“Lesson 49: Exodus 20:1–11—The Ten Commandments: Loving God and Putting Him First in Our Lives,” Old Testament Seminary Student Manual (2026)
Exodus 19–20; 24; 31–34: Lesson 49
Exodus 20:1–11
The Ten Commandments: Loving God and Putting Him First in Our Lives
Visit “Studying the Scriptures” to help prepare yourself spiritually to learn.
Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love all of us and want us to choose Them first in our lives. After delivering the Israelites from Egypt, the Lord led them to Mount Sinai to make a covenant with Him. There He revealed the Ten Commandments to help them love Him more than anything else. This lesson can help you love God and put Him first.
Study the Scriptures
Imagine a friend asked you, “Which commandment does your church think is the most important?” What would you say?
Jesus was once asked a similar question.
Read Matthew 22:36–40, looking for how He responded. Consider tagging the passage as “commandments.”
One way to view the commandments is to consider them as opportunities to love God or your neighbor.
Read Exodus 20:3–17. This passage contains the Ten Commandments. As you read, mark the first four commandments about loving God in one style. Mark the remaining six about loving your neighbor in another style.
Exodus 20:3–17 is a doctrinal mastery passage. Consider tagging doctrinal mastery passages with the topic they teach so you can find them easily later. Memorize the reference and key scripture phrase, “The Ten Commandments.” If available, you could also watch the video “10 Commandments Memorization Trick” (2:12) to learn how to memorize each of the commandments Moses received.
This lesson will focus on how the first four commandments help you love God.
Review the following study options. Complete one or more. Then complete the “Now What?” section at the end of the lesson.
Option A
What “other gods” might we put before God?
Read Doctrine and Covenants 1:16.
President Dallin H. Oaks of the First Presidency taught:
We offend God when we “serve” other gods—when we have other first priorities. What other priorities are being “served” ahead of God by persons … in our day? Consider these possibilities, all common in our world:
Cultural and family traditions
Political correctness
Career aspirations
Material possessions
Recreational pursuits
Power, prominence, and prestige
If none of these examples seems to apply to any one of us, we can probably suggest others that do. The principle is more important than individual examples. The principle is not whether we have other priorities. The question posed by the second commandment is “What is our ultimate priority?” Are we serving priorities or gods ahead of the God we profess to worship? (“No Other Gods,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2013, 72)
Option B
What does it mean to take the name of the Lord in vain?
Read Doctrine and Covenants 63:60–64.
Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles shared:
The Hebrew word translated as “take” means to “lift up” or “carry,” as one would a banner that identifies oneself with an individual or group. The word translated as “vain” means “empty” or “deceptive.” The commandment to not take the Lord’s name in vain can thus mean, “You should not identify yourself as a disciple of Jesus Christ unless you intend to represent Him well.” (“Accessing God’s Power through Covenants,” Liahona, May 2023, 36)
Option C
How can I draw closer to the Lord by keeping the Sabbath day holy?
Read Exodus 31:13, 16–17.
President Russell M. Nelson explained:
In my much younger years, I studied the work of others who had compiled lists of things to do and things not to do on the Sabbath. It wasn’t until later that I learned from the scriptures that my conduct and my attitude on the Sabbath constituted a sign between me and my Heavenly Father [see Exodus 31:13; Ezekiel 20:12, 20]. With that understanding, I no longer needed lists of dos and don’ts. When I had to make a decision whether or not an activity was appropriate for the Sabbath, I simply asked myself, “What sign do I want to give to God?” That question made my choices about the Sabbath day crystal clear. …
… What sign will you give to the Lord to show your love for Him? (“The Sabbath Is a Delight,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2015, 130)
Now What?
Seek guidance from Heavenly Father through the Holy Ghost to decide what you can do to put God first in your life.
Think about the two great commandments: to love God and to love your neighbor. In your notebook or on a piece of paper, draw a large number 1. Make it large enough to write inside it, or leave room to write next to it.
Inside or next to the number 1, write what you can do to put God first. In your notebook, respond to the following questions:
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How might doing this help you love God and put Him first in your life?
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How might the Lord bless you for doing this?
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What challenges might you face as you do this? What can you do to overcome these challenges?
Share Your Thoughts
Lesson Purpose: To help you love God and put Him first.
Share one or more of the following with your teacher or class:
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What you recorded while studying the options you chose.
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Your notebook entry with the number 1.
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Something specific you did to achieve the purpose of this lesson.
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Any questions this lesson raised for you. How will you try to find answers to your questions?