God's Name In Vain?

[Carl62]

What is actually considered as using God's name in vain? The reason I ask this is because I've heard people, some who are even devout, active members in the church, make comments like "Oh G**" or "Oh my G**" on a regular basis (I'll use asterisks so as not to possibly offend anyone). A close friend of mine in the church does and one of my missionary comps. would use these phrases as well. A couple of nights ago, I was watching an episode of the Glenn Beck show ( a supposedly active LDS) and I heard him say "Good G** O' Mighty" twice. What about saying "Oh my Lord"? There was a Sunday school teacher when I first joined the church who would use that quite often, even during the class! I've always been taught that "J.C." and "G.D." are definite no-no's, but where is the line drawn on what is/isn't appropriate to say?

[Maxel]

I've always thought using any term to refer to the Lord is only to be used in seriousness and reverence. Personally, I try to refrain from referencing the Lord more than is needed.

I know some active members who also use the Lord's name in vain. Being an active member doesn't mean one follows the spirit of the law all the time. Many are like Glenn Beck- only converted in their hearts after some blasphemous patterns were established (if you think Beck is bad now, you should have heard him before he converted to Mormonism).

[Justice]

I think taking the Lord's name in vain is more than just what you say. I think it is more about "being baptized" and "taking upon you the name of Christ," and then acting in a manner unbecoming of a follower of Christ. It's much like partaking the sacrament unworthily.

I think the gist of the commandment is that if you claim to be a Christian, and that Christ is your Savior, then act like it. You cannot claim to believe in Him and not do what He says.

Luke 6:

46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?

If you do, then you have taken His name in vain, because faith is required to be saved.

[Traveler]

What is actually considered as using God's name in vain? The reason I ask this is because I've heard people, some who are even devout, active members in the church, make comments like "Oh G**" or "Oh my G**" on a regular basis (I'll use asterisks so as not to possibly offend anyone). A close friend of mine in the church does and one of my missionary comps. would use these phrases as well. A couple of nights ago, I was watching an episode of the Glenn Beck show ( a supposedly active LDS) and I heard him say "Good G** O' Mighty" twice. What about saying "Oh my Lord"? There was a Sunday school teacher when I first joined the church who would use that quite often, even during the class! I've always been taught that "J.C." and "G.D." are definite no-no's, but where is the line drawn on what is/isn't appropriate to say?

The examples you give are very minor. In ancient times it was believed that when you made a covenant you took upon yourself the name of the giver of the covenant. The use of that name outside of or against the covenant is considered a vein use. In other words to say you are a Christian and then to behave in a non-Christian manner is what the main thing the commandment was intended to bring to light.

This also is the meaning of agency - or the use of names. An agent (or agency) is an authorized or legal user of a name.

The Traveler

[Misshalfway]

So is your question whether or not Glen Beck is cussing? Yeah, he is.

Next question.

[talisyn]

I say 'oh my goish'. I don't know what my goish is, but it gets pained when I see something really dumb. So I'm not taking the Lord's name in vain

It is a good question though. I've been reading 'The Witch of Blackbird Pond' to my daughter and last night we got to the part where Kit's uncle uses the Lord's name. She literally gasped when I said what he said, so I explained that the uncle was saying it in thanks, not as a curse. Good teaching moment

[Traveler]

So is your question whether or not Glen Beck is cussing? Yeah, he is.

Next question.

Maybe - there is a possibility that he may have been making a honest plea for divine help in the circumstance.

The Traveler

[Carl62]

So is your question whether or not Glen Beck is cussing? Yeah, he is.

Next question.

Glenn Beck wasn't even a part of the two questions that I had.

[HEthePrimate]

The examples you give are very minor. In ancient times it was believed that when you made a covenant you took upon yourself the name of the giver of the covenant. The use of that name outside of or against the covenant is considered a vein use. In other words to say you are a Christian and then to behave in a non-Christian manner is what the main thing the commandment was intended to bring to light.

This also is the meaning of agency - or the use of names. An agent (or agency) is an authorized or legal user of a name.

