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No Man Can Serve Two Masters

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Work no hypocrisy in our words and actions! The last principle under the 3rd Commandment to TAKE NOT THE NAME OF GOD IN VAIN is to work no hypocrisy in our words and actions. “Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.” — Matthew 5:13 “And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.” — Matthew 6:5-6 “Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their rew...
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Endure to the End

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Be diligent in keeping his commandments, valiant in the testimony of Christ, and endure faithful to the end. The next principle in the study of the 3rd Commandment to take not the name of God in vain is to be diligent in in keeping his commandments, valiant in the testimony of Christ, and endure faithful to the end. Diligence: Consistent, valiant effort, especially in serving the Lord and obeying His word. Valiant: It is to be courageous and bold; to use all our strength, energy, and ability in warfare with the evil of this world; to fight the good fight of faith. “Be strong and of a good courage,” the Lord commanded Joshua, and then specified that this strength and courage consisted of meditating upon and observing to do all that is written in the law of the Lord. (See Josh. 1:6–9.) The great cornerstone of valiance in the cause of righteousness is obedience to the whole law of the whole gospel. “To be valiant in the testimony of Jesus is to believe in Christ and his gospel with unsha...
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Reverence God: The Fear of the Lord

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Reverence God: Do all things in the name of Christ and with an eye single to His glory. Reverence is a feeling or attitude of deep respect tinged with awe; veneration. Reverence involves a humbling of the self in respectful recognition of something perceived to be greater than one’s self. Reverence for God is associated with the fear of God, and humility before God. Reverence and fear of God is necessary if we are to keep the 3rd commandment to take not the name of God in vain. When we understand the true nature of this commandment, our reverence for God will cause us to be careful how we use the name of God and inspire us to do all we do in the name of Christ (D&C 46:31) with an eye single to his glory. (D&C 4:4-5)  Reverence for God changes how we pray. Everything about our prayers, how we address God and how we internalize the purpose of prayer changes when knowing and doing his will is at the center of our thoughts and desires. The more we experience the transformative ...
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Pray Always & Conquer

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Pray always and we may “come off conqueror” (D&C 5:10) over our natural man and the fiery darts of the advisory! In this section of the commandment “Take not the name of God in vain,” I am focusing on prayer as critical to repentance, receiving the Holy Spirit, overcoming temptation, always remembering Christ, and enduring faithful in the testimony of Christ until the end. Continual prayer is the way that we take on the whole armor of God and come off conquer. In the passage in  Ephesians 6  about the armor of God the passage ends with the words “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit.”  Here is the whole passage, which I think is an important study in trying to understand how to keep the 3rd commandment and take upon us the name of Christ with true effect. Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not aga...
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Always Remember Him & His Spirit Will Be With You

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So far, the study of the 3rd Commandment, “Take not the name of God in Vain,” has required a summary of the principles of being born again through the covenant and ordinance of baptism, in which we initiate our taking upon us the name of Christ; followed by the commandment to repent so we can walk in a stare of grace and be changed through Christ. The next three principles, or commandments, that fall into the category of commandment three, "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in Vain," deal with spiritual constancy and having our focus on Christ continually. What does it mean to always remember? How does it relate to being born again and repentance? What effect does it have? THE PRINCIPLE: When we always remember Christ, His love and sacrifice for us and our duty to him, then we can have his Spirit to be with us always. The Israelites were given daily, weekly, and yearly rituals steeped in symbolic meaning to help them to always remember God and to be pure before...
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Repentance: Walking in a Newness of Life

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Repentance is a way of life and a nature of the heart. The command to repent is given to every gospel dispensation, but it seems as though there has been a great deal of confusion about what repentance is. We often don’t internalize that repentance is a commandment, a process, and a critical ongoing action that is necessary to be free of sin. Israel was continually commanded to repent. The Mosaic Law included rituals for individual repentance as well as repentance for the whole congregation of Israel. Isaiah described personal repentance this way: “Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; Learn to do well; seek judgment… Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” — Isaiah 1:16-18 Before Christ, “John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.” (Ma...
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Born Again: Take Upon the Name of Christ

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How do you take Christ’s name upon you? Taking upon us the name of Christ happens as we show our willingness to take his name upon us in the making and keeping of sacred covenants. This begins with baptism when we demonstrate our willingness to walk in a newness of life and take upon us His name. This is an ordinance symbolizes being born again in Christ. We enter his church and he becomes our God and we become his people, a holy people ( Duet. 14:2 ). When we do this we must be very careful not to take His name in vain (without effect). We will avoid breaking this third commandment when we strive with all our hearts, might, mind, and strength to love God and serve him, and "serve sin" no more. “Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that hen...
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