Category Archives: Sabbath Day

Oct 8 2013

Sabbath Day: Stories

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Table of Contents

Preparing for the Sabbath

Friend April 2017 “Ready for Church” Ian prepares for church by getting everything set out and ready on Saturday.

Get Enough Rest the Night Before

Friend May 2021 “Soccer and the Sabbath” Late night, Saturday soccer games on tv were making it hard for Samuel to stay awake in church. He decides to do other things, like take walks with his family, on Saturday instead.

New Era January 2020 “Snoozing Through the Sabbath” A boy stays up late playing video games and is so tired the next day at church that he sleeps in and rushes to get ready, and at church he can’t stay awake.

Helping on the Sabbath

Friend March 2017 “For Older Kids”

This Sunday I made pancakes. When my family came down, they said thank you. We are usually a little late for church, but we weren’t because I made pancakes. That made me feel good inside. Kyler M., age 10, Switzerland

Sabbath Day Lesson: Item # 7 from Friend March 1998 “Sunday Morning Problem” Several Sundays in a row Kelly and her family had been late for church. One day in Primary, Kelly’s teacher taught that children can help solve problems and be peacemakers. The next Sunday, Kelly got up and helped get everyone get ready for church. Her mother was so happy and grateful she was even singing.

Keeping Sabbath Holy

Sabbath Day: Lesson Item 6 Matching game of stories and images of children choosing to keep the Sabbath Day holy.

Friend November 2023 “The Tryouts” Jared was excited to try out for the regional basketball team. Only a few players get invited to try out for it. But when he found out it was on Sunday his excitement faded. But he knew God was more important than basketball. He said a prayer and afterwards felt a comforting feeling that everything would be okay. Two days later he got an email saying tryouts would be on Saturday instead. He prepared very hard for the tryout and did his best but wasn’t selected. Then, a comforting thought came to him. “Things won’t always work out how I want,” he said. “But Jesus Christ knows exactly how I feel. He’s on my side.”

Friend September 2023 “Singing on Sunday” Alejandra was doing well in a singing contest. Then she found out that the final round was going to be on a Sunday. She didn’t know what to do. She talked to her father and he explained about the Sabbath but told her it was her choice. The next Sunday she sang a song in Sacrament with the Primary. Then she thought, “What would she miss if she didn’t come to church on the contest day? She wouldn’t be able to sing her testimony in Primary with her friends. And she would miss the sacrament.” She decided not to do the contest.

Friend February 2023 “The Soccer Choice” Isaac loves soccer but couldn’t go to many of the games because they were on Sunday. One day his coach asked why he didn’t come to games on Sundays. He explained that he was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and that Sunday is a special day for him. He only does things that help him remember Jesus Christ and get closer to Him. A few minutes later the coach said the game would be changed to Saturday. After practice, a boy on his team came over and said thank you to him for sharing his beliefs because he goes to church on Sunday and was going to have to miss the game too

Friend May 2022 “The Footy Decision” Sam loved playing footy and when he found out the games were on Sunday he was sad. He prayed about what to do. He knew it was important to make Sunday special so he decided to go to practices on Thursdays but go to church on Sundays.

Friend September 2021 “The Winning Choice” Nathan earned the opportunity to go the Provincial Track Meet but he finds out it is on Sunday. He decides to put Christ first and keep the Sabbath Day holy.

Friend April 2021 “The Big Bowling Question” When Elder Hales was young he had a friend that wasn’t a member. One day that friend invited him to go bowling on Sunday. His mom said it was his decision, so he went. The whole time he knew it was not something he should be doing on the Sabbath. He learned an important lesson.

Friend April 2021 “Activity Time”

Friend January 2020 “The Pizza Problem”At church, Jake and his family learn about keeping the Sabbath Day holy. They decide to stop going out for pizza after church  and instead start a new tradition of cooking a frozen pizza on Sundays. Refreshment Idea: Pizza Roll-Ups

Friend January 2019 “An Olympic Decision” In 1924 Eric Liddell was chosen to run the 100 meter in the Olympics, but when he discovered that his race was on Sunday, he changed to a longer, more difficult race on a different day. People were mad at him saying he was betraying his country, but he kept firm to his beliefs. When he ran the race, he broke records and won the gold medal.

Friend April 2018 “Tara’s Sabbath Day” (For Little Ones) The things Tara does to keep the Sabbath day happy and holy.

Friend November 2017 “Primary with the Prophet” When Sam and Martha are too sick to go to church their mom has them do their own Primary at home.

