Latter-day Saint Life

Why Taking the Lord's Name in Vain Means More Than Just Swearing

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MR says: Are there ways you could have been using the Lord's name carelessly, without even realizing it?

I’ve been studying the commandment to not take the Lord’s name in vain recently and the more I do the more I think our reducing it to “swearing” misses the point entirely. I now read it this way:

> “Thou shalt not take the Lord’s name [and use it] in vain”

I think of all the opinions, ideas, causes, movements, etc. we involve ourselves in. I think the Lord desires we be “anxiously engaged”. But the problem comes when we drag the Lord into our misguided causes and invoke His name when doing so. When we do that we are “taking the Lord’s name [and using it] in vain” — towards an end unworthy of Him.

Lead image retrieved from LDS Smile.
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