To download past handouts, go to: highlandvalleysundayschoolnotes2012.blogspot.

com

#1 President Spencer W. Kimball: People frequently wonder where to draw the line: what is worthy and what is unworthy to do upon the Sabbath. But if one loves the Lord with all his heart, might, mind, and strength; if one can put away selfishness and curb desire; if one can measure each Sabbath activity by the yardstick of worshipfulness; if one is honest with his Lord and with himself; if one offers a "broken heart and a contrite spirit," it is quite unlikely that there will be Sabbath breaking in that person's life. (The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, 215-16,
218-19)

spoke out, asking that the criticism be stopped. He said, Mistake to send the Handcart Company out so late in the season? Yes. But I was in that company and my wife was in it. We suffered beyond anything you can imagine and many died of exposure and starvation, but did you ever hear a survivor of that company utter a word of criticism? Not one of

#2 President David O. McKay: Because of the unexpected delays and other unfortunate circumstances, over two hundred members of the Willie and Martin handcart companies died before they could reach the Salt Lake Valley. None of the other handcart companies coming to the valley before or after them suffered so many problems. Some years after the Martin company made their journey to Salt Lake City, a teacher in a Church class commented how foolish it was for the Martin company to come across the plains when it did. The teacher criticized the Church leaders for allowing a company to make such a journey without more supplies and protection. An old man sitting in the classroom listened for a few moments and then

that company ever apostatized or left the Church, because everyone of us came through with the absolute knowledge that God lives for we became acquainted with him in our extremities [difficulties].

I have pulled my handcart when I was so weak and weary from illness and lack of food that I could hardly put one foot ahead of the other. I have looked ahead and seen a patch of sand or a hill slope and I have said, I can go only that far and there I must give up, for I cannot pull the load through it. I have gone on to that sand and when I reached it, the cart began pushing me. I have looked back many times to see who was pushing my cart, but my eyes saw no one. I knew then that the angels of God were there. Was I sorry that I chose to come by handcart? No. Neither then nor any minute of my life since. The price we paid

to become acquainted with God was

a privilege to pay, and I am thankful and deed. But the most perfect of all that I was privileged to come in the worship comes from those who first believe the gospel, who then participate in Martin Handcart Company
(Pioneer Women, 8)

#3 Elder Bruce R. McConkie: It is in no sense an exaggera-

its outward forms, and who finally keep the standards of personal righteousness that appertain to it. (Mormon Doctrine, 849)

tion nor does it overstate the #6 Elder Boyd K. Packer: ...an fact one whit to say that any increasing number of our leaders person who keeps the Sabbath, according and members do not sing the to the revealed pattern, will be saved in congregational songs We the celestial kingdom True worship inshould sing the songs of Zion cludes keeping the commandments, and they are an essential part of our worship those who devote their Sabbaths to true (CR, Oct. 1991) and proper worship obtain the encour#7 Alexander Schreiner, one of the great agement that leads to full obedience. tabernacle organists, recalled a story (The Promised Messiah, pp. 390-91) about someone who asked a music direc#4 President Kimball: We do not go to tor how he could stand to hear Brother Sabbath meetings to be entertained or Stanton bellow off-key at Church gathereven solely to be instructed. We go to ings. The wise old leader replied, Brother worship the Lord. It is an individual reStanton is one of our most devout worsponsibility, and regardless of what is said shipers,, and when he bellows he is a sufrom the pulpit, if one wishes to worship preme musician. . . . Dont pay too much the Lord in spirit and truth, he may do so attention to the sounds he makes. If you by attending his meetings, partaking of do, you may miss the music. (Ensign, March 2000, p. 19) the sacrament and contemplating the beauties of the gospel. If the service is a #8 Elder M. Russell Ballard: failure to you, you have failed. No one After his mortal ministry, can worship for you ...Jesus told his Nephite Apostles (The SabbathA Delight, Ensign, Jan. 1978) that He would no longer accept #5 Elder McConkie: Deity is worshiped burnt offerings but that His disciin prayer, song, sermon, and testimony; ples should offer a broken heart and a by the making of covenants, offering of contrite spirit (3 Ne. 9:19-20). Instead of sacrifices, performance of ordinances, the Lord requiring our animals or grain, and the participation in religious rituals now He wants us to give up all that is unand ceremonies; he is worshiped by godly. This higher practice of the law of mans act of believing divine truths, by his sacrifice reaches into the inner soul of a being converted to them in their fulness; person he may be worshiped in thought, word, ...When we overcome our own selfish

