Be Clean

I consider myself a fairly clean person. Sure every now and then I let the laundry build up, or forget to scrape a dish in the sink (sorry Matt!). But I LOVE a clean home. 'Cleanliness is next to Godliness' right?
Thank goodness I don't let my house look like this!



Or this...



I LOVE the show Hoarders. Why, I don't know... maybe it makes me feel better about my cleaning habits, or maybe it's nice to see that people with a sickness like that can get better!

When Gordon B. Hinckley gave "Be Clean" as the third "Be", he focused on 6 main points within this councel.

1. Media: Internet, TV & Music
2. Evil Talk*
3. Tattoos
4. Pornography
5. Drugs/Alcohol
6. The Law of Chastity

Most of these are things that can be simple to change in our lives. Once you make the decision to not do drugs, it's easy to stick to that. I'm proud to say that I haven't drank alcohol since September '09! Once I made the commitment to not drink... the decision was easy! Of course there is temptation... but I know why I made the decision, and I know I have been blessed for it.

The one that I wanted to focus on... because it's the one that I struggle the most with... is LANGUAGE or as he put it, "Evil Talk".

President Hinckley said,

"Avoid evil talk. Do not take the name of the Lord in vain. From the thunders of Sinai the finger of the Lord wrote on tablets of stone, “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain” (Ex. 20:7).
It is not a mark of manhood to carelessly use the name of the Almighty or His Beloved Son in a vain and flippant way, as many are prone to do."

In a different talk given in 2007, entitled "I Am Clean", President Hinckley gave this councel:

"In a world that wallows in filth, be clean—in language, in thought, in body, in dress.
To each of you I say, be clean in your language. There is so much of filthy, sleazy talk these days. Failure to express yourself in language that is clean marks you as one whose vocabulary is extremely limited...

Be clean in thought. Said the Lord, “Let all things be done in cleanliness before me” (D&C 42:41).
A filthy mind expresses itself in filthy and profane language. A clean mind expresses itself in language that is positive and uplifting and in deeds that bring happiness to the heart."

I don't know about you, but I want to be 'positive', 'uplifting' and have 'happiness'! For me, swearing has been one of the hardest habits to break since I've started going back to church. As I surround myself with people who do not swear, and work on it with my hubby, it gets easier. Sometimes it takes personal struggle to realize how true a prophet's councel really is. President Hinckley said this, "Choose your friends carefully. It is they who will lead you in one direction or the other." How true this is! When those around you swear, or enourage you to swear, drink, watch R rated movies (another struggle!), etc. it makes it even harder to stick to your guns and make good decisions. I can definitely say that as Matt and I have made an effort on this together, we have mad a LOT more progress! There have been lots of hand slaps and rubber band snapping reminderes... but how blessed I am to have someone willing to committ with me!

Until I started trying to weed swearing out of my life, I never realized how harmful it really is.

“Language is the dress of thought; every time you talk your mind is on parade" -Unknown

I can honestly say that I feel better, I feel happier, when I use clean language. I portray myself differently. When my mouth is clean, it's easier for my brain to be clean! How often do we roll our eyes or look down on someone for using foul language in public, around children, or anywhere that seems 'innappropriate'. Would you shout those words at church? [I would hope not!!] Then why use those words at all?? It's been said to live our lives as if Christ is in the room, or walking wtih us daily. What we sometimes fail to realize, is that He is. I can't imagine using filthy language in the presense of my Savior, and it has certinaly helped me to remember that He is alwasy present, and using dirty language can offend the Spirit... and who wants to be without the Holy Ghost?! I know I need it in my life!

All in all, this has been a BIG learning experience for me... but I am working so hard to "Be Clean" in my language and thought!