History of the Mormon Sabbath

Posted on by

This Sunday’s Young Women lesson is on the Sabbath, so I was wandering around lds.org to find some supplemenal info for the lesson (the lesson manual rarely provides enough to fill the time). I came across the Ensign article linked in the title. It’s from 1978, so it’s definitely dated (the shift to the 3-hour block since that time being the most obvious change), but it’s quite interesting to see how LDS Sunday and Sabbath traditions came to be.

Some quotes (but go read the whole thing):

Some churches in 1830 held two preaching services, one before noon and a second after lunch. Early Saints, familiar with that pattern of meetings, adopted it, and our current two-meetings-a-Sabbath for all members continues that tradition.

Besides the sacrament, the sermon was the next most important part of Sunday worship. Preaching occupied the major part of each public meeting, and members often were deeply affected by it. Noted W. W. Phelps: “President Smith preached last Sabbath. … He preached one of the greatest sermons I ever heard; it was about 3 1/2 hours long—and unfolded more mysteries than I can write at this time.”

It was at Nauvoo that the first wards were created, but these were for tithing purposes, not for regular meeting purposes. Records do not show any ward sacrament meetings in Nauvoo, only the community-wide morning and afternoon meetings.

From 1850 to 1900 the Sabbath day in the Church changed a great deal. Meetinghouses for each ward made ward sacrament meetings and Sunday Schools possible for the first time. Holding local meetings in turn meant that more local members participated in Sabbath activities as class teachers and members, officers and sacrament administrators, speakers, prayer givers, and choir members. Special fast Sundays and quarterly stake conference Sundays were introduced.

At first worship services took place outdoors. Two months after the first pioneers reached Salt Lake, a newcomer visited a Sunday meeting and “found them by the side of a haystack.” A year later a Sabbath service was held “on the south side of the north wall of the Old Fort.” One Logan clerk could measure attendance by space occupied: “The meetings today were well attended, the congregation covering over half an acre.”

Older members today recall when ward priesthood meetings were on Monday nights, a practice established in 1908. However, some bishops favored a Sunday priesthood meeting, before or after Sunday School, to cut down on travel demands for those who lived far away from chapels. In the 1930s, when wards were permitted to hold priesthood meetings on Sundays or weeknights, most chose Sunday mornings, a practice now standardized throughout the Church.

6 thoughts on “History of the Mormon Sabbath”

  1. I’ve always wondered how in the world the early Saints kept their kids interested during a three-hour talk when many of these Sabbath day talks were given outside and the crowd may have numbered 1,000 spread out on the grass in front of the speaker. No microphone. Just a sweaty, hoarse preacher trying to keep people from thinking about their crops — and the kids from thinking about all of the distractions around them. Definitely different times.

  2. When I was a boy we still had junior sunday school at which the sacrament was administered.

    In the days before the 3-hour block we would do SS and priesthood in the morning, and come back at 5:00 p.m. for sacrament meeting. I have fond memories of that schedule, and it seemed to make the sacrament more special.

  3. Geoff–they often left the kids at home! Brigham Young spoke more than once on the rudeness of bringing small children to church, and advised that they be left at home with older siblings or nannies.

  5. “To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.” Isaiah 8:20. The people of God are directed to the Scriptures as their safeguard against the influence of false teachers and the delusive power of spirits of darkness. Satan employs every possible device to prevent men from obtaining a knowledge of the Bible; for its plain utterances reveal his deceptions. At every revival of God’s work the prince of evil is aroused to more intense activity; he is now putting forth his utmost efforts for a final struggle against Christ and His followers. The last great delusion is soon to open before us. Antichrist is to perform his marvelous works in our sight. So closely will the counterfeit resemble the true that it will be impossible to distinguish between them except by the Holy Scriptures. By their testimony every statement and every miracle must be tested. Those who endeavor to obey all the commandments of God will be opposed and derided. They can stand only in God. In order to endure the trial before them, they must understand the will of God as revealed in His word; they can honor Him only as they have a right conception of His character, government, and purposes, and act in accordance with them. None but those who have fortified the mind with the truths of the Bible will stand through the last great conflict. To every soul will come the searching test: Shall I obey God rather than men? The decisive hour is even now at hand. Are our feet planted on the rock of God’s immutable word? Are we prepared to stand firm in defense of the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus?

Comments are closed.