"Offer Up Thy Sacraments upon My Holy Day"

Taught by Holly S.

Keeping the Sabbath day holy and worthily partaking of the sacrament brings us increased spiritual strength.

Having the Sabbath day to observe is a blessing, not a restriction.  The Sabbath provides us with the opportunity to spiritually re-charge.  We discussed and realized that there is more that we CAN do on the Sabbath than what we can't do.  We discussed the many wonderful things we can do on the Sabbath, such as: Read good books, study the scriptures, contemplate, ponder, rest, relax, visit the sick, visit family and friends, get better acquainted with our children, partake of the Sacrament & enrich our spirit and soul.

President Spencer W. Kimball said, "In Hebrew the term Sabbath means "rest".  It contemplates quiet tranquility, peace of mind and spirit.  It is a day to get rid of selfish interests and absorbing activites.  It is a day in which to worship and to express our gratitude and appreciation to the Lord."

Hundreds of years ago, long before we had engines or locomotives, mules were used down in the mines to help bring the coal to the surface.  The mules spent the entire week down in the dark mines.  However, every Sunday they were brought to the surface to graze and be in the sunshine.  A visitor that was passing through this Pennsylvania town asked why there were so many mules grazing outside a mine shaft.  The answer was that if they were not brought to the surface one day a week they would go blind.  Sometimes our crazy busy worlds are like the dark mine shafts.  We can loose sight spiritually and just like the mules we need to come out of the darkness so that we don't go spiritually blind.

Yes, we are very lucky to have the opportunity to observe the Sabbath and the many wonderful blessings that come with keeping the Sabbath day holy. 



"It is not an insignificant thing to violate the Sabbath day.  I want to say that you lose every time you violate the Sabbath day, you lose more than you can gain,  no matter what you may think you are going to gain."  ----President George Albert Smith