"The city takes a breath on Sunday. Of all that’s lost with the pursuit of what’s next, I hope we don’t lose that…"
--- Hawksley Workman (Canadian rock singer-songwriter; 1975 - Present)
The rise of irreligion accompanies the demise of Sabbath Day worship. It goes without saying that, to many, Sunday is just another day on the weekly calendar. But to members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Sunday has meaning and purpose that sets it apart from the other six days. Despite what some may believe, Church attendance is a commandment, but one that comes with blessings. To gather ourselves together to be taught, strengthen one another, and renew our Baptismal Covenants is at the heart of our weekly services. We renew our Baptismal Covenant by partaking in the sacrament which is symbolic of the body and blood of Jesus Christ. Everyone is welcome to attend our church services! While some may use the busyness of life to excuse themselves from the two hours of church meetings, we may instead see the Sabbath Day as a time of renewal where we can set aside worldly concerns for a time and remember God and Jesus Christ a little more.
**NOTE: If you wish to get in contact with missionaries of the Church to learn more, you can do so at https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/comeuntochrist/requests/missionary-visit
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As missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, we’d get to church early to greet everyone as they arrived. Coming to church could at times be challenging for a million reasons. For some, it might have been the distance, conflicting work schedules, or just lacking the desire to attend. For those new to our religion, attending church might be something that they never had a habit of doing, even if they professed religion previously. Even among some religious people, church attendance isn't something that's considered a commandment. But if they would have truly grasped the meaning behind why we go to church, they would have thought of it less as a burden and more as an investment in themselves.
THE SUNDAY ARGUMENT
The Sabbath was set apart as a day of rest from all worldly labors thousands of years ago. The world was created in six phases (often called "days" as the scriptures say) and God rested on the seventh. The Jews and Seventh Day Adventists still consider Saturday to be the Sabbath Day for this reason. Most Christians, on the other hand, worship on Sunday in commemoration of Jesus Christ being resurrected on a Sunday morning (and the disciples appear to have convened on Sundays henceforth) but personally, I see it as insignificant and to no end aggressively arguing which should be right; it shouldn’t upset us as much as it does some people. Why should it? In comparison to the grand scheme of things that our eternal life hinges on, such as repentance and baptism, it seems to me to be a frivolous waste of time arguing about which day of the week people worship.
I don’t wish to generate such a frivolous debate here but let me give you some insight into ancient Sabbath Day worship just to give you something to think about because I find it interesting:
Sabbath Day translates as “Día de Reposo” (Dee-ah Deh Rreh-poh-soh) in Spanish, literally meaning “Day of rest”. Our English word “Sabbath”, comes from the Hebrew shabát, meaning “rest”. The Jewish Sabbath starts Friday night in which candles are lit and bread and wine are consumed and ends Saturday at sundown. The Spanish word for Saturday is Sábado, which shares the same etymological roots with Sabbath. There is no argument that the Sabbath was traditionally on Saturday, the seventh day of the week. However, just as interesting to me is the start of the week, in English, “Sunday”. The Spanish word for Sunday is Domingo which has Latin roots meaning “Lord's Day”. Obviously, Sunday means, "Day of the Sun", just as the names of weekdays have astronomical origins. The Sun bears significance in almost every historical region with reference to a supreme deity or power, such as Ra (or Re) who was the God of the Sun in ancient Egypt, or Tonatiuh, one of four Gods of the Sun in ancient Aztec culture meaning “Movement of the Sun” in the Nahuatl language who was considered the leader of the heavens (the Sun moves across the sky, or "heavens"). There are hundreds of more "Gods of the Suns" you could find parallels to. I always find cultural parallels fascinating. I personally believe that sometimes, not always, people may find themselves talking about the same thing without knowing it because they know them by other names.
If you are concerned that the etymological beginnings of "Sunday", which I mentioned, are pagan, not Christian, here are readings you can look up if you desire that might suggest Jesus as a type of Sun God. Mind you, this is more of a thought experiment on my part and a suggestion for supplemental study rather than doctrine of the Church. For example, Psalms 84:11 and Malachi 4:2. Jesus often taught that He is the light of the world (John 8:12; 12:35-36), and we are told whether metaphorically or literally that the wicked will burn as stubble at His coming (1 Nephi 22:15; 2 Nephi 26:4; Jacob 5:77; 6:3). As a sign of His birth, three days of perpetual light were given to the Nephites on the American Continent (Hel. 14:3-4). At His death, there was darkness upon all the land (3 Nephi 8:3,19–23; Luke 23:44-45). And with His resurrection on the morning of Sunday, the light came back into the world (3 Nephi 10:9). If we choose to consider Jesus Christ as a type of "Sun God", it would make even more sense, however admittedly subjective this argument would be, to call the Sabbath Day, "Sunday", the Lord's Day, Jesus' Day. Again, this is just food for thought, not a doctrinal argument, and not the best reason to worship on Sunday. There are plenty of better cases to be made in defense of Sunday Worship.
