Lesson: "Offer up thy sacraments upon this holy day"

George Albert Smith Lesson #16, Offer up Thy Sacraments upon My Holy Day

God’s commandment that we keep the Sabbath day holy is not a burden but a blessing. 

[The Lord] has taught us that we must observe the Sabbath Day to keep it holy. One day of the seven he has set apart as his day, and in consideration of all his blessings bestowed upon us on the other days it would appear to me that we ought to find joy in doing the things that he asks us to do on his holy day, and I believe that unless we do we will find no happiness. … He wants us to be happy and has told us how we may earn that happiness.

We should think of the purpose of the [Lord’s] day and partake of the influence of worship. What would it accomplish for the world if all the children of our Heavenly Father—and we are all his children—would respect his desire that the Sabbath should be a day of worship. There is no way of estimating what a beneficial change might be wrought, not only in our own nation, but in all nations of the world if we honored the Sabbath Day and kept it holy.

The Sabbath has become the play-day … —the day set apart by thousands to violate the commandment that God gave long, long ago, and I am persuaded that much of the sorrow and distress that is afflicting and will continue to afflict mankind is traceable to the fact that they have ignored his admonition to keep the Sabbath day holy.

One of the first sermons that were preached in this [the Salt Lake] valley was by President Brigham Young, and he warned the people to honor the Sabbath day and to keep it holy, and no matter how difficult their circumstances they were not to go out and do manual labor on the Sabbath day. …

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has encouraged its people to remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy because it is pleasing to our Heavenly Father that we do so.

In addition to refraining from our labors, we know that:

1. Attending church is an important part of keeping the Sabbath day holy.
2. It is a sacred privilege to partake of the sacrament on the Sabbath day.
3. Worthily partaking of the sacrament renews our spiritual strength.

May the Lord bless us; may His Spirit continue to be poured out upon us. May we love each other, as our Father commanded that we should do. If we can partake of the sacrament worthily, we can love each other, even as our Father has ordained; remembering that He has said unto us: “If ye are not one, ye are not mine.” [D&C 38:27.]