We can readily see the importance of taking care of our physical/natural body. We must feed it, rest it, wash it, exercise it.

Do we likewise take care of our spiritual body?

How do we feed, rest, wash and exercise our spiritual body?

We must feed it truth, learning, wisdom, and knowledge from books and other media. We must feed it good, uplifting, wholesome interactions with others.

We rest our spiritual body with meditation, prayer, mindfulness, positive self-talk.

We wash our spirit through the sanctifying power of the Holy Ghost and Jesus Christ’s atonement for our souls. We use his enabling power to overcome habits we don’t want with habits we do want. We rid our mind of impure thoughts, our bodies of hurtful actions. We clean our spirits by removing from our thoughts anything that is undesirable, that does not help us become what we want to be.

We exercise our spirits through doing things that are hard; hard work, new skills, healthy thinking patterns, etc. When we have to choose mind over matter. When we choose long term benefit and short term loss over short term gain and long term loss.

The biggest impression I have had about gratitude, is that it is not just something done occasionally, but it is a way of life. You may think of people having a cheery disposition, or of being a pessimist or optimist. The same can be said of gratitude. It can be a defining characteristic of an individual’s nature. We need to develop an attitude of gratitude. We need to put ourselves in a frame of mind, in a state of being, that we are grateful.

Well, easier said than done. How do we go about turning ourselves into a being of gratitude? Here are some thoughts from several talks.

There is a lot wrong and bad in the world, but there is also so much that is right and good. “We can lift ourselves, and others as well,” says President Monson, “when we refuse to remain in the realm of negative thought and cultivate within our hearts an attitude of gratitude.” Gratitude is among the noblest of virtues. Gratitude is what helps us focus on the good.

Often when gratitude is spoken of, the story of the ten lepers who came to Jesus to be healed, and only one returned to give thanks, is referenced. Certainly the nine lepers felt gratitude. But it was the one who made an effort to show his gratitude who was “made whole”. The nine were physically healed, but the one who showed gratitude was healed both body and spirit. There is a sense from this scripture that when we physically do more that is righteous, then we are blessed more. Also this story points out that gratitude is not just a feeling, but a feeling that moves to action in order to be complete.

Henry B. Eyring says that gratitude is a “change in our very natures”. It is not just a thing to do, it is a way to be. We become a different person when we focus on gratitude. The Holy Ghost fills us with perfect love. He fills us up with the best stuff as we choose to let go  of the bad stuff within us.

Elder Eyring relates the story of Orderville, the town that was founded to live the United Order. He tells how they forgot their poor and meager beginnings, and states that this is a problem we must solve, too. “We so easily forget that we came into this life with nothing. Whatever we get soon seems our natural right, not a gift. And we forget the giver. Then our gaze shifts from what we have been given to what we don’t have yet.” Remembering God as the giver of all that we have and remembering our past trials and poverty help us to have gratitude. We need to focus on what we have already, and not on what we don’t have.”Remembrance is the seed of gratitude which is the seed of generosity.” Every week we can take the sacrament, and in that action we covenant to “always remember [Jesus Christ].” As Eyring says, “gratitude for the remission of sins is the seed of charity.”

James E. Faust relates similar ideas about gratitude in his 1990 General Conference talk “Gratitude as a Saving Principle“. Gratitude is a way of life, it’s more than a thing to do, it’s a way to be. “As with all commandments, gratitude is a description of a successful mode of living.” You can be happy or optimistic by “nature”, it is said. You can also be grateful. And it’s something that can be learned and cultivated. Being happy and optimistic are habitual traits, meaning you become that way by always acting that way. The same is true with gratitude.

Robert D. Hales explains how gratitude is related to repentance in a 1992 General Conference talk entitled “Gratitude for the Goodness of God“. He applies gratitude to repentance again and again. They seem to be in some kind of relationship. He says that our faith and repentance are based on the goodness of God and Christ and their forgiveness when we show thankfulness to them. “Gratitude is also the foundation upon which repentance is built…. Gratitude is a state of appreciation.” Gratitude leads to humility because we are focused on what others have done for us, rather than on our own selfish desires. Expressing gratitude brings peace to our souls, “a peace which allows us to not canker our souls for what we don’t have.” When we have gratitude, we don’t qualify that with what we had in the past or hope for in the future. We should not base our gratitude upon past possessions or hoped for desires in the future, but gratitude should be independent of all other requirements and qualifications.

