Question: What does the Lord intend by commanding that we refrain from “loud laughter”?

FAIR Answers—back to home page

Question: What does the Lord intend by commanding that we refrain from “loud laughter”?

Introduction to Question

In a couple of revelations given to Joseph Smith, the Lord commands him and the Saints to refrain from much laughter.

Doctrine and Covenants 59 tells the Saints to keep the Sabbath Day “with thanksgiving, with cheerful hearts and countenances, not with much laughter, for this is sin, but with a glad heart and a cheerful countenance”.

Doctrine and Covenants 88:69 tells Joseph Smith and those associated with the School of the Prophets to “[r]emember the great and last promise which I have made unto you; cast away your idle thoughts and your excess of laughter far from you.”

Another verse in the same revelation says to “cease from all your light speeches, from all laughter [instead of excess of laughter as before], from all your lustful desires, from all your pride and light-mindedness, and from all your wicked doings.”

What does the Lord mean in these verses?

Response to Question

Laughter, or Finding Things to Laugh About Gets Us to Take Things Less Seriously

The principle behind the injunctions to refrain from loud laughter is that laughter is one of the best tools that anyone has to make light of any solemn and serious ceremony, topic, covenant, subject, etc.

We know this as a species: if we can get someone to laugh at something or someone, we will take that cause, person, ceremony, subject, etc. less seriously; less seriously than we should take something. Thus, laughter should generally not be present during solemn assemblies and other sacred ordinances performed by the Church.

For example, some might laugh at some of the clothing that the Saints are asked to wear during the temple endowment when they go through it. They might make jokes about it to their family and friends. They might make memes about it on the Internet. But that laughter that they create with their family and friends can psychologically condition them and the people that laugh at their jokes to not take the clothing of the endowment with the type of sacred attitude that it always deserves. This is how laughter gets us to be "lightminded" which is condemned in scripture.

Laughter About Vulgar Things is Wrong

There's also another kind of laughter that is wrong. Ephesians 5:4 tells us we should indulge in "[n]either filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks." Other translations of this verse render it as "[n]either should there be vulgar speech, foolish talk, or coarse jesting--all of which are out of character--but rather thanksgiving." So there is an injunction to not engage in vulgar humor or foolish talk. These are outside of the type of character that the Saints were meant to cultivate.

Not All Laughter is Wrong

It’s not true that all laughter is wrong. Luke records the Savior saying “Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh.” It’d be odd for the Savior to promise laughter as a divine blessing on those that weep now if it were wrong all the time.

Bruce R. McConkie’s Entry in Mormon Doctrine

Elder Bruce R. McConkie addressed this issue in his book Mormon Doctrine. His entry there is quite instructive:

See CHEERFULNESS, JOY, LIGHTMINDEDNESS, LIGHT SPEECHES, REVERENCE, SOLEMNITY.

1. Joyful laughter meets with divine approval, and when properly engaged in, it is wholesome and edifying. Incident to the normal experiences of mortality, there is "A time to weep, and a time to laugh." (Eccles. 3:4.) Our Lord taught: "Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh." (Luke 6:21, 25.)

Our Lord's ministers, however, are commanded: "Cast away your idle thoughts and your excess of laughter far from you." (D. & C. 88:69.) Their main concerns should be centered around "the solemnities of eternity" (D. & C. 43:34), with laughter being reserved for occasional needed diversion. Laughter on the sabbath day is expressly curtailed (D. & C. 59:15), and while worshiping and studying in the school of the prophets, the elders were commanded to abstain "from all laughter." (D. & C. 88:121.) This same abstinence should prevail in sacrament meetings and in all solemn assemblies.

2. Laughter is also used to connote: (a) skepticism, as illustrated by the reactions of Abraham and Sarah to the promise of Isaac's birth (Gen. 17:17; 18:13-15; 21:6); and (b) scorn and derision, as when the righteous are mocked for their good deeds and intentions. (Alma 26:23; 2 Kings 19:21; Neh. 2:19; Job 12:4; Matt. 9:24; Mark 5:40; Luke 8:53.) This kind of laughter is inspired of and practiced by the devil. When calamities befall the inhabitants of the earth, "the devil laugheth, and his angels rejoice." (3 Ne. 9:2.) At the Second Coming of Christ, "they that have laughed" — in this scornful and derisive manner — shall see their folly. And calamity shall cover the mocker, and the scorner shall be consumed." (D. & C. 45:49-50.)

There is, of course, righteous scorn and derision as well as evil, and accordingly the Lord and his saints properly laugh at the wicked. (Ps. 37:13; 52:6.) "He that sitteth In the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision." (Ps. 2:4.)

Conclusion

It is the author's hope that this will clarify the issue enough for everyone so that this oft-mocked teaching of the Saints can be taken more seriously and the truth behind it can be recognized.

Notes