June 16, 2019
On this, the Sabbath of our Lord we give our all to Him.
Our attitude and works are signs that show our love for Him.
With humble attitude today we show a willing mind.
With cheerful heart and countenance, delight in Him we find.
Good works we give our Lord today, We seek the one to love.
We give and serve, we teach and reach as signs to Him above.
This hymn was inspired by President Nelson's talk, The Sabbath is a Delight. I wrote this because I hope it will help myself, family and others to improve our Sabbath day observance.
-Jenny Whatcott
The second line builds to a climax where the melody lingers one note above the tonic (reaching higher than expected) complementing the lyrics of the 3rd verse. The final cadence is a pleasant blend of an authentic cadence in the bass voice and a plagal cadence in the upper voices. I hope the details of this setting foster feelings of reverence for the Sabbath day and encourage our commitment to keep it holy.
-Michael Whatcott
The Sabbath is a Delight
How do we hallow the Sabbath day? ...I learned from the scriptures that my conduct and my attitude on the Sabbath constituted a sign between me and my Heavenly Father... When I had to make a decision whether or not an activity was appropriate for the Sabbath, I simply asked myself, “What sign do I want to give to God?” That question made my choices about the Sabbath day crystal clear.
-President Russell M. Nelson
Isaiah 58:13
13 If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:
Exodus 31:13
13 Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you.
Doctrine and Covenants 59:9-10
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;
Doctrine and Covenants 59:15
15 And inasmuch as ye do these things with thanksgiving, with cheerful hearts and countenances, not with much laughter, for this is sin, but with a glad heart and a cheerful countenance--
-Michael Whatcott