The booklet for the program has the Deacon, Teacher and Priest sections all combined. The boys work on three relationships in each of their quorum sections. First they work on their relationship with God by developing Spiritual Strength through prayer and scripture study, living worthily, and understanding doctrine. Second they work on their relationship with all mankind by learning and practicing their Priesthood Duties by administering priesthood ordinances, serving others, and inviting all to come unto Christ. The third section is a bit different for each quorum. The deacons work on their relationship with themselves, with their bodies, by focusing on physical health. The teachers are similar in that they focus on education. The priests focus on their relationship with family and friends. The priests have an additional section where they prepare themselves to receive the Melchizedek Priesthood.

So, because this is such a great program for anybody to learn their duty to God, and because I need to be an example to the boys as the Young Men’s President, I am doing this program as well. My study plan is to read and study every morning from 6:30 until 7:00. I’ve been doing pretty good at it for a few weeks too. At the end of the week, on Friday’s, I’ll write a blog post as a way for me to share my experiences.

I went over the section where we list some scriptures that are meaningful to us, and describe why they are meaningful. I came up with a few (Alma 7:11-13; 1 Samuel 15:22; D&C 58:26-27; Exodus 20:3-17; 3 Nephi 12; 3 Nephi 13:24; D&C 19:16-19). For Alma 7:11-13, I wrote:

I came to know this one on the mission. I really like how it explains the Atonement. It shows that Jesus suffered every negative thing possible. Coupled with D&C 122:8, we learn that he experienced the lowest any human can, and has even gone below that. And he did all of that so that he will know how to help us out of our hard times.

The Great Coming Battle – 5th Sunday lesson for combined Young Women and Young Men

Preparation
Read Elder Melvin J. Ballard, “Struggle for the Soul,” New Era, Mar 1984, 32 and Boyd K. Packer, “The Instrument of Your Mind and the Foundation of Your Character,” fireside address given at Brigham Young University on 2 February 2003 (available here: http://speeches.byu.edu/reader/reader.php?id=478)
Index cards with main quotes printed on them. Hide them on the underside of the chairs before class starts.
Two or three index cards with a picture of pottery (ie. a cup or bowl) on them.
A small container of clay for each student.
Read the following scriptures: 2 Nephi 2:25; 2 Nephi 28:7-8, 19-22; Alma 12:24; Alma 34:32-34; 3 Nephi 12:48; Ether 12:27; Moroni 7:16; D&C 88:14-22; D&C 89; D&C 93:27-34; D&C 138:17, 50;

Purpose
Each of us are in the midst of the greatest battle in the universe. Each of us are battling for the salvation of our soul. Satan is real and is trying new and different tactics than from when the Church was first established. He is now working on the Saints individually, and tempting us through the medium of our bodies, our natural desires. We have the power to choose who we listen to, Jesus or Satan. We can shape our lives however we want, but it is easier to change while we are young, therefore, this life is the time to repent (see Alma 34:32-34).

Object lesson
Our lives are like clay, easily molded when young, but increasingly harder to shape and change as time goes on. When we die, it is like the clay has been fired in a kiln, and it is almost impossible to change. We must be continually shaping ourselves to be in the form Jesus set forth. Repentance is the process of letting Jesus reshape our clay into the form He has in mind for us.
That certain people received index cards with pictures or words of instruction is symbolic of how God calls prophets to guide and instruct the people of the world through revelation.

Lesson and Discussion

You know the books and movies where some old prophecy tells about what is going to happen in the future, and then the story is about that prophecy coming true? Does that happen in real life?

A Prophesy of Our Time
In 1928, Elder Melvin J. Ballard, an Apostle (M. Russell Ballard’s paternal grandfather), gave a prophecy about YOU in this time!

