When we talk about improving our Sunday experience, we may solely focus on the things that we do on Sunday. But there are activities we can do outside this sacred day that can greatly impact our Sunday experience.
Get enough rest on Saturday night. Most of us use Saturday as a day to get everything done before Sunday comes—clean the house, do the laundry, shop, minister, prepare our Sunday lesson or talk, catch-up with friends, do recreational activities with family, etc. Saturday seems to be the best day to do all these things, but sometimes we try to fit so many of these activities into our Saturday that they don’t end until 11:59pm. The next thing we know, we are so exhausted from Saturday’s activities because we didn’t get enough rest.
One of the best ways to prepare for Sunday is to get a good night sleep on Saturday night, so that we are invigorated the next day for our Sunday worship. Adequate sleep helps us to have clear focus and attention, increases our capacity to receive revelation and spiritual inspiration, and prepares our minds to receive additional knowledge during our Sunday worship.
There is so much that we need to accomplish on Saturdays, but as we allocate time to rest adequately, we will be able to feel that the Sabbath is truly a delight. The primary song teaches, “Saturday is a special day, it’s the day we get ready for Sunday,” and is counsel that we must all take to heart.
Read the lessons that will be discussed on Sunday. In order for us to get the most out of our Sunday lessons, we have the responsibility to read the lessons in advance. This gives us the opportunity to ponder how the lesson relates to our own experiences, answers some of our life’s questions or concerns, and adds to our understanding of gospel principles. As we do this, we will be able to better participate in class by sharing the spiritual impressions we have received while studying the lesson. Doing this will not only improve class participation but will also help members who might need to hear our thoughts and experiences.
Choose to do activities throughout the week that will invite the Spirit. We may do activities throughout the week to relieve stress or relax such as watching movies, listening to music, attending concerts, going to parties, reading books, and other activities that are exciting and fun. As we do this, may we always ask ourselves, “Will this invite the Spirit?” “Will this activity uplift me?”
What we do throughout the week greatly affects our Sunday experience. Any activity that is vulgar, immoral, violent, or pornographic offends the Spirit and does not help us prepare to partake of the sacrament or participate in our Sunday activities at church. When we choose to do activities that invite the spirit, we will be more attuned to receive spiritual promptings and personal revelation. We will also receive the blessing of having the Spirit always with us.
Being worthy to have the companionship of the Spirit doesn’t happen overnight. We cannot just plan on inviting the Spirit on a Saturday to prepare ourselves for Sunday. It is a continuous process of keeping ourselves clean and worthy of its companionship.
As we do our best to prepare for our Sunday worship in our homes and at church, may we take a step back and consider these three things that can help us get the most out of our Sunday experience. We all have diverse situations and struggles regarding our Sunday preparation, but as we strive to do these things, we can be inspired how to make the Sabbath truly a delight, not only for ourselves but also for our families.
