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The Best Day of the Week

My favorite day of the week is Sunday. It is the one day I get to forget about worldly cares and just enjoy being with my family, focus on my spirituality, and participate in uplifting activities. I love how different the Sabbath Day feels from the rest of the week. On the Sabbath I dress up and put on makeup and stay that way all day. On the Sabbath I learn about the gospel of Jesus Christ. On the Sabbath I relax and rest. On the Sabbath I play with my husband and baby. On the Sabbath I read the scriptures and the Ensign. On the Sabbath I listen to beautiful music and feel the Spirit.

I feel deep sorrow whenever I hear people say they dislike Sunday. I think their negative attitudes come from their misunderstanding of the purpose of the Sabbath. The Lord did not give us the commandment to keep the Sabbath day holy to punish us or to benefit Himself. Jesus said, "The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath" (Mark 2:27). This scripture means, as one of my BYU religion professors explained, that Christ knew that on our own we would not dedicate a time to evaluate and work on our spirituality. He gave us this day as an excuse to set aside all our daily troubles and to focus only on our spiritual state and relationship with Him. He made the Sabbath for us as a gift to help us remember amid all our other duties our goal to return to Him. He did not make it to fulfill some egotistical need to be worshiped, like a false god.

The Bible Dictionary reveals the symbolism behind the Sabbath: "The Sabbath was symbolic of the mighty works of God, i.e., the creation of the earth, the deliverance of Israel from Egypt, and the resurrection of Jesus from the dead." [See the entry for scriptural references.] The first work, the Creation, explains why we rest from our labors and reverently enjoy God's work. The second reminds us to thank and praise God and reminds us of the Atonement, symbolized in the deliverance of the Israelites. The last clarifies why the Sabbath is on Sunday and not Saturday like for the Jews.

Once we understand the why of the Sabbath, the what is quite clear. What we do on the Sabbath should reflect its purpose and symbolism, meaning we reflect on our spirituality and prepare for the week ahead battling Satan, and we take the sacrament in remembrance of the Atonement and in renewal of our baptismal covenants to take His name upon us, always remember Him, and keep His commandments.

Therefore, when we talk about certain activities breaking the Sabbath, we do not mean they are bad activities in and of themselves. They simply take away time we should spend on more important things--such as family and personal scripture study--and distract our minds from the Savior.

Challenge: If you do not like Sunday or it feels like any other day, make needed changes in order to make the most of the Sabbath.
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Anonymous said…
I love reading your posts- it makes me glad that my daughter is well rounded and intelligent and charitable-DAD
June 5, 2011 at 1:32 AM
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