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Why are we commanded to keep the Sabbath day holy?

Why are we commanded to keep the Sabbath day holy?

Prepare Yourself Spiritually

The Lord has given the Sabbath day for our benefit and has commanded us to keep it holy. Observing the Sabbath shows our commitment to honor and worship God and keep our covenants. It will bring us closer to the Lord and to our family. It will give us an eternal perspective and spiritual strength. The Sabbath also allows us to rest from our physical labors and worship the Lord.

Resources to Help You Prepare

These resources are to help you prepare for the “Learn together” section of the meeting.

Questions to Ponder before You Teach

What blessings do you enjoy because you keep the Sabbath day holy? How do you know what is and what is not appropriate on the Sabbath? Why is it important that you attend your Sunday meetings?

Why is it important that the young women understand why we have a Sabbath day? How can you help instill in them a desire to honor the Sabbath day? How can you help the young women determine for themselves which activities are appropriate for the Sabbath day?

What can the young women do to prepare to learn? For example, they could read a talk, watch a video, or study a scripture related to this doctrine.

Teaching in the Savior’s Way

The Savior gave those He taught opportunities to ask their own questions and share their own insights. As you prepare to present this lesson, ponder how to encourage the young women to share their insights and ask meaningful questions regarding the Sabbath day.

Video: “We Become”

Meeting Outline

1. Counsel Together and Share Experiences

Led by a member of the class presidency; approximately 5–10 minutes

Lead a discussion about items such as the following:

  • Our class: Who is missing today? What visits do we need to make? Who should we invite to an upcoming activity? Who needs our help and prayers?

  • Our responsibilities: What assignments do we need to make? What assignments have we fulfilled? How have we invited others to come unto Christ, and how can we invite others now?

  • Our lives: Remind the class of the discussion from the last meeting. What experiences have we had with applying what we learned? What experiences have we had in the past few weeks that strengthened our testimonies of the gospel?

If possible, discuss these items beforehand in a class presidency meeting.

2. Learn Together

Led by a leader or teacher or a member of the class; approximately 25–35 minutes

After studying the above resources and following the inspiration of the Spirit, you may select one or more of the activities below to help class members understand the doctrine.

  • Invite each young woman to search President Henry B. Eyring’s talk “Gratitude on the Sabbath Day” and make a list of things that President Eyring says we can be thankful for on the Sabbath. Let the young women compare their lists and share what they found. Read together President Eyring’s invitation at the end of his talk, and challenge class members to act upon it.

  • Divide President Russell M. Nelson’s talk “The Sabbath Is a Delight” into three or four small segments. Invite the young women to read the segments, either in small groups or individually. What insights do they find about how to make the Sabbath a delight? How will the young women ensure that their behavior on the Sabbath will lead to joy and rejoicing? As part of this activity, you could show one of the videos in this outline.

  • Divide the young women into pairs. Invite one young woman from each pair to read Doctrine and Covenants 59:9–15 and list what we are asked to do on the Sabbath. Ask the other young woman to search verses 16–19 for the blessings promised when we keep the Sabbath day holy. Ask them to share their findings with each other and talk about why it is important to honor the Sabbath day. Invite the class to discuss why the Lord gave us the Sabbath day. Ask each young woman to think of something she can do to ensure that the Lord’s purposes for the Sabbath day are accomplished in her own life.

  • Ask the young women how they determine if an activity is appropriate for the Sabbath. Invite them to look in Doctrine and Covenants 59:9–13 and in For the Strength of Youth (pages 30–31) for principles that might help them. Invite each young woman to think about her own Sunday activities and determine for herself whether they align with these principles. Encourage the young women to make whatever changes they feel are necessary.

  • Provide the young women copies of For the Strength of Youth, and ask them to search the section titled “Sabbath Day Observance” for why and how we observe the Sabbath day. Ask them to think about and share how these things apply to their lives. Invite them to share an experience with keeping the Sabbath day holy. Encourage them to imagine that a friend invited them to participate in an inappropriate Sunday activity. How would they help their friend understand the meaning of the Sabbath day and the reasons they choose to keep it holy?

3. Plan to Act

Led by a member of the class presidency; approximately 5–10 minutes

  • Ask the young women to discuss any feelings or impressions they had during the meeting. What was meaningful to them? Is there something they can do personally or as a class to apply what they have learned?

  • Give the young women a few minutes to record what they will do in the coming weeks to act on their impressions. Invite them to share their ideas.

  • Remind the young women that they will have the opportunity to share their experiences at the beginning of the next meeting.