Halloween and the Sabbath Part Two

The fact that I’m even doing this blog post is unbelievable. A couple of weeks ago I posted a blog entry entitled, “Halloween and the Sabbath”. I did it mostly as a commentary and observation. I didn’t think it was necessary to back up what I said with the words of the Lord via Scripture and the words of prophets and apostles. I didn’t think members of the church would actually comment on my blog posting and dispute what I said. I had no idea it would touch a nerve with people. The fact that it did, is indicative of people’s lack of understanding of the gospel. Or lack of obedience. Or guilt perhaps.

1 Nephi 16: 2
2 And it came to pass that I said unto them that I knew that I had spoken hard things against the wicked, according to the truth; and the righteous have I justified, and testified that they should be lifted up at the last day; wherefore, the guilty taketh the truth to be hard, for it cutteth them to the very center.

I almost never get comments from anyone other than my family. So you can imagine my surprise when after posting this small little blog entry about keeping the Sabbath day holy by not celebrating Halloween on Sunday, I received two unsigned comments from people disagreeing with what I said.

What’s even more surprising is the comments came from two members of the church. I spoke nothing but the truth. My claim was that trick-or-treating or celebrating Halloween on Sunday was breaking the Sabbath. It seems pretty cut and dried to me. By disagreeing with my claim, they were actually disagreeing with and challenging the Lord’s commandments. You can disagree with me all you want but do you really want to disagree with the Lord?

In actuality, my blog post was really about my surprise that the Bishop would have to announce to the congregation to keep the Sabbath day holy even though it was Halloween. I thought it should be common knowledge amongst members of the church of Jesus Christ of latter-day Saints that trick-or-treating on Sunday was breaking the Sabbath. And therefore breaking one of God’s commandments. Apparently nobody got that point.

Therefore I’ve decided to post these comments in this blog entry and rebut them.

What’s interesting about both of these comments is they both use the same rationalization to justify breaking one of the Lord’s commandments.

This first comment was left by an anonymous member of the church from Austin Texas. You may ask how I know anonymous is a member of the church. Let me tell you. Anonymous did a Google search using the phrase “lesson using uchtdorf talk of things that matter most“. My blog came up in the search results and anonymous clicked the link and went to my blog. I don’t imagine many nonmembers were doing Google searches for lesson ideas using Pres. uchtdorf talks. Here is the comment left by anonymous:

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Halloween and the Sabbath":

Trick or Treating is just as good a Sunday activity other family based Sunday Activities. How is it any different than going for a walk with friends or family on A Sunday evening.


Posted by Anonymous to My Two Cents at November 7, 2010 11:08 AM

Let me ask you this anonymous, is shopping with your family on the Sabbath a good Sunday activity? Is boating/fishing with your family on the Sabbath a good Sunday activity? Is attending a football or baseball game with your family on the Sabbath a good Sunday activity? Is going to the canyon for a picnic with your family on the Sabbath a good Sunday activity? Is going to the movies with your family on the Sabbath a good Sunday activity?

Since you don’t believe my words, let me tell you what the Lord had to say about that through his prophet, Spencer W. Kimball.

“To hunt and fish on the Lord’s day is not keeping it holy. To plant or cultivate or harvest crops on the Sabbath is not keeping holy the Lord’s day. To go into the canyons for picnics, to attend games or rodeos or races or shows or other amusements on that day is not to keep it in holy remembrance. feeling that the best fishing will be missed if one is not on the stream on opening day or that the vacation will not be long enough if one does not set off on Sunday or that one will miss a movie he wanted to see if he does not go on the Sabbath. And in their breach of the Sabbath they often take their families with them.

The Savior said: “Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt. 5:19.)

There is no criticism of legitimate recreation—sports, picnics, plays, and motion pictures. All have potential for revitalizing life, and the Church as an organization actively sponsors such activities. But there is a proper time and place for all worthwhile things—a time for work, a time for play, a time for worship.” -Spencer W. Kimball, “The Sabbath—A Delight,” Ensign, Jan 1978, 1–5

I think any rational person would consider trick-or-treating as “other amusements”. Did you notice, anonymous, that Pres. Kimball mentioned when people break the Sabbath they often take their families with them?

Is Trick-or-treating, in the words of anonymous, “a good family-based Sunday activity”? Not according to the Lord’s prophet, Spencer W. Kimball.

