The Sabbath and the Sacrament

Today in Sacrament meeting, I decided to start reading the talks in my new May 2011 Ensign! :) The talk was titled The Sabbath and the Sacrament by Elder L. Tom Perry. It was really good, and a perfect talk to start reading during sacrament.

So I'm going to share with you some of the things I highlighted, and my thoughts on them!

Exodus 20:8-11,
..."Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God...."

That part really stuck to me. This is the one day for the Lord. I need not do anything else except be in tune with Him. I can do that. I can save everything else for the other 6 days, but on Sunday I need not worry about anything except the Lord, learning of Him and His gospel, and my family. :) I'm going to challenge myself to do so.

Elder Perry goes on to say, "He gathered His disciples together in the upper room, away from the distractions of the world."

I don't know about you, but I thought of the House of the Lord. I believe that the ground Temples are built upon, are "upper room" places. I can see Temples from very far places, and it makes me happy! :) They're always away from the world, and the distractions it brings. I think of the Manhattan Temple as well. It's a building inside a building. The Lord knows how to get his Temples in the busiest places. But we need to follow our Savior to that upper room, away from the distractions, drama, boys, heartache, family fights and serve. Listen to His Spirit and promptings!

"Young Priesthood holders across the world qualify themselves to exercise priesthood power by earnestly keeping the commandments and living gospel standards. As these young men keep spiritually clean hands and pure hearts, they prepare and bless the sacrament in the Savior's way--a way defined by what He did over 2,000 years ago."

I know they are talking to Priesthood holders, but this applies to women as well. We can too exercise the priesthood power by keeping commandments, and following the word of wisdom, and living standards and going to the Temple, because all of those things involve the Priesthood. We are so lucky and blessed to have men around us who can provide the support and help, but holding the Priesthood worthily.

"..this is a day appointed unto you to rest from your labors, and to pay thy devotions unto the Most High..."
This isn't just any regular day for us. This is the day. The day to think of our Savior, the day to think of the Sacrament. The day to report to our Heavenly Father what we'll continue to do with His name during the new week, what we accomplished and didn't during the last week. This is a very special time and day to really feel that relationship with our Father.

"We want every Latter-day Saint to come to the sacrament table because it is the place for self-investigation, for self-inspection, where we may learn to rectify our course and to make right our own lives, bringing ourselves into harmony with the teachings of the Church and with our brethren and sisters."

- Elder Melvin J. Ballard

This is what he said to do for those with little children, and I know it applies to those who are getting married and someday want a family.

"When Sunday morning arrives, help them to be well rested, properly dressed, and spiritually prepared to partake of the emblems of the sacrament and receive the enlightening, edifying, ennobling power of the Holy Ghost."

I know my mother worked really hard to apply these things to me and my siblings, and I know that I may have fought it and I may have gone against it, but I only hope to raise my future children that way. That they know what Sunday is. What Sunday is for. That Sunday becomes a special part of their lives like it has in mine. I'm really grateful for this gospel, and I have a strong testimony of it. The whole talk is really great, but these things mean a lot to me. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.