The Sabbath Day
President David O. McKay called attention to another most important phase of this subject. He said that the Christian Sabbath of course is Sunday, in commemoration of the resurrection of the Savior on the first day of the week. He calls the resurrection of Christ the greatest event in all history and notes that by proper observance of the Sabbath we show our respect for the Lord's passion and his resurrection from the dead. (See Gospel Ideals, Deseret News Press, 1953, pp. 397-98.)
With this thought in mind, let us ask ourselves how important the Lord's atonement is to us. How dear to us is the Lord Jesus Christ? How deeply are we concerned about immortality? Is the resurrection of vital interest to us?
We can readily see that observance of the Sabbath is an indication of the depth of our conversion.
Our observance or nonobservance of the Sabbath is an unerring measure of our attitude toward the Lord personally and toward his suffering in Gethsemane, his death on the cross, and his resurrection from the dead. It is a sign of whether we are Christians in very deed, or whether our conversion is so shallow that commemoration of his atoning sacrifice means little or nothing to us.
Do we realize that most national holidays are observed more widely than is the Sabbath, so far as its divine purpose is concerned?
Then have we put God in second or third place? And is that what we want to do? Is that where he belongs?
I bear you testimony that to properly observe the Lord's holy day is one of the most important things we can ever do. It is an essential step toward our eternal salvation.
I do not believe we will be saved if we constantly violate the Sabbath and fling our disobedience into the face of the very God we hope will save us.
How dare we trifle with the Sabbath day?
How dare we trifle with Almighty God?
The Lord declares that to qualify to enter his presence we must live by every word that proceeds forth from his mouth (see D&C 84:44), and the law of the Sabbath is one of the most important in the entire gospel plan.
May we have the courage and the good sense to keep it, I humbly pray in the sacred name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Mark E. Peterson: (excerpt from Ensign, May 1975, p. 49)