The Ten Commandments Part 1

Day one hundred thirty-one

We have a quote board in our house that anyone can add to.  Over the years it has had many scriptures, quotes and thoughts from different religions and peoples scribbled on it.  Even guests have added their two cents to the board.  It has been a good source of inspiration on those days when life doesn't seem to be going quite the way you had hoped. 

My husband recently posted this quote on the board:  As you think, so shall you be!  It has been on my mind the last few days, raising questions like:  Am I thinking about the right things?  How have my thoughts been reflected in my actions?  Where are my thoughts coming from?  Am I the person I want to be?

In my prayer this morning I talked to God about these thoughts.  He knows what I'm thinking about, but I still like to say it out loud.  I thanked Him for putting these self-reflection opportunities in my life and I asked Him to help me with my quest to be the person I need to be and to help me find the right thoughts to lead me in that direction. I also thanked Him for a husband who listened to the prompting to share that quote with his family.  It is definitely having an impact! 

Exodus 20

When something is important to God's plan, it seems to attract a lot of opposition.  The Ten Commandments fit this description.  There are plenty of individuals and groups that are opposed to the Ten Commandments as a moral code or the displaying of the Ten Commandments in public places.  They would like to remove all religion from the public forum. 
It seems ironic that they want to remove the very thing that led to the creation of this nation, religious freedoms. 

I have never really focused on their negative viewpoints, the Ten Commandments have always seemed reasonable to me, in fact, I think that a society built upon these principles would be really nice to live in.  So I decided to take a closer look at how the Ten Commandments could lead us to a better society.

The first four commandments teach us the proper relationship between us and God:

Thou shalt have no other gods before me (Exodus 20:2-3).

• Purpose:  Learn to put God first. 
• "The very first commandment of the whole series is divinely calculated to prevent man’s misery and promote his happiness, by taking him off from all false dependence, and leading him to God himself, the fountain of all good. ” (Clarke, Bible Commentary, 1:402–3.)

I think of all the unhappiness in our society.  People who appear to have everything the world tells us we need to be happy or successful are committing suicide or harming those that they love.  Why?  They are searching for happiness in things, instead of God. They are stuck in a worldly perspective, instead of an eternal perspective which gives them hope.  A world filled with hope would be very nice. 

Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image (Exodus 20:4-6).

• Purpose: Keep focused on the true God.
• "This commandment prohibits every species of mental idolatry, and all inordinate attachment to earthly and sensible things [things which appeal to the senses]." (Clarke, Bible Commentary, 1:402–3.)

Elder Spencer W. Kimball gave a list of things that could be considered modern idols:  clothes, homes, businesses, machines, automobiles, pleasure boats, degrees, letters, and titles... These things are not inherently bad, it is when they become the focus over God that they cross the line. This is a trap that many of us fall into, and we see it in the number of divorces and broken homes all over the world.  A society focused on building up righteous people instead of money, objects, and power would be so much more productive. 

Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain (Exodus 20:7).

• Purpose:  Have a deep and reverential attitude about God and His name.
• “This precept not only forbids all false oaths, but all common swearing where the name of God is used, or where he is appealed to as a witness of the truth. It also necessarily forbids all light and irreverent mention of God, or any of his attributes.” (Clarke, Bible Commentary, 1:404.)

We live in a society where profanity is used and even promoted in everyday conversation.  This problem does not appear to be gender specific, both men and women do it.  It has become so prolific that the children and youth of today use it freely, without concern that they might be offending God or those around them.  Profanity is incompatible with reverence. I cannot remember the last time I was in a public place and had a profanity-free experience.  It would be so nice to live in a society where that wasn't a problem.

Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy (Exodus 20:8-11).

•  Purpose:   The importance of work and giving due honor to God by putting time aside to worship Him.
• “In Hebrew the term Sabbath means ‘rest.’ It contemplates quiet tranquility, peace of mind and spirit. It is a day to get rid of selfish interests and absorbing activities" (Elder Spencer W. Kimball)

This is a two part commandment, the Lord is telling us that he wants us to labor or work for six days out of the seven.  There are lessons and blessings that come from work and the Lord has made it clear that being idle is not an option (D&C 42:42; 56:17; 60:13; 88:69; 2 Ne 9:27; Alma 24:18; 38:12).  Work has almost become a nasty four letter word to people today.  Companies are finding it hard to find competent, qualified workers because there is a shortage of people willing to work.  Yet, at the same time, our welfare programs are being stretched beyond their limits.  Where is the balance?

The second part is to commit one day, usually Sunday, to worship God.  On this day we have the opportunity to rest our bodies from our usual daily physical work and to fill our minds with those things of a more spiritual nature.  It doesn't mean that we sit around doing nothing all day, just the contrary, it is a day to focus our tasks on the work of the Lord, like reading good books, visiting those in need, or spending much needed family time together.  It is our chance to prepare ourselves for the new week by refilling our physical, mental, and spiritual energy. Imagine what could be accomplished if everyone worked hard for six days and then took time on the Sabbath to re-energize themselves and build up their families.  The strength of that type of society would be amazing!

So far I haven't found anything detrimental to society in the first four commandments, rather I have found that society could benefit and overcome some of the major challenges we face if these principles were put into action.  It all comes down to priorities, focus, attitude, work and rest.  These are all good principles so why all the opposition?  I don't really know.