Lesson 131

Commandments (Part 1)

Prepare to Learn

Prepare your mind and heart to learn. Music, especially the hymns of the Church, can invite the influence of the Holy Ghost. To help you feel reverent, consider listening to a hymn before you begin your study.

Begin your study with prayer.

If you were on an athletic team, what would you do if you had a competition scheduled for a Sunday?

Listen to Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles as he shares a story of an athlete who was an excellent example of keeping the Sabbath day holy. You can read the text of this video here: “Can Ye Feel So Now?” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2012, 9.

True Love

Think of a family member you love and who loves you in return.

How do you show this person that you love him or her? How does this person show his or her love for you?

God’s Commandments

How does God show His love for us? How do we show our love for God?

To answer these questions, read paragraphs 9.1–9.2 of doctrinal topic 9, “Commandments,” in the Doctrinal Mastery Core Document.

1. Answer the following questions:

• How do God’s commandments demonstrate His love for us?

• Why do you think obedience to the Lord’s commandments is a way for us to show our love for Him? (See John 14:15.)

• How can understanding that God gives us commandments because He loves us and wants us to become like Him affect the way we feel about His commandments?

An Early Commandment

Read paragraph 9.3 in the Doctrinal Mastery Core Document to identify one of the earliest commandments God gave to His children.

How does knowing that this commandment was one of the first God gave to His children show us how important it is?

Doctrinal Mastery Passage: Isaiah 58:13–14

Consider marking the following key statement of doctrine in paragraph 9.3: God commands His children to honor Him by doing His will rather than our own on the Sabbath, and He promises great blessings to those who keep His day holy.

Isaiah 58:13–14 is the doctrinal mastery scripture passage that helps teach the key statement of doctrine identified above. Consider marking it in a distinctive way so you can locate it more easily.

In these verses, we read that as the Lord was teaching the Israelites about the law of the fast, He also taught them how they could find joy in properly observing the Sabbath day.

Read Isaiah 58:13–14, looking for words or phrases that help teach the key statement of doctrine from paragraph 9.3.

Sabbath Observance

Read the following statement by President Russell M. Nelson, looking for anything that can help you to honor God on the Sabbath day.

“Not pursuing your ‘own pleasure’ [Isaiah 58:13] 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” (Russell M. Nelson, “The Sabbath Is a Delight,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2015, 132).

How can you “delight thyself in the Lord” (Isaiah 58:14) by “not doing thine own ways” (Isaiah 58:13) on His holy day?

Things to Do on the Sabbath Day

What might you do on the Sabbath day to honor God?

Read the following statement from For the Strength of Youth, looking for things you can do to honor God on the Sabbath day.

“Honoring the Sabbath day includes attending all your Church meetings. …

“Prepare during the week so that you can reserve Sunday for the many uplifting activities that are appropriate for the Sabbath day. Such activities include spending quiet time with your family, studying the gospel, fulfilling your Church callings and responsibilities, serving others, writing letters, writing in your journal, and doing family history work. Your behavior and dress on the Sabbath should show respect for the Lord and His holy day” (For the Strength of Youth [booklet, 2011], 30).

2. Answer one or both of the following questions:

• What activities stood out to you in the statement from For the Strength of Youth that you may not previously have considered doing on the Sabbath?

• How have you been blessed as you have tried to honor God by doing His will instead of your own on the Sabbath?

Ways to Honor the Lord

Watch the video “Share Your Sabbath,” looking for other ways to honor the Lord on His day. This video is available on LDS.org.

Consider sharing this video with someone you feel would benefit from its message. You could also include your witness of how observing the Sabbath day has helped you grow closer to the Savior.

Your Sabbath Day Activities

Make a personal list in your study journal or in your Notes on LDS.org of some of the things you typically do on the Sabbath. When your list is complete, think about whether those activities represent your own will or God’s will.

Ponder what you may need to change or do better so that you can dedicate the Sabbath day to doing God’s will. If the things you feel you should change or do better seem difficult, ask the Lord for His help. He can strengthen you to act on the promptings you receive.