689. How You Keep the Sabbath Is Up to You and Your Family , by Elder Quentin L. Cook, Apostle!
Every Sunday we have any family in town we have dinner together and play games after. We have done it for many years, and I used to worry that we may not be keeping the Sabbath Day holy, as we laugh and talk in the games. But this article gives me peace, and helps me feel good about it. I'm sure that the younger people of the family -- mostly teenagers would not have stayed with us all if we hadn't had the games. It has kept us close as a family, and we miss it on Sundays that we can't get together.
We have even had grandchildren who go to college about an hour away, come down to dinner just to play the games. We all miss my dear husband, Wayne, as he was the "life of the party" when we had those family times. Everyone wanted to play with him because he would announce "I feel lucky today"!
I may not post for a few days, as I'm going up to Bountiful to our granddaughter Skye's wedding on Saturday, August 27th, 2016!
We have even had grandchildren who go to college about an hour away, come down to dinner just to play the games. We all miss my dear husband, Wayne, as he was the "life of the party" when we had those family times. Everyone wanted to play with him because he would announce "I feel lucky today"!
I may not post for a few days, as I'm going up to Bountiful to our granddaughter Skye's wedding on Saturday, August 27th, 2016!
Quentin L. Cook: How You Keep the Sabbath Is Up to You and Your Family
The Sabbath is not an endless list of dos and do nots. It's a sacred day that the Lord has given to us to bless our lives.
As President Nelson has noted, "I am intrigued by the words of Isaiah, who called the Sabbath 'a delight.' Yet I wonder, is the Sabbath really a delight for you and for me?"
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In all of our list-making and worry, have we become too much like the Pharisees and Sadducees who used to count their steps on the Sabbath, not to make sure that they did good with every step, but simply to keep from doing wrong? Do we focus so much on not taking a step in the wrong direction that we forget to move forward at all? Do we focus so much on our apparent "worthiness" we forget the true purpose of the Sabbath—to reach out to others and enjoy the people and simple joys Heavenly Father has put into our lives?
Elder Quentin L. Cook recently posted on Facebook, giving counsel that helps Latter-day Saints understand we cannot hold ourselves or each other to one same standard. Judgements have no place with Sabbath worship because each person and each family should decide how they can best keep the day holy in their own way.
How you keep the Sabbath day holy is largely up to you and your family. I invite you to ponder these questions: “How can I make the Sabbath day a delight? What sign do I want to give my Heavenly Father?”
You may consider asking your children these questions. Listen to them. Don’t impose, just ask your children and let the ideas flow. I don’t believe we need to wear suits and ties all day on Sunday, but we should seek to do SOME uplifting and holy activities. You may decide to visit grandparents, sing songs, or spend time alone studying the scriptures. The opportunities are endless.
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