Why are we commanded to keep the Sabbath day holy?

Prepare Yourself Spiritually

The Lord has given the Sabbath day for our benefit and has commanded us to keep it holy. Observing the Sabbath day shows our commitment to honor and worship God and keep our covenants. It will bring us closer to the Lord and to our families. It will give us an eternal perspective and spiritual strength. The Sabbath also allows us to rest from our physical labors and worship the Lord.

Resources to Help You Prepare

These resources are to help you prepare for the “Learn together” section of the meeting.

Genesis 2:2 (Origin of the Sabbath day)
Exodus 20:8–11; 31:13 (Keep the Sabbath day holy)
Isaiah 58:13–14 (The blessings of observing the Sabbath)
Mark 2:27 (The Sabbath is made for man)
Luke 23:55–24:1 (The women who anointed Jesus’s body after His Crucifixion waited until after the Sabbath to do so)
Mosiah 13:16–19 (We are commanded to obey the Sabbath day)
Doctrine and Covenants 59:9–13 (Observing the Sabbath helps us stay unspotted from the world)
Russell M. Nelson, “The Sabbath Is a Delight,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2015, 129–32
Kevin S. Hamilton, “Continually Holding Fast,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2013, 99–101
“Sabbath,” True to the Faith (2004), 145–47
“Sabbath Day Observance,” For the Strength of Youth (2011), 30–31
“He Learned Compassion in His Youth” (video)

1:15
“The Sabbath Is a Delight” (video)

2:54
“Upon My Holy Day—Honoring the Sabbath” (video)

1:30
“Upon My Holy Day—Rest and Renewal” (video)

1:26

Questions to Ponder before You Teach

What blessings do you enjoy because you keep the Sabbath day holy? How do you know what is and what is not appropriate on the Sabbath?

Why is it important that the young men understand why we have a Sabbath day? How can you help instill in them a desire to honor the Sabbath? How can you help the young men determine for themselves which activities are appropriate for the Sabbath day?

What can the young men do to prepare to learn? For example, they could read a talk, watch a video, or study a scripture related to this doctrine.

Meeting Outline

1. Counsel Together and Share Experiences

Led by a member of the quorum presidency; approximately 5–10 minutes

Lead a discussion about items such as the following:

Our quorum: Who is missing today? What visits do we need to make? Who should we invite to an upcoming activity? Who needs our help and prayers?
Our duties: What assignments do we need to make? What assignments have we fulfilled? How have we invited others to come unto Christ, and how can we invite others now?
Our lives: Remind the quorum of the discussion from the last meeting. What experiences have we had with applying what we learned? What experiences have we had in the past few weeks that strengthened our testimonies of the gospel?

If possible, discuss these items beforehand in a quorum presidency meeting.

2. Learn Together

Led by a leader or teacher or a member of the quorum; approximately 25–35 minutes

After studying the above resources and following the inspiration of the Spirit, you may select one or more of the activities below to help quorum members understand the doctrine.

Divide President Russell M. Nelson’s talk “The Sabbath Is a Delight” into three or four small segments. Invite the young men to read the segments, either in small groups or individually. What insights do they find about how to make the Sabbath a delight? How will the young men ensure that their behavior on the Sabbath will lead to joy and rejoicing? As part of this activity, you could show one of the videos in this outline.
Divide the young men into pairs. Invite one young man from each pair to read Doctrine and Covenants 59:9–15 and list what we are asked to do on the Sabbath. Ask the other young man to search verses 16–19 for the blessings promised when we keep the Sabbath day holy. Ask them to share their findings with each other and talk about why it is important to honor the Sabbath day. Invite the quorum to discuss why the Lord gave us the Sabbath day. Ask each young man to think of something he can do to ensure that the Lord’s purposes for the Sabbath day are accomplished in his own life.
Ask the young men how they determine if an activity is appropriate for the Sabbath. Invite them to look in Doctrine and Covenants 59:9–13 and in For the Strength of Youth (pages 30–31) for principles that might help them, and ask them to write what they find on the board. Invite each young man to think about his own Sunday activities and determine for himself whether they align with these principles. Encourage the young men to make a specific goal to make any changes they feel are necessary in the things they do on the Sabbath.
Show or relate the story about Elder Kevin S. Hamilton’s father in the first two paragraphs of his talk “Continually Holding Fast.” What do the young men learn about the importance of observing the Sabbath from this story? Give the young men copies of the paragraph from Elder Hamilton’s talk that begins with the phrase “We each have many choices to make.” Ask them to read the paragraph and work together in pairs to make a list of “good,” “better,” and “best” Sabbath activities. Invite them to share their lists with the class.
As you read “Sabbath” in True to the Faith, ask the young men to listen for examples of appropriate Sunday activities. How does the world’s idea of Sunday activities differ from what the Lord wants us to do? Ask them to think about how some activities might contribute to or detract from the spirit of the Sabbath. How do they know if what they are doing is keeping the Sabbath day holy or not? When have they felt that what they were doing was in harmony with the Sabbath day?

3. Plan to Act

Led by a member of the quorum presidency; approximately 5–10 minutes

Ask the young men to discuss any feelings or impressions they had during the meeting. What was meaningful to them? Is there something they can do personally or as a quorum to apply what they have learned?
Give the young men a few minutes to record what they will do in the coming weeks to act on their impressions. Invite them to share their ideas.
Remind the young men that they will have the opportunity to share their experiences at the beginning of the next meeting.