When I was young girl in primary, I remember learning the third commandment, “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.” I was taught that I should only speak the Lord’s name with reverence and respect. Although I understood the importance of this commandment, I always thought it was a relatively simple one. Little did I know it really means so much more.
To take God’s name in vain is to fail to acknowledge God for who He is. It’s to treat Him, His work and His word in a way that robs Him of His infinite glory. The way we choose to take upon God’s name shows in how our speech and actions relate to our love for Him. As I started to ponder about how I was lacking to represent God in the way I desired, I discovered several ways I had been taking His name in vain without ever cursing.
When our prayers are thoughtless repetitions.
We are taught in 3 Nephi not to use vain repetitions when we pray. It’s not necessarily the repetitive words we say that are vain, but the lack of sincerity when we say them.
President Oaks said, “If you’re not careful, it’s easy to get into a rut of saying the same things the same way in your prayers. Instead, be sincere when you pray, and think about what you are saying.”
When we inattentively sing the hymns or don’t sing them at all.
Many of us know the words to the hymns backwards and forwards. They pass through our lips without a second thought. Brad Wilcox said, “The good news is we are familiar with the sacrament hymns. The bad news is we are familiar with the sacrament hymns.”
As we sing the hymns we have the opportunity to fill our hearts and minds with their heavenly influence. They can help us draw closer to the Lord and strive to keep all of His commandments.
When we don’t listen to the sacrament prayers.
The sacrament prayers are among the few set of prayers that God has set for us word for word. He obviously wants us to ponder their sacred words regularly. But how often do we hear them without really listening to them? Like the words of the hymns, their familiarity can be a blessing and a curse.
Maybe it’s because God understands our human weakness that He invites us to partake of the sacrament weekly.
When we don’t stand up for the truth.
False doctrine is a type of speech that takes the name of the Lord in vain. But when we simply stay quiet when others spread lies about God, are we any better?
Joseph B. Wirthlin said, “Integrity means always doing what is right and good, regardless of the immediate consequences. It means being righteous from the very depth of our soul, not only in our actions but, more importantly, in our thoughts and in our hearts.”
When our actions are contrary to our words.
Whenever we fail to live up to what God requires while claiming to be a disciple of Christ, we take the name of God in vain. In Matthew 15, Christ says, “This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.”
We are asked to praise God in our words and in every aspect of our lives. We must worship him with all our might, mind, and strength, and with our whole soul.
As members of His church, we promise to take upon us the name of Christ. When our thoughts and actions are contrary to His teachings, or simply lacking sincerity, it is all in vain. Compassionately, Christ gives us the endless opportunity to become better through His atonement.
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One Response
This is so good ❤️