“Two years ago I was laboring with Elders Wells and Pratt in South America, opening a mission for the Church. I had during that period of time opportunity to reflect and to study.
While in contemplation of the Church’s progress, its present position and the future that awaits it, there came to me very distinctly some impressions concerning a period that would come full of danger to many, and feeling an anxious desire for the well-being of the membership of the Church, and indeed for my fellowmen, I promised the Lord that if he would give me the wisdom and the strength, I would lift up my voice in warning to the children of men concerning a peril that was threatening them.
I see the evidence of approach of that period of danger. It was to come in the time of peace and prosperity
I have felt therefore very keenly that the whole world was approaching a period of its self-indulgence wherein a new order of things would arise, and I have seen most clearly that the Church itself would be affected by this new period through which we were to pass. I can see clearly, however, that it is not altogether the forces of men that are to be reckoned with, but there are powers influencing the hearts of men, moving them in the solution of these problems that are arising before us.” [Melvin J. Ballard, “Struggle for the Soul,” New Era, Mar 1984, 32]

It is important to keep in mind three truths.
We exist on this earth, we live as we do right now, so that we can have a physical body, and learn to “make it our servant” and become “master over it.”
We are supposed to be in the presence of the enemy, who is in the majority (A third part of all God’s spirit children – probably more than all the people on the earth right now.)
We chose to do this!

Satan wants the power and glory, and he stops at nothing to try to get God’s work to fail. But he only has as much power as we give him.  Joseph Smith said:

“We came to this earth that we might have a body and present it pure before God in the celestial kingdom. The great principle of happiness consists in having a body. The devil has no body, and herein is his punishment. . . .
All beings who have bodies have power over those who have not. The devil has no power over us only as we permit him. The moment we revolt at anything which comes from God, the devil takes power. [Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, sel. Joseph Fielding Smith (1976), 181]”

Continual Battle Between Satan and God
Think of some times throughout history where Satan has tried to stop God’s work and Church from happening? All the time, especially from the time of Joseph Smith.

“So the process of conflict has ever been around the Church from the day of the Prophet’s first struggles. We have fought our way through under all sorts of adverse circumstances. Realizing that it was not possible to destroy it by the means that had been employed to check it—through mob violence, murder, persecution, bonds and imprisonment, disfranchisement, various woes and troubles—Satan is about to employ new methods. That is the point that I wish to emphasize, because I saw most clearly that the enemy was not satisfied, nor had he quit the field, but by new methods he would seek to destroy this work. For I want to say to you that he is vain enough to think, and he believes it confidently, that in the end he will be victorious and become king of this world.
The prophets of old foretold the time to come when this question would be settled. Some of them called the conflict Armageddon. Whatever the name is, there is coming a time when the question as to who has the right to rule and reign will be settled. Every righteous man, living and dead, will be interested and engaged in that conflict, and so will every wicked man, living and dead.
What will the end of the matter be? How soon it will come I do not know, but this I know: that evidences of the approaching conflict are speeding on, and come it will, and the days are being employed in preparation for it by such activity on both sides that we would be astonished if we knew that we are going to be the center of great interest in the universe, because we are approaching great and important and critical days in the history of this world.
Mighty forces are being arrayed on the one side and on the other for this approaching conflict that will settle the question of who shall rule and reign.” [Ballard]

Individual Testing Time
So there is a great battle and fight for your souls. Elder Ballard then describes how this battle will take place:

“I am not prepared to say who will be on his side or how many he will have, but I am as sure as I live, by the inspiration of the Almighty, that the end of the conflict is as certain as the result at the beginning. That he fell in the beginning and was routed from heaven is a fact, and it also is a truth that no matter how many he shall gather on his side nor how bitter the conflict, he shall be defeated and banished from the earth and cast out of his own place. Christ will come to claim his own, to rule and reign.

But in the meantime, it is not the outcome of the conflict that I am concerned about but rather whether I shall be on his side or on the Lord’s side. It surely is a good time for every man and woman to examine themselves and discover whether we are on the Lord’s side or not. I should like to say to you, my brethren and sisters, that all the assaults that the enemy of our souls will make to capture us will be through the flesh, because it is made up of the unredeemed earth, and he has power over the elements of the earth. The approach he makes to us will be through the lusts, the appetites, the ambitions of the flesh. All the help that comes to us from the Lord to aid us in this struggle will come to us through the spirit that dwells within this mortal body. So these two mighty forces are operating upon us through these two channels.

