The Sabbath Day

The Sabbath Day was a difficult thing for me to understand for years. I grew up in a strict home where I could do very little on Sundays, but my friends could do anything they wanted. So, as a mother I really struggled with how to teach it to my children. For the first years it was weak and unknown. After learning the principles behind it and the how the Hebrew celebrated the day I now live and teach the beauty of the Sabbath Day.

Here are some ideas we have implemented and handouts we have created over the years.

• Prepare a smell for the day, that is not used the rest of the days. (stove-top potpourri)
• Have a Sabbath Day play list for songs only listened to on Sunday.
• Light a candle that is lit in the morning, placed in a prominent place, and burned out at night.
• Work on family vision, family history, family stories, family story book, family photos….
• Go on family walks, spend time with a family member, give someone a call.
• Practice Sabbath – we would learn how to sit still each day. At first it was 10 seconds, it grew to 10 minutes a day and it helped them learn to sit still at the pews.

The Hebrews thought of the Sabbath Day as the center of their week. The Star of David helps us understand how important it was for them. The center hexagon touches each of the days of the week, it holds it together. Just as we should center our lives around the Savior and have him be a part of each day of our lives.

John Young, one of my professors, wrote a beautiful article on the Sabbath Day where he introduces Hebrew culture and scripture ideas:

• Sabbath Day -John Max Young

I made this Sabbath Day book for my little children to look at during Sacrament Meeting.

• Sabbath Book PDF