As Pres. Kimball said, “there is a proper time and place for all worthwhile things” the proper time for trick-or-treating is not on Sunday.

Now onto comment number two:

A has left a new comment on your post "Halloween and the Sabbath":

Tammy, I have to disagree with you. Going around and observing a holiday on Sunday is not breaking it. And isn't Sunday all about being with your family and doing family-oriented things that you don't normally get to do within the week? Wouldn't that be considered family-oriented? And besides that, that is Amanda's birthday and that is when we celebrated it. Not the day before! Halloween is a fun holiday, but the way you make it sound, it's like only the devil and his kin would take part in it. I have to disagree. And that's my two cents!! :)

Posted by A to My Two Cents at November 12, 2010 12:07 PM

Adelle! It’s so good to hear from you. Since you asked me questions in your comment, I’m going to break it down for you.

Adelle: Tammy, I have to disagree with you. Going around and observing a holiday on Sunday is not breaking it.

My answer: au contraire, Adelle, going around and observing a holiday on Sunday is breaking the Sabbath. But don’t take my word for it, here is what the Lord had to say, through his prophet, Spencer W. Kimball:

“We have become largely a world of Sabbath breakers. On the Sabbath the lakes are full of boats, the beaches are crowded, the shows have their best attendance, the golf links are dotted with players. The Sabbath is the preferred day for rodeos, conventions, family picnics; even ball games are played on the sacred day. “Business as usual” is the slogan for many, and our holy day has become a holiday. And because so many people treat the day as a holiday, numerous others cater to the wants of the fun-lovers and money-makers.

To many, Sabbath-breaking is a matter of little moment, but to our Heavenly Father it is disobedience to one of the principal commandments. Moses came down from the quaking, smoking Mount Sinai and brought to the wandering children of Israel the Ten Commandments, fundamental rules for the conduct of life. These commandments, however, were not new. They had been known to Adam and his posterity, who had been commanded to live them from the beginning, and were merely reiterated by the Lord to Moses. These commandments even antedated earth life and were part of the test for mortals established in the council in heaven “to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them.” (Abr. 3:25.) “ -Spencer W. Kimball, “The Sabbath—A Delight,” Ensign, Jan 1978, 1–5

Adelle: And isn't Sunday all about being with your family and doing family-oriented things that you don't normally get to do within the week?

My answer: No, Adelle, Sunday isn’t all about being with your family and doing family oriented things. Sunday is a day consecrated for worshiping the Lord, Jesus Christ. We do this by renewing our baptismal covenants through partaking of the sacrament. Attending and participating in our church meetings, and keeping the Sabbath day holy.

Doctrine and Covenants 59:9-13
“9 And that thou mayest more fully keep thyself unspotted from the world, thou shalt go to the house of prayer and offer up thy sacraments upon my holy day;


10 For verily this is a day appointed unto you to rest from your labors, and to pay thy devotions unto the Most High;


11 Nevertheless thy vows shall be offered up in righteousness on all days and at all times;


12 But remember that on this, the Lord’s day, thou shalt offer thine oblations and thy sacraments unto the Most High, confessing thy sins unto thy brethren, and before the Lord.


13 And on this day thou shalt do none other thing, only let thy food be prepared with singleness of heart that thy fasting may be perfect, or, in other words, that thy joy may be full.”

Moroni. 6: 5-6
5 And the church did meet together oft, to fast and to pray, and to speak one with another concerning the welfare of their souls.


6 And they did meet together oft to partake of bread and wine, in remembrance of the Lord Jesus.

According to the above scriptures Sunday is not set aside for being with your family. Family get-togethers can be a wonderful way to observe the Sabbath, in the appropriate setting. Such as family dinner, and family home evening. But, trick-or-treating is not an appropriate setting.

From president Ezra Taft Benson: “May I suggest some activities and ideas that fit the purpose of the Sabbath.

—Rest physically, get acquainted with your family, relate scriptural stories to your children, and bear your testimony to build family unity.

