Keeping the sabbath

[dahlia]

From my readings, I understand that Mormons refrain from doing things on Sunday that would cause others not to be able to keep the sabbath. For example, you shouldn't go to a restaurant after church, correct?

But if you don't want to make others work, then can you ask mom to work at home? Do Mormon wives make a big Sunday dinner? In the orthodox Jewish tradition, you made a meal on Friday before sundown that could be kept in a low oven all day Saturday. Mom wasn't expected to cook (probably because she was exhausted from all the sabbath preparation, cooking, cleaning the house, etc.). Reform Jews will often order out, go to a restaurant, or make a light meal.

If others, especially non-Mormons, are already working in restaurants on the sabbath, and considering the economy and how local businesses can use our money, would it be wrong to go to a restaurant or order delivery on Sunday? Why should everyone else get to relax and mom is still in the kitchen? :)

What are the other things that Mormons do or don't do on the Sabbath?

[Wingnut]

It's not just a matter of working or not, or asking other to work or not. It's the sanctity of the day. It is the Lord's Day. We can go out to a restaurant or order delivery on any. The Sabbath should be different.

[beefche]

dahlia, what you will find is that the Church teaches a principle, then expects the members to learn what that principle means for them, individually and as a family.

Thus, you will have some families who don't watch TV on Sunday...while others watch movies, football, etc. Some stay inside at home, others go outside. You will see many interpretations of what it means to keep the Sabbath day holy.

Typically, most Mormon families don't shop or otherwise "spend" money on Sunday. Again, each family interprets that for themselves.

Here is a great talk by one of our leaders about Sabbath worship and keep that day as it was intended. Again, he teaches a principle and gives examples, but how to live it is between the individual (or family) and God.

[Just_A_Guy]

If others, especially non-Mormons, are already working in restaurants on the sabbath, and considering the economy and how local businesses can use our money, would it be wrong to go to a restaurant or order delivery on Sunday? Why should everyone else get to relax and mom is still in the kitchen? :)

FWIW, I don't see any reason why Sunday dinner needs to be prepared solely by Mom while the rest of the family sits around enjoying their Sabbath-day indolence.

I'm not big on foisting my own religious covenants on others--I'd have no problem, for example, serving coffee to a non-Mormon. But for whatever reason, when God gave the commandment to honor the Sabbath day, He explicitly extended it to "the stranger that is within thy gates"--in other words (as I read it), the non-believer who is, to some degree, under my control. So, under ordinary circumstances, I personally try to avoid patronizing restaurants (and most other forms of commerce) on Sundays.

Edited October 29, 2010 by Just_A_Guy

[LDSVALLEY]

As Beefche says it is up to the individual to follow within the guidelines of the church. I know of a High Councilor who takes his family out to supper every Sunday at a restaurant.

Our family tries to follow it fairly close. We don't watch TV, don't eat out etc on Sunday. However we have gone with the flow at times. When my wife's family came from 300KM to visit over a weekend and wanted to eat out on a Sunday we compromised by them bringing back take out to our home. For a period of several months due to work schedules and other commitments the only day that would work for Family Home Evening was Sunday so we relaxed the Television/Movie watching rule to allow for those activities when necessary. Also we allow church based movies such as Single Ward, Passage to Zerahimla, Baptists at the BBQ, Veggie Tales etc. We only listen to church music or EFY music on Sunday but allow some computer time in the afternoon for the children to check in on Face Book to play a game or catch up with friends as it is hard to find enough time during the week for each of them to do so.

The church sets guidelines we are to follow, exactly how we interpret what we can do within those guidelines is between us and God.

