Sabbath Solutions: More than 350 things you CAN do on the Lord's Day

By Trina Boice

Sabbath Solutions is filled with great ideas, listing more than 350 fun and creative things to do while still keeping the Sabbath day holy. The first part of the book is a doctrinal approach of this 4th commandment. The second half of the book is a practical approach. We often focus on the "thou shalt not" aspect, yet there are plenty of things we CAN do in keeping with the spirit of the law

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trina Boice
• Release date: Nov 1, 2009

Trina Boice

Trina Boice grew up in California and recently moved to Las Vegas. In 2004 she was honored as the California Young Mother of the Year, an award which completely amuses her 4 sons. She earned two Bachelor’s degrees from BYU where she competed on the Speech and Debate team and the Ballroom Dance Team, winning national titles for both teams. She was President of the National Honor Society Phi Eta Sigma and served as ASBYU Secretary of Student Community Services. Trina also studied at the University of Salamanca in Spain and later returned there to serve an LDS mission in Madrid for 1 1⁄2 years. She has a Real Estate license, Travel Agent license, 2 Master’s degrees, and a Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do, although she’s the first one to admit she’d pass out from fright if she were ever really attacked by a bad guy. She worked as a Legislative Assistant for a Congressman in Washington D.C., and was given the “Points of Light” Award and Presidential Volunteer Service Award for her domestic and international community service. She wrote a column called “The Boice Box” for a newspaper in Georgia, where she lived for 15 years. She taught Spanish at a private high school and ran an appraisal business with her husband for 20 years. She currently writes for Roots Television and Go2.com and teaches online for Brigham Young University - Idaho campus. Trina was selected by KPBS in San Diego to be a political correspondent during the last election year. If she told you what she really did she’d have to kill you. Trina is the author of 24 books and can’t wait to write her next one! To learn more about her books and speaking engagements go to www.TrinasBooks.com

Book preview

Table of Contents

the commandment 2

an eternal principle 6

A holy day 8

a blessing and a promise 11

The law 15

Rest from our labors 17

true worship 19

the sabbath 22

The letter of the law 24

The spirit of the law 26

A sabbath prepared 28

the plan 31

Ideas

Opening 34

Arts and crafts 36

cooking 48

culture 52

Emergency Preparedness 56

Family 60

family home evening 60

family time 64

friends 74

games 78

GeneAlogy 84

goals 90

journal writing 94

media 96

Missionary 102

music 108

outdoors/excercise/science 114

service 118

community Service 118

service 124

Study 134

church preparation 134

Gospel Study and Learning 138

scripture study 148

talents 152

temple 156

Most of us are familiar with one of the Lord’s Top Ten Commandments: to keep the Sabbath Day holy. What does holy mean and exactly how do we spend 24 hours worth of holy day? The title Sabbath Solutions implies that there is a problem. The Sabbath Day isn’t the problem but our ability to treat it as a holy day often is, especially if you’re like me and have active children who simply can’t be expected to sit still and read the scriptures all day or quietly reflect on the Savior for hours on end! Adults often think that such quiet activity is how to keep the Lord’s Day holy, but there is so much more to this commandment than just that!

The Commandment

The commandment to keep the Sabbath day holy is found in the Bible, the Book of Mormon, and the Doctrine and Covenants, and has always been part of the gospel. Sabbath observance is an element of our faith and obedience to eternal principles. It is a sign, a test, and a blessing to the Lord’s people. The Lord said, It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever. (Exodus 20:17) Your spiritual lineage includes you in the group of the Lord’s covenant people who are expected to observe this divine command.

The Sabbath was referred to in the Old Testament days as a blessed and hallowed day (Exodus 20:11), as a holy convocation (Leviticus 23:3), and as a day of spiritual celebration (Leviticus 23:32). If those words don’t describe your typical Sunday then you need to keep reading this book! The Sabbath day is a gift to mankind from the Lord; a day to rest from the concerns of the work day and a day to bask in the spirit. Sunday is a day to nourish our spirits. I love the following expression: We are not humans having a spiritual experience, but we are spiritual beings having a human experience. Sunday is a weekly opportunity to remember why we are here and to reflect on how we are doing.

The Lord consecrated the Sabbath as a day for remembering the great work of the creation. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made. (Genesis 2:1-3)

From the very beginning, God has instructed His prophets to teach the covenant people to honor the Sabbath day. Some people mistakenly think the commandment originated with Moses on Mount Sinai. Like the Lord’s mouthpieces before him, Moses was presented with the commandment to give to the people, as recorded in Exodus 20:8-11:

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.

Jarom was the first to mention the Sabbath in the Book of Mormon. He explained that his people observed to keep the law of Moses and the Sabbath day holy unto the Lord. (Jarom 1:5) When the people kept the commandments they prospered in the land. Sabbath observance is a divine law given to man to help him in his earthly walk. It is a part of the complete gospel.

Even the earth was given a Sabbath rest: But in the seventh year shall be a Sabbath of rest unto the land, a Sabbath for the Lord: thou shalt neither sow thy field, nor prune thy vineyard. (Leviticus 25:4) The Lord wisely counseled that we are to bless and hallow the Sabbath day. He made it clear that not