Sabbath observance
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A Sunday School instructor was once called to teach a large group of 16-year-olds. Counted among the students were two young men from solid, Church-going families.
The teacher enjoyed having the young men in his class. They were good boys, arriving for class each week with scriptures in hand and thoughtful ideas to discuss.
When both of the boys missed class one Sunday, the teacher guessed they were sick or perhaps vacationing with their families. Then the boys missed a second and then a third Sunday. Concerned, the teacher asked the other teens if they knew the whereabouts of their two friends.
The students answered that both boys had found part-time work. Since they were new to the job, they were each required to fill the Sunday shift. The boys had told their classmates that they would be regulars at Church again once they built some workplace seniority. Months passed, and the teacher rarely saw the two young men in class again.
Bishops and ward Young Men and Young Women leaders in many wards and branches may recognize this Sunday School teacher's concern.
The workplace has changed in recent years. Once "youth employment" was defined by fall harvests and maybe a few after-school hours bagging groceries at the local supermarket. But today, many young men and women in the Church are balancing high school schedules with a demanding workweek. Jobs offering "banker's hours" can be a rarity for teens — so many find work in a service industry (retail, restaurants and movie theaters) that's typically staffed after-hours, Saturdays and, yes, on Sundays.
More and more, LDS youth are faced with the decision to work — or not to work — on Sunday. It isn't always a simple choice.
There are myriad reasons why LDS high school students are employed. Some simply enjoy the independence found in a steady paycheck. Ten or 15 hours a week manning the drive-through window might bring in just enough cash to pay for that first car. Others are earning money for missions or college. And in a chilly economy, some young members likely hold down a job to help their families pay bills and make ends meet.
The Church has offered counsel to young, would-be employees and their parents and leaders. Young men and women worldwide utilize the "For the Strength of Youth" pamphlet as a First Presidency-endorsed guide on matters ranging from education to dating and honesty. Included in the pamphlet is a section entitled "Sabbath Day Observance," offering this employment counsel:
"When seeking a job, share with your potential employer your desire to attend your Sunday meetings and keep the Sabbath day holy. Many employers value employees with these personal convictions. Whenever possible, choose a job that does not require you to work on Sundays."
Veteran Aaronic Priesthood leaders recognize the wisdom in the guide's counsel to avoid Sabbath-day employment whenever possible.
A farmer's son, Dean Burgess learned the work ethic laboring in the family pea fields in Alpine, Utah. The crop helped support the family and pay for his mission.
"One of the greatest principles I learned as a young man was work," said Brother Burgess, a former bishop and mission president now serving as a counselor in the Young Men General Presidency.
But when determining if Sunday work is essential, Brother Burgess recommends that young people and their parents first enlist the promise found in Alma 37:37 and seek divine guidance:
"Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good."
In his October 2000 general conference address, Elder H. Aldridge Gillespie of the Seventy reminded members of the great blessings that await workers of all ages when they do their best to correctly observe the Sabbath:
"Jesus taught, 'The Sabbath was made for man' (Mark 2:27). What does that mean It means for a man to have the joy and happiness which the gospel promises, on this day he must sacrifice the world, set aside his employment as possible, and keep the eternal covenant of the Sabbath day.... Of all people on the earth, the Latter-day Saints must lead out in sanctifying this appointed day each week."
Kinston North Carolina Stake President Joel G. Hancock has spent much of his adult life working with young people. Prior to his tenure in the stake presidency, President Hancock served several years as bishop of the Harkers Island Ward.
He's witnessed the demands facing many young people.
"We have young men preparing for missions who are having to work on Sunday," he said.
Still, President Hancock knows much is lost when Mutual-aged members do not have an opportunity to gather together each Sunday for Sabbath activities because they are working. For young people living along North Carolina's Atlantic coast, Sunday might be the one day each week when they can be with other members. Such fellowship, he said, is vital for, say, young men who are considering a full-time mission.
"And the only place that's going to happen is in a Church setting," said President Hancock.
For 17-year-old James Rice, the decision to avoid Sunday employment has likely cost him a part-time position or two. Many of the jobs he has applied for at retail stores and fast food joints required Sunday hours. But he's grateful for the counsel his parents have given him to make the Sabbath a priority.
"I'm glad I haven't had to work on Sunday," said James, a priest in the Highland 3rd Ward. South Jordan Highland Stake.
He added the he has been blessed. James was able land a job doing part-time custodial work at the Church Office Building.