How is the battle going with you? How is it going with men and women in the world? That is a very important question. The greatest conflict that any man or woman will ever have (I care not how numerous their enemies may be) will be the battle that is had with self.” [Ballard]

Elder Packer said it this way:
“So you are the focus of two conflicting patterns trying to influence you in your life, trying to have you go this way or that way (see Matthew 6:24; Luke 16:13; James 1:8). You are the one who makes the decision.

As the old man a generation ago said, “The Lord’s votin’ for me, and the devil’s votin’ against me, but it’s my vote that counts!” And that is good, solid doctrine.

You will have just what you want. On one hand, you have inspiration from the Holy Ghost, and, on the other hand, you have what President Ezra Taft Benson called “sinspiration” from the angels of the devil. They are with you all of the time.” [Packer]

“It is the individual testing time that I see approaching, so that it is well to know the forces and the powers that are arrayed against us, and their purposes, that we may close our ranks and fortify ourselves.” [Ballard]

Gospel Principles are Protection
“Being forewarned we should be forearmed, and I declare to you that every gospel principle which the Church has received is calculated in its very nature to steel and armour us against the assaults of the enemy of our souls. A man or woman who can keep the Word of Wisdom, for instance, will also be fortified in keeping himself clean and undefiled from the sins of this generation.” [Ballard]

What’s so important about the Word of Wisdom? Packer:

“The “Word of Wisdom [was] given for a principle with promise” (D&C 89:1, 3). But what is the promise? The promise, of course, is personal revelation.

Now, the Word of Wisdom is, I think, only incidentally to keep us healthy, if we will observe it.

The point is, if you want to move on spiritually and do as you ought to do in this life, the principle outlined in the Word of Wisdom shows you the requirements. You cannot just toy with it.

It is not that you are going to be a healthy athlete all of your life, and it is not that you are going to avoid old age. It is that you will have the key to revelation. When your body begins to deteriorate, the patterns of revelation will be augmented and magnified.”

Our bodies are like clay:
“This body is like clay, plastic and pliable, and when the clay is soft and pliable how easy it is to mold it, to alter it, to change it! Then when it becomes hard and set, how difficult this is! Similarly, men and women who go through their entire lives forming habits of viciousness, of wickedness, find it exceedingly difficult in old age to modify and change their course. And yet even for them it is easier to change their course of life in old age than it will be after death.
Some folks hope they may lose their sins in the grave. There is no hope that sins will be lost in the grave, for “as we lay our bodies down so shall we take them up again,” it is written.

What we will discover is this, that the spirit takes upon itself the habits of the body. There are many spirits that have come into mortality free, that have become enslaved through yielding to the cravings of the flesh. They will find when they come out of the body that they are tainted and tinctured with all the lust and desires of the body. Instead of being free to rise to glorious heights, they are more or less earthbound, craving the things that they have yielded to in the flesh, and they will discover too that after they have stepped out of this life they are separated from the body and have no power over that element, but the reformation will have to go forward in the spirit. They will also discover that every emotion and feeling will be intensified when they have passed out of mortality, so that it will be much more difficult to conquer and master and overcome when we go out of this life than here and now.

This is the one and only time most fitting and appropriate. Now is the time to repent.”

Show the pieces of pottery. Tell everyone that they should have made their clay look like one of the pieces of pottery. Have them imagine trying to change their clay to the correct shape at different stages of the pottery making process.

Ask:
How easy would it be to change the clay if you just barely started?
How easy would it be to change if you left it out overnight?
How easy would it be to change if you fired it in a kiln?
How is this like our lives and the example that Jesus has set?

Read
3 Nephi 12:48 “Therefore I would that ye should be perfect even as I, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect.”

Ask
What can we do to change our lives so that they resemble the example of Jesus?

Repentance is Possible
Packer:
“There are many things that cannot be understood or taught or explained unless it is in terms of the plan of redemption. Unless you understand the basic plan–the premortal existence, the purpose of life, the Fall, the Atonement, the Resurrection–unless you understand that, the unmarried, the abused, the handicapped, the abandoned, the addicted, the disappointed, those with gender disorientation, or the intellectuals will find no enduring comfort. You will not think life is fair unless you know the plan of redemption.

Some say they are born with some tendency. Whether you are born with them or you acquired them or you got them through over-medication, addiction, or any other way, what should you do? Resist them! You resist them and push them away. How long? As long as you live. There are some things that are a lifelong battle.”

