Worship

To worship God is to give Him our love, reverence, service, and devotion. The Lord commanded Moses, “Worship God, for him only shalt thou serve.”¹ He has also commanded, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy might, mind, and strength; and in the name of Jesus Christ thou shalt serve him.”² Worship not only shows our love for God and commitment to Him, it gives us strength to keep His commandments. Through worship we grow in knowledge and faithfulness. If we place any person or thing above the love of God, we worship that thing or person. This is called idolatry.³

Prayer is one way to worship Heavenly Father. Alma taught his son Helaman, “Cry unto God for all thy support; yea, let all thy doings be unto the Lord, and whithersoever thou goest let it be in the Lord; yea, let all thy thoughts be directed unto the Lord; yea, let the affections of thy heart be placed upon the Lord forever.”⁴

Another way to worship Heavenly Father is to join in fellowship with others who worship Him. The Book of Mormon reveals, “The children of God were commanded that they should gather themselves together oft, and join in fasting and mighty prayer in behalf of the welfare of the souls of those who knew not God.”⁵ In more recent revelation, the Lord commanded: “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.”⁶

Participation in priesthood ordinances is also part of worship. As we reverently partake of the sacrament and attend the temple, we remember and worship our Heavenly Father and express our gratitude for His Son, Jesus Christ.

In addition to worshipping outwardly, we should have a worshipful attitude wherever we go and in everything we do. Alma taught this principle to a group of people who had been kept from entering their place of worship. He helped them see that true worship is not limited to one day of the week.⁷ Speaking to the same group of people, Alma’s companion Amulek encouraged them to “worship God, in whatsoever place ye may be in, in spirit and in truth.”⁸