1. The Sabbath Day Making it a Delight!

2. President Russell M. Nelson I am intrigued by the words of Isaiah, who called the Sabbath “a delight.” Yet I wonder, is the Sabbath really a delight for you and for me?

3. What did the Savior mean when He said that “the sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath”? I believe He wanted us to understand that the Sabbath was His gift to us, granting real respite from the rigors of daily life and an opportunity for spiritual and physical renewal. God gave us this special day, not for amusement or daily labor but for a rest from duty, with physical and spiritual relief. President Russell M. Nelson

4. gift real respite spiritual and physical renewal special day a rest from duty physical and spiritual relief

5. “That thou mayest more fully keep thyself unspotted from the world, thou shalt go to the house of prayer and offer up thy sacraments upon my holy day; “For verily this is a day appointed unto you to rest from your labors, and to pay thy devotions unto the Most High. … “And on this day … let thy food be prepared with singleness of heart that thy fasting may be perfect, … that thy joy may be full. … “And inasmuch as ye do these things with thanksgiving, with cheerful hearts and countenances, … the fulness of the earth is yours.” Doctrine and Covenants 128:15–18

6. Imagine the scope of that statement! The fulness of the earth is promised to those who keep the Sabbath day holy. No wonder Isaiah called the Sabbath “a delight.” President Russell M. Nelson

7. When Isaiah described the Sabbath as “a delight,” he also taught us how to make it delightful. He said: “If thou turn away … from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, … and shalt honour [the Lord], not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: “Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord.” President Russell M. Nelson Isaiah 58:13–14

8. In 3 Nephi 17, Jesus, knowing the people lacked understanding, told them to go home, ponder what He had taught, pray for understanding, and prepare their minds for the morrow when He would teach again. Studying and applying the Lord’s pattern of preparation as we ready ourselves for the Sabbath will greatly bless us.3 Nephi 17 Sister Neill F. Marriott

9. A Row of Sunday Shoes Sister Neill F. Marriott My mother, a staunch Methodist, taught me a lesson about honoring Sundays without saying a word. Each Saturday afternoon Mother applied liquid polish to the shoes of my six younger brothers and placed them carefully in an open window to dry. The weekly sight of that long line of Sunday shoes drying on the windowsill spoke volumes to my young understanding. I could see that Sunday was a different day, a day apart from the scuffed shoes of the week, a day for offering our cleanest and best self to the Lord. Mother wanted to honor God appropriately, and polished shoes were a sign of her reverence for the Lord’s day. I learned on Saturday that the following day called for thoughtful preparation.

10. A Love Letter to Heavenly Father Sister Linda S. Reeves “When I take the time on Saturday to prepare for Sunday, it is almost like sending a love letter to my Heavenly Father telling Him that He is the most important person in my life. He has responded by sending me a feeling of love—letting me know that He appreciates my efforts as I take the time to prepare for the Sabbath day.”

11. A Witness of Covenant As the sacrament is passed, we allow the Atonement of Jesus Christ to enter into our being, individually and personally. Here is the heart of the Sabbath. We reach out to partake of the emblems of the Atonement, witnessing publicly that we enter this covenant with Heavenly Father to keep the commandments, to always remember the Savior, and to be willing to take His name upon us. Keeping the Sabbath continually throughout the day will reap great blessings from the Lord. The Sabbath is not just the three-hour block of meetings! We can think of each hour of Sunday as a sacred hour—employing the words “always remember Him” carefully throughout this holy day. Thus we would fill our home with the spirit of the day. Sister Neill F. Marriott

12. Are there simple changes in our Sunday habits that could keep out worldly distractions and add spiritual refreshment instead?

13. 1. Worship together as a family. Along with attending church meetings together, there are many ways a family can make the Sabbath a day of worship.