desires and put God first in our lives and covenant to serve Him regardless of the cost, we are then living the law of sacrifice (The Law of Sacrifice, Ensign, Oct. 1998)
#9 Elder Neal A. Maxwell:

all, it is a test by which the Lord seeks to prove you in all things (D&C 98:14) to see if your devotion is complete. (CR, Oct., 1991) The Unforgettable Summer
by Alma J. Yates There never was a time in my life when I questioned my fathers faith. His convictions were stamped indelibly upon his life, firm enough to withstand whatever trial, adversity, or challenge presented itself. When I was a boy we lived on a small Utah farm where money was scarce and work abundant. During those early growing-up years the summers seemed especially difficult to me and filled with endless drudgery. There were beets to thin, corn to hoe, and ditches to clean; the troublesome weeds always grew back; there was always another crop of hay to haul. The one saving balm, the one pleasant oasis in the midst of all the summer labor was the Sabbath. We all knew that Sunday was the Lords day. The weeds, the hay lying in the field, and the unharvested grain would all wait until Monday. Stopping work on the Sabbath was not always as easy as hanging up a hoe and not returning to the cornfield. There were complications. The summers were the only real opportunities to harvest financial security. If a farmer did not prosper during those short summer months, the long winters were lean and difficult. The crops had to succeed, and more often than not the key to this modest prosperity was waterwater that was scarce in Utah, water that seldom came in the form of rain, water that had to be stored meticulously during the winter and spring and rationed carefully throughout the hot, dry summer weeks. Each farm was dependent upon the irrigation ditch. The ditch, with its life-giving water, was all that stood between the farmer and disaster. Irrigation was imperative, and at times that posed a real Sabbath dilemma. Some years a farmers turn fell on Monday, some years on Tuesday, some years on another day of the week. And sometimes the turn fell on Sunday. The farmer had no choice. Like everyone else, Fathers turn came on Sunday some years. I remember those years well be-

The language of D&C 59:9 with regard to the Sacrament is most interesting. We are commanded to offer up our sacraments. What is the significance of [this] command to offer, rather than partake of, a sacrament? Are we really supposed to offer something? So it is that real, personal sacrifice never was placing an animal on the altar. Instead, it is a willingness to put the animal in us upon the altar and letting it be consumed! Such is the sacrifice unto the Lord . . . of a broken heart and a contrite spirit, (D&C 59:8), a prerequisite to taking up the cross, while giving away all [our] sins in order to know God (Alma 22:18) for the denial of self precedes the full acceptance of Him.
(Deny Yourselves of All Ungodliness, Ensign, May 1995)

#10 Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin:

...one of the great purposes of the Sabbath is to enable us to wash away the filth of a week in Babylon. It is on the Sabbath that we clean our spirits. (CR, Oct. 1995)
#11 Elder James E. Faust:

...obedience to commandments [is] an expression of our love for God. Blessed are those who need no reasons other than their love for the Savior to keep his commandments After

