Sin

(1) Sin in General

(2) Evil Speaking

(3) Murder

(4) Pride

(5) Sexual Immorality

1. Chastity

2. Adultery

3. Fornication

4. Homosexuality

5. Bestiality

6. Repentance from Sexual Sin

(6) Sorcery

(7) Unrighteous Dominion

(8) Worshipping False Gods

(1) Sin in General

751. Sin is the willful breaking of divine law.

Sin is the transgression of divine law. A man sins when he violates his conscience, going contrary to light and knowledge-not the light and knowledge that has come to his neighbor, but that which has come to himself. He sins when he does the opposite of what he knows to be right. Up to that point he only blunders. One may suffer painful consequences for only blundering, but he cannot commit sin unless he knows better than to do the thing in which the sin consists. One must have a conscience before he can violate it. (Cowley and Whitney on Doctrine, pp. 435-36) TLDP:631

Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. (John writes to the churches in Asia) 1Jn.3:4

Sin is something so universal that all of you know about it, and all preachers of righteousness and indeed all honest souls are opposed to it. Sin may be defined as any want of conformity to or transgression of a rule or law or right or duty, as made known by your conscience or the revealed word of God. Such non-conformity or transgression of divine law might be either by omission or commission, or in other words sin may be either the willful breaking of divine law or you may sin by your failure and neglect in thought, word or deed to keep the commandments of the Lord. One may sin by being hasty in judgment on vital issues or where the welfare of a human soul is at stake, and "he that forgiveth not his brother his trespasses standeth condemned before the Lord; for there remaineth in him the greater sin." (D&C 64:9) (Decisions for Successful Living, p. 82) TLDP:631

Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin. (James writes to his brethren in the Church) James 4:17

quoted by John A. Widtsoe

Sin consists in doing wrong when we know and can do better, and it will be punished with a just retribution, in the due time of the Lord. (In Tabernacle, Dec. 18, 1853) DBY:28

752. There is no sin without knowledge of good and evil.

quoted by Mormon

[H]e that knoweth not good from evil is blameless. . . . (Alma discourses on the principle of repentance, about 76 B.C.) Alma 29:5

Sin is the transgression of divine law. A man sins when he violates his conscience, going contrary to light and knowledge-not the light and knowledge that has come to his neighbor, but that which has come to himself. He sins when he does the opposite of what he knows to be right. Up to that point he only blunders. One may suffer painful consequences for only blundering, but he cannot commit sin unless he knows better than to do the thing in which the sin consists. One must have a conscience before he can violate it. (Cowley and Whitney on Doctrine, pp. 435-36) TLDP:631

quoted by John

Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth. (Jesus responds to the Pharisees) John 9:41

quoted by Nephi

Wherefore, he has given a law; and where there is no law given there is no punishment; and where there is no punishment there is no condemnation. . . . (Jacob to the people of Nephi, 559-545 B.C.) 2Ne.9:25

According to the technical definition of sin it consists in the violation of law, and in this strict sense sin may be committed inadvertently or in ignorance. It is plain, however, from the scriptural doctrine of human responsibility and the unerring justice of God, that in his transgressions as in his righteous deeds man will be judged according to his ability to comprehend and obey law. To him who has never been made acquainted with a higher law the requirements of that law do not apply in their fulness. For sins committed without knowledge-that is, for laws violated in ignorance-a propitiation has been provided in the atonement wrought through the sacrifice of the Savior; and sinners of this class do not stand condemned, but shall be given opportunity yet to learn and to accept or reject the principles of the Gospel. AF:52-53

We shall not be cast off . . . for those sins, which we ignorantly commit, which are the results of misunderstanding in all honesty before the Lord. The difficulty does not lie here; the danger lies in our failing to live up to that which we do know to be right and proper. For this we will be held responsible before the Lord; for this we will be judged and condemned unless we repent. (In Tabernacle, July 7, 1878, JD20:26) TLDP:323

Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin. (James writes to his brethren in the Church) James 4:17

quoted by Mormon

And now, how much more cursed is he that knoweth the will of God and doeth it not, than he that only believeth, or only hath cause to believe, and falleth into transgression? (Alma preaches to the poor whose afflictions had humbled them, about 74 B.C.) Alma 32:19

quoted by Elder Joseph Fielding Smith

Again, if men sin wilfully after they have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation to come, which shall devour these adversaries. (Letter to the Church from Liberty Jail, Dec. 16, 1838) HC3:226-33; TPJS:128

[I]t becometh every man who hath been warned to warn his neighbor. 82. Therefore, they are left without excuse, and their sins are upon their own heads. (Revelation Dec. 27/28, 1832; the "olive leaf message of peace") D&C 88:81-82

quoted by his son Nephi

[T]hey would have remained in a state of innocence, having no joy, for they knew no misery; doing no good, for they knew no sin. (Lehi teaches his sons, between 588-570 B.C.) 2Ne.2:23

753. We are to shun all evil.

It is not necessary that our young people should know of the wickedness carried on in any place. Such knowledge is not elevating, and it is quite likely that more than one young man can trace the first step of his downfall to a curiosity which led him into questionable places. Let the young men of Zion, whether they be on missions or whether they be at home, shun all dens of infamy. It is not necessary that they should know what is going on in such places. No man is better or stronger for such knowledge. Let them remember that "the knowledge of sin tempteth to its commission," and then avoid those temptations that in time to come may threaten their virtue and their standing in the Church of Christ. (Juvenile Instructor, vol. 37, May 1902, p. 304; Gospel Doctrine, p. 373) TLDP:631

My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not. Prov.1:10

The importance of not accommodating temptation in the least degree is underlined by the Savior's example. Did not he recognize the danger when he was on the mountain with his fallen brother, Lucifer, being sorely tempted by that master tempter? He could have opened the door and flirted with danger by saying, "All right, Satan, I'll listen to your proposition. I need not succumb, I need not yield, I need not accept-but I'll listen."

Christ did not so rationalize. He positively and promptly closed the discussion, and commanded: "Get thee hence, Satan," meaning, likely, "Get out of my sight-get out of my presence-I will not listen-I will have nothing to do with you." Then, we read, "the devil leaveth him."

This is our proper pattern, if we would prevent sin rather than be faced with the much more difficult task of curing it. As I study the story of the Redeemer and his temptations, I am certain he spent his energies fortifying himself against temptation rather than battling with it to conquer it. (The Miracle of Forgiveness, p. 216) TLDP:681

Naturally the question arises: How could these men [Oliver Cowdery and David Whitmer], both of whom had seen the angelic guardian of the plates from which the Book of Mormon was translated and the plates themselves, and one of whom in addition had been privileged to have conversed with heavenly beings, John the Baptist, Peter, James and John-how could such men so conduct themselves as to endanger their Church membership or be content to remain outside the Church? They had knowledge, beyond that of other men, of the reality and divinity of the events which led to the organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The answer to the question is simple, well understood by all. These brethren did not use their knowledge in conformity with the order of the Church as set forth in the revelations of the Lord. That is, they entered forbidden paths; they did not obey the commandments of God. The practices of their lives did not correspond with their knowledge. CR1938Apr:49

recorded in Matthew

And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. (Jesus trains and instructs the Twelve) Matt.10:28

Awake, my soul No longer droop in sin. Rejoice, O my heart, and give place no more for the enemy of my soul. (Nephi writes on plates shortly after the death of his father Lehi, 588-570 B.C.) 2Ne.4:28

O Lord, wilt thou redeem my soul? Wilt thou deliver me out of the hands of mine enemies? Wilt thou make me that I may shake at the appearance of sin? (Nephi writes on plates shortly after the death of his father Lehi, 588-570 B.C.) 2Ne.4:31

754. Sin makes a person spiritually unclean.

All men have sinned. Each person is therefore unclean to the extent to which he has sinned, and because of that uncleanness is banished from the presence of the Lord so long as the effect of his own wrongdoing is upon him. CR1982Apr:9

Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.

16. They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate. (Paul's letter to his companion Titus, about A.D. 64) Titus 1:15-16

The Spirit of the Lord will not dwell in unclean tabernacles, and when the spirit is withdrawn, darkness supersedes the light, and apostasy will follow. This is one of the greatest evidences of the divinity of this latter-day work. In other organizations men may commit all manner of sin and still retain their membership, because they have no companionship with the Holy Ghost to lose: but in the Church when a man sins and continues without repentance, the Spirit is withdrawn, and when he is left to himself the adversary takes possession of his mind and he denies the faith. (Doctrines of Salvation, 3:309) TLDP:632

Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place?

4. He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. Ps.24:3-4

quoted by Mormon

For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father. (King Benjamin addresses his people, about 124 B.C.) Mosiah 3:19

quoted by Mormon

And I say unto you again that he cannot save them in their sins; for I cannot deny his word, and he hath said that no unclean thing can inherit the kingdom of heaven; therefore, how can ye be saved, except ye inherit the kingdom of heaven? Therefore, ye cannot be saved in your sins. (Amulek contends with the lawyer Zeezrom, about 82 B.C.) Alma 11:37

quoted by Mormon

And he doth not dwell in unholy temples; neither can filthiness or anything which is unclean be received into the kingdom of God; therefore I say unto you the time shall come, yea, and it shall be at the last day, that he who is filthy shall remain in his filthiness. (Alma preaches to the people in Gideon, about 83 B.C.) Alma 7:21

But, wo, wo, unto you that are not pure in heart, that are filthy this day before God; for except ye repent the land is cursed for your sakes; and the Lamanites, which are not filthy like unto you, nevertheless they are cursed with a sore cursing, shall scourge you even unto destruction. (Jacob addresses the Nephites, those who are pure in heart, 544-421 B.C.) Jacob 3:3

755. The Lord cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance.

receiving the Word of the Lord

For I the Lord cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance;

32. Nevertheless, he that repents and does the commandments of the Lord shall be forgiven;

33. And he that repents not, from him shall be taken even the light which he has received; for my Spirit shall not always strive with man, saith the Lord of Hosts. (Revelation received at a conference of elders of the Church, Nov. 1, 1831) D&C 1:31-33

Marvel not, my hearers, that all things are in commotion. The hour of God's judgment is at hand. War, famine, pestilence, earthquake, tempest and tidal wave-these are among the predicted signs of the Savior's second coming. Tyranny and wickedness must be overthrown, and the way prepared for him who, though gracious and merciful to all, and forgiving to sinners who repent, "cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance." Earth must be freed from all oppression and cleansed from all iniquity. It is God's house; he is coming to live in it, and to make of it a glorified mansion. The world is in its Saturday night; house cleaning is in progress; and the work of purification must be done and out of the way before the Lord of the Sabbath appears. ("The Everlasting Gospel," IE1925Feb:317) TLDP:345

But behold, hearken ye unto me, and know that by the help of the all-powerful Creator of heaven and earth I can tell you concerning your thoughts, how that ye are beginning to labor in sin, which sin appeareth very abominable unto me, yea, and abominable unto God. (Jacob teaches the Nephites in the temple, 544-421 B.C.) Jacob 2:5

Think of that-the suggestion that a little sin will be justified, yet in the very first revelation contained in the Doctrine and Covenants, that which is known as the Preface, we find these words: "For I the Lord cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance."

Yet there are those who would say that because it is a little sin our Heavenly Father does not care.

. . . . Whether it be a lie intended to affect a religious organization, a business organization, a political organization, or an individual, the lie will brand the one who tells it, and sooner or later he will have to account for the wrong he has committed. CR1932Oct:28-29

quoted by Mormon

And he said: Thus saith the Lord God-Cursed shall be the land, yea, this land, unto every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, unto destruction, which do wickedly, when they are fully ripe; and as I have said so shall it be; for this is the cursing and the blessing of God upon the land, for the Lord cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance. (Alma blesses the earth for the sake of the righteous, 73 B.C.) Alma 45:16

And through it all we must remember that the pleading sinner, desiring to make restitution for his acts, must also forgive others of all offenses committed against him. The Lord will not forgive us unless our hearts are fully purged of all hate, bitterness and accusation against our fellowmen. . . .

The Lord says:

. . . I the Lord cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance;

Nevertheless, he that repents and does the commandments of the Lord shall be forgiven. (D&C 1:31-32) (The Miracle of Forgiveness, p. 200-01) TLDP:550

Not only in numbers have we become a "marvelous work and a wonder" in a little less than one hundred years; but in a greater and a larger sense have we become a marvelous people, for we have impressed our thought upon the whole world. The world does not believe today as it did ninety years ago. A few days ago I picked up a recent number of a great magazine, and my feelings were roused within me and my testimony increased, when I found one of the writers declaring to the readers of the magazine that "God cannot look upon sin with the least degree of tolerance," borrowed almost word for word, from section one of the Doctrine and Covenants. In such a way have the doctrines taught by the despised Latter-day Saints been appropriated by the nations of the earth; and whether the people of the earth accept the inspiration of Joseph Smith, nevertheless, in fact, the whole current of human thought has been changed by the doctrines of this people. That is perhaps the greatest achievement of "Mormonism." CR1921Oct:108-09

756. There is sin in omission: to know the will of God and fail to act is sin.

Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin. (James writes to his brethren in the Church) James 4:17

Sin may be defined as any want of conformity to or transgression of a rule or law or right or duty, as made known by your conscience or the revealed word of God. Such non-conformity or transgression of divine law might be either by omission or commission, or in other words sin may be either the willful breaking of divine law or you may sin by your failure and neglect in thought, word or deed to keep the commandments of the Lord. One may sin by being hasty in judgment on vital issues or where the welfare of a human soul is at stake, and "he that forgiveth not his brother his trespasses standeth condemned before the Lord; for there remaineth in him the greater sin." (D&C 64:9) (Decisions for Successful Living, p. 82) TLDP:631

quoted by Mormon

And now, how much more cursed is he that knoweth the will of God and doeth it not, than he that only believeth, or only hath cause to believe, and falleth into transgression? (Alma preaches to the poor whose afflictions had humbled them, about 74 B.C.) Alma 32:19

Yes, sins of omission have much in common with those of commission. As we have seen, one common feature is their potential for damning the sinner. (The Miracle of Forgiveness, p. 101) TLDP:631

757. All people sin.

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Paul writes to the Church in Rome, about A.D. 55) Rom.3:23

[A]nd as all men sin[,] forgive the transgressions of thy people, and let them be blotted out forever. (Prayer given to Joseph Smith by revelation and offered at the dedication of the Kirtland Temple on March 27, 1836) D&C 109:34

From the days of Adam until today, Satan has fought against Christ for the souls of men. Every person who has reached the age of accountability, except Jesus, has yielded in some degree to sin, some more and some less, but all save Jesus only have yielded sufficiently to be barred from the presence of God. This means that every person must be cleansed through the atonement of Jesus Christ in order to reenter the society of God. ("Jesus-Savior and Redeemer," Brigham Young University Speeches of the Year, 1978, p. 11) TLDP:633

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

9. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

10. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. (John writes to the churches in Asia) 1Jn.1:8-10

I do not believe that any man lives up to his ideals, but if we are striving, if we are working, if we are trying, to the best of our ability, to improve day by day, then we are in the line of our duty. If we are seeking to remedy our own defects, if we are so living that we can ask God for light, for knowledge, for intelligence, and above all, for His Spirit, that we may overcome our weaknesses, then, I can tell you, we are in the straight and narrow path that leads to life eternal. Then we need have no fear. CR1909Apr:111; DGSM:40

For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not. (Reflections of a son of David the king) Eccl.7:20

As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: (Letter to the Church in Rome, about A.D. 55) Rom.3:10

quoted by John

He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. (The scribes and Pharisees bring a woman taken in adultery before Jesus) John 8:7

For there is an advantage, there is a blessing and an enlargement of the soul that comes to the man who obeys the word and will of the Lord. It is better that we have done God's will than that we should have need to be forgiven for neglecting it. It is better not to have been a sinner. It is better that our sins should be very light, and not of a serious nature, than that they should be deadly sins. It is better that we should live without sin, and be like the Son of God. It is not necessary that we should be sinners. God has designed that we should not be sinners, but that we should live lives of purity and righteousness and walk in obedience to His will, as the Savior did. CR1899Oct:35

758. When we commit sins we must suffer the penalties.

We are concerned that too many times the interviewing leader in his personal sympathies for the transgressor, and in his love perhaps for the family of the transgressor, is inclined to waive the discipline which that transgressor demands.

