The Ten Commandments

"And now I read unto you the remainder of the commandments of God, for I perceive that they are not written in your hearts; I perceive that ye have studied and taught iniquity the most part of your lives." (Mosiah 13:11)

I love that the ten commandments are preached in the Book of Mormon. It shows how important they are:

" Although the world has changed, the laws of God remain constant. They have not changed; they will not change. The Ten Commandments are just that—commandments. They are not suggestions."

 1.  “Thou shalt have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3). We should do “all things with an eye single to the glory of God” (D&C 82:19). We should love and serve the Lord with all our heart, might, mind, and strength (see Deuteronomy 6:5; D&C 59:5).


  2.  “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image” (Exodus 20:4). In this commandment, the Lord condemns the worship of idols. Idolatry may take many forms. Some people do not bow before graven images or statues but instead replace the living God with other idols, such as money, material possessions, ideas, or prestige. In their lives, “their treasure is their god”—a god that “shall perish with them” (2 Nephi 9:30).

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

  4.  “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8).

  5.  “Honour thy father and thy mother” (Exodus 20:12). This commandment remains binding throughout our lives and can be understood in several ways: We should honor our fathers and our mothers who are our ancestors; we should be grateful to the father and mother who provided our earthly bodies; we should honor those who raised us in the knowledge of the truth. Above all, we should honor our Heavenly Parents. The way we honor all these fathers and mothers is by keeping the commandments.

  6.  “Thou shalt not kill” (Exodus 20:13).

  7.  “Thou shalt not commit adultery” (Exodus 20:14). In a latter-day revelation, the Lord condemned not only adultery, but “anything like unto it” (D&C 59:6). Fornication, homosexuality, and other sexual sins are violations of the seventh commandment.

  8.  “Thou shalt not steal” (Exodus 20:15). Stealing is a form of dishonesty.

  9.  “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour” (Exodus 20:16). Bearing false witness is another form of dishonesty.

10.  “Thou shalt not covet” (Exodus 20:17). Coveting, or envying something that belongs to another, is damaging to the soul. It can consume our thoughts and plague us with constant unhappiness and dissatisfaction. It often leads to other sins and to financial indebtedness.

I can testify that living the commandments bring happiness. I know this because I've done it. Every time I choose to keep one or more of the commandments, I see an increase of the Lord's blessings in my life.

An example of this is when I choose to honor my mom and dad. As a teenager, (well, I still am a teenager, I guess) I found it hard to honor my parents. It was hard to do what they wanted me to do, especially when I was vehemently apposed to it. But every time I obeyed my parents, not only was I happier because they were happy with me, but because I always found out that they were right. (Okay not always, most of the time.) I'm so thankful for my parents and their guidance.