If you make a mistake, if you find you need to make a correction to your clay, there is something you can do to fix it!

“Now, who made you? Who is your Creator? There is not anything about your life that gets bent or broken that He cannot fix and will fix. You have to decide. If some of you have made mistakes and you think you are broken and cannot be put together, you do not know the doctrine of the Church. You do not know what the Atonement was about and who the Lord is and what a power He is in your life.” [Packer]

“You young people, move ahead in your lives. It is a marvelous time to be alive. The world is not going to come to an end. You are going to have time to stand, as I stand now, talking about your children and your grandchildren and your great-grandchildren. You decide!” [Packer]

Discuss
Some of you had help by way of note cards with the correct picture on them or with words of guidance. How can this be compared to prophets and others who are good examples?

I used the following quotes for the index cards.

An Ancient Prophecy
In 1928, Elder Melvin J. Ballard (who is Elder M. Russell Ballard’s grandfather) prophesied:
“While in contemplation of the Church’s progress, its present position and the future that awaits it, there came to me very distinctly some impressions concerning a period that would come full of danger to many, and feeling an anxious desire for the well-being of the membership of the Church, and indeed for my fellowmen, I promised the Lord that if he would give me the wisdom and the strength, I would lift up my voice in warning to the children of men concerning a peril that was threatening them….
I see the evidence of approach of that period of danger. It was to come in the time of peace and prosperity….
I have felt therefore very keenly that the whole world was approaching a period of its self-indulgence wherein a new order of things would arise, and I have seen most clearly that the Church itself would be affected by this new period through which we were to pass. I can see clearly, however, that it is not altogether the forces of men that are to be reckoned with, but there are powers influencing the hearts of men, moving them in the solution of these problems that are arising before us.” [Melvin J. Ballard, “Struggle for the Soul,” New Era, Mar 1984, 32]

We Have Power Over The Enemy
“We came to this earth that we might have a body and present it pure before God in the celestial kingdom. The great principle of happiness consists in having a body. The devil has no body, and herein is his punishment. . ..
All beings who have bodies have power over those who have not. The devil has no power over us only as we permit him. The moment we revolt at anything which comes from God, the devil takes power. [Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, sel. Joseph Fielding Smith (1976), 181]”

The Enemy’s Weapons
“I am not prepared to say who will be on his side or how many he will have, but I am as sure as I live, by the inspiration of the Almighty, that the end of the conflict is as certain as the result at the beginning….

But in the meantime, it is not the outcome of the conflict that I am concerned about but rather whether I shall be on his side or on the Lord’s side. It surely is a good time for every man and woman to examine themselves and discover whether we are on the Lord’s side or not. I should like to say to you, my brethren and sisters, that all the assaults that the enemy of our souls will make to capture us will be through the flesh, because it is made up of the unredeemed earth, and he has power over the elements of the earth. The approach he makes to us will be through the lusts, the appetites, the ambitions of the flesh. All the help that comes to us from the Lord to aid us in this struggle will come to us through the spirit that dwells within this mortal body. So these two mighty forces are operating upon us through these two channels.

How is the battle going with you? How is it going with men and women in the world? That is a very important question. The greatest conflict that any man or woman will ever have (I care not how numerous their enemies may be) will be the battle that is had with self.” [Melvin J. Ballard, “Struggle for the Soul,” New Era, Mar 1984, 32]

Our Weapon Against The Enemy
“Being forewarned we should be forearmed, and I declare to you that every gospel principle which the Church has received is calculated in its very nature to steel and armour us against the assaults of the enemy of our souls. A man or woman who can keep the Word of Wisdom, for instance, will also be fortified in keeping himself clean and undefiled from the sins of this generation.” [Melvin J. Ballard, “Struggle for the Soul,” New Era, Mar 1984, 32]

“The “Word of Wisdom [was] given for a principle with promise” (D&C 89:1, 3). But what is the promise? The promise, of course, is personal revelation….