Too often a transgressor is forgiven and all penalties waived when that person should have been disfellowshipped or excommunicated. Too often a sinner is disfellowshipped when he or she should have been excommunicated.

. . . . There can be no forgiveness without real and total repentance, and there can be no repentance without punishment. This is as eternal as is the soul.

. . . . [W]hen a man has committed sin, he must suffer. It is an absolute requirement-not by the bishop-but it is a requirement by nature and by the very part of a man. CR1975Apr:116

The eternal power of choice was respected by the Lord himself. That throws a flood of light on the "Fall." It really converts the command into a warning, as much as if to say, if you do this thing, you will bring upon yourself a certain punishment. . . .

In the heavens above, as in the earth below, law prevails. No one can escape the consequences of the acceptance or rejection of law. Cause and effect are eternally related. (Evidences and Reconciliations, pp. 192-95) TLDP:187-88

I have never committed a sin in this Church and kingdom, but what it has cost me a thousand times more than it was worth. We cannot sin with impunity; we cannot neglect any counsel with impunity, but what it will bring sorrow. (In Assembly Hall, July 4, 1880, JD21:284) TLDP:631

Elder Spencer W. Kimball

We might add that one's position makes no difference to the inescapability of the consequences of sin. In the Church, the bishop, the stake president, the apostle-all are subject to the same laws of right living, and penalties follow their sins just as for the other members of the Church. None are exempt from the results of sin, as regards either Church action against the offender or the effects of sin upon the soul. (The Miracle of Forgiveness, p. 145) TLDP:632

The heaviest burden that one has to bear in this life is the burden of sin. CR1973Apr:177

receiving the Word of the Lord

Therefore I command you to repent-repent, lest I smite you by the rod of my mouth, and by my wrath, and by my anger, and your sufferings be sore-how sore you know not, how exquisite you know not, yea, how hard to bear you know not.

16. For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent;

17. But if they would not repent they must suffer even as I;

18. Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit-and would that I might not drink the bitter cup, and shrink-

19. Nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and finished my preparations unto the children of men. 20. Wherefore, I command you again to repent, lest I humble you with my almighty power; and that you confess your sins, lest you suffer these punishments of which I have spoken, of which in the smallest, yea, even in the least degree you have tasted at the time I withdrew my Spirit. (Christ announces himself and gives a commandment of God for Martin Harris, March 1830) D&C 19:15-20

[Y]our sins have withholden good things from you. (The prophet Jeremiah foretells judgments to be poured out upon the Jews because of their sins) Jer.5:25

There is no happiness in sin, and when we depart from the path of righteousness we begin to do those things which will inevitably lead us to unhappiness and misery and loss of freedom. CR1977Apr:21

759. The final consequence of unrepented sin is spiritual death.

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Paul writes to the Church in Rome, about A.D. 55) Rom.6:23

quoted by Mormon

And I say unto you again that he cannot save them in their sins; for I cannot deny his word, and he hath said that no unclean thing can inherit the kingdom of heaven; therefore, how can ye be saved, except ye inherit the kingdom of heaven? Therefore, ye cannot be saved in your sins. (Amulek contends with the lawyer Zeezrom, about 82 B.C.) Alma 11:37

One must come to a realization of the seriousness of his sin. Since the beginning there has been in the world a wide range of sins. Many of them involve harm to others, but every sin is against ourselves and God, for sins limit our progress, curtail our development, and estrange us from good people, good influences, and from our Lord. (President Kimball Speaks Out, p. 6) TLDP:633

[S]in, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. (James writes to his brethren in the Church) James 1:15

Self-respect, deference for sacred things, and personal purity are the beginnings and the essence of wisdom. The doctrines of the gospel, the Church restraint, are like school-masters to keep us in the line of duty. If it were not for these schoolmasters, we would perish and be overcome by the evil about us. We see men who have freed themselves from Church restraint and from the precious doctrines of the gospel, who perish about us every day They boast of freedom, but are the slaves of sin.

Let me admonish you to permit the gospel schoolmaster to teach you self-respect and to keep you pure and free from secret sins that bring not only physical punishment, but sure spiritual death. You cannot hide the penalty which God has affixed to them-a penalty often worse than death. It is the loss of self-respect, it is physical debility, it is insanity, indifference to all powers that are good and noble-all these follow in the wake of the sinner in secret, and of the unchaste. Unchastity, furthermore, not only fixes its penalty on the one who transgresses, but reaches out unerring punishment to the third and fourth generation, making not only the transgressor a wreck, but mayhap involving scores of people in his direct line of relationship, disrupting family ties, breaking the hearts of parents, and causing a black stream of sorrow to overwhelm their lives. (Gospel Doctrine, p. 335) TLDP:631-32

The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. (Letter to the Church at Corinth, Greece, about A.D. 55) 1Cor.15:56

Therefore remember, O man, for all thy doings thou shalt be brought into judgment.

21. Wherefore, if ye have sought to do wickedly in the days of your probation, then ye are found unclean before the judgment-seat of God; and no unclean thing can dwell with God; wherefore, ye must be cast off forever. (Nephi's writings, 600-592 B.C.) 1Ne.10:20-21

quoted by Mormon

And no unclean thing can enter into his kingdom; therefore nothing entereth into his rest save it be those who have washed their garments in my blood, because of their faith, and the repentance of all their sins, and their faithfulness unto the end.

20. Now this is the commandment: Repent, all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me and be baptized in my name, that ye may be sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost, that ye may stand spotless before me at the last day. (The resurrected Jesus Christ calls on the Nephites to repent in contemplation of the final judgment, A.D. 34) 3Ne.27:19-20

recorded in Matthew

And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. (Christ instructs, empowers, and sends the Twelve Apostles forth to preach, minister, and heal the sick) Matt.10:28

[Y]our sins have withholden good things from you. (The prophet Jeremiah foretells judgments to be poured out upon the Jews because of their sins) Jer.5:25

760. We experience joy when we choose the good and reject the evil.

quoted by his son Nephi

And now, behold, if Adam had not transgressed he would not have fallen, but he would have remained in the garden of Eden. And all things which were created must have remained in the same state in which they were after they were created; and they must have remained forever, and had no end.

23. And they would have had no children; wherefore they would have remained in a state of innocence, having no joy, for they knew no misery; doing no good, for they knew no sin.

24. But behold, all things have been done in the wisdom of him who knoweth all things.

25. Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy. (Lehi teaches his sons, between 588-570 B.C.) 2Ne.2:22-25

After their expulsion from Eden into the earth as it is, Adam exults: ". . . . Blessed be the name of God, for because of my transgression my eyes are opened, and in this life I shall have joy, and again in the flesh I shall see God." And Eve seemed almost jubilant: ". . . . Were it not for our transgression we never should have had seed, and never should have known good and evil, and the joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obedient." (Moses 5:10-11)

These were not the words of sinners or of repentant sinners. This was spoken by people who had met and accepted a great challenge, with which, as they imply, God was pleased. . . .

In the joy of Adam and Eve after the "Fall" lies hidden, perhaps, a principle which disputants about this subject have not understood, and which may not as yet be fully comprehended. However, in modern revelation, a clue to understanding of the "Fall" is given, which may be the key to the apparent contradiction.

After Adam had been supplied with a body made "from the dust of the ground," and placed in the garden of Eden, instructions were given him:

"And I, the Lord God, commanded the man, saying: Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat. But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it, nevertheless, thou mayest choose for thyself, for it is given unto thee; but, remember that I forbid it, for in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." (Moses 3:16-17, italics added)

Though a command had been given, Adam was permitted to exercise his free agency. "Thou mayest choose for thyself." The eternal power of choice was respected by the Lord himself. That throws a flood of light on the "Fall." It really converts the command into a warning, as much as if to say, if you do this thing, you will bring upon yourself a certain punishment; but do it if you choose.

Such was the problem before our first parents: to remain forever at selfish ease in the Garden of Eden, or to face unselfishly tribulation and death, in bringing to pass the purposes of the Lord for a host of waiting spirit children. They chose the latter.

This they did with open eyes and minds as to consequences. The memory of their former estates may have been dimmed, but the gospel had been taught them during their sojourn in the Garden of Eden. They could not have been left in complete ignorance of the purpose of their creation. Brigham Young frankly said: "Adam was as conversant with his Father who placed him upon this earth as we are conversant with our earthly parents." [DBY:104] The Prophet Joseph taught that "Adam received commandments and instructions from God; this was the order from the beginning." [TPJS:168]

The choice that they made raises Adam and Eve to pre-eminence among all who have come on earth. The Lord's plan was given life by them. They are indeed, as far as this earth is concerned, our loving father and mother. The "Fall" and the consequent redeeming act of Jesus became the most glorious events in the history of mankind.

In the heavens above, as in the earth below, law prevails. No one can escape the consequences of the acceptance or rejection of law. Cause and effect are eternally related. The Lord had warned Adam and Eve of the hard battle with earth conditions if they chose to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. He would not subject his son and daughter to hardship and the death of their bodies unless it be of their own choice. They must choose for themselves. They chose wisely, in accord with the heavenly law of love for others.

In life all must choose at times. Sometimes, two possibilities are good; neither is evil. Usually, however, one is of greater import than the other. When in doubt, each must choose that which concerns the good of others-the greater law-rather than that which chiefly benefits ourselves-the lesser law. The greater must be chosen whether it be law or thing. That was the choice made in Eden. . . .

. . . . It is a thrilling thought that Adam and Eve were not coerced to begin God's work on earth. They chose to do so, by the exercise of their free agency. It is the lesson for all their children: Seek the truth, choose wisely, and carry the responsibility for our acts. (Evidences and Reconciliations, pp. 192-95) TLDP:188

Thus we find: Firstly, that Adam and Eve both considered that they had gained, instead of suffered loss, through their disobedience to that law; for they made the statement, that if it had not been for their transgression they never would "have known good and evil." And again, they would have been incapable of increase; and without that increase the designs of God in relation to the formation of the earth and man could not have been accomplished; for one great object of the creation of the world was the propagation of the human species, that bodies might be prepared for those spirits who already existed, and who, when they saw the earth formed, shouted for joy. . . .

. . . . God's plan in relation to man was that he should fall, and having fallen and obtained a knowledge of good and evil (which knowledge he could not have obtained without placing himself in that position), then it became necessary that he should know concerning the atonement and redemption which should be brought about through the mediation of Jesus Christ. (The Mediation and Atonement, pp. 130, 187) TLDP:182-83

translating the Book of Moses

Blessed be the name of God, for because of my transgression my eyes are opened, and in this life I shall have joy, and again in the flesh I shall see God.

11. And Eve, his wife, heard all these things and was glad, saying: Were it not for our transgression we never should have had seed, and never should have known good and evil, and the joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obedient. (The record of Moses: Adam prophesies concerning all the families of the earth) Moses 5:10-11

translating the Book of Moses

And I, the Lord God, commanded the man, saying: Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat,

17. But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it, nevertheless, thou mayest choose for thyself, for it is given unto thee; but, remember that I forbid it, for in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. (The Lord reveals to Moses the placing of man in the Garden of Eden) Moses 3:16-17

quoted by Mormon

Now behold, my son, I will explain this thing unto thee. For behold, after the Lord God sent our first parents forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground, from whence they were taken-yea, he drew out the man, and he placed at the east end of the garden of Eden, cherubim, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the tree of life-

3. Now, we see that the man had become as God, knowing good and evil; and lest he should put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat and live forever, the Lord God placed cherubim and the flaming sword, that he should not partake of the fruit-

4. And thus we see, that there was a time granted unto man to repent, yea, a probationary time, a time to repent and serve God. (Alma speaks to his son Corianton; mortality is a probationary time to enable man to repent and serve God, about 73 B.C.) Alma 42:2-4

Awake, my soul No longer droop in sin. Rejoice, O my heart, and give place no more for the enemy of my soul. (Nephi writes on plates shortly after the death of his father Lehi, 588-570 B.C.) 2Ne.4:28

quoted by Mormon

Behold, I say unto you, wickedness never was happiness. (Alma speaks to his son Corianton, concerning the resurrection of the dead, about 73 B.C.) Alma 41:10

761. Because no unclean thing can inherit the celestial kingdom, we cannot enter that kingdom unless we have repented of our sins.

All men have sinned. Each person is therefore unclean to the extent to which he has sinned, and because of that uncleanness is banished from the presence of the Lord so long as the effect of his own wrongdoing is upon him. CR1982Apr:9

quoted by Mormon

And I say unto you again that he cannot save them in their sins; for I cannot deny his word, and he hath said that no unclean thing can inherit the kingdom of heaven; therefore, how can ye be saved, except ye inherit the kingdom of heaven? Therefore, ye cannot be saved in your sins. (Amulek contends with the lawyer Zeezrom, about 82 B.C.) Alma 11:37

quoted by Mormon

For I perceive that ye are in the paths of righteousness; I perceive that ye are in the path which leads to the kingdom of God; yea, I perceive that ye are making his paths straight.

20. I perceive that it has been made known unto you, by the testimony of his word, that he cannot walk in crooked paths; neither doth he vary from that which he hath said; neither hath he a shadow of turning from the right to the left, or from that which is right to that which is wrong; therefore, his course is one eternal round.

21. And he doth not dwell in unholy temples; neither can filthiness or anything which is unclean be received into the kingdom of God; therefore I say unto you the time shall come, yea, and it shall be at the last day, that he who is filthy shall remain in his filthiness. (Alma preaches to the people in Gideon, about 83 B.C.) Alma 7:19-21

But no man is possessor of all things except he be purified and cleansed from all sin. (Revelation received for the elders of the Church, May 1831) D&C 50:28

Cleanliness of life will bring the reward of exaltation and an eternal existence in the kingdom of God. If we choose the evil, the reward will be in punishment. Eventually every sin will have to be righted. Our Savior paid the price of our transgressions if we do not sin a sin worthy of eternal death and humbly keep his commandments; otherwise he has said, we must suffer even as did he. CR1964Apr:108

Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place?

4. He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. Ps.24:3-4

762. The person who persists in sin cannot have joy, for wickedness never was happiness.

quoted by Mormon

Behold, I say unto you, wickedness never was happiness. (Alma speaks to his son Corianton, concerning the resurrection of the dead, about 73 B.C.) Alma 41:10

We learn from this revelation [D&C 93:38] that in the beginning of mortal life all mankind is innocent before God and, therefore, is like the beginning river of water, pure and undefiled. As the polluted tributaries of water enter the main stream, our lives too become polluted when we allow tributaries of evil and wickedness to enter. It is these tributaries of evil we must be concerned about and fortify ourselves against. Wickedness never was happiness, but to the contrary, it is depressing; it destroys conscience and ultimately the spiritual life of the constant, erring individual. CR1971Oct:105

Happiness leaves no bad after-taste, it is followed by no depressing reaction; it calls for no repentance, brings no regret, entails no remorse; pleasure too often makes necessary repentance, contrition, and suffering; and, if indulged to the extreme, it brings degradation and destruction.