The Traveler

Exactly. Calling oneself a Christian and then acting like a jerk is taking the Lord's name in vain. Sadly, we are all guilty of doing this from time to time (at least I am ). Thankfully, though, we also are good sometimes. Regular "bundles of paradoxes," to paraphrase Brennan Manning.

HEP

[deseretgov]

Well what if you said, "Oh my g**" With a small "g" not to be confuse with the one with a big "G." But anyway a new perspective learned came fomr the Book of the Law of the Lord that was "translated" by James J. Strang. In there it said that taking the nam eof the Lord in vain was using the name of God a without the right to do so. For example if you didn't have authority to baptize someone. But you baptized them in the name of God(Father, Son, Holy Ghost). Then that was considered to be in vain. Becasue God didn't give you permission to use His name.

[Traveler]

Just for the record. Heck is where the people go that do not believe in gosh.

The Traveler

[HEthePrimate]

Just for the record. Heck is where the people go that do not believe in gosh.

The Traveler

[Carl62]

For some reason, this thread seems to be getting a wee bit off topic. I'm not asking for different perspectives about acting in ways that may be viewed as taking God's name in vain. I'm just simply asking what you cannot SAY that would be looked on as using God's name in vain? Is saying "For G**'s sakes" o.k.? Or "For the love of G**"? Or "Oh my G**"? Or other expressions that uses God's name in a general way.

[Misshalfway]

For some reason, this thread seems to be getting a wee bit off topic. I'm not asking for different perspectives about acting in ways that may be viewed as taking God's name in vain. I'm just simply asking what you cannot SAY that would be looked on as using God's name in vain? Is saying "For G**'s sakes" o.k.? Or "For the love of G**"? Or "Oh my G**"? Or other expressions that uses God's name in a general way.

I think you are right on track. None of these pop culture phrases is reverent or respectful. They are haphazard and lazy and sometimes inappropriate.....even if an LDS person uses them.

Our standard is to use the name of God in reverence if one is going to use it at all. I use God or references to HF in lots of my daily conversation but never in a cursing or cussing or flippant sort of way. That is my guide. Everytime I hear someone use these pop culture phrases, I feel a little offended. I think most LDS people follow the same guidelines and try to be clean in their speach. But some choose to push that boundary a little and give themselves allowances. If you want to know where the line is, I think you said it for yourself.

[sixpacktr]

I was brought up that saying 'God' outside of a holy context was blasphemous. The same goes for our Savior's name. In fact, I switch out 'God' with 'Heavenly Father' whenever possible.

I'm sure that is more my training and upbringing than absolute truth or law. I just get very uncomfortable even saying it. I live in a ward now with many converted Catholics, and hear ALL of those phrases all of the time. In our Bishopric meetings, one of the counselors uses swear words regularly. The Bishop doesn't correct him, and it ain't my place. But for me, I'm just more comfortable not testing that line (which may or may not exist, but it does for me).

I also agree with some here that using PH authority unworthily is taking the Lord's name in vain, as is any other blasphemous action.

[Moksha]

I've noticed that the usage of the term God in a non-holy sense, is uttered by most of us from time to time. My goal is to keep it at a minimum.

Back when this admonition was written, the Judaic tribal people had given God specific names. Wonder if this admonition was meant to apply to the specific name or a more generic name for the Divine?

:)

[sixpacktr]

Good question Moksha. The Israelites avoided one name on pain of stoning and substituted others instead. Would these then (in our HF's eyes), if used lightly, have been considered blasphemous? Or is it only certain names??

I guess it comes down to our own safeguarding of that which is sacred. Perhaps it is in our attitude, in that if we make sacred things 'common' or put pearls before swine that would be considered blasphemous.

It is something that I will work harder on. We need to remember our place when it comes to dealing with Diety. Kind of like the picture that shows a kitten looking in a mirror and seeing a tiger, perhaps we too see ourselves as more important than we really are (you know what I mean, so pls nobody start saying 'God don't make junk').

[Misshalfway]

I think you hit the nail on the head. Perhaps our individual behaviors on this might vary a bit but hopefully they reflect inner devotion and reverence for the creator of us all. I think that is the goal of all this commandment stuff....to get our insides oriented correctly so the stuff that comes out of us in speech and deed is good fruit.

