The Ten Commandments; When a person thinks about the
commandments of God, it is likely that this person thinks first of the Ten
Commandments given to Moses and Mount Sinai.
These ten commandments, found in the Old Testament of the Holy Bible,
are as follows:
Thou shalt have no
other gods before me - as talked about here not only applies to false gods of
worship, but anything that is placed with more importance than the living God.
Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image - similar to
the first commandment -the graven images spoken of here do not always apply to
actual idols. It can be any man-made
thing that takes precedence over the Lord and God.
Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain -
In the Sermon at the Temple (much like the Sermon on the Mount) found in the Book
of Mormon, Christ says; But verily, verily, I say unto you, swear not at all;
neither by heaven, for it is Gods throne; nor by the earth, for it is his
footstool; (3 Nephi 12:34 - 35). God is our
creator, and as such we should respect his name, treating it with much
reverence.
Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy - The Sabbath day
is one of the select few things that God sanctified. To sanctify something means to make it holy
or sacred. This day should be regarded
in this way, by being with family and studying the words of Christ as found in
the scriptures, etc...
Honour thy father and thy mother- Our parents are our
caretakers. They give us birth and then
give us the necessities of life. In
return we should show them our respect and listen to their guidance.
Thou shalt not kill - The prophet Alma teaches us that;
whosoever murdereth against the light and knowledge of God, it is not easy for
him to obtain forgiveness; (Alma 39:6).
It is one of the worst sins a person can commit, taking an innocent person
from this life.
Thou shalt not commit adultery - Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, a
member of the Quorum of the Twelve in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints reminds us that,” the crowning characteristic of love is always loyalty”
(The First Great Commandment, Oct. 2012) When we marry a person, we must show
our love for that person first and foremost through our loyalty to them.
Thou shalt not steal - Stealing is a fast way to lose love
or respect for others. When a person
steals it can be hard to trust them with things. It is a wise decision to not steal.
Thou shalt not bear
false witness against thy neighbor - this is another way of saying we should
not lie to or about others. We should
not do things to get others in trouble that are innocent. Showing true love and
charity for another person also means being honest with them.
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s house, etc. - Job of the
Holy Bible teaches us; Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I
return thither; (Job 1:21) We should not
stress ourselves and others over wanting things we do not have, rather we
should be grateful for the things that we have been able to obtain. We may not have a big house, but we have a
house. Maybe we eat at fancy restaurants,
but we have food. Thankfulness is a blessing.
Mormon Apostle Tom L.Perry said:"
Mormon Apostle Tom L.Perry said:"
Commandments Are Road Signs
Many people argue that the commandments are too restrictive
when we read the expression saying “thou shalt not”. A friend once explained to me in this way: “Commandments
are much like road signs. You know where you are and you know where you want to
get, but you follow the road signs to get there”. In life, we know where we are, and we can get
back to heaven if we live righteously.
On our path to Gods kingdom the path may be confusing or we may get
lost. The commandments tell us which way
is up, which exits to take, etc.They
are not restrictions but help us stay on the path of the road of life.." Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye."(Old Testament, Proverbs 7:2)
