Sunday, May 10, 2009

Sunday Scripture Thought

It's Sunday. We're supposed to be spiritual today, right?
At the beginning of the year I set a goal to read the Book of Mormon six times- or once every two months. I'm on my third way through now, and I'm still finding new thoughts.
My new thought today was one that called me to repentance.
"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." Mosiah 13:15
Now, I personally don't have a problem with taking the name of the Lord in vain. Not even when I'm really mad. But I do have a problem with opening my mouth to say something when other people profane His name in front of me. It's difficult for me to say anything. I waver back and forth, wanting very badly not to come across as a religious fanatic, but not wanting to waffle either. So I generally compromise by not saying anything and feeling uncomfortable.
There's a problem with acting this way. It's true that 'unto whom much is given much is required'; and in general the thought seems to be that if someone doesn't know that something is wrong they'll be judged by the level of knowledge they have. But God 'will not hold him guiltless'. The way I read this scripture is twofold: As someone with a greater light, I have a responsibility to speak when someone takes the name of the Lord in vain. And as someone with a greater light, when I do not speak up, I'm also sinning by letting someone else sin. Kind of like the prophets who, even when the people were wicked and would not listen, they went out and preached anyway so that the blood of the people wouldn't come up against them.
Something to think about.

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