I'm noticing that as I get older, swearing and taking the Lord's name in vain becomes more and more prevalent around me. After a while, it's hard not to get discouraged when you hear so much of the trash that comes out of people's mouths. And then, there's the swearing in books and movies which are appropriate otherwise. How do you get away from it?
Here's what the For Strength of Youth book says about language:
Here's what the For Strength of Youth book says about language:
"Do not use profane, vulgar, or crude language or gestures, and do not tell jokes or stories about immoral actions. These are offensive to God and to others."
"Always use the names of God and Jesus Christ with reverence and respect. Misusing the names of Deity is a sin. When you pray, address your Father in Heaven in reverent and respectful language. The Savior used such respectful language in the Lord’s Prayer (see Matthew 6:9–12)."
"How you communicate should reflect who you are as a son or daughter of God. Clean and intelligent language is evidence of a bright and wholesome mind. Good language that uplifts, encourages, and compliments others invites the Spirit to be with you. Our words, like our deeds, should be filled with faith, hope, and charity."
I read a really great article in the New Era a while ago about this very subject. Before I read it, I knew that I shouldn't take the Lord's name in vain, but I didn't know why. After reading it, however, I realized the importance of not taking Heavenly Father or Jesus' name in vain.
Basically, a girl was in a choir, and one of the kids in the choir was using the Lord's name in a rude way. So this girl asked her to stop, even though she was a bit shy. The girl said to the other, "Please don't say that. He is my Savior." The room got quiet, and she was embarrassed, but to her surprise, another member of the choir spoke up, "He is my Savior, too." (To read the full article, click here.)
This story has always stuck with me. We keep the Lord's name holy because He is our Savior and He saved us from our sins.
So, now I pose a question: How do YOU stand up to foul language and rude uses of the Lord's name? I REALLY want to know! I want to hear anything you have, whether it's just something you've said once, or a method that works every time. Or maybe it's not something you said, but something you did! Whatever you have to say, let me hear it! To do this, write a comment with your ideas by clicking the comments below. You can comment anonymously if you want! But this will only work if people comment!
You will help other teens by showing your ideas! I will be posting everyone's ideas on The Life of a Mormon Teen's Facebook page! (Unless you specify that you don't want your comment there. :)
I think that the easiest way is to just turn to the person and ask them to stop. I know it might not be easy, but I have found it easier than others. Trying to put up with it is hard, but it just frustrates me when I hear it. I don't know about you but I have noticed that I can feel the contention that the devil brings. Also, by not using the language they tend to catch on.
ReplyDeleteI was sitting in an assembly once and there were some kids behind me who were swearing up a storm. After 3 minutes of worried and uncomfortable looks between me and my friends, I turned around and asked them to stop. They looked at me like I was stupid. Then did it to annoy me. After about another 30 seconds of vulgar language, they stopped completely. It did feel nerve raking to do it, but once it was done my friends and I were glad that we had done something. I don't know that I would have done it unless that they had given me the support by looking at me and smiling. Though it wasn't a lot that we did, I think it made the whole assembly a lot more enjoyable.
Thanks for sharing! You did a really hard thing! Sometimes it's easy just to confront someone, but other times its really hard! Good Job! Thanks for being a great example!
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