True happiness is lived over and over again in memory, always with a renewal of the original good; a moment of unholy pleasure may leave a barbed sting, which, like a thorn in the flesh, is an ever-present source of anguish. ("A Greeting to the Missionaries," IE1913Dec:173) TLDP:318-19

(2) Evil Speaking

763. We are not to speak evil of another-to slander or malign others.

Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. (James writes to his brethren in the Church) James 4:11

[T]here are many who are thoughtless, who speak lightly and carelessly and disrespectfully of leaders and principles and sacred phases of this Church. I think it is a shame to jest about sacred things and sometimes it is as blasphemous as taking the name of God in vain. I rebuke those who do it and I call upon them to stop and think. If they will but think, I believe they will realize the incalculable harm they do, the faith they destroy and the unhappiness they bring.

. . . . Certain it is that a large part of the unhappiness of the world results from inconsiderate judgment. Many a pillow is wet with the sobs of those who are its victims. We cannot read the hearts of man [of men]. We may not know their good intentions. We often judge them by their failures, and we are unkind enough to circulate our judgment in the form of rumors and gossip and thus do irreparable damage. CR1938Oct:117

Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:

32. And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. (Letter to the Saints at Ephesus in Asia Minor, about A.D. 62) Eph.4:31-32

We ask thee, Holy Father, to confound, and astonish, and to bring to shame and confusion, all those who have spread lying reports abroad, over the world, against thy servant or servants, if they will not repent, when the everlasting gospel shall be proclaimed in their ears;

30. And that all their works may be brought to naught, and be swept away by the hail, and by the judgments which thou wilt send upon them in thine anger, that there may be an end to lyings and slanders against thy people. (Prayer given to Joseph Smith by revelation and offered at the dedication of the Kirtland Temple on March 27, 1836) D&C 109:29-30

Thy voice shall be a rebuke unto the transgressor; and at thy rebuke let the tongue of the slanderer cease its perverseness. (Revelation for Thomas B. Marsh concerning the Twelve Apostles; received on the day on which the gospel was first preached in England, July 23, 1837) D&C 112:9

Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off: him that hath an high look and a proud heart will not I suffer. Ps.101:5

Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile. Ps.34:13

quoted by Elder Joseph Fielding Smith

When all men speak evil of you falsely, blessed are ye. Shall a man be considered bad, when men speak evil of him? No. If a man stands and opposes the world of sin, he may expect to have all wicked and corrupt spirits arrayed against him. But it will be but a little season, and all these afflictions will be turned away from us, inasmuch as we are faithful, and are not overcome by these evils. By seeing the blessings of the endowment rolling on, and the kingdom increasing and spreading from sea to sea, we shall rejoice that we were not overcome by these foolish things. (At Relief Society meeting, Nauvoo, Ill., minutes by Eliza R. Snow) HC5:139-41; TPJS:259

He that hideth hatred with lying lips, and he that uttereth a slander, is a fool.

21. The lips of the righteous feed many: but fools die for want of wisdom. Prov.10:18,21

764. We should not gossip about others.

Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people: neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbour: I am the LORD. (Revelation to Moses for the children of Israel) Lev.19:16

Of course, no one sees himself in this category. It is always the other person who gossips, invents tales, slanders, and is double-tongued. But are not we all guilty to some degree and do not all of us need introspection, self-analysis and then repentance? (The Miracle of Forgiveness, p. 52) TLDP:289-90

Certain it is that a large part of the unhappiness in the world results from inconsiderate judgment. Many a pillow is wet with the sobs of those who are its victims. We cannot read the hearts of man. We may not know their good intentions. We often judge them by their failures, and we are unkind enough to circulate our judgment in the form of rumors and gossip and thus do irreparable damage. CR1938Oct:117

Many of us . . . nurse our ill will until it grows to hatred; then this hatred expresses itself in fault-finding and even slander, "whose whisper over the world's diameter as level as a cannon to its mouth, transports its poison shot." Backbiting, faultfinding are weeds of discord and thrive best in superficial minds, as fungus grows best on weakened plants.

"Bear ye one another's burdens," but do not add to those burdens by gossiping about your neighbors or by spreading slander. (Pathways to Happiness, p. 211) TLDP:467

And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless.

11. Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things. (Paul writes to his assistant Timothy, about A.D. 64) 1Tim.3:10-11

Being filled with all unrighteousness . . . wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, . . . debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,

30. Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, . . .

32. 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. (Paul writes to the Church in Rome regarding the unrighteous, about A.D. 55) Rom.1:29-30,32

recorded in Matthew

But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.

37. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. (Jesus teaches the people) Matt.12:36-37

Author's Note: Gossiper: A person who perpetuates rumors, or slanders, or is double-tongued, or invents tales, etc., etc.

765. We are not to use vulgar or filthy language.

Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. (Paul writes to the Saints at Ephesus in Asia Minor, about A.D. 62) Eph.4:29

Included in this group of sinners are those mentioned by Paul: flatterers, double-tongued, slanderers, filthy communicators, those who are envious, spiteful, jealous, bitter, biters and devourers of each other, defilers, revilers, evil speakers, provokers, haters, inventors of evil things, stumbling blocks.

Of course, no one sees himself in this category. . . . But are not we all guilty to some degree and do not all of us need introspection, self-analysis and then repentance? (The Miracle of Forgiveness, p. 52) TLDP:289-90

But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.

9. Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.

10. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.

11. Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?

12. Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.

13. Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. (James writes to his brethren in the Church) James 3:8-13

I cannot pass this point without importuning some of my brethren to stop swearing. No man can love God and damn him any more than he can love his wife and damn her. Think again, please. Think of the utter futility of this vulgar habit. Think of its effect on youth. Men teach boys profanity. It is not congenital with the race. It is the nature of man to love God and not to damn him. CR1938Oct:117

When you arrive on our shores, and while sailing up our rivers, you need not be surprised if your ears are saluted by the false and filthy language of wicked and designing men who are ever ready to speak evil of the things they understand not, and who would gladly blast the character of the Prophet of the Most High God, and all connected with him, with their foul anathemas, beyond anything you ever thought of. We would not dishearten you, neither would we have you ignorant of the worst that awaits the righteous.

If the Saints are not prepared to rejoice and be glad when they hear the name of the Prophet and their own name cast out as evil, as gluttonous, winebibber, friend of publicans and sinners, Beelzebub, thief, robber and murderer, they are not prepared for the gathering. The wheat and tares must grow together till the harvest; at the harvest the wheat is gathered together into the threshing floor, so with the Saints-the stakes are the threshing floor. Here they will be threshed with all sorts of difficulties, trials, afflictions and everything to mar their peace, which they can imagine, and thousands which they cannot imagine, but he that endures the threshing till all the chaff, superstition, folly and unbelief are pounded out of him, and does not suffer himself to be blown away as chaff by the foul blast of slander, but endures faithfully to the end, shall be saved. (Epistle of the Twelve to the Saints in England and elsewhere, Nov. 15, 1841) HC4:451-52

When we join the Church and receive the priesthood, we are expected to forsake many of the ways of the world and live as becometh saints. We are no longer to dress or speak or act or even think as others too often do. Many in the world use tea, coffee, tobacco, and liquor, and are involved in the use of drugs. Many profane and are vulgar and indecent, immoral and unclean in their lives, but all these things should be foreign to us. We are the saints of the Most High. We hold the holy priesthood. CR1971Apr:47

But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.

9. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;

10. And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: (Letter from prison to the Church in Colossae, Asia Minor, about A.D. 60) Col.3:8-10

How vain and trifling have been our spirits, our conferences, our councils, our meetings, our private as well as public conversations-too low, too mean, too vulgar, too condescending for the dignified characters of the called and chosen of God. . . . (Epistle to the Church from Liberty Jail, March 25, 1839) HC3:295-96

quoted by Mormon

Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.

18. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. (The resurrected Jesus teaches the Nephites, A.D. 34) 3Ne.14:17-18

receiving the Word of the Lord

Verily I say unto you, ye are clean, but not all; and there is none else with whom I am well pleased;

11. For all flesh is corrupted before me; and the powers of darkness prevail upon the earth, among the children of men, in the presence of all the hosts of heaven- (Revelation of commandments to Saints in conference, Jan. 2, 1831) D&C 38:10-11

766. We shall not profane the name of God; we are to use the name of the Lord reverently.

This scripture [D&C 63:61-62] shows that we take the name of the Lord in vain when we use his name without authority. This obviously occurs when the sacred names of God the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ, are used in what is called profanity: in hateful cursings, in angry denunciations, or as marks of punctuation in common discourse. . . .

Profanity is profoundly offensive to those who worship the God whose name is desecrated. We all remember how a prophet reacted from a hospital bed when an operating room attendant stumbled and cursed in his presence. Even half-conscious, Elder [Spencer W.] Kimball "recoiled and implored: 'Please Please That is my Lord whose names you revile.'" CR1986Apr:66,68

Neither shall ye profane my holy name; but I will be hallowed among the children of Israel: I am the LORD which hallow you, (Revelation to Moses for the children of Israel) Lev.22:32

[N]either shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD. (Revelation to Moses for the children of Israel) Lev.18:21

I say to the fathers and mothers of Israel, and to the boys who have been born in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: I say it to men and boys throughout the world, as far as my words may go-I plead with you, I implore you not to offend the Lord, nor to offend honorable men and women, by the use of profanity. ("A Sermon on Purity," IE1903May:504) TLDP:89

And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes. (The word of the Lord to Israel, through the prophet Ezekiel) Ezek.36:23

I cannot pass this point without importuning some of my brethren to stop swearing. No man can love God and damn him any more than he can love his wife and damn her. Think again, please. Think of the utter futility of this vulgar habit. Think of its effect on youth. Men teach boys profanity. It is not congenital with the race. It is the nature of man to love God and not to damn him. CR1938Oct:117

Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. (The Lord reveals the third of the Ten Commandments to Moses) Ex.20:7

quoted by Mormon

Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. (Abinadi teaches the Ten Commandments to the people of the wicked King Noah, about 148 B.C.) Mosiah 13:15

receiving the Word of the Lord

Wherefore, let all men beware how they take my name in their lips-

62. For behold, verily I say, that many there be who are under this condemnation, who use the name of the Lord, and use it in vain, having not authority. (Revelation, Aug. 1831) D&C 63:61-62

Keep yourselves from evil to take the name of the Lord in vain, for I am the Lord your God, even the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob. (Revelation received at Winter Quarters, Jan. 14, 1847) D&C 136:21

Remember that that which cometh from above is sacred, and must be spoken with care, and by constraint of the Spirit; and in this there is no condemnation, and ye receive the Spirit through prayer; wherefore, without this there remaineth condemnation. (Revelation received at Kirtland, Ohio, Aug. 1831) D&C 63:64

quoted by Joseph Smith,

translating Matthew

And the mysteries of the kingdom ye shall keep within yourselves; for it is not meet to give that which is holy unto the dogs; neither cast ye your pearls unto swine, lest they trample them under their feet.

11. For the world cannot receive that which ye, yourselves, are not able to bear; wherefore ye shall not give your pearls unto them, lest they turn again and rend you. (Jesus concludes the Sermon on the Mount) JST Matt.7:10-11

For it is not meet that the things which belong to the children of the kingdom should be given to them that are not worthy, or to dogs, or the pearls to be cast before swine. (Revelation, Feb. 4, 1831) D&C 41:6

Speak unto Aaron and to his sons, that they separate themselves from the holy things of the children of Israel, and that they profane not my holy name in those things which they hallow unto me: I am the LORD. (Revelation to Moses for the children of Israel) Lev.22:2

Author's Note: Profane: "Irreverent toward God or holy things; speaking or spoken, acting or acted in contempt of sacred things or implying it; blasphemous; polluted; [desecrated]." (The New Webster Encyclopedic Dictionary of the English Language, p. 663)

767. We are not to bear false witness or accuse others falsely.

Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. (The Lord reveals the ninth of the Ten Commandments to Moses) Ex.20:16

Thou shalt not raise a false report: put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness. (The Lord reveals his laws for ancient Israel pertaining to integrity and godly conduct) Ex.23:1

The sin of false witness is committed in many ways. Guilty ones are gossipers and bearers of tales, whisperers, those destitute of truth, liars, quarrelers, deceitful persons. Sometimes these weaknesses are thought of as minor, yet they break hearts, destroy reputations and wreck lives. . . .

Included in this group of sinners are those mentioned by Paul: flatterers, double-tongued, slanderers, filthy communicators, those who are envious, spiteful, jealous, bitter, biters and devourers of each other, defilers, revilers, evil speakers, provokers, haters, inventors of evil things, stumbling blocks.

Of course, no one sees himself in this category. It is always the other person who gossips, invents tales, slanders, and is double-tongued. But are not we all guilty to some degree and do not all of us need introspection, self-analysis and then repentance? (The Miracle of Forgiveness, p. 52) TLDP:289-90

receiving the Word of the Lord

And those who swear falsely against my servants, that they might bring them into bondage and death-

19. Wo unto them; because they have offended my little ones they shall be severed from the ordinances of mine house. (Revelation received while in Liberty Jail, March 20, 1839) D&C 121:18-19

When you arrive on our shores, and while sailing up our rivers, you need not be surprised if your ears are saluted by the false and filthy language of wicked and designing men who are ever ready to speak evil of the things they understand not, and who would gladly blast the character of the Prophet of the Most High God, and all connected with him, with their foul anathemas, beyond anything you ever thought of. (Epistle of the Twelve to the Saints in abroad, Nov. 15, 1841) HC4:451

Why did the Lord give the commandment?

"Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor." (Ex.20:16)

He gave it because of the subtle methods of the adversary in his effort to divide and tear asunder the love and the unity of the Lord's people To bear false witness may not appear to be a very serious offense, but its results are far-reaching and cruel, hence, the use made of it by the instigator of evil. The Lord warns us against this evil practice. Bearing false witness, talebearing, slander, gossip, scandal, fault-finding, backbiting, and evil speaking are in the same category of evil practice and are some of the means employed by Satan to disunite us as a people and destroy brotherly love, kindness, and helpfulness toward one another.

. . . . By the spirit of Satan one bears false witness and broadcasts the weakness of his neighbor. He becomes a talebearer, a character assassin. He robs his neighbor of that which greatly impoverishes his neighbor without enriching himself. He makes others miserable and unhappy and has within himself the kingdom of Satan.

. . . . We should be doubly careful not to do any injury we cannot repair. When we bear false witness, we injure at least four: ourselves, him about whom we speak, him to whom we speak, and the Lord. CR1947Apr:24-25

recorded in Matthew

He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, (Jesus instructs the young man who had great possessions) Matt.19:18

For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. (Letter to the Church in Rome, about A.D. 55) Rom.13:9

(3) Murder

768. We are not to commit murder.

quoted by Nephi

Wo unto the murderer who deliberately killeth, for he shall die. (Jacob to the people of Nephi, 559-545 B.C.) 2Ne.9:35

Thou shalt not kill. (The Lord reveals the sixth of the Ten Commandments to Moses) Ex.20:13

also quoting Alma, the younger,

quoted by Mormon

Of those who shed innocent blood, a prophet declared: "The judgments which [God] shall exercise . . . in his wrath [shall] be just and the blood of the innocent shall stand as a witness against them, yea, and cry mightily against them at the last day." (Alma 14:11) CR1985Apr:15-16

quoted by Mormon

For behold, if ye deny the Holy Ghost when it once has had place in you, and ye know that ye deny it, behold, this is a sin which is unpardonable; yea, and whosoever murdereth against the light and knowledge of God, it is not easy for him to obtain forgiveness; yea, I say unto you, my son, that it is not easy for him to obtain a forgiveness. (Alma to his son Corianton, about 73 B.C.) Alma 39:6

receiving the Word of the Lord

And now, behold, I speak unto the church. Thou shalt not kill; and he that kills shall not have forgiveness in this world, nor in the world to come.

