The children
of Israel received manna from heaven to eat while they lived in the wilderness
on their journey to the promised land. Manna was a special food that the Lord
prepared for them to eat. Each morning they woke up and found manna on the
ground, ready for them to gather. Usually, they had to gather and eat the manna
on the day it fell or it became wormy and smelly. The day before the Sabbath,
twice as much manna fell, and the Lord told the children of Israel to gather
enough for two days. On the Sabbath day they did not receive any manna, but the
manna they gathered the day before did not go bad. The Lord preserved it for
His people (see Ex. 16:16–24).
Why do you think the Lord sent twice as much manna on Saturday and none on
Sunday?
What if the
people had not gathered what they would need for Sunday on Saturday?
How is it
that manna that was left over on other days was gross, but the left overs from
Saturday were not?
Like the
Israelites, our families will be guided and blessed when we keep the Sabbath
day holy. President Gordon B. Hinckley teaches: “Gather your family about you, teach them the
gospel, enjoy yourselves together on the Sabbath Day, come to your meetings,
participate. You will know that the principle of the Sabbath is a true
principle which brings with it great blessings” (Teachings of Gordon B.
Hinckley [1997], 559).
Has our
family been blessed because of keeping the Sabbath Day holy? How?
Have you
been blessed personally for keeping the Sabbath Day holy?
"There is a power in keeping the Sabbath day
holy-power to help others as well as ourselves. If we would have God's
blessings and protection as individuals, as families, as communities, and as
nations, we must keep His Sabbath day holy… I further testify that when we
eventually see things through the proper perspective of eternal truth, we will
be amazed at how much we were blessed in important-though often unperceived ways
through keeping the Sabbath holy." -John H. Groberg
Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy
God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy
daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger
that is within thy gates:
For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the
sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord
blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
Yesterday, we went the the Hill’s for dinner.
Why? (It was our cousin, Taylor’s
birthday.) We had steak, Mary Jane’s
potato salad, and fruit pizza. Why? Because those are his favorite foods and it
was his special day.
Each of us has a special day. On your day, I make what you want for
dinner. We celebrate the way you want –
a party, having friends over, doing something special.
Does Heavenly Father have a special day? Of course.
What do we call it? The
Sabbath. So, if the Sabbath is His day,
how should we treat it? What should we
be doing on that day?
What are your thoughts about the following quotes:
"If we don't keep the Sabbath day holy, he may
still be our God, but we may not be his people." -Milton R. Hunter
"Observance of the Sabbath is an indication of the depth of our
conversion." -Mark E. Peterson
"No person can disregard the Lord's day without
suffering serious spiritual consequences." John Wells
Bear
testimony of the importance of the Sabbath Day.
Invite family members to share their testimonies.
