Words for the Weekend

Sunday: Holy Day

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. To observe [the Sabbath]:

· one will be on his knees in prayer
· preparing lessons
· studying the gospel
· meditating
· visiting the ill and distressed
· writing letters to missionaries
· taking a nap
· reading wholesome material
· attending all the meetings of that day at which he is expected.
· Take time [on the Sabbath] to be together as families to converse with one another
· to study the scriptures
· to visit friends, relatives, and the sick and lonely
· work on your journals and genealogy
· The Sabbath is a day on which to take inventory—to analyze our weaknesses, to confess our sins to our associates and our Lord
· It is a day on which to fast in “sackcloth and ashes.”
· It is a day on which to read good books
· a day to contemplate and ponder
· a day to study lessons for priesthood and auxiliary organizations
· a day to study the scriptures and to prepare sermons
· a day to nap and rest and relax
· a day to visit the sick
· a day to preach the gospel
· a day to proselyte
· a day to visit quietly with the family and get acquainted with our children
· a day for proper courting
· a day to do good
· a day to drink at the fountain of knowledge and of instruction
· a day to seek forgiveness of our sins
· a day for the enrichment of our spirit and our soul
· a day to restore us to our spiritual stature
· a day to partake of the emblems of [the Lord’s] sacrifice and atonement
· a day to contemplate the glories of the gospel and of the eternal realms
· a day to climb high on the upward path toward our Heavenly Father

-Pres. Spencer W. Kimball
“Chapter 16: The Sabbath—A Delight,”

Teachings of Presidents of the Church:

Spencer W. Kimball, (2006),165–77