14. Get to bed early on Saturday night. A family can worship better on Sunday if its members have gotten enough rest the night before. Make it a priority to get young children to bed early and encourage teenagers to return home at a reasonable hour on Saturday night. Pray and read together. Just because the Sabbath is different, do not get out of the weekday routine of family prayer and scripture reading. Read the scriptures at a pace family members enjoy. Family scripture study can help young children read at an early age. If you teach them to recognize the phrase and it came to pass, they can make regular contributions when the family reads the Book of Mormon. Give priesthood blessings. The Sabbath is an excellent day for turning the hearts of fathers and children toward each other through father's blessings. Parents can also share their patriarchal blessings with their children and talk about the guidance contained therein. Fast as a family. Before a fast Sunday, a family might eat a meal together Saturday afternoon or evening, discussing common purposes for the upcoming fast. Then they could remind each other of these purposes throughout the fast. Parents can encourage children to fast to the degree appropriate for their age. (Younger children might fast for only one meal.) Break the fast by praying as a family about the purposes of the fast. Ask children about their experience fasting and about any promptings they might have received.

15. Proclaim the gospel. Together decide to become friends with a family of another faith in the neighborhood and plan an activity with them. If the time is right, invite the family to go to church with your family. You could also have each family member write his or her testimony inside copies of the Book of Mormon to be given to personal friends and acquaintances. Or you might give the family one of the Church’s “pass-along cards.” Redeem the dead. Sunday is a good day for focusing on family history. Help children learn their family history by reading or telling stories about their ancestors. Gather family conversion stories. On a large map place tacks and labels to indicate where ancestors were born, married, and died. Or make a dinner with food from the country of a particular ancestor. As you learn together about your ancestors, create a four-generation pedigree chart with each child. Don't take a vacation from the Sabbath. When away on a family vacation, make the effort to clean up and go to Sunday meetings wherever you happen to be.

16. Sunday is a good day for focusing on family history. Help children learn their family history by reading or telling stories about their ancestors. Gather family conversion stories. On a large map place tacks and labels to indicate where ancestors were born, married, and died. Or make a dinner with food from the country of a particular ancestor. As you learn together about your ancestors, create a four-generation pedigree chart with each child.

17. 2. Make the Sabbath different. As a day of worship, Sunday should feel distinct from other days of the week. By carefully controlling the home atmosphere, families can help create and maintain reverence throughout the day.

18. Wearing nice clothes all day can help us keep the Sabbath. Girls might wear dresses and boys nice shirts and slacks. Exactly what is worn is less important than that the clothes reflect the spirit the family wants for the Sabbath. These may or may not be the clothes worn to church, but they would be nicer than everyday clothes. Even meal preparation and clean-up has more of a “Sunday” look when the family wears nice clothes and aprons.

19. Families can carefully select the music they listen to on Sundays. Appropriate music can set a tone of reverence for the home. Families may wish to refrain from playing everyday music on this holy day. Many quiet CDs with religious musical themes are available. Families can also sing hymns, primary songs, family songs, and other inspirational music.

20. Young children need to play. They will not sit quietly on the couch all day. As parents you can help them select activities in harmony with the mood you want on the Sabbath day. Set aside quiet Sunday toys that are not played with on other days. Play Sunday versions of games like charades, where family members act out scripture stories. Put together a religiously themed jigsaw puzzle as a family. Or enjoy a game of Book of Mormon trivia together. The possibilities are endless.

21. “Sunday dinner” is a tradition that brings families together for a delicious meal and pleasant words. Too often this undertaking detracts from the Sabbath experience of the person responsible for the meal (often the mom). However, if everyone in the family helps with meal preparation and clean-up, this tradition can promote the spirit of the Sabbath. Eat the meal at a leisurely pace and feed the soul with conversation and thanksgiving, not just the belly with food.

22. 3. Build family relationships. Because family members spend time together Sunday, it is a good time for them to get to know each other better and strengthen their relationships.