19. And again, I say, thou shalt not kill; but he that killeth shall die. (Revelation "embracing the law of the Church," Feb. 9, 1831) D&C 42:18-19

The leaders of the Church continually cry out against that which is intolerable in the sight of the Lord; against pollution of mind and body and our surroundings; against vulgarity, stealing, lying, cheating, false pride, blasphemy, and drunkenness; against fornication, adultery, homosexuality, abortion, and all other abuses of the sacred power to create; against murder and all that is like unto it; against all manner of degradation and sin. CR1982Oct:4

recorded in Matthew

And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?

17. And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.

18. He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, (Jesus instructs the young man who had great possessions) Matt.19:16-18

The Savior's Golden Rule says we are [our brother's keeper]. Satan says we are not.

. . . . The sin may be murder, robbery, or theft. It may be fraud or deception. . . . Always the excuse is the same: "Am I my brother's keeper?" CR1986Oct:25

And again, 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. (Nephi gives commandments of God to the Nephites, 559-545 B.C.) 2Ne.26:32

quoted by Mormon

And when Amulek saw the pains of the women and children who were consuming in the fire, he also was pained; and he said unto Alma: How can we witness this awful scene? Therefore let us stretch forth our hands, and exercise the power of God which is in us, and save them from the flames. 11. But Alma said unto him: The Spirit constraineth me that I must not stretch forth mine hand; for behold the Lord receiveth them up unto himself, in glory; and he doth suffer that they may do this thing, or that the people may do this thing unto them, according to the hardness of their hearts, that the judgments which he shall exercise upon them in his wrath may be just; and the blood of the innocent shall stand as a witness against them, yea, and cry mightily against them at the last day. (Believers in the word of God are burned, about 82 B.C.) Alma 14:10-11

The laws of both of the land and of God recognize a great difference between murder and wilful slaughter and manslaughter which is not premeditated. Likewise men unfortunately must take others' lives in war. Some of our conscientious young men have been disturbed and concerned as they have been compelled to kill. There are mitigating circumstances but certainly the blame and responsibility rest heavily upon the heads of those who brought about the war, making necessary the taking of life. It is conceivable that even in war there may be many times when there is legitimate choice and enemy combatants could be taken prisoner rather than be killed. (The Miracle of Forgiveness, p. 129) TLDP:714

There are many who are troubled and their souls harrowed by the haunting question of the position of the soldier who in combat kills the enemy. Again, the First Presidency has commented:

"When, therefore, constitutional law, obedient to those principles, calls the Manhood of the Church into the armed service of any country to which they owe allegiance, their highest civic duty requires that they meet that call. If, hearkening to that call and obeying those in command over them, they shall take the lives of those who fight against them, that will not make of them murderers, nor subject them to the penalty that God has prescribed for those who kill, beyond the principles to be mentioned shortly; for it would be a cruel God that would punish his children as moral sinners for acts done by them as the innocent instrumentalities of a sovereign whom he has told them to obey and whose will they were powerless to resist." (Ye Are the Light of the World, pp. 252-53) TLDP:713-14

Abraham was commanded to offer his son Isaac; nevertheless, it was written: Thou shalt not kill. Abraham, however, did not refuse, and it was accounted unto him for righteousness. (Revelation recorded July 12, 1843) D&C 132:36

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has consistently opposed the practice of abortion. . . .

Now is there hope for those who have so sinned without full understanding, who now suffer heartbreak? Yes. So far as is known, the Lord does not regard this transgression as murder. And "as far as has been revealed, a person may repent and be forgiven for the sin of abortion." CR1985Apr:16

And this is the case of the slayer, which shall flee thither, that he may live: Whoso killeth his neighbour ignorantly, whom he hated not in time past;

5. As when a man goeth into the wood with his neighbour to hew wood, and his hand fetcheth a stroke with the axe to cut down the tree, and the head slippeth from the helve, and lighteth upon his neighbour, that he die; he shall flee unto one of those cities, and live: (Commandments to Israel through Moses) Deut.19:4-5

769. We are not to commit suicide.

[Suicide] seems to be one of the results of Satan's increased influence over the children of men. Having no tabernacle himself, he would like to prompt every child of God to destroy his body. When a human being becomes possessed of the devil, the tabernacle is soon wrecked; for neither he nor his companion spirits know to what use to put a fleshly tabernacle except to destroy it.

Man did not create himself. He did not furnish his spirit with a human dwelling place. It is God who created man, both body and spirit. Man has no right, therefore, to destroy that which he had no agency in creating. They who do so are guilty of murder, self-murder it is true; but they are no more justified in killing themselves than they are in killing others. What difference of punishment there is for the two crimes, I do not know; but it is clear that no one can destroy so precious a gift as that of life without incurring a severe penalty. ("Topics of the Times," Juvenile Instructor, Sept. 1886, pp. 274-75) TLDP:126

It is not sufficient that we do not kill or commit murder, but we should protect others from such crimes. Not only is suicide a crime, but one is obligated to protect and save and prolong his own life. Not only shall we not take life, but it is obligatory upon us to give life, both by bearing children into mortality and by leading people toward eternal life by teaching, proselyting and influencing them strongly toward that end. (The Miracle of Forgiveness, pp. 98-99) TLDP:126

(First Presidency)

There is another evil that is growing amongst the peoples of the world that is not unfelt amidst the Latter-day Saints. It is the crime of self-murder. Suicide should be made odious among the people of God, it should be emphasized as a deadly sin, and no undue feelings of tenderness toward the unfortunate dead, or of sympathy towards the living bereaved, should prevent us denouncing it as a crime against God and humanity, against the Creator and the creature. It is true that the exact enormity of the act is not defined with minute detail in the Holy Scriptures, or the limits of its punishment given; but to believers in the God whom we worship it has always been regarded as a sin of great magnitude; and in many countries especial pains have been taken to discourage it, by refusal to bury in consecrated ground, by indignities offered to the lifeless remains, or by such lack of funereal observances as would produce a peculiar and horrifying effect upon the survivors. Now, while not advocating measures of this description, we do not think that the same laudations and panegyrics should be pronounced over the self-murderer as are so freely uttered over the faithful Saint who has gone to his eternal rest. There is a difference in their death, and that difference should be impressed upon the living, unless the deceased, at the time of the rash act, was in such a mental condition as not to be wholly responsible for his actions; but again, if this condition be the result of sin, of departure from God's laws, then the unfortunate one, like the inebriate, is not altogether free from the responsibility of acts committed while in this state of mental derangement; if he is not censurable for the act itself, he is for the causes that induced it. In such cases the mantle of charity must not be stretched so widely, in our desire to protect our erring friends, as to reflect dishonor on the work of God, or contempt for the principles of the everlasting Gospel. There is an unfortunate tendency in the natures of many to palliate sins by which they are not personally injured, but we must not forget that such palliation frequently increases the original wrong, and brings discredit on the Church and dishonor to the name and work of our blessed Redeemer; in other words, to save the feelings of our friends we are willing to crucify afresh the Lord of life and glory. (Epistle read at general conference, Coalville, Utah, Oct. 1886) MOFP3:88-89

Author's Note: M. Russell Ballard wrote a helpful article on suicide, saying, in part: " 'Persons subject to great stress may lose control of themselves and become mentally clouded to the point that they are no longer accountable for their acts' (Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, p. 771).

When [the Lord] does judge us, I feel he will take all things into consideration: our genetic and chemical makeup, our mental state, . . . our health, and so forth." (EN1987Oct:7-8)

770. The useless killing of animals is displeasing to the Lord.

And wo be unto man that sheddeth blood or that wasteth flesh and hath no need. (Revelation, March 1831) D&C 49:21

But although God has ordained animals for the use of man, He has not sanctioned the order of things under which some have an abundance of food and clothing, while others are destitute; for that very reason "the world lieth in sin" [D&C 49:20]. Nor must man waste animal life. To kill, when not necessary, is a sin akin to murder. "A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast" (Prov.12:10). Man has been entrusted with sovereignty over the animal kingdom (Gen.1:21), that he may learn to govern, as God rules, by the power of love and justice, and become fit for his eternal destiny as a ruler of worlds. A tyrant who has learned nothing but selfishness and cruelty can hope for no position of trust hereafter in the kingdom of the Father. (Doctrine and Covenants Commentary, Hyrum M. Smith and Janne M. Sjodahl, p. 286) TLDP:28

I do not believe any man should kill animals or birds unless he needs them for food, and then he should not kill innocent little birds that are not intended for food for man. I think it is wicked for men to thirst in their souls to kill almost everything which possesses animal life. It is wrong, and I have been surprised at prominent men whom I have seen whose very souls seemed to be athirst for the shedding of animal blood. (Gospel Doctrine, p. 266) TLDP:28

Now, I also would like to add some of my feelings concerning the unnecessary shedding of blood and destruction of life. . . .

And not less with reference to the killing of innocent birds is the wildlife of our country that live upon the vermin that are indeed enemies to the farmer and to mankind. It is not only wicked to destroy them, it is a shame, in my opinion. I think that this principle should extend not only to the bird life but to the life of all animals. . . . The Lord gave us all the animals. Seemingly, he thought it was important that all these animals be on the earth for our use and encouragement. CR1978Oct:64

also quoting Joseph Smith

In this revelation the Lord counsels us to use meat sparingly [see D&C 89]. I have often felt that the Lord is further counseling us in this revelation against indiscriminately killing animals, for He has said elsewhere in scripture, "Wo be unto man that sheddeth blood or that wasteth flesh and hath no need." [D&C 49:21] CR1983Apr:71

(4) Pride

771. We are not to be proud.

also quoting Alma, the younger

In the scriptures there is no such thing as righteous pride. It is always considered as a sin. We are not speaking of a wholesome view of self-worth which is established by a close relationship with God. But we are speaking of pride as the universal sin, as someone has described it. . . .

Essentially, pride is a "my will" rather than "thy will" approach to life. The opposite of pride is humbleness, meekness, submissiveness (see Alma 13:28), or teachableness. . . .

Pride does not look up to God and care about what is right. It looks sideways to man and argues who is right. . . .

[Pride] is self-will as opposed to God's will. It is the fear of man over the fear of God.

Humility responds to God's will-to fear of His judgments and the needs of those around us. To the proud, the applause of the world rings in their ears; to the humble, the applause of heaven warms their hearts. CR1986Apr:5-6; MPSG1989:18 (in part)

And again, thou shalt not be proud in thy heart; let all thy garments be plain, and their beauty the beauty of the work of thine own hands; (Revelation "embracing the law of the Church," Feb. 9, 1831) D&C 42:40

receiving the Word of the Lord

[T]he riches of the earth are mine to give; but beware of pride, lest ye become as the Nephites of old. (Revelation of commandments to Saints in conference, Jan. 2, 1831) D&C 38:39

But beware of pride, lest thou shouldst enter into temptation. (Revelation given in response to the earnest desire of Joseph Knight, Sr. and four other brethren to know of their respective duties, April 1930) D&C 23:1

We would say, beware of pride also; for well and truly hath the wise man said, that pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. And again, outward appearance is not always a criterion by which to judge our fellow man; but the lips betray the haughty and overbearing imaginations of the heart; by his words and his deeds let him be judged. (Epistle to the Church from Liberty Jail, March 25, 1839) HC3:295

Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.

6. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: (Letter to the churches in modern Asia Minor, about A.D. 60) 1Pet.5:5-6

recorded in Luke

For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. (Jesus teaches humility and gives the parable of the great supper) Luke 14:11

Hear ye, and give ear; be not proud: for the LORD hath spoken. (Revelation to Jeremiah, about 628 B.C.) Jer.13:15

Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; (Paul's letter to his assistant Timothy, about A.D. 64) 1Tim.6:17

receiving the Word of the Lord

And also he hath need to repent, for I, the Lord, am not well pleased with him, for he seeketh to excel, and he is not sufficiently meek before me. (Revelation referring to Wm. W. Phelps, Aug. 1, 1831) D&C 58:41

[T]hey sell themselves for naught; for, for the reward of their pride and their foolishness they shall reap destruction. . . . (The writings of Nephi, 559-545 B.C.) 2Ne.26:10

772. We are not to be concerned about status or position.

But it came to pass in the twenty and ninth year there began to be some disputings among the people; and some were lifted up unto pride and boastings because of their exceedingly great riches, yea, even unto great persecutions;

11. For there were many merchants in the land, and also many lawyers, and many officers.

12. And the people began to be distinguished by ranks, according to their riches and their chances for learning, yea, some were ignorant because of their poverty, and others did receive great learning because of their riches.

13. Some were lifted up in pride, and others were exceedingly humble; some did return railing for railing, while others would receive railing and persecution and all manner of afflictions, and would not turn and revile again, but were humble and penitent before God. (Much iniquity abounds among the Nephites, A.D. 29-30) 3Ne.6:10-13

Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue:

43. For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. (Although Jesus had done many miracles before the people, yet they feared man more than God.) John 12:42-43

For behold, the Lord had blessed them so long with the riches of the world that they had not been stirred up to anger, to wars, nor to bloodshed; therefore they began to set their hearts upon their riches; yea, they began to seek to get gain that they might be lifted up one above another; therefore they began to commit secret murders, and to rob and to plunder, that they might get gain. (The Lamanites and the Nephites prosper and become exceedingly rich, 29 B.C.) Hel.6:17

receiving the Word of the Lord

And also he hath need to repent, for I, the Lord, am not well pleased with him, for he seeketh to excel, and he is not sufficiently meek before me. (Revelation referring to Wm. W. Phelps, Aug. 1, 1831) D&C 58:41

receiving the Word of the Lord

And behold, how oft you have transgressed the commandments and the laws of God, and have gone on in the persuasions of men.

7. For, behold, you should not have feared man more than God. Although men set at naught the counsels of God, and despise his words- . . . (The Lord reproves Martin Harris and Joseph Smith regarding the lost manuscript pages, July 1828) D&C 3:6-7

receiving the Word of the Lord

Behold, I say unto you, David, that you have feared man and have not relied on me for strength as you ought.

2. But your mind has been on the things of the earth more than on the things of me, your Maker, and the ministry whereunto you have been called; and you have not given heed unto my Spirit, and to those who were set over you, but have been persuaded by those whom I have not commanded. (Revelation, Sept. 30, 1830; David Whitmer is chastened for failure to serve diligently) D&C 30:1-2

And there was a strict command throughout all the churches that there should be no persecutions among them, that there should be an equality among all men;

4. That they should let no pride nor haughtiness disturb their peace; that every man should esteem his neighbor as himself, laboring with their own hands for their support. (Mosiah forbids persecution, 100-92 B.C.) Mosiah 27:3-4

773. We are not to boast in our own wisdom, power, or possessions (rather, we should give honor to God).

quoted by Mormon

See that ye are not lifted up unto pride; yea, see that ye do not boast in your own wisdom, nor of your much strength.

12. Use boldness, but not overbearance; and also see that ye bridle all your passions, that ye may be filled with love; see that ye refrain from idleness. (Alma to his son Shiblon, about 73 B.C.) Alma 38:11-12

also quoting Paul

Most of us think of pride as self-centeredness, conceit, boastfulness, arrogance, or haughtiness. All of these are elements of the sin, but the heart, or core, is still missing.