[dahlia]

I'm not sure I see an answer here. If you spend the day at home after church, at some point, people are going to want to eat. Who makes the food? Do people buy/make food on Saturday that they can just heat up on Sunday? You can say that other family members should help, but sometimes, due to youth or inability, they just can't be very helpful.

btw- I've seen 'Baptists at Our Barbecue,' 'The Single Ward,' and 'Mobsters and Mormons.' Not high art, but nice family movies. I liked the reality of 'Mobsters and Mormons.' I didn't think the family would convert, but I was curious how they were going to adapt to living in their new environment. I spent 10 years in Philly, and though the characters might seem like stereotypes of people from Philly/South Jersey/NYC, we get stereotypes for a reason and the characters took me right back to my time in that part of the country. I sometimes still say 'yo' sometimes to get the class to come to attention.

[LDSVALLEY]

the Lord designed our bodies to require regular intake of food, monthly fasting Sunday aside of course. Therefore we need to do some work, we get simple meals, but we take time to put dishes in the dishwasher, put leftovers back in the fridge etc. Since my wife and I are the only LDS in either of our two families it sometimes causes the need to compromise.

This year we had Canadian Thanksgiving on Sunday which is not normal but it was the first time in many years my wife's brother was able to be home for Thanksgiving and Sunday was the only possible day to do it. We prepared all we could the day before and left most of the pots etc until Monday but we still did much work on Sunday that day, on the other hand we also had the chance to brighten and make someones Thanksgiving a wonderful memory when he might not get another chance for many years. I figure the Lord was okay with our choice if not then I'll atone for it, I am sure.

Farmers still need to feed livestock, milk cows, etc. many members are doctors, military, hospital workers, hospitality employee's, fire fighters, police, etc. They need to work on Sundays. Sometimes it is the only work we can get to sustain our families.

The point is the Lord has instructed us to keep his Day holy. To focus much of our energy on him and on renewing our selves for the coming week. Home Teaching and church meetings beyond the regular ones are acceptable activities for the Sabbath, I personally don't do Home Teaching on Sunday since it takes me away from my personal family however we accept our Home Teachers in on Sundays as it works for them.

To be honest since I work a back shift 5 days a week the afternoon is usually when I am asleep so the first activity I generally do when I get home around 130 is have an hour nap. After that it varies we usually play a board game or two as a family, sometimes relatives visit, sometimes we do family history, prepare talks or lessons, watch one of the before mentioned movies, do scripture study or just chat.

Our children know and their coaches know that birthday parties, sports etc do not happen with our household on Sundays period. But I know LDS families who allow those things. As I said it is mostly between my family and the Lord to determine what works for us and him, as long as we are within the guidelines laid out. Others are way out of bounds with what they allow but again that is between them and the Lord.

Edited October 30, 2010 by LDSVALLEY

[mordorbund]

I'm not sure I see an answer here. If you spend the day at home after church, at some point, people are going to want to eat. Who makes the food? Do people buy/make food on Saturday that they can just heat up on Sunday? You can say that other family members should help, but sometimes, due to youth or inability, they just can't be very helpful.

That's because there isn't an official Church answer. The Church teaches that we are to keep the Sabbath holy. As to what that really means, it's up to you to decide. I suspect you'd like to also hear how people interpret and live the principle.

In my family, my wife usually makes the dinner, though sometimes I make it and sometimes we tagteam it. The only time we eat out on the Sabbath (or order in) is when we're away on vacation and not visiting family.

When I was younger, I went to a Church college, and they had a cafeteria running on Sunday. It was staffed by students who got their ecclesiastical endorsement signed every year. So they didn't feel there was a conflict in doing their job on the Lord's Day.

How is it in your family?

[beefche]

Personally, I do not shop or eat out on Sundays. I prepare for Sunday by doing my shopping sometime before that. I do cook on Sunday and in fact, for me, it is a way to relax. If I'm going to be busy on Sunday (church, then meetings for my calling, friends, family, etc), I may put something in the crock pot for food. Otherwise I will normally cook a couple of big meals (I'm single, no kids) to use for dinners throughout the week.

