Most of us forget that, back in Old Testament times, if caught defiling the Sabbath Day, you were put to death. Clearly, they didn’t play around back then (pun intended).

In February of 1847, the Prophet Joseph Smith appeared to Brigham Young in a dream. The message given was, “Tell the people to be humble and faithful, and be sure to keep the Spirit of the Lord and it will lead them right. Be careful and not turn away the small still voice.” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young).

The Sabbath Day is our opportunity, and blessing, to fill ourselves back up with the Spirit of the Lord. Not just to rejuvenate for the rest of the week, but to come closer to Him, to perfect ourselves, to overcome the world. It is a day to keep the Sabbath covenant which is to “offer thine oblations and thy sacraments unto the Most High, confessing thy sins unto thy brethren, and before the Lord.” (D&C 59:12)

Isaiah promised, “If thou turn away thy foot…from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the Sabbath a delight,…and..honour him, not…finding thine own pleasure, …then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord.” (Isa. 58:13-14)

“Today is the Sabbath. It does not end when we leave this session; it does not end if someone calls on the phone…inviting us to come out and play, go for a ride, to a ball game, or shopping; it does not end because we are on vacation or someone is visiting us. The Sabbath lasts all day!…The Sabbath was given that we might keep ourselves ‘unspotted from the world.’” (H. Aldridge Gillespie, “The Blessing of Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy,” Ensign, Nov 2000).

Spencer W. Kimball counseled, “The Sabbath is a holy day in which to do worthy and holy things. Abstinence from work and recreation is important but insufficient. The Sabbath calls for constructive thoughts and acts, and if one merely lounges about doing nothing on the Sabbath, he is breaking it.” (The Miracle of Forgiveness, 96-97).

“The matter of Sabbath observance remains…as one of the great tests which divides the righteous from the worldly and wicked.” (Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, p. 658).

Elder Russell M. Nelson states, “The ordinance of the Sacrament makes the Sacrament Meeting the most sacred and important meeting in the Church. It is the only Sabbath meeting the entire family can attend together.” This is the one time, in all the week, that we can, and should, focus completely on the Atonement and the Lord Jesus Christ. We usually like to visit and take care of business before our meeting starts, instead of preparing ourselves mentally right before the meeting. Elder Nelson suggests we bring to the meeting “a broken heart and a contrite spirit”; that there should be a “period of prayerful meditation as [we] prepare spiritually for the sacrament”. (Worshiping at Sacrament Meeting, Ensign, Aug 2004)

Elder Oaks reminds us that during the passing of the sacrament, we should “concentrate on worship and refrain from all other activities, including sleeping, texting, reading, or talking. How sad to see persons obviously violating that covenant in the very meeting where they are making it.” (Sacrament Meeting and the Sacrament, Liahona, Nov 2008)

So, what does this have to do with Relief Society work?

“We constantly talk about the worldliness of the present day and speak of the fact that our young people face more serious temptations than did those of a generation ago. Also, more parents seem to be caught up in the worldliness of today. What can we do to protect ourselves under these hazardous circumstances?… to remain unspotted from the world? The Lord gives us the answer… by sincerely observing the Sabbath day. (Mark E. Petersen, The Sabbath Day,” Ensign, May 1975).

When the Church consolidated the Sunday meeting schedule, the First Presidency announced: “A greater responsibility will be placed upon the individual members and families for properly observing the Sabbath day. More time will be available for personal study of the scriptures and family-centered gospel study. It is expected that this new schedule of meetings and activities will result in greater spiritual growth for members of the Church.” (Church News, 2 Feb, 1980)

When I had small children, going to Sacrament Meeting was often a nightmare; but I survived, and, miraculously, so did my children. Young mothers, know that every woman sitting in the chapel is supporting you during these years.

“Handling” the children always seems to be the mother’s job. Well, instead of complaining about it, take charge. During the week, offer quiet times, when your children have to sit for 5, 10, 15 minutes, just listening to music, you telling a story, or talking to them; something that gets them in the habit of sitting reverently. Take the time to teach them, during the week, or especially on Sundays, extended Primary lessons with activities and “fun” while talking about spiritual things.

Staying home from Church was never an option for our children as they grew up. For small children, we always had one rule during Sacrament Meeting: no food or toys, until after the Sacrament was passed; and the toys were limited to reverent activities.
It was more difficult for me to keep the Sabbath day at home, than it was at Church. Instead of coming home and collapsing, it’s smarter to have a plan in place; whether it be spiritually-based activities, with scattered free-time throughout the day; a family movie, a long involved dinner time, with lots of talking and visiting. Yea, that was much harder at our house.

As mothers, we can influence our children, at a very young age, and throughout their lives, to be reverent, honor reverence, feel reverence, and build their personal spiritual reservoirs, because they are going to need it.

Painting of the Savior passing the Sacrament by Doc Christensen