cause I was always impressed by my fathers determination to keep the Sabbath day holy. I dont suppose the Lord would have condemned him for irrigating his farm on Sunday. He knew fathers heart, and He knew the circumstances under which he and the other farmers labored. However, father wanted to avoid even that Sabbath labor. He was convinced that were the Lord to make out those watering schedules for the farmers, no turn would ever fall on His Sabbath. I never heard Father verbalize his resolve not to trespass on the Lords holy day but his life reflected it. When fathers turn fell on Sunday, he did all he could to avoid Sabbath irrigation. Friday and Saturday he would watch at the irrigation ditch for any run-off water from the farmers up the line. He squeezed every available drop from the ditch, and by Sunday the farm was irrigated. I dont remember that he ever had been forced to work on the Lords day. This meant more work for him, but father was willing to make the sacrifice if it would allow him to rest on the Sabbath. Everything always seemed to work out. As I observed him through the years, his dedication and resolve were a testimony to me that the Lord blesses those who strive to keep his commandments. Then one year came a special trial of his faith. The scorching summer heat seemed to come early that year, portending a drought. The days passed slowly, the sun baking everythingthe lawn, the garden, and the fields wilting under the burning rays. Of all the years to have a Sunday water turn! The farm needed water, water that had not come down the irrigation ditch as runoff on Friday and Saturday; consequently, the farm was dry on Sunday. One Sunday morning, my mother approached my father with great concern. Joseph, she said, I think youd better turn the water down from the ditch, at least on the lawn and garden. Theyre burning up. And they were. Everything was burning up without water. There was no alternative. The farm had to have water, and if father let his irrigation turn slip by, there would be no water until the following Sunday. The farm would never go another week. And so, before getting dressed for his Sunday meetings, father left the house, carrying his shovel

over his shoulder. It must have been terribly disappointing for him to trudge up the hill that morning. All these years he had worked to avoid this very labor, and now he was caught. We were sure the Lord would not condemn him, and yet, Father wanted very much to find another way. He reached the irrigation ditch and put the canvas dam in place, but before doing anything else, still bending over the ditch, he paused and contemplated. What was he to do? He pondered the Lords injunction to keep the Sabbath holy. Did he really believe that, not merely with his lips but with his life? While he was deep in thought, he received a poignantly powerful communication, one he would never forget: Pull out your dam. Put up your shovel and tools. I will take care of things for you. It may not be early in the day, but I will take care of it. As for the summer, leave it to me. I will provide. Father straightened up. There was no one around. He looked heavenward. The sky was clear and blue, no clouds in sight. A dry breeze was blowing, promising a stifling, suffocating day. With the broiling sun intense and the earth parched and powdery dry, father pulled out the canvas dam, left the ditch, and returned to the house. He had been told. He knew that. He didnt know how he would be taken care of, but he knew he had been promised. He dressed and went to his Sunday meetings, leaving his farm to the power he had trusted all his life. When they returned home from their meetings, the sky was still clear, the air hot, the farm wilting beneath the sweltering sun. With no visible sign of relief, mother, still greatly concerned about the garden, again spoke to father, who had not mentioned to her the experience he had had that morning. It surely doesnt look much like rain, she said. What are you going to do about the garden? For the second time that day father climbed the hill to the irrigation ditch, saddened by his situation. Reluctantly he placed the dam into the ditch, but then he paused, amazed by his own faltering conviction. Where is your faith? he asked himself pointedly. Filled with a new resolve, he pulled the dam from the ditch and went down the mountain, determined never again to make that Sabbath trek to the canal.

Coming down the hill, he lifted his eyes to the sky and saw clouds beginning to gather. Within an hour the rain was coming down in torrents. The dry earth soaked up the needed moisture, and the lawn, the garden, and the fields were refreshed. That rain was a miracle, but it was only a beginning. Summer was just commencing. The sweltering months of July and August lay ahead. But father had no worries; he had been promised by Him who had given the law and who would provide the way for its compliance. The following week a neighbor asked father if he would trade a portion of his Sunday water turn for a portion of a Saturday one. Father was delighted. During that short time on Saturday he was able to water the lawn and garden. Still, there was no possible way to irrigate the farms acres of corn, barley, and hay during those few short hours on Saturday. But the Lord blessed him in another way. Periodically throughout the summer, just when rain was needed most, clouds gathered, the rains came, and the crops were watered. So sure was my father that the Lord would watch over him that not once during the summer did he clean a ditch or furrow out the corn. This was hot, dry Utah, where the farmers whole existence was dependent upon those irrigation ditches, but this summer the ditches on fathers farm were never used. Never before had father gone an entire summer without irrigating his farm, but this summer was different. This summer was the Lords summer, and he was providing. By the end of the summer father had harvested three bumper crops of hay, a bounteous yield of barley, and a lush crop of silage corn. The windows of heaven had truly opened, and the Lord had indeed provided. It has been some time since that miraculous summer, but my own faith has been strengthened ever since. So often the Lord wants to bless us, but we refuse to let him. We fear to trust him who has given us everything, and yet he is so anxious to send us, as it were, the water of life. His blessings await us, but we must trust him completely, unconditionally. It seems that at times we must watch our dreams wither and wilt, with no visible sign of relief on the horizon. But then, after the trial of our faith, comes the miracle. (Ensign, August 1982)