The central feature of pride is enmity-enmity toward God and enmity toward our fellowmen. Enmity means "hatred toward, hostility to, or a state of opposition." It is the power by which Satan wishes to reign over us.

Pride is essentially competitive in nature. We pit our will against God's. When we direct our pride toward God, it is in the spirit of "my will and not thine be done." As Paul said, they "seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's." (Philip. 2:21)

Our will in competition to God's will allows desires, appetites, and passions to go unbridled. (See Alma 38:12; 3Ne.12:30.)

The proud cannot accept the authority of God giving direction to their lives. (See Hel.12:6.) They pit their perceptions of truth against God's great knowledge, their abilities versus God's priesthood power, their accomplishments against His mighty works.

. . . . The proud wish God would agree with them. They aren't interested in changing their opinions to agree with God's. CR1989Apr:3-4

Yea, how quick to be lifted up in pride; yea, how quick to boast, and do all manner of that which is iniquity; and how slow are they to remember the Lord their God, and to give ear unto his counsels, yea, how slow to walk in wisdom's paths 6. Behold, they do not desire that the Lord their God, who hath created them, should rule and reign over them; notwithstanding his great goodness and his mercy towards them, they do set at naught his counsels, and they will not that he should be their guide. (Mormon abridges the record of Helaman and observes how the Lord chastens his people, about 7 B.C.) Hel.12:5-6

quoted by Mormon

And it came to pass that when Ammon had said these words, his brother Aaron rebuked him, saying: Ammon, I fear that thy joy doth carry thee away unto boasting.

11. But Ammon said unto him: I do not boast in my own strength, nor in my own wisdom; but behold, my joy is full, yea, my heart is brim with joy, and I will rejoice in my God.

12. Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever. (Ammon glories in the Lord because of the conversion of many Lamanites, 90-77 B.C.) Alma 26:10-12

receiving the Word of the Lord

For although a man may have many revelations, and have power to do many mighty works, yet if he boasts in his own strength, and sets at naught the counsels of God, and follows after the dictates of his own will and carnal desires, he must fall and incur the vengeance of a just God upon him. (The Lord reproves Martin Harris and Joseph Smith regarding the lost manuscript pages, July 1828) D&C 3:4

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

9. Not of works, lest any man should boast.

10. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. (Letter to the Saints at Ephesus in Asia Minor, about A.D. 62) Eph.2:8-10

But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil. (Letter to his brethren in the Church) James 4:16

And because of this their great wickedness, and their boastings in their own strength, they were left in their own strength; therefore they did not prosper, but were afflicted and smitten, and driven before the Lamanites, until they had lost possession of almost all their lands. (Nephite dissenters and Lamanites join forces, there is great slaughter of the Nephites who had become wicked, including some who professed to belong to the Church, about 35-31 B.C.) Hel.4:13

In the pre-earthly council, Lucifer placed his proposal in competition with the Father's plan as advocated by Jesus Christ. He wished to be honored above all others. In short, his prideful desire was to dethrone God. CR1989Apr:4

translating the Book of Moses

And I, the Lord God, spake unto Moses, saying: That Satan, whom thou hast commanded in the name of mine Only Begotten, is the same which was from the beginning, and he came before me, saying-Behold, here am I, send me, I will be thy son, and I will redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost, and surely I will do it; wherefore give me thine honor.

2. But, behold, my Beloved Son, which was my Beloved and Chosen from the beginning, said unto me-Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever.

3. Wherefore, because that Satan rebelled against me, and sought to destroy the agency of man, which I, the Lord God, had given him, and also, that I should give unto him mine own power; by the power of mine Only Begotten, I caused that he should be cast down; (The record of Moses: The Lord describes Satan's rebellion in the premortal world) Moses 4:1-3

quoted by Mormon

Now have we not reason to rejoice? Yea, I say unto you, there never were men that had so great reason to rejoice as we, since the world began; yea, and my joy is carried away, even unto boasting in my God; for he has all power, all wisdom, and all understanding; he comprehendeth all things, and he is a merciful Being, even unto salvation, to those who will repent and believe on his name.

36. Now if this is boasting, even so will I boast; for this is my life and my light, my joy and my salvation, and my redemption from everlasting wo. Yea, blessed is the name of my God, who has been mindful of this people, who are a branch of the tree of Israel, and has been lost from its body in a strange land; yea, I say, blessed be the name of my God, who has been mindful of us, wanderers in a strange land. (Ammon extols the mercy of God who has not forgotten this branch of the tree of Israel, 90-77 B.C.) Alma 26:35-36

Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. (Letter to the Church in Rome, about A.D. 55) Rom.3:27

Author's Note: "Boast": To speak or possess with pride. (Funk & Wagnalls Standard College Dictionary, p. 153)

774. Pride leads to contention.

Another face of pride is contention. Arguments, fights, unrighteous dominion, generation gaps, divorces, spouse abuse, riots, and disturbances all fall into this category of pride.

Contention in our families drives the Spirit of the Lord away. It also drives many of our family members away. Contention ranges from a hostile spoken word to worldwide conflicts. . . . CR1989Apr:5

Only by pride cometh contention. . . . Prov.13:10

He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife. . . . Prov.28:25

Centered in the heart also are the enemies to peace-"avarice, ambition, envy, anger, and pride." These and other vices which bring misery into the world must be eradicated before men will "beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks." Before permanent peace is assured there shall have to be felt in the hearts of men more consideration for others-there shall have to be manifested around the coming peace table at least a little of the Christ spirit-"Do unto others as you would have others do unto you." ("Faith in Christ-The World's Greatest Need," IE1944Jan:62) TLDP:463-64

Nevertheless, there were many among them who began to be proud, and began to contend warmly with their adversaries, even unto blows; yea, they would smite one another with their fists. (There began to be contention by some Church members, notwithstanding there was a strict law in the Church against persecution among themselves and with those who did not belong to the Church, about A.D. 90) Alma 1:22

For they saw and beheld with great sorrow that the people of the church began to be lifted up in the pride of their eyes, and to set their hearts upon riches and upon the vain things of the world, that they began to be scornful, one towards another, and they began to persecute those that did not believe according to their own will and pleasure. (Iniquity enters the Church in Zarahemla, 84 B.C.) Alma 4:8

Just as soon as a man or woman learns his and her duty to God and to those who are members with them in the household of faith, peace is established, love and good will are assured, no back-biting, no fault-finding, no bearing false witness against neighbors, no strife, no contention. For the moment that a Latter-day Saint learns his duty, he will learn that it is his business to make peace, to establish good will, to work righteousness, to be filled with the spirit of kindness, love, charity, and forgiveness; and, so far as he is concerned, there can be no war, no strife, no contention, no quarreling, no disunion; no factions can arise among the people who know their duty as Latter-day Saints. CR1915Apr:4

And now it came to pass in the forty and third year of the reign of the judges, there was no contention among the people of Nephi save it were a little pride which was in the church, which did cause some little dissensions among the people, which affairs were settled in the ending of the forty and third year.

2. And there was no contention among the people in the forty and fourth year; neither was there much contention in the forty and fifth year. (Mormon records the history of the Nephites from the record of Helaman son of Alma, the younger, about 49-46 B.C.) Hel.3:1-2

775. The proud will not inherit eternal life.

quoted by Mormon

Behold, are ye stripped of pride? I say unto you, if ye are not ye are not prepared to meet God. Behold ye must prepare quickly; for the kingdom of heaven is soon at hand, and such an one hath not eternal life. (Alma teaches the people, about 83 B.C.) Alma 5:28

O that ye would listen unto the word of his commands, and let not this pride of your hearts destroy your souls (Jacob denounces the love of riches among the Nephites, 544-421 B.C.) Jacob 2:16

For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. (The prophet Malachi to the people, about 430 B.C.) Mal.4:1

receiving the Word of the Lord

Be not ashamed, neither confounded; but be admonished in all your high-mindedness and pride, for it bringeth a snare upon your souls. (Revelation, March 8, 1833, wherein various individuals are counseled by the Lord to walk uprightly) D&C 90:17

[H]im that hath an high look and a proud heart will not I suffer. Ps.101:5

These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:

17. A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,

18. An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,

19. A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren. Prov.6:16-19

776. At the end of this world the proud will be burned as stubble when God cleanses the earth by fire.

At the end of this world, when God cleanses the earth by fire, the proud will be burned as stubble and the meek shall inherit the earth. CR1989Apr:3

quoted by Mormon

For behold, the day cometh that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble; and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of Hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. (The resurrected Jesus Christ teaches the Nephite people, expounding and quoting the words of the prophet Malachi, A.D. 34; see Malachi 4) 3Ne.25:1

receiving the Word of the Lord

For the hour is nigh and the day soon at hand when the earth is ripe; and all the proud and they that do wickedly shall be as stubble; and I will burn them up, saith the Lord of Hosts, that wickedness shall not be upon the earth; (Revelation received Sept. 1830; Christ's second coming ushers in the Millennium) D&C 29:9

For behold, the day cometh that shall burn as an oven, and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly shall burn as stubble; for they that come shall burn them, saith the Lord of Hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. (The angel Moroni instructs Joseph, Sept. 21, 1823) JS-H 1:37

For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. (The prophet Malachi to the people, about 430 B.C.) Mal.4:1

(5) Sexual Immorality

1. Chastity

2. Adultery

3. Fornication

4. Homosexuality

5. Bestiality

6. Repentance from Sexual Sin

1. Chastity

777. Every person should be chaste, free of sexual sin.

(First Presidency)

By virtue of the authority in us vested as the First Presidency of the Church, we warn our people who are offending, of the degradation, the wickedness, the punishment that attend upon unchastity; we urge you to remember the blessings which flow from the living of the clean life; we call upon you to keep, day in and day out, the way of strictest chastity, through which only can God's choice gifts come to you and His spirit abide with you.

How glorious is he who lives the chaste life. He walks unfearful in the full glare of the noonday sun, for he is without moral infirmity. He can be reached by no shafts of base calumny, for his armor is without flaw. His virtue cannot be challenged by any just accuser, for he lives above reproach. His cheek is never blotched with shame, for he is without hidden sin. He is honored and respected by all mankind, for he is beyond their censure. He is loved by the Lord, for he stands without blemish. The exaltations of eternities await his coming. CR1942Oct:11-12

Certainly our teachers were right when they held up an ideal that virtue was as sacred as life itself, and that we had better lose our lives than lose our virtue . . . . [N]ext to the crime of murder itself is the crime of sexual impurity. CR1929Apr:69

We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul-We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things. (The thirteenth of the thirteen Articles of Faith; letter to John Wentworth, March 1, 1842) AofF:13

May I talk to you just a moment or two about that which is most dear and precious above all things. Can you think what it would be? Would it be bonds, stocks, or diamonds? Would it be herds or flocks? Would it be automobiles and houses? Would it be medals in athletics? This is the greatest blessing, the most dear and precious above all things-above all things. It cannot be purchased with money, but may be enjoyed by all, even those of humble circumstances as well as the affluent, as much by the high school student as by those who have doctors degrees. Even mortal life when placed upon the balance scales weighs less. That of which I speak is chastity and virtue. The lack of it has caused rivers of tears to flow, broken numerous homes, and deprived large numbers of innocent children. ACR(Sydney)1976:54

[T]hat which was most dear and precious above all things, which is chastity and virtue- (Mormon to his son Moroni, prior to A.D. 384) Moro.9:9

Virtue is youth's dearest possession; and chastity is the strongest bulwark against the many temptations of life. Of all earthly possessions virtue should be cherished most. If one values life's happiness, one must enter the married state with an unstained, unviolated body. (IE1940Oct:637) TLDP:67

[O]ne of the worst of the teachings that come [to the youth] is that teaching which is becoming too common, that the sex-urge is a natural urge to be gratified like the urge for drink or for food. Satan has not invented any more unrighteous, hideous doctrine than that, and he knows it. CR1957Apr:87

recorded in Matthew

Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:

28. But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. (Jesus Christ to the multitude, about A.D. 30) Matt.5:27-28

For I, the Lord God, delight in the chastity of women. And whoredoms are an abomination before me; thus saith the Lord of Hosts. (Jacob teaches the Nephites in the temple, 544-421 B.C.) Jacob 2:28

And now I, Jacob, spake many more things unto the people of Nephi, warning them against fornication and lasciviousness, and every kind of sin, telling them the awful consequences of them. (Jacob speaks to the people of Nephi denouncing unchastity) Jacob 3:12

(First Presidency)

To the youth of the Church . . . above all we plead with you to live clean, for the unclean life leads only to suffering, misery, and woe physically, -and spiritually it is the path to destruction. How glorious and near to the angels is youth that is clean; this youth has joy unspeakable here and eternal happiness hereafter. Sexual purity is youth's most precious possession; it is the foundation of all righteousness. Better dead, clean, than alive, unclean. CR1942Apr:89

Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. (Paul's letter to the Church in Rome, about A.D. 55) Rom.6:12

This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

17. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. (Letter to the churches of Galatia in Asia Minor, about A.D. 55) Gal.5:16-17

Men . . . have no true conception of the sacredness of the most marvelous power with which God has endowed mortal men-the power of creation. Even though that power may be abused and may become a mere harp of pleasure to the wicked, nevertheless it is the most sacred and holy and divine function with which God has endowed man. (Sermons and Missionary Services of Melvin J. Ballard, p. 167) TLDP:524

Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;

12. Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation. (Peter to the churches in modern Asia Minor, about A.D. 60) 1Pet.2:11-12

receiving the Word of the Lord

Therefore, cease from all your light speeches, from all laughter, from all your lustful desires, from all your pride and light-mindedness, and from all your wicked doings. (Revelation received Dec. 27/28, 1832) D&C 88:121

Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

16. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

17. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. (Letter to the churches in Asia) 1Jn.2:15-17

To be specific, let us postulate clearly and unmistakably that all sexual life outside of the proper marriage association-I said the proper marriage association-are evil and forbidden by God, and the unrepentant and those who indulge in these will be disillusioned.

Easy it is to create excuses and escapes to cover our own weaknesses. The fornicator minimizes his sins. The robber justifies his thievery. The pervert says that God made him that way. The petter rationalizes his act into insignificance. Let it be understood without equivocation that the common indulgences are transgressions, for sin is the breaking of the divine law. ACR(Sydney)1976:54

also quoting J. Reuben Clark, Jr.

[A]s President Clark used to say, the Lord has made no "fine distinctions . . . between fornication and adultery" (CR1949Oct:194). Nor may I add, between adultery and sex perversion. CR1974Apr:117-18

Author's Note: Chaste: "Pure in character or conduct; not indecent." "Not guilty of unlawful sexual intercourse; virtuous." (Funk & Wagnalls Standard College Dictionary, p. 231)

Lust: Longing desire; eagerness to possess or enjoy; depraved affection or desire; more especially, sexual appetite; unlawful desire of sexual pleasure; concupiscence. (The New Webster Encyclopedic Dictionary of the English Language, p. 505)

778. Sexual sin stands in its enormity next to murder.

(First Presidency)

The doctrine of this Church is that sexual sin-the illicit sexual relations of men and women-stands, in its enormity, next to murder.

The Lord has drawn no essential distinctions between fornication, adultery, and harlotry or prostitution. Each has fallen under His solemn and awful condemnation.

