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The word Sabbath is derived from the Hebrew word meaning day of rest. In Old Testament times, the Sabbath was observed on the seventh day of the week because God rested on the seventh day after He created the earth. From the days of the early prophets to the present, Mormons do believe that the Sabbath has been the first day of the week, in remembrance of Christ coming forth from the grave on Sunday.Because of this, Mormons keep the first day of the week as their Sabbath. This day of rest is emphasized in the Ten Commandments,1 and is upheld by Mormons today in the belief that it is a direct commandment from God2, and that the Ten Commandments are to be honored and obeyed today, just as they were in Old Testament times. In a revelation that was given to the Prophet Joseph Smith in 1831, the Lord commanded: "That thou mayest more fully keep thyself unspotted from the world, thou shalt go to the house of prayer and offer up thy sacraments upon my holy day; for verily this is a day appointed unto you to rest from your labors, and to pay thy devotions unto the Most High"2In keeping with this revelation, Mormons attend Sacrament meeting each Sunday in which they renew the covenants that were made at their baptism. Other activities on the Sabbath should be in accordance with drawing one closer to the Savior; such as, studying the scriptures, visiting family members, writing letters, sharing time with children, listening to uplifting music, and attending Church meetings.In Exodus 20:10, instructions from resting from our daily work is given, "thou shalt not do any work…"3 Mormons believe that ‘no labor should be performed that would keep them from giving their full attention to spiritual matters.’ Members of the Mormon Church have been counseled by the prophets to not shop, hunt, fish, attend sporting events, or participate in similar activities on the Sabbath.4 Mormons believe that Christ taught His people that the Sabbath is a holy day; where actions and thoughts should be directed toward God. They believe that it is an eternal principle, one in which honored warrants spiritual and temporal blessings from God; a day that is ordained and set aside to worship Christ and to ponder the sacrifice He made for mankind. To learn more about the Mormon Church please visit the following websites: http://www.fairlds.org/Mormonism_201/ http://www.josephsmith.net/portal/site/JosephSmith http://lds.about.com/b/a/105704.htm 1 "Holy Bible", Exodus 20:8-11 2 "Book of Mormon", Doctrine and Covenants 59:9-12 3 "Holy Bible", Exodus 20:10 4 "Gospel Principles" 1978, p161