 |
The majority of our society views Sunday as just another day
off of work to watch football or go shopping—an unfortunate
reality. For many Christians Sunday has become synonymous with
going to church. There are Christian sects who refer to Sunday
as the Lord’s Day and others who refer to Sunday as the
Sabbath day. Whatever the case may be, Sunday is meant to be a
special day for Christians to rest from their labors and place
a particular emphasis on Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.
The Original Sabbath Day
Exodus 20:8 boldly exclaims “Remember the sabbath day, to keep
it holy.” The Sabbath day is given as a remembrance of the day
of rest from God’s labors after he completed the creation:
“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. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it”
(Genesis 2:2–3). |
Jesus Christ did not do away with the Sabbath day, and in fact
told his disciples “The sabbath was made for man…” (Mark
2:27). The Sabbath is a day set aside from the other six where
we particularly keep our mind on holy things—not simply to
rest from our labors, but to worship, serve, feel the spirit,
and give reverence to God.
Historically the Sabbath began as the seventh day at the time
of the creation. The Old Testament documents the Jews carrying
forward the tradition of a sacred seventh day according to the
commandments of God to keep it holy. The tradition was not
only to follow the commandments of God, but to adhere to the
covenant (Isaiah 56:1–8 and Jeremiah 17:19–27). The
commandment of keeping the Sabbath day holy was repeated to
man in the current dispensation when the Lord revealed “...the
inhabitants of Zion shall also observe the Sabbath day to keep
it holy” (D&C 68:29).
How Sunday Became the Sabbath Day
While the Sabbath day until the time of Jesus’ death was
observed as the seventh day (Saturday), Sunday was later
chosen as the Sabbath day in remembrance of the Resurrection
of Christ, which came on the first day of the week. The New
Testament records the Apostles observing the first day as the
Lord’s day (Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 16:2), observing Sunday
as the new Sabbath day—the day of rest and worship, a day that
should be kept holy.
Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy
Keeping the Sabbath day holy involves that which is commanded
by the Lord, and that which is given to individuals and
families to decide. The Lord makes clear specific actions to
take on the Sabbath in this revelation from 1831: “And 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; Nevertheless thy vows shall be
offered up in righteousness on all days and at all times; But
remember that on this, the Lord’s day, thou shalt offer thine
oblations and thy sacraments unto the Most High, confessing
thy sins unto thy brethren, and before the Lord. And on this
day thou shalt do none other thing, only let thy food be
prepared with singleness of heart that thy fasting may be
perfect, or, in other words, that thy joy may be full” (D&C
59:9-13).
Even as specific as this revelation is, there is still wide
interpretation that can be made, especially the phrase “rest
from your labors,” which can mean different things to
different people. Modern day prophets have counseled that we
should refrain from spending money at stores, being
unconstructively lazy, participating in or going to sporting
activities, or attending other events that can lead our minds
away from Jesus Christ. There are times when work, travel, and
certain activities cannot be avoided. During those times we
can still keep the spirit of the Sabbath in our hearts. Each
individual is called to do the best he can to keep the Sabbath
day holy.
While there are specific things we should refrain from on the
Sabbath, there are plenty of things we should do on the
Sabbath. Such things should be a “delight” (Isaiah 58:13) to
us and remain “simple” as D&C section 59 suggests. We are
called to engage in activities that are uplifting and
inspirational, keeping our minds on holy things and that which
is considered righteous. Such activities will include
“attending Church meetings, reading the scriptures and the
words of our Church leaders, visiting the sick, the aged, and
our loved ones, listening to uplifting music and singing
hymns, praying to our Heavenly Father with praise and
thanksgiving, performing Church service that we have been
assigned to do, preparing family history records and personal
histories, telling faith-promoting stories and bearing our
testimony to family members and sharing spiritual experiences
with them, writing letters to loved ones, fasting with a
purpose, and sharing time with children and others in the
home” (Gospel Principles, 162).
Misinterpretations of the Sabbath Day
Some Christians try to negate observance of the Sabbath by
pointing to the scripture from Mark 2:27 in which Jesus is
quoted as saying: “… The Sabbath was made for man, and not man
for the Sabbath.” Jesus Christ paid very strict attention to
the Sabbath and never once mentioned it could be treated like
any other day. Rather, he chided the Pharisees who put more
emphasis into the letter of the law of the Sabbath as opposed
to the spirit of the law (more with their heads than with
their hearts). Observance of the Sabbath day is still very
much a Christian doctrine that should be considered by all
Christians.
Blessings of Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy
The Lord promises us blessings for keeping the Sabbath day
holy, including joy and peace. D&C section 59, quoted earlier,
promises that by keeping the Sabbath day holy with
“thanksgiving” and “cheerful hearts” that “the fulness of the
earth is yours” (D&C 59:15-16).
Conclusion
The commandment to keep the Sabbath day holy is as relevant
today as it was during the public ministry of Jesus Christ.
While the method of keeping the Sabbath day holy has evolved
over time, the principle and resultant blessings of making
every Sunday a special day in the Lord have stayed the same.
Doctrinal
Study: Church
Practices: Sunday the Sabbath
Download the
Sword Series™ essay on Sunday the Sabbath |