I only bring up such cultural similarities because I served as a missionary in Mexico, and the Mexican people are among the descendants of the people in the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. As I continued my Spanish studies in college and so forth, my feelings and testimony of their spiritual heritage were strengthened. It seems obvious to me that within Mexico's vast history are there going to be references and symbols found in the Book of Mormon.
Jesus taught that, “The Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day” (Matt. 12:8). Said He, “The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath” (Mark 2:27-28). It is clear that the Sabbath is for our benefit first and foremost.
IN THE OLD TESTAMENT
It was one of the strictest commandments in its early days. Says the fourth of the Ten Commandments given on Mount Sinai:
“Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord they God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.” (Exodus 20:8-11)
Of the ten commandments, this one required the most explanation because it was just that important. Part of honoring the Sabbath day means refraining from our worldly labors, including our job when possible. In addition to being symbolic of God resting on the seventh day, the Sabbath was given as a covenant, “a sign”, or a reminder for the children of Israel (Ezek. 20:12, 20) whom God gave rest from their labors. Now it serves the same reminder for us, to worship God and to rest from our labors. We have 144 hours in a week to get all our work done, which should be more than enough. Quite frankly, we work a lot and too much work can wear one out. The sabbath is a day to charge the batteries both physical and spiritual. Really, the sabbath is a reward and a weekly Thanksgiving Day to spend with loved ones. Isaiah called the sabbath a delight (Isa. 58:13). I know that keeping it holy brings blessings and greater happiness. I recognize that personal circumstances may not allow everyone to take every Sunday off work, but when it is possible, we should strive to do so and in every other way, remember the Lord and honor the covenants we have made.
God provided for the physical needs of the Children of Israel while they journeyed in the wilderness on their way to the promised land (See "The Way"). Many mouths had to be fed and hydrated over a course of forty years in the Middle Eastern desert. They were blessed with manna which only had a shelf life of a single day (Exo. 16:14-21). There were no leftovers. Every morning, they would have to gather their "daily bread" (Matt. 6:11) except on the sixth day when they were allowed to gather double. When the seventh day came, there was no manna to be found and they had to eat the manna collected the day before (Exo. 16:25-27). Again, we see the symbolism here; to trust in the Lord’s ability to provide as we keep His commandments, even the Sabbath Day.
In modern days, the Lord has again reiterated:
"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". (D&C 59:9-10)
Christ himself was often accused by the Pharisees and Sadducees as one who broke the Sabbath because He performed what I would call “righteous labors” (Matt 12:10-13). They said, “This man is not of God, because he keepeth not the sabbath day” (John 9:16). The Pharisees and Sadducees were focused on what was forbidden according to the Law of Moses but Jesus focused on what we should do.
There is no finite list of can and cannot do’s but the purpose of the Sabbath Day should be at the heart of one’s choices (See "Obedience: A Sign of Love"). Typically, the sabbath day is for attending church, visiting the sick and afflicted (See "Administering to the Sick and Afflicted"), studying the scriptures, quality time with family, and generally doing good works that strengthen our relationship with God and others. Ultimately, we are free to choose how we spend our Sundays, but we should be mindful of what Sunday means to God and what it should mean to us.
Sabbath Day Observance was incredibly strict in ancient times. Those in the Old Testament who broke this commandment were killed for doing things as simple as “gather[ing] sticks upon the Sabbath Day” (Numbers 15:32-36), likely as kindle. The Pharisees were so strict when it came to living "the letter of the law" of Sabbath Day Observance that they wouldn’t even pick corn to eat as the disciples did because it was “unlawful” (Deut. 23:25). Jesus however rebuked their reasoning and revealed their hypocrisy (Luke 6:1-4). They confronted Him for the miracles He performed on the Sabbath, in return Jesus asked them, "Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day?" They said nothing. Jesus healed the man which had dropsy. And Jesus answered them, saying, Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the sabbath day?" (Luke 14:1-6). Whereby anciently it was forbidden to do certain things, Jesus, He who is the Lord of the Sabbath, set new precedence and taught the spirit of the law by which we should live.
TIME FOR THE LORD = TIME FOR OURSELVES
Today, the consequences of failing to keep the Sabbath Day holy are not physical but spiritual in that you may forfeit spiritual blessings. God understands our intentions and compensates for the things we are unable to do. Even if we are unable to make it to church because of sickness or work, we can keep doing good and strive to attend when possible. Even though I know church attendance is an important part of Sabbath Day Observance, I again want to reiterate that there is more to Sabbath Day Observance than just going to church for a couple of hours a week. It's as I said, an opportunity to dedicate time to go about doing good and doing things that are pleasing to the Lord.
