Time, the basic commodity of life, is the avenue from which all activities of life are created. Time is one of those things shared by all mortals, it affect us constantly. Because we are eternal beings, time is not our natural vastness. It is part of the brief and short mortal framework in which we are to overcome by faith, including faith in God's timing.

Brigham Young called time “the property which we inherit from our Heavenly Father.” (New Era,Child of Promise, August 1993)

We cannot choose how much time we have; Heavenly Father is the ruler of time. However, we can decide what we will do with our time. We often, say we don’t have time. When actually, we all are allotted the same amount of time each day. We have 86,400 seconds, 1,440 minutes, or 24 hours a day; 168 hours a week. In reality, we are blessed with more than enough time. We spend time on the things we value. By measuring and observing where we spend our time, we can gain a fairly accurate assessment of what we value in life.

Jesus said, "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." (Matthew 6:20-21)

We cannot recycle or save the time allotted to us each day. With time, we have only one opportunity for choice,and then it is gone forever.

Jesus taught about time when He said, “Seek not the things of this world but seek ye first to build up the kingdom of God, and to establish his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:33)

We are to assign first, time to God and to His work; everything else in life is of second priority. If we do not choose the kingdom of God first, it will make little difference in the long run what we have chosen instead.

As regard to material possessions. Jesus taught that “a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.” (Luke 12:15) Consequently, we should not lay up for ourselves “treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal.” (Matthew 6:19)

Furthermore, the treasures of our heart should not be what the scriptures call “riches and the vain things of this world”.

The “vain things of the world” can include things such as our property, pride, fame, and power. As to all of these, the scriptures remind us that we cannot carry them with us.

Probation is another important aspect that deals with time. We are here to prove ourselves to see if we will do all that the Lord requires of us. We need to make evidence to ourselves what type of being we are and want to be. When we fall short of the Lord’s expectations we can repent over a period of time, this shows Him, our hearts have truly changed.

Heavenly Father wants us to be good stewards of our lives, which involves time. It pleases Him, when we strive to balance out our time. The purpose of this life is to prepare to meet God. Will you please allow this scripture to leave a lasting imprint on your hearts.

A TIME OF PREPARATION

"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.

"A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

"A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

"A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance . . .

"A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing . . .

"A time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

"A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

(Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)

Mormon.

What an unusual word. It sounds rather mysterious, like a word from a Harry Potter spell, or the name of some character from Star Wars.

Mormon.

But what does it mean?

First of all, most people associate it with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They use it as a nickname for the church. As Joseph Smith, the first prophet of the Mormon Church, explained in a letter:

“The name Mormon, and Mormonism, was given to us by our enemies, but Latter-day Saints was the real name by which the church was organized." (Personal Writings of Joseph Smith, 458. Standardized.)

Part of the reason this happened is that the correct name of the church is cumbersome. It is more like a tongue-twister than a name. So the short name sticks.

In some ways this is helpful, since by using a shorter name, we can communicate quicker. On the other hand, this causes problems. First, we use this mysterious-sounding word instead of the proper name. We are not publishing the fact that this denomination is a Christian denomination. And that is tragic.

Second, to the English-speaking ear, it sounds unusual. Do members of this denomination worship a being named “Morm”? And is this being like Gozer the Gozarian from Ghostbusters? Or like H. P. Lovecraft’s demiurge Cthulhu? The word has a specific denotation, but its various connotations can be fertile ground for a runaway imagination.

So where does this word come from?

One the surface, it comes from the title of the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. Mormons consider this to be a book of scripture that supplements (not supplants) the Bible.

The title page explains the point of the book:

THE BOOK OF MORMON

AN ACCOUNT WRITTEN BY THE HAND OF MORMON UPON PLATES TAKEN FROM THE PLATES OF NEPHI

Wherefore, it is an abridgment of the record of the people of Nephi, and also of the Lamanites—Written to the Lamanites, who are a remnant of the house of Israel; and also to Jew and Gentile—Written by way of commandment, and also by the spirit of prophecy and of revelation—Written and sealed up, and hid up unto the Lord, that they might not be destroyed—To come forth by the gift and power of God unto the interpretation thereof—Sealed by the hand of Moroni, and hid up unto the Lord, to come forth in due time by way of the Gentile—The interpretation thereof by the gift of God.

