Elder Ulisses Soares has experienced atypical Sabbath days as he has waited in the airport while on Church assignments. On one of those Sundays, he found a place where he could be somewhat alone and “closed his eyes and turned his heart to the Lord.”
“I felt the Savior’s warmth around me and I knew He accepted my offering that day, even being in a crowded airport,” Elder Soares told Church News.
In a recent interview with Church News, Elder Soares shared how pandemic Sabbath day observance, though unusual, can still be a delight.
When members are unable to partake of the sacrament, Elder Soares said we can “take a moment and elevate our thoughts and our minds. We can make that moment sacred. We can, in our hearts, turn to the Lord and reflect on our week. We still have the opportunity to recommit ourselves and to remember the Savior.”
Elder Soares said the pandemic is allowing us “to elevate the power of the Sabbath day in our lives.”
“We cannot see this pandemic as a barrier but as something that has the potential to help us to become better in every aspect of our lives,” Elder Soares said.
Elder Soares recalled how a few years ago, President Russell M. Nelson asked Latter-day Saints to ponder two important questions: “Is the Sabbath really a delight for you and for me? How can we ensure that our behavior on the Sabbath day will lead to joy and rejoicing?”
He explained that the focus on the meaning of the Sabbath day is a measure of protection and prevention.
“When we focus on keeping the Sabbath day holy, we build and fortify our faith in God and in His promises, and we deepen our conversion. . . . We will be able to cope with the challenges of this very confusing world,” Elder Soares said.
Read more counsel from Elder Soares at Church News.
