![]() Our prophets have told us that we should not shop, hunt, fish, attend sports events, or participate in similar activities on that day. The Lord told the Israelites, “Thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle” ( Exodus 20:10). This means we should perform no labor that would keep us from giving our full attention to spiritual matters. Second, He asks us to rest from daily work. In a revelation given to Joseph Smith in 1831, the Lord commanded the Saints to go to the house of prayer and offer up their sacraments, rest from their labors, and pay their devotions to the Most High (see D&C 59:9–12). The Lord asks us, first, to sanctify the Sabbath day. What does it mean to keep the Sabbath day holy? After they have had enough time, ask for their responses. How can the remembrance of the Resurrection influence our worship on the Sabbath?įor teachers: You can help class members or family members think more deeply about a question by giving them time to ponder. The Lord has given us a direct commandment in these days that we too should honor Sunday, the Lord’s day, as our Sabbath (see D&C 59:12). In both cases there were six days of labor and one for rest and devotion. From that time on, His followers observed the first day of the week as their Sabbath. ![]() After His Resurrection, Sunday was held sacred as the Lord’s day in remembrance of His Resurrection on that day (see Acts 20:7 1 Corinthians 16:2). Until His Resurrection, Jesus Christ and His disciples honored the seventh day as the Sabbath. Why was the Sabbath changed from the seventh day to the first day? In modern times the Lord has repeated His commandment that we should remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy (see D&C 68:29). The Nephites also observed the Sabbath day according to the commandments of God (see Jarom 1:5). When certain Jewish leaders criticized Jesus Christ for healing sick people on the Sabbath, Jesus reminded them that the Sabbath was made for the benefit of man. They decided how far people could walk, what kind of knots they could tie, and so forth. However, some Jewish leaders made many unnecessary rules about the Sabbath. Keeping the Sabbath day was also a sign that the Israelites were His covenant people (see Exodus 31:12–13, 16 Isaiah 56:1–8 Jeremiah 17:19–27). God renewed a commandment concerning this day to the Israelites, saying, “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy” ( Exodus 20:8). Since earliest times, the tradition of a sacred seventh day has been preserved among various peoples of the earth. ![]() The seventh day was consecrated by God as a Sabbath in the beginning of the earth (see Genesis 2:2–3). Think about what you can do to keep the purpose of the Sabbath in mind as you prepare for the day each week. On this day we should renew our covenants with the Lord and feed our souls on the things of the Spirit. As we rest from our usual daily activities, our minds are freed to ponder spiritual matters. It is a sacred day to be spent in worship and reverence. It is not a day merely to rest from work. The purpose of the Sabbath is to give us a certain day of the week on which to direct our thoughts and actions toward God. Jesus taught that the Sabbath day was made for our benefit (see Mark 2:27). How would you explain the purpose of the Sabbath day to someone who does not know about the Sabbath? It is a holy day ordained by God for us to rest from our daily labors and worship Him. Now the Sabbath also commemorates the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it” ( Genesis 2:2–3). We read in the book of Genesis that God created the heavens and the earth in six periods of time, which He called days: “And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. It was a sign of the covenant between God and His people. Before the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Sabbath day commemorated God’s day of rest after He finished the Creation. The word Sabbath comes from a Hebrew word meaning rest. “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy” ( Exodus 20:8 see also D&C 68:29). Sacrament meetings The Meaning of the Sabbath Day
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