You youths of Zion, you cannot associate in non-marital, illicit sex relationships, which is fornication, and escape the punishments and the judgments which the Lord has declared against this sin. The day of reckoning will come just as certainly as night follows day. They who would palliate this crime and say that such indulgence is but a sinless gratification of a normal desire, like appeasing hunger and thirst, speak filthiness with their lips. Their counsel leads to destruction; their wisdom comes from the Father of Lies.

You husbands and wives who have taken on solemn obligations of chastity in the holy temples of the Lord and who violate those sacred vows by illicit sexual relations with others, you not only commit the vile and loathsome sin of adultery, but you break the oath you yourselves made with the Lord Himself before you went to the altar for your sealing. You become subject to the penalties which the Lord has prescribed for those who breach their covenants with Him. CR1942Oct:11

I call you, my brethren, to work, to pray and to guard the flocks over whom God hath made you overseers . . . that we shall live up to the standards under which I was raised, and you were raised, that we shall teach our sons and daughters that next to murder itself, is the crime of sexual impurity. We have that standard. We expect the boy to be just as clean and as pure as the girl whom he marries, to be his wife and the mother of his children. CR1921Oct:102

[N]ext to the crime of murder itself is the crime of sexual impurity. CR1929Apr:69

"Thou shalt not commit adultery." Another soul destroying crime which is very rare among the Latter-day Saints. There is no other sin, save murder only, that will so soon destroy the spiritual and moral life of men-why, it is spiritual suicide to participate in any such deadly crime. CR1906Oct:44-45

I want to warn this great body of priesthood against that great sin of Sodom and Gomorrah, which has been labeled as a sin second only in seriousness to the sin of murder. I speak of the sin of adultery . . . and besides this, the equally grievous sin of homosexuality, which seems to be gaining momentum with social acceptance in the Babylon of the world, of which Church members must not be part. CR1972Oct:127

quoted by Mormon

And this is not all, my son. Thou didst do that which was grievous unto me; for thou didst forsake the ministry, and did go over into the land of Siron, among the borders of the Lamanites, after the harlot Isabel.

4. Yea, she did steal away the hearts of many; but this was no excuse for thee, my son. Thou shouldst have tended to the ministry wherewith thou wast entrusted.

5. Know ye not, my son, that these things are an abomination in the sight of the Lord; yea, most abominable above all sins save it be the shedding of innocent blood or denying the Holy Ghost? (Alma to his son Corianton, about 73 B.C.) Alma 39:3-5

What has come to be known in present day literature as the social evil is a subject of perennial discussion, and the means proposed for dealing with it are topics of contention and debate. That the public conscience is aroused to the seriousness of the dire condition due to sexual immorality is a promising indication of prospective betterment. No more loathsome cancer disfigures the body and soul of society today than the frightful affliction of sexual sin. It vitiates the very fountains of life, and bequeaths its foul effects to the yet unborn as a legacy of death. It lurks in hamlet and city, in the mansion and in the hovel as a ravening beast in wait for prey; and it skulks through the land in blasphemous defiance of the laws of God and man. (Published by the President in the Improvement Era, June 1917) MOFP5:63-64

2. Adultery

779. Men and women are not to commit adultery.

Thou shalt not commit adultery. (The Lord reveals the seventh of the Ten Commandments to Moses) Ex.20:14

"Thou shalt not commit adultery." Another soul destroying crime which is very rare among the Latter-day Saints. There is no other sin, save murder only, that will so soon destroy the spiritual and moral life of men-why, it is spiritual suicide to participate in any such deadly crime. We do not sustain it; and we do not suffer it; we do not tolerate it; and we do not commit it, as a people. So far as I am concerned I will not support any man or any set of men who are seducers and who commit this deadly sin, be they whom they may, within or without the Church of God; neither will I sustain the men, or the publications, or the party that protect or sustain such corruption. CR1906Oct:44-45

To be specific, let us postulate clearly and unmistakably that all sexual life outside of the proper marriage association-I said the proper marriage association-are evil and forbidden by God, and the unrepentant and those who indulge in these will be disillusioned.

Easy it is to create excuses and escapes to cover our own weaknesses. The fornicator minimizes his sins. The robber justifies his thievery. The pervert says that God made him that way. The petter rationalizes his act into insignificance. Let it be understood without equivocation that the common indulgences are transgressions, for sin is the breaking of the divine law. ACR(Sydney)1976:54

recorded in Matthew

He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery. . . . (Jesus instructs the young man who had great possessions) Matt.19:18

also quoting J. Reuben Clark, Jr.

One of the most corrupting and debasing vices rampant in our society today is unchastity. Let us be ever mindful that from Sinai the Lord thundered, "Thou shalt not commit adultery." (Ex.20:14)

The penalty for so doing under the Mosaic law was death. Notwithstanding the fact that in this generation's corrupt permissiveness its violation is tolerated with impunity, under God's divine law it is as it has always been, a soul-destroying sin. Its self-executing penalty is spiritual death. No unforgiven adulterer is magnifying his calling in the priesthood; and as President Clark used to say, the Lord has made no "fine distinctions . . . between fornication and adultery" (CR1949Oct:194). Nor may I add, between adultery and sex perversion. CR1974Apr:117-18

(First Presidency)

The doctrine of this Church is that sexual sin-the illicit sexual relations of men and women-stands, in its enormity, next to murder.

The Lord has drawn no essential distinctions between fornication, adultery, and harlotry or prostitution. . . .

. . . . You husbands and wives who have taken on solemn obligations of chastity in the holy temples of the Lord and who violate those sacred vows by illicit sexual relations with others, you not only commit the vile and loathsome sin of adultery, but you break the oath you yourselves made with the Lord himself before you went to the altar for your sealing. You become subject to the penalties which the Lord has prescribed for those who breach their covenants with Him. CR1942Oct:11

receiving the Word of the Lord

Thou shalt love thy wife with all thy heart, and shalt cleave unto her and none else.

23. And he that looketh upon a woman to lust after her shall deny the faith, and shall not have the Spirit; and if he repents not he shall be cast out.

24. Thou shalt not commit adultery; and he that committeth adultery, and repenteth not, shall be cast out.

25. But he that has committed adultery and repents with all his heart, and forsaketh it, and doeth it no more, thou shalt forgive;

26. But if he doeth it again, he shall not be forgiven, but shall be cast out. (Revelation "embracing the law of the Church," Feb. 9, 1831) D&C 42:22-26

receiving the Word of the Lord

And if any man or woman shall commit adultery, he or she shall be tried before two elders of the church, or more, and every word shall be established against him or her by two witnesses of the church, and not of the enemy; but if there are more than two witnesses it is better.

81. But he or she shall be condemned by the mouth of two witnesses; and the elders shall lay the case before the church, and the church shall lift up their hands against him or her, that they may be dealt with according to the law of God. (Revelation "embracing the law of the Church," Feb. 9, 1831) D&C 42:80-81

receiving the Word of the Lord

And as ye have asked concerning adultery, verily, verily, I say unto you, if a man receiveth a wife in the new and everlasting covenant, and if she be with another man, and I have not appointed unto her by the holy anointing, she hath committed adultery and shall be destroyed.

42. If she be not in the new and everlasting covenant, and she be with another man, she has committed adultery.

43. And if her husband be with another woman, and he was under a vow, he hath broken his vow and hath committed adultery. (Revelation received Feb. 4, 1831) D&C 132:41-43

quoted by Mormon

Thou shalt not commit adultery. . . . (Abinadi teaches the Ten Commandments to the people of the wicked King Noah, about 148 B.C.) Mosiah 13:22

quoted by Mormon

Know ye not, my son, that these things are an abomination in the sight of the Lord; yea, most abominable above all sins save it be the shedding of innocent blood or denying the Holy Ghost? (Alma chastises his son for going after the harlot Isabel, about A.D. 73) Alma 39:5

Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. Thou shalt not steal; neither commit adultery, nor kill, nor do anything like unto it. (Revelation, Aug. 7, 1831) D&C 59:6

recorded in Matthew

Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:

28. But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. (Jesus teaches the multitude, about A.D. 30) Matt.5:27-28

But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul. Prov.6:32

So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man. (Paul's letter to the Church in Rome, about A.D. 55) Rom.7:3

780. The adulterer who repents can be forgiven.

receiving the Word of the Lord

But he that has committed adultery and repents with all his heart, and forsaketh it, and doeth it no more, thou shalt forgive;

26. But if he doeth it again, he shall not be forgiven, but shall be cast out. (Revelation "embracing the law of the Church," Feb. 9, 1831) D&C 42:25-26

When the unmarried yield to the lust which induces intimacies, it is called fornication, and when married people do so it is called adultery. The forgiveness, as stated, can come only through a total repentance. One has not repented of evil sins until he has suffered terribly. There must be an admission of sin to the proper Church authorities and a total change of the life-transformation. ACR(Santiago)1977:5

If adultery or fornication justified the death penalty in the old days, and still in Christ's day, is the sin any less today because the laws of the land do not assess the death penalty for it? Is the act less grievous? There must be a washing, a purging, a changing of attitudes, a correcting of appraisals, a strengthening toward self-mastery. And these cleansing processes cannot be accomplished as easily as taking a bath or shampooing the hair, or sending a suit of clothes to the cleaners. There must be many prayers, and volumes of tears. There must be more than a verbal acknowledgement. There must be an inner conviction giving to the sin its full diabolical weight. "My sins are disgusting-loathsome" one could come to think about his baser sins, like the Psalmist who used these words: "My wounds stink and are corrupt because of my foolishness." (Ps.38:5)

There must be increased devotion and much thought and study. There must be a re-awakening, a fortification, a re-birth. And this takes energy and time and often is accompanied with sore embarrassment, heavy deprivations and deep trials, even if indeed one is not excommunicated from the Church, losing all spiritual blessings. (The Miracle of Forgiveness, p. 155) TLDP:74

There is a great cleansing power. Know that you can be clean. If you are outside of the Church, the covenant of baptism itself represents, among other things, a washing and a cleansing.

For those of you who are in the Church there is a way, not entirely painless, but certainly possible. You can stand clean and spotless before him. Guilt will be gone, and you can be at peace. Go to your bishop or your branch president. He holds the key to this cleansing power. Go and have an interview with him, and then you do what he says, and you can become clean again. ACR(Stockholm)1974:84

3. Fornication

781. Men and women are not to have sexual relations outside of marriage.

(First Presidency)

The doctrine of this Church is that sexual sin-the illicit sexual relations of men and women-stands, in its enormity, next to murder.

The Lord has drawn no essential distinctions between fornication, adultery, and harlotry or prostitution. Each has fallen under His solemn and awful condemnation.

You youths of Zion, you cannot associate in non-marital, illicit sexual relationships, which is fornication, and escape the punishments and the judgements which the Lord has declared against this sin. The day of reckoning will come just as certainly as night follows day. They who would palliate this crime and say that such indulgence is but a sinless gratification of a normal desire, like appeasing hunger and thirst, speak filthiness with their lips. Their counsel leads to destruction; their wisdom comes from the Father of Lies.

You husbands and wives who have taken on solemn obligations of chastity in the holy temples of the Lord and who violate those sacred vows by illicit sexual relations with others, you not only commit the vile and loathsome sin of adultery, but you break the oath you yourselves made with the Lord himself before you went to the altar for your sealing. You become subject to the penalties which the Lord has prescribed for those who breach their covenants with Him.

Of the harlots and those who visit them, God speaks in terms of divine contempt. They are they who have bargained away the eternity of bliss for the momentary pleasures of the flesh.

The Lord will have only a clean people. CR1942Oct:11

Sexual sin receives repeated condemnation in the scriptures. To get our definitions clear, let us realize that heterosexual intercourse is the sin of fornication when committed by the unmarried and is adultery when indulged in by married people outside of their marriage covenants. Both are grievous sins in God's sight. (The Miracle of Forgiveness, p. 24 ) TLDP:71

quoted by Mormon

And this is not all, my son. Thou didst do that which was grievous unto me; for thou didst forsake the ministry, and did go over into the land of Siron, among the borders of the Lamanites, after the harlot Isabel.

4. Yea, she did steal away the hearts of many; but this was no excuse for thee, my son. Thou shouldst have tended to the ministry wherewith thou wast entrusted.

5. Know ye not, my son, that these things are an abomination in the sight of the Lord; yea, most abominable above all sins save it be the shedding of innocent blood or denying the Holy Ghost? (Alma to his son Corianton, about 73 B.C.) Alma 39:3-5

There was provided in our bodies-and this is sacred-a power of creation, a light, so to speak, that has the power to kindle other lights. This gift was to be used only within the sacred bonds of marriage. Through the exercise of this power of creation, a mortal body may be conceived, a spirit enter into it, and a new soul born into this life.

This power is good. It can create and sustain family life, and it is in family life that we find the foundations of happiness. It is given to virtually every individual who is born into mortality. It is a sacred and significant power, and I repeat, my young friends, that this power is good.

You who are teenagers, like every other son and daughter of Adam and Eve, have this power within you.

The power of creation-or may we say procreation-is not just an incidental part of the plan: it is essential to it. Without it the plan could not proceed. The misuse of it may disrupt the plan. CR1972Apr:136-37

The divine impulse within every true man and woman that impels companionship with the opposite sex is intended by our Maker as a holy impulse for a holy purpose-not to be satisfied as a mere biological urge or as a lust of the flesh in promiscuous associations, but to be reserved as an expression of true love in holy wedlock. (At Weber State College, 1972) (Ye Are the Light of the World, pp. 266-67) TLDP:68

receiving the Word of the Lord

Thou shalt love thy wife with all thy heart, and shalt cleave unto her and none else.

23. And he that looketh upon a woman to lust after her shall deny the faith, and shall not have the Spirit; and if he repents not he shall be cast out.

24. Thou shalt not commit adultery; and he that committeth adultery, and repenteth not, shall be cast out.

25. But he that has committed adultery and repents with all his heart, and forsaketh it, and doeth it no more, thou shalt forgive;

26. But if he doeth it again, he shall not be forgiven, but shall be cast out. (Revelation "embracing the law of the Church," Feb. 9, 1831) D&C 42:22-26

For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:

4. That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;

5. Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God: (Letter to the Church at Thessalonica, comprising Jews and many pagan converts, A.D. 50) 1Thess.4:3-5

[T]here are two main requirements of this oath and covenant. First is faithfulness, which denotes obedience to the laws of God and connotes true observance of all gospel standards. For better understanding of the oath and covenant of the priesthood, may I propound these questions: . . .

Can a man be faithful who does not obey the law of chastity and is not morally clean in his life and habits? CR1957Apr:76

(First Presidency)

You who have observed the law of chastity have kept the temples of God undefiled. You can stand unabashed before the Lord. He loves you. He will bestow honor and reward upon you. Every overcoming of temptation brings strength and glory to the soul. CR1942Oct:10

[T]o keep the Children of Israel from committing these sins, the Lord proceeds to name them and to prescribe penalties for their commission. I am going to name a few of them.

First is incest. I am not enlarging on it. In the law incest included more than we now ascribe to it. It included marriage between people within prohibited relationships. The penalty for incest was death to both parties.

Fornication-sometimes adultery and fornication are used interchangeably. But for certain kinds of fornication, the penalty was death.

For adultery it was death for both parties.

For homosexuality, it was death to the male and prescription or penalty for the female I do not know.

. . . . Prostitution was called an abomination.

After the Lord finished his listing of abominations recorded here, he continued: . . . "Ye shall therefore keep my statutes and my judgements, and shall not commit any of these abominations; neither any of your own nation, nor any stranger that sojourneth among you." CR1957Apr:87

quoted by Elder Spencer W. Kimball

Your virtue is worth more than your life. Please, young folk, preserve your virtue even if you lose your lives. Do not tamper with sin . . . do not permit yourselves to be led into temptation.