An abridgment taken from the Book of Ether also, which is a record of the people of Jared, who were scattered at the time the Lord confounded the language of the people, when they were building a tower to get to heaven—Which is to show unto the remnant of the House of Israel what great things the Lord hath done for their fathers; and that they may know the covenants of the Lord, that they are not cast off forever—And also to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that JESUS is the CHRIST, the ETERNAL GOD, manifesting himself unto all nations—And now, if there are faults they are the mistakes of men; wherefore, condemn not the things of God, that ye may be found spotless at the judgment–seat of Christ.

That is the sum and substance of the book: “to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that JESUS is the CHRIST, the ETERNAL GOD.” The capitals are in the original, so as not to miss the fact of Christ in the book.

And the book has nothing to do with Dungeons and Dragons, and Mormon is not a Dr. Seuss nonsense word.

So it is called the Book of Mormon. Mormon was the name of an ancient prophet who lived in the Americas. He was the principle compiler and editor of this history book, so it bears his name.

In the book, the prophet Mormon explains himself this way:

And behold, I am called Mormon, being called after the land of Mormon, the land in which Alma did establish the church among the people, yea, the first church which was established among them after their transgression.

Behold, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I have been called of him to declare his word among his people, that they might have everlasting life.

And it hath become expedient that I, according to the will of God, that the prayers of those who have gone hence, who were the holy ones, should be fulfilled according to their faith, should make a record of these things which have been done—

Yea, a small record of that which hath taken place from the time that Lehi left Jerusalem, even down until the present time.

Therefore I do make my record from the accounts which have been given by those who were before me, until the commencement of my day;

And then I do make a record of the things which I have seen with mine own eyes. (3 Nephi 5:12-17)

So the word Mormon is really just a name. Of course it sounds unusual to our ear because it is a foreign word. But imagine if you had H. G. Wells’s time machine, and went to the past. I imagine people would snicker at our names the same way we would laugh at Hammurabi's, Xerxes's, or the pharaoh Qa’a's name.

As Mormon explains, he was “called after the land of Mormon.” This is not unusual; look at my name: Kendal Hunter. Hunter is obvious, since it comes from a profession. Kendal, however, is the homeland of some of my English ancestors. Pay close attention—my name has one “l,” exactly as the city's name is spelled. I also have a niece named Jamayka. So it runs in the family.

This Land of Mormon was the setting for a wonderful event. The ancient exiled saints were gathered in hiding in this place. There, the prophet Alma called the group together and then preached to them.

Here is the full narrative:

And it came to pass that he said unto them: Behold, here are the waters of Mormon (for thus were they called) and now, as ye are desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another's burdens, that they may be light;

Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection, that ye may have eternal life—

Now I say unto you, if this be the desire of your hearts, what have you against being baptized in the name of the Lord, as a witness before him that ye have entered into a covenant with him, that ye will serve him and keep his commandments, that he may pour out his Spirit more abundantly upon you?

And now when the people had heard these words, they clapped their hands for joy, and exclaimed: This is the desire of our hearts.

And now it came to pass that Alma took Helam, he being one of the first, and went and stood forth in the water, and cried, saying: O Lord, pour out thy Spirit upon thy servant, that he may do this work with holiness of heart.

And when he had said these words, the Spirit of the Lord was upon him, and he said: Helam, I baptize thee, having authority from the Almighty God, as a testimony that ye have entered into a covenant to serve him until you are dead as to the mortal body; and may the Spirit of the Lord be poured out upon you; and may he grant unto you eternal life, through the redemption of Christ, whom he has prepared from the foundation of the world.

And after Alma had said these words, both Alma and Helam were buried in the water; and they arose and came forth out of the water rejoicing, being filled with the Spirit.

And again, Alma took another, and went forth a second time into the water, and baptized him according to the first, only he did not bury himself again in the water.

