Summary: President Joseph Fielding Smith teaches the importance of showing deep reverence for God by avoiding profanity, blasphemy, and casual use of sacred names. He explains that using the Lord’s name improperly, even in prayer or storytelling, shows a lack of respect and weakens spiritual character. President Smith urges Latter-day Saints to use the names and titles of Deity sparingly, reverently, and only in sacred or appropriate contexts.
Source: “Reverance For God” (Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, v. 3, Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1954–56.)
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Notable Quotes
“Profanity is filthiness. A person is known as much by his language as he is by the company he keeps…Filthiness in any form is degrading and soul-destroying and should be avoided.”
Above all other peoples on the earth, the Latter-day Saints should hold in the utmost sacredness and reverence all things that are holy.
The great lesson for us to learn, in all our preaching, writing, and conversations, is to use the titles of Deity sparingly, not with familiarity, or with lack of reverence.
Reverance For God
JOSEPH FIELDING SMITH
PROFANING NAME OF DEITY. We should hold the name of Deity in the most sacred and solemn respect. Few things are so distressing or shock the feelings of a refined person more than to hear some uncouth, ignorant, or filthy creature bandy around the name of Deity. Some individuals have become so profane that it appears almost impossible for them to speak two or three sentences without the emphasis — as they think — of a vulgar or blasphemous oath. There are some individuals also who seem to think, at least that is the impression they leave upon others, that it is a manly accomplishment and elevates them from the common run of mankind if they can use blasphemous language.
PROFANITY IS FILTHINESS. A person is known as much by his language as he is by the company he keeps. People who swear and profane belong to the same class as do those who think, or leave the impression that they think, that to have a cigarette, cigar, or pipe in their mouth lends dignity and manliness — do we have to say also womanliness? — to their character. Filthiness in any form is degrading and soul-destroying and should be avoided as a deadly poison by every member of the Church.
BLASPHEMY IN COMMON CONVERSATION. Good stories have been frequently ruined simply because the authors have not understood the propriety of the use of sacred names. When blasphemous expressions are placed in the mouths of otherwise respectable characters, instead of enhancing the story they detract from its value and interest. How strange it is that some people, and good people at that, think that to use some expression involving the name of the Lord adds interest, wit, or power to their stories! How often this is seen in the moving pictures, even in shows that otherwise are commendable.
But all such expressions in the theatre, and the use of tobacco and liquor, are detrimental to the morals and spirituality of those who witness them, and especially is it true in the case of the youth of tender years whose character is in the formative stage. It is a shame that such expressions are found so frequently, even in the so-called higher class publications which come into the homes of Latter-day Saints.
Above all other peoples on the earth, the Latter-day Saints should hold in the utmost sacredness and reverence all things that are holy. The people of the world have not been trained as we have been in such matters, notwithstanding there are many honest, devout, and refined people in the world. But we have the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the revelations of the Lord, and he has solemnly taught us in our own day our duty in relation to all such things.
SOME HYMNS PROFANE DEITY. Even in some of the sacred hymns that are universally used, the frequent and familiar use of the name of the Lord enters and spoils their use so far as we are concerned. A few hymns of this nature, with noble, uplifting thoughts, have found their way into the musical exercises of the Latter-day Saints.
PROPER USE OF LORD’S NAME. There are times, of course, when the use of the name of Deity is perfectly proper. The Lord has given us such examples in the blessings on the sacrament and the ordinance of baptism. The same is true in the conferring of the priesthood, for, as we have been taught, all things are to be done in the name of the Son; all our prayers should be addressed to the Father and brought to a close in the name of the Son.
IMPROPER USE OF LORD’S NAME IN PRAYERS. Even in this, however, we frequently hear improper expressions that jar on the sensitiveness of refined ears. Running the risk of criticism, I would like to call attention to a few expressions which it would be better not to use. At times we hear a very earnest, fervent prayer given in the spirit of pure humility and innocence, closed with this expression: “for Christ’s sake. Amen.” I never hear this expression that it does not bring to my mind the similar use by blasphemers on the streets. Of course, in the prayer, such a thing as an improper expression was not intended and never entered the mind of the one who prayed.
PRAYER IS FOR OUR SAKE. Then again, we do not pray or conduct exercises for his sake, but for our own. Our Redeemer has done everything that is essential for our salvation, and he has taught us that if we serve him with all our soul, and all our days, yet we are unprofitable servants and have done only that which it was our duty to do. Paul says we were bought with a price, and we are not our own. Our Redeemer has a perfect right to command us, and all that we do is for our own sakes. He can do without us, but we cannot do without him. We are told that we are unprofitable servants, and so we are, if we think of trying to pay our Savior back for what he has done for us, for that we never can do; and we cannot by any number of acts, or a full life of faithful service, place our Savior in our debt.
PRAY IN NAME OF CHRIST. How much better it is in our worship, and in our praying when we come to a conclusion, to end what we are doing with a simple, humble statement, as we have been commanded to do, that it is done “in the name” of Jesus Christ, our Lord!
CHRIST OUR ELDER BROTHER. Another expression finding its place among us, especially on the part of speakers and writers on gospel themes, is to refer to our Lord as the Christ. Of course there is, and can be, no other. We have been given the information, however, that his name is Jesus Christ, and that he is the Only Begotten of the Father in the flesh, but the Firstborn in the spirit. He is our Elder Brother and was honored by the Father with the fulness of authority and power as a member of the grand Presidency of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. He was commissioned, before the world was framed, to come to this earth and here offer himself a sacrifice, through the shedding of his blood for the sins of mankind, on condition of their true repentance, and for the transgression of our first parents which brought our fallen, mortal state.
WHEN TO USE TITLE “THE CHRIST.” The name Christ is a title comparable to the title Messiah and meaning The Anointed One, and has reference to the office of our Savior. If the remarks of a speaker have reference to the nature and calling of our Lord in the office which he holds, then the definite article preceding the name is in perfect order. However, when we are speaking of the Redeemer in some other sense than by reference to his official title, it is well for us not to use the article, but the whole name of our Lord, or, even better still, in order to avoid the too frequent repetition, we can say our Redeemer or Savior or the Lord.
The great lesson for us to learn, in all our preaching, writing, and conversations, is to use the titles of Deity sparingly, not with familiarity, or with lack of reverence.
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