Friend April 2017 “Competing on Sunday” McKay wants to compete in gymnastics at regionals but it is in Sunday. He fasts to decide what to do.

Friend December 2016 “Happy Sabbath: Sunday Stories” Stories of how some children kept the Sabbath Day holy.

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Friend October 2016 “What I Learned from Alex” Alex sets a good example of keeping the Sabbath Day holy.

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Friend April1987

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Friend July 1985 “Treasure Hunt” A family keeps the Sabbath Day holy while on vacation.

 Friend March 2015 “Saturday Sleep and Sunday Smiles” Getting enough sleep night before sunday

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Friend October 2015 “A Winning Decision” – Girl decides not to play soccer on Sunday

Friend October 2015 "A Winning Decision"

Friend August 2015

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Friend August 2015

When Friends Want to Play on Sabbath

Friend July 2024 “The Sunday Choice” Anita invited Evolett to come play at her house on Sunday. Evolett explained that she was going to church with her family to learn more about Jesus Christ. Anita asked if she could go to church with them.

Friend June 2019 “Sharing the Sabbath Day” Alex wants to ride bikes, but Thomas is reading scripture stories with his family. Thomas invites Alex to come listen to the stories with him. (Activity: Alex also helps Thomas draw pictures for his grandma. Find the things they need.)

 Friend September 2020 “Max and Mindy” Max and Mindy worry that their friends will think they don’t like them because they have turned down several invitations for parties and movies that were happening on Sunday. They decide to invite their friends to church activities so they know they like them

Friend September 2023 “Margo and Paolo” Margo and Paulo explain why they can’t go to a movie with their friend on Sunday. Then they invite her to come to a church activity with them since they can’t go to the movie with her.

Service on the Sabbath

Friend November 2019 “Kindness Kits” A family collects some items and makes some muffins on the Sabbath to take to some homeless.

Jan 9 2013

Sabbath Day: Lesson Item 8

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Sabbath Preparation

 Scripture Story Activity

“The Israelites Prepared Ahead for the Sabbath”

Preparation

  • Items needed: Bible for each family member, one piece of heavy paper, exacto knife, glue,
  • Print and cut out the PDF or Word illustrations. Fold back the tabs on the basket. With an exacto knife, cut slits on the family picture along the side edges of A and C.  Line up the bottom edge of the basket to the bottom edge of B on the family picture, and then tape tab B down (the tab should be inside the basket, not facing outward). Insert the A and C basket tabs into the A and C side slits. Tape those tabs to the back of the picture. The top of the basket should bow out like a basket. Fold the tabs back on the bottom of the Israelite family picture. Tape the tabs to the top of a heavy piece of paper. The family figure should be standing up on the heavy paper, but you should be able to fold it down to store the picture.
  •  Cut out the scripture references (and the two numbers), and glue one to the back of each manna piece. (Israelite family and manna images are from the Friend Nov. 2004 pg. 390

Presentation

Display the picture of the Israelite family on the table or floor so that the family figure is standing up.  Put the manna pieces in front of the family figure.

Tell the family that after Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt, the Israelites had to travel through the wilderness to reach the Promised Land. They did not have enough food to make such a long journey, so the Lord provided manna from heaven for them to eat.

Activity Instructions:

Tell the family they are going do an activity that will teach them more about the story of the manna from heaven.

Have each family member take turns choosing pieces of manna until they are all gone. Have them look up the scripture references that are on the back of their manna pieces. (A couple of pieces will have numbers instead of scriptures on them. Those will be used later in the activity.)

Going in numerical order read the following questions to the family. After a question is read, ask the family if anyone has the answer to it. Have the person tell what the answer is. (Optional: Also have them read the scripture) After they tell the family the answer, have them put that piece of manna into the basket.

Questions:

  1. Why did the children of Israel murmur against Moses and Aaron?  (murmur means to complain or rebel) Exodus 16:2-3
  2. Why would the murmuring against Moses and Aaron really be murmuring against the Lord? Exodus 16:6,8
  3. What food did the Lord provide for the Israelites in the mornings, and what food did the Lord provide in the evenings? Also describe how the food arrived. Exodus 16:11-15
  4. Describe the manna’s characteristics such as what it looked like, and what it tasted like. Exodus 16: 14, 21, 31
  5. How much manna did the Lord command the Israelites to gather each day? Exodus 16:16-18
  6. What happened the next day to the manna when more was gathered than was needed? Exodus 16:19-20
  7. What did the Lord instruct the Israelites to do differently in regards to the manna on the day before the Sabbath? Exodus 16: 22-23
  8. How were the Israelites blessed by preparing ahead for the Sabbath? Exodus 16: 24, 29
  9. What happened when some of the people did not prepare ahead and expected to gather manna on the Sabbath? Exodus 16:27
  10. What did the Israelite people do on the Sabbath? Exodus 16:30
  11. How long did the Lord provide food for the Israelites? Exodus 16:35

* Have the family members with the numbered manna pieces answer the following questions.

