Worship...my responsibility

This week as I have been reading in the beginning of Mosiah a particular theme caught my attention and that was WORSHIP. As I read about King Benjamin and how he called the people to him and what he taught them I was very interested in that theme of coming to meetings and learning and worshiping

The first verse that impressed me was Mosiah 2:5, “And it camp to pass that when they came up to the temple, they pitched their tents round about, every man according to his family, consisting of his wife, and his sons, and his daughters, and their sons, and their daughters, from the eldest down to the youngest, every family being separate from each other.” As I read this verse I was so thankful that we worship as families. That we as a family have always sat together at church, not with friends or apart but as a family and “every family separate from each other”. In an article by E. Jeffrey Hill a contributor for the Church News gave several ideas about ways that we could worship as a family on the Sabbath. They are as follows:

1. Get to bed early on Saturday Night- family members can better worship together if they are rested.
2. Pray and read together- “just because Sunday is different, do not get out of the weekday routine of family prayer and scripture reading”
3. Give Priesthood Blessings- this is a day to turn our hearts to each other, also share patriarchal blessings with each other.
4. Fast as a Family- There is strength and learning that happens as we fast and pray together
5. Proclaim the Gospel
6. Redeem the Dead- Sunday is a great day to do family history work as a family

The next verse about worship that I as drawn to was that of Mosiah 2:9, “…for I have not commanded you to come up hither to trifle with the words which I shall speak, but that you would harken unto me, and open your ears that ye may hear, and your hearts that ye may understand, and your minds that the mysteries of God may be unfolded to your view.” As I read this verse I thought about my own personal worship and how do I come to hear those things being taught in my meetings? Have I prepared myself to hear, understand and have the mysteries unfolded to me? A quote from President Kimball explains that our personal worship is our responsibility. “We do not go to Sabbath meetings to be entertained or even solely to be instructed. We go to worship the Lord. It is an individual responsibility, and regardless of what is said from the pulpit, if one wishes to worship the Lord in spirit and in truth, he may do so by attending his meetings, partaking of the sacrament, and contemplating the beauties of the gospel. If the service is a failure to you, you have failed. No one can worship for you; you must do your own waiting upon the Lord”

My worship is my responsibility. I must come to church each week prepared to be taught by the spirit and to have His mysteries unfolded to me.