"The people of God have always been commanded to abstain from language that is profane or vulgar. Latter-day Saints should understand why," Elder Dallin H. Oaks said in his April 1986 general conference address.
"The names of God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, are sacred. The prophet Isaiah taught that the Lord will not suffer these names to be dishonored - polluted' as the scriptures say. (See 1 Ne. 20:11; Isa. 48:11.)"In the third of the Ten Commandments, the Lord commanded ancient Israel:Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.' (Ex. 20:7.) This same commandment was repeated to the Book of Mormon people by the prophet Abinadi (See Mosiah 13:15) and to each of us through modern prophets. (See D&C 136:21.)
"The Doctrine and Covenants gives this example:
" `Let all men beware how they take my name in their lips -
" `For behold, verily I say, that many there be who are under this condemnation, who use the name of the Lord, and use it in vain, having not authority.' (D&C 63:61-62.)
"This scripture shows that we take the name of the Lord in vain when we use His name without authority. This obviously occurs when the sacred names of God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, are used in what is called profanity: in hateful cursings, in angry denunciations, or as marks of punctuation in common discourse.
"The names of the Father and the Son are used with authority when we reverently teach and testify of them, when we pray, and when we perform the sacred ordinances of the priesthood.
"There are no more sacred or significant words in all our language than the names of God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ."
Elder Oaks further said: "The desire and work of Satan is to mislead and corrupt. He seeks to frustrate the gospel plan by which God has provided the opportunity of eternal life for His children.
"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."