Conduct yourselves seemly and with due regard, particularly you young boys, to the sanctity of womanhood. Do not pollute it. (The Miracle of Forgiveness, p. 63) TLDP:67

4. Homosexuality

782. Men are not to have sexual relations with other men, or women with other women.

Because of the seriousness of this sin [of homosexuality] it carries a heavy penalty for the unrepentant. The offender may realize that disfellowshipment or excommunication is the penalty for heavy petting, adultery, fornication and comparable sins if there is not adequate repentance, yet he often supposes that because his acts have not been committed with the opposite sex he is not in sin. Let it therefore be clearly stated that the seriousness of the sin of homosexuality is equal to or greater than that of fornication or adultery; and that the Lord's Church will as readily take action to disfellowship or excommunicate the unrepentant practicing homosexual as it will the unrepentant fornicator or adulterer. (The Miracle of Forgiveness, pp. 81-82) TLDP:72

I want to warn this great body of priesthood against that great sin of Sodom and Gomorrah, which has been labeled as a sin second only in seriousness to the sin of murder. I speak of the sin of adultery . . . and besides this, the equally grievous sin of homosexuality, which seems to be gaining momentum with social acceptance in the Babylon of the world, of which Church members must not be part. CR1972Oct:127

[T]o keep the Children of Israel from committing these sins, the Lord proceeds to name them and to prescribe penalties for their commission. I am going to name a few of them.

First is incest. I am not enlarging on it. In the law incest included more than we now ascribe to it. It included marriage between people within prohibited relationships. The penalty for incest was death to both parties.

Fornication-sometimes adultery and fornication are used interchangeably. But for certain kinds of fornication, the penalty was death.

For adultery, it was death for both parties.

For homosexuality, it was death to the male and the prescription or penalty for the female I do not know.

. . . . Prostitution was called an abomination.

After the Lord finished his listing of abominations recorded here, he continued: . . . "Ye shall therefore keep my statutes and my judgements, and shall not commit any of these abominations; neither any of your own nation, nor any stranger that sojourneth among you." CR1957Apr:87

(First Presidency)

[Church] leaders should generally approach these unhappy [homosexual] people in the true spirit of the gospel of love and understanding rather than of condemnation. They are sons and daughters of God and made in the image of God, and intended to become like God in righteousness and honor and integrity and virtue.

They should be convinced through kind persuasion that a total continuing repentance could bring them forgiveness for the transgression. They can also be assured that in spite of all they may have heard from other sources, they can overcome and can return to total normal, happy living.

Many of these people have reached their present depressed state on a long road of gradual deterioration and cannot be expected to perfect themselves instantly. Consequently, high ideals and positive programs should be suggested to them and frequent visits will help them gain self-mastery.

The inspiration of the Lord will generally bring happy solutions to these problems. (His Servants Speak, pp. 157-58) TLDP:73

If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them. (Revelation to Moses for the children of Israel) Lev.20:13

Prophets anciently and today condemn masturbation. It induces feelings of guilt and shame. It is detrimental to spirituality. It indicates slavery to the flesh, not that mastery of it and the growth toward godhood which is the object of our mortal life. Our modern prophet has indicated that no young man should be called on a mission who is not free from this practice.

While we should not regard this weakness as the heinous sin which some other sexual practices are, it is of itself bad enough to require sincere repentance. What is more, it too often leads to grievous sin, even to that sin against nature, homosexuality. For, done in private, it evolves often into mutual masturbation-practiced with another person of the same sex and thence into total homosexuality. . . .

But let us emphasize that right and wrong, righteousness and sin, are not dependent upon man's interpretations, conventions and attitudes. Social acceptance does not change the status of an act, making wrong into right. If all the people in the world were to accept homosexuality, as it seems to have been accepted in Sodom and Gomorrah, the practice would still be deep, dark sin. . . .

In this context, where stands the perversion of homosexuality? Clearly it is hostile to God's purpose in that it negates his first and great commandment to "multiply and replenish the earth." If the abominable practice became universal it would depopulate the earth in a single generation. It would nullify God's great program for his spirit children in that it would leave countless unembodied spirits in the heavenly world without the chance for the opportunities of mortality and would deny to all the participants in the practice the eternal life God makes available to us all. (The Miracle of Forgiveness, pp. 77-79, 81-82) TLDP:71-72

Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,

10. Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

11. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. (Paul's letter to the Church at Corinth, Greece, about A.D. 55) 1Cor.6:9-11

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. (Letter to the Church in Rome regarding the unrighteous, about A.D. 55) Rom.1:27

For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. . . .

7. Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. (Letter of Jude, brother of James) Jude 1:4,7

To be specific, let us postulate clearly and unmistakably that all sexual life outside of the proper marriage association-I said the proper marriage association-are evil and forbidden by God, and the unrepentant and those who indulge in these will be disillusioned.

The fornicator minimizes his sins. The robber justifies his thievery. The pervert says that God made him that way. The petter rationalizes his act into insignificance. Let it be understood without equivocation that the common indulgences are transgressions, for sin is the breaking of the divine law. [Italics by SWK] ACR(Sydney)1976:54

5. Bestiality

783. We are not to have carnal relations with animals.

Neither shalt thou lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith: neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie down thereto: it is confusion. (Revelation to Moses) Lev.18:23

[T]o keep the Children of Israel from committing these sins, the Lord proceeds to name them and to prescribe penalties for their commission. . . .

For Bestiality, it was death for both the man involved and for the woman. CR1957Apr:87

And if a man lie with a beast, he shall surely be put to death: and ye shall slay the beast.

16. And if a woman approach unto any beast, and lie down thereto, thou shalt kill the woman, and the beast: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them. (Revelation to Moses for the children of Israel) Lev.20:15-16

6. Repentance from Sexual Sin

784. Those who persist in sexual sin shall not inherit the kingdom of God (yet there is mercy for the sinner who repents).

Certainly our teachers were right when they held up an ideal that virtue was as sacred as life itself, and that we had better lose our lives than lose our virtue. . . . [N]ext to the crime of murder itself is the crime of sexual impurity. . . . [T]he devil is apt to [make the sinner believe] that now he or she has committed this sin they are lost forever. Repentance is in order always, and mercy for the sinner. CR1929Apr:69

If adultery or fornication justified the death penalty in the old days, and still in Christ's day, is the sin any less today because the laws of the land do not assess the death penalty for it? Is the act less grievous? There must be a washing, a purging, a changing of attitudes, a correcting of appraisals, a strengthening toward self-mastery. And these cleansing processes cannot be accomplished as easily as taking a bath or shampooing the hair, or sending a suit of clothes to the cleaners. There must be many prayers, and volumes of tears. There must be more than a verbal acknowledgement. There must be an inner conviction giving to the sin its full diabolical weight. "My sins are disgusting-loathsome" one could come to think about his baser sins, like the Psalmist who used these words: "My wounds stink and are corrupt because of my foolishness." (Ps.38:5)

There must be increased devotion and much thought and study. There must be a re-awakening, a fortification, a re-birth. And this takes energy and time and often is accompanied with sore embarrassment, heavy deprivations and deep trials, even if indeed one is not excommunicated from the Church, losing all spiritual blessings. (The Miracle of Forgiveness, p. 155) TLDP:74

To be specific, let us postulate clearly and unmistakably that all sexual life outside of the proper marriage association-I said the proper marriage association-are evil and forbidden by God, and the unrepentant and those who indulge in these will be disillusioned. ACR(Sydney)1976:54

Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,

10. Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. (Letter to the Church at Corinth, Greece, 55 B.C.) 1Cor.6:9-10

For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. (Letter to the Saints at Ephesus in Asia Minor, about A.D. 62) Eph.5:5

(First Presidency)

[Church] leaders should generally approach these unhappy [homosexual] people in the true spirit of the gospel of love and understanding rather than of condemnation. They are sons and daughters of God and made in the image of God, and intended to become like God in righteousness and honor and integrity and virtue.

They should be convinced through kind persuasion that a total continuing repentance could bring them forgiveness for the transgression. They can also be assured that in spite of all they may have heard from other sources, they can overcome and can return to total normal, happy living.

Many of these people have reached their present depressed state on a long road of gradual deterioration and cannot be expected to perfect themselves instantly. Consequently, high ideals and positive programs should be suggested to them and frequent visits will help them gain self-mastery.

The inspiration of the Lord will generally bring happy solutions to these problems. (His Servants Speak, pp. 157-58) TLDP:73

receiving the Word of the Lord

And he that looketh upon a woman to lust after her shall deny the faith, and shall not have the Spirit; and if he repents not he shall be cast out.

24. Thou shalt not commit adultery; and he that committeth adultery, and repenteth not, shall be cast out.

25. But he that has committed adultery and repents with all his heart, and forsaketh it, and doeth it no more, thou shalt forgive;

26. But if he doeth it again, he shall not be forgiven, but shall be cast out. (Revelation "embracing the law of the Church," Feb. 9, 1831) D&C 42:23-26

"Vice is a monster of such heinous mien," someone has said. But it is a monkey on your back. Its satisfactions are momentary, but the reaction is always disappointing and frustrating. Rationalization may sear the conscience, but the product of unchastity is remorse and sorrow. A clean conscience with a chaste body and a virtuous mind bring power, happiness, and peace which no unvirtuous person can or ever will enjoy to the same extent. [See Alexander Pope's An Essay on Man:

"Vice is a monster of so frightful mein,

As, to be hated, needs but to be seen;

Yet seen too oft, familiar with her face,

We first endure, then pity, then embrace."]

ACR(Sydney)1976:54

(6) Sorcery

785. Sorcery (including divination, enchantments, necromancy, witchcraft, wizardry, and the like) is an abomination to the Lord.

Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

20. Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

21. 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. (Paul writes to the churches of Galatia in Asia Minor, about A.D. 55) Gal.5:19-21

When thou art come into the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations.

10. There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch,

11. Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.

12. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee.

13. Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD thy God.

14. For these nations, which thou shalt possess, hearkened unto observers of times, and unto diviners: but as for thee, the LORD thy God hath not suffered thee so to do. (Commandments to Israel through Moses) Deut.18:9-14

But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. (John sees the condition of mankind at judgment day) Rev.21:8

And I will cut off witchcrafts out of thine hand; and thou shalt have no more soothsayers: (Micah prophesies, about 740-700 B.C.) Micah 5:12

And it came to pass that there were sorceries, and witchcrafts, and magics; and the power of the evil one was wrought upon all the face of the land, even unto the fulfilling of all the words of Abinadi, and also Samuel the Lamanite. (Mormon writes about the people of his day, A.D. 327-328) Morm.1:19

(First Presidency)

[T]he increase of seers, and wizards, and diviners, and familiar spirits, and soothsayers, and astrologers, who are charming the nations with their magic arts, lulling the foolish to sleep with their magnetic influence, deceiving priests and people by their necromancy, calling rain, snow, and fire from heaven, and scattering abroad hoar frost like a winter's night . . . all these signs, and . . . many more like things [are the fulfillment of prophecies which] should come to pass in this generation, as signs of the second coming of the Son of Man, which is near at hand. . . . (Fifth General Epistle to the Saints, April 7, 1851) MOFP2:63-64

And he caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom: also he observed times, and used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit, and with wizards: he wrought much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger. (Manasseh reigns in wickedness and worships false gods; some acts of Manasseh recorded) 2Chr.33:6

Author's Note: Following are dictionary definitions of some of the terms used in D-785: Sorcery: "Divination by the assistance or supposed assistance of evil spirits; magic; enchantment; witchcraft" (The New Webster Encyclopedic Dictionary of the English Language, p. 800). Divination: "The act of divining; a foretelling future events, or discovering things secret or obscure, by the aid of superior beings, or by certain rites, experiments, observations, etc." (The New Webster Encyclopedic Dictionary of the English Language p. 256). Enchantment: "The act of enchanting; the use of magic arts, spells, or charms; incantation" (The New Webster Encyclopedic Dictionary of the English Language, p. 286). Necromancy: "Divination by means of a pretended communication with the dead; the black art; the art of magic or sorcery" (The New Webster Encyclopedic Dictionary of the English Language, p. 561). Witchcraft: "The practices of witches; sorcery; power more than natural; enchantment; fascination" (The New Webster Encyclopedic Dictionary of the English Language, p. 962). Wizard: "[A]n adept in the black art; a sorcerer; an enchanter; a magician; a conjurer" (The New Webster Encyclopedic Dictionary of the English Language, p. 962).

I am including the following quotation from Joseph Smith on this subject of false spirits which is helpful in understanding why there is concern with the evil practices addressed in this doctrine:

It is evident from the Apostles' writings, that many false spirits existed in their day, and had "gone forth into the world," and that it needed intelligence which God alone could impart to detect false spirits, and to prove what spirits were of God. The world in general has been grossly ignorant in regard to this one thing, . . . "for no man knows the things of God, but by the Spirit of God."

The Egyptians were not able to discover the difference between the miracles of Moses and those of the magicians until they came to be tested together; and if Moses had not appeared in their midst, they would unquestionably have thought that the miracles of the magicians were performed through the mighty power of God, for they were great miracles that were performed by them-a supernatural agency was developed, and great power manifested.

The witch of Endor is a no less singular personage; clothed with a powerful agency she raised the Prophet Samuel from his grave, and he appeared before the astonished king, and revealed unto him his future destiny. Who is to tell whether this woman is of God, and a righteous woman-or whether the power she possessed was of the devil, and she a witch as represented by the Bible? It is easy for us to say now, but if we had lived in her day, which of us could have unravelled the mystery?

It would have been equally as difficult for us to tell by what spirit the Apostles prophesied, or by what power the Apostles spoke and worked miracles. Who could have told whether the power of Simon, the sorcerer, was of God or of the devil?

There always did, in every age, seem to be a lack of intelligence pertaining to this subject. Spirits of all kinds have been manifested, in every age, and almost amongst all people. If we go among the pagans, they have their spirits; the Mohammedans, the Jews, the Christians, the Indians-all have their spirits, all have a supernatural agency, and all contend that their spirits are of God. Who shall solve the mystery? "Try the spirits," says John, but who is to do it? The learned, the eloquent, the philosopher, the sage, the divine-all are ignorant. The heathens will boast of their gods, and of the great things that have been unfolded by their oracles. The Mussulman will boast of his Koran, and of the divine communications that his progenitors have received. The Jews have had numerous instances, both ancient and modern, among them of men who have professed to be inspired, and sent to bring about great events, and the Christian world has not been slow in making up the number.

"Try the spirits," but what by? Are we to try them by the creeds of men? What preposterous folly-what sheer ignorance-what madness Try the motions and actions of an eternal being (for I contend that all spirits are such) by a thing that was conceived in ignorance, and brought forth in folly-a cobweb of yesterday Angels would hide their faces, and devils would be ashamed and insulted, and would say, "Paul we know, and Jesus we know, but who are ye?" Let each man of society make a creed and try evil spirits by it, and the devil would shake his sides; it is all that he would ask-all that he would desire. Yet many of them do this, and hence "many spirits are abroad in the world."

One great evil is, that men are ignorant of the nature of spirits; their power, laws, government, intelligence, &c., and imagine that when there is anything like power, revelation, or vision manifested, that it must be of God. Hence the Methodists, Presbyterians, and others frequently possess a spirit that will cause them to lie down, and during its operation, animation is frequently entirely suspended; they consider it to be the power of God, and a glorious manifestation from God-a manifestation of what? Is there any intelligence communicated? Are the curtains of heaven withdrawn, or the purposes of God developed? Have they seen and conversed with an angel-or have the glories of futurity burst upon their view? No but their body has been inanimate, the operation of their spirit suspended, and all the intelligence that can be obtained from them when they arise, is a shout of "glory," or "hallelujah," or some incoherent expression; but they have had "the power."