And after this manner he did baptize every one that went forth to the place of Mormon; and they were in number about two hundred and four souls; yea, and they were baptized in the waters of Mormon, and were filled with the grace of God. (Mosiah 18:8-16)

The Land of Mormon was sacred ground. It was a place of consecration, covenant, and atonement. The prophet Mormon, in an editorial paean, explains:

And now it came to pass that all this was done in Mormon, yea, by the waters of Mormon, in the forest that was near the waters of Mormon; yea, the place of Mormon, the waters of Mormon, the forest of Mormon, how beautiful are they to the eyes of them who there came to the knowledge of their Redeemer; yea, and how blessed are they, for they shall sing to his praise forever. (Mosiah 18:30)

These ancient believers looked at the Land of Mormon the same way we look at the Holy Land, Jerusalem, or the place where we proposed to our spouses. We could never forget them.

Our story would stop there, but for one editorial letter written by Joseph Smith. Just like today, there was confusion about the word “Mormon” in the 1800s. Since some things never change, here is what Joseph Smith wrote:

Through the medium of your paper I wish to correct an error among men that profess to be learned, liberal and wise; and I do it the more cheerfully because I hope sober-thinking and sound-reasoning people will sooner listen to the voice of truth than be led astray by the vain pretensions of the self-wise.

The error I speak of is the definition of the word "Mormon." It has been stated that this word was derived from the Greek word mormo. This is not the case. There was no Greek or Latin upon the plates from which I, through the grace of the Lord, translated the Book of Mormon. Let the language of the book speak for itself.

On the 523rd page of the fourth edition, it reads: "And now, behold we have written this record according to our knowledge in the characters which are called among us the Reformed Egyptian, being handed down and altered by us, according to our manner of speech; and if our plates had been sufficiently large, we should have written in Hebrew; but the Hebrew hath been altered by us also; and if we could have written in Hebrew, behold, ye would have had no imperfection in our record. But the Lord knoweth the things which we have written, and also that none other people knoweth our language; therefore He hath prepared means for the interpretation thereof." (Mormon 9:32-34)

Here, then, the subject is put to silence; for "none other people knoweth our language;" therefore the Lord, and not man, had to interpret, after the people were all dead. And, as Paul said, "The world by wisdom know not God;" so the world by speculation are destitute of revelation; and as God in His superior wisdom has always given His Saints, wherever he had any on the earth, the same spirit, and that spirit, as John says, is the true spirit of prophecy, which is the testimony of Jesus. I may safely say that the word "Mormon" stands independent of the wisdom and learning of this generation.

Before I give a definition, however, to the word, let me say that the Bible in its widest sense, means good; for the Savior says according to the gospel of John, "I am the good shepherd;" and it will not be beyond the common use of terms, to say that good is among the most important in use, and though known by various names in different languages, still its meaning is the same, and is ever in opposition to "bad." We say from the Saxon, "good"; the Dane, "god"; the Goth, "goda"; the German, "gut"; the Dutch, "goed"; the Latin, "bonus"; the Greek, "kalos"; the Hebrew, "tob"; and the "Egyptian, "mon." Hence, with the addition of "more," or the contraction, "mor," we have the word "mormon"; which means, literally, "more good." (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 299-300)

Thus “Mormon” means “more good.” That is the golden thread which links all of the senses and shades of the word: a book of scripture, a prophet, and a place of covenant. Each of these things brought about more good.

The Book of Mormon brought about more good by testifying of Christ. The prophet Mormon brought about more good by compiling this additional witness of Jesus Christ. And the Land of Mormon was a place where a body of believers sought sanctuary and sanctification by being baptized. They came to Christ.

So all of these were good. And they lived up to their name. And behind the word “Mormon” is the name of Jesus Christ, the Author of all that is good.

Gordon B. Hinckley, the fifteenth president of the Mormon Church said this:

The Mormon Church, of course, is a nickname. And nicknames have a way of becoming fixed. I think of the verse concerning a boy and his name:

Father calls me William,
Sister calls me Will,
Mother calls me Willie,
But the fellers call me Bill.
(“Jest ’Fore Christmas.”)

