What Do Mormons Do on Sunday?

Mormon Sabbath Day Observance

Aug 10, 2009 Jenny Evans

Latter-day Saints have a firm commitment to the Sabbath day. What do Mormons believe about how to keep the Sabbath holy, and what do they consider good Sunday activities?

People of different religions and faiths keep the Sabbath in many ways. For members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS or Mormon), Sunday is a quiet day for church attendance, rest from worldly pursuits, and spiritual reflection.

What Day of the Week is the Mormon Sabbath?

Originally, the Lord blessed the last day of the week as the Sabbath because He finished His work of creating the world and rested on the seventh day (see Exodus 20:11.)

After Jesus Christ's resurrection on the first day of the week, His disciples started observing the Sabbath on Sunday. (see Acts 20:7) Mormons today observe Sunday as the Sabbath day.

Importance of Sabbath Day Observance

Latter-day Saints believe in keeping the Ten Commandments given in Exodus in the Bible. Exodus 20:8 says, "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy." Though the punishment of being stoned to death for Sabbath-breaking no longer applies, Mormons believe that the commandment to keep the Sabbath day holy still remains in effect.

Former LDS church leader Mark E. Peterson taught that, "our observance or nonobservance of the Sabbath is an unerring measure of our attitude toward the Lord personally... It is a sign of whether we are Christians in very deed, or whether our conversion is so shallow that commemoration of his atoning sacrifice means little or nothing to us."

The Sabbath Lasts 24 Hours

Though attending church is an integral part of observing the Sabbath, Mormons believe that it includes more.

Church leader H. Aldridge Gillespie explains that to Latter-day Saints, the Sabbath "does not end when we leave this session [of church]; it does not end if someone knocks at our door inviting us to come out and play, go for a ride, to a ball game, or shopping; it does not end because we are on vacation or someone is visiting us... The Sabbath lasts all day!"

Appropriate LDS Sabbath Activities

Both at church and at home on Sunday, church leader H. Aldridge Gillespie explains that Mormons should focus on "doing the Lord’s will and not continuing to work nor indulge our carnal appetites for recreation and loafing."

Examples of appropriate Sunday activities for Mormons include:

Attending church and Sunday School
Taking the sacrament at church (also known as communion or eucharist)
Prayer
Quiet reflection
Studying the scriptures
Christian service to neighbors, friends, and family
Spending time with immediate family
Visiting sick or homebound people
Reading uplifting books
Writing letters or calling distant family and friends
Physical rest (brief nap)

These and other appropriate Sabbath activities focus strengthening family ties, nourishing individual spirituality, and worshiping God.

Inappropriate Mormon Sabbath Day Activities

Because the Sabbath has been singled out as a special day, normal normal weekly activities are not regarded as appropriate Sunday activities.

Mormons are discouraged from working (Exodus 20:9-10), playing sports, watching television or movies, seeking recreation or entertainment, spending money, preparing elaborate meals, or doing homework on Sundays.

These activities are believed to detract from the spirit of the Sabbath, which is reserved for a quiet day of rest and worship.

No "Lazy Sundays" for Mormons

With all the things Latter-day Saints are counseled not to do on Sunday, they must remember that keeping the Sabbath is more than just avoiding worldly or day-to-day activities. It is a day of spiritual rejuvenation and uplift, a day to help others and serve God.

As late church president Spencer W. Kimball said, “abstinence from work and recreation is important but insufficient. The Sabbath calls for constructive thoughts and acts, and if one merely lounges about doing nothing on the Sabbath, he is breaking it."

Blessings of Keeping the Sabbath

In the scriptures, blessings are promised to those who keep the Sabbath. It is also a sign between the Lord and His people that they honor Him (see Ezekiel 20:12, 20.)

Church authority Robert L. Backman said, "the Sabbath is to nourish the spirit. Truly we are rested, refreshed, and renewed as we pause and concentrate on spiritual things. We are better prepared to meet the world and the challenges of our daily lives" by observing the Sabbath correctly.

Amid the constant turmoil and busyness of modern life, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints use Sunday, their Sabbath day, to spiritually refuel for the coming week.

Readers might also be interested in Mormon Family Values.

Sources:

The Holy Bible, King James Version. Salt Lake City: Intellectual Reserve, 1979.
Mark E. Peterson, "The Sabbath Day." Ensign, May 1975.
H. Aldridge Gillespie, "The Blessing of Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy." Ensign, November 2000.
Spencer W. Kimball, The Miracle of Forgiveness. Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1969.
Robert L. Backman, "Day of Delight." New Era, June 1993.

The copyright of the article What Do Mormons Do on Sunday? in Mormonism is owned by Jenny Evans. Permission to republish What Do Mormons Do on Sunday? in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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