Keep the Sabbath Day Holy: Make A Sunday Box

Need a Value Project for Choice & Accountability? Or how about a fun Young Women's activity? We have an idea for you: make a Sunday Box!!

In For the Strength of Youth we are taught:

The Lord has given the Sabbath day for your benefit and has commanded you to keep it holy...Prepare during the week so that you can reserve Sunday for the many uplifting activities that are appropriate for the Sabbath day. Such activities include spending quiet time with your family, studying the gospel, fulfilling your Church callings and responsibilities, serving others, writing letters, writing in your journal, and doing family history work....Observing the Sabbath will bring you closer to the Lord and to your family. It will give you an eternal perspective and spiritual strength.

Sometimes it's easy to find ourselves doing activities or chores on the Sabbath that might be more appropriate for other days of the week. Putting together a Sunday Box with items that help you focus on the Savior is a great way to help you and your family spend your Sabbath day in a way that is pleasing to our Heavenly Father.

To get started on your box, first make a list of activities or items that you think would be appropriate and ask your parents about any that you are unsure of. Look around your home to see what items you might already have that would be a great addition to your Sunday Box. Some ideas you could include are:

Recent issues of the New Era or the Friend for younger siblings

Letter supplies (paper, envelopes, addresses, stamps) to write missionaries or family

A list of Scripture Mastery scriptures to work on memorizing

A scrapbook or journal of an ancestor that you can read about

A notebook containing family history charts, research, your goals, and other relevant info

A puzzle that you can put together as a family

Thank you cards to write to those who've helped you or have been an example that week

Church CD's with hymns (like the MoTab!)

Small folder games or scripture games that you can play with younger siblings

Church video's (like Legacy or Special Witnesses of Christ)

Favorite recipes that you can make together (like cookies or homemade ice cream)

A copy of Preach My Gospel to learn the missionary lessons

Next you'll want to find a box, basket, or other container that will fit your items and fill it with the items you found. Make sure to "okay" this with your mom :)

And if you're doing this as a Value Project, you'll want to use the Sunday Box each Sabbath day for a couple of months and record your feelings about the experience. Did it help you focus on the Savior more? Did you feel the Spirit more? How did it help your family? Discuss your experience with a parent or leader.

What else would you add to a Sunday Box?