by Elder Donald L. Hallstrom Like all of us, Toshio Kawada of the Obihiro Ward, Sapporo Japan Stake, has had to make crucial choices when faced with lifes difficulties. He joined the Church in 1972, and he and his wife, Miyuki, were sealed in the Laie Hawaii Temple in 1978. They have two sons. Brother Kawada served as president of the Obihiro Branch, president of the Kushiro Japan District, and counselor in the Japan Sapporo Mission presidency for many years. More than 20 years ago, when his family was still very young, Brother Kawada was working for his father as a dairy farmer. Tragically, one day the large barn where they kept their milk cows and all their equipment burned down. Financially devastated, his father went to the farmers union for a loan but was turned down. Subsequently, his father and older brother filed for bankruptcy. Although not legally responsible, Brother Kawada felt obligated to help pay back all the debts. As Brother Kawada was pondering a solution to his problem, he decided to plant carrots. He had grown potatoes, but he did not know how to grow carrots. He planted the seeds and prayed earnestly for his carrots to grow. All this time, Brother Kawada faithfully served in the Church, kept the Sabbath day holy, and paid his tithing. When he and his family dressed in their best clothes and went to their Sunday meetings, many neighbors scoffed at them. It was difficult to lose one day a week in their fields, especially at harvesttime. It was not always easy for them to pay their tithing, but they offered it to the Lord obediently and cheerfully. Fall came and Brother Kawadas carrots turned out to be unusually sweet and large, with an exceptionally rich color. He had an abundant harvest and went to the farmers union for help, but they refused to sell his carrots through their distribution system. He fasted and prayed and felt inspired to try to find a produce distributor in Tokyo something that is very difficult to do without introductions or connections. Brother Kawada was blessed to find a large distributor in Tokyo. Since then he has been very successful and has repaid all his fathers debts. He currently has a large agricultural operation with many

Using Agency Wisely

employees, and he is teaching young farmers how to effectively organize their businesses. Even in exceptionally trying circumstances, Brother Kawada chose to be true to the promises he made in his baptismal, priesthood, and temple covenants. Although it would have been easy to rationalize working on the Sabbath, not serving in the Church, and not paying tithing until his problems were resolved, he was resolute in following the directive to seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness. He then found that, indeed, all

these things shall be added unto you (Matt. 6:33). I respect Toshio Kawada not simply because he overcame hard times and became a successful farmer. Far more impressive is that he made courageous choices during a difficult period, knowing they would not necessarily bring an immediate rewardor any temporal reward at all. His example of righteously using agency and steadfastly holding to everlasting principles is worthy of emulation. (Ensign, January 2006)

Other thoughts too great not to include:

