No Other Gods
by Elder Dallin H. Oaks
Idols and idolatry, things of the past right? Elder Oaks begins his talk by reminding us of the first two commandments.
1. Thou shalt have no other gods before me (Exodus 20:3)
2. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything in the heavens or the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them (Exodus 20:4-5)
For I the Lord thy God am a jealous God,. . . . shewing mercy unto. . . them that love me, and keep my commandments. (Exodus 20:5-6)
Elder Oaks explains that the word
JEALOUS = possessing sensitive and deep feelings.
"Thus we offend God when we serve other Gods -- when we have other first priorities."
In 2 Nephi 12:8 Isaiah speaks of the land "being full of idols".
What are some forms of idolatry today?
The shapes of idols might have changed since the days of Moses, but allegiance to God above all else, is still the commandment.
Some examples of graven images people worship today could be: clothing, cars, homes, careers, hobbies, recreational pursuits, celebrities.
- Do we spend more time deciding what to wear each morning than we do in prayer?
- People bow down to money by giving up their integrity and honesty in order to obtain it.
- Do we worship body image by excessively working out, spending too money on exercise equipment, or too much time at the gym, counting every calorie, talking disproportionately about body image, or constantly worrying about diets and weight loss?
"What is our ULTIMATE priority?
Are we serving priorities or gods ahead of the God we profess to worship?"
"We must never dilute our first priority--to have no other gods and to serve no other priorities ahead of God the Father and His Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ."
Next Week's Talk:
Next Week's Talk:
Elder Randy D. Funk