"In this day of increasing access to and preoccupation with materialism, there is a sure protection for ourselves and our children against the plagues of our day," said Elder James E. Faust at the October 1991 general conference. Now second counselor in the First Presidency, Elder Faust declared that the key to that sure protection surprisingly can be found in Sabbath observance: " `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.' " (D&C 59:9.)

"Who can question but that sincere Sabbath observance will help keep ourselves unspotted from the world? The injunction to keep the Sabbath day holy is a continuing covenant between God and His elect. The Lord told Moses and the children of Israel: `Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations . . . for a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever.' " (Ex. 31:13, 16-17.)Elder Faust said that the Mosaic injunctions of Sabbath day observance contained many detailed do's and don'ts. "This may have been necessary to teach obedience to those who had been in captivity and had long been denied individual freedom of choice," he observed. "Thereafter, these Mosaic instructions were carried to many unwarranted extremes which the Savior condemned. In that day the technicalities of Sabbath day observance outweighed the `weightier matters of the law' (Matt. 23:23) such as faith, charity, and the gifts of the Spirit.

"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.

"Where is the line as to what is acceptable and unacceptable on the Sabbath? Within the guidelines, each of us must answer this question for ourselves. While these guidelines are contained in the scriptures and in the words of the modern prophets, they must also be written in our hearts and governed by our consciences. Brigham Young said of the faithful, `The spirit of their religion leaks out of their hearts.' (Journal of Discourses 15:83.) It is quite unlikely that there will be any serious violation of Sabbath worship if we come humbly before the Lord and offer Him all our heart, our soul, and our mind." (See Matt. 22:37.)

Elder Faust said that what is worthy or unworthy on the Sabbath day will have to be judged by each person by trying to be honest with the Lord. "On the Sabbath day we should do what we have to do and what we ought to do in an attitude of worshipfulness and then limit our other activities," he said.