Elder Mark E. Petersen: "Our observance or non-observance of the Sabbath is an unerring measure of our attitude toward the Lord personally and toward his suffering in Gethsemane, his death on the cross, and his resurrection from the dead. It is a sign of whether we are Christians in very deed, or whether our conversion is so shallow that commemoration of his atoning sacrifice means little or nothing to us." (quoted in Arnold K. Garr, et. al, Encyclopedia of Latter-day Saint History, p. 1049) Elder James E. Faust: Where is the line as to what is acceptable and unacceptable on the Sabbath? Within the guidelines, each of us must answer this question for ourselves. While these guidelines are contained in the scriptures and in the words of the modern prophets, they must also be written in our hearts and governed by our conscience. Brigham Young said of the faithful, The spirit of their religion leaks out of their hearts. (Journal of Discourses, 15:83.) It is quite unlikely that there will be any serious violation of Sabbath worship if we come humbly before the Lord and offer him all our heart, our soul, and our mind. (See Matt. 22:37.)" ("The Lord's Day," Ensign, Nov. 1991, 35) Elder Dallin H. Oaks: I had a personal experience that taught me for all time the importance of observing the Sabbath. As a Brigham Young University student, married with two small children to support, I had a job that required me to work on the Sabbath. Consequently, I did not enjoy the blessings of the Sabbath in full measure, despite my efforts always to attend at least one of my Sabbath meetings. When I left this campus to study at the University of Chicago, my mother reminded me that my father had never studied on the Sabbath during his professional training. She said to me very casually, Son, if you want to enjoy that blessing you should arrange your activities so that you never study, so that you never do anything on the Sabbath except partake of the spiritual food that is available to you on the Lord's day. I made up my mind at that time that I would observe the Sabbath faithfully so that I could qualify for the blessings of spiritual growth and the companionship of the Spirit that come from observing faithfully the Sabbath of our Lord. I testify to you that I realized those blessings in measurable ways on innumerable occasions. My concern for the Sabbath is to earn the blessings available to those who observe it, not to keep myself from sinning. My attitude is to look on the commandment of the Sabbath as a gift of my Heavenly Father to teach me what I should do if I want to enjoy his richest blessings. That is the attitude I encourage each of us to develop toward each of our Father in heaven's commandments. (BYU Devotional, 10 September, 1974)

Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.

Corrie ten Boom, Clippings from My Notebook (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1982), p. 27.

BLESSINGS OF SABBATH OBSERVANCE:

Being unspotted from the world (D&C 59:9) Spiritual growth and refreshment (Manual, 91) Companionship of the Spirit (Manual, 90) To prepare us for that which is coming (D&C 133:57-58) Obedience brings never-ending happiness (Mosiah 2:41) Salvation in the Celestial Kingdom (Elder McConkie)

Isaiah 58:13-14: We will delight in the Lord We will ride the high places of the earth We will be fed with the heritage of Jacob ...from among my [Joseph son of Jacobs] seed, scattered with the Gentiles, shall a choice Seer arise whose bowels shall be as a fountain of truth, whose loins shall be girded with the girdle of righteousness, whose hands shall be lifted with acceptance before the God of Jacob to turn away his anger from his anointed, whose heart shall meditate great wisdom, whose intelligence shall circumscribe and comprehend the deep things of God, and whose mouth shall utter the law of the just: His feet shall stand upon the neck of his enemies, and he shall walk upon the ashes of those who seek his destruction: with wine and oil shall he be sustained, and he shall feed upon the heritage of Jacob his father: the just shall desire his society, and the upright in heart shall be his companions: No weapon formed against him shall prosper, and though the wicked mar him for a little season, he shall be like one rising up in the heat of wine - he shall roar in his strength, and the Lord shall put to flight his persecutors: he shall be blessed like the fruitful olive, and his memory shall be as sweet as the choice cluster of the first ripe grapes. Like a sheaf fully ripe, gathered into the garner, so shall he stand before the Lord, having produced a hundred fold. Thus spake my father Joseph. Therefore, my son, I know for a surety that those things will be fulfilled, and I confirm upon thee all these blessings. (From the Prophet Joseph Smith Jr.s patriarchal blessing) Leviticus 26:2-12 Rain in due season Land shall yield her increase We will eat bread to the full We will dwell in our land safely We will have peace in the land God will make us fruitful He will establish His covenant with us He will set His tabernacle (temple) among us He will walk among us

D&C LESSON 16 OUTLINE 1 Todays lesson is on keeping the Sabbath day holy. Ill grant you its not the most exciting topic, at least on the surface. But as with every other lesson Ive taught, Im always surprised by how much more there is to the iceberg of every gospel topic. As I was putting on my scuba hear, or rather studying everything I could find about the Sabbath, two thoughts came to mind: The first was related by President John Taylor. He said that he had heard a conversation between a member of the Illinois legislature and the Prophet Joseph that went something like this: How is it that you are enabled to govern so many people, and to preserve such perfect order? Its impossible for us to do it anywhere else. Joseph replied that it was very easy. How? responded the gentleman, to us it is very difficult. Joseph then replied: I teach them correct principles, and they govern themselves. (The Organization of
the Church, Millennial Star, Nov. 15, 1851, 339)

