The Ten Commandments are eternal gospel principles that are necessary for our exaltation. The Lord revealed them to Moses in ancient times (see Exodus 20:1–17).
1. “Thou shalt have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3). We should do “all things with an eye single to the glory of God”. We should love and serve the Lord with all our heart, might, mind, and strength.
2. “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image” (Exodus 20:4). The Lord condemns the worship of idols. Idolatry may take many forms. Some people do not bow before graven images or statues but instead replace the living God with other idols, such as money, material possessions, ideas, or prestige. In their lives, “their treasure is their god”—a god that “shall perish with them”.
3. “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain” (Exodus 20:7).
4. “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8).
5. “Honour thy father and thy mother” (Exodus 20:12). This commandment remains binding throughout our lives and can be understood in several ways: We should honour our fathers and our mothers who are our ancestors; we should be grateful to the father and mother who provided our earthly bodies; we should honour those who raised us in the knowledge of the truth. Above all, we should honour our Heavenly Parents. The way we honour all these fathers and mothers is by keeping the commandments.
6. “Thou shalt not kill” (Exodus 20:13).
7. “Thou shalt not commit adultery” (Exodus 20:14).
8. “Thou shalt not steal” (Exodus 20:15).
9. “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour” (Exodus 20:16).
10. “Thou shalt not covet” (Exodus 20:17). Coveting, or envying something that belongs to another, is damaging to the soul. It can consume our thoughts and plague us with constant unhappiness and dissatisfaction.
The Saviour summarized the Ten Commandments in two principles—love for the Lord and love for our fellow men:
“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind”. This is the first and great commandment.
And the second is like unto it, “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (Matthew 22:37–39).
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