The Ten Commandments

Read Exodus 20:3-17 and make a list of the Ten Commandments. Read Matthew 22:36-40, and identify what the Lord said were the two “great” commandments. Verse 40 states that “all” other commandments are part of these two great commandments. Place each of the Ten Commandments within one of these two great commandments by writing “love God” or “love neighbor” next to each of the commandments on your list.

 3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

 4 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.

 7 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.

 8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

 9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:

 10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:

 11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

 12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.

 13 Thou shalt not kill.

 14 Thou shalt not commit adultery.

 15 Thou shalt not steal.

 16 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.

 17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s.

Ten Commandments:

Thou shalt have no other gods before me. (Love God)

Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image. (Love God)

Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain. (Love God)

Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. (Love God)

Honour they father and thy mother. (Love neighbor)

Thou shalt not kill. (Love neighbor)

Thou shalt not commit adultery. (Love neighbor)

Thou shalt not steal. (Love neighbor)

Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. (Love neighbor)

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor. (Love neighbor)

Two Great Commandments:

Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

List three of the commandments from Exodus 20:3-17 that you feel are most commonly neglected by the world. Read the Institute Student Manual commentary for those three commandments (pgs. 127-34). Write a paragraph about what a difference it would make in the world if all of God’s children kept these commandments.

Thou shalt not commit adultery:

If everyone kept this commandment there would be a lot less heartache in the world. So many people would have marriages that would last. God has given us the power of procreation that we can bring His children to this mortal life and He has asked that we do so within the bonds of matrimony. So many people fall into temptation to use those procreative powers outside the bonds of marriage and there is so much heartache because of it.

Honour they father and thy mother:

So many people do not honor their mother and father. We have been given the great gift of having an earthly mother and father and so many people choose to live in accordance in the things contrary to what they teach them. When people righteously follow and honor their mother and father they will be blessed. 

Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain:

I know so many people who do not even realize they’re using the Lord’s name in vain! Sometimes it’s scary to think that they don’t realize what they’re saying. Something that I learned is that even when you choose not to live by the covenants you’ve made at baptism you’re in fact taking the Lord’s name in vain. What I’m saying is is that you don’t have to speak to take the Lord’s name in vain, it also includes our actions which is huge!

Guest Blogger

I'm doing my internship for a non-profit called National Healthy Marriage Institute and my assignment is to research and write pamphlets on how to maintain a healthy marriage. (Go figure). I submitted my first article and they featured it on their blog!

Click here to view it! I'm pretty stoked!

Leadership and Delegation

Jethro and Moses.

Read Exodus 18:13-24. Write answers to the following questions:

“13 ¶And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses sat to judge the people: and the people stood by Moses from the morning unto the evening.

 14 And when Moses’ father in law saw all that he did to the people, he said, What is this thing that thou doest to the people? why sittest thou thyself alone, and all the people stand by thee from morning unto even?

 15 And Moses said unto his father in law, Because the people come unto me to inquire of God:

 16 When they have a matter, they come unto me; and I judge between one and another, and I do make them know the statutes of God, and his laws.

 17 And Moses’ father in law said unto him, The thing that thou doest is not good.

 18 Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for this thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone.

 19 Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee: Be thou for the people to God-ward, that thou mayest bring the causes unto God:

 20 And thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt shew them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do.

 21 Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens:

 22 And let them judge the people at all seasons: and it shall be, that every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge: so shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear the burden with thee.

 23 If thou shalt do this thing, and God command thee so, then thou shalt be able to endure, and all this people shall also go to their place in peace.

 24 So Moses hearkened to the voice of his father in law, and did all that he had said.”

·         What did Moses do every day?

Moses counseled or judged his people to know what God wanted them to do.

·         How long did it take?

It took from morning until evening.

·         What reason did Jethro give for why these activities were “not good”?

They weren’t good because it was wearing heavy on Moses.

·         How did Jethro suggest Moses should be spending his time?

Jethro suggested that Moses should call trustworthy, able men and teach them ordinances and laws.

·         What did Jethro propose to overcome the challenge?

He proposed that Moses have the men that he taught to be rulers of men to help assist him (Moses) in his work.

How does this account help you understand why each responsibility in a ward is important (see 1 Corinthians 12:14-22)?

“14 For the body is not one member, but many.

 15 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?

 16 And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?

 17 If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?

 18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.

 19 And if they were all one member, where were the body?

 20 But now are they many members, yet but one body.

 21 And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.

 22 Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary:”

This account helps you realize that we have need of every talent that one has to offer. That we’re not supposed to be the same because what good would that do if we were all the exact same? Also, the different talents work together to become a greater cause and talent.