1. Read Exodus 20:3-17, make a list of 10 commandments. Read Matthew 22:36-40 and identify what the Lord said were the two "great" commandments. Place each of the 10 commandments withing the two by writing "Love God" or "Love Neighbor" next to them on the list.
- Have no other Gods before me. Love God
- Not make any graven image. Love God
- Not take name of God in vain. Love God
- Keep Sabbath day holy. Love God
- Honor thy Father & thy Mother Love Neighbor
- Not kill Love Neighbor
- Not commit adultery Love Neighbor
- Not steal Love Neighbor
- Not bear false witness Love Neighbor
- Not covet Love Neighbor
2. List 3 commandments from Exodus 20:3-17 that you feel are most commonly neglected by the world. Read the Institute Manual for those commandments. Write a paragraph about the difference it would make in the world if all God's children kept these commandments.
My list of 3 commandments that I feel are most neglected by mankind are: 1)Not take the name of God in vain, 2) Not commit adultery, and 3) Not bear false witness.
The world would definitely be a different and much better world in which to live if we kept all the commandments, but the 3 that I chose are the ones that I know would be easier to change and would help us to feel safer both spiritually, physically and emotionally. When we take God's name in vain we show our lack of reverence for Him and as the Institute Manual points out, we are seeming to forget our oath and promise made at our baptism to take His name upon us. I had not thought of that and that helped me to think that using foul language is such an epidemic in society that we just do and don't even think about or realize we are doing. We NEED to reverence God and show Him our respect for Him in order to understand who WE are. The next one I chose was adultery. With the rise in cohabiting partners and children being born out of wedlock, it's clear that the family and the institute of marriage are under attack. Committing adultery is just one more stone added upon a rocky pile that will tumble and ruin all beneath it. It is sad that so many feel they can not trust another to marry them, or they don't want to commit, or it is just "easier" for them to do it this way and then others just give in to the natural man and forget about the laws that are there for our help and safety. Marriage is a covenant and it is a covenant that if more people were abiding by and keeping, we would be able to trust each other more. The last commandment that I chose was Bearing false witness. Oh how sad this one makes me! I have been on the losing end of gossip too many times and know just how deeply those wounds can go and how long they take to heal, if at all. Why do we do that? Why do we talk about others in hurtful ways? Why do we share information that isn't true? If we kept this commandment, then people would feel loved by others...by their neighbors, by their friends, by coworkers, etc. We all would be able to walk with our heads held high and be proud of who we are instead of waiting for the next rumor about us to circulate and destroy our hearts and our self-worth.
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