THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

These are the commandments which God gave to man to guide him to happiness in this life and in the next:

I. I AM THE LORD THY GOD: THOU SHALT NOT HAVE STRANGE GODS BEFORE ME.

Commands:

faith, hope, love, and worship of God; reverence for holy things; prayer.

Forbids:

idolatry, superstition, spiritism, tempting God, sacrilege, attendance at false worship.

II.THOU SHALT NOT TAKE THE NAME
OF THE LORD THY GOD IN VAIN.

Commands:

reverence in speaking about God and holy things; the keeping of oaths and vows.

Forbids:

blasphemy, the irreverent use of God's name, speaking disrespectfully of holy things, false oaths, and the breaking of vows.

III.REMEMBER THOU KEEP HOLY
THE SABBATH DAY.

Commands:

going to church on Sundays and holy days.

Forbids:

missing church through one's own fault; unnecessary servile work; public buying and selling; court trials.

IV. HONOR THY FATHER AND MOTHER.

Commands:

love, respect, obedience on the part of children; care on the part of parents for the spiritual and temporal welfare of their children; obedience to civil and religious superiors.

Forbids:

hatred of parents and superiors; disrespect, disobedience.

V. THOU SHALT NOT KILL.

Commands:

safeguarding of one's own life and bodily welfare and that of others.

Forbids:

unjust killing, suicide, abortion, sterilization, dueling, endangering life and limb of self or others.

VI. THOU SHALT NOT COMMIT ADULTERY.

Commands:

chastity in word and deed.

Forbids:

obscene speech; impure actions alone or with others.

VII. THOU SHALT NOT STEAL.

Commands:

respect for the property and rights of others; the paying of just debts; paying just wages to employees; integrity in public officials.

Forbids:

theft; damage to the property of others; not paying just debts not returning found or borrowed articles; giving unjust measure or weight in selling; not paying just wages; bribery; graft; cheating; fraud; accepting stolen property; not giving an honest day's work for wages received; violation of contract.

VIII. THOU SHALT NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS
AGAINST THY NEIGHBOR.

Commands:

truthfulness, respect for the good name of others; the observance of secrecy when required.

Forbids:

lying, injury to the good name of others, slander, talebearing, rash judgment, contemptuous speech, and the violation of secrecy.

IX. THOU SHALT NOT COVET
THY NEIGHBOR'S WIFE.

Commands:

purity in thought.

Forbids:

willful impure thoughts and desires.

X. THOU SHALT NOT COVET
THY NEIGHBOR'S GOODS.

Commands:

respect for the rights of others.

Forbids:

the desire to take, to keep, or to damage the property of others.