Ponder the Path

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, and overcoming temptation. This has brought to mind the passage in Ephesians 6 that talks about putting on the whole armor of God. The passage ends with the words “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit.” I think it is significant. Even with all the critical pieces of armor we are left with this most critical need, to pray always. 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 against flesh and...

So far, the study of the 3rd Commandment, “Take not the name of God in Vain,” has required a summary of the commandment to be baptized and be born again as the ordinance that initiates 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. Today I’ve prepared a summary of my study of the command to always remember Christ. 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 him that his presence might dwell in the congregation of Israel. When Moses explains to the children of Israel what these commandments are for he says: “Now these are the comm...

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...

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. We enter his church and he becomes our God and we become his people, a holy people. When we do this we must be very careful not to take His name in vain. As Christians we must not take this act in vain but we must strive with all our hearts, might, mind, and strength to love God and serve him, and “henceforth we should not serve sin.” “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 henceforth we should not serve sin.” — Romans 6:4-6 “Except a man be born of water ...

What comes to our minds when we hear the 3rd commandment “Take not the name of God in vain”? If you are like most believers you think of the use of the name of God as a profanity, an exclamation in passing speech, or a careless or irreverent speech of God’s sacred name as taking the name of God in vain. This is not untrue, it is one important way we break this commandment, but there is another much more harmful way we sin against this commandment and it has to do with what we do with the name of the Lord after we take it upon ourselves. How do we take his name upon ourselves? Well, do you call yourself Christian? If you do, then you have taken his name upon yourself. When we do this we must be very careful not to take this name in vain. Vain: producing no result; useless. Having no meaning or likelihood of fulfillment. The meaning of vain in the context of this commandment is to take his name with no meaning, as a useless gesture, with no result or likelihood of fulfillment of the purp...