I suppose that regardless of our efforts, we may never convert the world to general use of the full and correct name of the Church. Because of the shortness of the word Mormon and the ease with which it is spoken and written, they will continue to call us the Mormons, the Mormon church, and so forth.

They could do worse. More than fifty years ago, when I was a missionary in England, I said to one of my associates, “How can we get people, including our own members, to speak of the Church by its proper name?”

He replied, “You can’t. The word Mormon is too deeply ingrained and too easy to say.” He went on, “I’ve quit trying. While I’m thankful for the privilege of being a follower of Jesus Christ and a member of the Church which bears His name, I am not ashamed of the nickname Mormon.”

“Look,” he went on to say, “if there is any name that is totally honorable in its derivation, it is the name Mormon. And so, when someone asks me about it and what it means, I quietly say—‘Mormon means more good.’ ” …

His statement intrigued me—Mormon means “more good.” I knew, of course, that “more good” was not a derivative of the word Mormon. I had studied both Latin and Greek, and I knew that English is derived in some measure from those two languages and that the words more good are not a cognate of the word Mormon. But his was a positive attitude based on an interesting perception. And, as we all know, our lives are guided in large measure by our perceptions. Ever since, when I have seen the word Mormon used in the media to describe us—in a newspaper or a magazine or book or whatever—there flashes into my mind his statement, which has become my motto: Mormon means “more good.”

We may not be able to change the nickname, but we can make it shine with added luster. (Gordon B. Hinckley, “Mormon Should Mean ‘More Good’,” Ensign, Nov 1990, 51)

That is our goal—to add luster to this nickname. For us, Mormon must always mean "more good."

The March issue of the official magazine for adults of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (often called "the Mormons") is devoted to testimonies and doctrines about our Savior, Jesus Christ. This magazine is the Ensign for English speakers; international readers receive the Liahona.

Featured is a message written by President Gordon B. Hinckley, who was president and prophet of the Church until his passing at the end of January. The entire article can be accessed at www.lds.org, but I'd like to quote just a small portion:

There is none to equal Him. There never has been. There never will be. Thanks be to God for the gift of His Beloved Son, who gave His life that we might live...Like the Polar Star in the heavens, regardless of what the future holds, there stands the Redeemer of the world, the Son of God, certain and sure as the anchor of our immortal lives. He is the rock of our salvation, our strength, our comfort, the very focus of our faith...

He is the Savior and the Redeemer of the world. I believe in Him. I declare His divinity without equivocation or compromise. I love Him. I speak the name of Jesus Christ in reverence and wonder. He is our King, our Lord, our Master, the living Christ, who stands on the right hand of His Father. He lives! He lives, resplendent and wonderful, the living Son of the living God. (Gordon B. Hinckley, "We Testify of Jesus Christ," Liahona, Mar 2008, 4-7)

It is amazing that in this day of shifting values, we have a prophet on the Earth today who can and will testify unequivocally of Jesus Christ. Testimonies of each of the modern-day prophets are also included in the magazine. There are also messages about the Atonement and faith in Christ, and several real-life experiences contributed by members of the Church about how they have seen these principles at work in their own lives. Beautiful artwork depicting scenes from the ministry of the Savior is also featured.

Of particular interest to those who are not members of the Mormon Church may be the article entitled "We Believe." It gives several questions people commonly have about exactly what Mormons believe regarding Jesus Christ, along with the answers to the questions. There is also an article called "Plain & Precious Truths" that lists 25 truths about the Savior, along with corresponding scriptures from the Bible and from latter-day revelation.

As Easter time approaches, it's particularly appropriate to reflect on the ministry and Atonement of Jesus Christ. He isn't just a mythical character whom we celebrate, and He isn't even a god who once lived but is no longer actively interested in our lives. Christ is real, He does live, and He knows us each by name. He knows our sorrows and our burdens, and He is always there for us when we come unto Him.

