What's the Big Deal About Sunday?

The kids after attending church in Island Park

First can I just start out by saying I love the new youth curriculum! (I might have mentioned that before, I really have no idea)  It makes me think, it helps me learn, and although it is challenging to get the girl's to participate on the level I would like, I always like a good challenge.  And when they share something personal, and preface it with a comment  like, this wasn't a big deal or dramatic or anything, and proceed to explain how they chose to do the right thing - I love it!  Can I just tell you, that I want to hug them, thank them, and tell them it is ALWAYS a big deal when you choose to follow the Savior!  Anyway I digress...

The topic for our discussion on Sunday was, "Why are we commanded to keep the Sabbath day holy?"  I know I have mentioned before how much I love Sunday's, I may have even gushed about them because I live for Sunday.  Life is hard, and I need Sunday to rest, to be spiritually fed, and to have some family time.  Pretty sure I didn't always feel this way...church in Brazil was a challenge.  Hello-three hours of understanding about 3 words?  But the language came, the spirit was still there, and I worked through that one.  I also remember hating going to other wards, especially if we had to go to primary or other meetings-not a favorite for a shy person like myself.  No matter my dislike however, when we went on vacation we found a ward to attend, because that was how we rolled.  But even with these challenges, I don't ever remember really disliking Sunday.  I remember well my first Sunday in college when my alarm went off thinking, "No one is here to make me go to church."  I laid there for a few minutes, and got up.  I wanted to go to church. 

I believe for a long time I went to church because it was a commandment.  Not just any commandment, it is one of the big 10.  I made covenants to keep the commandments, and this was part of the deal.  Obviously there is more to Sunday than going to church, but that is, in my opinion, the most important thing.  Ok, let me rephrase, going to Sacrament meeting and partaking of the Sacrament is the most important thing. Like all of Heavenly Father's commandments, they are to bless us.  He knew that life would be hard, that we would struggle with worldly realities, and that we would need reminders to stay on track.  He knew we would make mistakes, and that we would need forgiveness.  He knew that even though the Atonement is the most amazing gift ever, we would need help always remembering.  So we go to church, where we have the privilege of participating in the ordinance that the Savior instituted long ago.  I am beyond grateful for the opportunity I have every Sunday to get my life in order, to repent, to think of the Savior, and promise to keep trying through another week.

It has long become something much more than "just" a commandment to me though.  It is what I do because I love the Lord, and I recognize how much I need His help.  Always.  This is why I hunt out places to go to church even when we are on vacation, and funny thing is, it has become one of my favorite things.  I love going to church in strange places, and feeling at home.  Absolutely love it!  Crazy that I hated it as a kid. :)

Of course Sunday is more than 3 hours of church, for Tony it is more like 10 hours of church, so we try to make the day different.  We listen to different music, we TRY to have gospel discussions, we laugh, we rest (the teenagers rest a lot), and we try to keep the spirit with us as we prepare for another week.

Up next week in Young Women's-Fasting.  In D&C 59 it says fasting = rejoicing.  Still working on that one.  This will be a good lesson for me!