Now, what about those activities that do not fit the spirit or purpose of the Sabbath? It seems to me that the following should be avoided on the Sabbath:

—Taking trips to canyons or resorts, visiting friends socially, joy riding, wasting time, and engaging in other amusements. (See Discourses of Brigham Young, p. 165; Daniel H. Ludlow, Latter-day Prophets Speak, pp. 360–63.)”-Pres. Ezra Taft Benson, “Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy”, May 1971 ENSIGN

I don’t think trick-or-treating could be classified as a testimony building activity. Once again, trick-or-treating would be classified as, “engaging in other amusements” of which, the Lord, through his prophet, Ezra Taft Benson, said are things that should be avoided on the Sabbath.

Adelle: Wouldn't that be considered family-oriented? And besides that, that is Amanda's birthday and that is when we celebrated it. Not the day before!


Answer: yes, trick-or-treating could be considered family oriented. What’s your point? As was stated before there are many activities that are family oriented, that build family unity, but are not appropriate for the Sabbath. As Pres. Kimball said there is a proper time and place for all worthwhile activities. My point was, the Sabbath day is not appropriate for trick-or-treating. Or for any Halloween celebrations for that matter.

Amanda’s birthday is on Halloween? Wonderful. I have no qualms with birthdays being on Halloween or on the Sabbath for that matter. Since you brought it up, let me wish Amanda a belated happy birthday.

Adelle, I’m not sure what your point is with stating that you celebrated Amanda’s birthday on Sunday, other than defiance and perhaps guilt for breaking the Sabbath day.

Is it really that difficult or inconvenient, to celebrate Halloween and/or Amanda’s birthday a day or two early if it falls on the Sabbath? I personally don’t have a problem with singing happy birthday and having some cake on a Sunday. But I do have a problem with donning elaborate costumes and walking throughout neighborhoods begging for candy on the Sabbath. And in actuality, I’m not sure why you care what I think. But you should care what the Lord thinks.

Adelle: Halloween is a fun holiday, but the way you make it sound, it's like only the devil and his kin would take part in it.

Answer: Halloween is a fun holiday. I have no problems with celebrating Halloween. The point I was trying to make in my earlier blog post is that Halloween should not be celebrated on the Lord’s Day, the Sabbath.

In regards to your statement that I made it sound like only the devil and his kin would take part in Halloween, you must be referring to my reference to Halloween as a pagan holiday. In referencing Halloween as a pagan holiday, my point was that it is a nonreligious holiday. As opposed to a religious holiday such as Christmas or Easter.

As a nonreligious or pagan holiday, it is not appropriate to celebrate such on the Sabbath day.

Adelle: I have to disagree.

answer: you can disagree with me all you want, Adelle. Do you really want to disagree with the Lord? The fact remains that trick-or-treating, or having Halloween parties on Sunday is breaking the Sabbath day. You can rationalize it all you want. But truth is truth. And you can’t change that. The Lord has made it very clear through Scriptures and his servants the prophets. Here is another quote from one of the Lord’s servants:

“Several years ago I accompanied President Gordon B. Hinckley to a regional conference in which he expressed to the priesthood brethren some of his concerns about members of the Church. One of his concerns was “our tendency to take on the ways of the world.” He then said: “We don’t adopt them immediately, but we slowly take them on, unfortunately. I wish I had the power to convert this whole Church to the observance of the Sabbath. I know our people would be more richly blessed of the Lord if they would walk in faithfulness in the observance of the Sabbath” (Heber City/Springville, Utah, regional conference, priesthood leadership meeting, 13 May 1995).” -Earl C. Tingey, “Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy,” Ensign, Feb 2000, 49

Adelle: And that's my two cents!! :)

answer: Really Adelle, using my signature line? How original.

 I just have a few more quotes about keeping the Sabbath day holy that would like to add. Since it is quite evident that people have a hard time understanding the concept.

In a statement from the First Presidency, we read that “the Sabbath is not just another day on which we merely rest from work, free to spend it as our light-mindedness may suggest. It is a holy day, the Lord’s Day, to be spent as a day of worship and reverence. All matters extraneous thereto should be shunned. … Latter-day Saints, with a testimony of the Gospel and a knowledge of the spiritual blessings that come from keeping the Sabbath, will never permit themselves to make it a shopping day, an activity that has no place in a proper observance of the Holy Day of the Lord, on which we are commanded to pour out our souls in gratitude for the many blessings of health, strength, physical comfort, and spiritual joy which come from the Lord’s bounteous hand.” (Church News, July 11, 1959, p. 3.)

