Lessons learned

Recently the LDS Church Presidency has been focused on "Keeping the Sabbath a Delight". It has been the discussion in auxiliary meetings, sacrament meeting, and even our stake conference. I just wanted to share what I have learned from this.

During our Saturday, Adult, Stake Conference Elder Ronald A. Rasband (President of the Quorum of the Seventy) spoke about this very subject. He then asked members of the audience to give their thoughts and opinions on how they keep the Sabbath in their homes. Many women in the stake stood up and expressed their concern in keeping the Sabbath, especially during sacrament meeting, with their small children. They expressed their frustration in keeping their children quite during the meeting, trying to get them ready on time, and just being a Mom on the Sabbath in general.
That got me to thinking about how I dealt with Sunday when my children were young.

When they were little my husband was either deployed (while still in the military) or working on Sundays with his new job. I did not want to face sitting in Sacrament by myself with three small children (for those who know my boys you can understand my concern). So, instead of teaching them why we need to be there, I just made the decision to not go to that meeting. We would show up after Sacrament and go to the other meetings. What a dumb decision on my part!

I missed out on so much by making that terrible decision. I missed out on lessons from the speakers that I probably needed to hear and on partaking the Sacrament. I missed out on teaching my children why Sacrament is important, why they need to be reverent, and so many other valuable lessons. I could kick myself for making this decision, which at the time I thought was the only option I had.

To those ladies who are single mothers or whose husbands hold callings that prevent them from sitting with you, I implore you to not make that same decision. The Sacrament is so important to your, and your children's, spiritual welfare. It is an essential part in keeping the Sabbath a delight. Without being at that meeting and partaking in the important ordinance of the Sacrament how can you expect to keep the rest of the day holy?

Yes, keeping the Sabbath a delight is more then just going to Sacrament meeting, but that is an essential part to it, and it is a part that I caused my family to miss out on for many years. I am so grateful that even though I made such a terrible decision that my children have learned the importance of Sacrament meeting and of Sunday. I'm so glad that they know that the Sacrament is so much more then just another meeting they have to sit through and listen to a bunch of people speak. I'm also grateful that they know that Sunday is just more then a day off of school/work. That it is a holy day, set aside to really focus on the Saviour.

 I'm not saying that my family is perfect at it, but we do try every Sunday to focus on Him. Yes, I have to admit that Satan likes to through things in our way sometimes, but we just deal with it and press forward. Heavenly Father knows my family and as long as He knows that we are giving it our very best and trying to keep the Sabbath a delight then we are doing what He has asked.