ments ▁of ▁God ▁were ▁to ▁obey ▁the ▁Ten ▁Command ments ▁and ▁pre ach ▁the ▁word ▁of ▁Jesus ▁Christ . ▁They ▁taught ▁that ▁to ▁avoid ▁dam n ation ▁in ▁the ▁ap ocal yp se , ▁one ▁had ▁to ▁strictly ▁follow ▁the ▁Command ments . ▁The ▁emphas is ▁on ▁the ▁Command ments ▁was ▁so ▁strong ▁that ▁the ▁group ▁disc ou rag ed ▁talking , ▁for ▁fear ▁of ▁breaking ▁the ▁E ighth ▁Command ment , ▁" Th ou ▁sh alt ▁not ▁bear ▁false ▁witness ▁against ▁thy ▁neighbor ", ▁and ▁on ▁some ▁days ▁communication ▁was ▁only ▁conducted ▁in ▁sign ▁language . ▁F asts ▁were ▁conducted ▁regularly , ▁and ▁only ▁one ▁me al ▁was ▁e aten ▁on ▁Frid ays ▁and ▁Mond ays . ▁Sex ▁was ▁forb idden , ▁as ▁was ▁soap . ▁ ▁Mov ement ▁leaders ▁declared ▁that ▁the ▁ap ocal yp se ▁would ▁occur ▁on ▁December ▁ 3 1 , ▁ 1 9 9 9 . ▁The ▁group ▁had ▁a ▁strong ▁emphas is ▁on ▁an ▁ap oc aly ptic ▁end ▁time , ▁highlight ed ▁by ▁their ▁book let ▁A ▁Tim ely ▁Message ▁from ▁Heaven : ▁The ▁End ▁of ▁the ▁Pres ent ▁Time . ▁New ▁members ▁were ▁required ▁to ▁study ▁it ▁and ▁be ▁trained ▁in ▁its ▁text , ▁reading ▁it ▁as ▁many ▁as ▁six ▁times . ▁They ▁also ▁taught ▁that ▁the ▁Virgin ▁Mary ▁had ▁a ▁special ▁role ▁in ▁the ▁end , ▁and ▁that ▁she ▁also ▁communic ated ▁with ▁their ▁leadership . ▁They ▁held ▁themselves ▁a kin ▁to ▁No ah ' s ▁Ark , ▁a ▁ship ▁of ▁r igh