A Refuge from the Storms of Life

By Susan Gregory

“Honour the Sabbath as a form of righteousness—let it bless and strengthen our families—let it increase our happiness—let it separate us from the things in our lives which are frivolous, inappropriate, or immoral.”

As we look around us, we see sad and shocking events: accidents, natural disasters, and the consequences of man’s inhumanities against one another. The world today seems busier, more complicated, and less stable. As we witness such events it is easy for us to become fearful and troubled—but the calming words of Psalm 46:10, “Be still, and know that I am God” bring comfort and reassurance to us.

Even the routines of everyday life can be daunting as we provide the necessities for our families, care for and teach our children, perform the duties of our Church callings, and find time to learn and grow as a son or daughter of God. We may frequently feel overwhelmed and challenged. Elder Quentin L. Cook, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, taught one way to find peace and calm in troubling times, when he said: “Keeping the Sabbath day holy is a refuge from the storms of this life.”¹

Could it be that simple?

The fourth commandment, as recorded by Moses in Exodus 20:8, reads, “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.” We know that this commandment was first given to Adam and Eve—and it remains in force even today. But it is more than a commandment. It is a covenant: “Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant.

“It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.” (Exodus 31:16–17)

How do we incorporate the refuge of this covenant into our lives?

First, we should remember that the most significant, most unique, and most refreshing event of any week should be when we partake of the Sacrament—renewing our baptismal covenants and completing our week’s efforts to repent of our shortcomings. Elder M. Russell Ballard, Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, wrote: “Sacrament meeting is a wonderful and glorious time. When we step into the chapel and prepare to receive the sacrament, we should think of ourselves as being in a sanctuary, a sacred and special place where we can contemplate Christ and His great and glorious mission. We put aside the things of the world and think instead of what is eternal. We need to put aside our cell phones and ponder about Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God.”²

Secondly, we need to find delight in the Sabbath, when sometimes it seems difficult to find. Chat with many teenagers (and some adults) and it seems that delight is not the word they would select to describe the day. For many, the positive aspects include going to church and seeing their friends—especially for those who are the only members of the Church in their school or neighbourhood. For families who are actively involved in appropriate activities, time on the Sabbath seems to fly by. That is one of the reasons for the new two-hour Sunday church meeting schedule—freeing up more time for family togetherness and personal worship.

Unfortunately, there are those who do not adequately plan and prepare for this special day of delight, and who are left to amuse themselves with less important or even inappropriate Sabbath activities. In the end, the Lord leaves decisions to us. We can either advantage ourselves and partake in the refreshment and delight of this sacred day, or we can press on with heavy burdens—and miss the sweet peace and calm that the day could otherwise bring to our souls.

The Saviour, when challenged by the Pharisees for breaking Jewish tradition on the Sabbath, responded: “The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath” (Mark 2:27).

So, how to celebrate this day made for us?

President Russell M. Nelson, in the April 2015 general conference, explained how he approached the Sabbath: “In my much younger years, I studied the work of others who had compiled lists of things to do and things not to do on the Sabbath. It wasn’t until later that I learned from the scriptures that my conduct and my attitude on the Sabbath constituted a sign between me and my Heavenly Father [see Exodus 31:13; Ezekiel 20:12, 20]. With that understanding, I no longer needed lists of dos and don’ts. 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.”³

Honour the Sabbath as a form of righteousness—let it bless and strengthen our families—let it increase our happiness—let it separate us from the things in our lives which are frivolous, inappropriate, or immoral.

Let this holy day become a refuge from the storms of this life.