A young man named Daniel knew, perhaps more than many of us personally know today, the importance of being watchful over what he took into his body. Many of us know the scripture account well. The king had asked for some of the best and brightest children of the land to be brought up in the ways and tongue of the Chaldeans. He even asked for them to be given the same food he ate, which consisted primarily of meat and wine. This was to go on for three years until he could decide whom he wanted to keep in his court.

Daniel and three of his friends didn’t want to eat the king’s meat and wine.

“Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink. Then let our countenances be looked upon before thee, and the countenance of the children that eat of the portion of the king's meat: and as thou seest, deal with thy servants” (Daniel 1:12-13).

Pulse is food made of grains and seeds. Daniel and his friends knew this would be much healthier than a constant diet of meat. In fact, after the ten days there was a noticeable difference in the countenance of these four young men as compared to all the others who had been gathered. They continued to eat the pulse and drink the water for the remainder of the three years. At that time, not only had they been blessed with health, but with wisdom beyond their years. (Daniel 1:3-20)

We have the Food Pyramid to guide us in how much of what food we’re supposed to take into our bodies. We know that balance is important when choosing the foods we eat. But maintaining our physical health goes far beyond that.

The leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (nicknamed the Mormon Church) put together a booklet called For the Strength of Youth. This booklet is meant to be a guide for teens in today’s world against increasing temptations. One of the topics covered is physical health.

“Eat nutritious food, exercise regularly, and get enough sleep. When you do all these things, you remain free from harmful addictions and have control over your life. You gain the blessings of a healthy body, an alert mind, and the guidance of the Holy Ghost” (p.36).

Did you ever link a healthy mind and body to allowing the Holy Ghost, or Holy Spirit, to reside with you? Think about that for a minute.

In the Latter-day Saint Church we have additional scripture that further explains how we can take care of our bodies. It was actually a revelation in response to Joseph Smith’s wife’s concern with several of the men smoking tobacco. This revelation is now known as the Word of Wisdom. (For a complete account go to Doctrine and Covenants 89.)

One of the first things warned against is the use of tobacco products. Even just a few years ago we couldn’t fully comprehend the effects tobacco would have not only on those who use it, but those who are exposed to it secondhand. I’ve watched the lasting effects on a loved one whose father smoked cigars. Her lungs have been damaged, she has almost constant bronchitis, and is a victim of severe headaches. All because of a father who didn’t think his smoking was doing any harm.

We’re also warned against drinking coffee or tea, for these can be just as addictive. Countless numbers can’t even face the world until they’ve had their first cup of coffee, yet they don’t see it as being addictive.

Alcohol is a vicious master, and has done vast amounts of damage to people and their families.

“Any form of alcohol is harmful to your body and spirit. Being under the influence of alcohol weakens your judgment and self-control and could lead you to break the law of chastity or other commandments. Drinking can lead to alcoholism, which destroys individuals and families” (For the Strength of Youth, p.36).

Much the same is said of drugs.

“Any drug, chemical, or dangerous practice that is used to produce a sensation or ‘high’ can destroy your physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. These include hard drugs, prescription or over-the-counter medications that are abused, and household chemicals” (For the Strength of Youth, p.37).

We know these things are bad for us, and yet too many of us still allow Satan or peers to lead to believe we’d be so much happier if we gave in. Turns out this isn’t true. Ask anyone who’s stealing from loved ones so they can afford their next fix, or the person who just hit and killed someone because they were driving drunk. Look at the so-called stars of today and the misery they’ve placed on themselves by making these wrong choices.

Members of the Latter-day Saint Church are often ridiculed for clean living. Peers would say we’re so restricted by these guidelines we don’t know how to have any real fun. I would like to yell to the world that this is not true! In fact, I can testify that those who choose to live clean are freer, happier, and better off than anyone who smokes that first cigarette, drinks that first beer, or tries drugs for the first time. Why?

You can never become addicted to something you’ve never tried. You will remain the master of your destiny. This choice proves you have more control over the outcome of your life than many of those who are trapped in the nightmare of addiction.

The blessings don’t stop there. Not only will you have a healthy body, but your mind will be sharp, your spirit will remain strong, and like Daniel you will be granted wisdom beyond your years. Does all this sound worth it? I certainly think so.

