Save America: Sabbath Day Observance

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is led by Jesus Christ through living prophets and apostles. America is going through difficult times and will be entering much more difficult times ahead. With all that is wrong in the world, I appreciate the clear and inspired perspective of God's prophets, seers, and revelators. When it comes to fixing the problems in America, where should we possibly begin?  LDS prophets and apostles have the perfect answer.

With laser-like focus, the message of the living prophets is for America to repent and turn to God beginning with keeping the Sabbath Day holy. Observance of the Lord's Day by God's people is a sign by the people to God that they have not forgotten Him. The power of keeping a sanctified and holy day of rest is that it empowers us to keep all the other commandments.

"Keeping the Sabbath Day will increase our capacity to keep all the other commandments" --Elder Nelson

The problems with America begin with a short-sighted lack of perspective.  America's problems mainly derive from a lack of clear vision.  When our children make mistakes, don't we ask them "what were you thinking?".   When we sin, isn't it because we lose sight and forget what is most important?  Yes, we each need to work hard to be successful, but by reserving one day a week as a day set aside for God, we never lose sight of who and what we are working for.  The ancient patriarchs new that by reserving and observing a holy day of rest gives gives man purpose and cause larger than himself.  Instead of laboring to glut ourselves and hopelessly try to satiate our never-ending self-interested appetites, we instead labor for those causes which matter most, namely: God, country, and family.

In a country that respects all religions, all beliefs, and the free exercize of conscience, keeping the Sabbath Day is not only a Christian-centric ideal.  Christians can keep Sunday, Jews and Adventists Saturday, and Muslims Friday. Humanists can choose whatever day they wish and dedicate that day to serving others and Earth conservation.

When Abraham Lincoln was elected president, many Southern States immediately left the Union.  In Lincoln's first inaugural address, he pleaded with the South to return and all things could be as they were.  During the most difficult days of the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln, checked out the Book of Mormon from the Library of Congress for 8 months during his "Period of Crystallization".  During this critical period, Lincoln turned to God and realized that the Civil War was a judgement by God upon America for the sin of slavery.  Also, Lincoln expressed in his second inaugural address that not only was the South wrong for practicing slavery, but also that the North was wrong for allowing and enabling its practice.

Oh, how I wish we had politicians and presidential candidates who stood before the people of this nation with the message of national repentance and Sabbath Day observance. Lincoln was not great because he promised America riches, or a return to economic greatness.  Instead, Lincoln in his second inaugural address committed to spending all of America's blood and treasure to rid ourselves of the sin of slavery.  Likewise, only a leader with the message of repentance can hope to save America from the judgements of God that are sure to come if we do not return to Him.

"Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." --John Adams

Someone once expressed that democracy is great because anyone can share a new idea which will resonate in the mind of the people. Then the people can organize and rally behind that new idea to change and improve our society. However, the unfortunate caveat to this is that truth does not resonate in a demoralized mind. When a nation has lost its virtue, truth becomes foolish and even offensive. That is why democracy can only be maintained by a moral people and why only a return to virtue can save America.  The first step in out return to virtue is the Sabbath Day.