train it made him angry. I think he turned that anger into something good. What if he never got angry, though? What if he was that perfect a person? Would the British still rule India in that case?

I think anger is useful, and it also enhances survival chances in many situations. I don’t think it’s always a sin. Venting it freely on whomever is around when the feeling strikes is definitely a sin. Feeling it, and using its energy toward a positive end is not.

Numbers 24:22 ‘And God’s anger was kindled because he went:…’

24:27 ‘And when the ass saw the angel of the Lord, she fell down under Balaam: and Balaam’s anger was kindled, and he smote the ass with a staff.’

24:29: ‘And Balaam said unto the ass, Because thou hast mocked me: I would there were a sword in mine hand, for now would I kill thee.’

Here we see both the anger of God, and the anger of Balaam in which righteous indignation is practiced.

Read the chapter and you’ll see what I mean.
Now pay up, soldier.

Just as the original JST quotation in this thread appears to be an absolute proscription against anger, so too in this case Joseph in his inspired translation projects went against the softening corruption of the scribes back towards the original, harder saying.