In this article, we'll discuss each of the ten commandments in detail.
God gives us these commandments because ignoring them has natural consequences that are destructive to society. God gives us these things because He loves us dearly and He wants to see us experience true freedom, peace, and prosperity - all things that cannot be had unless we keep the Ten Commandments.
Concerning His Word, the Savior said this to the prophet Isaiah:
God's word does what He promises it will do - but we have to obey it, if we want the blessings! Each of His commandments is a manifestation of God's love for us, and they each help protect and promote freedom, peace, and prosperity in the world. I could go into great detail showing the political, economic and social upheaval that disobedience to God's commandments has already caused - still is causing - in our society. But let it suffice me to say that if the people of the world would keep the commandments of God, this would be a very different world indeed. For surely, our loving Heavenly Father sent us His Son - and The Ten Commandments - not to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
The Jews actually call the Ten Commandments the "Ten Statements", which turns out to be a more accurate translation from the original Hebrew. Don't allow that fact to diminish the importance of the Ten Commandments as moral directives from our Heavenly Father, however. They also group these differently than Christians or Protestants do; the Jews hold that the first "statement" is, "I Am the Lord your God who brought you out of the house of... bondage". These ten statements categorize all of the things God has commanded us to do and not do, and He is the Author and Finisher of our faith, the only being in the universe authorized to define and institute morality among men.
I've decided to honor the Jewish presentation of this most Jewish of all Christian scripture. To me, this just makes more sense. Here are the original Ten Commandments, the way I believe God gave them to Moses:
Prager University: I Am The Lord Thy God (About the Ten Commandments)
Learn about the "Ten Statements" from JewFAQ.org
Also of Interest
TheMoralLiberal.com - Fear vs. Faith (an interesting look at how fear destroys society while faith protects it)
Elder Dallin H. Oaks, Apostle - Stand as Witnesses of God
Elder Clay Christiansen, Seventy: Religion is the Foundation of Democracy and Prosperity
God gives us these commandments because ignoring them has natural consequences that are destructive to society. God gives us these things because He loves us dearly and He wants to see us experience true freedom, peace, and prosperity - all things that cannot be had unless we keep the Ten Commandments.
Concerning His Word, the Savior said this to the prophet Isaiah:
"Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain
cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but
watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give
seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word
be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void,
but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it." (Isaiah 55:7-11)
God's word does what He promises it will do - but we have to obey it, if we want the blessings! Each of His commandments is a manifestation of God's love for us, and they each help protect and promote freedom, peace, and prosperity in the world. I could go into great detail showing the political, economic and social upheaval that disobedience to God's commandments has already caused - still is causing - in our society. But let it suffice me to say that if the people of the world would keep the commandments of God, this would be a very different world indeed. For surely, our loving Heavenly Father sent us His Son - and The Ten Commandments - not to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
The Jews actually call the Ten Commandments the "Ten Statements", which turns out to be a more accurate translation from the original Hebrew. Don't allow that fact to diminish the importance of the Ten Commandments as moral directives from our Heavenly Father, however. They also group these differently than Christians or Protestants do; the Jews hold that the first "statement" is, "I Am the Lord your God who brought you out of the house of... bondage". These ten statements categorize all of the things God has commanded us to do and not do, and He is the Author and Finisher of our faith, the only being in the universe authorized to define and institute morality among men.
I've decided to honor the Jewish presentation of this most Jewish of all Christian scripture. To me, this just makes more sense. Here are the original Ten Commandments, the way I believe God gave them to Moses:
- I Am The Lord Your God
- Thou shalt have no other Gods before me
- Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain
- Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy
- Honor thy father and thy mother that thy days may be long upon the land
- Thou shalt not kill
- Thou shalt not commit adultery
- Thou shalt not steal
- Thou shalt not bear false witness
- Thou shalt not covet... anything that is thy neighbor's
Prager University: I Am The Lord Thy God (About the Ten Commandments)
Learn about the "Ten Statements" from JewFAQ.org
Also of Interest
TheMoralLiberal.com - Fear vs. Faith (an interesting look at how fear destroys society while faith protects it)
Elder Dallin H. Oaks, Apostle - Stand as Witnesses of God
Elder Clay Christiansen, Seventy: Religion is the Foundation of Democracy and Prosperity
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