[thews]

This is a good question, but I think the answer is found in the use of "vain" when looking for intent. I've heard many people say "Gosh darn," or "Goll dern," and while not said in anger, I find it disturbing. I catch myself starting to say "God" in a way you described, but it usually comes out as "gaaahhhh."

For the record, it makes me cringe to hear it and I do not use the Lord's name in vain. Using the Lord's name in vain has come to be acceptable on late night TV, where they still bleep out other curse words. This trend is bothersome to me and I wish they would treat all curse words the same and bleep them all out.

[lattelady]

I think humans when in the flesh will always have a desire to get as "close to sin" as they can without going "all the way" so they don't feel "guilty." In God's eyes, it's what's in the heart, not what came out of our mouths that matters--it all starts in the heart. I've heard so many substitutionary words here in my neck of the woods that I'd never heard before moving here. People know that the F-word is wrong, so they say "frick" or "frickin'" or "flippin'", or something like that. They have a whole other set of words that are substitutes for swear words because they know that to swear is wrong; to avoid it altogether isn't that much fun, either. So they get as close as they can without going over... We ALL do this, in most every area of our lives, when we're not walking with God by the power of His Spirit. His Spirit convicts us of what's not right. When I hear, "Oh G..." spoken by others, it hurts my heart. When I hear someone who loves the Lord talk like that, it REALLY hurts my heart, and it makes me angry that they're using His name flippantly. I think we can tell when someone is calling aloud to Him, and when someone is simply using it in vain in such a careless way.

[Justice]

It certainly starts with what we say though. If we can't bridle our tounges then we have no chance to bridle our passions.

James 3:

2 For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.

[Justinator1]

From Gordon B. Hinckley, “Take Not the Name of God in Vain,” Ensign, Nov 1987, 44

Conversations I have had with school principals and students lead me to the same conclusion—that even among our young people, there is an evil and growing habit of profanity and the use of foul and filthy language.

I do not hesitate to say that it is wrong, seriously wrong, for any young man ordained to the priesthood of God to be guilty of such.

The taking of the Lord’s name in vain is a most serious matter.

...The Lord has spoken again in our time concerning this serious matter. In the revelation given to President Brigham Young on January 14, 1847, while the Saints were preparing to leave Winter Quarters for these valleys in the West, the Lord said to them, “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” (D&C 136:21).

In a general epistle to the entire Church issued by the First Presidency on April 8, 1887, a hundred years ago, they said concerning this problem, which evidently was serious then as it is now, “The habit … , which some young people fall into, of using vulgarity and profanity … is not only offensive to well-bred persons, but it is a gross sin in the sight of God, and should not exist among the children of the Latter-day Saints” (in Messages of the First Presidency, comp. James R. Clark, 6 vols., Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1965–75, 3:112–13).

...On one occasion, Jesus said to the multitude, “Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man” (Matt. 15:11).

I have believed that as I have heard men and women, and boys and girls, profane.

... It is a tragic and unnecessary thing that boys and girls use foul language. It is inexcusable for a girl so to speak. It is likewise serious for the boy who holds the priesthood. This practice is totally unacceptable for one authorized to speak in the name of God. To blaspheme His holy name or to speak in language that is debauched is offensive to God and man.

I would recommend the whole thing, it's short but worth the read. I just tried to post what I thought was relevant the the OP's original question.

[talisyn]

what is the 'yea yea nay nay' scripture about swearing? I can't find it anywhere ><

[Justinator1]

From the talk I posted above Pres. Hinckley quotes Ex. 20:7 of course, but he also uses 1 Tim 4:12 thusly (is that a word):

Paul, perhaps the greatest missionary of all time, wrote to Timothy, his young associate in the ministry. Said he, “Let no man despise thy youth,” he said, “but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity” (1 Tim. 4:12).

Note what he says: “Be thou an example in word.” He is speaking here of language. I think he is speaking of the things of which I have been speaking. He is saying that coarse and lewd words are incompatible with one’s calling as a believer in Christ.

.