“The purpose of the commandment is not to deprive man of something. Every commandment that God has given to his servants is for the benefit of those who receive and obey it. It is man who profits by the careful and strict observance; it is man who suffers by the breaking of the laws of God.-Pres. Spencer W. Kimball January 1978

“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” (Spencer W. Kimball, The Miracle of Forgiveness, Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1969, pp. 96–97).

 "In our time God has recognized our intelligence by not requiring endless restrictions. Perhaps this was done with a hope that we would catch more of the spirit of Sabbath worship rather than the letter thereof. In our day, however, this pendulum of Sabbath day desecration has swung very far indeed. We stand in jeopardy of losing great blessings promised. After 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." -James E. Faust, “The Lord’s Day,” Ensign, Nov 1991, 33

President Hinckley continued with the following instruction to priesthood leaders: “There isn’t anybody in this Church who has to buy furniture on Sunday. There really isn’t. There isn’t anybody in this Church who has to buy a new automobile on Sunday, is there? No. There isn’t anybody in this Church who, with a little care and planning, has to buy groceries on Sunday. No. … You don’t need ice cream to be bought on Sunday. … You don’t need to make Sunday a day of merchandising. … I don’t think we need to patronize the ordinary business merchants on the Sabbath day. Why do they stay open? To get customers. Who are those customers? Well, they are not all nonmembers of this Church. You know that and I know that.” -Earl C. Tingey, “The Sabbath Day and Sunday Shopping,” Ensign, May 1996, 10

As another blessing, and a warning, I think of the counsel of President George Albert Smith, when he said, “Much of the sorrow and distress that is afflicting … mankind is traceable to the fact that they have ignored his [God’s] admonition to keep the Sabbath day holy.” -H. Aldridge Gillespie, “The Blessing of Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy,” Ensign, Nov 2000, 79–80

To this very day, “the matter of Sabbath observance remains … as one of the great tests which divides the righteous from the worldly and wicked,” said Elder Bruce R. McConkie.

Elder Mark E. Petersen of the Quorum of the Twelve said: “We can readily see that observance of the Sabbath is an indication of the depth of our conversion."

“Our observance or nonobservance 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” (Ensign, May 1975, p. 49).

The manner in which we spend the Sabbath is a sign of our inner attitude toward [God]. … Observance of the Sabbath is an indication of the depth of our conversion” (Ensign, May 1975, p. 49, emphasis added).

If you have a problem with the Lord’s commandments, you need to take that up with Him, not me.

That’s my two cents.



Addendum:
Today is January 11, 2014, but I want to add this addendum to this post.  This is an e-mail I received from Adelle, and my response to her. My response is first and her e-mail to me is listed second.  So scroll down and read hers first.  I wanted to document this on my blog for completeness sake.

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From: drbarbiedpm@hotmail.com
To: peapod_30@hotmail.com
Subject: RE:
Date: Mon, 22 Nov 2010 12:42:57 -0800

Adelle,

You are funny. What do you call this e-mail you sent me, a non-response? Now you are calling me immature and childish? It wasn't me, but you, who sent me that ridiculously childish and immature comment. I merely responded to it.

Do you really think I would post false doctrine on my blog without rebutting it? Could you please explain to me what is not Christlike about teaching and defending the gospel of Jesus Christ? Why would you mock gospel doctrine by putting it in quotation marks? That's blasphemy. I will teach and defend the gospel wherever I am. And I will reprove anyone who challenges it, including you.

Rude and bitter? For not responding, you sure are calling me lots of names. Adelle, You might want to look introspectively, for all of the names you called me, seem to be qualities you possess.

What does my -- in your words -- "situation" have to do with anything? Why would you bring that up? That has absolutely nothing to do with my response to your comment.

If you took offense to my reproval to your comment, perhaps you shouldn't send me ridiculously childish, immature, doctrinally incorrect, unsigned comments.

Keep the faith,

Tammy Stone

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From: peapod_30@hotmail.com
To: drbarbiedpm@hotmail.com
Subject: 
Date: Fri, 19 Nov 2010 16:28:32 -0700

Tammy,
I am not going to dignify the childish, immature way you responded to my comment by any more of mine.  Unbelievable.  I truly feel sorry for you because of the rude and bitter manner in which you treat others, regardless of your situation or whether or not it is " gospel doctrine".   Not very Christlike.   I'm sad that it had to come to this.