Mormons take swearing seriously, and prefer not to do it, even when it’s in the scriptures sometimes. My son was reading from the Book of Mormon. We came across a few swear words–he read hell and damn as heck and darn. I told him if it’s in the scriptures, it’s ok, but he still refused to say it. I don’t know what he’d do when he comes across ass in the scriptures.
It also reminds me of the phrase “God Bless You.” Mormons just don’t say it very often. President Hinckley did, but it seems to me most Mormons are uncomfortable saying this, as if it is somehow taking the name of God in vain. Is this a phrase you use frequently?
Why do you think Mormons have an aversion to swear words, even in the scriptures?
Wheat & Tares 
I really wish I could adopt “thank the Lord!” For things I literally would thank the Lord. But it’s too heretical.
Me too Kristine.
I can say ‘Bless you’, occasionally, but omit the God…
On the other hand, perhaps it’s a British thing, I have no problem with ‘hell’ and ‘damn’, and would hardly consider them to be swearing at all. Though there are lots of things I won’t say, those two get an unqualified pass.
I think its in this area of church doctrine/culture that I find myself with the the most heretical view. Besides supporting physician assisted suicide (living in a state where its legal and seeing how it’s supposed to work).
I’m another heretic on this topic. Michael and Sarah Bennet said it best: “Profanity is a source of comfort, clarity, and strength. It helps to express anger without blame, to be tough in the face of pain.”
They’re just too Pollyanna to be real.
In our house “hell,” “damn,” “ass,” and even colorful terms for excrement (that I won’t post here lest my comment be censored) are OK if used in an appropriate context, never ever directed at another person specifically. Taking the Lord’s name in vain and sexual swear words are all verboten. They’re in the same category: vulgarizing something sacred. Thus, in my book, “suck” is more offensive than “sh*t”.
Don’t underestimate the number of Pollyannas in the world.
M.Todd, I don’t imagine those using the former would think they were using the word with any sexual connotation, it having far broader usage and meaning in every day speech outside profanity.
We rule it thus: a swear word is a term that denigrates the action, group of people or thing it describes in comparison to a similar thing which is not a swear word. Extra ‘swear’ points are awarded when it denigrates one gender over another.
Therefore, calling someone dog – whilst a pretty harsh insult and forbidden for that reason – is not a swear word where as b**ch is, because it denigrates the female gender of a person by equalising them specifically to a female dog (also you don’t tend to call guys b**ches which doubles the gender slur). Similarly, words which are violent descriptions of female genitalia (you’d be surprised how many of these there are, particularly compared to male genitalia-based insults) are most definitely swears.
There is also a specific class of swears which are appropriate as expressions of alarm or emphasis but not directed at someone. Eg “Ah, f**k” is probably understandable if you’ve just hit your thumb with a hammer, but “f**k you” is not. Similarly and “Australian standard s**tload” is cool, but “dont be a s**t head” isn’t.
Hell and damn I don’t get as swears. I am led to understand it has something to do with a belief that the use of those words would encourage those aspects in the person they were used against – condeming someone to hellfire and damnation. Is that it?
“Why do you think Mormons have an aversion to swear words, even in the scriptures?”
Proof texting.
All through childhood I remember learning “thou shalt not swear” as a commandment so swearing as taught to me was basically on par with bearing false witness or maybe stealing something small. I’m sure I had enough sense not to put it at the same level as grand larceny.
Now as far as I can tell the canonical injunction against swearing is actually talking about oaths, not cuss words, so you can say whatever shiz words you want.
Modern day prophets have spoken against cussing (citation needed) and for the most part it is good advice, but it isn’t scriptural as far as I know.
One interesting thing about cussing is that it is cultural. A swear word in one culture may be a commonly used and squeaky clean word in another culture even though they speak the same language. That is one reason why it is not possible to create a canonical list of swear words. And it is the taboo against using the word in certain contexts (like around children) that really makes it a swear word, so he’ll and damn could be considered Mormon swear words.
Hell and damn are my favorites and I said them I front of my husband and ….. Have been thoroughly chastised. So I keep the swears to certain times and places. Mostly in my head 🙂
Contributors:
Biblical swearing (as noted above)
GA talks (as noted above)
Stay as far away from the cliff’s edge as far as possible.
Like many things Mormon, swearing standards simplify matters. While I believe context and intent are the important determinants of what language is/could be appropriate in a given situation, it’s easier to say ‘we don’t use those words’.
I’ll trust Jesus on this one though. What comes from the heart? Smash thumb eff? No problem. Angry shut up to your sister. Not okay.
If anyone is looking for a fun read check out this book.
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16225525-holy-sh-t
Years ago I was flying to London from the US on business. The movie playing was “Four Wedding and a Funeral”. In the move, the British swear word “bugger” was used quite extensively. On the plan is was bleeped out. While it means nothing to the US English speaks on the plan, it must have been bad enough that the airline had them bleeped out to protect the British on the plane.
So it little Jonny blurts out Bugger in primary, the teachers just laugh, while it little Jules in the UK says the same thing, he gets sent to his parents with a stern warning.
So why would God be concerned about culture applications of words? Seems just another way for TBMs to get their panties in a wad. Oh Bugger!!!
Damn, hell, bitch, and ass in the proper context are not cursing, and can be used in the politest of company. Censoring any of them out of scriptures is just silly.
I wish I could scold all of you with lots of scriptures if you use any kind of swear words in any country, but I’m too guilty to do that. I will say that it’s a terrible addiction.
When I was about ten years old My older brother did something to me that made me very angry and I learned that swearing could be comforting and consoling and I started doing it a lot at my brother. After half a speech of it, my brother said, “Rick, stop it.” My younger brother was trying not to laugh.
Through the years I used it as a food supply. At sixty-five I still fight it hard. I wish that I had never started it. It’s an idiots language. By the way, I never think it when I’m talking religion because I never feel the smallest comfort which I think I’m feeling in other situations. I wish I would feel that in other situations.
I will admit it’s getting much better but what a life time of efforts.
I don’t care what the words are – ‘darn’ or ‘damn’ – don’t say them. What I feel inside me concerning my use of them is fear – all of them.
I was always taught at church that I would go to hell if I swore. In fact, even using the word hell would get me sent there. I eventually reached the point where I just didn’t believe that and I’m still at that point. Other than not swearing in front of my children I have few moral qualms about it.
At home, however, I was taught that swearing was the vocabulary of the uneducated. That may not be entirely true, but to this day I can’t swear without feeling like I sound uneducated. That was way more effective than threatening me with hell. To each their own.
I still think it is important to use language to say what you really mean and swearing often gets in the way of that. There are times where swearing is important to convey the message you want to send, like when it says damn in the scriptures. Changing damn to darn just doesn’t mean the same thing anymore. You are no longer reading what was meant to be expressed. That is going overboard in my opinion.