There have been times that I didn't prepare well and find that I do not have anything to cook for Sunday. But, I have enough food in the house that I can come up with something--even if just pancakes or cereal. I choose to not shop on Sunday even if I don't have meals that I would rather eat.

[Blackmarch]

From my readings, I understand that Mormons refrain from doing things on Sunday that would cause others not to be able to keep the sabbath. For example, you shouldn't go to a restaurant after church, correct?

But if you don't want to make others work, then can you ask mom to work at home? Do Mormon wives make a big Sunday dinner? In the orthodox Jewish tradition, you made a meal on Friday before sundown that could be kept in a low oven all day Saturday. Mom wasn't expected to cook (probably because she was exhausted from all the sabbath preparation, cooking, cleaning the house, etc.). Reform Jews will often order out, go to a restaurant, or make a light meal.

If others, especially non-Mormons, are already working in restaurants on the sabbath, and considering the economy and how local businesses can use our money, would it be wrong to go to a restaurant or order delivery on Sunday? Why should everyone else get to relax and mom is still in the kitchen? :)

What are the other things that Mormons do or don't do on the Sabbath?

The sabbath is the Lord's day. what we should do on that day should be focused around him, rather than on us.

If we make the sacrifice to give up our livelyhood to worship God on the sabbath he will bless us to more than make up for it in some wawy or another.

[beefche]

If we make the sacrifice to give up our livelyhood to worship God on the sabbath he will bless us to more than make up for it in some wawy or another.

Blackmarch, although I agree with you in principle, I must put in a good word for doctors, nurses, police, firemen, etc. I, for one, am grateful they do work on Sundays and will never tell them to quit their job to get blessings. They are a blessing, IMO.

[rameumptom]

D&C 59:12-16 teaches:

12 But remember that on this, the Lord’s day, thou shalt offer thine oblations and thy sacraments unto the Most High, confessing thy sins unto thy brethren, and before the Lord. 13 And on this day thou shalt do none other thing, only let thy food be prepared with singleness of heart that thy fasting may be perfect, or, in other words, that thy joy may be full.

14 Verily, this is fasting and prayer, or in other words, rejoicing and prayer.

15 And inasmuch as ye do these things with thanksgiving, with cheerful hearts and countenances, not with much laughter, for this is sin, but with a glad heart and a cheerful countenance—

16 Verily I say, that inasmuch as ye do this, the fulness of the earth is yours, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air, and that which climbeth upon the trees and walketh upon the earth;

Singleness of heart suggests a simple meal, not a huge feast.

[rameumptom]

Blackmarch, although I agree with you in principle, I must put in a good word for doctors, nurses, police, firemen, etc. I, for one, am grateful they do work on Sundays and will never tell them to quit their job to get blessings. They are a blessing, IMO.

And President Kimball mentioned them specifically when he said that their work on the Sabbath was not a sin, but actually helped keep the Sabbath in its original intent. It is good to pull the ox out of the mire on a Sunday, and it is a blessing to heal on Sunday even as Jesus did.

[Carl62]

There are probably as many different ways to honor the Lord on the Sabbath as there are number of LDS. It all comes down to what's in your heart, what your enterpretations are and what you feel most comfortable with. What may work for one person may not work for another. I think where things become wrong is when we get judgemental over others in the church over what their boundaries are for honoring the Sabbath. This, unfortunately, does happen.

[jayanna]

While I do not work for money on Sunday, I do work for the Lord on Sunday.

Jesus healed the sick on Sunday. I can make my kids a meal on Sunday. Neither are for selfish reasons, though admittedly, my hubby often makes the Sunday meals. He also does a lot of work for the Lord on Sundays outside of the family and our home.

All week long I put leftovers in the fridge. Sundays are eat what you want days, now that my kids are older and can be trusted with the microwave, or my hubby cooks.

[Blackmarch]

Blackmarch, although I agree with you in principle, I must put in a good word for doctors, nurses, police, firemen, etc. I, for one, am grateful they do work on Sundays and will never tell them to quit their job to get blessings. They are a blessing, IMO.