What is the power of family? Why are they so important to Heavenly Father? He has placed us here in a loving and supportive family as a central part of His plan for us. Why? Because we are His family.

One of the truths that I treasure most about the gospel of Jesus Christ as taught in the LDS Church is that we are very literally children of God. He is the Father of our spirits, and we are His children. Family matters because He wants us to remember the happiness that we knew in His presence. That is why The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints focuses its efforts around Christ-like, eternal families.

I do realize that for many this type of family life has not been a possibility. That is why I’m also grateful to realize that Heavenly Father took this into account when He sent us here to earth. He gave us a powerful gift of agency to choose for ourselves the course our lives would take. With this gift He also provided an unspeakable blessing. He gave us an Older Brother.

Each of us will face trials within this life. That is part of why we were sent here. This time away, this time of choices provides us with an amount of spiritual growth that could not be achieved within the presence of our Heavenly Father. Still, the overall goal is growth at the end of our lives that will lead us back into our Father’s presence again. He knew we would not be perfect. He knew many would lose their way. He knew some would never find the path. But He also knew we could come back. That is the power of Jesus Christ, our Elder Brother.

Jesus Christ is our exemplar and our Savior. We look to Him for a pattern of life that feeds our spirits and draws us closer to our Heavenly Father’s love. We also look to Him to bind our wounds and heal our hearts when the sorrows of the world, or our own mistakes, weigh us down. When Heavenly Father presented the plan of happiness to His children, He asked for a Savior. He asked for one who would lead a perfect, sinless life for us to learn from, but more importantly who would atone for our sins. Jesus Christ answered, “Here am I, send me.” He was our Elder Brother before this life and He continued that role during His mortal ministry, atonement and death on our behalf. He watches out for us, still. Pleading with us to hear His voice and come unto Him.

How grateful I am for the call of the Good Shepherd, for His influence in my life, so that in my own way I can answer, “Here am I, send me.” With Jesus Christ as my Elder Brother, I can be equal to any task that the Lord has prepared for my personal growth here on earth. I will be His disciple. I will serve at the Master’s hand until the day that I stand before my Brother and my Father in judgment. I will give Jesus Christ my heart and willingly turn all my sins, doubts and fears over to Him so that I can once again stand pure and worthy before my Heavenly Father. Because of Jesus Christ, no matter what my family life may have been here on earth I can return to God’s family. There’s no greater joy than that.

I love Sacrament Meeting. I leave it each week feeling renewed and ready to go. No matter how bad the previous week was, I feel I can go home and do a great job with the life I’ve been given. I’ve always considered it the start of my work week, a starting-over day. As a new member, it took a great deal of experimenting to figure out how to make sure I got the most out of my meetings.

Preparation for this experience begins before I leave the house, however. In fact, it starts the day before. Children often sing in their meetings a song that tells them that Saturday is special because it’s the day to get ready for Sunday. They learn that they should do as much preparation for Sunday as possible on Saturday—cleaning, laying out and preparing clothing, and finishing up anything else that could be a distraction to the worshipful purpose of Sunday.

When the chores are done and the meals for Sunday are planned ahead, and perhaps at least partially prepared, I come to church with far fewer distractions on my mind. I don’t find myself wondering what we’ll eat when we get home if I have dinner in the slow cooker waiting for us. It’s easier to bring the spirit of church home with me if things are reasonably tidy and under control.

Study ahead for the classes you will attend and finish any work for your callings before you go to bed.

Keep Sunday mornings simple. Skip the big breakfast unless it is something you can prepare ahead. Have church bags packed, clothing set out and children scheduled, so they know what to do and when. If you find yourself consistently late, get everyone up a little earlier, testing until you can arrive on time without rushing. Try to find time to pray and read scriptures before you leave.

Setting the mood in the house can also help everyone to arrive with the spirit intact. I find it helpful to be the first one up, so I can have time to prepare my own spirit before trying to guide everyone else to a spiritual beginning. Putting on quiet, spiritual music can remind family members it’s a reverent day and set the tone.