It is not that you are going to be a healthy athlete all of your life, and it is not that you are going to avoid old age. It is that you will have the key to revelation. When your body begins to deteriorate, the patterns of revelation will be augmented and magnified.” [Boyd K. Packer, “The Instrument of Your Mind and the Foundation of Your Character,” fireside address given at Brigham Young University on 2 February 2003]

Jesus Christ Can Help Us Change
“Now, who made you? Who is your Creator? There is not anything about your life that gets bent or broken that He cannot fix and will fix. You have to decide. If some of you have made mistakes and you think you are broken and cannot be put together, you do not know the doctrine of the Church. You do not know what the Atonement was about and who the Lord is and what a power He is in your life….

You young people, move ahead in your lives. It is a marvelous time to be alive. The world is not going to come to an end. You are going to have time to stand, as I stand now, talking about your children and your grandchildren and your great-grandchildren. You decide!” [Boyd K. Packer, “The Instrument of Your Mind and the Foundation of Your Character,” fireside address given at Brigham Young University on 2 February 2003]

I’ve been struggling to find a topic or study practice to keep my studies coherent. I was prompted to start reading “Jesus the Christ” by James E. Talmage.

I only have a copy in German, from my mission, so this will be interesting (unfortunately my German skills have deteriorated). Of course it is available in many languages for free on Project Gutenberg. So I may have to reference that quite often.

Talmage makes seven points from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that are specific to the understanding of Jesus Christ and which are different than any other church’s beliefs.

1. Christ’s mission extends before and after his earthly life.
2. He belonged to the Godhead before his life on earth.
3. He was literally the son of a God and a mortal mother
4. His physical death and physical resurrection really did happen, and as a result the power of death has been overcome (much more to be written on that later, but basically, because Jesus had the ability to make his spirit and body reunite after separating through death, he will give everyone who has died the power to reunite their spirit and body. The LDS Church, I think, is unique in believing this will happen for every single person who lived on the earth.)
5. The Atonement is a reality, it really did happen, and anybody who follows Christ’s gospel will be able to use it.
6. Jesus’ power (the priesthood) and his church are restored in this time period, which is called the “dispensation of the fullness of times” in the scriptures
7. Jesus Christ will really come again in a relatively short time, and will personally and physically be the king and Lord of earth.

Well, my translations aren’t that bad. Each of those points could be a book… or at least a nice blog post.

I said to the boys, “Do you want to know what the key is to be a God?” They of course did. I told them it was written on the board. I told them to look at Christ’s life. For whom did he do every single thing that he did in life? It was for others. All of the miracles, the healing, the feedings, the teachings, were for the benefit of others. Only one time is it recorded what his desires were. That was in the Garden of Gethsemane, as he was to atone for the sins of all people. He said, if it be at all possible, I don’t want to do this, BUT I will do what somebody else wants me to, I’ll do the will of God.

Likewise, we know the purpose of God’s existence. It’s found in Moses 1:39, “For behold, this is my work and my glory-to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.” The whole purpose of God, the basis of his glory, his power, his right to be a God, is based in others. His power comes because he is completely involved in helping his children. The key to becoming a God is to forget yourself and serve others.

How much nicer our lives would be if we were just happy with what we have.

Isn’t it ironic that we have scads of TV shows where people get their perfectly usable kitchens, homes, bedrooms, bathrooms, whatever, remodeled, and yet there are so many in the world who don’t even have a home, let alone a perfectly good usable one. Our society is so stuck on needing bigger and better instead of just being happy with what they have. I grew up in a home with three bedrooms and one bathroom. We had nine (9) people in the family. We learned to get along really well. There were four boys in one small room, just big enough for two bunk beds, four dressers, and a space to sit down on the floor. All of us are great friends. We learned to live with what we had, and learned to be happy with it. Sure we would have loved a second or third bathroom. Believe me, we would have loved it.

My mother and wife are great examples of people who do not coveting the things of others. They often want things, but are always quick to check themselves and be happy for things that they already have.

There would be so much less greed, dishonesty, corruption and ill feelings if people would just be happy with what they have.

A great talk on this commandment is here:

Gordon B. Hinckley, “‘Thou Shalt Not Covet’,” Ensign, Mar 1990, 2

A great quote comes from a seminal talk on the Ten Commandments by President Ezra Taft Benson (Ezra Taft Benson, “America at the Crossroads,” New Era, Jul 1978, 36).