23. Celebrate marriage. As a family, read old love letters written during your courtship and the first years of marriage. Look through journals, photo albums, and videotapes of when you dated and were newlyweds. It is good for kids to see that their parents experienced young romantic love. Sometimes the best thing a couple can do to strengthen their relationship on the Sabbath might be to take a restful nap together. Create a shared family history. Write a family history with highlights from the parents’ courtship to the present day. For information for such a history, bring out family scrapbooks, photo albums, and home videos. You might have family members bring their journals and share personally meaningful entries. Or ask each family member to answer the question “What is one moment when our family was very close?” Read and walk together. Get out of the house for a leisurely Sunday afternoon walk as a family and appreciate the beauties of God’s handiwork in the great outdoors together. Let children talk about anything they want. Focus on being a listener and not a speaker. Reading together as a family also helps build strong family relations. Your family could read out loud the Church magazines, an inspirational classic, a biography, or a religious book.

24. Keep in touch. Sundays are also a good time for families to build connections with extended family members or immediate family members who are away from home. Gather the family around a speakerphone and call grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, grandchildren, and immediate family members at college, on a business trip, or away from home for some other reason. You may wish to write a family letter or send a care package to a family member who is on a mission or in the military.

25. 4. Plan for family happiness. Sunday is a good day for families to look forward by setting goals and coordinating schedules.

26. Set couple and family goals. Couples and families can plan for their future by setting formal goals for the next week or month or year (or decade or century). You could envision your marriage and family 15 years from now and write a detailed journal entry of what will be going on in your family in the year 2017. It can also be fun to make a list of 100 things the family wants to do in the next 25 or 50 years. It is amazing how many you will do if you write them down. Hold family councils. Hold a weekly family planning meeting, where all family members can address their needs and wants. Set family goals related to temple work, missionary work, and perfecting the Saints. This is also a good time to review your family calendar and organize your week. You may also decide to sit down individually with a child to help him or her set personal goals.

27. 5. Serve others. Sunday is a great day to serve others as a family. By opening your home and by looking for opportunities in your community, you can find many ways to experience the joys of service on this day.

28. Perform family service. You might invite another family over for Sunday dinner and dessert. Or you could make a treat together and deliver it to friends or new neighbors as a family. There are also many appropriate Sunday service opportunities in the larger community. Go to a retirement home and present a family fireside or musical program or just talk to the residents. Visit friends, relatives, or ward members who are in the hospital. Or contact a soup kitchen or homeless shelter and provide service there, such as serving a meal.

29. As this compilation of ideas and practices illustrates, there are as many ways to successfully celebrate the Sabbath as there are families and individuals. It’s not easy, but through persistence we can discover practices that are both fun and meaningful for each of us. And keeping the Sabbath day holy will not only invite the Spirit but will improve communication among family members, increase love and kindness, and strengthen all relationships. It’s worth the effort.

30. When we or our children are faced with the decision to engage in an activity that may or may not be appropriate for the Sabbath, we might ask ourselves: Is it honoring the Lord? Is it doing good? Is it spiritually uplifting? Would Jesus approve of it?

31. Here are two simple questions to help determine what activities are appropriate on Sunday: 1. Does it keep me from the ways of the world? 2. Does it cause me to grow spiritually?

32. If we love the Lord, we will observe the Sabbath day and keep it holy. It would appear that the reason the Sabbath day is so hard to live for so many people is that it is still written on tablets of stone rather than being written in their hearts. … … In our own day it would seem that [the Lord] recognized the intelligence of his people, and assumed that they would catch the total spirit of worship and of the Sabbath observance when he said to them: “Thou shalt offer a sacrifice unto the Lord thy God in righteousness, even that of a broken heart and a contrite spirit.” (D&C 59:8.) … He gave us the first and great commandment: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.” (Matt. 22:37.) It is unthinkable that one who loves the Lord with all his heart and with all his soul and who with a broken heart and contrite spirit recognizes the limitless gifts which the Lord had given him would fail to spend one day in seven in gratitude and thankfulness, and carrying forward the good works of the Lord. The observance of the Sabbath is an indication of the measure of our love for our Heavenly Father. President Spencer W. Kimball

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