“The Lord God hath commanded that men should not murder; that they should not lie; that they should not steal; that they should not take the name of the Lord their God in vain; that they should not envy; that they should not have malice; that they should not contend one with another; that they should not commit whoredoms; and that they should do none of these things; for whoso doeth them shall perish.” — 2 Nephi 26:32, Book of Mormon
A person who professes belief in God cannot sin against these commandments and remain tethered to God’s covenant promises. The breaking of these laws break the covenant, and we are no longer worthy to stand in his house.
“Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely… and walk after other gods… And come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, We are delivered to do all these abominations?” — Jeremiah 7:9-10
The Abominations
The final five “thou shalt nots” are extremely harmful abominations that plague our world and the extent to which these immoral behaviors proliferate within our society will determine whether or not we will retain our peace and order.
Law is given by God and is only understood and adhered to in belief and reverence for God. In Godlessness there is no reason binding a human to the final five commandments. To tell the truth, not steal or covet, to remain sexually pure until marriage and monogamous within marriage, and even the command not to murder or do anything like unto it can not be defended from a Godless paradigm. We have an obligation as believers to hold ourselves and our societies to the laws of God and acknowledge and reverence their origins, or we will find ourselves living in utter lawlessness is not very many generations.
The law is teacher to both the believer and unbeliever. We do not legislate the first five commandments at the heart of discipleship, but we must legislate and encourage a society that will honor the final five commands if there is any hope of sustained peace and the essential social environment for bad men to be made good and good men to be made better. God given law, and a society built upon them, are of great importance to our Lord; because in such societies the hearts of men can be softened and turned toward the Lord.
“Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, for whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine.” — 1 Timothy 1:9-10
“For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man.” — Matthew 15:18-20
How do we fall into this awful state?
“Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
“Wherefore they have given themselves up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
“For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
“And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
— Romans 1:21-32
The final five “thou shalt nots” are extremely harmful abominations that plague our world and the extent to which these immoral behaviors proliferate within our society will determine whether or not we will retain our peace and order.
Law is given by God and is only understood and adhered to in belief and reverence for God. In Godlessness there is no reason binding a human to the final five commandments. To tell the truth, not steal or covet, to remain sexually pure until marriage and monogamous within marriage, and even the command not to murder or do anything like unto it can not be defended from a Godless paradigm. We have an obligation as believers to hold ourselves and our societies to the laws of God and acknowledge and reverence their origins, or we will find ourselves living in utter lawlessness is not very many generations.
The law is teacher to both the believer and unbeliever. We do not legislate the first five commandments at the heart of discipleship, but we must legislate and encourage a society that will honor the final five commands if there is any hope of sustained peace and the essential social environment for bad men to be made good and good men to be made better. God given law, and a society built upon them, are of great importance to our Lord; because in such societies the hearts of men can be softened and turned toward the Lord.
“Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, for whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine.” — 1 Timothy 1:9-10
“For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man.” — Matthew 15:18-20
How do we fall into this awful state?
“Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
“Wherefore they have given themselves up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
“For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
“And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
— Romans 1:21-32
The Light Which Shineth in Darkness and the Darkness Comprehendeth It Not
The contrast between light and darkness, good and evil, is only clearly understood by those who stand in the light and walk in his law. In the light the darkness is easily understood. It seems counterintuitive, but Jesus Christ, the light and the life of the world, is a “light which shineth in darkness and the darkness comprehendeth it not.” (D&C39:2) Those that walk in darkness “call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” (Isaiah 5:20)
“And they were kept up by the power of the devil to administer these oaths unto the people, to keep them in darkness, to help such as sought power to gain power, and to murder, and to plunder, and to lie, and to commit all manner of wickedness and whoredoms.” — Either 8:16, Book of Mormon
For this reason a society who has rejected God’s law will walk in darkness and no longer make righteous judgements but instead will become so confused as to see everything opposite of its true nature. For this reason we must not be believers only but doers of his word. (James 1:22)
“I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” — John 8:12
Consider these descriptions of the nature of light and darkness:
“Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”
— Galatians 5:19-25
“Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.” — Revelations 22:14-15
“Turn from your wicked ways; and repent of your evil doings, of your lyings and deceivings, and of your whoredoms, and of your secret abominations, and your idolatries, and of your murders, and your priestcrafts, and your envyings, and your strifes, and from all your wickedness and abominations, and come unto me, and be baptized in my name, that ye may receive a remission of your sins, and be filled with the Holy Ghost, that ye may be numbered with my people who are of the house of Israel.” — 3 Nephi 30:2, Book of Mormon
“When ye shall see these things come among you that ye shall awake to a sense of your awful situation… because of this secret combination which shall be among you… the blood of them who have been slain… cry from the dust for vengeance upon those who built it up. For it cometh to pass that whoso buildeth it up seeketh to overthrow the freedom of all lands, nations, and countries; and it bringeth to pass the destruction of all people, for it is built up by the devil, who is the father of all lies; even that same liar who hath caused man to commit murder from the beginning; who hath hardened the hearts of men that they have murdered the prophets, and stoned them, and cast them out from the beginning.”
“Wherefore, I write these things that evil may be done away, and that the time may come that Satan may have no power upon the hearts of the children of men, but that they may be persuaded to do good continually, that they may come unto the fountain of all righteousness and be saved.”
— Ether 8:24-26, Book of Mormon
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