A GATHERING OF ORDINARY PEOPLE
Sadly, there are some people in the world who use any excuse they can to avoid going to church. One of the most common excuses that I've seen is when someone has a quarrel with one or more people who attend church. I've seen instances where personal problems between two people, that have nothing to do with the church itself, drive a wedge between them and the spirit of Christ. But it seems to me to be a poor excuse, to forsake the true church of Jesus Christ and its blessings all because of a person as imperfect as yourself. Just like one does not go to a hospital hoping to find everybody healthy, we don't go to church to find perfect people. We go because we want to be healed. It is true, there can be less than favorable individuals at times but that's just the human experience anywhere you go (See "Human"). Join the club. Said Jeffery R. Holland in the April 2013 General Conference, “Except in the case of His only perfect Begotten Son, imperfect people are all God has ever had to work with. That must be terribly frustrating to Him, but He deals with it. So should we.” If we look for shortcomings in others, we will find them but if we look for the good, we will find it as well. Stop judging and comparing people (See "Lord, Is It I?"). Dieter F. Uchtdorf once shared some words of wisdom he saw on a bumper sticker that I feel we can likewise benefit from when it comes to ill feelings towards others; it said, “Don’t judge me because I sin differently than you.”
Some attempt to use Matthew 18:20, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” to say that church is an unnecessary construct but they take the scripture out of context. The previous verses are speaking about the Law of Witnesses which required that two or three witnesses establish or decide certain matters as set forth in Deuteronomy 19:15. It cannot, therefore, refute the doctrine of an organized church, only that religion requires more than one person. (See "One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism")
WHAT HAPPENS AT CHURCH?
Church meetings are held every Sunday. You can find the meetinghouse (chapel building) closest to you online here. First announced in 2018 and implemented in the subsequent new year, church meetings went from lasting 3 hours to 2 hours. At the time of my missionary service, church consisted of three one-hour blocks. Two hours were classes, now alternating weekly, where we learn about the scriptures and the words of living prophets; the one is called "Sunday School" and the other could be a number of classes depending on your age and sex (See "Church Organization").
The other hour which occurs every Sunday for the whole congregation to attend together is called Sacrament Meeting. In Sacrament Meeting, we listen to messages prepared by other members of the congregation and partake of the sacrament (Where some religions call these messages "sermons", we call them "talks"). The sacrament is the way we renew our baptismal covenants weekly (See "Baptism by Immersion"). Jesus Christ himself instituted the sacrament, during His "Last Supper", otherwise called "the Passover Meal", the last night before his crucifixion as a practice for His disciples to remember him (Matt 26:26-28, John 6:53-56, Acts 2:42). The resurrected Savior also taught the Nephite people of the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ to do likewise. (3 Nephi 18)
When Moses was sent as an emissary to command Pharaoh to free the Children of Israel, and Pharaoh refused, a series of ten plagues were given to call him to repentance, each worse than the last. As a last resort, an “angel of death” came by night and slew the firstborns of Egypt. The Lord warned Moses and Aaron to tell the Israelites what to do to be protected so that the “angel of death” would “pass over” them. They killed a male lamb without blemish, put the animal's blood on their doorposts, and ate a specified symbolic meal which appropriately came to be known as the Passover meal (Exo. 12:11- 23). Like all things, the Passover carried symbolism meant to remind the Children of Israel of God’s mercy and Son who was to come to redeem mankind from death by His blood (See "Great Sacrifice"). So although we don’t eat the Passover as the Jews do, we do partake of the sacrament.
We partake of bread and water symbolic of His body and blood which was shed for us. Jesus taught:
“The bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world’. The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, ‘How can this man give us his flesh to eat?’ Then Jesus said unto them, ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.” (John 6:51-56)
Eating the bread and drinking the water is an outward manifestation that we are willing to follow Jesus Christ. The sacrament takes on personal meaning as we strive to live the gospel. The significance of the sacrament, the promises we make, and the blessings we receive, can be heard in the prayers over the bread and water found in D&C 20:77, 79 and Moroni 4:3; 5:2. The actual food and drink aren't as important as what they symbolically represent in the sacrament (for example, if someone is gluten-intolerant and has to substitute something for bread). This was confirmed through revelation as recorded in the Doctrine and Covenants:
"...It mattereth not what ye shall eat or what ye shall drink when ye partake of the sacrament, if it so be that ye do it with an eye single to my glory—remembering unto the Father my body which was laid down for you, and my blood which was shed for the remission of your sins." (D&C 27:2)
That is why the Sabbath Day is so important and that is why we should go to church every week. The classes are complimentary side dishes that can do us a lot of good but the sacrament is the main course of what church means. Really, two hours a week is not that long. Asked Jesus when He found His Apostles in the garden of Gethsemane asleep, “What, could ye not watch with me one hour?” (Matt. 26:40). Maybe the real question is, how much time is God worth in my life? How much does He deserve?
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