16 They seek not the Lord to establish his righteousness, but every man walketh in his own way, and after the image of his own god, whose image is in the likeness of the world, and whose substance is that of an idol...
I found an article that talks about that:
Dennis Largey, “Refusing to Worship Today’s Graven Images,” Ensign, Feb 1994, 9
Some quotes:
"In the commandment 'Thou shalt have no other God before me' The phrase 'before me' is the Hebrew phrase ‘al-panai, which means ‘in front of’—either to the exclusion of another or ‘in preference,’ or ‘in addition to.’ The meaning is clear: those who worship the Lord should not make or adopt any other object to worship."
"There are 'golden calves' all around today—tangible images like cars, and others that are more intangible. When anything wastefully dominates our time, compromises our loyalty, or confuses our priorities so that God and his work become second, we are flirting with idolatry. "
He goes on to say that God is happy to bless us with material things but we are not to put them above Him.
From President Spencer W. Kimball “There are unfortunately millions today who prostrate themselves before images of gold and silver and wood and stone and clay. But the idolatry we are most concerned with here is the conscious worshipping of still other gods. Some are of metal and plush and chrome, of wood and stone and fabrics. They are not in the image of God or of man, but are developed to give man comfort and enjoyment, to satisfy his wants, ambitions, passions and desires. Some are in no physical form at all, but are intangible.”
What are our "graven images"?
- clothing
- cars
- ourselves
- homes
- landscapes
- money
- hobbies and recreation
- celebrities/heroes
- our time
- idleness
- popularity
- body image
- intelligence/intellectualism
- careers/jobs
Idols are lifeless. They don't give life. They may help to enrich and make life enjoyable but if these things are put before God they become idols. We cannot allow them to exclude, be preferable to, or added to God. We must always remember to serve God first and continually. Then some of these things can have a place in our lives as long as they enrich and uplift us.
Some things should be avoided as they have no value and would do the opposite of enriching our lives and so therefore would waste our time. Seeking to be popular with others, worrying about our body image when we are otherwise healthy, being idle. These things would only bring us down and have no place in our lives.
Anything we do, we must determine if it turns our attention away from God or brings us closer to Him. Does it give purpose and direction in our life and help us to be what God would have us be? Or does it turn us away?
"Anything can become a 'golden calf.' When activities or material blessings become so important that by turning to them we turn from God, we are breaking the second commandment. We are walking 'in [our] own way, and after the image of [our] own god, whose image is in the likeness of the world, and whose substance is that of an idol, which waxeth old and shall perish.'
How do we avoid worship of our "idols"?
"Key to countering the influence of modern images is keeping our hearts centered on God. If we do, we will live our lives in harmony with life’s real purposes. "
Things to do to keep our hearts centered on God:
- pray - in your homes, over your stewardships, always have a prayer in your heart
- study the Gospel - scriptures, conference talks, gospel doctrine books, attend church meetings
- don't go against the counsel of the prophets and apostles - seek confirmation of the truth of their words
- continually seek for ways to grow your testimony
- keep the commandments
- serve your families
- seek opportunities to serve others - When you serve others you are serving God
- remember to seek God's counsel in your decisions, pray for help when you need it
- remember God's hand in your life and acknowledge it.
- be grateful for the things you have been blessed with, being sure to thank Him for it.
- faithfully hold and fill a church calling - this is an opportunity to serve
- do your best in all that you have been asked to do, "just enough" is not enough unless it is your best.
- Go to the temple
- pay your tithes
- honor the priesthood
- seek for blessings
- do your visiting/home teaching faithfully - this is another opportunity to serve
Doing these things will keep your mind in tune with God and will have you walking in His paths. All else should be second to these things.
Remember God wants to bless you with the material things that make life fun but never let them come between Him and you.
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