So for this lesson Id like to get past the surface dos and donts of Sabbath observance and into the principles involved. Quotation #1 So its really an attitude, rather than a list of what we should and shouldnt do. The second thought that came to mind while preparing this lesson was about the Martin Handcart Company. Youve all heard the story as related by President McKay: Years after over two hundred died before they could reach the Salt Lake Valley, a teacher in a church class commented on how foolish the Company had been to start so late in the season. The teacher then criticized the Church leaders for allowing it. Im sure you remember what an older man in the class said: Quotation #2 (read boldface) ~What is it about extremities, afflictions and trials that enables us to know God? (We learn that He exists because He answers our prayers. We learn that we can trust Him to comfort us and bless us according to our needs. We learn that He is wiser than we are, that He is kind and merciful, that He loves us. We learn that our trials humble us to that He can bless us with the ability to overcome whatever we are facing and that we cant overcome without Him. We learn that our wisdom is foolishness compared to His) I submit, therefore, that as we are obedient to Him and keep the Sabbath day holy, He will be able to bless us, and we will come to know Him. John 17:3

Quotation #3 Lets review some of the purposes of the Sabbath. Any ideas? -WORSHIP: Quotation #s 4 & 5 ~So is our worship confined to our Sunday meetings? To Sundays, even? ~Is singing a form of worship? (Quotation #s 6-7)

-SACRAMENT: We usually emphasize partaking of the sacrament, but lets turn to: D&C 59:9, 12. ~What are oblations? (see footnote 12b) The manual says: This means we should make offerings, or sacrifices, that show our devotion to Him. ~What sacrifices show our devotion? (see v. 8) ~What manifests a broken heart? (to be receptive to Gods will) ~What manifests a contrite spirit? (humility) Quotation #8 Lets discuss partaking of the sacrament for a moment: ~How do we partake of the sacrament in the right way? (with an attitude of repentance) Quotation #9 That last line: the denial of self precedes the full acceptance of Him requires a lot of thought. ~How does the Sabbath help us to deny ourselves? (It helps us to do His will rather than our own, which leads to His being able to bless us, which leads to our will becoming His, which leads to becoming acquainted with Him because we are like Him) Back to D&C 59:9. It says And that thou mayest more fully keep thyself unspotted from the world. Joseph B. Wirthlin put it this way in Quotation #10: ...one of the great purposes of the Sabbath is to enable us to wash away the filth of a week in Babylon. (CR, Oct. 1995) ~When you come to church with a good attitude, and partake of the Spirit here, dont you go home feeling refreshed? -TEST: ~What does this test show about us individually? (Quotation #11) Just a side note here. When I read that word complete I remembered the gospel definition of perfect. Anyone remember what that is? (whole, complete) And I got excited because I think here we have a definition of w hat it means, in the earthly sense, to be whole and

complete! It means that our devotion to God is complete! Once 3 we attain that, and have proven our complete devotion to Him, I believe, THEN Heavenly Father will be able to bless us with true perfection in all things in the next life. Quotation #12 So its a sign whereby Gods people are known (see also, Neh. 13:1522; Isa. 56:1-8; Jer. 17:19-27; Eze. 46:1-7) Its also a test which shows who or what we really regard as our god, as the most important thing in our life. ~What is the 1st commandment? (Thou shalt have no other gods be fore me) ~What is the 2nd? (Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image.) ~The 3rd? (Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain) ~And the 4th? (Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy) If we struggle with the 4th commandment, were also struggling with the first three. We must decide if God comes first in our lives or not, and the Sabbath is a brilliant test to help us see how were doing. There are other purposes, but I cant squeeze them all into this lesson. Id like to cover one more, though. -TO COMMEMORATE THE ATONEMENT: ~Did you know that this purpose of Sabbath observance has changed over time? ~According to Elder McConkie, from Adam to the Exodus from Egypt, what did the Sabbath commemorate? (the fact that Christ rested from His labors on the 7th day, see Ex. 20:8-11) ~From the Exodus to Christs resurrection, what did the Sabbath commemorate? (the deliverance of Israel from Egyptian bondage, see Deut. 5:12-15) ~And from the resurrection to the present, the Sabbath has been ob served on the first day of the week, to commemorate what? (that Christ came forth from the grave on Sunday, see Acts 20:7) I had planned to cover the blessings that result from Sabbath observance, but as I wrote out the lesson I realized I just wouldnt have time. Instead, Ive included some of the promises in the handout for you to peruse at your leisure! Let me just say that the blessings are greatso great that wed be crazy not to do whatever it takes to keep the Sabbath day holy!

