The LDS Daily WOOL Home Page
(2/15/98)
"Profanity... takes its toll on the one who uses it. As we read in
Proverbs, 'A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: but perverseness
therein is a breach in the spirit.' (Prov. 15:4.) The Spirit of the
Lord, the Holy Ghost, testifies of God the Father and his Son, Jesus
Christ. (See 2 Ne. 31:18.) When those names are dishonored, that
Spirit, which 'doth not dwell in unholy temples' (Hel. 4:24), is
offended and withdraws. For this reason, those who profane the name of
God inevitably relinquish the companionship of his Spirit."—Elder
Dallin H. Oaks, Reverent and Clean, General Conference, April
1986
(2/16/98)
"Profanity is the effort of a feeble brain to express itself
forcibly."—President Spencer W. Kimball, God Will Not Be Mocked,
General Conference, October 1974
(2/17/98)
"George Washington set us a good example.... When he learned that some
of his officers were given to profanity, he sent a letter to them on
July 1, 1776, from which we quote:
'The General is sorry to be informed that the foolish and wicked
practice of profane cursing and swearing, a vice heretofore little
known in our American army, is growing into fashion. He hopes the
officers will, by example as well as influence, endeavor to check it
and that both they and the men will reflect that we can have little
hope of the blessing of heaven on our arms if we insult it by our
impropriety and folly. Added to this, it is a vice so mean and low,
without any temptation, that every man of sense and character detests
and despises it.'"—President Spencer W. Kimball , Seeking Eternal
Riches, General Conference, April 1976
(2/18/98)
"God's anger is kindled not because we have harmed him but because we
have harmed ourselves. We are His children and He is a perfect Father.
He does not want us, for instance, to take His name in vain, but this
is because of what happens to us when we do. Our profanity cannot
diminish from His Godhood, His love, His omnipotence, or His
omniscience. But our profanity does damage us and can damage us
profoundly."—Elder Neal A. Maxwell, Sermons Not Spoken, p.84
(2/19/98)
"Why hide it? Why protest against it? Many things that are real are
not right. Disease germs are real, but must we therefore spread them?
A pestilent infection may be real, but ought we to expose ourselves to
it? Those who argue that so-called "real life" is license must
remember that where there's an is, there's an ought. Frequently, what
is and what ought to be are far apart. When is and ought come
together, an ideal is formed. The reality of profanity does not argue
for the toleration of it."—Elder Boyd K. Packer, Conference Report,
October 1967, p.127
(2/20/98)
"Perhaps there are women in the world who exasperate their husbands,
but no man is justified in resorting to physical force or in exploding
his feelings in profanity. There are men, undoubtedly, in the world
who are thus beastly, but no man who holds the priesthood of God
should so debase himself."—David O. McKay, Gospel Ideals,
p.476
(2/21/98)
Though the following quote isn't representative generally of the
Church's actions today toward those who take the name of God in
vain—individuals are encouraged to repent and forsake the sin—it
certainly gives us an insight into the gravity of the sin.
"The same with men who blaspheme, either young or old, who take the
name of God in vain, they ought not to be permitted to remain in the
Church. It is a sin in the sight of God, and He will visit a people
with condemnation who permit these things to exist in their
midst."—George Q. Cannon, Gospel Truth, Vol. 1, p.169
4/2/06
"If we are not most careful with our thoughts and speech, the words we
use will use us. Language has its own ethics, and one who communicates
truth is like a bright light in the darkness. We must nurture language
like that." - Ted E. Brewerton, "Profanity
and Swearing," Ensign (CR), May 1983, p.72
4/15/06
"When we speak and act, we should ask whether our words and expressions
are calculated to invite the powers of heaven into our lives and to
invite all to come unto Christ. We must treat sacred things with
reverence. We need to eliminate from our conversations the immodest and
the lewd, the violent and the threatening, the demeaning and the false.
As the Apostle Peter wrote, 'But as he which hath called you is holy, so
be ye holy in all manner of conversation' (1
Pet. 1:15). The expression conversation refers here not
only to speech but also to our entire comportment. As Nephi, he is
inviting us to so live that we may speak with the 'tongue of angels.'" -
Robert S. Wood, "The
Tongue of Angels," Ensign (CR), November 1999, p.83
7/18/07
"I know that free expression is a vital part of the eternal principle
of free agency and must be preserved and protected. I also know how
certain forces use the freedom of speech to degrade or debase, and
this constitutes perversion and enslavement. Because I recognize that
there will always be opposition in all things, I suspect that we will
not soon see the day when obscenity in its various forms will be
entirely eliminated. But I have faith that it can be fully eliminated
in the lives of quality individuals. I firmly believe that most
thinking people can be inspired to strive for the A rating by
choosing wholesome, worthwhile literature, art, and habits." - Marvin
J. Ashton, "Rated
A," Ensign (CR), November 1977, p.71
9/15/09
“We
must try to reach even those who are unconcerned. If we seek to follow
the adjuration of the Lord to an ancient priesthood leader to ‘teach
my people the difference between the holy and profane’ (Ezekiel
44:23), this will take leaders of both faith and skill. The definition
of the word profane means not only impure but a lack of concern with
spiritual things. Much of the world today is not explicitly hostile to
the things of God so much as they are simply ‘unconcerned.’ They are
like those John upbraided whose attitude was: ‘I am rich, and
increased with goods, and have need of nothing’ (Revelation 3:17). It
takes skill as well as testimony to reach people so unconcerned.” – “The
Teachings of Harold B. Lee,” edited by Clyde J. Williams, p. 598
12/3/11
Satan seeks to discredit the sacred names of God the Father and his Son,
Jesus Christ, the names through which their work is done. He succeeds in
a measure whenever he is able to influence any man or woman, boy or
girl, to make holy names common and to associate them with coarse
thoughts and evil acts. Those who use sacred names in vain are, by that
act, promoters of Satan’s purposes. - Dallin
H. Oaks, "Reverent
and Clean," Ensign (CR) April 1986
9/16/13
A
speaker who employs profanity or vulgarity to catch someone’s
attention with shock effect engages in a babyish device that is
inexcusable as juvenile or adult behavior. Such language is
morally bankrupt. It also progressively self-defeating, since
shock diminishes with familiarity and the user can only maintain
its effect by escalating its excess. - Dallin
H. Oaks, "Reverent
and Clean," Ensign (CR) May 1986
9/22/13
Parents,
do we wonder where our families or children are hearing
obscene, crude, and foul words? Certainly never in our homes,
for our homes are next to the temple in sacredness. They are
an uplifting refuge, in which we instruct our families as to
what the Lord expects of us. - Ted
E. Brewerton, "Profanity
and Swearing," Ensign (CR) May 1983
3/5/16
Shouldn't we all have mastery over our tongues and words all of
the time, and only elevate and edify? - Ted
E. Brewerton, "Profanity
and Swearing," Ensign (CR), May 1983, p.72
7/7/16
It is very unreasonable to suppose that exposure to profanity, nudity,
sex, and violence has no negative effects on us. We can't roll around in
the mud without getting dirty. - Joe
J. Christensen, “The
Savior Is Counting on You,” Ensign (CR), November 1996, p.39