Cursing

Primitive cursing was a coercive practice designed to overawe minor spirits. 87:6.13

oaths at the beginning consisted in pronouncing a curse upon oneself. 70:11.3

The habit of swearing, profanity, represents a prostitution of former ritualistic repetition of holy names. 90:5.3

Peter denied all knowledge of Jesus with much cursing and swearing 184:2.6

Modern man no longer attempts openly to coerce the spirits, though he still evinces a disposition to bargain with Deity. And he still swears, knocks on wood, crosses his fingers, and follows expectoration with some trite phrase; once it was a magical formula. 87:6.17

Bible parallels

Passages that the paragraphs cited above parallel, quote or reinterpret, from Duane Faw’s Paramony cross-references. Hover a reference to read it.

• “Amen” as ritual 90:5.3 — Nm 5:22.
• “Selah” as ritual 90:5.3 — Ps 3:2.
• Purify: (Red Heifer ritual) 90:5.3 — Nm 19:1-22. *of altar*: Lv 8:15. *of booty taken in war*: Nm 31:12-24. *of priests' garments*: Ex 29:4. *of tabernacle*: Ex 29:41-44. *of woman after childbirth*: Lv 12:1-7.
• Cleanse: of congregation's sins 90:5.3 — Lv 4:13-21. *of individual sins*: Lv 5:1-13. *of leprosy*: Lv 14:2-11. *of trespasses*: Lv 6:8-18.
• Sanctify by anointing 90:5.3 — Ex 40:9-11. *by the Lord*: Lv 22:9,16. *of first born males*: Ex 13:2. *of people*: Ex 19:10,14. *of tabernacle & area*: Ex 29:41-44.
• Third denial 184:2.6 — Mt 26:73-74a; Mk 14:70b-71; Lk 22:59-60a; Jn 18:26-27a.