I liked this one a lot, too.
We've lived in many wards over the last several years and some are really good at bringing a reverent Spirit to their Sacrament Meetings and others not so much.
We try really hard to make sure our kids understand that Sacrament Meeting is a special meeting- not a place to search for friends or hold fun conversations. It's a reverent place and we never know who may be there who really needs the peace that the Atonement can bring. We don't want to be the ones to interrupt that.
Elder Perry says,
"Parents, now is the time to teach our children to be examples of the believers by attending sacrament meeting. When Sunday morning arrives, help them to be well prepared to partake of the emblems of the sacrament and receive the enlightening, edifying, ennobling power of the Holy Ghost. Let your family be filled with love as you honor the Sabbath all day long and experience its spiritual blessings throughout the week."How do you prepare for Sacrament Meeting? How do you help your family prepare?
LeGrande Richards gave a Speech at BYU about this topic. Click here to listen.
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ReplyDeleteI really liked "The Sabbath" part of this talk. I always wonder what I could be doing better to keep the Sabbath day holy and how I can teach my kids what they should be doing. When he quoted Mark 2:27, "The sabbath was made for man, and not the man for the sabbath." it made me realize that it's not about following rules of what to do or not do, it's about the Lord giving us an opportunity to grow closer to him each week.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great talk by LaGrande Richards! I love directness! In this talk he gives us a few suggestions for preparing for the Sabbath and in turn bringing the spirit with us to sacrament. If we come to sacrament in the spirit of prayer we have already prepared ourselves for reverence. One thing I always do is make sure I'm playing a church cd in the car for the kids and that always helps them prepare for church. He also suggested we imagine if Christ were sitting in the congregation, would we act the same? I also loved how he talked about other faiths and how reverently they treat their meetings. I have seen this in Drew's church. They may not have the fullness of the gospel but they do have a reverence for their meeting houses, in particular their chapels. He pointed out that having a better understanding of how and why Christ suffered for us helps us to love Him for the sacrifice He made. In turn, this helps us to have more reverence for the Sabbath and for the taking of the sacrament.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if you remember, but when you were young I played records/albums of Church music. I would put it on as I got your breakfast on the table and then woke you up. President Gordon B Hinckley spoke at a regional conference in which he expressed his concerns to the priesthood brethren. One of his concerns was our tendency to take on the ways of the world, we don't adopt them immediately, but we slowly take them on, unfortunately. I wish I had the power to convert the whole Church to the observance of the Sabbath. I know our people would be more richly blessed of the Lord if they would walk in faithfulness in the observance of the Sabbath. May 1995 It is interesting that in the commandments that the Lord gave to Moses, the 4th commandment as recorded in Exodus, consists of 94 words; as compared to some of the other commandments which consist of only 4 words. There are some powerful blessings the Lord promises us, if we keep his Sabbath holy. See Lev. 26:2-6,9 We can definitely relate to the promises in this modern day world. Do we not need rain in due season as in days of old? Do we not need the land to yield an increase and trees bear fruit? Do we not want to be able to lie down and not be afraid? Do we not want the sword of war to go through our land? Do we not want the Lord to establish his covenant with us?
ReplyDeleteElder Ezra Taft Benson quoted President George Albert Smith in saying that much of the sorrow and distress that is afflicting and will continue to afflict mankind is traceable to the fact that they have ignored His commandments to keep the Sabbath Day holy. President Spencer W. Kimball reviewed activities for the Sabbath, As we plan our Sunday activities, we may want to set aside time for our family to be together, for personal study and meditation, and for service to others. We might want to read the scriptures, conference reports and Church publications, study the lives and teachings of the prophets, prepare Church lessons and other Church assignments, write in journals, pray and meditate, write to or visit relatives and friends, write to missionaries, enjoy uplifting music, have family gospel instruction, hold family council meetings,build husband-wife relationships, read with a child, do genealogical research on the 4 generation program and family and personal histories, sing Church hymns, read uplifting literature, develop our appreciation of the cultural arts, plan family home evening study and activities, plan other family activities, friendship non-members, fellowship new members, neighbors, visit the sick, aged and lonely, hold interviews with family members, go to Church meetings, prepare talks, a day to relax and nap, a day to preach the gospel, a day to get acquainted with our children, a day to seek forgiveness of sins, a day for the enrichment of our spirits and souls, a day to restore us to our spiritual stature. Elder Ezra Taft Benson gave similar counsel in the Conference Issue, May 1971. He also gave counsel on preparing for the Sabbath and considering what activities do not fit the spirit and purpose of the Sabbath in the same article.
ReplyDeleteThe Church News that was published on Saturday, July 23, 2011 had an article "Sanctifying Sabbath". In October 1999 general conference President Monson spoke of a father, who "taught a son a never to be forgotten lesson in obedience and, by example, to honor the Sabbath day". The personal example of Elder Andersen was an amazing story-you should read it! At the end of the article 3 questions are asked. Can we not all improve in our observance of the Sabbath? Can we not stretch ourselves in service and worship and avoid desecrating the Sabbath? Who does not stand in need of sanctification?
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