Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy : Mormon : The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints- Idaho Mormon

Nov 29th 09 Posted by Amy Boyack in Featured Articles, our beliefs, Testimony

Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy

We are commanded to keep the Sabbath day holy, but The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints will never give an all inclusive list of what that means. We are given a bit of direction, such as rest from your labors and don’t go to the store on Sundays. The rest is up to us to work out by personal revelation. We should study it out in our minds and ask whether we are on the right path. We will get a warm, peaceful feeling if it is right or a dark and confused feeling if it is wrong.

In our family, we have always worshipped on Sunday and then used the rest of the day to do God’s work and rest from our own. Not to say that we’re perfect at it, but that it has been a mindset for my whole life. We only listened to uplifting music, and we didn’t go to the store. But, I have to say that as a child, Sundays were kind of boring and slow. As an adult, I love them and look forward to them. I have tried to make them a bit more fun for my children because I want them to love Sundays as much as I do.

Here are some of the things we have done together while trying to keep the Sabbath day holy. I don’t know if you would agree or disagree with this list as being appropriate, but that’s your right to receive your own inspiration for you and your kids.

Attend Church: This seems like a no-brainer. Of course you would go to church if you wanted to keep the Sabbath day holy. There are many families who go to church together every single week. However, some people have gone away from this wonderful practice and still expect to receive the blessings that come from faithful worship. If you fall into that category, come back to church. There are LDS churches all over the world that would love to have you attend. Click here to find one.

Surprise Cookies: Sometimes we will bake a batch of cookies or a dessert and let the kids decide who we will bring it to. We will bake an extra one for us when we have returned from the surprise delivery. Many times we will leave the treats anonymously, but often we will stay and visit with the receiver for a moment. These visits have been very rewarding and teach the children that Sundays can be busy and fun as we try to serve others.

Journal Writing: Sundays have usually been a quiet day where thoughts and feelings can be written down easily without interruption. What a good day for reflecting and writing down what we have felt and thought during the past week.

Genealogy: Another way we can use our talents and skills is by researching and learning about our ancestors. This is easily done with the new church websites. The ancestral file and family search programs are free and easy to learn to use. This is not only great to bring our family together, it helps us to understand who we are and appreciate the sacrifices that have been made by our ancestors for our benefit.

Blogging: I have learned to set up blogs and websites for my business endeavors. However, I can dedicate my time and talents to sharing God’s word on Sundays. This is when I usually add posts to this particular blog. I find it fun and rewarding to share the gospel with people I have never met. Hopefully I will bless someone’s life with this humble attempt.

Letter Writing: It’s fun to receive letters from people. Our society has shifted away from this medium and it is sometimes fun to go back to writing a card or a letter to someone we love. Young children can draw a picture if they’re too young to write. Missionaries across the world are lonely and need encouragement. Widows would be glad to know someone cares. Think of someone you could cheer up and write them a letter.

Watching Church Movies: We love to sit down together and watch talks from past conferences, scripture stories, and other uplifting movies that carry a message of being more Christlike.

Scripture Study: We can read from the scriptures and talk about what it means to us. There’s plenty of time in a day to sit and discuss what is most important. Children love to give their input about their favorite stories. It’s easy to fall away from doing this, but it’s just as easy to pick up a set of scriptures and start a conversation with someone about them. Studying them together will give added insight and perspectives.

Singing Together: When I was growing up, we would all gather around the piano and sing in harmony as I played the piano. It is such a sweet memory that it often brings a tear to my eyes when I remember how wonderful it was to be all together and singing. There’s nothing else like it.

For fear of rambling on, I’ll end there. I hope this gave you some ideas for what you can do to make your Sabbath day a little sweeter. I know that when we strive to keep the Sabbath Day Holy, we are blessed with the peaceful presence of the Holy Ghost. Nothing can match that.