I completely agree, nor would I tell anyone to quit their sunday job- it is a matter of personal faith.

My grandpa was in the same boat, while not an emergency responder or medic of any sort, he was a farmer who had to support a wife and 9 kids. One year there was a rather severe drought and the water allotment was pretty strict, and unfortunately one of the days that his water allotment fell on was sunday.

After one sunday where the lessons were about keeping the sabbath day holy, a couple of the kids at the time had a discussion with my grandpa and it was decided that they all would keep the sabbath day holy (which included not watering the crops), which they then proceeded to do.

Now this may not seem like a big thing, or as important as such a job like a nurse or an ER surgeon, but to the family at the time it was: because the crops were already only getting the bare minimum amount of water needed to grow enough to be able to cover the necessary expenses... missing any day's water would have resulted in a stunted or perished crop, which would have resulted in not being able to pay the expenses for farm . What they decided that day pretty much amounted to "God will provide or we will go hungry, possibly even lose our home".

During that year after that they never missed keeping the sabbath day holy, and they were provided for in such a way that they were able to pay tithing, keep food on the table, keep their home and keep their means of livelyhood.

When you lay what is close to your heart on the line, and choose God over it, God will deliver.

To me choosing between trusting God and having your family go hungry or without a home, is just as intimidating as choosing between trusting God and having someone die.

And I wish i had that kind of faith. And I also note that such a choice is not to be made ligghtly or rashly.

[mnn727]

Do Mormon wives make a big Sunday dinner?

No, we eat light on Sundays and much of the time I make it (Mormon male)

I personally don't believe cooking food is against the Sabbath as its provide both a service (by making it) and something needed (food) to your family.

I've had friends from Church over for a BBQ on Sunday which also provides fellowship.

The Sabbath is not a day to do nothing, its a day to be centered on Christ and His attributes and I see providing food for family and friends as something Christ did (loaves and fishes, disciples in the field, etc) that shows your love for your family and friends.

If Mom is slaving away preparing a feast while everyone else is laying around doing nothing then I think the whole family has problems and needs to rethink their attitudes towards the Sabbath.

Edited November 3, 2010 by mnn727

[Guest Elder_Bevan]

As members of the church, we emphasize loving our families. On sunday we go to church and spend time with our family and show our love for them. One of the ways my mom does this is by cooking delicious meals, and then we all eat together as a family

Edited November 7, 2010 by pam
Per site rules, you can't post a link to a blog or personal website in your posts.

[Gwen]

As members of the church, we emphasize loving our families. On sunday we go to church and spend time with our family and show our love for them. One of the ways my mom does this is by cooking delicious meals, and then we all eat together as a family

i hope by this you are suggesting that your family was always busy and your mom chose to cook a large meal so you could be together for dinner (unlike the rest of the week). because it came from her heart and was something she wanted to do. not because a big sunday dinner was expected and it was obligatory service. especially if it's a service she does every night of the week. as a mom i would also hope yall did all the cleaning up from said big dinner to show her how much you lover her.

[Doctrine_Guy]

And President Kimball mentioned them specifically when he said that their work on the Sabbath was not a sin, but actually helped keep the Sabbath in its original intent. It is good to pull the ox out of the mire on a Sunday, and it is a blessing to heal on Sunday even as Jesus did.

The subject has been covered well, but I have to give props for bringing up the "ox in the mire" phrase.

I probably use the ox too often to justify my actions on Sunday, but I love that passage of scripture because of its explanation about the Sabbath being made for man, and not vice versa.

Basically, you shouldn't do anything on a Sabbath day that will detract from the spirit being with you. You should take special care in choosing activities that invite the spirit to be with you. But when the Ox is in the mire, and something needs to be done, do it. The spirit is with us when we're doing what we should and need to do.