“10. Last, “Thou shalt not covet.” (Ex. 20:17.) Covetousness is one of the besetting sins of this generation, and our covetousness reaches every item forbidden in the commandments—our neighbor’s house, his wife, his help, his worldly goods, and everything that is our neighbor’s. Covetousness, plus love of idleness, lie at the root of our violation of the law of work, with all the ills that has brought. Covetousness has invaded our homes, our communities, the nations of the world. It has brought with it greed, and avarice, and ambition, and love of power. Men scheme, plan, overreach, cheat, and lie to get their neighbor’s heritage. Covetousness threatens the peace of the world today more than any other one element. But God said, “Thou shalt not covet.””

And in closing out this study of the Ten Commandments are some closing thoughts by Ezra Taft Benson from this same talk.

“These are the foundation principles upon which all civilized government and our present civilization is built. To disregard them will lead to inevitable personal character loss and ruin. To disregard them as a nation will inevitably lead that nation to destruction.”

“I remember a number of years ago when Cecil B. DeMille, the great producer of the film The Ten Commandments, was invited to accept an honorary degree from Brigham Young University. In his address to the student body, Mr. DeMille made this interesting observation. He said that men and nations cannot really break the Ten Commandments; they can only break themselves against them. How true that is!”

The commandment is to not bear false witness against thy neighbor. One questions, put to rest right here, is ‘Who is my neighbor’? Obviously, according to the parable of the good Samaritan, our neighbor is everyone else. To bear false witness, is to give wrong testimony, to lie.

A lie is a deliberately false statement. We could get into technicalities of what would constitute a lie in this or that situation, but let’s be real, here. A lie is when we don’t tell the truth. These commandments are trying to get us to act like God. (As was commanded us, see Matthew 5: 48 and 3 Nephi 12: 48) God does not lie. The manner of speaking for the Godhead (Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit) is that of truth (see Jacob 4: 13). There would be no deception, our courts would be much emptier, things would cost less for lack of law suits against doctors and business, we could trust strangers. A movie came out recently in which people only speak the truth, and apparently have to say what they are thinking, even if it is blunt and cruel. Well, the main character discovers the lie, something unthinkable. The movie is about how he uses, misuses, and abuses the lie. I didn’t see the movie, but I doubt that it ends well (rated PG-13, which means inapropriate  jokes about sex, probably some nudity, and more than likely a defunct moral outcome. All good reasons to avoid it.)

Some other thoughts and scriptures on being honest and not lying:

Proverbs 19: 22 – The poor man is better than a liar. I’m poor (relatively speaking), so I find comfort in this scripture. I try hard to be honest, so even if I’m poor, at least I’m better than a liar.

Acts 5: 4 – When you lie, it is against God.

2 Nephi 2: 18 – Lying is the language of Satan. Who wants to be like him?

2 Nephi 9: 34 – And my favorite, it’s always fun to say this scripture. A liar’s place is hell, not pushed, not shoved, not kicked, but thrust.

This commandment shows importance of personal belongings, respecting others, acknowledging the existence and rights of others (sometimes over our own rights), and manners. From childhood we are taught the importance of not stealing. When a child takes a toy from another child, the parents instruct the child that it is not OK to take from others. Yet how often do we steal time from employers, steal trust from family, and rob God of his tithes? There is much more than just material goods that can be stolen.

A great article on this commandment is found here: Richard D. Draper, “‘Thou Shalt Not Steal’,” Liahona, Oct 1998, 27. He has many points worth repeating.

“Often that is the way it is with theft—more is stolen than material goods. When someone breaks the eighth commandment, victims lose not only their peace, but also possessions that represent bits of their lives.”

It’s not just the item or thing that is stolen, but it’s the time and effort the individual put into making or caring for the thing.

“The Bible emphasizes that stealing belongs to the set of sins that includes murder, adultery, and false swearing. All of these are directly related, and theft is the common link; murder is the unlawful taking of life, adultery concerns the taking of virtue, and false swearing usually involves the taking of reputation, property, or goods.

The sentence “Thou shalt not steal” (Ex. 20:15) includes no object. Its prohibition is broad and unconditional: You shall not steal anything.”

I like how he emphasizes that the law is broad. We should not steal anything. That includes so much, even things covered in the previous commandments. It enforces the fact that there are God given rights and responsibilities.

