Exodus 20:8
Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
This is a commandment from God.
God created the Sabbath Day.
From his example we are taught the importance of the Sabbath day.
“Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.
“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: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.” (Gen. 2:1–3.)
To sanctify is to make holy, an act of becoming purified; the act of consecrating, or of setting apart for a sacred purpose and the only way we can do that is to remove our self from the wickedness and sins of the world. Thus, the purpose of the Sabbath Day.
“In our society many sacred values have been eroded in the name of freedom of expression. The vulgar and the obscene are protected in the name of freedom of speech. The mainstream of society has become more tolerant, even accepting, of conduct that Jesus, Moses, the Prophet Joseph Smith, and other prophets have warned against since the beginning of human history.
In a world where we and our families are threatened by evil on every side, let us remember President Hinckley’s counsel: “If our people could only learn to keep the sabbath day holy, everything else would take care of itself.”( James E. Faust, “‘Search Me, O God, and Know My Heart’)
Observance of the Sabbath is not a restriction but a source of strength and protection.
Why do we need the Sabbath day? Here are four reasons we need the Sabbath.
1. Physical rest
The Lord knew and understood our need to be rejuvenated from the stress of daily pressures
2. Rest from worldly influences
We need a day each week to be separated from all influences of the world, a day we can focus on our spiritual needs, a day of renewal, a day where we have the opportunity to listen to and feel the Spirit.
3. Rest – from the scriptural meaning – rest in God
Time to know God to learn of Him
Time to serve God
Time to become like Him
4. Show our obedience and love to God the Father and the Son.
How you observe the Sabbath Day is between you and the Lord. But, it is important that we teach those we love the importance of setting one day a week apart from the rest of the week and spend time getting to know Our Lord and Savior and trying to become like Him. What a blessing this can be to each of us as we put the Lord first in all we do and in all we say even if it is just for one day a week.
