The seventh commandment, Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy (Exodus 20:8) seems like a fairly simple statement on the surface. But, in practice, its interpretation is as wide as the Grand Canyon.

Depending on your faith tradition and your own level of observance, the Sabbath day can represent anything from complete abstention from anything resembling work, interpreted as work or could cause one to perform work, to absolutely nothing out of the ordinary at all.

Some faiths observe their Sabbath on Saturday, the traditional seventh day of the week, in keeping with the Lord’s schedule of creation, even though He probably didn’t use a Julian calendar.  Others have transferred the Sabbath to Sunday, in honor of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, even though, it is not clear of this is the correct “third day.”  And still others have determined the actual day doesn’t matter, especially if you happen to be a star in professional American Football.

In the LDS Church, this observance generally takes the form of attendance at church meetings, no shopping, and no recreational activities.  Pretty much after that, one is allowed to exercise their agency to determine appropriate Sabbath observance. Staying in Church dress all day, no TV, no contact with the outside world are some of the prohibitions some families observe. We are told that visiting family, the sick and homebound, studying scriptures, resting (in moderation, of course) and attending firesides are very appropriate activities. Eating is also allowed, excepting on Fast Sunday, where we abstain from two meals or for 24 hours, again depending on interpretation.

However, if you have certain Church callings, you may, in fact, work harder on Sunday than you might the rest of the week. Early morning meetings, more meetings, visits, planning, more meetings might cause you to be away from home the entire day, even missing meals with your family.  For those folks, the Sabbath is not the “Day of Rest” we’ve all heard about, it is quite the opposite.

As we wish to emulate our Heavenly Father, striving to be like Him, this is what He did after the six days of creation.

And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.  And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made. (Genesis 2:2 – 3)

Hope you have a great Sunday and don’t work too hard!