Brother Draper suggests that this commandment teaches us at least three important principles.

1. Private ownership of property is a God given right and responsibility. God commanded Adam and Eve to eat their bread by the sweat of their own work, not through the work of anyone else.
2. God is the source of the right of private ownership, not man or the state. He is the one that dictates the laws that govern humanity.
3. Stealing is a sin against God. All divine laws originate from him, so breaking this law is a sin against God.

Draper also points out that regardless of the circumstance, stealing is still a sin.

“Stealing is a sin against our Heavenly Father even when motivated by need and poverty. The act dishonors God (see Prov. 30:9). Conversely, the honest person who chooses not to steal, even under stressful circumstances, shows trust in God. He is conscious of a covenant relationship with the Lord and chooses to sustain it.”

To take without permission, even if you’re starving or your children are starving, is still stealing, and is a sin. Ironically, just today, a co-worker used that condition (starving family) to justify being dishonest.

Stealing violates another commandment given to us by God. We were commanded to subdue the earth and have dominion over the animal kingdom, but only as we followed God’s counsel and laws. When we misuse our dominion and seek power over others, we are stealing.

“If we are wise, we will love people and use things, as our Father intended. Immorality occurs when we love things and use people. The awful idea Satan taught Cain was how to turn human life into property, how to make a child of God less than chattel.”

Draper concludes by admonishing that we need a return to the basic first law of God, that we love Him and one another.

“President Spencer W. Kimball pointed out that “honesty can be taught but not legislated. ‘There ought to be a law,’ many say when corruption raises its ugly head, and our answer is that there are laws—numerous laws which are not enforced; but our further answer is that you cannot legislate goodness and honor and honesty. There must be a return to consciousness of those values.” When people practice those values, the power of the Spirit and the force of love can do what the law cannot—overcome the greed and covetousness that lead to stealing.”

If all people were to follow this commandment, there would be less greed, less hate. Greed is the source of most stealing, I would say. When people respect others and their property, there is no thievery.

A few weeks ago, my brother-in-law was married. The sealer who performed the marriage made a comment about this commandment. He said that if this one single commandment were kept, there would not be so much evil and wrong in the world.  He said most of the problems with society can be traced back to the lack of people keeping this commandment.

Jesus, in speaking to the Nephites, takes this commandment to a higher level. He says that if you even look at another to lust after them, you have committed adultery in your heart. Not only should we not act, but we should stay away from letting those thoughts into our heart.

Satan wants to destroy our ability to progress. He wants to distort and pervert the things we have that he does not. Two things Satan can not have, due to his rebellion, are a family and a body. Looking at American society now, we can see that the body and the family are under attack. People are trying hard to re-define what a family is, couching it in terms of social and personal justice and choice. Some equate the fight against the traditional definition of family with the civil rights movements of the African-Americans. Perhaps a better comparison is to equate it with the fight against Prohibition in the 1920’s. I digress… In today’s society, the family is less about mother, father and children as a unit of progression and love, it seems. People emphasize the individual and have a hard time thinking about others. A central purpose of families is to make you think about others and not yourself. Perhaps the main reason people commit adultery is because of selfishness. They think only of their own desires, wants and needs. Instead of putting forth the hard effort of working out issues with a spouse, they seek the quick and easy way out. But that only leads to more trouble.

Satan also can never have a physical body. Because of this, he does everything he can to make people misuse their bodies. Our society is so infatuated with sensual things. Just look at what our society focuses on. In the movies and T.V. there seems to always be a reference to sex, if not full out portrayal of it. Magazines and music, books and just about every form of entertainment seems to incorporate the carnal side of sex. This is just what Satan wants. If he can get people so focused on sex, if he can make it so mainstream and common place, then people will have no problem abusing it.

So what happens when this commandment is obeyed. First of all, the family remains intact. Fathers and mothers love each other and are faithful. There are numerous studies that show that children without a stable family life don’t do as well as those with a stable family. I’m sure you can pick any number of people you know and find how that is true. How many fights, wars, and deaths have been the result of breaking this commandment? Those would all be done away with. There would be no prostituting of bodies in order to make money, or in the name of “art” or entertainment. Our Hollywood stars seem more like porn stars than actors and actresses. Anyhow, a lot of good would come from keeping this commandment.