This post is part of the General Conference Odyssey. This week covers the Sunday Afternoon Session of the April 2015 Conference.
This conference session feels like not-so-long ago. That will be true more and more often as I go on, I suppose. I can remember clearly how I felt and what I thought when I heard two talks: Elder Anderson's on the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, and President Nelson's on making the Sabbath Day a delight, about which I will write today. Two things I thought back then were:
1. Why on earth is he talking about the Sabbath Day, with all the crazy things going on in the world right now? [Now I can't even remember now what those were, exactly. The legalization of gay marriage, maybe, among other things?]2. Wow, he sounds different. He is speaking with a new power and authority.
As for point #2, I don't know if there really was a change in President (then Elder) Nelson's manner or if I just saw him differently, but in the next conference he would be sustained as President as the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, so maybe he was growing into that new role. And I gave point #1 a lot of thought and study for a long time. I gained a new testimony of the power of the Sabbath Day. I came to think of it differently. I started to think about what other small and seemingly unrelated things might actually make deep differences in our world. It was one of those influential talks for me (like many of President Nelson's later talks would also come to be).
Knowing that, it was interesting to read it again, having a bit of a "yes, of course I already know all this" feeling going into it. And even more interesting to come out of it thinking, "Hmm. I should be living this better and I want to make some changes." How can you feel totally committed to a principle and then suddenly realize you are not living up to that principle well at all? That's how gospel progression works, I guess.
Anyway, here are some of my favorite parts of the talk in case you, too, need a refresher and recommitment to making the Sabbath a delight:
I believe [the Savior] wanted us to understand that the Sabbath was His gift to us, granting real respite from the rigors of daily life and an opportunity for spiritual and physical renewal.
"Real respite"! Is this happening for me? I also love this:
How can you ensure that your behavior on the Sabbath will lead to joy and rejoicing? In addition to your going to church, partaking of the sacrament, and being diligent in your specific call to serve, what other activities would help to make the Sabbath a delight for you? What sign will you give to the Lord to show your love for Him?
and
Faith in God engenders a love for the Sabbath; faith in the Sabbath engenders a love for God. A sacred Sabbath truly is a delight.
I love President Nelson for his thoughtful, challenging talks, and I'm grateful for the chance to grow more fully in so many basic gospel principles I already know. I hope there will be many more times I read this talk (and others) and find ways I can live up to them better!