  1. What did the Israelites learn about the Sabbath? (That they should not work on the Sabbath. They should prepare ahead for the Sabbath so they can rest on the Sabbath day because it is a holy day.)
  2. The Israelites prepared for the Sabbath by gathering twice as much food the day before. Name three things we could do to prepare ahead so that our Sabbaths can be peaceful, restful, and holy?
Jan 5 2013

Sabbath Day: Activities & Games

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Table of Contents

The Sabbath is a Holy Day

The Sabbath Day is a Delight

Friend October 2017 The Sabbath is a holy day coloring page.

Friend October 2015
Friend October 2015

Getting Ready for Sunday

Friend January 2016
Friend January 2016

Things to do on the Sabbath

Friend September 2023 “Make a Sunday Box”

Friend August 2017 “Sabbath Day Activities” There are lots of things you can do on the Sabbath. Name five ideas of things to do from looking at these pictures.

Friend November 2016 “Happy Sabbath: Ready, Set, Share-ades” Write down words of things that you learned at church. Put them in a jar. Family members act out the word and guess what it is, then you explain what you learned.

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Friend Aug/Sept 1985 – “Family Conference” – A family Sunday activity of classes that each family member prepares.

Friend January 1985
Friend January 1985
Friend January 1985
Friend January 1985
Friend January 1985
Friend January 1985
Friend July 2015
Friend July 2015
Friend March 2016
Friend March 2016
Friend June 2016 write letters
Friend June 2016 write letters

Attending Church on Vacation

Friend October 2016
Friend October 2016
Sep 25 2012

Sabbath Day: Lesson Item 10

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Item 10:  Stringboard Activity

Saturday Preparation for the Sabbath

Preparation

  • Items needed: Pencils, white cardstock, yarn or string, tape.
  • Activity assembly instructions: Print one of the visual aid pages (girl or boy) per child onto white cardstock. Cut the stringboard out by cutting on the dotted line, and then cut out the child figure on each page. Cut out small pieces of yarn and tape a small loop onto the back of each child figure. Cut out one piece of yarn, 12 inches long, per each stringboard. Put the yarn through the loop on the back of the child figure and then tape each end to the back sides of the stringboard, making sure the string goes across the string mark on the church and that the string is pulled tightly in place so that it doesn’t sag. Move the child figure to the far left-hand side of the stringboard. (Resource for Stringboard: Star B Manual, pg. 82)

Presentation

Give each child a stringboard and a pencil. Have the children name some things they could do on Saturday to help prepare for Sunday. (See ideas below. Parents may want to think ahead of things they would like each child to do so they can help direct the answers.)

Have the children write each idea on one of the pathway stones (for little ones, draw some simple pictures on the stones). Tell the children that on each Saturday they can move their figures across their stringboard as they accomplish each item. Tell them that their Saturday preparation for Sunday will help them have a peaceful, holy Sabbath day.

Alternate Idea: Cut out the stones and church. Glue the church building to the far upper-right edge of a half sheet of light blue cardstock. Write the children’s ideas on the stones and give the stones to the children to put on their stringboards with sticky tack. Tell the children that on Saturdays they can put their stones on their stringboard as they accomplish each item. They can move their figures forward on the stones as they do the things that help prepare them for Sunday. (This allows children to choose the order in which they do the tasks.)

Family Saturday Preparation Ideas:

  • Get Sunday clothes out and check to make sure they are clean and ironed.
  • House cleaning chores (including washing and ironing clothes if needed), yard chores and clean room.
  • Find and put out clean shoes, clean socks (or tights), ties, belts, and scriptures.
  •  Finish weekend homework.
  • If church is early in the morning, finish working on talks, lessons, and other church assignments.
  • Prepare or buy cookies or flowers to take to someone who is sick or in need of a visit–a family member, widow, shut-in, etc.
  • Do any other shopping that needs done.
  • Prepare meals to eat on the Sabbath, or plan light meals.
  • Get gas in the car and check to make sure the car is clean.

Optional Idea: Some families put up shelves or make a special place in each room to place Sunday items as they are collected on Saturday.  Or they put up a long family shelf with hooks below it to collect items on. Shelves can be painted and decorated as part of FHE. The children could post their stringboard reminders by the shelf.