Those familiar with the 10 Commandments in Exodus 20 will remember the "shall not" statements spread throughout. This phrasing can make it difficult for some to digest.
Often, too, we miss the point. The Commandments aren't there simply to forbid us from things. They are meant as a roadmap, a tool, to help us come closer to God and with each other in this world.
What you may not know is that in the "Outline of Faith" presented in the back of The Book of Common Prayer gives us another way to look at the 10 Commandments. It frames those Commandments in the form of our duty to God and our neighbor.
This form lists the Commandments with positive, declarative statements. We don't get the language of "shall not" but instead the language of what the Commandments call on us to do.
This isn't a new invention of the current Prayer Book either. It is based on the Catechism of Prayer Books past, including the 1928 Book of Common Prayer. In this way we can understand what the 10 Commandments are really trying to tell us while remaining true to the Faith that has been passed down to us.
- Commentary on the American Prayer Book by Marion J. Hatchett