Sunday, January 10, 2016

David O. McKay on Sabbath Day worship

President David O. McKay (1873-1970) was called to the Quorum of Twelve Apostles in 1906.  He served as a counselor in the First Presidency to Heber J. Grant and George Albert Smith beginning in 1945, then then as the president of the Church from 1951 to his death in 1970 at age 96.
"Do you realize there is a duty you owe to your associates? We are social beings.
     There is a destiny which makes us brothers
     None lives to self alone;
     All that we send into the lives of others
     Comes back into our own.
"While it is sweet to worship in the woods, and while it is pleasant to go out and admire the beauties of nature, there is one form of worship which must ever be kept in mind. That is the worship of the group—when each one should go to give and contribute to the welfare of the whole, not merely to receive, or, what is worse, to sit by and criticize those who are trying to give.
"The Sabbath Day is made for the worship of God. The sense of immortality in our religion constitutes one of the foundation stones of happiness.
"I have mentioned these with the thought in view that the religious life is the happiest life you can live. 'There are heights in man which reach the highest heaven, and there are depths that sink to the lowest hell,' said Carlyle. You have the freedom to choose whether you will ascend or whether you will descend."
- David O. McKay, "A Religious Life Brings Happiness," Instructor October 1961, pp. 325-326
Click here to read the full article

This is an interesting approach to understanding the meaning of Sabbath worship. It's not just about me, alone, by myself; each individual has "a duty you owe to your associates." There is power and strength that comes from a community of believers, worshiping together!


President McKay boldly claims, "The religious life is the happiest life you can live." We can choose to accept that blessing in our life that will bring great joy, or we can choose to sink to great depths of unhappiness and despair. Our as

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