The Sermon on the Mount 9 - Matt 5:33-37

Let’s look at the way that Jesus has introduced his new doctrine to the people. He first reminds them of the current law, “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time…” and then he introduces the new law, “but I say unto you…” and explains. He has covered anger, lust, and now he focuses on a subject that can be a little bit more ambiguous, how we speak to each other. It’s a complicated issue that I don’t fully understand because of the way that it’s described in the scriptures. Jesus says, “Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: But I say unto you, Swear not at all… But let your communication be, Yea, yea, Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.” I don’t understand what the original law was about forswearing, but in a BYU Hawaii devotional entitled, “Let your ‘Yea’ be a yea, Troy Smith explains what he personally thinks that this means, saying, “I understand these verses to mean that we are not to bind others (such as God or our mother’s grave) in any oath. Why do people swear oaths on heaven or on their mother’s grave? I suggest it is because they need something more trustworthy and honorable than themselves. Christ’s teaching is that we are to be the types of people whose words will be trusted because of who we are.”  That’s an interesting and understandable explanation.

He continues to say that we need to be true to our word, able to commit when we can and let people know when we can’t, saying, “When you have agree to do something, whatever it may be- a mission, marriage, a calling, or school- let your yea be yea, stand behind your yea with a commitment to bring your full powers to bear to accomplish what you have agreed to do. When you say ‘yes’ to something, and back that yes with your commitment to accomplish it, then you are letting your yea be yea.” JTC comments, “Moderation in speech, decision and simplicity were enjoined, to the exclusion of expletives, profanity, and oaths.” This concept reminded me of a general conference talk entitled, “What are you thinking?” By Elder W. Craig Zwick. In the talk, he suggests that “a ‘soft answer’ consists of a reasoned response- disciplined words from a humble heart. It does not mean we never speak directly or that we compromise doctrinal truth. Words that may be firm in information can be soft in spirit.” He speaks of simplicity in speech, sincerity in words, and feeling in response.

In the August 2013 Ensign article entitled, “No Corrupt Communication” we see another aspect of what the Savior might have meant. The author says, “Not all sarcasm is intentionally sinister, but it has a hypocritical edge because it requires us to say the opposite of what we mean. Some use it for humor, but if often damages our relationships because it leaves our friends and family doubting our sincerity and confused by what we say.” I think that by definition, that would be the opposite of “yea, yea; nay, nay.” The article continues by quoting President Gordon B. Hinckley as saying, “Everywhere is heard the snide remark, the sarcastic gibe, the cutting down of associates… I am asking that we look a little deeper for the good, that we still voices of insult and sarcasm, that we more generously compliment virtue and effort.” Finally, the article says, “All our communication should uplift others and strengthen them in the Lord.”

I think about this in the context of gossiping, if you’re gossiping about someone, rarely do you ever just say “yes” or “no.” It’s a story, it’s a dramatization. I think that what I get out of this teaching from Jesus on the Sermon on the Mount is that we need to be more cautious with what we say. We need to be uplifting and encouraging. I remember someone talking about characteristics of people that they love and one of the traits was that this person always made you feel great about yourself, and I asked myself, “do people feel great about themselves when they talk to me?” I had to honestly answer that, no, I don’t think that they did feel great. I probably felt ok after wards because I was using them as a dumping ground, but rarely did I make an effort to focus on someone else in the conversation. That was a startling moment for me, and to be honest, I really hated it. I decided at that moment to fix that character defect, and I have come a long way. I revert many times back to the whiny, complaining little girl that I default to, but I’ve done a lot better. I think that I’m going to make a concerted effort to focus on what I say and how I make people feel when they are with me.