Keep the drive to church peaceful. It’s not the time to scold or lecture, although, of course, gentle reminders about appropriate behavior are appropriate. Instead, choose a gospel topic to discuss as you go to church or play spiritual music.

Once at church, go to your seat early and listen to the prelude music. Read scriptures, contemplate the gospel or study the words of a hymn while you wait for the meeting to begin. By the time the service starts, you will be ready to feel the spirit.

Worshipping God is more than just going to church every Sunday. As you begin to build your new LDS life, you’ll want to begin to put more time into your life for true worship.

Attending church is certainly part of the worship process. However, it requires more than mere attendance. While attending, we need to keep our hearts and minds focused on the speakers and lessons, and maintain a feeling of reverence inside of us, regardless of what is happening around us.

In addition to worshipping in our meetings, we can also worship in our homes and personal lives. If we prepare carefully before praying, and take the time to think about what we want to discuss with our Father in Heaven, if our prayers are unrushed and thoughtful, our prayers become worship, not merely a ritual.

Our personal scripture study is also worship. If we hurry through them with an eye on the schedule, then scripture reading is merely a routine. If, however, we read carefully, taking time to ponder, our scripture reading becomes worship. We can take the time to apply what we read to our own lives, and also to reflect on the blessings our Heavenly Father has given us. Nearly every chapter of scripture contains reminders of His presence in our lives.

Each time we teach another person the gospel, we are worshipping our Father in Heaven. When we share what we know of Him, we’re showing Him how special He is to us, and how much we understand what He’s given us. After all, when we have something in our lives we treasure, we always want to share it with others we care about.

True worship is putting God first in our lives, remembering who He is, and why we love Him. It’s treating the life He gave us with respect, and making the best possible use of the time He’s given us. This means that service is a form of worship. We’re serving His children, with an attitude of joy, not burden, and this is a powerful way to worship Him.

All day long, we can keep thoughts of Him in our minds and a feeling of reverence in our hearts. We can be cheerful about our responsibilities, our service, and even our trials, understanding that they are all part of the plan to help us return home to our Heavenly Father again.

Worship isn’t just about Sundays. It’s all day, every day.

When I first began trying to live the gospel as a new convert, I found the commandment to keep the Sabbath Day holy a real challenge. I wasn’t really sure what was appropriate. All I could think of to do was to read scriptures, and as much as I loved doing that, I didn’t want to do it all day.

Since then, I’ve learned there are many ways to keep the Sabbath Day holy. I found it helpful, in the early days, to keep a list I could refer to. This kept me from wandering into an inappropriate activity simply because I couldn’t think of anything else to do. I also try to plan my Sabbath ahead to avoid temptation.

Sundays are ideal for more in-depth scripture study. Instead of just reading, consider keeping a scripture journal and recording what you’ve read for the week—not just the content, but your thoughts. It’s also a good time to prepare for the next week’s church classes by studying the assignments.

I often spend Sundays writing talks, even when I’m not giving one. I pick a topic, research it, and write a Sacrament Meeting talk on the subject. I find this helps me find out how well I understand the topic and to focus my thoughts on it. When I’m asked to speak in church, I go first to my files to see if I already have something on that topic.

The Sabbath is the perfect time to build meaningful relationships with your family through quiet conversation. It’s hard to find the time to talk during a hectic week, but a quiet Sabbath afternoon can provide the time to discuss family issues, hold a family council, or just talk. You can also use the time to visit those who are sick or alone, and to write letters to family, friends, and those who just need a cheerful reminder that someone is thinking of them.

President Spencer W. Kimball, a past president of the Church, said, “The Sabbath is a holy day in which to do worthy and holy things. Abstinence from work and recreation is important but insufficient. The Sabbath calls for constructive thoughts and acts, and if one merely lounges about doing nothing on the Sabbath, he is breaking it. To observe it, one will be on his knees in prayer, preparing lessons, studying the gospel, meditating, visiting the ill and distressed, sleeping, reading wholesome material, and attending all the meetings of that day to which he is expected. To fail to do these proper things is a transgression on the omission side.” (The Miracle of Forgiveness, Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1969, pp. 96–97.)