The following are thoughts taken randomly from Russell M. Nelson’s talk ‘The Sabbath is a Delight’ (when a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, not yet President of the Church… for numbered links, click above) from April 2015 General Conference.
I believe the Lord wanted us to understand that the Sabbath was His gift to us, granting real respite from the rigors of daily life and an opportunity for spiritual and physical renewal. God gave us this special day, not for amusement or daily labor but for a rest from duty, with physical and spiritual relief.
In Hebrew, the word Sabbath means “rest.”…The Sabbath was given as a perpetual covenant, a constant reminder that the Lord may sanctify His people.
….In addition, we now partake of the sacrament on the Sabbath day in remembrance of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.7 Again, we covenant that we are willing to take upon us His holy name.
When I had to make a decision whether or not an activity was appropriate for the Sabbath, I simply asked myself, “What sign do I want to give to God?” That question made my choices about the Sabbath day crystal clear.
“That thou mayest more fully keep thyself unspotted from the world, thou shalt go to the house of prayer and offer up thy sacraments upon my holy day: “For verily this is a day appointed unto you to rest from your labors, and to pay thy devotions unto the Most High. … “And on this day … let thy food be prepared with singleness of heart that thy fasting may be perfect, … that thy joy may be full. … “And inasmuch as ye do these things with thanksgiving, with cheerful hearts and countenances, … the fulness of the earth is yours.” Imagine the scope of that statement! The fulness of the earth is promised to those who keep the Sabbath day holy. No wonder Isaiah called the Sabbath “a delight.”We make the Sabbath a delight when we teach the gospel to our children.
“We call upon parents to devote their best efforts to the teaching and rearing of their children in gospel principles which will keep them close to the Church. The home is the basis of a righteous life, and no other instrumentality can take its place or fulfill its essential functions in carrying forward this God-given responsibility.
“We counsel parents and children to give highest priority to family prayer, family home evening, gospel study and instruction, and wholesome family activities. However worthy and appropriate other demands or activities may be, they must not be permitted to displace the divinely-appointed duties that only parents and families can adequately perform.”
Make the Sabbath a delight by rendering service to others, especially those who are not feeling well or those who are lonely or in need. Lifting their spirits will lift yours as well.
When Isaiah described the Sabbath as “a delight,” he also taught us how to make it delightful. He said:
“If thou turn away … from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, … and shalt honour [the Lord], not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:
“Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord.”
Not pursuing your “own pleasure” on the Sabbath requires self-discipline. You may have to deny yourself of something you might like. If you choose to delight yourself in the Lord,you will not permit yourself to treat it as any other day. Routine and recreational activities can be done some other time.
True believers keep the Sabbath day holy.
I conclude with the farewell plea of Moroni, as he closed the Book of Mormon. He wrote, “Come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then … are ye sanctified in Christ.”