Id like to conclude with a story from the Ensign by Alma Yates. He grew up on a 4 small farm in Utah, and he described summers as difficult and filled with endless drudgery. (A bit different from how our children would describe summer, dont you think?) He also described the Sabbath a bit differently: The one saving balm, the one pleasant oasis in the midst of all the summer labor was the Sabbath. (Boy, I wish my boys felt that way!) He then goes on to talk about how critical the summers were for the farmer. If crops failed, the family would suffer during the winter. ~What do you suppose was the key to the crops success? (water) ~Does it rain a lot in Utah during the summer? (No. So they would store the water during the previous winter and spring, and then ration it through the summer.) Each farm was dependent on the irrigation ditch, and each farmer was assigned a day of the week to access water from the ditch. The assigned weekday rotated from year to year, and even in Utah Sunday was in the rotation! Like everyone else, Fathers turn came on Sunday some years. I remember those years well because I was always impressed by my fathers determination to keep the Sabbath day holy. I dont suppose the Lord would have condemned him for irrigating his farm on Sunday. He knew fathers heart, and He knew the circumstances under which he and the other farmers labored. However, father wanted to avoid even that Sabbath labor. Well, Brother Yates father did all he could to avoid Sabbath irrigation. Friday & Saturday he would watch for run-off water from the farmers up the line and use it to irrigate his farm. Brother Yates says: I dont remember that he ever had been forced to work on the Lords day. This meant more work for him, but father was willing to make the sacrifice if it would allow him to rest on the Sabbath. One year was especially difficult. Summer had come early with its scorching heat. Everything was wilting, and to top it off, Brother Yates was assigned the Sunday water turn. There had been no run-off on Friday and Saturday, and if left for another week everything would be lost. Of course, Sister Yates expressed concern. There seemed to be no alternative but to irrigate. So before church Brother Yates trudged to the ditch and put the canvas dam in place. ...but before doing anything else, still bending over the ditch, he paused and contemplated. What was he to do? He pondered the Lords injunction to keep the Sabbath holy. Did he really believe that, not merely with his

lips but with his life? 5 While he was deep in thought, he received a poignantly powerful communication, one he would never forget: Pull out your dam. Put up your shovel and tools. I will take care of things for you. It may not be early in the day, but I will take care of it. As for the summer, leave it to me. I will provide. So he returned home and went to his meetings. Still there was no rain, and Sister Yates expressed concern again. Once again Brother Yates returned to the ditch. Reluctantly he placed the dam into the ditch, but then he paused, amazed by his own faltering conviction. Where is your faith? he asked himself pointedly. Filled with a new resolve, he pulled the dam from the ditch and went down the mountain, determined never again to make that Sabbath trek to the canal. Coming down the hill, he lifted his eyes to the sky and saw clouds beginning to gather. Within an hour the rain was coming down in torrents. The dry earth soaked up the needed moisture, and the lawn, the garden, and the fields were refreshed. Youll have to read to find out how the farm survived an entire summer without irrigation! Let me just read from the conclusion of the article: So often the Lord wants to bless us, but we refuse to let him. We fear to trust him who has given us everything, and yet he is so anxious to send us, as it were, the water of life. His blessings await us, but we must trust him completely, unconditionally. It seems that at times we must watch our dreams wither and wilt, with no visible sign of relief on the horizon. But then, after the trial of our faith, comes the miracle. (Ensign, August 1982)