The Shaker will whirl around on his heel, impelled by a supernatural agency or spirit, and think that he is governed by the Spirit of God; and the Jumper will jump and enter into all kinds of extravagances. A Primitive Methodist will shout under the influence of that spirit, until he will rend the heavens with his cries; while the Quakers (or Friends) moved as they think, by the Spirit of God, will sit still and say nothing. Is God the author of all this? If not of all of it, which does He recognize? Surely, such a heterogeneous mass of confusion never can enter into the kingdom of heaven. (HC4:571-72)

(7) Unrighteous Dominion

786. We are not to abuse the authority given us-to exercise unrighteous dominion or power.

Most men are inclined to abuse authority, especially those who wield it who are the least prepared to hold positions of trust. It has been the characteristic of men in power to use that power to gratify their own pride and vain ambitions. More misery has come to the inhabitants of this world through the exercise of authority by those who least deserved it, than from almost any other cause. Rulers of kingdoms in the past have oppressed their subjects, and where they had the power they have sought to increase their dominions. We have had some horrible examples of misplaced ambition which, in recent years, placed the very existence of humanity in peril. These conditions still prevail in high places bringing fear and consternation to the troubled world.

There should not, however, be any of this unrighteous ambition within the Church, but everything should be done in the spirit of love and humility. CHMR2:178; DGSM:70

Behold, there are many called, but few are chosen. And why are they not chosen?

35. Because their hearts are set so much upon the things of this world, and aspire to the honors of men, that they do not learn this one lesson-

36. That the rights of the priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven, and that the powers of heaven cannot be controlled nor handled only upon the principles of righteousness.

37. That they may be conferred upon us, it is true; but when we undertake to cover our sins, or to gratify our pride, our vain ambition, or to exercise control or dominion or compulsion upon the souls of the children of men, in any degree of unrighteousness, behold, the heavens withdraw themselves; the Spirit of the Lord is grieved; and when it is withdrawn, Amen to the priesthood or the authority of that man.

38. Behold, ere he is aware, he is left unto himself, to kick against the pricks, to persecute the saints, and to fight against God.

39. We have learned by sad experience that it is the nature and disposition of almost all men, as soon as they get a little authority, as they suppose, they will immediately begin to exercise unrighteous dominion.

40. Hence many are called, but few are chosen. (Revelation received while in Liberty Jail, March 20, 1839; why many are called and few chosen) D&C 121:34-40

The great principle enunciated in the Declaration of Independence, that governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed, permeates this Church and lies at the foundation of its government, determining the manner of the choice of men and women to hold office therein. This has always been the rule of the Church. There is no room in it for tyranny, for usurpation, for the exercise of unrighteous dominion. CR1907Apr:111

"Many are called, few are chosen." The Almighty has revealed in our day the reasons, but what a mighty host have wrecked their eternal hopes on those fatal reefs-love of the riches of this world, the honors and praises of men, and the exercises of unrighteous dominion.

Let all Israel remember that the eternal and everlasting Priesthood is bestowed upon us for the purpose alone of administering in the ordinances of life and salvation, both for the living and the dead, and no man on earth can use that Priesthood for any other purpose than for the work of the ministry, the perfecting of the Saints, edifying the body of Christ, establishing the Kingdom of Heaven, and redeeming Zion. If we attempt to use it for unrighteous purposes, like lightning from heaven our power, sooner or later, falls, and we fail to accomplish the designs of God. (In official announcement of the death of President John Taylor, Aug. 29, 1887) MOFP3:131

(First Presidency)

The Church and Kingdom of God does not use any compulsion over the souls of men. Nor does it claim any right so to do. The Priesthood which it bears is Divine authority to administer in behalf of Deity in the truths and ordinances of salvation. Those who hold it are warned against seeking to exercise unrighteous dominion, and instructed that it can only be maintained "by persuasion, by longsuffering, by gentleness and meekness and by love unfeigned." The presiding authorities therein regulate the affairs of the Church by "common consent," and their jurisdiction is within, and not without, its ecclesiastical limits. Every member of the organization in every place is absolutely free as a citizen, and is not restrained of any liberty enjoyed by nonmembers. (Sixth General Epistle of the First Presidency of the Church from Great Salt Lake Valley, Jan. 15, 1852) MOFP4:82

Babylon is the communistic system that seeks to destroy freedom of people in all nations and kingdoms; it is the Mafia and crime syndicates that murder and rob and steal; it is the secret combinations that seek for power and unrighteous dominion over the souls of men. Babylon is the promoter of pornography; it is organized crime and prostitution; it is every evil and wicked and ungodly thing in our whole social structure." (The Millennial Messiah, p. 424) DGSM:98

(First Presidency)

The gospel of Christ is a gospel of love and peace, of patience and long suffering, of forbearance and forgiveness, of kindness and good deeds, of charity and brotherly love. Greed, avarice, base ambition, thirst for power, and unrighteous dominion over our fellow men, can have no place in the hearts of Latter-day Saints nor of God-fearing men everywhere. We of the Church must lead the life prescribed in the saying of the ancient prophet-warrior:

"I seek not for power, but to pull it down. I seek not for honor of the world, but for the glory of my God, and the freedom and welfare of my country." (Alma 60:36) CR1942Apr:90

quoted by Mormon

Behold, I am Moroni, your chief captain. I seek not for power, but to pull it down. I seek not for honor of the world, but for the glory of my God, and the freedom and welfare of my country. And thus I close mine epistle. (Moroni complains to Pahoran of the government's neglect of the armies, about 62 B.C.) Alma 60:36

(First Presidency)

That sin [of war], as Moroni of old said, is to the condemnation of those who "sit in their places of power in a state of thoughtless stupor," those rulers in the world who in a frenzy of hate and lust for unrighteous power and dominion over their fellow men, have put into motion eternal forces they do not comprehend and cannot control. God, in His own due time, will pass sentence upon them.

"Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord." (Rom.12:19) CR1942Apr:95-96

also quoting Joseph Smith

Like cutting the cord with clippers, it is possible to use spiritual power so carelessly as to destroy one's very connection to that power. I know a husband who dominates his wife as though she were his possession. . . . And I know a wife who dominates her husband to the point that he has lost all feelings of worth.

Remember, "the rights of the priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven, and . . . the powers of heaven cannot be controlled nor handled only upon the principles of righteousness." (D&C 121:36; italics added by RMN)

The unrighteous use of priesthood authority surely severs the connection to the Source of that authority. (See D&C 121:37.) CR1984Oct:40

As direction is given in the Church and in our homes, there should be no spirit of dictatorship and no unrighteous dominion, CR1983Apr:59

Gordon B. Hinckley

There [should] never be in [the] home any "unrighteous dominion" of husband over wife (see D&C 121:37,39), no assertion of superiority, but rather an expression in living which says that these two are equally yoked.

No man can please his Heavenly Father who fails to respect the daughters of God. No man can please his Heavenly Father who fails to magnify his wife and companion, and nurture and build and strengthen and share with her. CR1985Apr:65; DGSM:80

Arguments, fights, unrighteous dominion, generation gaps, divorces, spouse abuse, riots, and disturbances all fall into this category of pride. CR1989Apr:5

quoted by John A. Widtsoe

Thrust a man into prison and bind him with chains, and then let him be filled with the comfort and with the glory of eternity, and that prison is a palace to him. Again, let a man be seated upon a throne with power and dominion in this world, ruling his millions and millions and without that peace which flows from the Lord of Hosts-without that contentment and joy that come from heaven, his palace is a prison; his life is a burden to him; he lives in fear, in dread, and in sorrow. But when a person is filled with the peace and power of God, all is right with him. (In Bowery, July 5, 1857, JD5:1-2) DBY:33

And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.

6. And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.

7. If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.

8. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. (The devil tempts Jesus) Luke 4:5-8

(8) Worshipping False Gods

787. We are not to worship any other being but God.

And gave unto them commandments that they should love and serve him, the only living and true God, and that he should be the only being whom they should worship. (Revelation on Church Organization and Government, April 1830) D&C 20:19

I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

3. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. (The Lord reveals the first of the Ten Commandments to Moses) Ex.20:2-3

For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God: (The Lord commands Moses for Israel) Ex.34:14

quoted by Mormon

But behold, I trust that ye are not in a state of so much unbelief as were your brethren; I trust that ye are not lifted up in the pride of your hearts; yea, I trust that ye have not set your hearts upon riches and the vain things of the world; yea, I trust that you do not worship idols, but that ye do worship the true and living God, and that ye look forward for the remission of your sins, with an everlasting faith, which is to come. (Alma to the people in Gideon, about 83 B.C.) Alma 7:6

And it shall be, if thou do at all forget the LORD thy God, and walk after other gods, and serve them, and worship them, I testify against you this day that ye shall surely perish.

20. As the nations which the LORD destroyeth before your face, so shall ye perish; because ye would not be obedient unto the voice of the LORD your God. (Revelation to Moses for the children of Israel) Deut.8:19-20

True and saving worship is found only among those who know the truth about God and the Godhead and who understand the true relationship men should have with each member of that Eternal Presidency.

It follows that the devil would rather spread false doctrine about God and the Godhead, and induce false feelings with reverence to any one of them, than almost any other thing he could do. The creeds of Christendom illustrate perfectly what Lucifer wants so-called Christian people to believe about Deity in order to be damned. ("Our Relationship with the Lord," Brigham Young University Speeches of the Year, 1981-82, p. 97) TLDP:751

recorded in Matthew

Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;

9. And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.

10. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. (The devil tempts Jesus) Matt.4:8-10

788. Whatever we set our hearts and our trust in most becomes, in a sense, our god; if our god is not the true and living God of Israel, we are laboring in idolatry.

Few men have ever knowingly and deliberately chosen to reject God and his blessings. Rather, we learn from the scriptures that because the exercise of faith has always appeared to be more difficult than relying on things more immediately at hand, carnal man has tended to transfer his trust in God to material things. Therefore, in all ages when men have fallen under the power of Satan and lost the faith, they have put in its place a hope in the "arm of flesh" and in "gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know" (Dan.5:23)-that is, in idols. . . . Whatever thing a man sets his heart and his trust in most is his god; and if his god doesn't also happen to be the true and living God of Israel that man is laboring in idolatry. ("The False Gods We Worship;" EN1976Jun:4) DCCH:6

Modern idols or false gods can take such forms as clothes, homes, businesses, machines, automobiles, pleasure boats, and numerous other material deflectors from the path to godhood. What difference does it make that the item concerned is not shaped like an idol? Brigham Young said: "I would as soon see a man worshipping a little god made of brass or of wood as to see him worshipping his property."

Intangible things make just as ready gods. Degrees and letters and titles can become idols. Many young men decide to attend college when they should be on missions first. The degree, and the wealth and the security which come through it, appear so desirable that the mission takes second place. Some neglect Church service through their college years, feeling to give preference to the secular training and ignoring the spiritual covenants they have made.

Many people build and furnish a home and buy the automobile first-and then find they "cannot afford" to pay tithing. Whom do they worship? Certainly not the Lord of heaven and earth, for we serve whom we love and give first consideration to the object of our affection and desires. Young married couples who postpone parenthood until their degrees are attained might be shocked if their expressed preference were labeled idolatry. (Miracle of Forgiveness, pp. 40-41) DCSM:4-5

The great trouble with the world today, as I understand it, is that it has become idolatrous. We read of idolatry and think of it as a practice or series of practices in the past. This is an idolatrous generation, defying the commandment written by the finger of God-"Thou shalt have no other Gods before me." . . . Men are praising the gods of silver and of gold and of all the other valuable commodities that make up wealth, and the God in whose hand their breath is . . . they will not recognize. Do you wonder that wickedness and crime have increased to terrifying proportions under those conditions? The prophets of old foresaw it. They spoke of the days of wickedness and vengeance immediately precedent to the second coming of the Lord. . . .

. . . . Are we worshipping the true and living God, or are we going idolatrously after the gods of gold and silver, of iron and wood, and brass, diamonds and other idols of wealth? Are we worshipping our farms, our cattle and sheep? Who is our God? To whom are we yielding homage, allegiance and worship? Not worship by means of words only, in ritualistic form, but worship in action, devotion, and sacrificial service? CR1930Oct:71,73

Fornication, adultery, and whoredoms, these are the terms the prophets use to describe the false worship, the devil's way of worship, the worship that is not of God. They are the most grievous of all sins save murder only, and they are used to denote the most degenerate of all states that can befall man save only his death and destruction, and that state is to worship false gods and thereby be cut off from any hope of salvation. . . .

False worship brings damnation. (The Millennial Messiah, p. 435) TLDP:751

They seek not the Lord to establish his righteousness, but every man walketh in his own way, and after the image of his own God, whose image is in the likeness of the world, and whose substance is that of an idol, which waxeth old and shall perish in Babylon, even Babylon the great, which shall fall. (Revelation received during conference of elders of the Church, Nov. 1, 1831) D&C 1:16

But hast lifted up thyself against the LORD of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified: (Daniel reproves King Belshazzar for pride and idolatry) Dan.5:23

O Lord, I have trusted in thee, and I will trust in thee forever. I will not put my trust in the arm of flesh; for I know that cursed is he that putteth his trust in the arm of flesh. Yea, cursed is he that putteth his trust in man or maketh flesh his arm. (Nephi writes on plates shortly after the death of his father Lehi, 588-570 B.C.) 2Ne.4:34

789. We are not to worship idols.

quoted by Nephi

Yea, wo unto those that worship idols, for the devil of all devils delighteth in them. (Jacob to the people of Nephi, 559-545 B.C.) 2Ne.9:37

Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:

5. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;

6. And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. (The Lord reveals the second of the Ten Commandments to Moses) Ex.20:4-6

When thou shalt beget children, and children's children, and ye shall have remained long in the land, and shall corrupt yourselves, and make a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, and shall do evil in the sight of the LORD thy God, to provoke him to anger:

26. I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that ye shall soon utterly perish from off the land whereunto ye go over Jordan to possess it; ye shall not prolong your days upon it, but shall utterly be destroyed. (Moses to the children of Israel) Deut.4:25-26

Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry. (Letter to the Church at Corinth, Greece, about A.D. 55) 1Cor.10:14

Turn ye not unto idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods: I am the LORD your God. (Revelation to Moses) Lev.19:4

And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim:

12. And they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the LORD to anger. (The children of Israel after the death of Joshua) Judg.2:11-12

They provoked him to jealousy with strange gods, with abominations provoked they him to anger.

17. They sacrificed unto devils, not to God; to gods whom they knew not, to new gods that came newly up, whom your fathers feared not. (Moses to the children of Israel) Deut.32:16-17

For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised: he also is to be feared above all gods.

26. For all the gods of the people are idols: but the LORD made the heavens. (David delivers a psalm of thanksgiving) 1Chr.16:25-26

And when he had broken down the altars and the groves, and had beaten the graven images into powder, and cut down all the idols throughout all the land of Israel, he returned to Jerusalem. (Josiah, son of David, reigns in righteousness) 2Chr.34:7

As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one.

5. For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,) 6. But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him. (Letter to the Church at Corinth, Greece, about A.D. 55) 1Cor.8:4-6

And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk: (John sees the wars and plagues before the Lord comes) Rev.9:20