The Ten Commandments

I have had a great week studying the Ten Commandments.  I love how relevant they are to us still, though they were given to Moses THREE THOUSAND YEARS AGO!!! 

I know that these commandments can serve as a guide from a loving Father in Heaven 

to help us attain a full and happy life.

In Matthew 22:36-40, the Savior teaches that there are two great commandments.

1.  Love the Lord thy God With All Thy Heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

2. Love Thy Neighbor as Thyself

As we look closer at the commandments that Moses was given, 

each fits inside one of these two "Great Commandments."

Love God
1. Thou Shalt Have No Other Gods Before Me.
2.  Thou Shalt Not Make Unto Thee Any Graven Image.
3. Thou Shalt Not Take the Name of the Lord Thy God in Vain.
4. Remember the Sabbath Day, and Keep it Holy.

The first four commandments help us know how we can show Love to our Father in Heaven.  

Love Thy Neighbor
5. Honor thy Father and Thy Mother
6. Thou Shall not Kill
7. Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery
8. Thou Shalt Not Steal
9. Thou Shalt Not Bear False Witness
10. Thou Shalt Not Covet.

The last six commandments instruct us on how to Love our Neighbors.  

Many of these commandments are largely ignored by the world. 

I think the three most neglected commandments are:

2. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image.

3. Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord, thy God in vain.

4. Remember the Sabbath Day, and keep it Holy.  

First, it was prophesied that idolatry would be a major characteristic of this generation.  We have certainly seen that come true, though the idols of today differ from those of Moses's time.  I love the scripture in Matthew 6: 19-21, "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."  I understand this to mean - that which we spend the majority of our free time doing becomes our priority.  Are we giving priority to God through studying His word, and serving others in our free time?  We are commanded in Matthew 6:33 to "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God."

Many today take God's name in vain.  Even individuals who believe in the Bible and worship God on Sunday, often fail to honor Him with their language throughout the week.  Obeying this commandment means that we hold a deep and reverent attitude about God and we do not use his name lightly.  Profanity is incompatible with reverence.

Finally, the Sabbath Day was given to us for rest and worship.  However the world sees it as just another day of the week.  During the Mosaic dispensation, the punishment for violating the Sabbath was death.  This shows us what an important principle it is.  It is a sign between the Lord and His children forever.  We can not follow after those in the world and fail to give the Sabbath it's due importance among the commandments.

It's interesting to reflect on these and other commandments and wonder what the world would be like if God's children followed them.  If all the world followed the 2nd commandment to not worship graven images, there would be time for so much better activities.  We would have a world full of people helping others and less selfishness and pride.  If the world followed the third commandment to not take God's name in vain, the spirit would be available more freely and we would share a deeper reverence for Holy and sacred things.  If all of the world kept the Sabbath Day Holy, what a wonderful day that would be!  There would be no need for stores to be open on Sunday, and families could enjoy some time together, serving others and worshiping the Almighty.

I believe someday we will live be able to enjoy a world where those who remain here will attempt to follow the commandments exactly.  I will love to see what that kind of world looks like and feel the abundance of spirit.  I know these commandments are calculated to prevent misery and promote happiness.  Through obedience, blessings are available to each of us.